Roswell Fanatics

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Chapter Nine

Serena sat back in the leather seat of the limo. She was both amused and kind of depressed at how Chuck’s date had gone. She found it funny that something like last night’s disaster had actually happened to Chuck. However, she was sad, because she knew that even though he wouldn’t admit it, in such terms, he had been looking forward to his date. She could tell that the outcome had him rather depressed.

“Chuck, one date is not the end of the world,” she said softly.

He sent a slight glare her way, “She gave me one chance; one date, Serena. I don’t think she is going to give me another one, considering it had been like pulling the proverbial tooth just to get her to agree to that one.”

Serena sighed and just watched as her brother polished off his glass of Merlot. She had never seen him like this over one date before. She leaned forward as the limo pulled to the curb, “Look why don’t you come with me today? Nate has to deal with his family’s lawyers anyway. I have to pick up my dress that mom ordered for whatever reason, and then we’ll head out for a best friend lunch. What do you say?”

Chuck smirked at her with a mischievous look in his eyes. Serena held up a finger and playfully glared at him with a smile on her face, “One smartass or lewd remark about incest and you’ll be buying me lunch instead of me buying you lunch.”

Before he could respond, both of their cell phones began buzzing. Serena groaned, “Great more Gossip Girl, I’m sure.”

They both opened their phones and sure enough it was from Gossip Girl…with a picture of Nate and Elizabeth at the park.

Serena felt a pang of something inside of her, but pushed it aside and looked at Chuck, “Chuck?”

He was quiet as he just stared at his cell phone. After a moment he spoke, but he didn’t take his eyes off of his phone, “You go get your dress. I’ll meet you in the store in a couple of minutes.”

Serena just watched him for a moment before nodding and whispering, “Okay.”

She forced a smile at the driver as he opened the door for her, “I’ll just be a few minutes Henry.”

He nodded and closed the door behind her, “Of course, Miss. Van der Woodsen.”

She began walking down the street. The shop was just a few yards away. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen between Nate and Chuck. The two had only just become friends again after the crazy drama with Blair. She really hoped that this girl wasn’t going to cause problems for her two best guy friends.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she was roughly pulled from behind. She was able to get out a loud scream before whoever was grabbing her could put their hand over her mouth.

She was dragged into the alley beside the shop that she was meant to go into. She had been so close. She couldn’t stop the noise of pain that escaped her as she was slammed against the brick wall.

“Now listen here, bitch! You are going to stay quiet and you are going to give me your money, okay? You don’t and you won’t like what happens!” he threatened her.

She nodded rigidly as tears fell from her eyes. He glared at her one more time before he took his hand off of her mouth. She stayed silent except for a couple of whimpers.

Then he looked away from her face. She had to take a shot. Chuck and Henry weren’t that far away.

Gathering all the courage she had, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

XOXO XOXO XOXO XOXO XOXO

Chuck sighed as he stepped out of the limo. He had just disconnected his phone call with Nathaniel’s voice mail. He hadn’t said anything about Gossip Girl’s new message; he had just told him he would be spending the day with Serena.

“CHUCK!!!”

The terrified scream that ripped through the air broke Chuck out of his thoughts. His head snapped up and he began looking around frantically. He knew it was Serena, but he didn’t see her anywhere.

“CHUCK! HELP ME!”

Her scream came one more time, though more rushed this time. He began running toward the direction that it was coming from, “SERENA!” he yelled urgently. The closer he got to the shop she was supposed to get her dress from, the louder he heard the resonating sound of flesh hitting flesh.

“I told you to stay quiet! You little bitch!” Chuck heard a voice growl.

Chuck turned down the alley just in time to see the guy who had Serena slam her head against the brick wall behind her, grab her purse and then throw her to the ground roughly.

“Hey! Get the hell away from her!” Chuck yelled as he began running toward the two.

He so badly wanted to punch the guy’s lights out but the bastard took off running. Cursing under his breath he watched as the asshole got away while he knelt down next to Serena.

Looking her over quickly he gently cupped her face, “Serena?” he asked in concern.

She looked at him through tears and the swelling of her eye, “Chuck?”

He nodded and gently ran his hand over her hair in a soothing manner, “Yeah. Are you okay?”

“My head hurts,” she mumbled.

He nodded and pulled out his cell phone, “Okay, hang on, sis. I’m calling for help. – Yes, this is Chuck Bass! My sister had been mugged and assaulted. She’s in pain. Blunt force trauma to the back of the head, I need an ambulance!”

Chuck never took his eyes off of his sister while he answered the 911 operator’s questions.

A few minutes later he was climbing into the back of an ambulance as the EMT’s tried to assess how bad of a head injury Serena had.

XOXO XOXO XOXO XOXO XOXO

Liz sighed as she followed her grandmother and the others who made donations through the hospital. She hadn’t really wanted to go on the hospital tour, but her grandmother had roped her into it last minute.

She was quiet as the doctor gave an explanation about the hospital being on the cutting edge of brain surgery, treatment for brain injuries and the like. She let her eyes wander around the hallways as he explained the importance of MRI’s and CAT scans.

Liz had to do a double take when she saw Chuck Bass pacing the hallway with his cell phone attached to his ear.

“Yes, Lillian, Serena is fine. The doctors stopped the bleeding and stitched up her head wound. They are pretty sure she has a concussion, but other than that just a few scrapes and bruises.—Yes, I’m having the doctor’s give her MRI’s and CAT scans as we speak. I already gave my statement to the police; they are going to question her later and Dad’s lawyers have already been notified of the situation,” he seemed to be trying to calm down whoever was on the other end of the conversation. This Lillian definitely didn’t sound like one of his many girls.

She noticed that despite his calming tone he looked like a caged animal ready to pounce.

“Don’t worry, Lillian, I’ve got everything under control here. Just worry about getting yourself and Eric to the hospital,” he said gently before disconnecting the call.

She watched as the doctor approached him. He faced the doctor with a look she had never thought she would see on Chuck Bass. He didn’t just expect answers, he wanted action. He wanted this Serena…his step-sister, she realized, remembering her conversation with Nate that morning…he wanted her taken care of.

“How is Serena?” he demanded.

“Mr. Bass, your sister has a concussion, but at the moment the MRI and CAT scan machines are occupied,” the doctor said apologetically.

Liz was astonished as she looked to her left…and the MRI room’s machine that was being used as a display on the tour that was being put on for those who made generous donations.

Chuck glared at the doctor, “Cost is not an issue, why can’t you just scan her and be done with it? If their truly is nothing wrong with her, then it shouldn’t take that long!”

The doctor sighed, “Mr. Bass, it is unlikely that your sister has any further head injuries, there really isn’t a need for her to have either of these tests.”

Chuck glared even harder, “I don’t want an ‘unlikely’ diagnosis for my sister. ‘Unlikely’ is not acceptable.”

She had heard enough.

Elizabeth turned to her grandmother and tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention before pointing in Chuck’s direction.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Bass, but as I’ve said, all the machines are in use. Besides, an insurance company won’t grant the authorization of these tests when they are unnecessary for the patient.”

Chuck was fuming now, “An insurance company won’t be paying for the tests! I’m a Bass, as I’ve said before, cost is not an issue!”

Elizabeth then brought her grandmother’s attention to the empty MRI machine that the tour group was viewing.

Miriam Van Leih frowned with a cold look on her face and turned to Elizabeth, “Go see if you can help him. –Denying patients care just to give a tour…really!” Miriam murmured.

Elizabeth smirked as she watched her grandmother move to the front of the tour group. Then she turned in determination back in the direction of Chuck and the asshole doctor.

She walked over to the doctor with a fake, polite smile on her face, “Excuse me, doctor?”

Both Chuck and the doctor looked at her in surprise.

“Miss, I’m in the middle of something at the moment,” the doctor said.

She gave a nod, “Yes, of course, this won’t take a moment. But you see my grandmother and I are taking the tour of the hospital for those who donate their money and such…”

“I’m sorry, Miss, if you could leave your name with…” Elizabeth cut him off.

“Oh how rude of me. I am Elizabeth Van Leih. As I was saying my grandmother and I are fascinated with your cutting edge technology. Especially your state of the art MRI machine and seeing how it doesn’t appear to be in use at the moment, we were wondering if it would be possible for a demonstration,” she smiled ‘innocently’ at the doctor in question.

She did a little victory dance inside when the doctor gave her a grim and forced smile, “Of course, Miss. Van Leih. Mr. Bass is would appear that a machine has become available.”

Chuck and Elizabeth watched as the doctor walked away…steaming.

Elizabeth smiled, quite pleased. The asshole deserved what he got. She looked over at Chuck to find him looking at her with a smirk on his face.

“What?” she asked him innocently.

“You’re just full of surprises, Elizabeth,” he said in amusement.

She smiled at him. A genuine smile, “I could say the same about you, Bass. Now I have to go make sure the hospital staff survives my grandmother. By the way I hope your sister is okay.”

He gave a slight nod and a smile as she began walking away.

Smiling to herself as she moved further away from him she couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t what everyone said he was. Making a quick decision before she could change her mind she stopped walking.

Turning around to look at him, her smile widened a bit when she realized he was still watching her, “Hey, Bass, since last night didn’t go so well, you should call me when Serena is better and able to go home and we’ll give that date another shot!”

He smirked at her and nodded, “No ordering for you this time?”

She just laughed, “You’re a fast learner. And no place where your father’s employees might need your attention.”

Not giving him a chance to respond she gave him another smile before turning back around and walking away in search of her grandmother; her heart beating what felt like a hundred miles a minute.


What’s this? New Girl getting comfortable in her Upper East Side rich girl skin? Seems she’s starting to show that she can be a worthy opponent for the sharks. After all it does take a lot to impress Chuck Bass, but be warned, the UES can play a whole lot harder. Best be wary, New Girl. You haven’t seen anything… yet.

You Know You Love Me.

XOXO

Gossip Girl

Thank you for all of the feedback!!

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Chapter Ten:

Max scowled. Okay, so it was harder to find Liz in New York City than he had previously thought. But he and Liz had a connection! Last time he was in New York, Liz saved his life! They had a bond; they were soulmates! So why the hell couldn’t he find her!?

