Hello everyone – I'm back! I know it's been a long time since I've updated this story, but I've been distracted writing other stories, as well as real-life. I will say that everyone has been so supportive with your continued reviews, favorites, and hits for this fic, even though at times it may look like I've abandoned it. I assure you that I haven't. I need to send a special shout-out to Moozanna whose pestering made me sit down and work on this chapter.

I hope everyone is still with me – I promise not to take so long in between updates in the future. Now that GG is over and Chuck & Blair are happily married (with little Henry!), I'm hoping that inspiration will come flooding back.

As always, I don't own anything.

Chapter 10

"Finally!" huffed Serena as she plopped down into a seat and tossed her bag into an empty chair.

The cafe was conveniently located a couple blocks from the Columbia campus, so it was close enough for a break between classes but at the same time it was also a bit of a recluse. The café was quiet right now, as it was after the morning rush and before the lunchtime crowd. And that was exactly how Blair liked it when she had work to do.

"Blair?!" Serena called again when Blair did nothing to acknowledge her presence.

Blair briefly looked up from her books, "Oh, hi Serena." Then she turned her face back into the open book in front of her and continued taking notes.

Blair had taken over the corner table. She had two books open, a notepad, and her laptop. And she had a fresh cappuccino with a half-eaten chocolate croissant.

It was now February and Blair could see her deadlines approaching. Midterms were in the beginning of March and she also had two huge papers due around the same time. Not to mention the amount of time she was devoting to her internship at Sotheby's. So she decided to use her spare time she had now to get ahead. And that is why she was currently hiding away from the world in this tiny café of all places.

"Blair," and Serena cleared her throat to try and get her best friend's attention.

"What is it Serena?" an annoyed Blair asked as she set down her pen and crossed her arms. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of something here?"

"Come on Blair," Serena sighed. Then she reached across the table and clasped Blair's hand. "Just talk to me. I'm your best friend. You know you can tell me anything."

"Serena, I don't know what you are talking about but I'm fine."

Serena was certain that her best friend was lying. That she was in denial mode. She knew that deep down, Blair must be upset, maybe even heartbroken. And she was determined to be there for Blair, so she pushed forward.

"Blair, I know you must have seen the blast."

"Like I already said, I don't know what you're talking about. I forgot my phone so I haven't gotten any blasts."

Blair was telling the truth. She had overslept that morning and in her mad rush to leave her and Chuck's apartment undetected, she left her phone behind. And now she felt like she was missing a part of herself. She felt lost without her phone. She contemplated going back there to retrieve it after her 8 o'clock class finished, but she didn't really have enough time. Luckily, Chuck spotted her phone at her vanity and emailed her that he would bring it to campus when he came for his class. They usually met up for lunch on the days he came to campus, often joined by Nate of course, so she would just need to wait a few hours until she had her precious phone back safely in her possession.

"Oh," regret suddenly filled Serena's voice as she slid her phone in Blair's direction.

"God, S, just give me your phone," as she snatched Serena's phone from her hand to read the blast. Quickly, Blair raised the screen so that she could read the words of the wretched blogger.

Mark it on your calendars UESers, because this is a unique event. I'm saying something I don't often say. No, not that Nate Archibald has the hottest arms in Manhattan (because yes, he does). No, I'm saying... I was wrong. Sit down if you have to – I know it's a bit of a shock.

While being premature has never been an issue for me, it's seems I'm going to need a pill for blowing my gossip wad too early. My sources tell me (thanks doormatt123) that our previously reported, rumored groom, received a late night booty call. And from what I hear she looked more like a fiery Librarian than our icy Queen B. I guess our Dark Knight needed the whole night with the sexy redheaded vixen, because nobody saw her leave. Sorry B, but at least without a wedding there's no need to return all the toasters. Better luck next time. You know you love me. XOXO Gossip Girl.

Blair just sat there staring at Serena's phone. She had to rein in her emotions, make sure her mask was firmly in place because she had a feeling that not only was Serena watching her closely, but so were some of the other people in the café. She couldn't give anything away. So Blair took a deep breath and released it slowly as she handed the phone back to Serena.

"What do you want me to say?" Blair challenged her best friend. "I've been telling you for weeks that Chuck and I are not together. Do you believe me now?"

