DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN GG nor Lady Gaga's BAD ROMANCE. IF I DID, I WOULDN'T HAVE ALLOWED SHIT WRITING.

Author's notes: This plot bunny popped out when I was watching the Glee excerpt of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance as a commercial on ETC. The CM mentioned the background of the song, that it was about falling inlove with one's best friend. Voila! Chair fic. LoL XD XD XD

I'm also working on Watchet on Watch. ^_^ It's dramatic, so I'm still having a hard time finishing the two chappies I'll be posting hopefully, not long after this. Double update to make up for my inactivity. 3K+ for both chappies. Hope you like it when I finally get to post it. X_x

Romance & Revenge
Summary:
[AU, 1.6] Chuck and Nate have a falling out due to Carter's scam, and Blair's in the outs with Nate as well after learning that he loves Serena. Chuck and Blair then decide to get back at Nate by "pretending" to be a couple. But even the line of pretense can be blurred and erased.

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Chapter I: Falling Out of Love and Friendship

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I want your love and

I want your revenge

You and me could write a BAD ROMANCE...

-Bad Romance, sung by Lady Gaga

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"I can't believe you fell for Baizen's hippie, vagabond, peace corps bullshit." Chuck chastised as he and Nate exited the Five Star in Queens.

Nate bit the inside of his cheek, holding back his anger as he slid inside Chuck's limo after him.

"He was disowned, he didn't seek emancipation," Much to Nate's dismay, Chuck continued his scolding when the vehicle started moving. "My intuition told me he was up to no good when he showed up unexpectedly in my suite. He's desperate to make a big but quick buck. I didn't think he'd try to exploit your naiveté for money. He must've been planning it for some time."

Nate sighed as he looked out the window, his cheek on a fist as he avoided looking at Chuck as the brunette delivered his I-told-you-so speech.

"I think Baizen was actually banking on the two of us to pitch in on the scam, but apparently, I didn't fall for his charms like you did."

"Look, I'll pay you back, alright?" Nate interrupted, not wanting to hear anymore of how he had been so easily hoodwinked by Carter Baizen despite his best friend's warnings.

"You don't have ten grand at hand. How're you going to produce the amount? By working the streets?" Chuck's snide joke was another punch to Nate's wounded pride, but Nate kept himself in check.

"I'll pay you back, alright?" Nate's vehement retort softened Chuck from his reprimanding.

Chuck sighed. "You don't have to pay me back, you know. I mean, it was worth every cent to see the last of that guy."

"I said, I'll pay you back," Nate turned to Chuck with a hard stare. "I'll get it from my trust." The blonde shifted his head to gaze outside the tinted window at his side.

Chuck also turned away, diverting his eyes to the New York sights. "Fine. Whatever you want."

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In 1812 at the Palace hotel, Nate was on Chuck's laptop, accessing his account. Chuck looked around for the wooden box that held the cigars, waiting for the transaction to be done and dealt with. He and Nate hadn't talked since the ride up until now. Chuck figured, as soon as the debt that he refused to acknowledge was gone, they could put this debacle behind them, and they could just get back to the status quo before the disturbance of Baizen's swindle.

"That can't be right," Nate frowned as he looked at the screen. Chuck sauntered nearer, holding the cigar to his nose and inhaling the scent of tobacco, not disturbed in the least by Nate's troubled expression.

"What's up?"

Nate's confusion and disbelief showed clearly in his face. "It says I'm zeroed out!"

"Then maybe you have the wrong account."

"No, no, no, no. There must be something wrong. I accessed this account last month, and it said there was almost $200,000."

Nate hissed through his teeth, clearly aggravated, as he ran his hands through his blonde mane. "Just... just give me a moment." Nate reached for his cell phone and called someone while Chuck took the laptop and lounged on the couch, watching as his best friend paced back and forth, talking to a Tom about the missing funds.

"Drained? By who?" This time, the conspiratorial suspicion was evident in Nate's voice and facial expression. Nate then bid farewell to the person on the other line and pocketed his phone.

"Look, man, I told you—"

"I know, alright?" Nate snapped. "I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have gone with Baizen! I was cheated! I get it! You don't have to rub it in my face!"

By that point, Chuck felt his tolerance waning dangerously. "What I was going to say before you so rudely interrupted me, was that I told you that you didn't have to pay me back!" Chuck sat up and put away the laptop to the side to stand face to face with Nate. "Just what is your damage, Nathaniel?"

At this point, Nate should've just apologized; he was the one in the wrong, and Nate had been treating Chuck poorly after his best friend saved him from probably losing a finger at a fixed card game when the blonde was unable to turn up the amount he owed. But Pride always had to find a way to insert itself in situations and worsening the mess. Carter was to blame for the aggravation inside Nate, but he was redirecting it to the wrong person, unbeknownst to the now hot-headed blonde whose blood was boiling in indignation. Nate chose to wave around his dignity, stomping humility to the ground.

"I don't need your pity! You may be richer than I am, but that doesn't mean I can't afford to pay off my debts."

"What the hell is wrong with you? I'm just trying to help you!" Chuck raised his voice.

"No, you didn't come for me. You came for the watch and the ball!"

"I did because Baizen had stolen them! I figured he was trying to get more money out of you with that game, I just didn't know he'd have accomplices! I was just trying to help you out of the mess you'd gotten yourself in!"

"Well I don't need your help! I don't appreciate your meddling in my life, so just snoop around other people's business and stay out of mine!" Nate walked past him, deliberately bumping Chuck on the shoulder.

"What the fuck, Nathaniel?" Chuck turned to watch Nate at the suite door.

"As soon as I talk to my dad about the missing money from my trust fund, I'll pay you back, and then we're done." Nate's tone was icy as he opened the suite door to make his exit.

Chuck's nostrils flared as he pursed his lips in anger. "Fine! We are through, Nathaniel! You hear me?" Chuck shouted back as the door slammed shut in response.

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"Alright, Nate," Blair immediately got straight to business as she confronted her boyfriend sitting on the red couch of the living room. "What's this I hear about you and Chuck at cold war?"

Nate turned away and shrugged, trying to act nonchalantly. "He was being an ass, and I wasn't going to put up with it anymore."

Blair's tone turned irate. "No, he was being a dependable friend, when he bailed out your gullible, ungrateful ass." She crossed her arms as her lips pursed in disregard. "Yes, I know what happened."