Max had done a bit of research and found out that Gossip Girl reported on the events from those living on the Upper East Side. So that’s where he started. He then looked at old gossip and found out that Liz was a Van Leih and that her grandfather owned a law firm in Manhattan, so Max decided that he would move his search there. If he couldn’t find Liz at her grandfather’s then maybe Max could talk to him and convince him to tell Max where his granddaughter was. After all, Max was great with parents and who didn’t want to help their misguided granddaughter make up with the one person in the world that can make them happy; their soulmate.

As Max started walking to the law firm, only two blocks away, his mouth began to water as he smelled spicy Italian coming from a nearby restaurant. His stomach growled; the last thing he ate was airplane food on his flight to Philadelphia.

Max stomped down his hunger. His love for Liz was more important. After he had retrieved Liz, they could go out on a dinner date. Max smiled. Yes, he’d rather wait for Liz.

________________________________________
________________________________________

Liz and Chuck walked into a fancy Italian restaurant only a couple blocks away from her grandfather’s firm. As soon as the smell hit her, Elizabeth knew she would have to bring her grandfather here for lunch one day. It smelled absolutely divine.

A young hostess of about twenty greeted them at the door. Liz scowled in annoyance when she saw the look the hostess was giving her date.

“Bass,” Chuck’s deep and sensuous voice broke the silence.

The dark haired woman smiled in a seductive manner. Looks and money, just her type… She barely paid any attention to the stunning brunette at his side.

“Right this way,” She purred, leading them to the back.

Elizabeth looked up, expecting Chuck to be looking at the woman’s ass or at least smirking in a self-satisfied manner. She blinked in shock to see him staring at her. Liz blushed and looked away, almost walking into a table if it hadn’t been for Chuck’s fast reflexes bringing her closer to him.

He left his arm wrapped around her stomach as he smiled at her in amusement, causing her to blush slightly. The hostess turned around with a blinding smile that promptly turned into an annoyed pout upon seeing his arm wrapped tight around Liz’s waist.

“Here you are,” She told the two of them in a slightly exasperated voice as she laid two menus out, “Your waitress will be here shortly,” the hostess walked away with a huff, still pouting. All the while, Chuck’s attention never wavered from Elizabeth.

Liz smiled as she sat down on the comfortable chair at the secluded table. Chuck smirked from across from her as he opened his mouth to speak.

“Can I get you any drinks?” a voice interrupted.

The two of them looked up to see a tall blonde in her late teens, smiling brightly at Chuck. It was obvious to Liz that the hostess had quickly dished behind the scenes and that the blonde was not disappointed in Mr. Hot and Rich Bass.

Chuck scowled at the waitress in annoyance, if there was one thing Chuck Bass didn’t like it was to be interrupted, “Coke.”

The waitress reluctantly turned to take Liz’s order.

Elizabeth smiled in amusement and ordered a Pepsi.

As the waitress disappeared behind some type of partition, Chuck spoke, “I guess that answers the age long question.”

Elizabeth’s head tilted in confusion.

“Coke or Pepsi,” Chuck grinned.

She allowed a carefree laugh as the waitress came back scowling at how well Chuck and Elizabeth were getting along.

She turned her back to Liz and asked Chuck what he’d like to eat to which Chuck raised an eyebrow at Liz in an obvious move to everyone involved that she was to order first.

Once again the waitress forcibly turned to look at Elizabeth, a scowl etched on her pretty face.

“Chicken parmesan,” Liz ordered, ignoring the rudeness of the waitress.

“Eggplant pesto with oregano not basil,” was what Chuck told to the woman, not even allowing the waitress time to turn around.

The woman nodded before turning on her heel in a huff akin to that of the hostess’.

Elizabeth let out a laugh again but stopped when she heard Chuck let out a breathy chuckle as well.

“What?” He asked with a sexy smile on his lips.

“N…Nothing,” Liz blushed, averting her eyes.

Chuck smiled knowingly but didn’t say anything. The dinner continued on much like that. The two shared small tidbits of information, the waitress continued to flirt with Chuck, who in turn continued to ignore the blonde, and the two would laugh at the waitress’s antics once she had left.

Elizabeth’s tinkling laugh echoed once they were out the door and into the street. Chuck followed, also deeply amused at the waitress’ last ditch flirting attempt.

Chuck heard a deep sigh and looked back at his companion who had suddenly stopped and was looking up.

He looked up as well, but couldn’t find what ever it was she was looking at.

“What is it?” He asked gently, hand moving to grip her elbow.

“The stars,” She replied.

Once again, Chuck looked up, a serious look to match Liz’s also serious face, “You can’t see the stars. The skyscrapers are too high.”

“And don’t you miss it?” Liz asked heartbreakingly, looking into his eyes.

Chuck looked up thoughtfully before replying.

“You can’t miss what you’ve never had.”

With that one sentence, Chuck bore more than just his feelings on stars and Elizabeth understood that immediately. She didn’t know exactly what it was he was talking about, but she knew that it was important and most likely, the saddest thing she would ever hear.

She nodded in understanding before taking his hand in hers and leading him on a walk.

“So, how’s Serena?” Liz asked, attempting to change the subject.

He laughed at her try, “Graceful, but I’ll let it pass. Serena’s fine. Bruises and her eye is still swollen, but she’ll live. She’s gotten a bit jumpier, but that’s to be expected, I suppose.”

“And how do you feel?” Liz asked.

Chuck looked at her in confusion, “What?”

She smiled patiently, “Your sister was brutally attacked. How do you feel?”

“…Well, I suppose I feel worried about her. I think I might be getting paranoid about her safety, but she hasn’t complained yet…” Chuck answered slowly as he thought.

Elizabeth stopped and looked at him for a second, trying to decide on whether or not it was a good idea to bring it up before decided on continuing on.

“People don’t ask you your opinion on things very often, do they?” She asked softly.

Chuck looked at her uncomprehendingly, “Of course they do.”

“I don’t mean whether you like the blue sweater or the brown. I mean how you feel about things that happen to you or to those around you,” Elizabeth explained, well aware that Chuck new exactly what she was talking about.

His face grew serious, “No. No they don’t. I think you might be the first one. First one I can remember, anyway,” Chuck chose to ignore the soft, almost pitying look Liz gained, “My father has always chosen what I was to do and who I was to do it with. Sometimes, I…. Never mind,” Chuck shook his head before increasing his pace in an attempt to change the solemn mood.

Liz wanted so badly to ask what it was he was going to say, but knew better than to push. People had secrets; secrets they weren’t just going to share with someone they didn’t know that well. If anyone could understand secrets, it was her.

Elizabeth quickly changed the subject to pets as they continued their walk, talking about happy, simple, superficial things. Things that would put an amused smile back on his face.

It was almost eleven when Elizabeth and Chuck reached her proverbial doorstep outside of her penthouse building.

Elizabeth turned around to compliment the evening when she found Chuck staring back at her intently. At first she was worried that Chuck had less than innocent intentions, but soon realized that his face expressed deep thought.

Suddenly, Chuck moved forward, enclosing on her personal space. For a brief moment, all she could think about was the smell of his cologne.

“Sometimes, I worry that I don’t have any real opinions of my own,” Chuck whispered the rest of his unfinished sentence from earlier in her ear before giving her a slow, sensual kiss to her lips. There was no tongue and the only parts of their bodies that were touching were their mouths and their interlocked hands. It was the chastest kiss Chuck had ever given.

Slowly Chuck moved away. He lifted his hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear before walking down the steps and onto the sidewalk, never looking back.

Elizabeth blushed and lifted her hand to her lips in the most clichéd moment she ever experienced. But that didn’t change her heavy breathing, her weak legs or the pounding of her heart, both from his kiss and his confession.

So, maybe Liz Parker lost love long before she came to New York City.

But maybe Elizabeth Van Leih had just found it in the Upper East Side.
________________________________________

It appears that New Girl has fallen for the biggest trap of all. Love. This scoop has just gotten juicier. Now, the question becomes, not if she can survive, but if she’s just been tricked by UES’s playboy. Everyone knows Chuck Bass is ruthless in his pursuit of what he wants. And right now, he wants the New Girl… but what will tomorrow bring? If New Girl thought she was swimming in shark infested water before, then she’s left stranded without a lifejacket now. All that’s left is to see if the Bass shark takes a bite and calls the others with New Girl’s blood, or if said Bass protects her from his fellow meat eaters.

Watch out for tomorrow’s scoop

XOXO

Gossip Girl

Hey! Sorry for the wait, school has monopulated the majority of our time. But thank you all for the great feedback and here is the next chapter!!

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Chapter Eleven:

He was fuming. First, he had come all the way to New York to get Liz and take her home and now he couldn’t even find her. Then he had to deal with the updates from Gossip Girl about Liz being seen with all of these different guys. He wasn’t sure what New York was doing to his Liz, but whatever it was, he didn’t like it at all. And now, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to bring Liz home or beat the shit out of this Chuck guy.

He heard a beep and angrily grabbed for his cell phone and opened the latest text from Gossip Girl. There was a picture of the rich boy himself. The picture was a little blurry but it was of a brunette girl that definitely wasn’t Liz. Who did this guy think he was, kissing another girl when he had Liz around! Not that he wanted Liz to be kissing this Chuck guy, but she didn’t deserve a guy who didn’t keep their focus solely on her. Max ignored the irony of his statement considering his past relationship with Tess.

Another thing that Max couldn’t understand as he drove past the New York state line, was Liz’s grandfather’s hostility towards him. Jacob Van Leih was a sensible man, that he could tell right away, but what he couldn’t figure out was why Jacob had told him to leave New York and stay away from Liz. It was clear that the two were not that close, after all, a grandfather should know whether or not his granddaughter prefers to be called Liz rather than Elizabeth.

Sighing, he opened a blank text message to send another note to Liz.

Liz dont wry bout that ahole Gossip Girl saw u with. Hes not worth it. Come home & well work us out. Luv u Max

After he hit the send button he could only hope that she would come to her senses and come home. It was obvious that finding her in New York was going to be impossible; it was just too big and her grandfather was going to be of no use to him at all. Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, he became even more determined to win her back. She belonged with him, but the longer she stayed in New York, the more work he was going to have when she finally did get back.


Liz closed her eyes in frustration as she read the text message that Max had just sent her. She couldn’t believe that Maria had actually told him about Gossip Girl, and it was obvious that she had, if he was mentioning the Gossip Queen of the Upper East Side in his attempts to get her to come back to Roswell.