"I know you have. But come on Blair, you stayed at his penthouse for a week. And after St. Bart's I figured it was only a matter of time."

"Well, obviously that time hasn't happened yet. And you know that I was only staying with Chuck because his doctor recommended it after he hit his head."

"Still…"

"Serena, let it go. Please."

"Blair, it's okay to be upset. Even if you two aren't officially together, knowing that Chuck is hooking up with random girls again has got to hurt."

Blair just shrugged her shoulders and answered, "Chuck is just being Chuck. I can't fault him for that."

"Oh, Blair," sighed a sympathetic Serena. She knew that Blair was putting on a show and that she was holding back her emotions.

"Serena, really, I'm okay," she shook off her best friend's hand and passed her own through her hair as she corrected her posture. "And I'll be even better when you let me get back to my work."

"Fine," and Serena gathered her belongings as she stood to leave. "But you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"Of course. Now don't worry about me, I'm fine," and she hugged Serena before she left the café.

Once Serena walked out the door, Blair was able to relax back in her seat. While she hated lying to Serena, there was a part of her relished being an actress, seeing if she could pull it off. And it appears she did.

Blair then quickly glanced around the café and to see if any eyes were on her. When she felt confident that no one was watching here, she dropped her mask and let her smile take over.

Sexy redheaded vixen.

Blair's smile grew because she could live with being called a name like that. But what made her particularly happy was that she and Chuck had effectively pulled one over on Gossip Girl. A big one! Ever since Gossip Girl released her blast a few days after Chuck's trip to the emergency room, they had been especially cautious about when they were seen together. In fact, Blair had taken to wearing disguises when she went to their penthouse, hence the redheaded wig. Still, she didn't mind all that much because it resulted in some very fun role-playing experiences.

The previous evening….

Blair hit save on the computer and gathered her belongings from her desk at Sotheby's. It was approaching 8 o'clock and she was the last of the interns remaining. After checking to make sure she was truly alone in their shared office suite, she closed the door and locked it. She then took out her overnight bag from her bottom drawer and began to get into character.

The first things to go were her Brian Atwood heels. Next she shimmied out of her tweed Giambattista Valli dress and quickly removed her patterned tights. Blair then retrieved her new outfit from her bag.

She carefully guided the black sheer thigh-highs into position, making sure that the back seam was perfectly aligned. She slipped on the fitted Burberry London leather pencil skirt and paired it with a slightly see-through (enough to see her black satin push-up bra underneath) silk Armani button-down blouse with pleats in the front, which Blair made sure was buttoned all the way to the top. Sitting down, Blair eased her feet into the red d'Orsay Manolos and tapped her toes playfully on the ground to get into the mood. Last but not least was her hair. Blair cemented her new look with red haired wig. (In all her disguises, Blair refused to ever wear a blonde wig. Too much history there.) Her hair was styled into a low bun with fringe, and she made sure the bun was held in place by a pencil. After a final touch-up to her make-up, which included painting her lips a bold red color, Blair put on a pair of black-framed glasses to complete the ensemble. Finally, Blair draped herself in an oversized cashmere wrap and exited the office with a new confidence, certain that no one would recognize her.

When Blair settled into the backseat of the cab, she pulled out her phone and texted Chuck.

'On my way. I hope I don't find you working in the library.'

Soon, the taxi pulled up in front of the Basses' building and Blair jumped out, eager to see her husband. She strutted across the lobby towards the elevator only to be intercepted by the doorman, who Blair noted was new.

"Excuse me ma'am. May I ask where you are going?"

"To see Mr. Bass," Blair said with her best fake Southern accent. She then batted her lashes at the doorman, "He's expecting me."

"And your name is?" he persisted.

"Mary."

"Mary who?"

"Just Mary," Blair responded. She was enjoying keeping up the ruse. "And you are?"

"I'm Bruce," the doorman choked out as he watched Blair, aka Mary, remove her cape, revealing her incredibly sexy outfit that showcased her best assets. When he finally regained his composure, Bruce continued, "Now you won't mind waiting a moment while I confirm with Mr. Bass."

"Of course not." Blair took a seat on the bench and seductively crossed her legs. She was having so much fun. Then she added, "Be sure to tell Mr. Bass that it's Mary from Library Services. He'll know what that means."

