Elsewhere

Conversations #3: Essential Rule

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:10:10 GMT

Title: Conversations #3: Essential Rule
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing(s): Chuck/Jenny (friendship), Jenny/Nate, Chuck/Blair
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 867
Author's Note: This is a post-series fic. It's in the same 'verse as Can't Stay Away, This Love, This Hate and Riot In My Heart. It's a series of conversations between Chuck and Jenny after both fics have taken place.

Essential Rule

Conversations #3

“I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”

“Are you drunk?”

“I’m serious, Jenny.”

“So am I.”

“Look, there’s this … woman that I used to see. But I haven’t in a while. Anyway I ran into her last week, and she’s having a hard time taking no for an answer.”

“Did you tell her you have a girlfriend?”

“Of course, but she doesn’t believe me. Apparently I’m not the monogamous type.”

“I can’t imagine why she would ever get that impression.”

“You aren’t helping me. Blair will freak out if she knows about this.”

“I can see where that would be an issue.”

“So I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend, so she can meet you and leave me alone.”

“Here’s an idea: why don’t you ask your actual girlfriend to be your girlfriend?”

“Blair has midterms. Besides, you know how jealous she would get. It would be a disaster.”

“True.”

“So you’ll do it?”

“No.”

“Oh, come on. You know I wouldn’t ask unless I was desperate.”

“Wow. Thanks so much. Always good to know I’m your go-to girl when you’re desperate and out of
options.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Funny. It’s what it sounded like you meant.”

“You know if you needed me to pretend to be your boyfriend to scare off some guy, I would.”

“Like anyone would believe you and I are a couple.”

“OK. You can stop laughing now. If I wanted to be insulted, I would have asked Serena.”

“There’s an idea! Can I be there when you ask her? God, the look on her face—”

“Fine. I’ll handle this myself.”

“OK, OK, wait. Is it really that big a deal?”

“I’d prefer to have you there to make my point, yes.”

“I can’t believe I’m actually considering this.”

“One night, Jenny. I just need your help for one night.”

“Chuck, I don’t know…”

“In the last few months, I’ve started to see you as a little sister Jenny—”

“OK, this will never work if your former fling thinks I’m your sister. Unless you really, really want to
drive her away.”

“Tempting, but let me finish.”

“Please do.”

“What I’m trying to say is, I think of you as family. If you need my help, I hope you would come to me. Like a sister would come to her brother.”

“You are aware that I actually have a brother, right?”

“Semantics.”

“You also realize that Blair is going to find out, and then she’s going to be pissed at us both. She’s going to think we were keeping a secret from her.”

“Blair’s always mad at me for something…”

“Well, she isn’t mad at me. Not right now, anyway, and I’d kind of like to keep it that way.”

“So you want to tell her?”

“I kind of think we have to.”

“Fine. I’ll tell her when I take her out to dinner next week.”

“You better plan on taking her to Morocco for that dinner. Hell, take her all weekend so I’m nowhere near the fallout.”

“Well now there’s an idea. I haven’t taken Blair there yet. And they do have this one particular nude beach—”

“Ugh! Stop! It is so imperative to my psychological well-being that you never finish that statement around me.”

“I never pegged you for a prude.”

“Chuck, if I wanted to know about your sex life, I’d stay in the room when Blair starts telling Serena stories. Trust me. I learned that lesson the hard way.”

“What stories?”

“All I remember is something with an elevator and coconut oil.”

“She told you about that?”

“Unfortunately, yes. She seemed … proud of herself.”

“Well, she is extremely flexible.”

“Oh, my God! Over-sharing, OK? If you want this pseudo brother-sister relationship to work, we need to lay a few ground rules. Number one? No sex talk. Ever. Under any circumstances.”

“What’s rule number two?”

“Rule number two is that under no circumstances will you ever break rule number one!”

“OK, fine. I get it.”

“So how long is this girl going to be in town?”

