A/N: So…it's been forever since I've updated this story, and I know I've only myself to blame. But it's here now! And that has to count for something. Hehehe. Besides, my life has been busy and hectic and FULL of family drama, so it hasn't exactly been easy to just write and write and write and upload. xD This chapter has a little bit of everything in store, so I hope you like it and please pleeeeeeeease review! ;p

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Ch. 20Connecting the Dots

"What did the doctor say?"

Jenny looked up and watched as the blonde re-entered the room and walked towards her. She had insisted on her father and brother leaving to get their own drinks, regardless of the cups of goodness sitting in the corner of the room. They had spent too much time coddling and worrying over her. She was fine. Even the doctor said so.

But Nate had been out of the room at the time, and unluckily for her neither Dan nor her father had bumped into him to inform him to avoid Jenny for a time. In fact, a nurse had even gone so far as to let the attractive teenage boy know that the doctor had finished speaking with the young girl he had come to see, and as far as she knew, the room was vacant for visitors again.

"Nate!" she said, in shock. "How did—why—wha—never mind," she shook her head and cleared throat as his furrowed brows accompanied the crossed arms against his features. "I'm leaving today," she said brightly, reassuring him.

"Today?" he asked, in surprise, sliding into the chair beside her bed. "That's amazing, Jenny. Did they say if you had any injuries?"

"Mmhmm," she nodded, trying hard to keep eye contact with the eager boy, and failing. "I have a sprained arm," she gestured to her right arm, "they're going to give me one of those flimsy slings and some medication for pain in case I need it. Besides that, I guess I just have a few bruises," she attempted a quiet chuckle. "I was just here so long already because I was unconscious. A bit of a concussion, they say. Heh."

Finally, she looked up to him fully. He was staring down at the ground now, looking very concerned for something more than the dirt specks gathered beneath the bed, she gathered. The moments passed by, and the silence was beginning to stir the tightness revived in her chest.

"Nate?" she asked.

He looked up to her, concerned as ever but saying nothing.

She exhaled. "I need you to get Dan for me," she bit her bottom lip worriedly, hoping he wouldn't turn her down. She knew Nate was a gentleman, but his infatuation with Vanessa lately had made her question some of his true intentions.

The blonde's mouth hung slightly open before he snapped it shut and then made an effort at a half-smile. "No problem," he said, standing and heading for the door. "I will go and I will get Dan for you because he is your brother and you want to see him," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

The door shut behind him.

Quite surprisingly it was no longer than five minutes before her smirking brown-eyed brother waltzed through the door.

"Hey Jen," he said, hardly recognizing the click of the door as it closed beneath his fingers. "Nate said you wanted to see me."

"Yeah," she said, a smile easing into place. "We need to talk."

"About?"

"About…why I'm here."

"Well, my guess is you ran away and as fate would have it, the cab you were in crashed."

She smirked slightly and then cringed. "Yeah…about that, I wasn't planning on running away. I just wanted to get away for the night. Everything with Nate…and Vanessa and…it was just too much." She looked to him, hoping for some sort of comfort or wisdom forming in his mind.

Surprisingly she saw realization. "This isn't just about Nate or Vanessa is it?"

She was silent, finding her lack of eye contact settling in again.

"It's about Nate and Vanessa. It's about Nate wanting Vanessa and not you, about how he never wanted you, about how in the end every guy you've wanted never really wanted you back. Am I right?"

The tension built up in her again. She wanted to scream at him and get him out of her sight. Her own vulnerable, insecure thoughts expressed from an individual as close as her own brother simply was too much to bear. Images of Nate and Vanessa kissing and holding hands clouded her vision. She couldn't get the words out of her head when Nate had told her of his feelings for Vanessa and not her. She had lost Eric and Asher nearly in the same day with their sexual conversion that apparently had been going for a long time. Everything…everything was just too much.

But she couldn't speak. Not really. She just knew she needed Dan gone suddenly as well. He wasn't helping. Maybe no one could help. Maybe she would never get over this. Maybe no guy would actually ever love her.

"I think," her tight voice trembled in its whispers, "you should go."

