A/N: I beg a thousand pardons for being so slow to update. Sometimes life just gets in the way. I hope all is well in reader-land! Here's some C and B to *fingers crossed* brighten your corner of the world.

"You can't stay holed-up in here for another minute! Look what happened to Elizabeth Taylor, she took one step out of the lime-light and everything went straight down hill," Blair told the pillow covering her best friend Serena's blonde head.

"Bee, go without me. I don't feel like combating the gossip hounds. Seriously, I will be fine," the pillow answered.

Blair was standing in her best friend's bedroom dressed to go out. Honestly, she had impure motives for getting Serena away from the bed and into a car. The idea of attending the Bass Industries charity gala without Serena held very little appeal. Left to her own defenses, Blair usually made a mess of things, and in true Waldorf fashion, her messes tended to be extravagant.

"But what about your new Galliano?," Blair prompted, knowing that if anything would persuade Serena, a fabulous dress would.

Serena sat up and looked forlornly towards her closet for a moment before shaking her head. It just wasn't worth it. She hugged her pillow to her chest and studied Blair.

The petite girl stood well over her normal 5'5" in chocolate brown heels that contrasted beautifully with her white dress. Blair's hair was tied back in a loose knot. Serena thought that her friend looked stunning but she, Blair, seemed so unsure. Serena knew that Blair felt uneasy about spending time with Chuck. The former flames had hatched their latest deal on a slippery slope. If things went wrong this time, Serena wasn't sure that the couple could survive it, but something had changed in Chuck that made Serena think that they stood a chance.

"You'll be fine too you know," she told Blair, getting up to give her friend a hug. Not many people ever saw the vulnerable side of Blair Waldorf but Serena knew how easily Blair got her heart broken. "Everything will turn out all right," she promised, and she didn't just mean tonight.

Chuck needed a stiff drink. The ballroom teamed with important executives. A few of them offered him shaky smiles of reassurance, but most of them looked at him skeptically, wondering if he would fail. This evening was a test. Investors and employees alike waited to see if he would embarrass himself, wondering if boozing, womanizing Chuck Bass had finally changed.

The jazz orchestra onstage picked up their instruments and began to play. Couples took to the dance floor, pairing off all around him.

His custom-made suit felt too tight. His eyes searched frantically for a familiar face. He recognized the older gentleman from Blair's dance class at the Plaza walking towards him.

"Nervous son?" he inquired of Chuck, coming closer and holding a sifter or brandy that Chuck wanted to dive into.

Chuck looked into the man's kind face, a face that held trust and optimism. He wondered bitterly if his father's face had ever looked at him with such happy faith. What would Bart Bass say if he were here now?

"Maybe a little," he admitted, craning his neck and continuing to look for Blair. He refused to believe that she would abandon him, not after everything they had gone through these past few week, not now.

"Looking for someone" the man smiled, "Your pretty dance partner?" he prompted. "Don't tell me you've lost her." He looked genuinely concerned.

Chuck stomach sunk. Had he lost Blair? He looked at his perfectly polished shoes. Lord knew he deserved to.

He raised his eyes to the entrance hall and broke into his signature smirk. Chuck Bass had at least one thing going for him that night, a date who looked like an angel.

"Actually," Chuck raised a casual hand towards the door, "I've just found her. If you'll excuse me?"

The old man's face brightened into a grin. "Of course, you mustn't leave the lady waiting," he cheered towards Chucks retreating form.

Blair looked around the crowded dance floor, searching uncertainly for Chuck, but there he was, her dark knight. God, he was gorgeous.

She breathed out loudly, "You look so se-... um, you look great," she faltered briefly.

He smirked evilly at her.

"Sorry, I'm late," she told him. "It took me forever to get here."

He swept her into his embrace, leading her into a dance. He looked down at her. Nobody made him as happy as Blair.

"I know exactly what you mean," he whispered drawing her close.

The evening flew by in a swirl of silk and champagne.

Chuck wanted to stay on the dance floor with Blair in his arms but she convinced him that he needed to mingle. He hated hobnobbing, but proving to these people that he had changed felt heady. He watched investors eyes widen when he refused their offers of aged brandy, saw society wives blush at his finely played compliments, and reveled as he impressed the room at large with his knowledge of the market and plans for the future.

Blair played the room like a professional, laughing at jokes that were not funny and gushing over pictures of babies that were not cute. Every so often, Chuck look over at her and she would roll her eyes and smile at him encouragingly.

As the gala came to a close, Bart's former Vice President took the stage and brought the room to attention. The older man had a stern look about him. He had never approved of the boss' boozing, womanizing son, but even he had to admit that a change had taken place in Charles Bass.

"Thank you all for coming tonight. As you know, this has been a very difficult time for Bass Industries. Bart Bass' passing was a tremendous blow to this corporation. I believe that the company will never be the same," he paused to wipe his brow with a silk handkerchief.

Chuck swallowed dryly in his seat.

"For a while, I thought that we would never make it. But now we have the chance to embrace innovation, to look this dangerous market in the eye and stare it down. There is a young man here this evening who I believe can help us do that. A young man that seems to me," he gave Chuck a tight smile, "to be irreversibly altered. Ladies and Gentlemen, the heir to Bass Industries and, assuming I am not mistaken, our up and coming C.E.O, Charles Bartholomew Bass."