Bruce's cheeks suddenly became bright red as he quietly phoned Mr. Bass. He had heard enough of the man's reputation to know that this way probably a high-class prostitute, but he needed to make sure that Mr. Bass was expecting her. This was his first week on the job and he didn't want to start off on the wrong foot.

Once Bruce hung up the phone, he turned to Blair. "Come this way Mary," and he signaled to the second set of elevator doors. "Mr. Bass is waiting for you."

Blair followed Bruce towards the mirrored doors and watched as the doorman used his master keycard to call the elevator. When it arrived, he selected the 'P3' button and left Blair alone to ride up to the Bass penthouse. Blair got the feeling that she was making him just a tad uncomfortable and that's why he didn't ride up with her. The thought made her laugh - she loved playing this game.

As soon as Blair felt the steel box begin moving upwards, she worked quickly to make one last adjustment for Chuck as a surprise. She knew the cameras were on, so she had to be very discrete. But this was a skill that she had perfected numerous times in the past, so she knew she could pull it off. Still, she felt better knowing that Chuck had an iron-clad agreement with the building's security team which forbid them from releasing any images obtained from the videos, just in case she slipped.

The elevator chimed as the doors opened, signaling Blair's arrival in the penthouse.

"Blairrr," Chuck called out from his seat in the library where he was waiting patiently for his wife.

He didn't hear her say anything in response but he did hear the distinctive sound of high heels that was getting louder as they approached the room clad with books. So he decided to try another tactic.

"Mary? Is that you?"

At that moment, Blair appeared in the doorway and Chuck's jaw dropped to the floor. Her heels and sheer hosiery accentuated the shape of her legs. Her fitted leather pencil skirt hugged her curves in all the right places. Her blouse was just sheer enough to let Chuck know what she was wearing underneath without revealing a bit of skin. Her blood red lips reminded him of all the things her wonderful mouth could do. He was in awe.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Mr. Bass," Blair teased, swinging her finger in front of Chuck. "You know that you're supposed to remain quiet while you're in the library."

"I'm so sorry Ma'am," Chuck played along. "I guess I forgot."

"Well, you better make sure it doesn't happen again," Blair lectured as she made her way next to Chuck's seat. Then she leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Otherwise I'll have to punish you."

When Blair pulled back, Chuck looked straight into her eyes and gulped loudly, as if he was afraid of Mary the Librarian.

Blair leaned back against the long table that was situated in the center of the room and watched Chuck go back to his work. She then gracefully moved so that she was sitting cross-legged on top of the table, picked up her book, and began to read.

Over the top of the book, Blair could see Chuck checking her out every minute or so. As if he was waiting to see what she would do next. That's when she decided it was time to pick up the pace of this game.

Blair slowly traced her hand down her leg to the heel of her shoe, releasing her foot from the confines of its red prison. She rubbed her heel for a few seconds and left her shoe dangling from her toes.

The sight in front of him mesmerized Chuck. He couldn't stop staring at Blair's legs and feet. All of a sudden, her shoe fell to the ground.

"Oops," she mimed surprise. "Is there anyway you could get my shoe for me?"

"Of course," and Chuck immediately launched himself from his seat to pick up Mary's shoe for her. Once in his hand, he gently held her foot and tenderly slid her shoe back in place.

While Chuck was still kneeling in front of her, Blair uncrossed and recrossed her legs, exposing to him what she was wearing underneath her leather skirt.

Absolutely nothing.

"Jesus Christ," groaned Chuck as he felt his body temperature suddenly increase. He remained on his knees and couldn't help his hands from roaming up and down Blair's legs.

"Charles," Blair said in all seriousness, removing her glasses as she spoke. "What did I tell you about being quiet in the library?"

"I'm sorry."

"You said that before and yet you continue to make noise. Am I going to have to make you be quiet?"

At this, Blair again uncrossed her legs, giving Chuck a clear view of her very naked pussy.

"Do I need to gag you?" she asked as slapped Chuck's hands away as they began to make their way under her skirt. She could hear his breathing begin to labor.

"I can think of a few other ways for you to keep me quiet," and Chuck stood up and nestled his body between her legs. Placing his hands firmly on her backside, first he gave Blair's ass a squeeze before pulling her body forward so that she was flush against him. He tossed her book aside and cradling her face in his hands, he leaned in to kiss her delectable red lips.

