Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite.

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ON THE TRAIL FOR THE TRIAL?

In law a trial is when parties in a dispute come together to have it resolved by a higher authority, and in many ways it reflects the way we Upper East Siders have conducted ourselves for generations – there is always a resolute Queen B, her loyal underlings and the various other minor players in the grand game of Manhattan elite politics. However today's lethal game of blackmail and conspiracy has come to an end because the dispute has been taking out of the Queen's hands – not that she could do anything anyway, she's lying in a hospital bed half way around the world while our very own Wallis Simpson – alias Juliet Sharp eyes up the crown. That's right Upper East Siders, the Upper East Side's biggest badass Chuck Bass and our brightest baby brother of a big thing E are coming to trial today, and looks as if most of New York High Society has turn out to support – or sneer for them, and I'm getting a ringside seat for a piece of the action,

You know you love me,

Xoxo Gossip Girl

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Questions just seemed to float past him as he responded only mildly distractedly to the questions of the prosecution…somehow Eric didn't know how he'd ended up on the stand…looking at a choice between prison and freedom for something that had started out as a harmless kiss. Part of him should have blamed Chuck for manipulating him, but the worst part was that Eric couldn't say that his good spirit had somehow been corrupted by Chuck, but he couldn't even pretend that was true anymore. The truth was that he'd been corrupted by the allure of it all, being in the Gossip Girl glare, being one of the premier socialites on the Upper East Side…and now he'd over extended himself and been rebuked for it by some greater celestial entity.

"It was love…at least it was eventually…at first I was just carried away by the adrenaline…by the fun of it all…and it seemed so easy, living a lie, but then it became so much more than that and I'm just…just sorry that it ended the way it did. It should never have gone that far." He had been only dimly aware of lawyers coaching him on what to say, he was telling the truth as best as he could recount it and that would have to pacify everyone…because he couldn't deal with the furore of the media spotlight anymore, for a moment he thought that the peace of a cell might actually be quite an enjoyable way to spend some time on himself.

His mother hadn't broken the news that he wasn't going to College but he knew any self-respecting Ivy League School would have done it, no amount of social connections would help him now…he had ruined his reputation and probably smeared his mother's just as she pulled out of what had for a few months seemed like a terminal decline in her own popularity and prestige on the Upper East Side. At least she had reasserted her domination over others such as a resurgent Anne Archibald before Eric had turned their world upside down.

"Yes I knew what I was doing…for Mr Bass…I knew that the point of the relationship was in the first place to engineer a relationship with a married man in order to blackmail his father…for what purpose I didn't know…I just knew that Chuck…sorry…Mr Bass needed a favour and I helped him out."

The wave of relief washing over him as he could finally step down from the stand was unbelievable, he had stood in front of every single family of consequence on the Upper East Side and now they would paint him into the picture he had just painted of himself before the Court…the painting of someone who would ruthlessly betray someone's confidence – even someone they lost. The most disturbing part he found was that most of the people in the Court Room around him shared those traits they just hadn't been exposed yet. Only the stupid ones amongst them got exposed – which was how he had ended up on the wrong side of the Court Room.

This was hell.

And he was imploding within it.

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Poor E, spotted, strained and stressed standing outside the Court House – we don't want to make things worse E, but it must be even worse knowing you aren't even the main attraction – the appetizing dish that has everyone licking their lips is Bass-avant-le-jury.

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"So what you're saying is Mr Bass, you set out to blackmail the Wessex family without Mr Van Der Woodsen's knowledge of your intentions?" If it had been a few years ago Chuck would've looked at the middle-class legal professional cross-examining him with scorn, now Chuck merely saw a man trying to do his job and seeming not to enjoy it all that much. Of course much of the old Chuck had played a hand in the ridiculous gambit to begin with…Chuck had always harboured a passion for the gamble – and if he'd pulled this game off he would have been several strategic hotels up and his major competitor's would probably have been bust. Now he was fighting for his liberty – but that didn't mean that he was leaving the new Chuck behind, he was going to see to it that Eric walked free if it was the last thing he did, even if Eric felt entirely betrayed and hurt by what Chuck said. Solidarity was a nice touch, but not when it was being exercised in stupidity – Eric couldn't take prison, Chuck probably couldn't either but he had a better chance than Eric: that was for sure.