Nate just sighed in exasperation, gazing at the wall instead of his girlfriend. He never did listen to her rants, and left that to either Serena or Chuck to lend an ear for Blair's tirades.

"Chuck had to give up his watch and his baseball to get you out of the scam you set yourself up into. Do you know how important those two items Chuck gave up just to save your ass?"

Nate rolled his eyes. "Chuck can just buy another watch and find some other signed baseball on eBay."

Blair felt a vein— the vein of her tolerance— snap like a twig. "One of Bart's Japanese associates gave matching watches to him meant as a father-son pair. Chuck's very proud of it because his dad gave the other piece to him and they match. As for that baseball, that's actually one gift that Bart himself put some effort in searching for Chuck on his eighth birthday. Those items actually had sentimental value, Nate. Unlike your misplaced pride."

Nate came to Blair because he needed someone to talk to about his dad, and the possible problems his parents were hiding from him. But here she was grilling him about Chuck instead. Unwilling to put up with a lecture from Blair, Nate stood up. "Look, whatever. I'll let you prepare for the masquerade." Nate quickly walked to the elevator.

"This conversation isn't over, Nate!" Blair called out from behind him.

"Not if I can help it," Nate mumbled under his breath, not bothering to look back to his girlfriend. It seemed Serena was the only one he could turn to for a sympathetic listening ear.

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"Little Jenny Humphrey, manages to get my pants off and have me not enjoy it," Chuck handed the bracelet back to Blair. "Quite the accomplishment." The two walked out the venue.

Blair halted as they reached the sidewalk, turning to face Chuck with an impish expression. "Good thing someone else at the party was as lecherous as you or you'd still be up on that roof. And no, I don't want to know what you had to do to get that tux." A slight grin accentuated by Blair's dimple made Chuck smirk and find the humor in the unfortunate circumstance he had found himself tonight.

"Hey," Nate sidled up to Blair.

Refusing to acknowledge Nate's presence, Chuck turned the other cheek, lips pursed in annoyance. "Good night, Blair. See you." He then made his way to his limo.

"Good night, Chuck. This is me." Blair then turned around to walk to her own ride home. Nate followed behind her, but he only made a few steps until Blair realized he was following her and turned to face her boyfriend to stop him in his tracks. "Nuh-uh. No, you didn't find me by midnight. No happily ever after for you."

"Blair, I'm... I'm sorry."

Blair sighed. "All I wanted was for us to start over. And you didn't even try." Blair stared at him with dejection and disappointment before getting into the limo that would take her home, leaving Nate stranded in the sidewalk.

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"What are you doing?" Blair demanded as she hurried to Nate who had opened the limo door.

"What does it look like? I'm crashing Chuck's victory party." Nate said nonchalantly.

"I saw your father get arrested. Why didn't you come to me? I would've listened."

"I tried, Blair. But every time I try, something's got your attention. A dinner party, you know, a masked ball..."

The last mentioned event struck a chord of anger in Blair. "Yeah. Let's talk about that masked ball. Let's talk about how I was waiting for you to find me so that we could finally be together, you were confessing your feelings and kissing Serena. I thought I was doing everything right."

Nate looked down, shaking his head. "It's not your fault."

"Do you love me?"

Nate just looked at her, his silence shouting his guilt.

Blair shook her head, covering her face for a second to try to collect a grip on herself before facing Nate once more. "You should deal with your father. He needs you. You know what? I don't." Blair then turned on her heels, opened the car door, and entered the vehicle, which quickly took off, leaving Nate behind in the sidewalk.

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Chuck approached the limo he had sent to the Waldorf penthouse. "You made it." Chuck said as soon as the limo door opened and Blair stepped out. "I thought you'd be bringing Nate after both your parents finally agreed to an arranged marriage."

"I think we just broke up."

"What?"

"I don't want to talk about it. I just want to escape. That's what this place is for, right?"

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The music of the club blared around them, and Chuck and Blair, having the best front seats in the club, just watched the dancers on stage acting coy and provocatively swaying their hips.

"You know what they say: to dull heartbreak, alcohol's the morphine. Do you plan on getting drunk tonight?"

Blair downed her champagne in one gulp. "Refill," she held out her empty flute to Chuck. Flagging down a roaming waiter (Blair unceremoniously snatched Chuck's champagne flute and drank it all), Chuck gave him the champagne glasses and ordered a bottle of Baileys (with a hint of crème caramel).

Blair rolled her eyes and scoffed at Chuck. "I'm not even buzzed yet, Bass."

Chuck's order of Bailey's arrived and he gave a glass to Blair, who accepted it and took a sip.

"Nate still wants Serena. After all this time. After telling me he's chosen me, he's still hung over Serena! That jerk!"

Chuck recognized the start of a rant and he was all too willing to put his two cents in. Blair wasn't the only one bitter at Nate. There's nothing better than trashing your common enemy behind their backs. "Nate's a douche bag. And he's indecisive. All he knows is what he doesn't want. He's sabotaging himself."

"If he really loved Serena, then why did he stay with me for this long? I feel like I've wasted so much of my life!"

"He's a coward. He can't go after what he wants. All he can do is leave behind what he doesn't want." Chuck shook his head with a sigh. "He doesn't know what he's losing by letting you go. He can't do better than you."

Blair took another chug of alcohol. "He should've gone after Serena after he slept with her. At least that's one year of my life that I wouldn't have thrown away in a pointless, empty relationship with him." Blair finished her drink and slammed the empty glass on the table before them. "As much as I love Baileys, tonight calls for champagne."

Blair only drank champagne for celebration, and frankly, Chuck expected Blair to be bawling her eyes out and mourning the end of her relationship with the golden boy. Well, Blair had always been unpredictable, an aspect of Blair's that never ceased to amuse Chuck. Unquestioningly, he once more ordered champagne for two at a waiter who conveniently passed by at that moment. Shortly after, their drinks arrived, and Chuck handed the champagne flute to an eager Blair.

Chuck stared at Blair, champagne in her hand, as she intently watched the dancers on stage. "I know you don't want to talk about what happened, but—"

"Relief," Blair interrupted. "I feel relief."

The two fell silent, just watching the show on stage.

The dancers were mesmerizing Blair along with the catchy beat of the song. "You know, I've got moves."

"Really? Then why don't you get up there?"