“The second date went that well?” she heard her grandfather ask her as he took his seat across from her for their lunch date.

She looked up and smiled at him, “No, the date actually went much better than the first one. I enjoyed our time getting to know each other. He’s not everything that I had originally thought about him. I’m beginning to have a feeling that the real Chuck Bass isn’t someone that people get to see that often…and I think I got to see a little bit of him last night.”

She could see the obvious skepticism in her grandfather’s eyes; she would have to see if she could possibly work on his opinion of Chuck… provided Chuck proved to be worth it, which Liz was starting to see that he undoubtedly was.

“Then what has you in a less than pleasant mood this afternoon?” he asked her curiously.

She sighed and lifted her cell phone, “Max sent me another text message. Maria obviously told him about Gossip Girl, and I’m guessing he subscribed to her ‘mailing list’ because he mentioned that Gossip Girl has been talking about Chuck and I in her newest messages.”

Jacob raised an eyebrow at her statement, before turning to the waiter and nodding in approval at the restaurant’s wine choice. Then he turned his gaze to the menu and his attention back to his granddaughter, “Speaking of young Mr. Evans, it would appear that he didn’t take the news of your…acquaintance…with young Mr. Bass too well. He stopped by my office yesterday.”

Liz’s eyes flew from the menu in front of her to her grandfather’s face in shock, “Please tell me you are joking!”

Jacob lifted his eyes only and gave his head a slight shake, “Have you ever known me to joke about such things, Elizabeth?”

She sighed and picked up her glass of water. She took a sip hoping that the action alone would soothe her nerves and the tension that Max was inflicting on her even when he wasn’t immediately around her, “Considering I don’t recall ever having heard you joke, I’m going to go with a ‘no’.

This is becoming ridiculous. I haven’t been returning any of his messages, you would think that he would get it through his head by now that I don’t want to talk to him. But to stoop so low as to take up your time when at your own office…” she shook her head as she trailed off. She wasn’t even sure she could put into words how she was feeling towards Max’s actions at the moment. It was past annoyance, it was past anger, it was past fed up.

Jacob took her hand into his and grabbed her full attention in the process. He gave her a small reassuring smile, “Elizabeth, he is a boy that has been infatuated with you since he was just a small child. You were his safety net and he has destroyed that safety net and he is trying desperately to get it back. I don’t expect him to give up anytime soon. But in the mean time, do not let it consume your life.”

She gave her grandfather’s hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled, “Don’t worry, grandfather, I’m not. My date with Chuck last night has just proven to me even more that I can do better than Max Evans. And that I am ready for that to happen. I am ready to find a guy that I deserve.”

Jacob released her hand as the waiter came back with his glass of wine and took their orders. After that was done he folded his hands on top of the table and looked at his granddaughter, “And you believe that Chuck Bass is better than Max Evans? Even with everything that everyone knows about him? His constant revolving penthouse door of women?”

She gave her grandfather a smile, “I know what his reputation is, in case you have forgotten, that was one of my concerns that I had brought to discuss with you. But after last night, I’m not so sure that everything that is said about him is entirely true. I am well aware that it was only one successful date in which I am getting to know him, but I have a feeling that there is more to Chuck Bass than meets the eye and that’s enough for me right now.”

He continued to frown at his granddaughter. He could see the beginnings of more than a simple crush forming in her eyes as she spoke of young Mr. Bass. It was not a development that he was overly pleased with, “Had I known that the date you spoke of was with Charles Bass, I would not have encouraged your pursuit with him any longer,” he held up his hand to stop her when she began to speak.

“That being said, it is clear that you have taken a liking to him. As far as I am concerned, your judgment has been rather sound in the past and I am going to once again trust your judgment on this,” he finished seriously.

She rewarded him with a smile, “It’s nice to know that you still trust my judgment, even after this Max debacle.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, “Was this how Max was when you began dating him?”

She shook her head negatively, “No, he’s changed since then. Sometimes, I don’t even know if I’m looking at the same person that I started dating in the beginning.”

He nodded and held out his hands in a ‘well there you go’ kind of way, “Then my trust still stands. Your judgment has changed in regards to him since the beginning and it is a judgment that I agree with. I don’t think he is who you thought he was in the beginning either.”

She smiled at him and felt a bubble of hope grow in the pit of her stomach, “Then you will trust that I know what I am doing with Chuck? You will give him a chance? Try and ignore what others say about him before you judge him?”

He was silent as he took in her questions. He could see that it was something that she wanted. And while he wanted to give her this, seeing as how she was never one to ask for much from him other than his honesty, he also didn’t want to make false promises to her. That was something the two of them agreed upon firmly, false promises meant nothing.

“I’ll tell you what…bring him to dinner so that your grandmother and I can get to know him away from all of the gossip and opinions that everyone else has formed about him and we’ll go from there, how does that sound?” he asked calmly.

She smiled at him widely and nodded, “That sounds fair.”

He nodded, “Good. Call your grandmother later and work out a time with Charles.”

She smiled and nodded again just as the food came.

Jacob gave the waiter a small nod in acknowledgement for the food’s arrival and the two continued on with their lunch.

The rest of lunch was a relaxing and comfortable silence for the both of them to take some time out and think away from work or other issues, such as Max Evans, and just enjoy one another’s company. When it was over, Jacob paid the bill and they prepared to go their separate ways.

As they stood outside of the restaurant saying goodbye, Liz pulled her grandfather into a warm embrace, “Thank you for everything, Grandfather.”

He returned the hug and gave her a smile, “You are welcome, Elizabeth.”
________________________________________

Things keep getting more and more interesting between the New Girl and UES’s favorite bad boy. This interesting development is sure to bring new and exciting gossip. Chuck Bass, going domestic? Stay tuned for the latest.

Who am I? Now that’s a secret I’ll Never tell.

You Know You Love Me

XOXO

Gossip Girl

Yes, we are coming back really soon. We've just been buried under school work lately and it doesn't seem to be letting up for either of us, especially with finals coming up. Most free time is spent, at least for me, is spent making to do lists and trying to clear my mind for a few moments to enable myself to focus on the next project.

I will be so happy when this semester comes to a close.

Sorry for all the waiting

We'll be back soon though.

SnowyOwl

Thanks for all the feedback and the patient waiting. But finally after all the waiting her is Chapter 12 we hope you enjoy!

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Chapter Twelve


Chuck smiled as he held out his hand for Elizabeth to hold as he helped her out of his car. Normally, on a date, he would have taken his limo, but he had realized that Elizabeth was not the type of girl that was impressed by luxurious things.

She turned around before quickly recognizing where they were.

“Central Park?” She asked, confused. She had expected a fancy restaurant or something equally expensive, but the park? Now, she was confused. Pleasantly surprised, but still confused.

“Yes,” He replied simply, not giving anything away. Elizabeth turned in a slight huff with a pout on her lips, but the pout didn’t disguise her small smile. Chuck saw the smile and his lips lifted in turn, before he took her hand and led her through the park in a specific direction.

She looked around the dark area, worrying that she was going to break an ankle with her strappy heels, but before she could slip them off, they arrived at a small area with white Christmas lights hung from the tree and a small picnic area set up in the center.

Liz smiled brilliantly before laying down onto the expensive blanket skillfully onto her side so that she wouldn’t end up flashing Chuck in her small chocolate brown dress.

“Wine?” Chuck smiled.

“Chuck?” Nate called as he rapped on his best friend’s door, “Dude, are you there?”

“He’s out,” A throaty voice declared from behind him. Nate whirled around in shock. He let out a relieved breath before glaring at Serena as her laugh tinkled down the hallway.

“Not funny, S,” Nate frowned at her as he leaned against the door and lifted his bent leg to rest on it as he folded his arms. He was the picture of brooding disapproval… which only caused Serena to laugh even harder. Nate rolled his eyes before smiling at the hilarity of it.

Once Serena calmed down a little, she turned her attention back to Nate, “So, what did you want with the walking STD?”

He rolled his eyes, but made no comment, “I wanted to know how his date went the other night.”

Serena’s eyebrow lifted, “You mean with the New Girl? Hasn’t he finished with her yet?” she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“Finished?” Nate smiled, “I don’t think he’s even gotten started. He was interested before he knew her last name and he was really upset when their first date went badly and she left early. They had a second date to make up for the first one and I wanted to know how it went. He took her to Italia.”

Serena’s eyes widened in shock, “Italia? The place the four of us used to go and hang out?”

Nate smiled, “Yeah. I told you he was serious about her.”

Her lips quirked oddly. Nate wasn’t sure what it meant; he normally knew her expressions inside and out.

“I thought you were interested in her? At least, that’s what Gossip Girl said,” Serena was afraid of how her face might have betrayed her slight jealousy. She internally shook it off. No. That was a long time ago and she was a different person then. The new her could never do that to Blair again.

Nate smiled easily, “Nah. I mean, at first, maybe, a little. But Chuck was really interested, so I stepped back.”

Serena grinned, “‘Cause Chuck would have done the same for you?” She asked sarcastically.

His smile faded as he looked at Serena seriously, “Yeah… he would have.”

Her grin faded as well as she looked at him seriously, “I know.”

The mood thickened noticeably in the last few seconds, so Nate shoved his hands in his pocket and grinned again, “Besides, Liz might not know it yet, but she’s just as interested in Chuck.”

Serena’s eyebrow raised, her eyes getting colder, “You talked to her?”

“Yeah. She’s pretty cool. Way outta Chuck’s league,” He laughed obliviously.

Serena’s nodded with a tight, forced smile on her face.

Nate noticed her expression and asked what was wrong, only to receive a vague ‘nothing’ in exchange. He knew something was up. He and Serena hadn’t really hung out in a while, but he still knew when she was lying, but he allowed the issue to lie because he didn’t want to start a fight.

“So, I think I’m gonna turn in,” Serena told him awkwardly.

Nate’s forehead creased in bafflement. He made a small show of checking his watch, “At nine thirty?”

An awkward silence occurred after he pointed out her obvious lie.