"Jen—"

"Go," she urged, her angry broken voice muffled under the tears that suddenly began to spill forth from her eyes. She was fiddling with her hands now and trying desperately hard not to cry or allow any more sobs to burst forth from her mouth so dramatically.

She just wanted him to leave.

She just wanted to be alone.

She just wanted—

"Jen," he said, softer this time. And then he was on his knees, encircling his arms around his baby sister as she cried into his shoulder.

"Yes, yes, all of that," she cried. The tightness was released as he drew closer to her and sent soothing strokes down her back with his hand. With his other hand he played with her hair and somehow managed to draw her closer and whisper comforting promises in her ear.

She sighed, somehow relieved from this outburst.

"I'm just sick of this," her sobbing sigh released itself as Dan pulled ever so slightly away, cradling his sister's face in the palm of his hand.

"I know," he nodded. "It majorly sucks, and it shouldn't have happened to you, of all people." He paused. "I'm sorry it did."

A sad, quiet laugh escaped her. "You're the best brother, Dan. Really, you are."

"Heh. Yeah, that's what they tell me," he rose to stand, but hugged her briefly once more. "I'm sure you'll find someone soon who really deserves you," he whispered in a moment.

She didn't seem to acknowledge the latter comment, but he could see the grateful twinkle sparkling in her eyes when he pulled away. She chuckled softly and looked up to him. "Who are they? Your other sisters?"

He smirked at her. "Hey, I could have some!" She looked at him skeptically. "They could be out there!" he defended.

"I think…I would know about it," a voice came from the now open door. Both of the Humphrey children turned to see their father looking amusedly at them, his arms crossed. "You know, if you had more sisters."

Dan cracked a smile. "You are so funny, Dad. Hilarious," he said, patting his dad on the shoulder and turning Nate, who was behind Rufus, out of the confines of the hospital room. Rufus smiled and muttered something incoherent to the departing boys. Jenny heard them talking once again and laughing mysteriously. She knew her brother had her back and cared about her deeply, even in this situation. Perhaps it did not matter that in reality, her mind told her that her frustrations were trivial. Dan had looked sincerely at her after all, just before exiting the room.

"Jen."

The sound caught her attention and she was brought away from the image of the departing teenage boys and her own clouded thoughts. She turned to her father, slightly brighter than she had been before, even if her face had just been sprinkled with tears.

"I heard about what happened with the nurse and the doctor and…Nate."

She almost cringed at the last mentioning, and Rufus would've been a fool to miss it.

"You ready for that talk?"

"Is it later already?" she asked, forcing a joke feebly.

His pursed lips barely formed a smile.

"I just talked with Dan, Dad. I think I'm good for right now."

"Hmm," he took a seat beside her and pulled the chair close. Gazing up into her worried eyes, he nearly whispered. "Maybe I'm not."

………………………………………………………………………………….

RING.

RING.

RING…

Nothing.

RING.

RING.

RING…

Again…nothing.

SIGH.

Vanessa hit END and pushed the REDIAL button once more.

Same thing. Almost endless rings and then the infamous answering machine message that informed the curly Brooklynite that she had in fact the right number. Kevin Jensen.

She sighed, running a hand through her darkly intertwining locks and collapsing against the couch. She couldn't remember a time when her life had been so complicated. And all from getting involved with Chuck Bass? It didn't seem possible.

"Never again," she muttered under her breath.

She tossed the small phone back and forth between both of her hands and rummaged through her thoughts while she enacted out other little idiosyncrasies she seemed to make up on the spot.

Everything led back to Kevin. From discovering Chuck's phone to the unconscious behavior on the streets of Brooklyn, they all led to one similarity. Kevin Jensen and some of his…conspicuous behavior.

It wasn't that he had ever lied to her, because they hadn't really been acquainted with each other that long, she reflected. But if he had lied to her…the realization came to her now that it would not be over a little white lie. No, it was much bigger than that. Even if her mind was insisting on Kevin's innocence.

She covered her face with her hands and buried both in the wool covering of the pillows adorning the couch.

Dan.