“The rest of the week. She’s a model here doing some campaign for Armani, or something.”

“Oh, wow. That campaign is supposed to be huge. I hear the new line is amazing.”

“I’m sure it will be. So, I was thinking dinner tomorrow at—”

“Blair’s off the next four days from school.”

“What?”

“Blair doesn’t have school the next four days, remember? Something about she took her art history mid-term early and her English 101 professor has mono? Chuck, why not just take Blair to Morocco now for a long weekend? By the time you get home, the girl will be gone. Problem solved.”

“I completely forgot Blair didn’t have class. She’ll be thrilled if I surprise her. I can call Dorota and have a bag packed for her in an hour.”

“More like five bags.”

“What in the world does she need five bags for?”

“One for each day of the week and an emergency bag. Come one, Chuck, you should know this by now.”

“You would think so.”

“So, think it’ll work?”

“I’m going to call Dorota now. Thanks, Jenny.”

“Hey, what are little sisters for?”

ICONS!

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:35:22 GMT

Woohoo! Finally an icon update - one one that muses_circlehas been ~~bugging~~ reminding me about forever. Heh. Love ya, Katie!

Rules:
-no hotlinking
-textless icons are not bases
-credit isisizabelif used

Icons:
Firefly (1-13)
Smallville (14-28)
Legend of the Seeker (29-69)
The Vampire Diaries (70-84)

Teasers:

1	2	3	4

5	6	7	8

9	10	11	12

13	14	15	16

17	18	19	20

21	22	23	24

25	26	27	28

29	30	31	32

33	34	35	36

37	38	39	40

41	42	43	44

45	46	47	48

49	50	51	52

53	54	55	56

57	58	59	60

61	62	63	64

65	66	67	68

69	70	71	72

73	74	75	76

77	78	79	80

81	82	83	84

Riot In My Heart: Chapter 3

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:46:00 GMT

Title: Riot In My Heart
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny; Chuck/Blair
Rating: R/NC-17
Word Count: 1,796
Author's Note: This fic will have multiple NC-17 chapters. If you haven't read my fics before, I friends only lock my NC-17 chapters. To be added as a friend you must first friend me and then comment in my FRIENDS ONLY post.

Previous Chapters

Riot In My Heart

By: IsisIzabel

Chapter 3

She had forgotten how simple, how easy things were with Nate. She had forgotten how much she missed just being with him. Reclining together on the couch with a rerun of Friends playing in the background while they worked their way through two cartons of Chinese food was her example of a perfect evening.

After the shower, she had changed into one of Nate’s t-shirts while he ordered food from the Chinese place down the street. They had curled up on the couch and she had no plans of moving for the next few hours.

Jenny stabbed her chopsticks into the nearly empty container of shrimp fried rice and set it aside. “I’m full,” she announced.

Nate looked over her shoulder at the container. “You sure? I think you might’ve left a piece of rice in there. Maybe two.”

She leaned over and smacked his bicep lightly before resting her back against the arm of the couch and propping her feet up in his lap. “You’re one to talk. You ate half of mine.”

He leveled her with a look. “Guess I worked up an appetite, huh?”

She bit her lower lip to keep from grinning.

He set aside his own food and lightly rubbed the top of her foot. He smirked when she moaned and sank further into the couch. He pressed his thumbs harder into the instep of her foot.

“That feels incredible,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.

“If you didn’t wear those crazy shoes all the time,” he replied teasingly, “your feet might not hurt as much.”

She opened one eye. “Fashion doesn’t stop at the ankles, Nate.”

He chuckled. “Well I guess you would know.”

She gave him a sharp nod and closed her eyes once more. “Damn straight.”

He laughed again, shaking his head.

“Besides,” she continued, looking at the TV, “I never noticed you complaining about my shoes. In fact, you’ve said on more than one occasion how much you liked my shoes.”

He raised her foot up and kissed it once. “I love your feet.”