"Exactly, Eric…has become very attached to me as a brother, but he think he's also a little insulted that I didn't…let him in on the real plan," the prosecutor nodded, "the truth is that I orchestrated the entire thing, Eric is simply…concerned with making himself not seem the idiot that he unfortunately is," he could tell that would hurt Eric but if it saved him it was a small price to pay, "I acted alone in the blackmail and simply abused Eric's relationship with Carlton Wessex for my own ends – Eric didn't become intentionally involved, and in fact he didn't become aware of the fact of the blackmail until it emerged in the media – just like everyone else."

"So you're saying your Step-Brother has lied in front of the entire Court?"

That question was something he should've anticipated but typically he hadn't had the foresight to prepare for that fact – the question was how to respond, Eric hadn't actually lied, in fact he'd told the complete truth, however for all intents and purposes it had to seem that Eric had lied, which then left the question of if he had lied how did Chuck ensure he didn't get convicted for that in addition. Then it dawned upon him, Eric acting out he could relate to his own influence over Eric – however non-existent that was. Though admittedly he had tried to change his image over the past few years, he was sure he could play upon the residual image of the drug-addled, heavy-drinking playboy reputation in this instance.

"Your honours, I'm Chuck Bass," he noted that some people sitting in the gallery sat up at that point, "if Eric lied in front of you I can put it down to my influence over him, the reason that my Hotel is a success is because, not to sound arrogant but everyone wants to live the Chuck Bass Experience. It doesn't make an excuse for the fact he lied, that was wrong – but clearly there's an issue of imitation here, his sins are by default mine are they not?"

He funnelled out most of the static of the Court, they didn't matter to him, he might have appeared strong to everyone, and something about that was his desire to see Eric acquitted of something that though he was complicit was not directly his fault – it was driving him forward, but also it was the notion that he knew that Blair was lost. She had chosen Louis – as he had known she would – and it was heartbreaking that they were finally apart, but he had accepted that and decided to move on from the issue. He passed through the Courts and back to the Waiting Room and then paused as he finally set eyes on a friendly face.

"Nathaniel," he greeted in mild surprise, he extended his hand and Nate offered his, they shook in that tight, friendly, amicable way that they always had, "it's excellent to see you, where you watching? I didn't see you up there."

"Well…honestly no I wasn't…I haven't really been here because I've seen a little too much of the Courts and of Prison in general…which is why I've been avoiding you," he admitted sincerely looking more than a little ashamed, "but I'm here now for you man…and I'm sorry that I haven't been here sooner…I'm your best friend I should've been here…it's just taken me a while to realize that."

"Better late than never." Chuck said, grinning a little at his friend, "Although if it works I think this might be a short lived renewal of friendship."

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"Just be frank with us, what is the Jury's mood – I mean do you know which way they're going to go on the case yet?" Lily enquired tenaciously from the other side of the table from her lawyer, she'd ensured Eric had the best legal team in Manhattan, she just had to hope that their extortionate fees would be worth it and she would be able to get her son home in one piece.

"There's good news, and…there's bad news," the lawyer murmured slowly, "he isn't going to be convicted of conspiracy to commit blackmail but…certain…other charge have come to light in the Court Room, owing to his admission to the Ostroff Centre as a minor and due to his association with a…a known Drug Dealer…he's being sent to an Institute outside the City for rehabilitation and then he will receive a 12-month suspended sentence."

