So this little plot bunny has been bouncing around in my head for a while now and it has finally managed to make it onto the screen. This fanfic begins from the point when Blair leaves Chuck on the dance floor in Hi, Society. Anything after that point is subject to change. Not sure how far I'm going to go with this though, it will probably depend on the response it receives. I hope you enjoy.

xoxo ~ kate

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GOSSIP GIRL

Rated: T mostly for language.

Gossip Girl: posts in bold - narration in italics.

Chapter 1
Who Really Belongs With Whom?

"Don't talk to me." Blair cried as she fled the ballroom. At this point she didn't care that Chuck was calling her name. How dare he do this to her! Chuck could manipulate the lives of other people as much as he wanted to, in fact she would usually participate in his schemes whole heartedly; but that he thought he could control her, infuriated Blair to no end. That she had actually considered letting people find out about them was laughable to her now. Some part of her, the wild one of course, thought that maybe, just maybe, Chuck was different with her. She knew that he had feelings for her, he had admitted it on her 17th Birthday and the past month with him had been great. She felt like she could be herself around Chuck, no judgment, no pain. But as much as she would like to keep that, he had a lesson to learn.

Blair was so lost in thought that she ran straight into Nate and the perfect plan began forming in her head to remind Chuck exactly who he was dealing with. She knew Chuck would be following her and she needed a little bit of time to set things up so that he would catch them at just the right point.

"Hey there." Nate said as he caught Blair by her shoulders to keep her from falling backwards as she ran into him. God she looked beautiful. He thought as he flashed his patented Archibald smile, guaranteed to make any girl weak in the knees but formulated especially for Blair.

Blair gave Nate a seductive smile in return. "Hey yourself, Archibald." She said laying a palm on his chest. She placed one of her hands on the crook of his arm, which was still lying on her shoulder and gently tugged it downwards. She lightly took his hand and started leading him towards the grand staircase. She had suspected that Nate was trying to win her back the moment that he showed up at her house wearing the sweater she had sewn the pin into. However, the fact that Chuck had gone to such lengths to keep her away from Nate proved her suspicions to be correct because if anyone ever knew what Nate was thinking, it was Chuck. In fact she was a little surprised that Chuck had had to go to such great lengths to get his way this time; it was a fairly well known that Chuck had influence over Nate. But she knew it was even more than that; Chuck practically controlled Nate, he always had. That he had wanted Nate to do something and he hadn't spoke volumes to Blair about the strength of Nate's feelings for her. Those were the very feelings that she now intended to use against Chuck. "I thought you left." She said softly, still leading him by his hand. This was going to be almost too easy. Of course she loved Nate and now it seemed he felt the same. In teaching Chuck a lesson, she might just get her perfect life back.

Nate couldn't believe that this was happening. Over the past few days he had begun to really believe that Blair had moved on for good. She was glowing constantly and more relaxed than he had ever seen her. In short, she was the girl that he remembered originally getting together with and not the stiff Ice Queen that her mother had shaped her into. Something or more likely someone had to have been the cause of that. However, he couldn't blame her for moving on, he hadn't exactly treated her well near the end; but this felt like a complete 180 from moved on. So he answered her question in a way that he thought would cause this behavior to continue. "No, I was simply waiting on my date." He said with a knowing look. "I couldn't very well abandon the most beautiful girl in the room when so many guys would die to get a chance with her."

Blair smiled sweetly and blushed at his compliment. Nate of course had no clue how close to the truth he actually was. As they reached the top of the stairs, Blair spotted the door that she was looking for and led Nate toward it. She glanced back towards the ballroom only to spot Chuck nearing the staircase. As soon as she noticed this she pulled Nate to her, placing the hand she had been holding on her own waist and leaning in to kiss him. The memory of every kiss that they had ever shared rushed back with just the one and Blair felt at home. The kiss felt safe, familiar, and easy; but the heat that existed when she kissed Chuck wasn't there. She pushed that thought from her mind as soon as it entered. She was doing what was necessary to make her life normal again. These past few months, she had strayed so far from the plan that she and her father had created when she was just a little girl: Step 1: Date Nate Archibald, Step 2: Graduate Valedictorian, Step 3: Go to Yale, Step 4: Marry Nate, Step 5: Go to Law School, Step 6: Become a Partner in a Successful Firm Before Turning Thirty. The thought that Chuck had made her lose sight of all of that made her absolutely nauseous. That boy was poison whereas Nate was an integral part of her life plan.