Serena felt the need to be honest. The silence was killing her and maybe she could explain away her feelings with the excuse of it being a small lingering feeling from two years ago, “Look, Nate, I-“
Dan sat at the kitchen counter, lifelessly stirring his dinner of soggy cereal and more than slightly sketchy milk. He couldn’t really think. All summer long, he had been hanging out with Vanessa: his friend, family and one time love. After the fiasco he went through with Serena, all he wanted was a quiet, simple summer vacation. He should have known that would be impossible. Lately, he had been getting weird vibes from Vanessa. The same vibes he got when she first returned a few months ago. More touching, huskier voice, laughing at his jokes… all signs she gave that she was interested in being more than his best friend. He didn’t know what to do. He loved Serena, but he loved Vanessa too. Now, he didn’t know what to do. Serena was his everything… but she showed that she couldn’t trust him. She rather he thought she was a cheater than talk about he party days. She went to Chuck Bass for help instead of her boyfriend; the man she said she loved.

Dan dropped all pretenses of pretending to eat and took his bowl to the sink. So, that was his choice. Vanessa or Serena?

He vaguely felt the water running down his hands as he thought some more, but once he heard the loud creak of the front door, he hastily turned off the faucet and turned on his heel, putting on an angry expression.

“Hey, what’s up?” Jenny smiled as she set down her purse on the counter he had been sitting at.

“I don’t know. You tell me. You were supposed to be home an hour ago, Jenny,” Dan scolded as he walked over to stand in front of her.

Jenny rolled her eyes, “Chill out. It’s not like dad’s here.”

Dan’s scowl deepened, “No, but he put me in charge and-“

“Oh, whatever!” Jenny rolled her eyes again before turning on her heel and heading to her room.

Dan followed only two steps behind her, “Jenny. I know that I’m not dad, but I’m still in charge here. Where were you?”

“I just went out with some of the other interns. It’s no big deal.”

“The other interns? Didn’t you tell me that all the other interns were in their twenties?” Dan asked worriedly.

“Yeah, so?” Jenny asked uncaringly.

“So?” He asked incredulously.

“Look, it’s not like I did anything. We just hung out.”

“You just hung out? Where?” Dan asked suspiciously.

“Butters,” Jenny muttered.

Dan rolled his eyes before giving up and leaving the room. Great. One more thing to talk to his father about.

“Look, Nate, I-“ Serena was abruptly cut off by the maid turning onto the hallway.

“Oh! I am sorry, Miss,” The maid stuttered before turning and leaving, but it was too late, the mood was broken.

“Serena? You were saying?” Nate asked hopefully.

She blinked and then shook her head, “Nothing… it was… nothing.”

Nate nodded disappointedly. He turned to leave when Serena suddenly reached out and caught his hand.

“Okay so maybe I-“ Once again Serena was cut off, this time by Nate’s lips. He knew what she was going to say and decided to take action before Serena chickened out again. They both knew the consequences of this kiss, but as her tongue slipped into his mouth, neither one could bring themselves to care. It had been a long time since Nate had allowed himself to think about Serena like this. He had loved her… still did, but what she said… what she did after she got back had broken his heart. Nate was sure that Serena would never allow him to express his love for her again and yet, here they were.

Both of them broke apart to take harsh, deep breaths. Nate had backed Serena against her door and one of her legs was hiked up high against his hip. Both their lips were swollen and both sporting blinding grins. Nate slipped his hand up to remove her hand from his hair in order to slip his into hers, fingers twining. Serena smiled wickedly before taking her other hand and opening her door and leading him inside. Nate grinned widely. So maybe Serena 2.0 wasn’t exactly that far gone from the old party girl he knew and had once loved…

Elizabeth smiled as she and Chuck stumbled down the street. Both were slightly tipsy, as shown by Elizabeth’s hysterical laughter over nothing and her tripping constantly over her own two feet. Chuck was more used to alcohol and so he merely held her arm in his and steadied her as he smiled amusedly at her actions.

Elizabeth’s happy smile faded and she quickly sobered up as she heard the telltale sound of “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC coming from her purse. She reached in, smiling awkwardly in apology to Chuck, but before she could turn it off, it sang again… and again and again. Both her smile and Chuck’s faded as they counted fourteen messages.

Elizabeth flipped open her phone and read one of the messages, then another and another.

Liz where r u? Max

Liz y rn’t u picking up? M

Wat r u doing. Call me M

R u ok? I no you’d only not call if u were in trble. U ok? Need me to come to nyc? Max

Its that Chuck ahole isnt it? he hurt u? u need me? Call me. M

Y the hell hvnt u called, liz? Im waiting. Max

She couldn’t force herself to keep reading the others.

She forced a painful smile on her face that Chuck saw right through, “My mother. She worries.”

Chuck nodded, unconvinced. He silently made plans to figure out what was going on at a later date, not wanting to ruin her night. He took her hand and smiled, leading her farther down the street.

They quickly reached her apartment. Chuck led her in, all the way to the elevator where he rode up to her floor, hand clenched in hers.

The elevator rang its arrival and they both stepped out onto the foyer. Liz turned, the glazed look she had been sporting since her phone interrupted them disappearing more and more from her eyes.

“I had fun tonight,” She told him, her hand reaching up to grip at a lapel.

Chuck smiled, eyes sensually half lidded, “I did as well.”

Liz slowly reached up onto her tip toes and slanted her lips across his. The kiss was slow and sensual, but broken very quickly.

She looked up at him in confusion. She knew Chuck wasn’t everything that people said he was, but she was positive that he was still a ladies man.

As if reading her mind, Chuck smiled down at her and sensually kissed her cheek, “I’m going to prove to you that what you read and hear about me isn’t always true, “ He whispered before turning around and leaving; the elevator door closing in front of Elizabeth’s shocked face.
________________________________________

N and S hooking up… again? B is not going to be pleased when she comes back and finds out that not only is her King N falling for B’s BFF S a second time, but her safety boyfriend is also taken. Looks like B’s gonna be all on her lonesome. Hasn’t the Queen every heard of ruling on her own? Highly doubtful. B always needs her King.

Also… Chuck Bass taking it slow? Look’s like Hell just froze over… twice. Is New Girl really worth it, Bass? Or are you just trying to scratch an itch and having fun while doing it? Time will only tell on this one.


You Know You Love Me

XOXO

Gossip Girl

Hey! Thanks for all of the feedback, so here is a double post of chapter 13 A & B...we just couldn't leave you hanging. Hope you enjoy!

AvalonRose
alexceasar
forever dreamer
Queen Fee
Whimsicality
fourrightchords

Chapter 13 A

She couldn’t help but be slightly amused as they continued to stand outside the doorway of her grandparents’ Manhattan, three story, penthouse apartment. Elizabeth really liked her gransdparents’ style of penthouse. It had an elevator that led to a small hallway that had a door, knocker and doorbell. If you didn’t look around, you’d think it was a house.

Elizabeth was standing next to the door and leaning up against the wall as she watched her…boyfriend?, she wondered…as he stood there in a kind of daze, just staring at the door. This was a side of him that she had never seen before and she had to say it was rather nice to see the ever confident Chuck Bass not as arrogantly confident as he liked everyone to think he was.

He glared at her slightly when he saw her amused smile on her face, “This is not funny, Elizabeth.”

She couldn’t help but let a small laugh escape her throat and she nodded, “Yeah, Bass, it kind of is.”

He brought his hand up to his tie and wiggled it around a bit as if to loosen it slightly, “I’ve never done the whole meet the family thing before,” he muttered to her. Then after a moment he looked at her out of the corner of his eye in confusion, “I thought we were past calling me by my last name?”

She gave him a wide smile and moved up to him to straighten his tie and flatten out the lapels of his suit jacket, “Everything will be fine, Chuck. Just show them the same guy you’ve been showing me lately. Be yourself, honesty has always been admired by my grandfather more than anything else.”

He sent her another slight glare as she stood in front of him looking beautiful in her royal blue halter dress that hugged her tightly but also flowed around her legs loosely, “That’s easy for you to say, he’s your grandfather. He loves you.”

She rolled her eyes slightly and stood on her toes and pulled him down to her and kissed him. After a few moments of enjoying his kisses she pulled back and smiled, “You’ll be fine and I’ll be right there to keep grandfather on his best behavior…” she paused for a moment, “or as well behaved as I can get him to be.”

Chuck really glared at her this time and gave her a sarcastic smile, “Really helpful, Elizabeth.”

She just smiled at him and then rang the doorbell.

His eyes widened and then narrowed at her when he heard the doorbell resonate on the other side of the door, “Was there any part of me that even resembled ‘ready for this’ to you?”

She brought her hand up to his hair and smoothed it down a little bit. He had messed it up even more than usual on their way here, “It’s like a band aid. The faster you get it over with, the faster the pain goes away.”

He was going to say something when the door was opened revealing…

“Hello, Grandmother,” Elizabeth smiled widely and reached over to hug the woman who opened the door.

Chuck felt glued to the floor. He was not ready for this. Parents didn’t want to get to know him the way Elizabeth wanted her grandparents to get to know him. He’d had mothers hit on him, but never once did he have to worry about whether or not the family of the girl he was ‘dating’ approved of him or not.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt Elizabeth punch an elbow into his stomach. He ignored the pain for a moment and held out the flowers he had brought with him out to her grandmother and gave her what he hoped was a smile that didn’t show just how nervous he was, “Thank you for having me, Mrs. Van Leih,” he said smoothly.

Her grandmother just nodded and gave him a slight smile before standing back and motioned for them both to enter.

He stood back slightly and let Elizabeth pass by and enter first. He followed not far behind her and pressed his hand to the small of her back before helping her remove her light night jacket. He gave the maid a smile and a nod as he handed over Elizabeth’s coat.

Elizabeth took his hand in hers and smiled at him encouragingly as they followed her grandmother into the living room. He tensed a little when he saw Jacob Van Leih sitting in one of the arm chairs with a frown and some papers in his lap that he seemed to be going over.

“Jacob! What have I told you about bringing your work home!” Mrs. Van Leih scolded her husband as she sat down in another arm chair.

Jacob sighed slightly and proceeded to collect the papers and set them aside. When he looked up he smiled when he saw that his granddaughter had arrived, “Elizabeth, you look lovely this evening.”

Elizabeth smiled as she walked up to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek, “Thank you, Grandfather. How was business today?” she asked as she made her way back to the couch where she joined Chuck once again at his side.

