A/N: Well, I officially don't think CJ are going to sleep together at all anymore. XD So much for this story. Lol. I mean, of course there are still those lingering doubts, but I honestly think if they do anything, it'll just be a kiss blowed out of proportion later on. I mean, CB proposal? How can you go wrong? Lol. I honestly think that CB are going to be okay at the end of the episode, even if they aren't engaged (which they probably won't be, I'm guessing -lol) or entirely together like before…they will be soon, and I feel like that's the worst case scenario. Haha. I think they'll be just fine and that CJ promo was just freaking us out to get us all hyped up for the season finale. XD Anyways, I've been trying to incorporate as many spoilers in this fic as possible, and now it probably won't go up in flames. Haha. Oh well, I shall still finish the story. Lol. Just in case. ;) Sorry for not updating yesterday, but I update DaP, so I think that should count for something. Lol.

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Ch.5—Only Human

She didn't hear him when he came in, but she felt his presence and that was almost worse.

"Go away, Chuck."

"I came to apologize."

Her eyes flitted to him from where she had been flipping through some magazine on her bed. He looked worn out – tired, dark circles under eyes that were almost red. His hair was a mess and his tie was too loose. Too many buttons were undone on his shirt. She raised her eyebrows.

"Well, don't you look presentable." She leaned back on her hands propped up behind her. Chuck took a few more steps into the room and closed the door.

"No need to close the door, Chuck. I don't plan on sleeping with you," she said, amused. He was confused by her lighthearted mood but decided not to comment on it. He knew all too well how to pretend and put up the perfect façade when you were the most broken. Still, he ignored her comment and walked further into the room. She glanced at the closed door and then back to him. The magazine still lay open on her lap but she kept her eyes pinned to his form as he stood dazed in the middle of her bedroom.

"I came to apologize," he repeated, maybe as a mantra to himself. He nodded once after that, and she knew for sure he was trying to convince herself more than her. She was amused. For her part, she was not taking his arrival or set goals seriously at all. The day before had been exhausting and she just needed a day to pretend.

"You said that," she commented, smirk on her face. He turned to her from his stance by her window. He did not look amused or willing to play into her little game in the least. In fact, he looked dead serious about being there and discussing the prior day's events. She tried to ignore the sickening feeling in her stomach at that realization.

Chuck took a step towards her. "I really thought you weren't coming," he said. He sounded choked up, so weak and vulnerable and just needing her. Blair fought extremely hard to not fall under his spell. She sat up straight and cleared her throat.

"You said that too. Yesterday."

He nodded solemnly. "I really didn't though."

She sighed, exhausted from the conversation already. It was obvious now that she couldn't play off his coming to her as some sort of joke, but continuing on like it was didn't really achieve anything either.

"Chuck, why are you here?" she ran a hand through her air and briefly held her face in it. She had been so energized before he had come over. Her mindset hadn't officially shifted back over to the anguish that was the day before, but she remembered the facts even if she wasn't going to allow herself to be too emotionally involved currently.

"I came to—"

"Apologize, right," she rolled her eyes and scooted off her bed. She stood to her feet and looked at him, but would not dare make the move towards him. "Well, you've done that, twice actually. So, what are you still doing here?" she asked, raising her eyebrows and leaning forward a little. She crossed her arms across her chest.

His breath caught in his throat. When he'd woken up that morning convinced he was going to go win her back, he hadn't really thought past an apology. That had happened before.

"Give me a reason."

"We can make this work," he said, his eyes suddenly focusing on her. He wasn't losing touch with reality or unsure of why he was truly there. He wasn't grappling around for words or high on drugs. Blair suddenly saw in him confidence and certainty. She didn't know how she felt about that. A shiver went up her spine.

"That's not a reason," she said. His eyes pierced into hers and he stepped towards her.

"I came here because I'm not living without you." She raised her eyebrows, looking amused again. "I'm not living without us," he amended. Her fingers clenched around her elbows. She said nothing, just stared at him, her anger starting to boil. She felt so very vulnerable and just wanted to give into him, just like she'd wanted to do for weeks every time she saw him and temporarily convinced herself that they weren't broken up and she was just avoiding him for something silly.

