"My Evening Star" Chapter 10
Rating: T, just to be safe
Word Count: 4,746
TV Spoilers?: None. Just around second season during the time that Blair lost her throne and her friends.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Gossip Girl or really anything affiliated with it.
Other: Sorry if this is a little later. I try to update twice a week but could only do one this time around. At least this one is my longest yet. Haha
And thanks everyone for the reviews! 3
--
It had been nearly two hours since Serena had awoken, and Chuck was bored. Of course, he was relieved to see his favorite step sister was alright, and what's more, she was glad to see Blair. Apparently the last thing Serena remembered before passing out was seeing her delicate, doll like features alight with panic and that had been enough for her to forgive and forget.
Just about forty five minutes beforehand, Lily and Eric had decided to go get a light dinner which had left Serena and Blair a chance to talk. Chuck had no idea what they were saying, but judging by the smile on Serena's face and the light in Blair's eyes they were catching up. He could see them laughing together through the glass window of Serena's private room.
It surprised him how happy it made him to see Blair happy. But there was something about seeing her all light and smiling that put him in high spirits himself.
He knew it was because he loved her…he just hadn't known he had reached the point where he loved her more than himself.
Chuck had been a selfish creature his entire life, after all. To know he was capable of that depth of emotion amazed him.
Smiling a little as he watched her, he suddenly heard a vibrating sound in his pocket. Good, he had been expecting a call ever since he had made one of his own, moments before picking Lily up.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Suspicions confirmed." It was his P.I., who Chuck had paid to head over to Constance's Assembly Hall immediately in order to inspect the catering business and the food. After word got out that Serena had apparently had an allergic reaction, Chuck had been determined to find out how this was possible.
"What do you mean suspicions confirmed?" He asked. "What did you find?"
"I interviewed some young ladies at that school and was told Miss Van der Woodsen had ordered a ham and cheese crepe. The caters apparently had decided to prepare each dish as a group, and when I went to inspect the food, every single ham and cheese crepe had clam oil poured into it, and most even had tiny bits of mussel shoved inside. When I asked the caterers about this, and they knew nothing but admitted there were so many people in the kitchen… food would be easy to tamper with."
Chuck's fist clenched and it took him a moment to collect himself before he could speak. "But even if someone did sabotage the food, how could they know what Serena ordered in the first place?"
"Apparently the students ordered in advanced, and a list was made of what they wanted. According to the caterers, that list went missing for a while before the breakfast, but turned up later on."
Chuck had to put down the phone for a moment, and leaned his hand against the wall, not quite surprised, but still very, very disturbed by what he was hearing.
"So you think this was a poisoning? Someone willfully attempted to kill Serena?"
"I don't know if murder was the intent, but certainly, someone out there attempted to harm her. They were obviously trying to send a message if you know what I mean."
Chuck closed his eyes and nodded, his whole body rigid. "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. Any chance we can discover who's behind it?"
"Slim to None." His P.I. replied. "Whoever did it covered his tracks well. No way to prove this wasn't just a catering mixup."
Chuck scowled. "That's what I figured."
"I hope that doesn't…" His P.I. began but Chuck cut him off, knowing what he wanted.
"No, you will be fully compensated for your work, and will receive a sharp bonus if you can gather anymore information on William Kensington."
"You think he's the one who did this?"
"I know he did. Now gather some information so I can annihilate the bastard." Without another word, Chuck slammed his phone shut and scowled.
Thoughts of Will Kensington targeting Nate, now Serena flashed through Chuck's head as anger coursed through him…along with something else…fear.
Chuck was one of the boldest people alive and liked to think there was nothing that could scare him, but at this point, it clearly wasn't true.
Will had nearly killed Serena, whether or not that had been his intention. He had purposely poisoned her and for what reason? Blair was obvious a huge part of it, and that idea make his entire body go rigid in fear. What if she was in danger, and what's worse, what if he couldn't protect her?
His entire life Chuck had been a plotter. He had manipulated and schemed through so many things, and had learned long ago how to be the perfect puppet master. Yet despite his years of experience, Chuck could not think of a plan now. Aside from strangling Kensington with his bare own hands, he wasn't sure how to go about getting rid of him…and that made him more afraid than anything else.