Nate couldn't help but think that Blair's kisses seemed somewhat different. Definitely hotter, that was for sure, almost as though she was a woman now instead of just a girl. Whatever the change was, it had to be part of this new Blair and he liked it. He reached over to the right door and opened it as Blair pushed him against the left. He let her take over and left his hands on her waist and back.

She pushed Nate against the door and kissed him roughly. She pulled back slightly and spoke loudly enough that anyone nearby would hear; hopefully by now that included Chuck. "It was so hot how you punched Carter out. I've never seen you do anything like that before." She said before kissing him once more, all the while hoping that that statement didn't sound as fake aloud as it had in her head.

Nate started backing through the doorway. This was it, Blair wanted him as much as he wanted her and finally they were going to make love. He was going to make her first time perfect since he had screwed up all of her previous attempts at it being special. He spotted Chuck over Blair's shoulder on the staircase and as Blair's kisses moved to his neck he gave his best friend a wink. Really he owed this to Chuck, if Chuck hadn't tipped him off about Carter, he and Blair wouldn't be here right now doing what they were doing.

Blair felt Nate shift and knew that he had seen someone. She continued kissing him, moving her kisses to his neck, determined not to look and check that it was indeed Chuck because she didn't know that she would be able to go through with this if she actually saw him, even though he deserved it for the way he'd treated her tonight. She could sense Nate wink at the guy, which was confirmation enough for her that it was definitely Chuck and as he backed into the bedroom, she followed, pulling the door closed behind them.

Chuck had practically been gloating. Perhaps if he hadn't been, Blair never would have realized what his role had been in the disaster of the evening. But she had of course figured it out, being that she knew him better than just about anyone he could think of. It had been stupid to try to kiss her just then. He should have known better but he thought perhaps he could remind her how much passion they had together. "Blair, wait I didn't mean to . . ." He called, grabbing her arm. She had to stay, had to let him explain that he had only done it because he didn't want to lose her to Nate. He couldn't.

"Don't talk to me." She yelled as she walked away from him. He wanted to stop her but he didn't know how to make her stay.

"Blair." He called across the ballroom, knowing that everyone could hear him, including Blair, but she didn't even flinch. She just kept on walking. He had to follow her, make her understand why he had done what he did. He had taken only two steps forward when he felt a hand trail along his shoulder. Damn it, he didn't have time for this right now.

Madison smiled sweetly as she turned to Chuck, "As far as date's go you are awfully hard to keep track of. Whatever is the matter Chuck?" She swept her long blonde hair over her shoulder and fluttered her lashes. Madison had always been amazed at how innocent she looked, with her baby blue eyes and soft features; something she continually used to her advantage. It kept her out of trouble even when she was the cause of the drama because no one could ever believe that Madison Albright would do something to cause trouble. Sometimes she so longed to have who she was be portrayed through how she looked and one time she had actually done it; changed the exterior to match what lay beneath the surface. Still very few people knew the real her. Chuck however was one of them.

"Cut the innocent bullshit with me Madison, you know I don't buy it for a second." Chuck said, narrowing his eyes at the girl now standing between him and the door. She looked so different from the girl that he had met, what seemed like years ago; back then her appearance had matched the devilish girl within, as opposed to the baby doll exterior that seemed to be her natural shell. The circumstances of their meeting were odd to say the least but since she was now living in the city and attending Spence, they had formed a pseudo friendship. The girl was a lot like him. That didn't matter though because she was nothing compared to Blair. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go." Madison was his date but she had known from the start that he wanted to be here with Blair not her.