Blair returned the kiss with zeal; she had been waiting all day long to kiss her husband. And while the role-playing was fun, she was eager to make some noise of her own.

The kissing escalated and soon Blair was laying on her back on the table, with Chuck on top of her.

"I didn't realize that librarians could be so fucking sexy," Chuck murmured in Blair's ear as he began to kiss her jaw and neck. "But the red hair has got to go. I much prefer brunettes."

Blair reached up and quickly removed the wig from her head. She then released her own hair from its bun and shook her curls loose.

"Much better," and Chuck returned to assault Blair's neck but now he was able to thread his fingers through his wife's gorgeous locks as he did. Seconds later, he was using his fingers to nimbly open the buttons of Blair's blouse, exposing her satin-covered breasts to him.

Chuck continued to worship Blair's body with his mouth, eliciting moans from Blair that only encouraged him more. Slowly Chuck made his way down her body until he was at the end of her skirt. Knowing that she was not wearing any underwear had him fascinating about all the things he could do to Blair. He couldn't wait until he could taste her, and he knew she was looking forward to that too.

But first he wanted to tease her a little more. He moved so that he was standing and he brought Blair's body forward, so that she was near the edge of the table. Ever so softly, Chuck reached under Blair's skirt and grasped the end of her stocking. As he pulled it down Blair's leg, he planted a kiss on the inside of her now naked thigh, just above her knee. He repeated the same motion on the other leg, except this time his finger graced her center before he removed the hosiery. This action garnered a very loud sigh from Blair.

"Sshh, we're in the library," Chuck scolded as his characteristic smirk spread across his face.

Blair sat up and brought Chuck's lips to her own. "Well, then maybe you should make me be quiet."

"Actually, I want to see just how loud you can get," growled Chuck and his hands journeyed underneath the leather of Blair's skirt. They massaged her legs and his magic fingers found the slick folds at the apex of his wife's thighs.

"Oh, Chuck," she panted as he continued to work Blair into a frenzy.

After a few minutes, Chuck decided that was enough foreplay. He removed his hands and tried to push Blair's skirt up so that he could replace his fingers with his tongue. However, this is when he hit a snag – he couldn't get the skirt up high enough.

"Damn it Blair," he cursed, frustrated that this scrap of leather was keeping him from pleasuring his wife.

That's when Blair stood up and without saying a word, unzipped the back of her skirt. She pushed the skirt past her hips and Chuck watched as it fell to the ground. As she did this, Chuck made quick work of his pants, socks, and shoes. Blair stepped out of her skirt and began to help Chuck by unbuttoning his shirt and forcing it from his shoulders. Finally, Blair released the clasp of her bra, exposing her bare form to her husband.

It wasn't long before Chuck had Blair pinned on top of the table again and they were both crying out, filling the library with plenty of loud noises that any librarian would surely punish them for.

Present day

Blair shook herself out of her daydream and looked up at the clock. She was meeting Chuck in less than thirty minutes for lunch and she hadn't even accomplished a fraction of what she intended. Frustrated with herself, she gathered up her belongings and began the short walk to the restaurant she and Chuck frequented on Wednesdays for lunch.

When Blair arrived at the upclass bistro she noticed that Chuck was already seated. He was lounging back in his chair and laughing with someone on the phone, and all she could think was how handsome he looked when he was relaxed and smiling. As she made her way to the table, Chuck quickly ended the call, stood to greet Blair with a kiss on the cheek, and pulled out her chair for her.

"That was Nate. He's not going to make lunch today. Something about lacrosse."

"Well that's too bad," Blair said with mock disappointment. "I'll guess it will just be the two of us for lunch then."

At this both Blair and Chuck couldn't hide their smiles. While they loved spending time with their friends, it was always nice to have a few moments to themselves.

Blair sat down and Chuck discretely handed her her phone. She immediately snatched it from his hands and quickly perused her various texts and noted that the voicemails could wait. After a minute or so, she put her phone away (in a very safe place) and turned to Chuck.

"So, Gossip Girl sent out a blast this morning about your late night rendezvous with some sexy redheaded vixen, a fiery librarian," and Blair took a sip of her water to cover her smirk.

"Oh her," and Chuck grinned at the memory. "Yes, well, she was quite hot."