Jenny glanced over at him and slowly moved forward, sliding across the cushions and twisting her legs until she was on her knees beside him.

“Just my feet?”

Nate narrowed his eyes, thinking. “I like your wrist, too,” he added. For emphasis, he took one of her hands and raised her wrist to his mouth. He leaned forward, his eyes sparkling. “I love your neck.”

She angled her head so he would have better access just as her phone started ringing loudly from her purse.

He wounded his arms around her back, pulling her down and crushing her chest to his. “Ignore it,” he said softly, his voice muffled as he gently suckled the skin on her throat.

“Might be my dad,” she replied regretfully. She got off the couch and hurried to her purse, nearly upending it to find her phone. She glanced at the caller ID and frowned.

“Who is it?” Nate asked, catching her look.

“The gallery,” she replied, confused. She pressed the talk button. “Hello?”

Nate watched her, curious. He had a feeling their night was over when she sighed quietly, rubbed her temples, and said, “No problem. I’ll be right over.”

Jenny tossed the phone back into her purse and shrugged at him. “It was Shelley. Her son is sick and she needs to get home. I told her I’d go over to the gallery and close up the café.”

Shelley was the single mother Rufus had hired a few months earlier. She lived with her mother and two-year-old son, and worked two jobs to support them all. She typically worked the night shift at the café four days a week—the nights Jenny had off.

Nate stood up. “I’ll go with you.”

She paused, in the middle of collecting her things. “You don’t have to.”

“I know I don’t,” he replied, turning off the TV. “But I want to spend the whole weekend with you. If I help you close up, you’ll get out twice as fast.”

She nodded, giving him a grateful smile. “OK. Thanks.”

“No problem.” He paused, watching her look around the room. “What?”

She bit her lower lip, looking a bit perplexed. “Did you see where my bra went?”

***

“Thanks so much, Jenny,” Shelley gushed as she headed out the door, tugging on her coat as she went.

“It’s fine,” Jenny assured her. “I hope your son is OK.”

“He’s just had this nasty cold all week. I think it might be the flu,” Shelley explained, her fingers trembling as she tugged on the zipper of her jacket. “And my mom is saying he’s having trouble breathing … I might have to take him to the hospital. Not that I can pay for it…”

Jenny’s heart twisted for the woman who was only a few years older than herself. “If you need extra shifts here, I’m sure my dad will help you out.”

“Thanks,” Shelley repeated, her eyes wide and overwhelmed. “I appreciate it.”

“Take care,” Jenny answered with a small wave while Shelley hurried out into the cold autumn night.

“Shelley OK?” Nate asked as he came up from the back carrying a box of coffee beans. He set the case on the counter and started stocking the shelves underneath.

“Yeah,” she replied slowly, going back to the table she had been wiping down and picking up the towel. “I just feel bad for her, you know? I mean, working two jobs and having to worry about medical bills and taking care of your child… It’s so overwhelming.”

Nate stopped in the middle of unpacking the box. “Do you want kids?”

Jenny froze, mid-wipe. She looked up at him through her bangs. “Do I want … What brought that on?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, we never talked about it. I was just curious.”

“Well, yeah. I mean, someday. Not now, obviously. Do you…?”

He nodded quickly. “Yeah.” He looked up at her and winked. “Someday.”

She let out a nervous laugh and went to the next table.

Nate straightened, finished unpacking the box of coffee beans. “I’m gonna get some more cups from the back.”

Jenny glanced at the clock on the far wall. It read five minutes until ten o’clock. “OK. Five more minutes until I can lock the doors.”

“Sounds good.” Nate took the empty box with him as he headed back into the stock room.

Jenny sighed, putting some effort into scrubbing the brown ring of dried coffee from the table in front of her.

“Hey, Jenny.”

“Jesus!” she exclaimed, whirling around and pressing a hand to her heaving chest. Her heart thudded painfully against her ribs from the shock.