"Blair…?" he asked when the silence was unbearable. Her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pursed tight. He thought he saw tears in her eyes, but he was too aware of the anger seeping onto her face to confirm anything that might reflect sadness.

"What do you want from me, Chuck?" He heard a sniffle. "Just to take you back like nothing happened? Like what happened with Jenny never happened?" She wanted to be fuming, but the feel of liquid almost spilling out of her eyes left her denial of tears quite faulty.

He looked into her eyes still deeper, almost as if he were looking into her soul. "No," he said. She blinked, confused. What? was left unsaid. "It's a part of our story and I—"

She fumed, grumbled fiercely at his words and turned away, walking to the far side of her room. "Don't tell me that, Chuck. Just don't." She turned around in her fury only to see he heartbroken face still persistent as ever and pleading with her from the other side of the room. She walked towards him and her voice became soft and quiet. "Don't tell me this is just something we have to get through. Don't sound like a cheesy love song or some overpaid psychiatrist. Don't feed me lines that don't mean anything. Just…" her breath caught in her throat, "just don't." She swallowed hard.

He nodded slowly and cupped her face in his hand. Much to his surprise, she did not recoil or physically abuse him in any way. "Promise me something?" he requested. She nodded, lost in his eyes. It didn't feel like they were on the edge of losing each other forever. It felt less…life-threatening. She didn't want that hope to fade away.

"Promise me," he tucked a curl behind her ear. She closed her eyes at the gentle touch. "You won't let go of us." Her eyes open. They didn't snap and she didn't push him away. She didn't yell or scream or tell him she didn't love him. That was yesterday. She wouldn't give him such emotion today. But she did step away from him, as reluctantly as it might have been, and looked him sadly in the eyes.

"You already did," she said quietly. Then she looked away from him and left her room, leaving the door opened behind her.

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He spotted her from down below, awkwardly bidding her family farewell. He figured it was going to be bad for because of what they'd done, but he'd never imagined in a million years that Blair would send her out of the state. He noticed with curiosity that Nate and Serena were not present at the farewell. For a moment, Jenny caught his eye but he immediately looked away. There would be no them, no Chuck and Jenny. They both knew it. Neither wanted that kind of relationship, but deep inside each of them they wanted some sort of relationship. It would be too cold for Chuck to just be fine with nothing between them. But it was certainly a sacrifice he was willing to make if it meant getting Blair back.

"What's the big family gathering for?"

The familiar voice jolted his senses but he only smoothly turned to look at who had sidled up beside him. Her hair was a lot longer and blonder than he'd ever seen but there was no mistaking the mischievous glint in her eyes and scheming quirk in her lips.

"Georgina."

She smiled up at him. "Thought you'd gotten rid of me?" she raised her eyebrows. He shook his head.

"No one can get rid of you. Blair just temporarily displaced you."

"Ah," she nodded, smiling. "So you had nothing to do with it?" she raised an eyebrow. He just smiled at her and eventually she looked away, back to the scene of Humphreys and some Van der Woodsens bidding farewell.

"Alright, keep your secrets. But you still haven't answered my other question?"

"Which would be what?" he asked, not sure if he was really annoyed at her or himself. Part of him was curious, though maybe he was just amused. He didn't particularly know what he was feeling. But he wasn't going to analyze it further. "Jenny's leaving for boarding school."

Georgina smirked, her lips slightly pursed. "Perfect."

Chuck's eyebrows fused. "Perfect," he repeated, his tone neutral. Then he turned his face to her. "And what does that mean?" She turned to look at him, clever smile still on her face.

"It means you got played by Jenny Humphrey…" she paused, enjoying the rapid emotions that sped across his face. She would relish it as long as possible. "…and me," she smiled brightly.

"Meaning…?"

"Oh, look at the time," she looked up at the clock on the far side of the train station. "It seems I must leave." She plastered a fake smile on her face and started to walk away, predicting down to the second when he'd pull her back. It happened as planned.

"Yes, Bass?" she asked innocently. His brows were narrowed as he stared her down. "I didn't think you were usually so rough with the ladies," she chirped cheerfully. His eyes were unmoving. She shrugged. "At least not out in the open."

"Georgina."

"Mmm?"