How do you strike at your enemy when you both possess the same weakness?
Chuck's quick mind was busy flashing through possibilities when Lily and Eric came back.
"Is everything alright?" Lily asked, looking between him and Serena's room, clearly wondering why he was not there. Chuck nodded his head.
"Everything is fine. I just needed to step outside to take a call." He attempted to swallow his anger which was still coursing through him. "Besides, I thought it was about time the drama queens declawed and got a chance to talk one on one."
He gestured to the two of them. "And it appears all is finally well again in the land of Chanel and Dolce."
As if on cue, Blair's eyes suddenly snapped up from behind the window. She first looked at Lily and Eric, before her gaze moved onto Chuck's. There it lingered for a long moment, while she smiled coyly before she looked back down at Serena. A few second later, her eyes locked onto him once more.
Chuck felt the now familiar fluttering in his stomach go wild as he stared back, the two of them having a clear, undeniable eye-sex moment until he felt Lily's arm affectionately touch his shoulder. "Alright, well, we're going to go back in. You can too, if you want Charles, or if you need to go home…"
"I'll stay around a little longer." He responded instantly, causing both Eric and Lily to smile. They then nodded and went back to Serena. Chuck watched the three of them exchange a few words, while Blair's gaze flickered to him once more. Serena, apparently noticing, grabbed her best's friends hand and managed to give her a push towards the door, despite the fact that she was still lying in a hospital bed.
Chuck watched in amusement as Blair flashed her a glare that was obviously fake. She was smiling the moment she walked into the hallway.
"I'm assuming all went well?" Chuck asked, quirking a brow as he grinned himself, her presence making him forget his former frustration. Blair nodded, looking very pleased and playful.
"Very well, actually. I think it's safe to say S and I are back on best friend status."
"So I was right?" Chuck said cockily, while she rolled her eyes, but never stopped smiling.
"Now Dorota will have to braid you some friendship bracelets." He smirked.
Blair smirked right back as she marched up to him, and began to push him slowly down the hallway, so that they were out of anyone's sight. "All in good time." She said playfully, before she backed him up against a wall.
Chuck felt his heart swell up as his shoulder hit the wall, and he could see Blair looking up him under those long, perfect lashes. "But for now there are more important things to attend to…"
Suddenly, Chuck felt her arms snake up, one around his neck, the other in his hair, as she pulled him towards her, kissing him soundly on the lips. There was no hesitation. No moment of surprise. The two of them simply drove in passionately, grabbing at each other in anyway they could to bring themselves close as possible.
It was all too wonderfully familiar to Chuck, who had had Blair in his arms just like this several times in the past, and even more so in his dreams. He could instantly feel that high he always did when he was with her, and that feeling of completion… as his hand move downward to slide up her thigh. In response, she began to make soft moans sounds against his lips that quickly grew louder.
"What you did for me this afternoon…The way you were there for me…" She gasped out breathily, as she pulled away from him for only a second before she dove in once again. "I want… you… to know…" She tried to say between kisses.
"Yes?" Chuck asked huskily as he moved his mouth away so that he could kiss down her neck. Blair reacted immediately and practically melted against him, forcing him to slide one of his arms down to catch her.
"It meant everything to me." She told him, pulling her head away for a second so that she could look straight at him. Chuck was instantly amazed by the emotion he saw in her dark, doe eyes. Gone was any sign of a death glare, or even a trace of a basic smirk.
No, instead of malice or amusement, her eyes were wide and full of emotion and vulnerability, making Chuck almost feel like he was seeing something personal…something more intimate than even gazing upon her naked form (which he had now seen many a times).
Feeling overwhelmed by the passion her words, and her openness provoked, he rested his forehead against her's for a moment, before pulling back and giving her a soft, chaste kiss exactly where his head had just been. He then rested it there once more.
Blair seemed to understand the intimacy and feeling behind his gesture, and pulled away to look at him before she reached up and yanked him down to kiss her once more. This time, he could feel her smiling against his lips, like he was doing to her's.
Chuck suspected she was feeling the same thrill and happiness that he could feel bubbling up inside of him as they continued to grab at each other, desperate for one another's touch.