Scott held up his hands and took a small step back, eyes wide. “Shit—I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She breathed out hard, nodding slowly. “Mission not accomplished,” she muttered. Her eyes flickered up to his as she placed him as the guy from the week before. “Scott, right?”

“Yeah,” he replied with a quick grin. “I was hoping you’d be here.”

She tilted her head to one side. “Oh. OK. Um, why?”

“I wanted to thank you for your help last week,” he said quickly. His blue eyes were smiling as he took a tentative step forward.

She smiled back at him and waved it off. “I told you it wasn’t a big deal.” She stopped, looking warily at him. “Are you lost again?”

He laughed then, shaking his head. “No. I think I finally got the subway system down.”

“Well, good for you,” she replied.

“I was thinking that maybe, as a thank you? I could take you out to dinner some time?” Scott went on casually, as if he were asking her about the weather.

Her smile slipped a notch. She crossed her arms under her chest, shifting nervously on her feet. “Uh … I have a boyfriend. Remember? I was talking to him on the phone when—”

“Oh, right! I meant go out as friends. I don’t seem to have that many here. New city and all that.”

“I’m not so sure that would be a great idea,” Jenny said slowly, starting to shake her head.

“Jenny, I think we’re out of—” Nate’s sentence died on his lips when he came into the café and saw she wasn’t alone. He set the armful of plastic wrapped foam cups on the counter and came around to stand beside her.

“Scott, this is my boyfriend, Nate,” Jenny introduced quickly, her eyes moving to each boy. “Nate, this is the guy who got lost last week? The one who—”

“—showed up here on his way back to NYU?” Nate finished. He extended a hand to the other man. “Nate Archibald.”

Scott eyed the hand for a beat before accepting it. “Scott Hansen.”

“Nice to meet you,” Nate said with a sincere smile. “You’re not lost again, are you?”

Scott shook his head and looked down. “No. Not this time.” His gaze landed on Jenny. “I came by to thank Jenny for her help.”

She shrugged once more. “I told you it was no big deal.”

Scott watched as Nate moved his hand to the small of Jenny’s back, the gesture simple but possessive at the same time. She was his. Message received.

“I should go,” Scott said, forcing a smile. “Thanks again, Jenny.”

She smiled up at him, amused. “You’re welcome.”

Scott gave her a quick grin, flashing a single dimple in his left cheek. He nodded at Nate and turned to leave.

After he had gone, Nate moved around Jenny and locked the front door. He came back to find Jenny finishing up wiping down the last table.

“So that was Scott, huh?”

She glanced up at him, rolling her eyes. “Kind of weird, huh? I mean, he didn’t have to come back here to thank me.”

“That’s all he wanted?”

She shrugged and made a face. “He asked me out to dinner.”

“He what?” Nate asked, frowning.

She held up a hand, smiling slightly. “Easy. Just as friends. A thank you dinner. Doesn’t matter, though. I said no.” She closed the distance between them, her eyes glittering.

“I’d rather spend my time with you,” she said, standing on her tip toes to kiss him quickly. She turned away just as fast. “I’m going to count out the register and we can go.”

Nate folded his eyes and watched her for a moment as she moved with natural grace and ease through the café. She didn’t get it—that much was obvious.

Jenny simply had no idea how completely alluring she was. Not just to him, but apparently to Scott, too.

Riot In My Heart: Chapter 1

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:55:01 GMT

Title: Riot In My Heart
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny; Chuck/Blair
Rating: R/NC-17
Word Count: 1,778
Author's Note: This is the next, and final, installment of the Can't Stay Away series. If you haven't read any of those fics, I recommend it so you don't get lost. The other's are:

Can't Stay Away (R/NC-17)
Ashes & Ice (PG-13)
This Love, This Hate (PG-13)
Adventures in Summerland (PG-13)

This fic will have multiple NC-17 chapters. If you haven't read my fics before, I friends only lock my NC-17 chapters. To be added as a friend you must first friend me and then comment in my FRIENDS ONLY post.

