A/N: I am posting again! I am probably more shocked than you are. And I have started to watch Gossip Girl again which has inspired this post. I actually wrote this post in one afternoon which is rare for me. So if the reviews keep coming so will the posts. Krazy4Spike Thank you. I am glad you are aware that Josh is simply a catalyst, but maybe not a fast acting catalyst. Threewordseightletters thank you, the beginning but it will be a long beginning. Sandra Thanks. Svenjen thank you. ThreeWordsEightLetters thank you for starting to read this story. I am glad you have faith in Chuck and Blair because so do I. Chuck's feelings will come out slowly at first be soon he won't be able to hide them at all. Nicole Lovely thanks. Ok so on with the post and as always read and review.

Chapter 11: Late night liaisons

It was one thirty seven in the morning and Blair was just printing the proposal. She rubbed her hands over her neck trying to work out the kinks. She hadn't been working this late since she was in high school. She looked down at the printer display. Still sixty pages to print, it told her, which meant still another hour of work. This was turning into the longest day. She rubbed her eyes and sighed.

"Why don't you go to bed? I can put them in order and into the packs."

Blair turned round to see Josh standing in the doorway of her office. She smiled wearily at him, "it's ok. We have come this far. I'll be in bed before three. That gives me a good solid four hours sleep. I have survived on a lot less."

"Well you have never done a full weeks work in this hotel, and right now you still have two days before your day off. "

"Are you sure? I mean you must be exhausted too."

Josh laughed, "I am used to no sleep. All nighters were my speciality at school. I am totally fine. So scoot."

"Did you seriously just say scoot? You do realise this is the Upper East Side, not a cartoon."

"Well you can teach me how to speak snob tomorrow, just go to bed."

Blair smiled as she lifted her Blackberry off her desk and headed for the door. She heisted for a moment, "are you really sure?"

"Yes now go."

Blair smiled, "Good night Josh, oh and I will reprehend you for implying I am a snob first thing tomorrow. I used to be, but I am not anymore."

"Well that's good to know."

Blair smiled as she grabbed a blanket from the sofa and wrapped it around her. She lifted her shoes, her phone and her keys before tiptoeing towards the lift. Once she got in she realised how tired she looked. Her skin was dull and her eyes were being held up by purple semi-circles. She scolded herself for being so vain. New York was turning her back into the old Blair and she was not going to allow that. She was not going to be her mother and she was not going to have Tabitha growing up thinking you had to look perfect to fit in. The lift arrived at the top floor right in front of her door. She turned and walked down the hall until she was facing Chuck's door. There was a note stuck on the door with her name on it.

"Tabitha is in my room. Key under the mat. C"

Blair folded the note back up. She walked up the hallway towards Chuck's suite. She found it eerie how quiet the hotel was at this time of night. She was used to the hustle and bustle of the day time. Maids floating around the hall way, guests laughing and giggling as they checked in or out. It was simply quite right now and she didn't like it. She reached Chuck's room and bent down to retrieve the key from under the mat. She carefully unlocked the door and crept in. She saw Chuck had left the lamp in the lounge on for her. She quietly closed the door and set her keys and phone on the table, and her shoes on the floor. She threw the blanket over the back on the sofa and tiptoed towards her bedroom.

Once she had opened the door she saw Chuck and Tabitha in the bed. Tabitha had her head and hand on Chuck's chest. Chuck's hand was holding Tabitha's. She didn't have the heart to wake Chuck so she turned and headed towards the lounge again. She felt a little lump form in her throat. There was no denying he loved her, even if he couldn't say it. She knew that Chuck really loved Tabitha and that Tabitha really loved Chuck. She stood for a minute in the doorway with her hand over her heart. She realised that there was no running away this time. There were three hearts that would be broken this time and that was far too much collateral damage. She took a deep breath and turned to exit the room.

"Blair," she heard Chuck whisper, "is that you?"

"Yeah, sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep."

"What time is it?"

Blair looked at the clock, "its 2 am so please go back to sleep."

Chuck looked down and saw Tabitha sleeping on his chest. He didn't even try to move her, "where are you going?"

"I am going to sleep in the spare room."

"Don't be silly, the spare room is a complete mess. I really only use it for storage. You take my bed and I will sleep on the sofa."

"No please don't. If you wake her she will be up all night and I really need some sleep," Blair said in an urgent whisper, moving towards the bed, "just stay where you are."

"Ok well at least come and lie on the bed."

Blair was slightly hesitant, "are you sure?"

"There is enough room for ten of you on here."

Blair smiled. She tiptoed over the bed and lifted the blanket that was over the railing. She laid it over Chuck and Tabitha before climbing under it herself. She pulled all her hair to one side and turned her face towards Chuck closing her eyes. She could feel Chuck's eyes on her. She tried to ignore him but after a minute she opened one eye and looked at him, "can I help you with something?"

Chuck smiled "Wow the bitch is back in town. I am missed her."

"Being nice really isn't really that fun. I haven't made anyone cry in so long."

"It used to be a daily occurrence in high school. I used to take bets on how earlier in the day you would make somebody cry."

Blair rolled her eyes, "If you would have told me that I would have worked with you on that and we could have split the profits."

"That would have been a real money maker."

Blair smiled as silence infiltrated the darkness. The spark was starting to return. There was no denying it. In the darkness it seemed like the spark was electrified. She knew she needed to break the awkward silence but she didn't know how. She found that ironic considering how many times she and Chuck had lay in bed at this time of night talking. He always made her laugh in the dark. It was a side of him that not many people got to see. He would hold her hand, and kiss her nose. He would be really sweet to her and there was no denying she missed that.

"Did you have fun with Tabbi tonight?", Blair asked wishing instantly she hadn't. It sounded awkward. She realised the uncomfortable silence would have been better than awkwardness that now plagued the room.

"Yes she has some energy. I was ready for bed well before she was. I stuck a movie on and made her get into bed. I think I fell asleep before she did."

"I always fall asleep before her. She has got a ridiculous amount of energy. It is like she has a fifteen coffee's a day."

"Well she is your daughter, that wouldn't surprise me."

Blair smiled. It seemed to her that as soon as the awkwardness arrived, it disappeared again. She was lying in her bed with her ex boyfriend. The guy she thought she would marry when she was seventeen. The guy she knew bought a ring when she was eighteen. The guy she ran away from when she was nineteen. And here she was, twenty three years old and sharing a bed with him and her daughter. This should be awkward, this should be the most uncomfortable thing in the world but it wasn't.

"Blair" Chuck's voice broke through the silence.

"Yes"

"Stop thinking so much, I can hear the cogs in your mind turning."

"Sorry"

Blair reached up and turned the light on. Both Chuck and Blair's eyes went to Tabitha's face to so if the light had woken her. She remained peaceful. Chuck met Blair's eyes, "tell me what you are thinking about?"

Blair looked not at the ceiling, "I was just thinking…..that this should be awkward but it really isn't and that is a bad thing."

"Why is that a bad thing?"

"Because you are my boss….and because we always had problems being friends before."

Chuck smiled. He reached one hand over and took Blair's hand in his, "we won't have that problem now. We are friends Blair."

"You only want me for my kid."

"Slightly true", Chuck laughed, "and of course so I can put all the paper work I don't want to do on your desk."

"That's nice. I will be keeping an eye on my work load. If I see anything that isn't supposed to be there I will make you pay."

"That has been noted" Chuck smiled, "now please get some sleep."

"Chuck?"

"Yes Blair?"

"Good night."

Chuck smiled rubbing his thumb over Blair's hand, "good night Blair."