Vanessa's fingers swept open her cell phone and hit the first name it came across. She knew it was going to be her best friend's number, but a part of her was unprepared for the abrupt switch between empty ringing and sighs and Dan Humphrey's nearly tone deaf greeting.

"Vanessa?"

"Hey, Dan!" she shot up from her paralyzed position on the sofa, swiping her tousled hair away from her face, "what's up?!" she almost shrieked, quite lamely.

She could almost hear his brows forging together on the other line. "Uh…fine, Jenny got in a car accident…"

"What?!" Now, she shrieked. And slunk back into the fabric, slamming her hand back to its prior position. "Well…is she all right?" she asked, her heart slowly falling back to its normal pace.

"Yeah, she's just been having some issues with a—"

Long pause.

"Dan?"

"Yeah, uh…she's just been stressed out lately. You know, with Eleanor and school and stuff," he said.

She heard the gulp.

"Hmm, I suspect you're going to tell me the long version of that story later. But small details at least. How'd she get in a car accident? It's not like you guys have a car…" her eyebrows furrowed.

He sighed.

Oh dear. This is gonna be a big one.

"She ran away last night, or rather…was just trying to get away for a few hours—"

"Because?"

"Because of…said issues," he cleared his throat.

"Hmm."

"Anyways, her transportation for 'getting away' was via cab, and the cab…"

"…didn't exactly comprehend driving skills?"

"Right," he said.

She sighed. "Wow, well…that's a mouth full. Still going to want the longer version later, but…wow."

"Yeah."

"Hey, what about the other guy?"

"Hmm? How did you know it was a guy?"

Her eyes widened. Her intuition was starting to become a pain in the butt. "Uh…call it a hunch."

"You know, Vanessa, you've been through a lot over these last few days. Shouldn't you be resting instead of turning Jenny's car accident into a crime scene?"

She laughed briefly. "Just trying to be helpful."

He smirked. "Yes, I can see that—"

"Go find out about the patient."

"Wait…what?"

"Find out about him, Dan! I'll be down in ten."

CLICK.

He scoffed.

"What was that about?" a voice asked behind him. Dan turned around to see Nate walking towards him, having parted from his torn gaze between Jenny's room and the vending machine.

Dan's phone lay still in his hand. "Vanessa."

Nate raised his eyebrows. "She woke up?"

"Apparently. She's decided to play good cop/bad cop and wants me to discover everything about the other patient—who crashed into Jenny's car—that I can until she gets here. In ten minutes."

The blonde sighed, crossing his arms against his chest. "Where's Chuck when you need him?" he muttered.

"Hmm?" Dan asked.

Nate refocused his attention. "Oh. Uh…nothing."

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Stupid kid.

Chuck stumbled over a rock, making his way out of the hospital doors. He grumbled like a madman under his breath. Kevin was not at his side, but neither had he left the hospital. The plan had been for the young Bass to call up his personal P.I. in order to come to a conclusion about the secret dealings of Kevin's older brother.

The man had come, and somehow the three of them had managed a private room inside the large building of sickly patients and busy employees. Things seemed to be going along smoothly, at least according to Chuck Bass. But Kevin's eyes were glued to the P.I. throughout the conversation, and then suddenly he bolted. Seemed like he was on the edge of a meltdown. When he didn't come back within half an hour, Chuck paid the man for his time and left.

Now, running a hand through his hair–in need of a washing and restyling, he left the premises of their bordered-in room and searched briefly for the suspicious teenager. Only five minutes later and Chuck bolted the hospital. He couldn't spend all day looking for a confused boy when he could be searching for Blair. Besides, he hadn't only acquired information on Jason's past and current dealings. Apparently the elder Jensen boy didn't allow for much creativity either, and had been torturing all his victims in the same place for the last five years.

In an abandoned warehouse on the South side of Brooklyn, New York.

SIGH.

He didn't know how he was going to find this place or how long it would take, and he most definitely regretted handing back his cell phone to the fourteen year old minutes before they had entered the hospital. He had, after all, given the cell phone back to him because it had gone missing, and what had he done? Given it back. The younger boy had simply taken it back in shock, confused but unwilling to question the reasons behind it all. He had told himself that Chuck was just too overwhelmed by the situation with his girlfriend to think clearly, and in a manner of speaking…he was. But Chuck wasn't just overwhelmed by the current circumstances.