Miriam gave a polite sigh and looked at her granddaughter with a small glare, “Elizabeth, must you ask your grandfather about the business? I try so hard to have him leave his work at the law firm.”

Elizabeth smiled knowingly at her grandmother and tried her hardest to keep her amusement at bay. This was a revolving conversation that never seemed to be resolved among the three of them, “My apologies, grandmother, but I am afraid that with the law firm being placed in my hands once grandfather decides to retire, that I need to be aware of what is taking place at the moment. Don’t worry, I won’t be told anything he doesn’t see fit to tell me until I begin interning for him during college. I may want to become a doctor, but I will still need to know what’s going on.”

Miriam got a very depressed look on her face, “It was so much easier to keep the work discussions at bay with your mother.”

Elizabeth’s smile fell. She could feel the tension rise in the room. While, she was aware that her mother and her grandmother did not have the best of relationships, she also knew that there were parts of her mother that her grandmother wished she would take after more than she did…and her need to be involved within the family business was one of them. She also knew that Miriam Van Leih had prayed for another child after her mother had been born; a son to take over the family business…and then Miriam had gotten a granddaughter rather than a grandson. Granted she knew she was deeply loved by her grandmother, but she also knew that her grandmother was hoping for a great grandson when she finally did have children.

Elizabeth looked over at her grandfather with a pleading look in her eyes as the maid took their requests for drinks. He seemed to get the message as he set his face in a slight frown…never a good way to start a conversation…maybe she just should have let the stiff and tense silence continue.

“So, Charles, how is your father’s real estate business going?” Jacob asked both curiously and a little gruffly.

Chuck’s lips twitched up slightly at the maid as he took his drink from her; something that, in Chuck Bass world, constituted as a smile. It was only soda though he wished it was something a bit stiffer to help him through the night, “It’s going well, sir. He is looking into a new project in the Hamptons.”

Jacob nodded, “Clean slate or an existing building?”

Chuck swallowed the gulp of his drink, “It is an already existing building. He hasn’t gone into any plans as of yet, but I believe that he would like to turn the building into a few upscale condominiums that can be rented out to the masses for a profit or into townhouses to be leased.”

Jacob nodded and took a sip of his whiskey, “The townhouses would profit better. They would restrict the area from becoming a tourist area and it would raise the price of leasing and allow the beginning of an upscale neighborhood seeing as how it is located in the wealthier parts of the Hamptons.”

Chuck nodded, “I will be sure to pass on the information, sir.”

Miriam, in another desperate attempt to get the discussion off of business, turned to Charles and gave him a smile, “Charles, where do you go to school?”

Chuck smiled at Mrs. Van Leih, “I attend St. Jude’s, ma’am.”

“And where do you plan to go to college?” Jacob asked gruffly.

Chuck looked at Mr. Van Leih and felt his nerves jump again. Mrs. Van Leih didn’t quite scare him as much as Mr. Van Leih did, “My father would like me to attend his Alumna Marta, which is Princeton, but I would like to attend a school that is a bit closer to home.”

“And do you plan on taking over your father’s business?” Jacob asked but before Chuck could form a response the maid came in.

“Dinner is ready, sir.”

Miriam smiled widely, happy to once again escape any kind of talk of business. She wasn’t one to avoid business discussion, however, she believed that there was a time and place for all conversation and a dinner where they were meeting their granddaughter’s love interest was not the time to discuss business as far as she was concerned, “Thank you, Eliza. What do you say we adjourn to the dining room for dinner?”

No one said anything to agree or disagree otherwise; they all merely stood up and followed Miriam into the dining room. The dinner began in uncomfortable silence and continued that way for a few minutes.

tbc...in the next post!!!

Hey Again! hope you enjoy the second half of this chapter!!!

Chapter 13 B

Chuck took a deep breath to try and calm himself down a bit. Something Elizabeth must have noticed seeing as she took his hand in hers under the table and gave it a slight squeeze and gave him a reassuring smile. He returned her smiled stiffly, but was pulled out of him thoughts by Jacob, “So, Charles, do you plan on taking over your father’s business?” He repeated, scowling. Jacob Van Leih hated having to repeat himself.

Chuck nodded and set down his fork, “Yes, sir. Last year he began to actively involve me in a project, which he plans to have me continue doing throughout the next five years until I graduate from college. And each year will progressively have more active involvement on my part.”

Jacob nodded. He wasn’t exactly thrilled that Charles seemed to be on the path of a young man that he would deem appropriate for his granddaughter. The Bass real estate business, though new money, was still a flourishing business and could seemingly hold its own against the older businesses that were still in high demand. It would appear that young Mr. Bass was on his way to a bright future that could both compliment his granddaughter’s future and still provide her with a stable stepping stone for her personal interests as well.

“Charles, you seem like a bright young man. However, I am afraid that there are some…less than admirable…things being said about you. Would you care to explain that?” Jacob raised an eyebrow as he finished his question.

Chuck sighed and set down his fork.

“Grandfather!’ Elizabeth exclaimed as she brought her hand up to her face and sent him a look that said, ‘I am SO sorry!’

He gave her a small smile to help keep her a little less embarrassed or nervous. He wasn’t exactly sure which was going through her head at the moment. Chuck was faced with a very awkward and difficult question and so he decided to answer it doing what he did best: He lied through his teeth, “I’m afraid that I don’t know everything that is being said about me, sir. Truthfully, I was surprised that there were obviously such disappointing things being said about me when Elizabeth mentioned it herself. I am aware that I have done some…questionable…things in my past and possibly a few in the near past that I probably shouldn’t have done,” he took a moment to think about what to say next.

He took a sip of his drink to get rid of the parched feeling in his throat before speaking again, “All I can say about the things I have done in the past is that when I reached the beginning of my teenage years I rebelled quite strongly against my father and his wishes for me and I think that in some ways I have still been doing so up until recently. I enjoyed working the project last year and with my father’s new marriage to Lillian Van der Woodsen I now have a younger sibling that I am responsible for looking out for and even an older sister to think about. Both Serena and Eric are important to me and I try to make sure that nothing happens to them. I can’t say that I am happy about what is being said about me, but I feel that, while clearing up the misconceptions about myself is important, I have other equally, if not more important obligations to my family that need to be taken care of first.”

“And those obligations would be learning your father’s business and helping your new siblings?” Jacob asked, keeping his surprise at bay. That was definitely not the answer he had expected to get from Charles.

Chuck nodded, “Yes, sir.”

Jacob resisted the urge to sigh in annoyance. However, he caught his granddaughter’s eyes which seemed to say, ‘You promised to give him a chance! What are you doing?’ He wasn’t sure how to explain to her that he was just trying to protect her. Even though he trusted her judgment he still had heard far too many displeasing things about this young man. She would be mad at him, but eventually she would get over it.

“Charles, my granddaughter says that you are not everything that I have heard, and so far you seem to be proving her right…but I have to ask…with all of the conquests that you’ve had over the years how am I to know that my granddaughter is not just another?” Jacob demanded.

“Grandfather!”

“Jacob, really!”

He ignored both his granddaughter’s and his wife’s protests at his question. Dinner was nearly over and he wanted to know what young Mr. Bass’s intentions was toward his granddaughter…it was not an unreasonable question. He fully believed that, were his ex son-in-law Jeffery, here he would have supported the question 100%.

“As I’ve said, sir, most of what you have probably heard about me was due to the rebellious nature I had towards my father and I am afraid that lack of a steady relationship is a result of that nature. I am not sure how I can prove to you that I see Elizabeth differently than I have other girls in the past. I know that there has only been one other girl that has refused to take any of my crap, for lack of a better word, and that would be my new step-sister, Serena and by extension her best friend Blair,” he said seriously. He was hopping beyond hope that the whole craziness that went down with Blair at the end of the school year had not made it back to Mr. Van Leih.

“What makes Elizabeth different than my past is that she is not one to deal with my less than admirable moments. She’s the first one to point it out when I’m being a jerk. She’s determined to get what she wants but at the same time, picks her battles accordingly. While, she is careful to take into consideration what others say, she is also willing to get to know a person before forming her own opinion about someone. She has a sensible and reasonable head on her shoulders and even in the short time that I have known her, she seems to have begun rubbing off on me,” he said sincerely. Yet he refused to look over at Elizabeth. Here he was telling her grandfather things that he had not even told her yet.

He wasn’t entirely sure what was happening to him. This wasn’t like him; he wasn’t one to put his heart on his sleeve for the world to see. He had learned a long time ago that when you did that you risked getting hurt more than you wanted to.

He just sat there looking at her grandfather and trying with all of his strength to keep from panicking right then and there. He was getting emotionally attached to Elizabeth far faster than he had expected himself to. This wasn’t even close to the debacle that had happened with Blair mere months ago…and yet here he was sitting at the Van Leih formal dining room table, palms sweaty and his nerves rattled farther than he had ever had them before.

Jacob looked at the young man in front of him. He could see that something had the boy rattled, though Charles did an excellent job at hiding it from his granddaughter and wife. As a lawyer, it was easy for him to spot when the opposition was getting nervous, anxious and the like.

While Charles had not expressed how intelligent his granddaughter was, Jacob was pleased to note that Charles had picked up on things that most his age probably wouldn’t have. He could tell from the description Charles had given that the young man knew his granddaughter was beautiful, but had had the decency not to use that as a reason as to why she was different from the others.

As much as he hated to admit that it appeared that he was wrong about Charles Bass he was also pleased that his granddaughter’s judgment was as sound and trustworthy as it had always been. He would still keep his eye out on the young man as he continued to court his granddaughter, but that would have been protocol no matter who she dated.

He had to admit, quite reluctantly, that Charles Bass would not be leaving his granddaughter’s life anytime soon.

He nodded his head and picked up his glass of wine that he had switched to for dinner, “Hmm,” Jacob titled his head contemplatively, “Charles, you hurt her and I won’t be a pleasant man to deal with.”

Chuck nodded silently, more scared than he’d like to admit, and turned back to his dinner. He was still too on edge to look at Elizabeth.

Dinner was finished about thirty minutes later and Chuck and Elizabeth were getting ready to leave. After saying goodbye and complimenting the meal the two left the penthouse and stepped out into the hallway, where Chuck could finally breathe.

Elizabeth turned to him and looked at him in concern, “Chuck, are you okay?”

