Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or its Characters.
Chapter 18: Decisions, Decisions.
"Dan…Dan!"
Dan woke up to someone shaking him. He looked up to see Blair standing beside his bed. She smiled brightly at him.
"Blair?" Dan whispered sleepily.
"Good morning!" She beamed handing him a cup of hot coffee. He sat up groggily and accepted it with a yawn. He looked over at his clock.
"Blair? It's 5 o'clock in the morning." He said in disbelief. "We don't have to be at W until 8."
"7:30." Blair corrected. "Honestly Dan what intern doesn't show up early?"
"Okay 7:30, but that still doesn't answer why you're here at 5." He laughed. "Did you miss me?"
Blair rolled her eyes but grinned. Dan could be cute at times.
"Yes of course I always miss you, but we need to discuss something that has come to light before we make our debut as interns at W."
Dan sat up a little more curious.
"What's going on?"
Blair sighed and sat on the bed in front of Dan.
"Last night after you left I did some research. I found it a little odd that the only internship that Lily could find for you was at W, where I was. So I called Lily to thank her personally, as your girlfriend of course." Blair smiled.
"What did she say?" Dan asked interested.
"She said that I really owed my thanks to one of her assistants Michael. He sold it to Lily by stating how perfect it was since we had started dating."
"The short guy with the brown hair with a cell phone constantly attached to his ear?" Dan asked. Blair nodded.
"I happen to know personally that Michael is in Chuck's pocket, and on many occasions has provided Chuck with information about Lily or Bass Industries when he needed it."
"Wait? Are you saying that you think Michael is doing Chuck's biding?" Dan asked shocked.
"Yes, although it doesn't have quite the feel of one of Chuck's schemes." Blair frowned thinking.
"And we know from Gossip Girl that Chuck is living it up on a beach somewhere."
Blair nodded in agreement with Dan.
"That's what makes me believe that Chuck has involved a 2nd party who is running the scheme while he is out of dodge. How else would he have known that you needed an internship?"
"And you think that the second party is Juliet." Dan smirked knowingly.
"Exactly. She shows up the exact same time that Chuck leaves? And she has been around to hear that you needed an internship. Plus Chuck knows that she is the only person who has successfully pulled a scheme off, fooling all of us."
"Makes sense, it's just that we don't really have any proof, just suspicion. I mean even if Chuck and Juliet are working together, how do we prove it?"
"By going along with it." Blair smiled.
"I don't follow." Dan cocked his head confused.
"Juliet probably figures that putting us in a competition setting will cause problems to surface in our relationship. We need to play along with her scheme until we can find out how to expose her. If she suspects anything she might skip town again."
"Okay, but one thing still doesn't make sense to me. What does Juliet get out of this?" Dan asked.
"Money? Blackmail? I don't know. I know that Chuck can be pretty convincing at times." Blair admitted awkwardly. Dan frowned and ignored her last comment.
"Well I highly doubt that money fueled this for Juliet. Her last scheme was fueled by revenge for her brother. Not by money."
"Makes sense." Blair agreed. "You think that the same thing has fueled her again? She doesn't seem to like Serena dating Ben, which we all knew anyway."
"Only time will tell." Dan sighed leaning back into his pillows. Blair climbed onto the bed and settled herself next to Dan laying her head on his chest, and sighed contently as he embraced her tightly.
"So we agree. We will go along with it?" Blair asked looking up at Dan.
"I guess we have no choice at this point. I mean it all could be nothing but coincidence, but I trust you Blair, and if you smell a scheme, then something is definitely in the works." Dan sighed kissing Blair's forehead.
"Thank you." Blair smiled, settling her head on Dan's chest once again. "Just know that each time I insult you or sabotage you, what I'm really saying is I love you."
Blair felt Dan laugh.
"And every time I cunningly out maneuver you I am saying I love you too." Dan smirked. Blair laughed. "Wait!" Dan whispered suddenly realizing Juliet's room was right next door. "Juliet is…"
"Gone." Blair answered calming Dan instantly. "She passed me on my way in. Said something about her new job?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot. Ben said he got her a job at the coffee shop."
"I'll be looking into that too." Blair sighed.
"We can both check it out on our way to W." Dan smiled snuggling closer to Blair.
"Who knew? Dan Humphrey. The last person I would have thought to be okay with scheming." Blair smirked looking up at Dan.
"I'm just as surprised as you are." Dan laughed. "But when it comes to you Blair, I would do anything."
That last comment sent Blair reeling contently as her heart swelled. She leaned up and kissed Dan gently at first, then harder as he laid her down on her back gently climbing on top of her. Finally Blair pulled away.
"Dan it's 6. You should really start getting ready." Blair frowned. Dan sighed in disappointment.
"Yeah I know. Can you make some more coffee?" Dan asked climbing off the bed.
"No problem. And I'll be going through Juliet's room as well." She beamed sitting up.
"Ben and Serena…"
"Are not here. At the penthouse." Blair answered. Dan nodded.