"No," Blair laughed. "I'm just saying, I have moves."

"Come on, you're ten times hotter than any of those girls."

"I know what you're doing, Bass." Blair paused as a realization hit her. "You don't really think I'd go up there."

Chuck was smug. "I know you won't do it."

She stared at him purposefully, challenge in her determined gaze. "Guard my drink."

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Blair was just lying on the bed of one of the spare bedrooms of the venue. She and Nate were over, and the undeniable reality had just sunk into her now.

The door opened.

"I'm not in the mood, Chuck." Blair sat up, refusing to let him see her curled in a halfway fetal position while she pathetically sulked. "This is pretty much the worst birthday ever."

"Maybe it can be salvaged." Chuck revealed a black box from behind as he approached her and sat beside her on the bed.

"Is that our sex tape?"

Chuck remained quiet and instead opened the cover of the box to reveal his birthday present. He had been cooped up, undisturbed in his suite for the entire day, practicing dialogue on how to present his birthday gift for her, even while he was preparing and tying his bowtie, until he arrived at the venue. This hadn't been in any of the scenarios he painted, and the lines he had rehearsed couldn't be applied, but so far, everything was going better than he envisioned, because his imagination, such a pessimist, always ended with her slapping him or throwing the box in his face before she opened it.

"It's the Erickson Beamon necklace." Blair breathed out as Chuck took the necklace out. Overcome with a rare bout of modesty, Blair slightly shook her head. Not even her parents had spent so much on her for a single present. "No, I couldn't."

"Yes, you can." Chuck discarded the box and encircled his arms around her shoulders to put on the necklace. Blair lowered her head, exposing her nape to him as he closed the clasp. After securing the necklace, Chuck proceeded to fix it on her, to make sure the presentation of the jewelry was a perfect display on her delicate neck. From their reflection, Blair gazed at him carefully working on straightening the necklace, noticing an uncharacteristic, but nevertheless sincere, tenderness. Chuck then turned around to regard their reflection, his hand lightly caressing the centerpiece of the necklace: the heart.

"Something this beautiful, deserves to be seen on someone worthy of its beauty."

Chuck retracted his hand so Blair could see her reflection, see how it looked on her, how she looked wearing it. The necklace may be beautiful, but it paled in comparison to her. In fact, in Chuck's eyes, the necklace became beautiful because it was on her.

Blair held up a hand to stroke the $30,000 necklace, as if she needed to reassure herself that it was real. She had put this piece on hold not because she thought she could have it, but she wanted to cherish the forlorn hope that there was a slight possibility it could land in her possession, though she knew neither Nate nor her mother would even consider giving it to her. Hell, they couldn't even be bothered to put effort in looking for a worthwhile gift for her that Blair had to make the arrangements for them, make their show of affection so much easier and more convenient.

"I really am sorry."

Why was he apologizing to her when he wasn't the one who ruined her birthday? He and Nate were still on the outs with each other, but here Chuck was, still the one apologizing for Nate's unreliance. Nate had to go and skip out on Blair on her special day for some other blonde bimbo replacement (who in Chuck's opinion couldn't even measure to half of Blair's worth), thereby humiliating the birthday girl.

Chuck turned away from their reflection to regard Blair, and he once again held up a hand to touch the necklace. Surprisingly, Blair's hand came over his fingers, their hands eventually yet shyly touching as Chuck laid a kiss on her shoulder. As his lips lingered on the cloth of her dress sleeve, Blair rested her temple on his forehead. They stayed still like that for a while, his hand in hers, her head on his, until Chuck turned his head up and gently kissed her on the corner of her mouth.

His tenderness and his grand gesture sparked something within Blair, and with a hand on his nape, she pulled him closer to deepen the kiss, parting her lips to delve her tongue into his mouth. Chuck leaned over her, but he soon found himself leaning back on an arm as Blair took the lead in their lip lock. She supported his head by holding on the back of his neck while his free hand sculpted her curves.

Blair suddenly pulled away, averting her gaze and attention past him, but Chuck instead attached his lips on her neck, lightly nipping the flesh. The glimpse of her nape as he was attaching the necklace somehow seemed so erotic to him, which he found peculiar.

"Did you hear that?" Blair pushed him away by the shoulders.

"I certainly heard you purring and mewling." Chuck was about to swoop in to feast on her neck when Blair stood up and proceeded towards the door, causing him to groan. She could not be thinking of walking away.

"Blair..." Chuck slumped on the bed, lying on his back with an arm covering his eyes as he prayed that Blair wasn't walking away. Stuck in his bemoaning and wishful thinking, Chuck did not hear the turn of the lock nor Blair's footfalls towards the bed. He was caught off-guard when he suddenly felt Blair straddle him and immediately grind against his crotch.

"Now, where were we?" Blair teased as she sensuously rode him, clothes barring skin on skin contact yet creating delicious friction. Chuck sat up and once again resumed their interrupted lip lock, and with his arms around Blair's waist, Chuck unzipped the back of her dress and unclasped her strapless bra. When Blair's torso was bared, Chuck pulled away to attach his lips on a nipple, causing Blair to groan as he suckled. She firmly grasped the hair at the back of his head, and even through the pain of hair pulling, Chuck continued to pay homage to her chest with his lips and tongue. He then engaged Blair in another open-mouthed kiss, their tongues once again pushing and sliding against the other. Blair then took the opportunity to rip his shirt, the buttons flying away as the thread that attached them to the shirt was torn. She then pushed his jacket down but it got stuck in the crook of his elbows.

Blair pushed his shoulders and stood up from the bed, facing Chuck. The dress she wore fell from her frame, pooled at her feet. She took a step back to get out of the dress completely. "Off with those clothes." She commanded haughtily, causing Chuck to smirk.

Blair helped Chuck get rid of his clothing as he stood in front of her. While Blair divested him of his jacket and shirt, Chuck took care of his lower half, but before he discarded his pants, he grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and took out a packet of condom. He bit on it, as he slipped off his pants and boxers, as well as socks. As soon as he was completely naked, Chuck grabbed Blair and laid her on the bed. He knelt in between her spread legs, rubbing the crotch of her damp panty as he ripped the foil packet and put on the condom. When Chuck finished securing protection, he then turned his full attention to Blair, who was moaning the entire time. He hooked his fingers at the elastic waistband and slowly pulled it down her smooth, pale legs. When he had discarded that last article of clothing on the floor, his eyes traveled from toe to head, desire making his dark eyes murky. As if he were touching her for the first time, he ran his hands along her calves and her thighs, as if taking into memory the texture of the skin.