His need for her burned even stronger when she slide her hand up and threaded her hand through his hair…just like she always used to. In response, he went to attack her neck with his lips once again when he suddenly heard a distinct "Ahem" behind him.
With his back to the wall, he could see an old nurse with frizzy gray scowling straight at him and Blair while their arms were still wrapped tightly around one another.
"Excuse me." She said in a no-nonsense tone. "This is a hospital. A respectable place where the sick and injured come to heal… or to die." Chuck could feel Blair stiffen against him as she turned to finally look at the women, both panic and shame evident on her pretty features.
"Your actions are entirely inappropriate and unless you two can control your teenage hormones, you will be escorted out…."
Chuck smirked at this, refusing to let go of Blair even though the nurse likely expected them to jump apart. "No need for that. This hallway's a little cold anyways. It was about time we found ourselves a place that's just a bit cozier. A place that has a bed or two not already occupied by a heart attack victim…"
Chuck felt Blair's heel stabbed into his foot, and it forced him to hide a smile.
The nurse's eyes narrowed. "In that case, I hope you two will leave as soon as possible and enjoy your day." She began to stroll away before she suddenly stopped, and turned to them once more.
"And oh, the maternity ward is up on the second floor. For future reference." She then strolled away leaving behind a grinning Chuck and a dazed Blair, who seemed to have abandoned her initial shame for amusement.
"Oh my God." She said in disbelief as she looked at Chuck, her eyes shining bright. "I can't believe that just happened." She was still smiling as she reached up and began to smooth out Chuck's collar which she had managed to not only wrinkle before, but had popped a button off.
"You know, I always knew you were a bad girl at heart, Waldorf, but being caught rendezvousing in a hospital? How scandalous of you." He smirked as he began to stroke her hair in return. "And to be the instigator nonetheless…"
"Please Bass. I may have been the instigator, but you were a willing accomplice and partner in crime." She said, as she reached down to thread her fingers through his and began to walk down the hall.
"Aren't I always?" He smirked, matching her steps. "You know, the only thing hotter than a hospital hookup, would be you wearing a sexy nursing costume." He squeezed her hand playfully. "Or even a pair of scrubs. May not be your style, but they're easy to remove."
Blair rolled her eyes and shook her head, but managed to look so happy for a moment Chuck felt his heart lift higher than ever…He knew this is what he wanted. This is what he had waited so long for. It was absolutely worth it.
"Oh yes, a hospital hookup. What could possible be more pleasurable than having some frizzy hair nurse see us embracing in some back corner amongst the diseased and dying?" She joked.
"I don't know." He replied. "Maybe having your friend Little Billy see us instead." He retorted as he remembered that things were still not as amazing as he wanted to believe. There was still the matter of Kensington to address, and he hoped Blair would agree to be his co-conspirator.
To his surprise, she did not seem amused by his comment. In fact, she suddenly seemed disturbed and suspicious. "What is that suppose to mean?" She demanded, stopping in her tracks to face him.
Chuck blinked back. "Excuse me?"
"What did you mean? What does Will have to do with any of this?"
Chuck stiffened, feeling his whole body suddenly freeze when he realized she still cared about Kensington. Still trusted him.
"He has everything to do with this." He replied tightly, rapidly growing defensive. "He's the reason Serena's in the hospital in the first place. The bastard poisoned her food."
Blair stared at him for a moment, her eyes wide with emotions he could not quite discern. "You're really going to try to accuse him of attempted murder?" She asked in disbelief before she slowly began backing away, causing Chuck's stomach to twist painfully.
"You honestly want me to believe that Will, who doesn't really know Serena or have anything to do with her, would actually try to kill my best friend?"
Chuck scowled at her idiocy, feeling both anger and hurt ripping away at him. "You think you know him Blair, but you know shit. I've had my Private Investigators watching him and digging up information about his past and there is so much more to him you clearly can't comprehend."
"You hired a P.I. to spy on him!" Blair hissed in disbelief. "So that's how you got your information about him and his stay at the treatment facility! That's how you almost ruined him!"
"I will ruin him." Chuck snapped back, his mouth tight and his expression controlled, through his dark eyes betrayed the resentment coursing through him. "He wrecked Nate's future and poisoned Serena. Of course I will destroy him."