"What the hell are you up to?" he growled. A smirk slid onto her face and slowly developed into a smile. She watched him glaring at her, saw the hidden pain and need he had to find out her answers. He had suffered too much lately, she gathered.

"Wouldn't you like to know…" she mused, still smiling. She eyed his form up and down.

"Good lord, I hope you don't plan on sleeping with me as a…trade," the words sounded evil on his tongue but he still spoke them. He was disgusted and there wasn't much more that could be wrong.

She scoffed. "No," she said quite pointedly. "Did that once, not planning on doing it again, not even for revenge. Besides," she shrugged, "I like to get others to do my dirty work."

His eyes narrowed in on her. He was beyond confused but it didn't look like she was going to be spilling anything too soon. "You're not going to tell me," he stated. She looked at him innocently.

"You know me too well, Bass."

He blinked.

"Of course, not nearly well enough," she slipped her purse higher up her shoulder. "Otherwise you'd know at least the venue in which I am making all your despicable lives worth not living."

He shook his head at her, lost at what she'd need to take revenge on, and why she wouldn't just tell him if all her pieces seemed to be in place. She sighed, annoyed at his stupidity, and walked away. He was jolted. He didn't understand it, why he didn't just run after her and demand she tell him the truth. It did not appear as if he'd get much more the second time than he did the first. Perhaps that was what kept his feet glued to the floor.

His gaze moved slowly throughout the room, looking for some sort of clue that would lead him to believe why Georgina was there to begin with. She had clearly come from somewhere, maybe to where Blair had sent her to, but that didn't explain why she had come to him and left with numerous loose ends. He felt heat come to him then and he looked down below. A curious looking Dan Humphrey was staring at him. Chuck's eyebrows furrowed, and then he noticed how Jenny had just passed the entrance to where the trains lay, Georgina Sparks by her side.

He looked back to Dan. The pre-Brooklynite didn't look angry in the least. His eyes looked searching, confused, and perhaps…regretful? Chuck did not take another second to think about it. If he wasn't on Nate and Serena's hit-list, he would be soon. He turned away from the overwhelmingly mysterious and confusing scene and left the train station. He had to find some way to get Blair back, no matter how hard it would be or how long it'd take. He was determined to.

Then, it hit him.

Grudges.

Georgina Sparks holds grudges…and she never lets go. She had just now led Jenny out of the train station, and she'd taunted him about something she knew that he didn't – something she'd done or was doing that he obviously would not be fond of. Oh God. Blair. She had something to do with Jenny…and Blair.

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Vanessa had left on a plane right after Jenny departed on her train. Two of the closest people in his life just left. Whatever the reasons might have been, it still did not feel justified in his heart. He didn't know what he was thinking when he got involved with Blair's schemes or when he loved Vanessa enough to let her go, but now he was paying for it. Four beers ago it was a lot worse. Now it was very slowly starting to numb.

That was how she found him.

She wasn't pleased at what he'd done to her, hadn't been pleased with what was going on in her life period the last two days – and if she was being honest with herself, ever since Jack had shown back up in New York. Somehow though she'd gotten word that Dan had gone out drinking. With Nate and Serena fighting and she needing a few good drinks herself, she thought she'd go hunt down the lonely boy and bring him back home.

"Dan…" she started, sitting down in the stool next to him. He turned his head to look at her, his eyes hazy. She cleared her throat and pulled away his beer, signaling for the bartender to send her a drink – a small one.

Dan watched as her hand enclosed around the large glass and pulled it away. He found himself being slightly irritated and a heeeeeeey! sounded off inside him but it never made it past his throat. He just followed her movements and finally looked up into her face, but only after she'd gotten her drink and brought it to her lips. It seemed he could not focus on very much.

Blair sighed and looked at him. "What are you doing here, Humphrey?" she asked, her fingers still grasping to the rim of her glass.

"Dying," he managed, turning his head to look at where his glass of beer had been. He frowned. Blair rolled her eyes.

"You shouldn't be drinking." He looked at her. "Not like this, not so much. You don't have a tolerance level built up like Chuck does," she said the last part jokingly. He looked over to her, and slight recognition seemed to make him focus a little on the reality around him.

"Chuck," he said blankly. Blair closed her eyes in recognition as well.