Lastly, I am not ashamed to admit I adore feedback, so tell me if you liked or hated what you read. Or any suggestion/thoughts you have on the fic. I have been know to put suggestions into my stories - but no promises. :-)

Riot In My Heart

By: IsisIzabel

Chapter 1

“Wow. That’s really good.”

Jenny’s head snapped up as she was startled out of her concentration. She looked up from her seat to see a boy with dark hair and dark blue eyes staring down at her and the sketchpad on the table. She blushed, fighting the instinctive urge to cover the most recent dress design she was working on.

“Um, thanks.”

The boy took a step back, smiling at her with an even row of white teeth. “I’m sorry. I swear I’m not a stalker or something. I just …”

Jenny smiled politely, her eyes flickering around the coffee shop. She hadn’t even heard him come in. She liked working the evening shift at the gallery’s little coffee shop in the basement. She was hardly ever bothered and could work on her designs in quiet.

“It’s really OK,” she assured him, getting to her feet in one fluid movement. She winced slightly. Her left knee was stiff from being tucked under her body on the chair. “Did you need something?”

“Uh … coffee?” he asked with a grin.

She nodded, smiling. “Right. One coffee coming up.”

She moved around behind the counter, her fingers skimming the edge of the counter as she rounded the corner and went to the ready coffee pot. She poured it into a disposable cup and handed it to him.

“That’s one-fifty,” she told him. She glanced at the clock out of the corner of her eye. It was nearly ten o’clock. Almost time to close.

“Keep the change,” he replied, handing over several dollars.

“Thanks.” She put all the money in the register.

The boy turned slowly, his eyes taking in the décor and structure of the basement café. “This is a great place.”

Jenny’s lips curved into a wide smile and she followed his gaze. Her father really had done an amazing job with the place. “Thanks. My dad owns the gallery.”

He turned back to her, his eyes sparkling. “Ah. The boss’ daughter?”

She laughed then. “Most people call me Jenny.”

He extended a hand. “Scott.”

She smiled genuinely as his hand closed over hers, the calluses making his hands rough. “Nice to meet you.”

“You, too.” He let her hand go and took a drink of his coffee, nodding appreciatively. “This is good.”

“Thanks,” she said brightly, shrugging. She couldn’t take much credit for scooping out the already ground beans from their canister and flipping the brew switch.

Smiling politely, she headed back for her table.

“I just moved here a few months ago,” Scott went on, unfazed by her walking away.

She sat slowly, glancing up at him with curious eyes. “Oh?”

He smiled back sheepishly. “I still get lost on the subway. Kind of why I ended up … here. I saw the sign saying you had coffee and …” He shrugged helplessly, his cheeks flushing slightly.

Her lips quirked, but she suppressed the grin threatening to split her face. “Where we you trying to go?”

He groaned, sinking into the chair across from her. “Back to school. I’m a freshman at NYU.”

She brightened. “My brother and my friend both go there. I take it you’re staying in the dorms?”

“Off campus housing,” he replied, taking another sip. “My parents arranged for me to stay at an apartment a few blocks away that their friends are subletting.”

She leaned back, mildly impressed. Housing wasn’t cheap in that section of town. Not that housing anywhere in New York City could be described as cheap. “Where were you coming from?”

“Grand Central,” he muttered, looking even more embarrassed.

Jenny tilted her head back and laughed. “And somehow you wound up in Brooklyn?”

His jaw dropped open in astonishment. “I’m in Brooklyn?”

She was still giggling when her phone started to ring and vibrate animatedly across the wooden tabletop. She grabbed it, her face warming when she identified the caller. She glanced up at Scott. “Just a second.”

He nodded, leaning back in his chair and drinking his coffee. He seemed content to wait.

Jenny flipped open her phone and pressed the ‘talk’ button. “Hey, you.”