Then he decided to play along with Blair. "I wonder who could have sent in the tip. The security at my building is very tight and discrete."

Blair continued to keep up the façade. "Well, the picture looks like it came from inside the elevator, so it must have been someone with access to the security cameras."

"I'll have to check and see who asked to view the footage from last night. I'm sure I'll be able to track down the source of the tip."

Both Blair and Chuck hid their faces in their menus at this point. They both knew exactly who sent in the tip to Gossip Girl and they both reveled in the idea of pulling one over on the bitch.

For the past three weeks Chuck and Blair have been working to dodge the persistent rumors since Gossip Girl sent out her blast about them. It read something like this:

Gossip Girl here and do I have some news to share with you! Everyone please join me in congratulating Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bass on their recent nuptials. That's right, I hear that B & C finally made it official. But why all the secrecy? I'm guessing it's like that famous playground song. Come on, you all know the words. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage. Does this mean there's soon-to-be a baby Bass on the Upper East Side? Everyone is on alert: Bump Watch 2011. You know you love me. XOXO Gossip Girl.

It turns out that someone in the emergency room supposedly overheard Blair refer to Chuck as her husband and took a picture of the two of them leaving the ER together, arm and arm. Where the pregnancy part came from, neither Chuck nor Blair had any clue – maybe it was babysitting Anna. Still they had spent the last few weeks convincing Serena, Nate, and the rest of their friends and family, that they were not married and they certainly were not expecting a baby. Serena and Nate had been particularly difficult, as they both (surprisingly) did the math and concluded that a pregnancy was entirely possible after their week in St. Bart's.

So Blair decided the only way to truly defeat the rumors was to send in a leak of their own. Chuck was more than happy to scan the videos of Blair in the elevator to find the perfect shot, although for some reason it took him multiple views to find a frame he deemed suitable. Together, they sent in the tip from 'doormatt123' and waited to see the results. In a way it was a blessing that Blair forgot her phone, but she was anxious to see if Gossip Girl took their bait. All her questions were answered when Serena walked into the café earlier that morning – their plan was a success!

Chuck and Blair sat back and enjoyed their meal; a simple mixed greens salad for her and crab cakes for him. They talked about their morning classes, their plans for the afternoon, and their exam in Japanese in a few hours. Since they hadn't talked much the night before, Chuck also filled Blair in on things at Bass Industries while she told him about the Asian Art project she was working on at Sotheby's and how there is a possibility of her going to London to help with an upcoming auction.

When their plates were cleared, Chuck decided to broach the subject of taking next Monday night off from the standing study date.

"So I was thinking," Chuck started tentatively. "Next Monday will be our first Valentine's Day as husband and wife and I thought we could plan something special." When he saw Blair take a breath, as if she was preparing to debate, he quickly added, "Something private."

Blair looked into Chuck's eyes and saw that this was important to him. And really, who was she to deny him.

"Okay," she consented. Then, with a glimmer of excitement in her eyes she continued, "So, what do you have in mind?"

Chuck visibly relaxed in his seat as a smile spread across his face.

"I'll take care of everything. I want it to be a surprise. Just make sure that you have Monday night free." And then in his classic sly Chuck Bass voice he added, "All Monday night."

Blair couldn't help the blush that flooded her face. But that's what happened when she thought about all the possibilities that she and Chuck could do with a night to themselves. Just being Mr. and Mrs. Bass.

A/N: So that's it for now. I know, a short update but I hope it was worth the wait. I feel like my mojo is slowly coming back regarding this story, which means you won't have to wait a million months for the next update – that's assuming you're all still with me!

I need to send everyone who read my last chapter, especially to those of you who took the time to review, a really big hug! Reviews put a huge smile on my face. So thank you to: Beckaroo, Meg, TriGemini, amxoxo, ellibells, Trosev, ErinSmith20, DeDe, SaNaa.91, Kelsey, MusicalLover17, Maryl, Scarlett2u, and Moozanna. Love you all.

I also need to give huge virtual hugs to my glorious beta's. Dr. Holland, who is always so helpful and encouraging, and Maryl, who like B (or maybe Gossip Girl in this case) can be bitch enough for both of us. As well as Mary who read a little snippet of this chapter and gave me her approval – btw I hope you like your surprise.