"Now if you would excuse me, I have to go take a cold shower." Dan winked at Blair, before disappearing towards the bathroom.
XXXXX
Juliet felt exhausted. She hated working at the coffee shop but had to keep up appearances for Ben. As she had guessed, Ben and Serena had felt guilty enough to be blinded to the fact that Juliet had other intentions since returning from England. Juliet also knew that Blair had not been as fooled. She walked into her room and turned on her laptop.
The first thing she had done after moving into the loft was plant a video device in Dan's bedroom and in the living area. She searched for the time frame that Blair had been in the loft that morning, and pressed play.
"Makes sense, it's just that we don't really have any proof, just suspicion. I mean even if Chuck and Juliet are working together, how do we prove it?"
"By going along with it."
Juliet glared at her computer screen. She was going to have to up the game. Blair was prepared for her this time. Desperate times call for desperate measures, Juliet thought taking out her phone.
"Chuck Bass." Came Chuck's voice over the line.
"Chuck new plan. You need to come back. Blair is catching on faster than I thought." Juliet seethed.
"I could have told you that." Chuck replied coldly.
"Just get back here." Juliet yelled before throwing her phone on her bed.
Juliet paced back and forth thinking. She didn't want to have to sink to that level ever again. She had made Serena believe that she had done drugs almost destroying her—but for Blair this would be a new low. Juliet knew Chuck would go along with it, but a part of her didn't want to let herself go to that dark place again. But then there was the money, and her brother to consider. She would be damned to watch Serena and her family ruin her brother's life again.
"Jules? You home?" Ben's voice came through the loft as he came home. Juliet heard Serena laugh and cursed under her breath. Couldn't Serena be away from him for two seconds? Juliet had been home for only days and still hadn't had any time with her brother alone.
"Changing! I'll be out!" She yelled back.
Juliet finally emerged from her room to find Serena and Ben in the kitchen with some take out. Serena turned and smiled handing Juliet some food.
"Ben said it was your favorite." She smiled hopefully at Juliet. Juliet forced a smile, feeling Ben's stare.
"Thanks." Juliet said taking the food.
Ben sighed heavily relieved.
"How was work?" Ben finally asked Juliet.
"It sucked. You know I hate waitressing." Juliet replied coldly.
"It's a job, and people tip well there." Ben replied back but soothingly.
"Then you work there." Juliet came back.
"I would if I could. Criminal record remember?" Ben answered. Juliet could hear the hurt in his voice and both she and Serena looked at up him in sympathy.
"Ben I'm sorry." Juliet apologized laying her hand on his arm.
"It's okay." Ben smiled. "I'm slowly getting used to it."
"I just wish that I could make that disappear too." Serena suddenly spoke up. Juliet looked at her, surprised by the emotion that she heard in Serena's voice.
"Could you do that?" Juliet asked hopefully. She could see that Serena was happy to be brought into the conversation.
"I can definitely try. I want Ben to be able to go back to living his life without the past hanging over his head." Serena smiled taking Ben's hand. "You deserve that and so much more."
Juliet looked between Ben and Serena for a moment and was actually impressed. She could tell that her brother really cared for Serena, but she was even more surprised to see that Serena genuinely wanted to help Ben. For a moment she had a realization that she and Serena were coming from the same place. They wanted to help Ben and protect him, but as fast as the realization had come it left when Juliet remember that it wasn't Serena who had done this to Ben, but her family, and as long as Ben was with Serena, he was not safe from her family.
"I would be very greatful if you could. Ben does deserve his life back." Juliet forced herself to say to Serena and saw Ben smile at her.
"I'm just glad to have you here Jules. I did miss you." Ben smiled.
"I missed you too." Juliet smiled back.
"Well that's my cue." Serena smiled grabbing her jacket and purse. "You two have fun." She smiled at Ben before giving him a quick kiss.
"Where are you going?" Juliet found herself saying.
"I am going home. You deserve some time with your brother." Serena smiled. She waved her goodbyes and slipped out the loft door leaving a shocked Juliet and grinning Ben.
"That was nice of her." Juliet smiled slightly turning back to her food. Ben laughed.
"Serena can be nice Jules. I think we got her wrong."
"Yes but her family is still messed up." Juliet said glaring at her brother.
"I know, and we are working on that." Ben answered.
"What is there to work on Ben? Her mother put you in jail." Juliet snapped.
"Your right, her mom is dangerous, but she did what she did to protect Serena."
"I can't believe you are defending her! Tell me this Ben? What happens the next time Lily feels she has to protect Serena? Ben her family is dangerous. Being with Serena is dangerous." Juliet reasoned angrily.
"Not all of them. Rufus isn't that bad. But Serena is different, and she matters to me." Ben fought back.
"What about mom and me? Do we matter to you?" Juliet shot. "We had to watch this all happen to you and then you sent me in to do your bidding and I actually succeed, only to have you go and date the one girl you had me destroy?"
