A/N: Well, I've been writing like crazy, and reading for inspiration. And no, I can't believe I'm writing a chapter of this story again so soon either. Heheh. But this story is almost wrapped up—just one more chapter after this one and then an epilogue!—and I'm writing it as fast as possible, so I can continue on to my other bazillion ideas. XD Make sure to vote on the poll on my profile for one of the remaining 3…before I move on to my 'Book of Beginnings' selections. Heheh. (Haven't made that announcement for awhile… ;p) Oh, and I just realized this the other day. It seems that I have also had Blair kinda kidnapped in "Never Again: A Chuck & Blair Story"…as well as in this one. This was never my intention and I shall try to be more original in the future. *is reminded of getting annoyed with authors that seemed to repeat themselves in plot* Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter—no Blair in this one, hope you'll live—and please, please review!
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Ch. 21-Vunlerability Won Over
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
Sigh.
"You still think she's coming?" the sound of Nate's earnest voice broke through Dan's thoughts, and also the increased loudness of the clock before them. He turned towards the blonde. As predicted, those puppy dog eyes bore into him.
He nodded. "She said she'd be here," his eyes stared down at the floor, his hand draping lazily along the back of his neck.
Silence.
"Well, then she'll be here!" Nate announced, suddenly cheery.
Dan eyes looked to him. He was confused, that much was obvious, but his only reaction following that was the miniature smile that landed briefly on his lips. Nate turned away, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"I'm sure it doesn't matter that the last you heard from her was over two hours ago…" the blonde muttered.
Dan scoffed. "I heard that," he spat, walking past his friend.
Nate's eyebrows furrowed in concern, but a moment later the worry wrinkles on his forehead smoothed over. He followed after Dan, grabbing his arm when he realized the Humphrey boy was not going to slow down.
"Dan, wait! Stop."
He huffed, turning around quickly. "What?" He seemed bitter.
Nate took a step back, looking terrifyingly offended at the simple question. He quickly recovered once more. "…why don't you just call her?" he suggested.
Dan seemed to be battling some inner demon. He almost turned and walked away in both directions several times, but forced himself to remain still…or at least in the same general area.
"Like I've told you before, I don't want to bug her. She'll be here."
Nate nodded softly, and watched as the brooding seventeen year old walked down the distant hall. He should've known following him around wasn't a good idea. He should've realized it the first time he followed him and found him at the other end of the hospital, mesmerized with a plant. He had suggested a phone call to Vanessa then too. Dan hadn't been anywhere near as defensive that first time…then again, Nate had made that same repetitive suggestion about seven times since then.
Sigh.
The golden boy turned to the clock, nodded and took a few slow steps which turned into a brisker walk down the way in which Dan had gone. He had given him a minute and a half head start…30 seconds more than last time. To his surprise, the older Humphrey teen had not wandered far. Just as Nate turned down the next hallway, he saw Dan perched on a waiting bench about halfway down the hall.
Dan turned his head at the approaching of his friend. He smirked.
"You followed me…"
Nate smirked.
"Again."
"Heh," he chuckled, "That's what I do."
Between silent gestures, Nate got the idea that he could sit on the bench next to him. Simultaneously, they stretched their legs further into the hall, crossed their hands at the base of their abdomen and pursed their lips.
"Something's going on."
Nate turned to his friend, curiosity suddenly spiked.
"I called Vanessa," he was playing with his own phone in his hands, "her phone is either dead or turned off."
The blonde boy turned his head away. "When?"
"After the first time you told me to." They both shared a smirk.
"So that's why I couldn't find you for a good ten minutes."
"Yeah…" he scratched the irritated itch at the base of his chin. "I was hiding."
Nate raised his eyebrows.
"…in the bathroom."
He stifled a chuckle. "I see."
"Something's going on," he said, his tone changing.
"What do you mean?" the blonde asked.
"It's all connected," Dan said, neutrally.
The young Archibald grew confused again.
"Vanessa's wipe outs, Jenny's car accident…and I'll bet you anything the reason we haven't bumped into Chuck and Blair making out on the street is because…"
"Because why?" his blonde brows furrowed further.
"Because Chuck hasn't found her yet."
Nate sunk farther into the wooden bench, overwhelmed by all the information. "Are you sure?" he asked, staring out into the space before him.
"Well," he began, scratching the back of his neck, "one can never really be sure of anything, even with all the facts."
The blonde nodded along.
"But if it's not all connected…" he turned his gaze back to his friend's puzzled and flabbergasted features, "…it's one hell of a coincidence."
"Mmm."
Silence.
"What are you going to do?"
Dan sighed. "There's a boy in this hospital…" he began to gesture, "he was pacing back and forth between Jenny and the other man's room." He stood to his feet, and began to walk away. Nate followed him.
Less than five minutes later they arrived in the waiting room that was positioned just to the left of Jenny's room. Sitting in the far corner was Kevin, an icepack fixed to the side of his face. Dan halted, and Nate with him. The blonde looked questioningly at Dan after spotting the boy. He could not speak, or even think straight. Everything had become such a blur.