He took a deep breath and turned to look at her, “I think so,” he trailed off slightly.

She looked down and took his hand in hers and gave it a tight squeeze, “Do you want to take me home and give yourself a chance to clear your head? I know this is all new to you and my grandfather wasn’t exactly easy to deal with.”

He gave a crooked smile, “He cares about you, Elizabeth. I would have been more worried if he had been easy on me. He’s the man in your life while your father can’t be. It’s understandable. “

She sighed and looked up at him with concern in her eyes, “I know that. But that doesn’t mean it is any easier on your nerves. Trust me I have two male best friends back in Roswell. I’ve seen them after a meet the parents’ dinner.”

He looked at her skeptically, but went with it anyway. He doubted anyone felt as scared as he did ‘cause as far as Chuck knew, no one had sat down with Jacob

Van Leih and had an boyfriend introduction with him. Chuck quickly changed his train of thought, “What about your father?”

She smiled and laughed at that, “My grandfather will probably call him tonight and tell him about the entire dinner. It won’t be that bad if or when you meet him.”

Chuck nodded and stayed silent for a few moments and then gave her a soft kiss, “Are you sure you don’t mind if I take you home?”

She smiled at him, “We’ve already had dinner. And you’re still walking me to my door and giving me a kiss good night. I could think of a lot of ways that this night could end worse.”

He nodded and pressed another kiss to her lips before wrapping his arm around her waist and leading her out of the building and to his car to bring her home. His nerves were still vibrating at 100 mph, or at least that was what it felt like, but he would save his grand freak out for when he got back home. He didn’t want to worry her anymore than she already appeared to be.

What’s this, Chuck Bass meeting the family? Looks like New Girl is better at playing with the sharks than originally thought. But doesn’t she know that the fiercest shark hasn’t even landed back in UES yet? If she keeps playing in the infested waters she going to get bit when Queen B returns…

Who am I? Now that’s a secret I’ll Never tell.

You Know You Love Me.

XOXO

Gossip Girl

Hey thanks for all the feedback for the the all of chapter 13! LOL anyway, her is chapter 14 enjoy!

forever dreamer
AvalonRose
Christina2984
behrstars
girl_saint86
omby

Chapter Fourteen

Chuck ignored everyone as he made his way up to his rooms of the Palace Hotel. He knew half of them didn’t care; they simply said ‘hello’ because he was the boss’s son. And the ones who tried to start a conversation with him, he merely sent death glares at them. He really was not in the mood to be social…or accommodating in any way.

Finally escaping the masses he pushed his hotel door opened and closed it harder than necessary. This entire night was turning into a fucking disaster. Chuck walked over to the bar and got himself a drink, a drink that he could have used a good two hours ago. He closed his eyes and let the alcohol take effect.

Chuck then began pacing the width of his large common room, his drink still in hand. This had never happened to him before. He was at a complete loss not only at the fact that it had happened but also at the fact that he had no idea what to do about it. What was he supposed to do now? Jacob Van Leih hated Chuck Bass.

Chuck took another angry sip. How was it possible that someone could hate him? He brought his free hand up to the bridge of his nose and pinched it between his thumb and forefinger and closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He gave in and admitted to himself that many people did, in fact, hate Chuck Bass, but this was different. This time…

Charles leaned back against the wall and sank to the floor.

Fuck. This time… he cared.

This time he didn’t want someone to hate him…specifically…he didn’t want Jacob Van Leih to hate him.

This was not meant to happen! Chuck Bass cared about no one and nothing. So, why the hell was Jacob’s opinion bothering him so much?

Involuntarily, the answer rose to Chuck’s lips.

“Elizabeth.”

He closed his eyes when he realized the truth of the revelation.

That’s why Chuck was upset. Not because Jacob Van Leih hated him, but because Elizabeth’s grandfather hated him.

Chuck reached a hand up and delved his fingers through his hair. Christ, this was getting complicated. Way too complicated for Chuck’s taste.

Chuck found Elizabeth gorgeous and witty and fascinating and utterly irresistible. He found her more appealing and worth more of his time than any other girl he had ever come across before. She wasn’t supposed to end up being such an important part of his life, and now… now, he found himself getting far more invested than he had ever thought he would find himself.

Women loved Chuck Bass and he loved women. That was how this was supposed to go. No tiny slip of a girl was supposed to come in and… Chuck shook his head.

He didn’t even know what he and Liz were.

He was interested in her. More interested than he had been with anyone before, even Blair. But when was ‘interested’ too interested? Charles chuckled darkly.

And when was it too late to get out?

Chuck had no idea what to do. He had never been in this situation before. He had bailed on Blair because he was too invested in her, but he was so much farther past that point with Elizabeth now.

He needed to think clearly. He needed to speak with someone who had been here before.

Charles slipped his hand into his suit pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

“Nathaniel? Yes… I need you to come over… No, now… Because I’m having a fucking crisis!” Chuck snarled into his phone before viscously flipping his phone shut and throwing it across the room. He heard it slam into the bar counter, but was much more interested in sipping at his drink to care.

Eventually the scotch ran out and he was forced to stop his thinking and stand in order to go get another. As he poured himself another drink a knock sounded.

“It’s open,” Chuck yelled as he poured a second drink already knowing that it was Nate behind that door.

“What’s going on?” Nate asked as he surveyed Chuck’s appearance carefully while simultaneously collapsing on the couch, “No offense but you look like shit, what happened?”

Chuck moved to sit beside him as he handed over Nate’s drink, “Elizabeth’s family hates me.”

Nate blinked in shock before quickly recovering, “You went to meet her family?”

Charles just glared. The last thing he needed was to have to deal with that issue. Sure he had never met with a girl’s family before, but he figured that was the least of his issues at the moment.

“Right. Not the point,” Nate coughed, “Okay, so what do you care if her family hates you? You don’t care about anyone.”

“Hence the crisis!” Chuck said obviously as he gestured with his hand causing some of his scotch to spill over.

“I have to ask, is it the fact that Jacob Van Leih doesn’t like you or because Elizabeth’s grandfather doesn’t like you?” Nate asked with a raised eyebrow as he took a sip of his drink.

Chuck glared at his friend again, “Do you see where my crisis lies now? I could care less if Jacob Van Leih likes me or not! Yet, I can’t stand that her grandfather hates me! Do you see my problem? This is not how I do things. This is not how Chuck Bass acts!”

“What? Like you care about Liz? That Chuck Bass doesn’t get attached to a girl he actually cares about and then by extension cares what her family thinks? Newsflash, Chuck. I knew the second I saw you looking at her at that Gala that you cared about her more than the other girls you’ve been interested in. Hell you were looking at Elizabeth that night like you were looking at Blair before she left.”

Chuck was silent as he thought about that. Had he really liked Elizabeth that long? Had he been more invested in this relationship longer than he thought? Did he… consider Elizabeth to be his… girlfriend?

Maybe, Nate was right. Maybe Liz had captured Chuck’s interest a long time ago and Chuck was only realizing it now…

“Shit,” Chuck muttered as he brought his hand to his face and ran his palm from his forehead to his chin and breathed deeply and tried to calm himself down a bit.

When that didn’t work he got up from his seat next to Nathaniel and walked back over to the bar to pour himself another drink. All these revelations in one night could not be healthy for a guy his age. He was too young for stuff like this to be happening to him.

He could feel Nathaniel’s gaze on him as he moved around the room with his newly poured scotch in hand; although now he had moved from pacing back and forth to doing laps around his common room. Had he not had so much on his mind he probably would have felt like a hamster in one of those hamster balls that just keep going around and around but they never really get anywhere.

“Is it really that bad that you found a girl that you care about, Chuck?” Nate asked from the couch.

Chuck stopped in his tracks and took in Nathaniel’s question. Was it really bad that he had found someone that he cared about and seemed to care for him equally? Truthfully, he wasn’t sure. He was a seventeen year old guy. He still had all of college to go through before he technically had to think about settling down with anyone and starting a family of his own…a thought that still made him shudder.

But then on the other hand she wasn’t like the others that ran in his social circles. Sure she had money that surpassed his family’s bankroll, but she didn’t seem to care how much money she had, never mind how much money he had. She talked to him, not at him. She listen to him; she actually listened, she didn’t just hear what she wanted to. And she wasn’t with him because of the Bass name.

Sure when he had learned that her last name was Van Leih it has strengthened his interest in her, but if he was truthful with himself, her last name wasn’t the reason that he kept going back to her.

In short, he was screwed because whether caring about her as much as he did was a bad thing or not…he did care about her and there was no getting around it anymore. At this point he wouldn’t be able to get out. Even if he tried she would still be on his mind all the time.

He looked over at Nathaniel and was silent for a few moments, “Doesn’t matter. She’s not going anywhere any time soon.”

There was an awkward silence for several long minutes before…

“So… I kind of made out with your sister.”

Wow. Quite the startling revelation for our very own Bass. Hmm, it seems that love is floating in the air and it’s going from Van Leih to Bass to Van der Woodson to Archibald. Wonder who’s going to be struck with the love bug next? You’ll have to keep your eyes peeled to get that answer…

What’s my secret? Now, that’s something I’ll never give up

You Know You Love Me

XOXO

Gossip Girl

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Chapter 15

Sighing in frustration Elizabeth, threw the magazine that she was attempting to read onto her bed. This was ridiculous. Chuck was really beginning to worry her. It was now three days after the near disastrous dinner with her grandparents. Sure her grandfather now begrudgingly liked Chuck, but she knew that Chuck had still been put through some form of hell that night.

In all honesty, she hadn’t expected a phone call the day after the dinner. She knew that if Chuck had called Nate and they had done their guy thing, then both of them were either too sleep deprived from playing video games or were probably nursing a decent hang over.

But now it’s been three days and she was really beginning to worry.

She wasn’t expecting this hour long phone call or that they would have this in deep, heartfelt, soul bearing conversation or anything like that. She just wanted, at the most, a small text message letting her know that he was fine… that they were fine.

Elizabeth looked over at her cell phone for a moment before picking it up. She flipped it open and scrolled through the millions of unopened text messages that Max had sent her. Ignoring her ex’s attempts at conversation she once more searched for a missed message from Chuck.

She found none.