"Wait, Eric isn't-"

"-thank you for all you've done," Lily said, ignoring her daughter's objections, the lawyer nodded and stood up to leave them together in the room, "Serena don't you dare complain, at least this way he won't spending time in Jail for what he did and you can visit him whenever you like – I honestly do not see the negative in this situation."

"Oh my god," Serena said realisation dawning upon her, "you did this didn't you? What did you do Mom? Tell them that Eric was some kind of unstable lunatic, that he needed help and this was just him acting out?" Lily didn't deny it and Serena felt her rage rising within her, "He would have been acquitted of these charges, Blair brought Juliet here to get rid of Georgina who was threatening to reveal this information to the Court…and you told them didn't you Mom? What you slipped someone a few hundred dollars to tip the Jury off and sway them in favour of a rehab conviction?"

Eric stood up abruptly and headed for the door, "Eric, Eric wait." Lily said rising and then she turned back to regard Serena, "For the record I didn't say a word to the Court Serena, but thank goodness somebody did because if they hadn't Eric would be going to prison today, so you just dwell upon that Serena while I go and try and calm your brother down."

Serena let her mother leave and threw her head back looking at the ceiling of the room, trying not to vent her anger by smashing something, she turned her dead as the door opened and smiled awkwardly at Nate as he slipped into the room, hopefully they could move past their differences between them, or maybe it was fate's way of telling her that they should move along from one another? Or was that just her getting afraid because she might be about to commit to something she would have regretted?

"I think your Grandfather's here," Serena murmured awkwardly – great, she'd talked family, a definite sign they didn't have much to talk about other than arguing, "you finally saw Chuck then?"

Nate nodded calmly, "He seems…calm about everything, we aren't okay are we?" The bluntness of the question had caught her off guard but clearly Nate had seen the warning signs too, the fight at the Gala, the temporary make-up – which always happened before the inevitable collapse of a relationship, "Didn't think so."

"I really love you Nate…I'm wondering whether everything going on in my life is just…colouring things…I mean how many times have we tried and failed at a relationship?" He shrugged, she laughed weakly, "I think it's either time we cut our losses or time that we took things…more seriously, time that we you know…either decided that this is the relationship of our lives or…settle down to being friends…sorry I'm not making too much sense am I? I just…I'm…someone told the Court about Eric and the Ostroff Centre…and Damien…so he's being sent to Rehab instead of given a sentence."

"Your Mom?" Nate asked slipping into the seat opposite her.

"She swears it was someone else."

"Chuck," Nate murmured aloud and everything slotted into place suddenly, "he was talking about how much he cares about you and Eric and Lily, he thought that it was better to keep Eric out and himself in, even if meant turning Eric into this hopeless…Chuck adoring wannabe. I think since Blair moved to Monaco more permanently he's…given up Serena, I really do…he's signed the Empire and the Brooklyn Hotel over to Lily…he's ready to go to jail."

"We should go watch," Serena mused, "he'll be going into trial."

"What are we doing about us?" Nate quizzed.

Serena extended her hand to him, "We're going to watch one of our bestfriends go to Jail, and then we're going to take a long walk, have a meal at a ridiculously expensive, indulgent restaurant, get very drunk and sleep together Nate, and then in the morning, well I'll let you plan that part of the day." He nodded, grinning at her as they strolled along the corridor to the Court Room, unsure of exactly how to proceed with one another.

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"William," Serena greeted, pecking Nate's grandfather on the chair as she settled into the seat next to him in the gallery, "I wish we could meet each other under better circumstances."