Blair watched him as he explored the expanse of her body, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths of anticipation and desire. Chuck's hands reached up to her sides and even ran through her breasts, which caused her breath to hitch at the sizzle of arousal. Chuck's eyes never cut contact with hers all the while, until he lowered his lips upon her stomach, nipping and licking around that area. Blair gasped when he went even lower, daring to dart his tongue on her clit.

Blair's hands flew to cover her mouth, muffling the sounds that she couldn't help producing as Chuck used his tongue and mouth to pleasure her. It did not take long for Blair to reach her peak, biting her palm so she wouldn't make too much noise that would draw the curiosity and intrigue of people outside.

With the waves of her orgasm waning, Blair pulled away her hands from her mouth and panted. Chuck allowed her some time to recover her breath.

"You just taste so sweet, B," Chuck complimented huskily as he licked his lips.

With strength Blair never knew he possessed, Chuck pulled her up to her knees and positioned her in front of him. Blair now sat on his lap, her legs parted by Chuck's knees in between her thighs. Blair moaned as she felt the tip of his manhood right at her opening, but he didn't budge or try to enter her. Chuck's right arm tightly wrapped around her waist to secure her position while his left hand ascended to tilt her chin up so she could see her reflection.

"Look at you, Blair," Chuck huskily whispered in her ear as he touched the heart centerpiece of the necklace Blair was still wearing. "So beautiful, so exquisite."

As Blair studied their reflection, she couldn't help but be mesmerized by the glorious sight of their naked bodies with only a diamond necklace on her. The depiction in the mirror briefly reminded her of that scene in Titanic, with Jack sketching Rose's nude form with the heart necklace on.

Chuck lightly ran a finger over her collarbone as he gently pressed a line of kisses from her shoulder to her nape. When Blair moaned and dug her nails into the flesh of his knees, Chuck cupped a breast and sank deeply into her heat, causing Blair to cry out in pleasure. Chuck slowly and deliberately plunged inside her, licking and sucking on the back of her neck while pinching and tugging at her nipple. Blair continuously mewled as she felt him in and out of her, their eyes connected as they stared at their joint reflection.

Her panting became heavier, and Chuck shifted his arm around Blair's waist, his hand reaching down to thumb her clit. Chuck knew she was close when she started moaning his name with an increasing pitch.

"Chuck!" Blair cried out as she reached her climax, its intensity making her feel as if she had reached Nirvana with the tips of her fingers.

"Blair!" Chuck groaned after a few strokes following her release. He held on to her tightly, feeling dazed and disoriented by the orgasm he'd had. Now he definitely would always link the term 'mind-blowing' to Blair Waldorf. She was a whole new elevation of climax.

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"Next year, I'll have my birthday bash a week before, so no one ruins my actual birthday should they decide to ruin my party. Nate has officially ruined my birthday, and even if you're not his best friend anymore, you salvaged my birthday after Nate's crap."

Chuck and Blair were currently in 1812. After hooking up at Blair's party, they snuck out of the venue and headed back to Chuck's suite for both more privacy and sex. They were now waiting for room service to serve breakfast, and Blair wanted to watch something until then, so she was looking through his DVDs while he sat on the couch.

"True, I always clean up after Nate's stupidity. I always do," Chuck stood up and plucked a movie, Charade, and handed it to Blair. She couldn't seem to decide what to watch from the Audrey Hepburn collection (courtesy of Blair's insistence that he own a Hepburn movie collection as extensive as hers), so he decided to step up and make the choice for her. "But last night, I didn't do it for him."

Blair shyly glanced at him and smiled as she accepted the movie. "Thanks, Bass." She said, feeling her cheeks flush.

Chuck grinned at her. "For you, Waldorf, anytime."

Blair couldn't help it. She leaned towards him to place a kiss on his lips. Little pecks followed, until Blair pulled away and pushed him to the couch, only to straddle him in his seat, DVD forgotten as she dropped it on the floor. His hands went to her hips while her arms encircled his neck.

"I was thinking..." For effect, Blair put on a pondering expression, biting her lower lip and coyly looking down at his hirsute chest while playing with the ends of his hair at the nape before she looked straight to him with eyes glinting of mischief and menace. "Want to piss off Nate?"

Chuck raised an eyebrow. "What vengeance do you have in your mind, Waldorf? Do share. I love it when you do."

Blair smirked. "Well, you and I are pissed with Nate. How would you like payback?"

"Go on. I'm interested."

Blair swooped in for another chaste kiss before revealing her plan. "We should hook up."

Chuckling, Chuck shook his head in amusement. "We've already hooked up. Several times."

Blair playfully hit him on the shoulder to get his attention. "I meant as a couple."

This caused Chuck to look at her incredulously. "Couple? As in exclusively dating?"

Blair felt a prickle of panic, and quickly tried to swerve in another direction. "Well... I meant... we... pretend to be a couple, let the public think we're boyfriend-girlfriend but really we're not."

"So... friends with benefits posing as an official couple?"

"Yes," Blair answered with relief that she hadn't scared off Chuck. "Exactly. What could be more scathing and insulting than your ex hooking up with the bestfriend and proving that bestfriend is actually leagues better as a boyfriend than the ex?"

Chuck blankly stared at her expectant face for a minute. He was already playing with fire as it is, being with Blair even though she and Nate were technically over (though if you asked him, Blair and Nate had been over since Nate lost his virginity on top of a bar). To actually dangle themselves as an item in front of Nate... that was walking barefoot through burning charcoal for entertainment's sake.

Chuck grinned devilishly before darting his tongue at the juncture of Blair's neck and leaving a wet trail to the underside of her ear. He gave a playful tug on Blair's earlobe with his teeth before whispering, "You're a wicked, wicked girl, Waldorf."

Instantly, Chuck's head was forcibly thrown back when Blair caught his chin and pushed his head back to its furthest reach. She raised herself on her knees so she could look down on him with a mischievous, seductive grin as her crotch pushed against his chest. She leaned her lips closer to his, so close that it was almost as if they were taking in each other's breaths. "People only assumed I was a good girl. I never claimed I was."