Closing her phone in aggravation, Elizabeth let her head fall back against her pillows, “That’s it. I will not be the girl that sits home waiting for her maybe boyfriend to call. I’ll go get a coffee and maybe stop by his place at the Palace…maybe I should just call him instead of stopping by…” she chewed on her lip nervously.

Getting frustrated with herself once more, Elizabeth got up, slipped on a pair of comfortable flip flops, grabbed her purse, cell phone and sun glasses before practically stomping out of her penthouse apartment. She didn’t care if she wasn’t acting accordingly for her family’s social status…Chuck had her confused and if there was one thing that she hated more than anything, it was to be confused.

Elizabeth sent tight smiles to those that said ‘hello’ to her as she made her way out of the building. She put on her sunglasses and made her way to the nearest Starbucks. She needed a good dose of caffeine…not to mention something cold, it was hotter than she would like.

Sometimes, she wondered how the heat back in Roswell had never bothered her as much as the heat here in Manhattan did, but the heat was, right now, the least of her problems. At the moment, she was leaning towards just giving him a call on his cell phone and saying ‘hi’ or something. That didn’t scream clingy girlfriend as much as going over to his hotel room did…and seeing how she wasn’t even sure if she was his girlfriend or not it was probably the better of the two options.

When she was right outside Starbucks she noticed the long line. She might as well call while she’s waiting in line. It would give her something else to focus on. She hated waiting in long lines and she didn’t want to make it seem like she was checking up on him or anything.

Elizabeth relaxed a bit as she stepped into the cool building of Starbucks and got in line. Resigning herself to a decent wait she pulled out her cell phone and flipped through her contact information and took a deep breath before hitting send.

She was about to hang up after it had rang about six times. She wasn’t really sure whether or not she wanted to leave him a message on his voicemail or not. However, the choice was taken out of her hands when a strange voice answered the phone.

“Yeah?” demanded a slurred voice at the other end of the line.

She was silent for a moment as she scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion. It certainly sounded like Chuck Bass…but he didn’t sound like himself.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” the same voice demanded again.

Elizabeth took the phone off of her ear and looked at it oddly for a moment before putting it back to her ear, “Chuck?” she asked cautiously.

“Eizbet…libeth…Liz? Is that you?” Chuck asked as he stumbled over her name from the other end of the phone.

“Yeah, it’s me. Chuck, are you okay?” she asked him. She was really concerned now. He had never called her Liz before. And if she was truthful with herself, she liked the fact that he didn’t call her Liz, but that was something to think about on another day.

“Oh yeah, I’m fine. Nate was here yesterday and the yesterday before that yesterday,” he said casually and she heard the sound of ice hitting glass very closely to the phone.

“Chuck, are you drunk?” she asked in a half surprise and half concerned voice. It wasn’t that she was surprised that he drank; it was that he was obviously still drunk. But more concerning was the fact that he was still drunk after three days.

“Nope,” he popped his lips at the end exaggeratedly.

Elizabeth couldn’t stop the small smile that formed on her lips. He may be drunk, but she found him to be a slightly amusing drunk, “Well, it certainly sounds that way.”

She heard a muffled laugh coming from him and then frowned again as she moved closer to the counter, “Chuck, are you okay? I’m worried.”

“I’m sorriiiee, Liz. I know how much you wanted grandfather to like your me…no wait…your me to like grandfather,” he continued to stumble over his sentence.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was going to get her grandfather for this. Here he was, so worried that her grandfather didn’t like him and that she would be upset about it, that he had probably been drinking for the past three days.

“Chuck, don’t worry about it, okay? I’m at Starbucks right now. Do you want me to pick you up some coffee and then bring it over to you?” she asked, hoping against hope that he would agree.

“Ooohh, an Irish Cream sounds good,” he said, slightly distracted.

Elizabeth shook her head, “Uh huh, I’ll see what I can do about that. I’ll see you in a couple of minutes okay?” she asked as she made her way to the counter.

“Okay,” Chuck answered before hanging up.

She gave the girl behind the counter a tight smile as she ordered her cold, caffeinated, chocolaty goodness, “Can I also have an extra large plain, strong, black coffee, please? In fact, make it two.”
With the three coffees in hand Elizabeth found herself outside of Chuck’s hotel room. She knocked on the door and waited. She winced when she heard him crash into something. The expletives that followed obviously meant that whatever he had crashed into had hurt.

Elizabeth felt her mouth go dry when she looked up at him when he opened the door. Sure, Chuck may be drunk, but he had also opened the door without a shirt on.

“Liz,” he smiled and leaned down to kiss her.

She pulled herself out of her dazed state and shook her head before putting her free hand on his chest and giving him a chaste kiss on the lips before pushing him back a little, “Alright, Bass, time to sober you up a bit. And then you can tell me why you’ve probably been drinking for the last three days.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes, “I’m not drunk, Liz.”

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and handed him one of the two coffees she had gotten him, “Yeah, and that’s why you keep calling me Liz. Move your butt inside, Bass.”

Chuck sighed and turned around and made his way into his common room and plopped down on his couch. Elizabeth followed him and closed the door behind her. She took the other coffee she had bought for him and set it down next to her as she sat down on the coffee table in front of him.

“You’re sitting on the coffee table, you know that, right?” Chuck said as he raised one of his eyebrows and took a big drink of his coffee.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, “And you plopped down on the couch. I didn’t think Basses plopped down anywhere. –So are you sober enough to tell me why you let dinner with my family lead you to three days of drinking?”

Chuck groaned and let his head fall back onto the back of the couch, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Elizabeth set her own coffee down and took one of his knees between her hands, “I don’t really care if you don’t want to talk about it. Obviously my grandfather did something to upset you and I want you to tell me so that I can go over to his house and yell at him for it.”

Chuck sighed and lolled his head to the side to look at her, “There is nothing you can do. Besides you going to yell at him isn’t exactly going to make him like me any better.”

Elizabeth sighed in frustration, “Chuck! Will you please just tell me what is wrong? I didn’t expect a call from you the day after dinner because, honestly, I expected you to be like this that day. I did not expect you to be like this today! I don’t understand why you are letting my grandfather bring you to this!”

Chuck quickly sat up as steadily as he could and looked her in the eyes. He didn’t want to be yelled at for this, but he didn’t want her to keep worrying either, “I couldn’t care less if Jacob Van Leih likes me, Liz. I think by now you know me well enough that I don’t usually care whether or not anyone likes me unless they mean something to me. I don’t want him to like me because I want him to like me; I want him to like me because you want him to like me. I know how much your family’s opinion matters to you. You are the first girl where I want her family to like me. I wasn’t expecting for how I feel to happen, but it did and here we are. Your grandfather hates me and I am falling in love with you. I’ve never fallen in love with anyone before, Liz. Not even close.”

Elizabeth sat there in shock. She couldn’t believe that she had just heard what she thought she heard.

Chuck sighed as he watched her just sit there in shock and got up and walked over to the bar and poured himself another scotch. That’s what he gets for telling the truth.

THE Chuck Bass in love? Who would have thought that day would come? New Girl must have some pretty impressive powers of persuasion if she got UES’s favorite playboy to fall for her. Stay tuned to see what unfolds next.

Who am I? Now that’s a secret I’ll Never tell. The Only One.

You Know You Love Me.

XOXO

Gossip Girl

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Chapter Sixteen:


“You… you…” Elizabeth shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, “God, Chuck! Thanks for dropping this bomb on me!”

Chuck just laughed darkly. He poured a drink as he braced himself for her rejection.

“Okay,” Elizabeth took a calming breath, “You ARE in love with me or you’re FALLING in love with me?”

“Does it matter?” He asked thickly as he moved to stand behind the bar, as if the space could somehow lessen the pain he was feeling.

She stood up and turned around to face Chuck, who had turned his back to her and was steadily sipping his scotch, “Yes, it matters.”

“I’m falling. I’m not in love with you,” Chuck replied, the ‘yet’ at the end of his sentence was unsaid, but understood between the two of them none-the-less.

Elizabeth walked over and stood at the bar. She kept the countertop between them, knowing that Chuck needed the space at the moment.

Tracing random patterns on the hard granite, Elizabeth breathed deeply and tried to gather her thoughts. She was silent as she thought about how she felt before finally responding, “I’m falling in love with you too.”

Chuck’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the glass tightly in his hand. He turned around quickly to face her, “Don’t patronize me!” He yelled out angrily as he threw his glass across the room. He took a deep satisfaction at the shock in her eyes as the glass whizzed right by her face and exploded at the far wall.

He took a deep breath trying not to do anything stupid.

“I’m not being patronizing… I’m being honest,” Elizabeth whispered.

Charles gave a small condescending laugh, “You expect me to believe that?” He grit through his teeth as he walked away from behind the bar and went to the other side of the room.

Liz turned to face him, but made no move to cross the distance, “I freaked out a little when you said that. Sue me. We’ve only been dating a little more than three weeks, okay?”

“So, that makes what I feel invalid?” Chuck spat.

“No!” She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, “I was just shocked. I had to think for a second! I know I’m not in love with you; that’s why I asked you to clarify. But I am falling, Chuck. I swear.”

Chuck snorted derisively, “I bet.”

Elizabeth let out a small scream of frustration, “I don’t get it! Are you mad at me for not telling you how I feel right away or for feeling how I feel?! I don’t understand!” She walked over to him and tugged on his wrist to make him sit down in a large white chair as she perched on the arm, “Please, explain it to me.”

He sighed as he visibly just gave in, “Both.”

“What?” She asked confused.

“I’m angry that you didn’t respond. I’ve never done the relationship thing before, but I really feel a lot for you and I thought you did too,” Chuck refused to look at Elizabeth as he said this.

“I do. I just needed to think. Just because I feel a lot for you, that doesn’t mean I have these stages in my mind where I’m like ‘Oh. Date 3. Yep, I’m falling for him now.’ I just needed a second to think, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” She said this so earnestly that Chuck had no choice, but to look up at her. He saw the truth in her eyes and waved away the doubts he felt about her honesty, but there was something else in her eyes. More than just truth… Sympathy? Was Elizabeth feeling sympathy for the pain she had made him feel? Chuck’s eyes narrowed. There was nothing he hated more than sympathy. Chuck Bass needed no one’s pity.