He was going out of his mind.

He didn't even want to think about what losing Blair would do to him…about how he would cope if he didn't make it in time.

He had tried to make this clear to the young troubled boy in the midst of walking about the city, but the boy was just that—troubled. He had no idea how scarred this kid was, living with his brother alone. The punishments and the loss of his parents had to have had a tremendous effect on him, amongst other things. So, as desperate as Chuck was to find Blair…he couldn't enforce any more pressure on Kevin. He had to find Blair on his own. Now that he knew the address, he could finally do it. His limo would be too conspicuous driving past an abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn. As much as he hated to admit it, walking would be the better route. But it didn't matter. There were so many norms that he had thrown out the window since he began his search for Blair, especially since he had discovered the truth of her kidnapping.

It was true that he could just hire a bunch of professionals to find where she was and within time, get the police involved. But somehow this was much too personal. He wanted to find her himself. Maybe then, in the end of it all, it would prove to her that she needn't be jealous. She was the only one he wanted, the only one he would ever want. But the latter thought was too big to be spoken aloud just yet.

He needed time. And yet, there was too much slipping away. He had to get to that warehouse and recover Blair, give that evil excuse of a man the consequences he deserves…before it's too late. He only hoped that wherever Kevin was, he was safe and out of harm's way…especially from his criminal mind of a brother. Whether the Bass heir liked it or not, he had begun to develop a sort of brotherly protection towards the boy.

Chuck's draining mind was so focused and yet so completely distracted. He was near oblivious to traffic and passersby. He paid them no heed, keeping his vision focused ahead and on the street signs ahead of him. Almost everything seemed to be a blur. The crumpled piece of paper in his fisted hand contained the directions, though it was almost dangerous looking down during his hastened pace. He had never walked so fast in his life….

Nearly half a mile from the hospital now, he didn't even realize the also far too focused and distracted curly-haired blob that sped-walked right into him.

"Ow!"

"Ugh!"

They spoke simultaneously, both officially disgruntled by the realization of the abrupt stop. Dusting off their supposedly crumpled shirts and stepping slightly away, the two hurried individuals looked up at the cause of their disgruntlement.

"Vanessa?"

"Chuck?"

They questioned, again, at the same time, curious as to the reason behind their current placing of existence.

"What—why—ho," he stopped, trying to think of something sane that did not remind him of Blair.

Vanessa was oblivious to his predicament, and simply shook her head in disbelief. "What are you doing in Brooklyn?"

His head snapped up. "Heh. Funny you should ask," he began. "You see…"

She waved her hand in his face as a gesture. "Okay, nevermind. I don't have time for your smug explanations. I have a friend to see at-the-hospital. His name's Kevin and I do believe he knows a little bit more about the current situation I am in than you might. More than I know myself. It's getting weirder by the second and I have a feeling hanging around you will not get me anywhere except accusations on stealing your phone, which, by the way, I am sorry for, but I can't really undo that now. So, if you'll excuse me," she pushed past him after her matter-of-fact speech and he almost let her, since he had been ignoring nearly half of what she said. But the last bit caught him.

"You," he said in a dangerous whisper that made her halt. She had not gotten more than a few feet away and knew she was done for.

She cringed, and turned around slowly. "Me?" her face scrunched up.

"You stole my phone. You started this. You, you, you—"

"Okay, okay," she cut him off, waving her hands around again. "I get that I screwed up, but—"

"Wait." He looked off into the distance. She turned to see what he was looking at, and when she saw nothing but the blur of people and shops, she turned back to him. He was staring at her.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"Kevin. Kevin Jensen?" he asked, neutrally.

She nodded absent mindedly, still confused.

"How do you know Kevin?" he asked, almost disgusted by the realization.

"I—" her mind went blank as began to realize just how big this problem was, and how connected Kevin was to all of it.

Chuck searched her eyes, only to discover the same lost feeling she had helped to cure that night at the Van der Bass party. He sighed.