Blair swooped her tongue in Chuck's open mouth, and just as quickly pulled away, causing Chuck to moan in protest, wanting more.

"What do you say, Bass? Willing to be my partner-in-crime?" Chuck found the incline of her raised eyebrow oh so seductive.

"Always." Chuck breathlessly answered, feeling a stirring in his lower regions.

They suddenly mirrored each other's devilish smirks before they caught themselves in a frenzy of lip lock and tongues, sealing the deal.

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"Well, I'm in a good mood," Blair opened the box the pie was stored in. "It happens. Sometimes cause I increase my Lexapro, sometimes because my dad's in town." Blair was chipper, it was Thanksgiving, after all; her father, whom she hadn't seen since he left the country, was coming to visit and her MIA-for-a-year bestfriend was also there.

"And sometimes, mostly because things are good with a boy." Serena started as she folded a napkin. She had found the perfect opening, and Blair sensed an imminent conversation looming. even before Serena asked, "You and Nate get back together?"

"You mean since Gossip Girl published pictures of him and some skank?"

That should've been a clue to Serena that she should avoid boy topic, as Blair was still sensitive about it, but Serena was never one to be intimidated to back off when she wanted to help Blair.

"So that's a no," Serena concluded as Blair remained silent, having nothing to say on the matter. Serena knew she had to proceed cautiously. "What's Chuck doing today?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. He's also coming here for Thanksgiving," Blair answered nonchalantly with a hint of a wary smile, a sign that Blair was aware Serena was nitpicking for something. The brunette raised an eyebrow in suspicion, wondering how much Serena knew. "Why are you asking me?"

"Well, you guys are friends," Serena decided to ease the tension that was building. "And Blair, look, you know you can tell me anything."

When Blair gets defensive, they usually part with a fight since Blair would push away with scathing remarks just to regain the safety of distance and personal space. Serena needed to establish a sense of security for Blair if Serena wanted to coax her bestfriend to confide in her. "I'd be the last person to judge anyone."

"With good reason," Blair retorted immediately. The uneasiness in Blair's expression had a hint of regret directed towards Serena, obviously affected by the negative implication of Blair's seemingly innocent remark. However, Serena chose to let it slide and get to the point, since it was obvious Blair would dodge. "Blair, I saw you with Chuck."

Blair blankly stared at Serena, wondering what she should tell the blonde before she looked away. Serena waited patiently for the brunette's reaction.

"So you know," Blair steeled herself. This was when their charade would start, would become official. It was sooner than she thought, and she never would've guessed that Serena would be the one to churn the wheel of motion. "Chuck and I... we... have a… thing."

Serena chose to remain quiet, but her silence was a prodding for Blair to go on, as well as a reassurance that Serena was listening and Blair could trust her.

"I mean, I thought it was a mistake the first time I slept with him—"

"Wait, you slept with him?" Serena's incredulity caused her to raise her voice and alarm Blair.

"Shhh!

"Ugh! Blair!"

"What happened to no judging?"

And just like that, the rapport of trust and security was broken by Serena's outburst.

"I'm not but I thought you wanted to wait. I thought you wanted to make things special."

"Oh, so Nate gets a free pass and now I'm the slut?"

Serena looked with wide disbelieving eyes at Blair. "Tell me you didn't sleep with Chuck for revenge."

"Well it wasn't because I like his natural musk," A lie, Blair had always thought Chuck's colognes smelled really sexy and masculine, plus, Blair found herself actually feeling heady with Chuck's scent when she woke up after dozing off after sex. That was saying something, as Blair never did like Nate when he was sweaty.

"But still, the first time was consensual for both of us. And Chuck confessed on my birthday."

"Confessed what?"

"The butterflies," Blair saw Serena's frown of confusion, but she chose not to elaborate. "And when Nate didn't show up, and humiliated me with those stolen shots of him and that faceless bimbo, Chuck saved the night. So I thought I'd give him a chance."

Serena's mouth hung open as she blinked in disbelief, trying to make sense of what Blair had just revealed. "What do you mean, a chance?"

"We agreed to start dating."

"Blair!" Serena was shocked. Blair just raised her eyebrows and shrugged, a nonverbal message of what? to the distressed blonde.

"You and Nate just broke up days ago, and now you're seeing, and apparently also sleeping, with his bestfriend?" The disapproval in Serena's tone snapped Blair to an irate mood. Promises of "no judging" were empty and broken now that condescension practically leaked out of Serena.

"Chuck is not a random guy. I've known him my whole life, as long as I've known you and Nate. And he's been there for me all the way. In fact, he was the only one I could rely on besides Dorota when the mess with Daddy and Mother created a scandal. God knows you and Nate weren't there when I needed my best friends the most, when I was going through the biggest crisis of my life."

Serena just stared; her expression had softened but disapproval still lingered.

"And besides, nothing hurts more than sleeping with the bestfriend, right, S?"

This time, Serena's tolerance wasn't going to let it go. It was hitting below the belt, when Blair mentioned that incident that Serena had already been forgiven for. "Way to prove a point." Serena stood and turned away.

Blair also stood, she wasn't going to let her have the last word. "Well I learned from the master."

Serena whipped around. "If you're sleeping with Chuck, I'd say the student's become the master."

"Are you jealous? You didn't get to sleep with him first?" Blair scoffed with a disdainful smile. "There had to be somebody left on the Upper East Side."

"Blair, darling, are you going to help me at all?" Eleanor sauntered in, disrupting the confrontation between the best friends. Blair glanced at her before turning away to avoid her mother from reading her daughter's face.

"Serena, do you know when your mother's arriving?" Eleanor didn't notice the tension in the room, too caught up in the preparations to catch the whiff of something awry.

Serena turned around to face Eleanor. "She's not." The blonde faced Blair once again as she lifted her purse to her shoulder. "We're not doing Thanksgiving here anymore." Serena walked away, only managing a few paces before Eleanor, perplexed, spoke out.

"Oh. Why?"

Serena turned around once again, still in the kitchen. She looked to Blair, giving her a chance to take back what she had said.

But Blair proved to be stubborn. She was not going to apologize. "Because I uninvited them." Blair's lips upturned to a smile that lasted a second, before she waved a goodbye, a clear dismissal that meant Serena wasn't going to get a retraction even with Eleanor present.