Even as Chuck thought that, he realized he was wrong. It wasn’t sympathy, it was something deeper... Empathy…? Had Elizabeth been hurt before?
His eyes softened, “Okay, I believe you,” Chuck whispered, reaching a hand up to gently tuck some brown strands behind her ear, “I know you. You’d never hurt someone on purpose like that.”

“Okay, so what about the other thing. Why are you mad at me for feeling how I do. I thought that’s what you wanted?” She asked.

“I do. I just…” Chuck ran a hand through is hair, “I don’t have the best history with people feeling the same way about me as I do them…” He admitted.

Liz nodded, “I understand… Do you… want to tell me?” She asked, but seeing his pained face, quickly back-tracked, “It’s okay if you don’t! I understand! You don’t need to! I was totally out of bounds, I’m-“

“It’s alright, Elizabeth,” Chuck smiled weakly, “Okay. Well. I guess I should start with Blair. She was… manipulative and cruel and… just like me. We hated each other. She hid who she was behind a mask of popularity and feigned innocence. She used to date Nathaniel,” He looked up quickly to verify she knew who that was.

After she gave a slight nod he continued, “They broke up and she went out drinking at my club. That night, we had sex. She was a virgin and I found a sort of… karmic balance in being the one who took that from her. But then things got more… complicated,” Chuck looked down in remembrance. Elizabeth saw this and reached over with her hand to clutch at his.

Feeling her touch snapped Chuck back to what he was doing, “We continued our little affair in secret. I didn’t realize it until later when I lost her, but I was starting to care way too much about what she did, who she was with… Nathaniel asked for her back and she left me for him. I was angry. More than angry. I actually felt something for Blair and she just brushed me off. And then she slept with Nathaniel, faking that he was the one who she gave her virginity to.”
Chuck smiled viscously, “So, I sent an anonymous text to Gossip Girl telling what we did and Queen Blair became the lowest scum in Upper East Side.”
Then Chuck’s smugness at his revenge turned into a small, fond smile, “She eventually regained her thrown, we all knew she would. She still hated me and I still hated her, but we worked together briefly to help Serena out. Then at my father’s wedding, I saw her and I realized I was in love with her. Or, at least I thought I was,” He shook his head.

“Anyway, we got back together… and that lasted all of one week. I realized that I wasn’t ready for commitment. I realize now that I simply wasn’t ready to commit to Blair, but still. We had made plans to go to Europe together, but I bailed instead and spent the summer here,” Chuck looked up and saw the vaguely horrified look on Elizabeth’s face.

“Don’t get me wrong. Blair and I have been friends since we were seven. We don’t get along. We fight and we love nothing more than causing the other trouble. But we are friends and we do care about each other. Fighting is just who we are when we’re together,” He explained.

Liz nodded slightly. She could sort of understand that, “I had two friends back home that really don’t get along with each other, but are still friends,” Granted, Maria and Isabel were on a completely different level than Chuck’s drama with Blair…

“Anyway,” He continued, “I guess there are only three more people left. So, next up is Serena. She’s… complicated,” Chuck sighed in thought, “I think of Serena as two different people. There was the girl she was and the girl she is now. I care about the Serena she is now. She’s…so different than before. She’s kind and caring and… she’s family. She’s been through a lot this past year and I’d like to think that I’ve helped her through some of it… Serena’s my sister and I take care of my family.”

“And then there’s the girl she was. She was… exactly like me,” Chuck smiled reminiscently, “She partied and drank and fucked around. Serena was the bad girl to my bad boy. We were best friends. For as long as I can remember there has been four of us. Serena, Nate, Blair and me. But Blair and Nathaniel were off in couple-dom for years and that just left me and her. I… loved her. Not in the sisterly way I do now, but in… more of a shared camaraderie way. We were the same. Two of a kind, no one like us. We were rich and bored and needed to do something to get away from it all. Everyone looked up to us. We were the most popular because we were what everyone wanted to be,” Chuck laughed darkly, “You could say we were the epitome of poor, little, bored, rich kids.”

“I miss that.” He said, “What we had. We talked all the time because no one else could understand. We hung out. For four years, ages twelve to sixteen, Serena and I did everything together. These days… I think I hate her a little bit. For turning her back on me and our friendship. Now, we barely say two words to each other,” He sighed. Elizabeth’s eyes showed understanding. She reached her arm out to hug him, but Chuck visibly moved his head, shaking himself out of it. Elizabeth pulled back. Now wasn’t the time.

Chuck continued on, “Next up is the evil Georgina Sparks. She was the one who first introduced me to the world of lies, sex and manipulation. Another thing Serena and I did together. See, this part’s the secret that no one really knows, not even Blair or Nathaniel. I lost my virginity to Georgina, but then two hours later, Serena lost her virginity to me.”

“Georgina took me and used me and threw me away. She had no care in the world for me or my… well, I wouldn’t call it innocence, exactly. Afterwards, I felt… disgusted with what I had done… with what I had allowed her to do. I went to Serena and I told her everything. And she, being Serena, held me in her arms and took away the memory the only way she knew how,” Chuck looked up into Elizabeth’s eyes, “We were twelve.”

Charles disconnected their stare and looked down before taking a deep breath. This one would be the hardest to tell, “Lastly, would have to be my mother. I was eight when she left. I still remember the screaming and glass breaking of that night. She had caught my father with yet another woman, this time in my mother’s own house. She was fed up and tired and she screamed she was through. My father tried to calm her down even as his mistress ran out the front door in nothing but a skirt. She slapped him. I remember my shock. No one had ever dared raise their voice to my father, let alone a hand. She said she was done and that she was filing for divorce. I was hiding in the living room at the time. Mother… went into their bedroom and he followed. I couldn’t hear what was being said but I heard glass break and later a scream. They came out a little later and she had a bag with her. I had never seen my father so angry. He asked her what she was going to do for money. Said that she didn’t know how to work. My mother spat back that she’d rather go into prostitution than continue living here. That’s when my father must have caught sight of me because then he asked her what about me? ‘What about Chuck? Are you going to just leave your only son?’ That’s when she faced me and I saw this… ugly red mark across her cheek and that’s when I knew what my father had done to her. She said… she said ‘I don’t want him. God, knows he’s just like you. He’ll grow up to be a bastard, just like his father.’ And then she left. And I never saw her or heard from her again.”

Elizabeth had tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe that someone could do that to their son.

“A year ago, Serena just randomly up and left. It reminded me of her. I hadn’t thought of her in years and then this ugly reminder came…” Chuck turned his head to look at Elizabeth. There was an odd look on his face. Like he felt guilty.
“I looked her up. I… was curious, I guess. She was alright. Moved to London. She had become a secretary. Fell in love with her boss. Got married. Two adopted kids from Russia and China. I had siblings and she never bothered telling me,” Charles sighed, “I don’t know why I thought she would.”

“I am so sor-“ Elizabeth started, but she was cut off.

“I got a phone call two months ago,” He said, “It was the police or something. My mother and… my step-father… had died in a car accident. I was listed as family for her… I asked about her kids, did the caring oldest son bit, but I didn’t really pay attention to the guy’s answer. I just kept thinking about all the times I wished she was dead or the time I spent forcing myself not to think of her. I didn’t know what to do. I… still don’t know what to do. I don’t think my dad even knows my mother’s gone…” Chuck paused for a moment before changing the subject, “So, now you know why I’m so screwed up,” He laughed standing up.

“You aren’t screwed up,” Elizabeth replied.

“Then you clearly haven’t been listening,” He chuckled fakely.

“That’s your past. That’s your influence. Chuck,” She grabbed his hand to get his attention, “That isn’t you.”

He looked at her and her beautiful serious eyes before leaning down to kiss her deeply.

“I’m falling for you and it’s scaring the hell out of me,” He whispered.

“Me too. You aren’t the only one scared, Chuck, I promise. I’m right beside you,” She replied quietly.

He nodded his head and thought back to his earlier idea that she had obviously been hurt in the past before pushing those thoughts to the back of his head and smiling for her. With that one action, the entire room’s atmosphere lightened exponentially, “I’m taking you out to dinner,” He said.

“What?” She laughed.

“I owe you… a lot. So, I’m trying to make it up to. I’m taking you out,” He replied, holding onto her hand.

“Okay,” She smiled, “Just let me go to the bathroom and clean up,” She said.

He grinned and pointed to which door it was.

As soon as she was gone his smile faded and he collapsed on the couch. What he had just told her… he had never told anyone in his life. Was he really ready for what that meant?

A song interrupted his thoughts. It was “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC. He remembered the song from a week and a half ago when he and Elizabeth were at dinner. Chuck looked up and saw that Elizabeth would not be returning soon and so he reached over and opened her purse and found her cell phone. He looked through her text messages and raised an eyebrow when he was well over fifty text messages from the same person. ‘Max’.

Chuck wondered who it was. He looked up once more to ensure she wasn’t on her way back before opening the text and reading it. His rage grew as he read more and more. This Max guy was clearly crazy. It sounded like he was stalking Elizabeth.

Chuck snarled. Clearly, Elizabeth had some explaining to do, but first, Chuck had some things to get. Elizabeth would need a new cell phone with a brand new number. No one touched a hair on his girl’s head.

Speaking of his girl… Chuck returned the cell phone to her purse when he heard a door close.

“I’m ready,” She smiled at him as she picked up her things.

“Great. Elizabeth?” He asked.

“Yeah?”

“You’re my girl, right?” Chuck asked seriously and with more than a little uncertainly.

Elizabeth’s smile was blinding, “Right.”

Chuck nodded and slipped a guiding hand to her lower back before leading her out. Today, he’d make things right with his girlfriend. Tomorrow, he’d get to work on this Max guy.



So, this is what made Chuck Bass, Chuck Bass. Interesting to see what made him the sick and twisted guy he is today. Looks like New Girl is going to have one interesting time…

Now, the real scoop of Chuck’s confession is… Chuck Bass and Serena Van der Woodson, once Manhattan’s IT Bad Two-some, were once… lovers? As if Waldorf didn’t have enough issues, now to know that, not only did Serena get to Nate first, she also got to Chuck. Too bad Miss Blair, better luck next time.

With both Nate and Chuck out of the love game, exactly who is left for Queen B? Thoughts to ponder on a New York rainy day…

You Know You Love Me

XOXO

Gossip Girl