"Come with me," he said, pointing in the direction he was going.

Her eyebrows furrowed further. "What for? She crossed her arms across her chest and huffed. "Kevin isn't that way."

"And you're 100% sure he's at the hospital?" he asked, smugly, though he himself figured that was where he would be.

"Well…no, but I'm guessing your destination isn't where he is either."

"I see," he contemplated and then stepped slightly closer to her. His façade fell. "Well, let me inform you then…"

In the blink of an eye, before she could even take a breath of air Chuck had stolen her away behind the shadowed side of a building. He spoke now, in less than a whisper.

"Kevin's older brother is what I might consider either a secretive criminal mastermind or amateur whose current job is investigating me by kidnapping and torturing Blair. I have some directions," he pointed to the crumpled piece of paper in his hands, "to his warehouse where he is holding her. Aside from this, he has become practiced in abusive torture through the use of his younger brother. Now, will you come with me and destroy this son of a bitch…or not?"

Vanessa was gaping at this point and clearly aware of the façade that had fallen and replaced itself throughout Chuck's explanation. She was unaware of any nodding or vocal acceptance she made to his request. The anger and hurt and confusion were boiling over now and all she felt was complete numbness to these immediate updates behind her unconscious behavior.

All she knew…was when Chuck turned and gestured again towards the direction he had been going, her feet moved forward…and she followed.

……………………………………………………………………….

"Ugh," Blair grumbled, as Jason shoved her back into the rickety chair and taped her hands back together. His shaking hands tied her near numb legs together and placed them in a steel encasement, so that she couldn't move. Then, he went to pace abruptly across the room again before skidding to a few feet before her.

"You good-for-nothing WHORE!!"

Her eyes remained glue to his face and especially to his fiery eyes. If she had not known any better, she would've guessed tears about to burst forth. She stayed silent.

"You ruined EVERYTHING!"

Still, there was no movement on her part. Nothing, that is, except for a slow few blinks.

He huffed at her and continued again his pacing at the opposite end of the room, muttering to himself. Whether he was more angry at her or himself, she couldn't tell…but she wasn't about to bargain on her favor. Too much had happened, and she couldn't risk the balance anymore. She allowed him his inner temper tantrum a few more minutes and then clenched her fingers against the wood, willing good luck to appear. She cleared her throat softly, causing him to halt at once, the dust scattering around his shoes.

His eyes flashed to hers as he stalked towards her in her rickety chair.

"What do you want, BITCH?!?!" he screamed, leaning against the arms of her chair and inching ever so closer to her face.

Her breath was shallow and her lips chapped.

"The boy was your little brother, wasn't he?" she spoke softly.

He growled.

"You beat him and pressure him and torture that poor little boy," two tears streamed down her face.

He scoffed and moved away, coming back towards her almost instantly. "Who are you to call him little? You were his age not too long ago."

"So were you," she spat, her eyebrows narrowing.

A sound like crashing thunder resounded throughout the empty room. He had slapped her—straight across the face.

"I guess I got my answer," she spoke quieter than before. Reaching up with her taped hands, she rubbed the burning sensation on the left side of her face.

Jason would have heard her, but he was already stomping away to the far side of the room. Pacing seemed to have become his new obsession, she observed, but it hardly made her make any more new dramatic moves. Not without his continuous desperate banter. Half the time she was scared to death of him, and the rest of the time she just pitied him. He was so consumed in what to do and how to do it and he lived in a deep hole of regret.

She could see it in his eyes…

"How long have you been this way?" she asked, changing the tone in her voice. Concern laced every word she spoke, just as her feelings towards Kevin had changed with the nervous tenderness in how he had kidnapped her.

He ignored the question and stalked towards her once again.

"I'm going to ask you one more time…what do you know about Chuck Bass?"

The fire quickly replaced the concern in her eyes. She leaned forward in her chair, her messy hair falling around her face.

"Go to Hell."