"Jules I'm sorry, but I didn't want you to take it that far." Ben replied quietly.
"I lost everything that mattered to me Ben. I burned all my bridges. For you. And now here you are dating her and I feel like everything I sacrificed was for nothing."
And with that Juliet got up and retreated to her room leaving Ben feeling guilty and ashamed.
XXXXX
"We took that way too far today." Dan commented in the back of the taxi.
"Well I wanted it to be convincing, but I never meant for us to get fired. What am I going to do? W was everything to me! It still is!" Blair wailed. Dan put his arm around Blair and tried to comfort her.
"I'll think of something Blair. You worked too hard to lose that internship." Dan soothed. Blair looked up at him.
"What are you going to do?"
"Don't worry about that just be ready to go back to work in the morning okay?" Dan smiled. Blair tried to smile back but she felt too depressed. The day hadn't gone like she had planned at all and to top it off by going along with Juliet scheme, it meant she had to keep her distance from Dan, and she really needed him right now.
"Can't we just go somewhere else tonight? Let's just disappear somewhere." Blair pleaded.
"You know we can't. Serena has to see you upset with me and Ben has to see me upset with you. You were the one that wanted to go along with this." Dan reminded her sweetly. Blair sighed deeply disappointed.
"I know but I just want to go somewhere where we can't be interrupted. I just want you Dan." Blair pleaded again. Dan heard the desperation in her voice and it made him ache for her in return.
"I want you too. So badly." Dan whispered leaning down and kissing her. Blair returned the kiss feverishly. They were suddenly interrupted by the taxi coming to a stop. Blair pulled away.
"I guess this is me?" She asked sadly.
"Yeah." Dan answered quietly. Blair looked at him seeing Dan's own sadness in parting with her.
"Give me a week and this will all be over Dan." Blair said trying to reassure him.
"Knowing you Blair it will be sooner." Dan grinned.
Blair laughed and leaned in giving Dan one last kiss before getting out of the taxi. She watched the taxi pull away with Dan sadly.
"Blair?"
Blair turned around to see Serena coming down the sidewalk.
"Hey. I thought you would be with Ben?" Blair asked forcing a smile for her best friend.
"And I thought you would be with Dan?" Serena answered.
"Well we kinda got into a fight at W and we were both fired." Blair sighed dramatically.
"What? B that's horrible! Tell me about it."
Serena threw her arm around Blair and walked her into the building and up to the pent house while Blair filled her in on the events of the day.
"I just didn't know that Dan had it in him." Serena finally said. "I never would have thought."
"I was shocked too." Blair answered sadly. She hated lying to her best friend, but for her scheme to work against Juliet, she needed Serena to believe everything she and Dan fed Serena and Ben.
"Are you two done?" Serena asked quietly.
"I don't know, but it's not good." Blair whispered.
They finally reached their rooms and Serena turned and hugged Blair.
"Whatever happened Blair, I'm sure Dan will make it right. He always does."
XXXXX
Dan finally entered the loft to find Ben sitting on the couch watching an old cowboy movie.
"I didn't think you would still be up." Dan said closing the door.
"Couldn't sleep." Ben answered looking up at Dan. Suddenly Juliet walked out of her room and glared at Ben as she walked into the bathroom, slamming the bathroom door.
"What was that about?" Dan asked looking between Ben and the bathroom door.
"Oh, Jules and I had a fight earlier, but I'm sure it will blow over. She just has to cool down. That's always how it's been." Ben answered quietly. "How about you? I thought you would be at Blair's or have her here with you."
"Oh, well, yeah Blair and I got fired from our internship tonight." Dan answered rubbing the back of his head and sitting down across from Ben.
"What? What happened?" Ben asked shocked.
"Well we just got too competitive and things got out of hand." Dan answered.
"Are you two okay?"
"Honestly I don't know. But I'm going to try to make it right." Dan sighed.
"You're a good guy Dan. I'm sure it will work out."
XXXXX
Blair quickly locked her bedroom door and bathroom door and pulled out her laptop. Earlier that morning she had planted a wire in Juliet's room, in hopes of recording something valuable. She carefully went through the audio files searching. Finally she heard what she thought was her and Dan talking, but she suddenly recognized the conversation. The realization that Juliet had recorded them sent anger through Blair. She fast forwarded a little.
"Chuck new plan. You need to come back. Blair is catching on faster than I thought."
"Just get back here."
Blair's mouth dropped open. So she was right! Chuck was involved and he had hired Juliet to rip her and Dan apart. It didn't surprise her. It was Chuck after all, but still. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? On the bright side, Blair was more than thrilled that she and Dan didn't have to keep up the act anymore. The more important question was how to continue from this point. Did Blair expose Juliet, or give her a dose of her own medicine?
XXXXX
What do you guys think Blair should do? What do you think Dan will do with this information as well? Thank you for reading! Chapter 19 will be up soon! Review! Let me know what you think!