"Yes," she said. She was going to expand on her point and tell him about how Chuck had practically been drinking scotch since he suckled from a bottle as an infant. The lighthearted tone was almost inappropriate though, and the continued subject matter of Chuck did not seem safe ground for either of them.

"He loves you," Dan sighed loudly. Blair closed her eyes again. "Jenny's gone…"

Oh.

"Vanessa left too…" he continued to ramble. "Some CNN job in Haiti this summer…" he sighed loudly again. Oh. Blair continued to be in shock. "Oh!" he nearly shouted suddenly and turned back to her. "I'm sorry….about…before."

She shook her head and smiled ever so briefly at him. "Don't worry about it, Dan. You've had a rough day." His eyebrows furrowed and he blinked at her in confusion.

"You're not mad at me?" he asked, almost positive that his vision had gotten blurry and there was two of her.

"Oh no, I'm pissed," she assured him. "But if I take it out on you while you're drunk, you'll never remember." She smiled cheerily and reached for her drink, taking another sip. He analyzed her, how she drank, the tone in which she spoke, and the way her legs crossed over each other as they hung off of the bar stool. Her legs were exquisitely long and the light in the room glinted off of them. Her skirt rode a little high up her things, and her hair curled sweetly around the frame of her face.

"Blair…" he started reaching for her.

"What? Oh no," she shook her head and laughed at him, pushing him away as he reached for her waist. She didn't fear him assaulting her so much as she disapproved of it. She wasn't disgusted like she once would have been, but she was not going to sleep with Dan simply because he was lonely and feeling broken.

Broken.

She gasped.

"Blair…" he reached out for her again. She was so deep in her thoughts she didn't realize how close his lips got to her face. She moved out of the way just in time and he fell into her lap. She sighed, a bit aggravated and pushed him up so his face was resting on the bar counter. She quickly wrote down his address on a slip of paper and handed it to the bartender.

"Call a cab for him and make sure he gets in it with this address. I'm supposed to be taking him home, and I've recently decided that is the last thing I want to do." The bartender raised his eyebrows at her. He hadn't seen anything too scandalous or threatening happening between the brunettes, but with one glare from Blair Waldorf he nodded politely and did as he was told.

Once out on the street, Blair felt little droplets of water hit her face. It was sprinkling and instantly she worried for the sanity of her hair, but it passed relatively soon, as her mind fell into the winding back and replay of her most recent experience with Dan Humphrey.

He had felt broken and alone and without a hope in the world, at least not one that he could see. He had been drunk and she had just…been there. An uneasy chill ran up her spine. Just like Chuck and Jenny. It was different though, she told herself. Chuck was holding himself open to her again. It wasn't just another lay, because their relationship was hanging out in the open. Their break-up was in question. But…he hadn't cheated. Dan would have cheated if Blair had just let him. But she hadn't been broken, had hardly consumed herself with such awful emotions all day. She'd just spent the day thinking about Chuck, about them, or at least what they used to be. Would she have just given in if she had been as broken as he was?

It wouldn't have meant anything, but…would she? Just so she didn't feel alone?

Before she could think about the possibility further and what the answer truly was for her, of which possibility was greater despite what she wanted to believe, the sprinkles turned into a pouring rain and she shrieked at the realization. There were no looming roofs down the street going either way, and nearly every place was closed. She didn't want to go back to the bar where Dan might possibly be. She just didn't want to be there.

That was when a limo pulled up along the side of the street, and quite surprisingly Chuck rolled down the window. She just stood there, frozen, getting soaked.

"Come on, Blair," he said when five seconds past as she didn't so much as speak or move. He sighed, wondering if she was hesitating because of what he might say or do to her or where he'd take her once she got inside. He breathed in and out slowly, just watching her. When she still didn't move, he opened the door, getting drenched himself and walked over to her. He brought her to the limo. She hadn't been resistant like he thought she'd be.

"Let me take you home," he whispered against her and pressed a kiss to her head.

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A/N: So, this chapter sucks. I am sorry for that. I'm just so positive about the season finale now, and that is making it a bit difficult to write good angst. *shrug* This fic's almost over though, so hopefully you can hold out for a little longer. XD Thanks for all the review. ;p *love*