Serena stared for a while at Blair as Eleanor turned away her face in exasperation. "Happy holidays, Eleanor," Serena greeted before she exited.

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"... And change into something more..." Eleanor's intake of breath hissed as it passed through her teeth while assessing Blair's attire. "Enchanting?"

Blair just stared blankly at her mother before turning away to hurry upstairs to her room. However, on her way, Chuck appeared by the doorway, having just arrived with a bottle of Dom Pérignon.

"Happy holidays, B," Chuck greeted as Blair halted in front of him. Immediately, he sensed Blair was troubled. He tipped her chin up. "You're upset."

Blair shook her head, trying not to cry, not in front of all the caterers. And certainly not in front of her mother.

"It's nothing," she replied as she took the bottle and called out to Eleanor who was busy managing the caterers. "Mother, Chuck's here. He brought a bottle of champagne."

Eleanor, her glasses on her nose, looked towards her daughter and nodded her head at Chuck. "Charles, wonderful to have you here and thank you for the gift, you didn't have to. Blair, bring that bottle to the kitchen and make sure it's chilled." Eleanor went back to talking with a waiter.

Blair walked off to the kitchen, Chuck following her. After she had put the bottle in the refrigerator, Chuck pulled her aside. "What's wrong, B?"

Blair sighed and looked up in exasperation, her shoulders sagging. "Serena was a judgmental bitch so I uninvited her, Daddy isn't coming, and I have to go upstairs to change."

Chuck frowned. "What's wrong with what you're wearing?" He glanced at her from head to toe several times. "You look beautiful."

Blair ran a hand across her forehead. "My mother told me I should change into something more 'enchanting'." She then bypassed Chuck, intent on getting to her room, but Chuck was still on her heels.

"Blair—"

"Dorota," Blair interrupted by calling her faithful maid, who was standing by the staircase talking to one of the caterers. She needed to keep it together until after the Thanksgiving meal, and she knew she would break if Chuck confronted her about it.

"Yes, Miss Blair?"

"I need your help with wardrobe change," Upon reaching Dorota, Blair turned to face Chuck. "Just wait for me at the living room. I'll be down soon." She didn't wait for his response; she dashed upstairs as lady-like as she could, Dorota huffing behind her.

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"Miss Blair, maybe, you pick up phone, and call your Papa," Dorota cryptically advised, zipping the back of her ward's dress as Blair stretched her curls. "Maybe he tell you the real story."

Blair suddenly became intrigued. "Real story?" She turned around to face Dorota.

"With pearls," the maid cleverly eluded as she walked to find a pearl necklace to compliment Blair's new dress.

Normally, Blair would've demanded Dorota to spill and even add some threats, but this time, Blair remained silent in thought. She didn't even comment when Dorota, unbeknownst to the maid, presented the same set of pearls Blair wore on the night she lost her virginity to Chuck. Dorota held up the necklace at Blair's front for a moment, realizing it had been worn some time ago, before heading back and extracting another pearl necklace and nodded her satisfaction.

Dorota fixed the necklace on Blair, who then told her to go back down to help with the preparations. Dorota seemed hesitant to leave Blair alone, but the brunette widened her eyes to emphasize her order, and Dorota reluctantly left the room.

Meanwhile, Chuck had been lounging right outside Blair's bedroom, leaning against the wall beside her door, instead of waiting at the sofa as he was instructed. As soon as Dorota exited Blair's room, Chuck came in. He expected a dismissing retort or a pillow thrown his way for entering uninvited, but he saw Blair sitting in front of her vanity, blankly staring at her phone on top of the polished mahogany surface.

"Blair?" Chuck softly called her as he stopped right behind her. Blair didn't even turn around to regard his presence nor did she look up to his reflection in the mirror. Chuck waited for a reply, and Blair spoke after a few seconds of silence, as if she took time to contemplate on what she would tell him.

"Dorota told me I should call Daddy, get the real story."

"You should call him. You two should talk. It's Thanksgiving. It's both your holiday." Chuck walked nearer and leaned on Blair's vanity table. "If he can't make it this year, you'll have to settle for a phone conversation."

"I'm scared." Blair admitted meekly as she looked to him, vulnerability swirling in her brown orbs. She was scared that she would realize that her father no longer cared, that he didn't really think spending Thanksgiving with her wasn't all that important because he'd rather be with his lover.

"Don't be." Chuck picked up her cell phone and put it in her hand. Because knowing the truth, no matter how painful, was better than dealing with the regret that came with what ifs that would haunt for as long as it could.

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On Chuck's side, Blair sat stoic next to her mother. Everyone was making small talk. Even Chuck was engaged in polite conversation with the elderly man sitting on his other side. Though Chuck was invested in the discussion with the other man who was interested in the topic of Bart Bass and his successes, Chuck still noticed Blair's silence, and underneath the table, he reached out to hold her hand on her lap, a gesture offering comfort. But Blair neither spoke nor ate; she just sat despondently, deep in unspoken thoughts.

"Blair," Eleanor turned to her daughter after talking with Lauren, "You haven't touched your food." There was a trace of nervousness in her low voice.

Blair did not acknowledge having heard her mother. Chuck squeezed her hand before letting go, knowing that she needed the privacy with Eleanor. This was between mother and daughter, and he knew Blair had to do this alone.

"Come on, Darling. What has gotten into you?"

Blair took a deep breath and smiled irately. "Well, I was going to wait till after dinner, but I guess now is as good a time as any." Blair faced Eleanor who looked expectantly for an explanation from her daughter.

"Did you call Daddy and say that I didn't want to see him this Thanksgiving?"

"Of course not!" Eleanor quickly denied, and Blair couldn't believe her mother had the audacity to stick to her lie. "What a ridiculous accusation."

But Blair was going to call her mother out, right in front of the guests. Blair was never one to cause a scene, not in front of people considered older than her peers, but she was so mad, she couldn't control her anger which was manifesting in her voice getting just a tad bit louder over the hushed voices engaged in independent chatter. "So you didn't tell him that I was so angry at him for leaving that I didn't even want to talk to him today?"

Eleanor just sighed. Typical avoidance; she would neither deny nor confirm nor even apologize.

"You had no right to uninvite him."

"When are you going to get it through your head? He left us."

"He didn't leave us," Her mother had hurt her for purely selfish reasons, so Blair would retaliate, as anyone who had been wronged usually did. "He left you."