She sidestepped him as he tried to walk around her. "Why don't you just give up on the Waldorf girl already Chuck? You're not even in her league, or maybe she's not in yours." Madison said with a shrug. Unfortunately, she was well aware of Chuck's obsession with Blair Waldorf. It was the one thing standing between them now that hadn't been there before; or at least she hadn't known about it before.

Chuck glared at Madison full force. "Blair is none of your business, Maddie." He said emphasizing the abbreviated version of her name, knowing that it was going to infuriate her. "Now get out of my way. I have to get to Blair before she finds . . ." Chuck trailed off.

Madison felt her eyes narrow into slits; Chuck knew her plenty well enough to know that she didn't tolerate abbreviations on her name when she looked like this, not even by him. It didn't match the perfectly coiffed, traditional, conservative persona that she presented to the world. Using it meant that he was just trying to get to her. "Nate?" She finished with spite. "Blair and Nate belong together, Chuck; just like we do. Like two connecting puzzle pieces or a matching pair of shoes. The Waldorf girl is a whole different rank, she has something that neither of us will ever possess . . . class and she will never be with someone like you, not in public at least." She refused to call Blair by her first name in front of Chuck. As the Native Americans used to say, there is power in a name. By refusing to refer to her as Blair, she was also refusing to give Blair any sort of power. She was Madison Albright and no one had power over her, with the one possible exception to the rule standing right in front of her.

Chuck shook his head, and got close to pushing the girl out of the way. "You don't know anything about me or Blair and while we may have had a certain connection I assure you, it was nothing compared to what I share with Blair. Don't you get it Madison? Blair's it for me."

She couldn't stop the blush of embarrassment from rising to her face. Blair was it for Chuck, but Chuck was it for her. Why couldn't he see that? As Chuck tried to move around her she reached out and grabbed his arm. "We don't need another scene tonight. Chuck, don't forget whose date you are."

Chuck's eyes flashed and he got right in her face. "Don't forget, I. Don't. Care." With that he jerked away from a stunned Madison. He had to get out of here. He had to find Blair before she found who she was looking for because if she did, he had lost her for good.

As Chuck rushed out of the room, Madison rolled her eyes. She didn't play well with others, she never had. So having serious competition for the only guy she had ever been truly interested in was driving her crazy. So she did something completely out of character and chased after him.

"Have you seen Blair Waldorf?" Chuck asked Dimitra Hamilton as he passed her on the staircase. Luckily, Dimitra was able to point him in the right direction; unluckily, he was too late. Nate's hands were all over Blair as she rammed her tongue down his throat. He could hear her speaking to him, could hear her tell him how hot it was that he had punched Carter. Chuck knew that was complete bullshit. There was nothing Blair hated more than a scene, she was just saying what she knew would stroke Nate's ego; as if his best friend's ego needed stroking.

Madison walked slowly up the stairs to come to stand behind Chuck. She had already seen why he had stopped moving. Blair and Nate were getting hot and heavy at the top of the staircase. She tried not to smile simply because she didn't want to anger Chuck at the moment and she came to a stop a step behind him.

He felt his stomach knot tightly as Nate saw him. Nate's wink felt made Chuck feel like he had been shot in the gut. The knot that had been there before was so painful that he felt as though he would have to bend over at the waist. As he watched Nate pull Blair inside, Chuck realized that the tightness wasn't in his gut at all, it was in his heart; something he wasn't even aware that he possessed. Yet it seemed that as soon as he was aware that he had one, it snapped in two because Blair had just pulled the door shut to the hotel room.

Later, Madison would swear that she had heard Chuck's heart break. It seemed to have occurred so strongly that it was audible, startling her to react in a way that she didn't expect. She placed a hand lightly on Chuck's arm and moved to stand beside him. "It's better this way Chuck. This is the way that things are meant to be." When Chuck looked at her at that moment, she had to force herself not to flinch. His eyes looked dead and he looked broken.