Jason's grumble erupted immediately from his mouth as he raised his hand to slap her again, this time reaching and grabbing the long rusty chain lying on the table behind him. The punch she had delivered to his stomach had clearly sent him over the edge. Blair's eyes grew wide as she watched the chain swaying in the air. All thoughts left her, and the chills that had once vanished made themselves known once more down her arms and across her back.

CRASH!

Both turned instantly to the bolted wooden door in order to observe the wounded man, drained from energy, consumed in medical wires approaching them.

"Wyler?" Jason breathed, staggering in place at the sight of his tragic-looking partner.

The man only limped over to him and pushed him away from Blair in her painful disposition, though hardly glancing at her for a second more.

"We need to talk…"

Jason went willingly, still agape at the sight of his comrade. The chain dropped soundly to the dusty floor. Once on the opposite side of the room—a place Jason had become well aware of—the two began to converse in an intensity Blair had only seen and felt in effect between both her and her abuser. It seemed, that the deeper they all fell into this 'investigation' the more insane Jason became. Even Wyler appeared to sport a wary eye at the crazed man with a chain designed to torture hanging in the air.

Blair strained over in her chair in order to hear the very bits of information they were tossing out among hushed whispers. She nearly fell over in the wooden crap piece of furniture when she heard it.

"Let's just give it up!" Jason grumbled.

"No!" Wyler silenced him. "Don't talk like that. We've gotten so far. We have a ton of info on Chuck Bass."

Jason nodded along, clearly not really listening. "I know…I know," he sighed, "but this woman is giving me a headache! She won't tell me anything! And she's like the missing piece!"

The brunette smirked slightly at this, but in essence took it no real notice and leaned over further in their direction to hear better.

Wyler shook his head. "Th-that doesn't matter anymore, okay?"

Jason huffed. "What are you talking about?"

His partner stepped slightly closer to him and lowered his voice. "Mr. Bass called me…"

Jensen's eyes widened as he stilled himself. "He did?"

"Yes," the injured man became solemn, "just before the accident."

Jason gulped and began to pace again as he processed all the newly acquired information. He ran his fingers through his hair, and Blair could hear his breathing grow shallower. Of course she herself was in shock.

Mr. Bass? As in…Bart Bass? As in Chuck's father??

She fell back into her chair as the rest of their conversation became mute and a blur. None of it mattered anymore. Mr. Bass was clearly their boss…and he was in charge of this supposed investigation involving his own son?? It didn't make sense. The brunette couldn't make anything out of it, no matter how many options she aligned in her head.

Unless…

Quickly she fidgeted with the phone in her pocket. She couldn't look conspicuous, and so kept the phone hidden along the side of her body. The idiot had only taped her hands together and not to anything else. It was probably best if she didn't look down at the device either. Instead, she relied on her memory system of the buttons on her phone, and silenced the metal gadget they all seemed to have become dependent on. A few quick movements from her fingertips, and the text was sent.

Any other Basses in your family?

-B

CLICK.

never mind the fact that his phone was still misplaced.

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A/N: Hey All! I'm so sorry it took SO ridiculously long, but it is finished now and I hope you will review it if you have read it and then I can keep updating! Yay! *claps* lol. There are only two chapters left in this story plus an epilogue and it's going to be intense! So…hold on tight!!! XD I think this chapter was pretty good…but you know, only your reviews can prove it to me. Hehehe. ;p I actually was fearing for the Dan/Blair possibility coupling a little bit these past few days, since apparently they're bound to happen eventually *annoyed*—since everybody is bound to hook up with everybody, but more than that…this was said in an interview *gulp* --so I've been a bit worried. But I think I'm back on track now. CB CB CB! XD *shakes head at self* Spoilers may kill me this year, so I'm going to try and avoid them at all costs. Heheh. They seriously do more harm than good *shudders* and a part of me just wants the show to be over with its wonderful CB happy ending that we can write stories off of!! *cheers* I mean, the drama from this year? It killed me. It dragged me down to the gutter and beat me up while tormenting the idea of all this CV, JB nonsense *spits* Well, anyways….we are going to move on with our lives and hopefully survive the new season. Heheh…CB ftw! XD They are the epicest epicest epic couple EVER. End of discussion. REVIEW! =D