"That's enough," Eleanor interceded, and Blair felt remorse at the hurt in her mother's face, even though it had been Blair's intention when she threw that scathing remark. "That's enough."

Eleanor shifted in her seat to angle towards Blair, knowing that if she didn't quell this talk immediately, they were bound to erupt in a screaming match in a few seconds. "If you want to take this up with me, we can discuss it later, after our guests have left." Eleanor's tone was firm and dismissive. "Right now either you eat or you leave this table."

"I told you, I'm not hungry." Blair hissed through her teeth as she threw her napkin on the table before impudently pushing back her chair to stand, her rebellious choice in her mother's ultimatum clear.

"Or maybe dessert will change your mind," Eleanor's faux cheerfulness and raise in voice to cover up anything amiss as just in time, the waiters arrived to serve dessert.

"Where is Daddy's pie?" Blair questioned as she saw the dessert cart.

"Hmm?"

"I don't see his pumpkin pie." Blair looked around the table to see if the pie had already been served and was lying around.

"Well, there were so many delicious choices coming from the caterer, we just sent that one to the doorman." Blair looked disbelievingly hurt at her mother who managed to smile through the charade. "What is Thanksgiving after all, hmmm?"

Blair managed a weak smile even though she wanted to cry. The guests were now looking in her direction.

"Now choose one of those amazing desserts." She had no choice in the matter; her mother's demand was clear. Blair picked up a pie, briefly smiled forcefully, and with her mother's consenting nod, she stomped off to the kitchen.

Everyone's attention got caught in the arrival of dessert; it seemed they had gotten over the early exit of Eleanor's daughter. Chuck waited a few moments to inconspicuously take his leave of the table, politely asking permission from Eleanor to be excused, before he stood and looked for Blair.

When he did find her alone in the kitchen, the sight of Blair, crying while she stuffed apple pie in her mouth, invoked trepidation that scared and alarmed him.

"Blair! Stop!" He knew this as the precedent to... that situation.

Blair seemed too far gone, as she sniffed and brought another chunk to her stuffed mouth. Chuck rushed to her and gripped her wrist, stopping her from consuming another forkful of pie.

Blair fought his grasp, trying to take another bite even with her mouth full, but she couldn't overpower Chuck, who grabbed the fork from her hand. He threw the utensil on the floor and pushed the whole pie off the kitchen counter, the dessert dish ending in a mashed heap on the tiled floor along with the fork.

Blair weakly hit him with her tiny fists, emotionally exhausted. Her cheeks were still bloated as she hadn't swallowed the pie she had stuffed in her mouth. Chuck grabbed her upper arms to hold her still and when she stopped struggling as she sobbed, Chuck grabbed her chin and tilted her head so he could look into her eyes.

"Either you spit it out or you swallow it. And when you swallow it, it will not be forcibly coming back up." Chuck sternly spoke, even though he was scared witless because he didn't know what to do in this situation.

Blair's breath continued to hitch as she chewed slowly under Chuck's surveillance. He got a jug of cold water from the refrigerator and then filled a glass which he handed her. It took three gulps of water to get the apple pie down.

"Good girl," Chuck sighed in relief when Blair finished. He took the empty glass from her and set it aside before taking her hand. "Now, let's go to your room."

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"I didn't mean for it to happen."

Blair was now lying on her bed, tucked by Chuck's side as he ran his hand through her curls, massaging her scalp every now and then, a gentle motion that soothed Blair. Her head used his arm as pillow, and she had an arm on his chest while their legs were in top of one another in alternation.

"My mother just decides everything, you know?" Blair's nasal voice hitched. "Everything in the world is just totally up to her."

"The burden of having controlling parents," Chuck commented as he leaned his cheek on Blair's forehead. He could smell her shampoo. "I would know."

Blair let out a soundless chuckle.

Silence came over them, the only movement being Chuck's hand brushing her curls and his thumb stroking her elbow.

"You should talk to your mother. Get her side of the story. Maybe she has a reasonable explanation."

"I'm so angry at her. I just want to shout at her."

"Confront your mother when you're level-headed. Let's just stay here. You don't want to go back to the party?" Chuck's question was more of a statement that he needed confirmation for, to which Blair shook her head to show her reluctance at going downstairs to join the festivity of the holiday. "Okay." Chuck didn't want to move anyway.

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"The guests have already left," Chuck informed Blair as he walked back to her bedroom after checking what was happening downstairs.

Blair whined. "I don't want to talk to my mother!" She buried herself underneath her bedcovers.

"You have to." Chuck pulled off the covers.

"I don't want to!" Blair knew she sounded like childish and spoiled, but she didn't really want to confront her mother. "I'm never speaking to her again!"

"She's your mother. It'll be hard not to since you're still financially dependent on her and you're living under her roof."

Blair frowned at Chuck's persistence, then covered her face with a pillow, as if blocking out Chuck's urging.

"Come on, princess," Chuck removed the pillow from her face, resisting the desire to kiss away the pout on her lips. Blair grabbed the pillow from him and hugged it to her chest.

"I don't want to and you can't make me."

Chuck sighed as he sat down by the side of her bed. "You're scared of what your mother might say. But not everything is as it seems. Harold's side of the story didn't turn out to be what you thought, maybe Eleanor's won't be what you fear it would be."

Blair's frown disappeared as Chuck voiced out her apprehension. Blair was afraid of confirming that her mother prevented her from seeing her father just because she didn't want to. Blair didn't want to be caught in a tug-of-war between her parents, didn't want to have to choose between both of them.

A knock on the door before it opened. "Miss Blair, Mister Chuck," Dorota called as she opened the door and stuck her head in. "Caterer ready to leave. Miss Eleanor in kitchen."

"We'll be right down, Dorota. Thank you."

The maid closed the door as she left.

Earlier in their exile in Blair's room, Dorota came with a tray of food for both of them. Chuck had gotten Blair to eat a healthy portion and not have her expel it. When Dorota returned to take up the tray, Chuck asked her to inform him when the guests and caterers had already left.

"Show me out, would you, Waldorf?" Chuck held out a hand for Blair. She sighed exasperatedly, but took it, letting him haul her out of bed.

"But you already know the way. I think you can show yourself out." Blair commented blandly, a low-energy attempt at banter.

"Indulge me," Chuck retorted with a smirk as he led Blair out of her room and down the stairs. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, Chuck turned to her and kissed her lips.