Blair shook her head and glared at him. "If you're jealous of him, Chuck, just admit you're jealous! Why can't you just talk to me? Instead of ever actually saying how you feel you invent all these stupid lies…"
"They're not lies!"
"Is this what today was all about?" Blair suddenly asked, her head whipping up as she looked at him in what almost seemed to be horror. "Did you just come here acting like you cared when all you really want is to one up Will? Is this just a game to you?"
Chuck stared at her for a moment, feeling so betrayed she'd even ask such a thing that he didn't speak.
"Oh my God. That's it, isn't it?!" She declared, looking at him with raw pain in her dark eyes as she obviously misinterpreted his silence.
"Blair…" He tried to say, but she cut him off.
"I'm such an idiot! Just when I start to believe you actually are a human being, you always have to prove me wrong, don't you?"
Her harsh words hung in the air for a moment and after a long, uncomfortably pause, Chuck finally answered her in a quiet, embittered tone. "You think you have it all figured out, don't you? You don't even care to see what's right in front of your fucking face." He cursed, resentment and disappointment eating away at him.
After everything, she still didn't trust him. It was almost too much to bear.
"With Nate, with Marcus. Over and over again, Blair. Everything has be exactly how you say it is. You're too much of a selfish, spoiled brat Princess to see how pathetic and narrow your world is. Never once can you just accept anything that's not in your master plan. No, you just keep pitifully deluding yourself time and time again."
He glared at her, before he looked away. "Well, you're welcome to continuing doing so just as long as you stop trying to drag me down into it."
For a few stunned seconds, Blair looked utterly wounded by his words, but she soon covered it up by standing tall and glaring at him. "And you think you're perfect? You, who is too morally bankrupt and emotionally effed up to ever care about anyone but yourself? You may think I like to live in a fairytale world, but nothing you do or say is ever honest or real either."
She snapped, before she tried staring him down. "And you're right. Trying to let you in my life is obviously a huge mistake. I don't know what I was thinking, but I assure you I won't let it happen again."
The two of them continued glaring at each other, both of them a perfect mixture of anger and hurt. Chuck could tell she was upset and regretful of this fight as much as he was, but would she be too proud to take back her words? He could feel his own arms aching to pull her against him once more, but refused to do it. Would she be as stubborn?
Of course she would. No way was she ever going to back down. He realized this when she mustered up one of her most hateful glares before she spun on her heel to walk away dramatically. Yet once she reached the end of the hall, she hesitated for a moment…and turned to look at him, her expression a mix of many emotions.
Was she expecting him to say something? Was it possible she wanted him to stop her from leaving?
But a much as Chuck wanted to run after her and press his lips upon her's once more, pride kept him from moving even an inch.
And so she stormed off without another word.
--
Will was infuriated. Nothing had gone according to plan, no matter how perfectly he had executed it. It had been so easy for him to sneak into the catering room and tamper with the meal he knew Serena had ordered. And the results had been better than he expected.
Gossip Girl had mentioned more than once that she was allergic to shellfish and so Will had been hoping to sicken her enough to give her terrible hives and leave her ailing in bed for as long as possible. But there had been a fun twist when she actually had to be hospitalized after her throat closed.
Will would have congratulated himself for such delightfully surprising success had he not heard that Blair had been there during Serena's collapse and actually got into the ambulance with her.
For the life of him, he could not comprehend why she would do such a thing. Serena had hurt her time and time again, and Blair was too go for that. Anyone who caused her pain deserved to suffer ten times more, and Will had been happy to ensure this.
Blair had him now. Him to take care of her, him to listen to her, him to love her. She didn't need anyone else. They didn't need anyone else. All that mattered was they had each other.
With this firmly in his mind, Will had tried going to Blair's house after school had ended, but she wasn't home.
Determined to the point of psychotic, he had circled her block and wandered up and down the streets again and again, waiting. Finally, just as the sun was setting, he watched her step out of a cab just outside her building…. A sad look of her beautiful face.
"Blair!" He called out, walking towards her. She turned to the sound of her name being called out and when she saw him, she bit her lip, looking a little annoyed. Will felt his blood begin to boil.
"Where have you been all day? I tried calling you a thousand times." He demanded, trying to keep the volume of his voice as normal as possible.
