The 4 times Dan Punched Chuck and the 1 Time He Punched Back

Disclaimer: Not even Blair's master plotting could get me Gossip Girl

Summary: For every time Dan punched Chuck and for the one time he retaliated. The first three chapters will cover the three canon punches while the fourth will be my try on episode 4x18. This will end in Dair. Anything directly quoted from an episode will be in bold.

1st Punch: The first time is at the Kiss on the Lips party and it's entirely for Jenny.

Dan hardly knows Chuck Bass then. The closest he ever got was maybe a couple of the same classes at St. Judes but even then Chuck rarely attended class. And, of course, Dan had heard the rumors. Bad news, alcoholic, some drugs, disturbed, slept with most of the women in New York, rich, and all before his eighteenth birthday. Dan thought it sounded a bit typical of the Upper East Side population. The first hint that Chuck is not typical is in the way Serena reacts when Dan says his name on their first date.

He's not that worried when he firsts gets the text from Jenny. He's not from the Upper East Side and has no idea the sorts of things that can happen to a girl in their world. To him, life is full of consequences but for them, there is no such thing, only cover-ups, lies, and bribes.

Dan apologizes and tells Serena that he has to go, that his sister is having trouble with Chuck. When she offers to come with him he tries to blow her off because Dan's still worried about making a good impression on the blonde princess from the Upper East Side he's been obsessed with since ninth grade. The thought that Jenny is in serious danger still hasn't crossed his mind.

"No, no, listen, if it's Chuck it's not ok," Serena says pulling him into a cab.

Her words have the right effect. Dan suddenly feels sick to his stomach, chilled to his core, and horrified beyond belief, the whole nine yards. When they arrive at the party the panic really takes over. Up, up the stairs to the roof. The only pause they make is when Serena, equally fearful, informs,

"That's Chuck's scarf."

If at all possible, he speeds up. Dan's brain commits the scene to memory when he sees them, Chuck pressed up against Jenny, grabbing at her and when he hears Jenny's pleas for him to stop. The nightmares plague him for weeks.

Both he and Serena rush at them, yelling at Chuck. Dan grabs hold of Jenny pulling her away. The strap of her dress has been pushed off her shoulder. That sight combined with the horrific knowledge that he could've been too late, that this could've gone a lot further is enough to push him the rest of the way over the edge. Dan protects the people he loves.

Serena takes the sobbing Jenny out of Dan's arms with a knowing look. It's hard to miss the rage painted all over his face. Dan approaches Chuck without hesitation, without thought, without listening to whatever poor excuse he's giving. All that really matters is that Chuck was just all over his baby sister.

He swings his fist, hard until his knuckles collide with Chuck's face. Chuck stumbles back, gripping his face, yelling obscenities, too drunk to do anything else. It's enough at the moment for Dan who feels real satisfaction from the blood oozing from Chuck's nose.

It's not until they get back to Brooklyn, to the loft, to home, where the rational, sensible people live that the feeling wears off. Now all Dan is left with is an aching hand, a renewed anger, and painful series of what ifs. Jenny promising that she's okay before disappearing to her room is the only comforting thing.

There are no frozen vegetables in the freezer for his hand, they are Humphrey's, after all, and he's too exhausted to even think about filling a bag of ice so he settles for the can of frozen concentrate orange juice. He heads to his own bed, collapsing in it, desperate to just go to sleep. Tomorrow he will assess Jenny's mental health and attempt to repair whatever damage Bass had caused. Right now though, it's enough that she's in the next room, safe.

To Anyone Who Cares: I hope everyone likes it! Please review! I just had this idea while I was watching season one episodes for my other story and decided to go through with it. I want to hurry and get this out before the show comes back and the actual events affect my writing so updates will be quick. The last chapter will be Dair, just a warning, so feel free to only read the first three chapters, if you want.