Chuck felt like he had lost everything in that one moment. Why did he have to try to play Blair? Why couldn't he just leave things alone? If he had maybe she wouldn't have run back to Nate. He had done this himself and right now he wanted to be as far away from New York City as possible. He wasn't going to stay around the city for the last week of school and watch while Nate and Blair got back together. Without a word to Madison, Chuck walked down the stairs. He caught a look of himself in a mirror and felt as though for a minute he looked like his father, worn, tired, and permanently destroyed over the loss of the one woman he could ever love. He simply shrugged his shoulders, thinking like father like son, and headed out to the curb where his driver was waiting.

Madison wanted to follow him again, but she couldn't make herself. She didn't degrade herself for any guy; but she didn't fall for them either. They were pawns to her, to be used and thrown away. Chuck was different. He was like her in almost every aspect, the new money, the mother who died in childbirth, the father who didn't care, and the overall attitude about people. When her father told her that they were moving to New York she had been ecstatic, New York was the home of Chuck Bass. But when she arrived and texted him, she was soon to find out that things were very different from how they had been before. Chuck, the guy without a heart, had gone and fallen in love, whether he wanted to admit it or not. And now that left Madison all alone.

So no she didn't chase after him this time. She would give him a little bit of space, but when the time came, she was going to get him back. No matter what she had to do. So she picked up her phone and hit speed dial number four, this was a job for her PI. "Hey, I need you to find out everything you can on Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf. Oh what the hell go ahead and throw in Nate Archibald as well."

As the door shut Blair continued kissing Nate, she felt a knot taking up residence in her stomach. This wasn't right. This didn't feel right. But she pushed her thoughts aside and continued kissing her perfect prince. As Nate unzipped her dress she felt nervous and uneasy, something that she had never felt during sex with Chuck. What would Nate think of her naked? It had been a few months since he had seen her without clothes on. Had she put on any weight? Her dress fell to the ground along with Nate's jacket and Nate continued undressing by unbuttoned his own shirt. He looked amazing as always, his chest so sculpted and as she looked down at herself she felt so self-conscious. Nate tilted her head up to him and kissed her. "I love you Blair." He said softly.

Her eyes went wide. Nate had said 'I love you' and meant it. That had never happened before, not really at least. They had of course said the words but more out of habit than anything. Those words pushed her insecurities away and she kissed him once more, wrapping her arms around his neck. Nate broke away and led her to the bed. As they both kneeled there kissing, the way Nate was looking at her sent shivers all up and down her spine. This was it, whatever she had been thinking earlier was wrong, this was where she was supposed to be. So as Nate lowered her to the bed, she stayed right where she was kissing him as passionately as she could.

Nate traced the line of her jaw. He had wanted this with Blair for so long, he just didn't know it. Now that he had it, he wanted to savor every second. He bent down to kiss her again and slowly reached around back to her bra, unsnapping it and pulling it off. He slowly moved his hands down to her lacy underwear and slid them off, all the while, kissing down her body, between her breasts, over her stomach, until he reached his destination. Once he had successfully removed her panties, he returned to kissing her. He knew that she had to be nervous because everyone knows that a girl's first time hurts. He removed his own briefs before whispering in her ear. "Do you want to take off your necklace?"

Blair reached up to touch her necklace and looked down at her fingers. Her necklace, the necklace Chuck had given her. She looked back up at Nate, at both of them naked and closed her eyes tightly. She hadn't realized that she was still wearing the necklace to begin with but now that she had, it was serving as a reminder that she had only gone to Nate to get back at Chuck. The feeling that this was wrong came back full force. She spoke quietly but assuredly. "I can't do this."

A/N: I know we all hate girls who try to take Chuck from Blair but the focus of the story is still going to be N/B/C, M is just there to stir up some drama, more of which will occur in the next chapter.

Reviews are always appreciated, especially with this being new. I don't want to write something that no one cares about reading so let me know what you guys think.

xoxo ~ kate