Blair eyed him with a small frown. "I was at the hospital with Serena and they don't allow cell phones there." She shook her head dismissively.
"Serena?" He questioned in annoyance.
"Yes, Serena." She snapped. "My best friend… who was my top priority today after she had an allergic reaction and nearly suffocated."
Will's fists clenched as Blair referred to Serena as her 'Best friend' Why did she not understand that she no longer needed the bubbling blonde?
"How long have you been waiting here, anyway?" Blair asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Awhile." Will replied stiffly, still trying to keep his indignation and fury out of his voice. How had his plans gone so wrong?
"Well, I'm sorry I can't invite you in. I've had a long day and really just need to be alone." She said, as she began to walk towards her door but he quickly caught up to her and grabbed her wrist from behind.
"What happened?" He asked in his quietest, most concerned sounding tone. She looked at him for a second before she sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I just made the same old mistake yet again. The one I keep making over and over again." She said bitterly. But though resentment dripped from her tone, Will could have sworn he saw tears in her eyes that she was stubbornly refusing to let fall.
"Just when I think things might be different, and he will actually begin to…"
Will felt his stomach sink violently as he went still. Very, very still. "Him?" He repeated tightly.
Blair looked up at Will like she was just noticing he was there.
"Never mind, it's not even worth talking about. I'm going to go to bed and forget all about it, and him. Better to pretend nothing ever happened." She said through clenched teeth as she began to walk towards her doorway again, but Will held her in place, his hold on her tightening.
"Did something happen between you and Chuck Bass?" He asked her in a low, tense tone, knowing he was most likely one she was talking about. Blair looked at him for a second before she ripped her arm away from him indignantly.
"Ugh, do not say that name in front of me ever again." She snapped before she pulled away completely and went to her front door.
"Goodnight Will." She said, almost as an afterthought, before she disappeared into her building, leaving a steaming Will behind in her wake.
He felt his whole body shaking with fury as his eyes burned into the doorway she just vanished into. For several full minutes, he did not move from his spot, his mind flooded with thoughts and images that made him burn with hate.
The feeling of rage was familiar to him. He had been swallowed up by its power many times in the past, letting himself fall completely into the overwhelming sensations of wrath and loathing. But he could not let it control him now.
If he did, he would lose Blair and he knew it. No, it was always much better to channel his frustration, and what better way to do so now than by plotting to bring Chuck Bass down?
Since his return, the infamous womanizer had been a thorn in his side. But he now knew Bass was far more than just a mere annoyance. He was a very real threat. Blair cared about him, that was clear. And apparently something had happened between them today.
Had they talked? Kissed? Gone farther?
Each thought made him want scream out in anger. Blair was his. His. And the sooner she and Chuck Bass both came to realize it the better.
Of course, Chuck would be the hardest target Will had to hit. Nate had been pathetically easy. Serena was not a challenge. But not only did Chuck suspect him, but he was likely waiting for the attack. Damn him.
Will's mind instantly began to work, trying to form a plan that would remove Chuck could permanently. Violent thoughts overtook him, and a cruel smile came to his pale face. Those particular ideas were so satisfying. Yet he knew things would be far from that simple.
If Will wanted Chuck gone forever, he was going to have to strike at his heart. This was the Upper East Side. Will knew people talked constantly. If he could exploit one of Chuck's weaknesses he would never live it down. No, Bass would have to flee from the city and then it would become all too easy…
For once Chuck Bass was out of New York, Will's thoughts could turn violate once more. A tragic fall. An "accidental" drowning. It wouldn't be difficult to set up, and as long as they were thousands of miles apart. No one could ever trace it back to him….and Blair would finally be his.
Yes, find Chuck's vulnerabilities and strike at it. That was the first step to his plan and seemingly, the most complicated. Fortunately, Will was a cunning boy and he had an inkling of what that weakness might be….
Now all he had to do was exploit it and down would fall the Great Chuck Bass.
At the thought, Will smiled. Oh yes. Blair would definitely be his soon.
--
Oi.. Chuck is finally the target. I'm scared to write the chapter cause I love him so much. Haha
Anyways, thank you all for the reviews, which I love to death! I know I always say it, but they really do mean a lot and I really appreciate them.