"If anyone has the even slightest idea of what's going on…it's him."
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The room was silent.
Jenny had spoken her peace, had told her father about everything spinning in her mind over Nate and her lack of a love life in general. She told him everything that had driven her to run away in the first place, even if she had only intended on staying away for a few hours at most.
A few minutes had passed, and still she had heard nothing, not even the smallest tid bit of advice, lecture or consoling.
"So…do you know when I'm going to get out of here?" her eyes lit up hopefully.
Rufus smiled softly, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees. "I'm glad you told me…" he said, watching as his daughter sunk back into her previous demeanor. "But I wish you had told me sooner."
Jenny nodded.
Another moment of silence followed, before he asked, "Why didn't you?"
She opened her mouth, closed it and then began again, "It was the middle of the night, and when I woke up you all were just…there."
Rufus followed every word she said like his life depended on it. He reached forward and squeezed her hand gently, knowing that the simple gesture would give her the confidence she needed to continue.
"I was still tired, and overwhelmed with everything with Vanessa…and Nate, and Nate and Vanessa and I just—"
"Crashed."
She nodded to his statement.
"Oh, I understand sweetheart," he said, coming forward and hugging her. She sniffled a bit into his sleeve. "Next time, tell someone before you just climb out your window, okay?"
She chuckled in an attempt to cover up the sound of her tears. "Yeah."
"Just because Vanessa climbs in through Dan's window, doesn't mean you can follow suit to escape."
She laughed again. They both did, however briefly, and she clung tighter to him as he stroked her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"…as far as getting out of here goes, we just have to wait for the doctor to come back in to okay your departure."
She nodded, as he pulled away slowly.
"But knowing the medical field, that could be awhile."
She smirked.
"Can I get you anything?" he asked, tucking a stray blonde lock behind one of her ears. "I'm going to get some more coffee."
She shook her head. "No, I think I'm good." She smiled.
He wiped away a stray tear crawling down the side of her face, and leaning forward pressed another kiss to her forehead. "Okay, then," he spoke softly, "I'll be back soon."
She nodded, and watched as he left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. She exhaled and leaned deeper into her pillows.
So many deep talks, so little energy, she moaned softly and shut her eyes.
Time for a nap.
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There had been no words spoken between them for the last half an hour. Truth be told, they hadn't talked much in the whole two hours they'd been walking to the mysterious abandoned warehouse, but now it was brutal. They were finally nearing what Vanessa claimed was the far side of Brooklyn, where (according to Chuck's P. I.) this beat-up building supposedly was.
Chuck wasn't likely to know his way about Brooklyn, so he had to rely on whatever Vanessa said, even if his mind was shouting to him that she had no real reason to help him. But he reminded himself that she wasn't really the type to manipulate or deceive…and the fact that she would most likely have a guilty conscience from taking his phone initially and causing this mess. The latter made him feel slightly better.
Despite the fact that Vanessa knew Brooklyn far better than Chuck probably ever would, he remained at a constant few steps ahead of her, glancing down at his crumpled sheet of paper with the overwhelming smugness who was known oh so well for.
"Turn left," the curly Brooklynite muttered under her breath.
Chuck cleared his throat, turning his head ever so slightly behind him. Vanessa muttered the direction a little louder, and, at the light Chuck was sure to make a direct left across the street.
She sighed.
It had been slightly humorous the first time Chuck had taken Vanessa's direction mutterings as his own idea. Vanessa had even laughed briefly. But since it happened at every corner and his ever present glare grew stronger if she did not speak loud, and yet quiet, enough…Miss Abrams had become somewhat annoyed.
Huff.
What was she doing here anyways? Did she even have a good chance of Kevin being where this supposed address predicted a kidnapped Blair Waldorf? What did she care about Blair Waldorf? And how does Chuck even know Kevin?!
Sigh. It wasn't like Chuck was even humoring her via communication…
Unexpectedly, the young Bass stopped sharply, sending Vanessa flying into his suited back. She stepped back quickly, as he turned towards her sporting the same annoyed expression she had been flashing him every time he had turned to read the muffled suggestion for a particular turn.
"Excuse you," he spoke sternly.
Her eyebrows furrowed angrily. "Excuse me? Excuse you! Is there a particular reason you decided to stop suddenly without any warning?" she crossed her arms stiffly, settling into her position.
Chuck ignored the question. "Are you about done?"
She scoffed.
"You've been making enough noise for a rioting crowd overtired and on a drunken rage."
Vanessa raised her eyebrows, growing further annoyed. "Well, excuse me if I don't find it absolutely thrilling to watch you steal my directions as if they were your own and share little to no amusement in at least subtle conversation."
"I'm sorry; I forgot it was my duty to amuse you, while we go searching for the place where my girlfriend has been kidnapped by some psycho investigator!" He spoke with sarcasm. She didn't miss it.