"A kiss for courage," Chuck winked as he smirked, then turned her around and lightly pushed on her back. He was encouraging her towards the kitchen. Blair started walking, but looked back at Chuck who was watching over her as she trudged to the kitchen where her mother was, blocking her escape route should she suddenly decide to bolt upstairs and lock up in her room. When Blair's back disappeared in his sight, he then walked to the elevator, satisfied with his accomplishment.

Sure enough, Eleanor was there, and Blair took a deep breath to fill her chest with some sort of resolve, and remembered Chuck's kiss. Courage, Blair.

"Mom. Here you are."

Eleanor looked to the direction of her daughter's voice. "And here you are. You had me worried sick."

The guests had left some time ago, and the waiters were finished with the clean-up and were just leaving. They were the only two in the kitchen.

"Blair, uh..." Blair was surprised that Eleanor stuttered, uncertain on how to proceed. They always did have trouble admitting their own faults. "I know I-I… shouldn't have lied to you about your father."

"That never stopped you before." Blair looked away, clearly indicating that her mother was not off the hook yet with her half apology.

"True." Eleanor imperceptibly nodded. "But... The real truth," She walked a few steps to retrieve something nearby, a wide white envelope that Blair hadn't noticed lying around before. "Divorce... papers... from your father, and I'm supposed to sign them." Eleanor paused to look down before raising her gaze back to her daughter. "I haven't yet."

"Mom," Blair could see her mother's struggle to reign her emotions. "He's living in Europe... with a man." Mother and daughter both chuckled softly, able to find the humor in it. "You can't be all that surprised that he wants a divorce."

"I'm not, but what I—" Eleanor choked slightly, feeling the emotions bubbling just at her throat, "What I am surprised about is how it makes me feel." Her detached tone became lachrymal. "He was my husband, after all. He's my Harold..." Eleanor looked down at the package of divorce papers, and for the first time, Blair saw her mother vulnerable as her lips quivered and her voice on the edge of crying. "For almost twenty years."

Blair's heart flew to her mother as Eleanor avoided looking at her daughter because Blair had never seen her mother cry, and here she was, about to. "I couldn't face him..." Eleanor shook her head, "during the holidays, it was always our happiest time."

"Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"And let you choose between the two of us?" Eleanor scoffed. "I wonder who would've won that battle." She turned around to avoid exposing the hurt in her expression. "Yeah, I would have been entirely alone."

Eleanor waved her hand, as if dismissing away some thought. "Although I was, anyway."

At that moment, Blair completely forgave her mother as she unexpectedly wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. Eleanor returned her embrace, and Blair felt her mother relax and sigh in relief at the proffered comfort from her daughter.

Eleanor didn't know it, but she had just taught Blair a lesson. Blair saw how much pain it was holding on to a lost cause, and Blair saw herself in her mother at that moment. How long had she held on to Nate in futile, when it was evident that he was in love with someone else? Blair didn't want to waste her life and love for a doomed relationship that only promised unhappiness and disappointment. And that moment, she knew there was no possibility of her and Nate getting back together. And surprisingly, Blair was at peace with that epiphany.

They pulled away, and Eleanor tried to discreetly wipe away a tear. And Blair smiled because her mother was sharing a side of her that Blair was never privy to. "It's still Thanksgiving."

Eleanor perked up as she also managed a smile despite her teary eyes. "Yeah."

"What do you wanna do?"

The rest of the day, Blair and her mother shared leftover chocolate wafer sandwiches with tea. They talked about anything under the sun, just enjoying casual conversation in the kitchen. Mother and daughter had never connected like that before, and Blair was grateful for this holiday, even if it hadn't gone as she had wanted it to. That night, before going to bed, Blair texted Chuck.

Thanks for talking me into talking to my mother. It went well.

Her cell phone rang to alert her with a caller. Blair saw Chuck's name flashing on her screen and with a smile, she answered his call.

"Hey," Blair greeted shyly, smiling through the receiver.

'Hey to you too, Waldorf.' Chuck drawled.

Blair chuckled as she lay on her stomach on her bed, tracing the threaded pattern on the comforter.

"Thanks for being here with me today, Bass. And thank you for being what I needed today. I would've done something stupid if it weren't for your intervention."

'For you, Waldorf? Anytime. How many times do I have to say it?'

Blair rolled her eyes as she chuckled once more. "I guess if you're willing to be my faux boyfriend, there's some merit in your word."

'You're the only exception. I'll never consider being anyone's boyfriend, fake or not. So enjoy its perks.'

"Well you make a great fake boyfriend, and I have to say, you've supported me through bad times better than my actual boyfriend. No wonder there why he's my ex now."

'I'm honored.' Chuck replied with a chuckle, feeling that incessant fluttering in his stomach.

"Oh, and, Bass?"

'Yes?'

"You make a great human pillow. Who would've thought you'd be so cuddly?"

Chuck laughed out loud over the phone.

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Next on Chapter II: Commence Revenge Relationship

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A/n: OMFG… almost 10K words! In just one chappie! It's a record for me! Good Lord! Hope you all like it. I've had an update drought for months.

I know I shouldn't start a new one, but I have this fic much more envisioned. And it's actually shorter, only spanning 9 chaps (which can be shortened), but with more chapter meat. Plus, this shall be quite the challenge, because this will feature detailed smut on my part. o0f. X_x Good luck to me. _ How was my first detailed smut attempt? It's my first. LoLXD

Plus, I only added the featured GG scenes here that have to be altered to fit the Chair element (except for the bday smut, I needed to establish a Chair connection). Hence, the reason why there's no limo smut. I only incorporated the scenes that needed change due to Chair being together, with a few additional events, what I'd like to call the "behind the scenes" stuff.

Also, forgive Nate. I know I've portrayed him as an asshole, but it's only from the start, I swear. He just let pride walk all over him. He won't always be like this. I needed something to cause a rift between him and Chuck, and what better than pride?

Coz I don't buy Nate's goody two shoes attitude. He apologizes to Dan after Brooklyn Boredom was getting chummy with his girl? Nuh-uh. No way IRL would that have happened. I think DAN should've been punched by Nate and blondie shouldn't have forgiven easily. That way there's some tension and drama among them next season. But drat, S04's a real bummer, and proving to be a sore disappointment.

REVIEWS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED. =^_^=