The room broke into applause. Chuck smiled uneasily as hands reached out to shake his and arms descended on his back. He looked across the room at Blair. She gave him a look to say, "Who knew?" and then broke into a grin that left Chuck momentarily breathless. She motioned to the stage, reminding him that his name had just been called.

Chuck rose awkwardly and approached the podium. He shook the VP's hand and cleared his throat before stepping up to the microphone.

"Uh, I'm very glad to be able to join you all this evening," he said nervously. "If my father were here he'd tell me I look like an idiot with this ascot on," Chuck laughed and fingered his purple tie.

The crowd tittered briefly and then fell so silent that Chuck could once more hear his breath reverberate through the speakers.

"But um, there are lot of other things about me this evening, that I think…I hope my father would be proud of. You see, I spent my whole life up until this point trying to get my father's attention, and well, that didn't go over very well," he smiled sadly.

"I didn't figure out until it was too late, that what my father really wanted was for me to take responsibility for my actions, to realize what was really important. I wish that I had learned these lessons before my father died, not after he was gone, but I think the best thing I can do now, is try to live up to his legacy. And that way, I can finally give him what he always wanted, a son he could be proud of. Thank you," Chuck stepped slowly away from the microphone, and when he looked out into the audience at Blair for what seemed like the thousandth time that night, he saw that there were tears in her eyes.

The room remained eerily silent for a moment before the room broke out in thunderous applause. People got up out of their seats to look at Chuck Bass, but he only had eyes for Blair.

"I think it worked," Blair smiled, walking into her apartment behind Chuck. She slid off her pumps and massaged the souls of her stockinged feet. They had danced, and ate, and charmed Bart's associates, and danced some more.

"I'm glad," Chuck said softly, watching her.

"Except that chatty Bennett guy spilt wine on my dress," she pouted, looking at the developing stain.

"You distracted him, no doubt," he agreed, coming close to examine the damage.

"Dorota will be gone until morning," she pouted.

Chuck shrugged, "I could soak it for you if you'd like."

Blair raised her eyes skeptically, "Since when does Chuck Bass know about household remedies?"

"I used to sleep with the home-ec teacher," he chuckled fondly.

"Ugh," Blair scoffed, whacking him on the arm and walking into the kitchen.

He followed her. Moonlight spilt in through the large bay window, casting shadows on her skin.

Chuck turned on the faucet and waited for the water to warm. He stared at her expectantly.

"What?" she demanded after a few intense moments.

"Well, I can't treat your dress if you're still wearing it, Waldorf."

"Oh," Blair said uncertainly, "Okay," and she moved her fingers to her hem hesitantly.

She averted her gaze, staring at the floor as she handed her dress to Chuck. He wanted to be a gentleman, to look away and respect her privacy, but some things never change.

Chuck watched as her silk slip came into view, lilac and lace trimmed. He studied the curve of her breast, the lines of her legs in her stilettos. Her hair had come loose from her coiffure and hung prettily around her face.

This was torture. She was killing him. Again.

Blair handed him the dress. He didn't know what to say so he said, "Thanks."

"Do you want to know my favorite thing about you?" he said, stopping a few feet from her.

She let out a little nervous laugh. "I'm so afraid that you're about to say something completely awful."

"You're an adventure. I never know if you're going to kiss me or kill me. I live in this constant state of blissful agony, wondering what you'll do next. I think that's why…It's one of the reasons why…I love you".

Blair stared at him for a moment, barely breathing. She shook her head left and right very slightly as if to clear it, then walked closer. She walked until she was standing right in front of him and Chuck wondered if she might slap him.

Slowly, she brought her hands up to rest on either side of his face. She looked into his eyes and they each felt all of the violence and passion of their relationship between them. The weight of what he had said seemed to hang in the silence, and then she closed her eyes and kissed him.

For a moment he just stood there in shock. He had just said 'I love you' for the first time in his life and now the object of his affection was kissing him in a way so sweet he had never known that it even existed. Chuck's hands slid into her hair, drawing her closer.

At his movement, Blair's heartbeat picked up and she intensified the kiss, lifting up on to her toes as she tried to bring herself closer to him.

His hands trailed down to her waist until one pressed against her lower back and she whimpered, wanting, needing more.

"Blair, wait," he said, pulling back, but she wouldn't let him, wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Please," she said, placing feather-light kisses along his jaw-bone and breathing hotly against his ear.

Chuck didn't understand what was happening. Everything was happening so suddenly, but then she was stepping back and out of her slip.

He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nostrils. She showed no mercy.

"What about the bet," he asked, eyes still closed, "its only been three weeks."

Blair closed the distance between them running her hand down his abdomen and towards his…

Chuck grabbed her wrists and tried to get her to look at him. When she finally did her gaze was unsteady and unsure, but her words rang softly, "I don't care."

He wondered why she looked sad, why she was shaking slightly, why…but then she was unzipping his pants and Chuck forgot what words were.

Blair Waldorf might very well bring about his destruction, right here on her kitchen counter, but what a way to go.