"I came along, because you said Kevin would be there. What goes on between you and Blair Waldorf is none of my business."
He laughed, wholeheartedly.
"Oh, if only that were true, Miss Abrams. You seem to have forgotten that moment just a few nights ago when you chose to steal my cell phone from the floor of the elevator—"
"I already apologized for that," she said, through grinding teeth.
"—and proceeded to interfere and manipulate yourself into the current drama that was Ms. Waldorf and I," he finished, with equal grounded behavior.
She looked down momentarily, biting hard into her bottom lip until he had finished. Then her eyes flashed to his. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened with you and Blair… I certainly did not wish this awful crime to be done to her."
He scoffed.
"I didn't," she said, determined to her cause.
"Please. You've never been a fan of Blair," he spat in her face.
"I wasn't much a fan of you either, until the other night!"
"Oh, because you're such a fan of me now. If anything, you instigated all of this with your overly close perimeter to me that night of the party. You know Blair was so jealous of you, and I'm sure you enjoyed that!"
She huffed. "I would never do that, Chuck. I'm not a manipulator, unlike yourself. Besides, I don't know what any of that would have to do with her recent kidnapping anyways."
"That only proves how guilty you just may be."
"What?!"
"You made her so jealous, you caused this, you, you, you!"
"Oh please. You can't pin this on me. I never intended for this to happen. And I've been under a lot of stress, myself!"
"Oh, well then at least something's going right!" he huffed in her face.
Her eyes narrowed, the fire burning inside her now fuming past the brim. "You know what?" she snatched the crinkled paper from his hand, tore it to pieces in front of him and dropped it on the ground. "Find the building yourself. I'm going to go find Kevin, who…I bet you anything is still at the hospital. And I bet you know that."
She scoffed at him, before turning away and walking in the opposite direction. "You have no right to pin this all on me. None at all," she muttered, the sound getting quieter the further she went.
Chuck stood in shock, gazing at the shredded paper on the sidewalk before him. Finally he looked up at Vanessa's retreating figure and, grabbing the papers and stuffing them in his pocket, he briskly walked after her. She squealed as he grabbed her arm and pinned her against the brick wall beside them.
"Ugh, let me go!" she nearly screamed, pounding her fist against the side of his face. He grumbled at the contact, but still remained with his hold on her momentarily.
"Ah…vicious, lovely." He used his other arm to pin her free arm to the brick wall as well. Just then, she kneed him in the crotch and watched as he doubled over.
"God, Brooklyn."
She was breathing hard, but said nothing.
Finally, he recovered himself and stood straight again. It was at least a couple minutes later, and the shock on Chuck's face was clearly evident to see her still standing there.
"Why didn't you leave? It would've been a perfect exit," he said, dusting the invisible dirt from his suit sleeves.
"And miss your attempt in an apology or explanation?" she raised an expectant eyebrow at him.
"Chuck Bass does not apologize."
She smirked. "Unless it's to Blair Waldorf, right?"
His brow furrowed in concern, and her face fell. She sighed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—why are you smiling?" she stopped, trying to stop her face from both frowning and smiling at the same time. It was a war. His smile was contagious.
"Nothing, nothing…I just," he paused, taking great pleasure from her sudden confusion, "Not only were you not sympathetic at all to me two minutes ago, but…only seconds after I insured you I would not apologize, you set out to do so."
She laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess I did. Heh. Chuck Bass vulnerability seems to do that to me."
He nodded subtly.
"Stay with me," he said, reaching for her hand and watching as she pulled it out of his grasp.
"Chuck—"
"I apologize for exploding on you before and for blaming you for everything that's happened with Blair. I know you didn't cause it, and weren't involved at all in the process, minus taking the phone initially that is. I just, I'm so…" he dragged a hand through his messy hair, following the worry habit with a look into the distance.
"Worried," she finished for him, having begun to melt under his vivid weakness. "I am sorry for interfering before."
He looked at her silently with painful eyes. "I know."
She sighed, and then after several long moments (which Chuck found to be agonizingly slow), a gentle smile graced her lips.
"Will you talk to me?" she questioned meekly.
"Anything you want," he breathed, watching her as she continued to contemplate her options. "Vanessa."
She looked up to him.
"I need you…in order to find Blair."
Her lips parted.
"Kevin is connected to all of this, I'm sure of it. And we will discover the answers, so you're not in the dark anymore either."
There was a sincere softness in what he said, and something in her jolted. "I believe you."
His eyes were intense, but he said nothing—only waited for what he hoped was the good luck of his charm.
She looked down at his twitching hands, and then back up at his concerned, anxious expression. "All right, Chuck Bass," she said, taking his hand briefly to turn him in the way they had been going, "let's go save your girlfriend."
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A/N: Okay, not as long as I was hoping, and the middle scene was certainly filler….but I hope you enjoyed it and will review! Thank-you to those readers who are still hanging on this long! XD One more chapter to go, and then an epilogue. ;p R & R!