"Not at all," he replied graciously – Nate's grandfather was nothing if not courteous, "glad to see that Nathaniel and you are still such good friends, I wish I could have done something to help Charles for you and your mother Serena, I suppose it just remains in the hands of the Courts now." Serena nodded politely, looking around to spot Nate, he'd run to the bathroom and told her to find them seats, she'd chosen next to his grandfather, she looked around the gallery, "I told William and Maureen it would be better for them to stay away but I would pass on their regards." And he was also acutely aware of how to manage a situation, she also liked that he favoured Nate over Tripp. Nate slipped into his seat beside her and pecked her on the cheek for encouragement. Chuck was brought onto the stand and Serena saw the Judge assume his position on his chair. She let the next few moments fade through her consciousness contented for the inevitable "guilty" verdict. And then she heard something that shook her out of her impervious cocoon, one word reverberating around the room, "innocent." Serena frowned, somehow it didn't seem real, it couldn't be real.

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Looks as if the C-Bass is off the menu Upper East Siders, and as for E, he should count himself lucky – all he has to do is spend some time in rehab, at least it's a change from the Ostroff Centre right, E?

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"I saw the news," Blair murmured from her lounger, looking out across Monaco Bay at the yachts arranged, competing for size and standing with one another in the small space of cerulean-coloured sea water, "do you think Chuck paid the Jury?"

"No," Serena replied reproachfully into the phone, "well maybe, I'm not even sure how he did it B…everything looked…so bleak for such a long time in there…and now well he's…free again…and everything's back to normal now. I mean I'm with Nate, you're marrying Louis and having his baby…sorry his twins, I mean isn't this what we always wanted? The only thing that would make this day better would be…I don't know what would make this day better?"

Blair shrugged, "I'm not sure, anyway I'm afraid I'm going to have to love you but leave you…I need to get ready for this Dinner Party that the Countess of Ultzman is hosting tonight at her Mansion, surprisingly having your arm in a sling makes looking elegant hard, even for me, love you S," Blair hung up the phone and turned toward Dorota who was waiting at the periphery of the balcony, "Dorota get my dress ready for Dinner," Dorota nodded and left her alone, Blair hammered the number into her phone, "I have to admit as unlike a port of call as you were in the storm you really pulled through, and I can't believe you caved so easily when I threatened your career, corruption is such Childs play, I can't say it's been a pleasure but perhaps you could attend my Wedding…or perhaps you should just send a gift, I'd rather save you the trip."

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"How are you feeling," Serena asked, emerging onto the balcony outside Chuck's suite, looking straight out onto the City, she knew exactly where to find him when he was trying to clear his head, and this was one of those times, "knowing that you're a free man?"

"I thought I'd feel different but I don't, life goes on," Chuck laughed, "I still have a Hotel to build and an Empire to create, how are things with Nate? Are you two finally back on together?"

"Possibly," Serena said playfully flashing the glittering ring on her finger at him, she grinned, "or definitely, we're…we're getting married."

Chuck's eyes didn't bulge with surprise but his smile suggested that he was both pleased for her and a little amused he hadn't predicted that outcome, "I'm happy for you, I really am, I'm just left wondering how I got of innocent…it doesn't make any sense…part of me wants to blame Jack and say this is some scheme…and a part of me…doesn't know whether that's too obvious."

"Can I ask you something?" Serena quizzed, "If you hadn't have been on trial, would you have gone after Blair?"

Chuck pondered it for a moment, a long, drawn out moment, and then he answered honestly.

"Mr Bass," his Valet called out from inside the Suite, "you have a visitor."

"Hello Chuck," the soft, sweet French tones called out, "it's been…a long time."

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Life is a series of tests and trials – for all of us, even Manhattan's elite, how we respond to those trials and how we fair in them is what will define our character, our personality and our development through life. At some points we succeed, at some points we fail – but there is one constant throughout our lives, wondering whether how we react to a test or how we behave in a trial is how we wish to be defined or recognized. A question of whether we might right the choice or the right decision at the right time, because once a choice is taken, you can only ever wonder if things had happened another way. Life is a series of constants, once committed to a choice, it becomes set in stone,

Xoxo, Gossip Girl

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Hope you like my Second Je Suis fic,

Reviews and responses welcome and appreciated,

I might write a third to the trilogy – not sure,

Acrobat

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