“Hey, babe.” Nate’s voice was gentle and warm, like melted honey.

“What’s up?” she asked, crossing her legs. She and Nate were still adjusting to him being in the dorms and not being able to see each other on a daily basis. It was more of a struggle than she thought it would be. She hadn’t realized how much she took for granted seeing him every day until it was gone.

“Just taking a quick study break. I figured you’d be slow now since it’s almost closing time.”

Her eyes flicked up to Scott, who didn’t seem to be paying attention to her at the moment. In fact, he stood up and walked to a painting across the room. “Just about ready to close up.”

“Sounds exciting,” he said with a quiet chuckle that left her toes curling.

Damn, she missed him. And it had only been six days since she had seen him. She sighed into the phone, wishing he was right beside her and not in his dorm nearly an hour away.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concern lacing his tone.

She shook her head. He knew her too well. “Just missing you.”

He smiled into the phone. “I was thinking I could leave right after my last class on Friday morning. I could be in the city before three. We’d have the whole weekend.”

She let her eyes slide shut. “That sounds perfect.”

“Who painted this one?”

Jenny’s eyes opened and she twisted in her seat to see Scott had wandered to the painting behind her. She smiled slightly upon recognizing the art. “My mom.”

“What?” Nate laughed.

She chuckled. “Sorry. Not you, Nate. Someone else is here.”

“Oh, yeah? Who?”

“Scott,” she answered.

He laughed, amused. “Who is Scott?”

Jenny smirked in Scott’s direction. “He got lost on his way back to NYU and came in for a coffee a minute before you called.”

Scott turned impishly, ducking his head. “Do I need to leave?”

Jenny waved a hand at him. “You’re fine.”

“Good,” he said, looking relieved. “I was hoping to get directions back to NYU from you before I left.”

She laughed. “No problem.”

“Now I’m lost,” Nate commented lightly.

“He needs directions back to school, and I need to close up. Can I call you when I get home?”

“You better,” he said, a teasing smile in his voice.

She bit her lower lip. “OK. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Jenny. Bye.”

“Bye,” she repeated and ended the conversation. She stood up, putting her phone back on the table and facing Scott. “OK, let’s get you back home.”

Ten minutes later, she walked him to the front of her gallery, confident he knew where he was going. She shivered as Scott pushed open the front door and a chilly blast of September night air swept over her.

“Wow, it got cold,” she commented, watching as Scott hesitated.

He turned back to her. “So, I swear this isn’t a line, but can I have your number?”

Jenny held her breath, unsure of what to say next. “Um…”

“It’s just,” he started, beginning to blush, “in case I get lost on my way back. I don’t really know anyone else…”

She laughed and nodded. “Sure.” She gave him her number and waved. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” he smiled warmly at her and raised his cup of coffee. “And thanks for the coffee.”

She ducked her head and started back inside to close up the coffee shop. Her dad rounded the corner as she closed the door.

“Oh, hey, there you are.”

She turned and looked up at him expectantly.

Rufus frowned. “What were you doing outside?”

Her lips quirked upwards. “Smoke break?”

“Ha ha,” he deadpanned. “I thought you abhorred smokers.”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “I guess hanging out at all those fashion shows and with all those models who smoke has been rubbing off on me.”

His gaze narrowed. “Keep in mind you still need my permission to home school yourself and keep attending said fashion shows.”

She laughed and held up her hands, surrendering. “OK, OK. I was giving a lost college student directions.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah,” she said, starting for the café. “He came in for a coffee. Got lost going to NYU from Grand Central.”

Rufus made a pitying face. “Seriously?”

She nodded, moving behind the counter and starting to empty coffee pots in the sink. “That’s what I said, too. He seemed nice enough.”

“Does Mr. Nice Guy have a first name?” Rufus asked slowly.

“Scott,” Jenny answered. She turned back around and froze. “What?”

“What what?” Rufus looked away from his daughter quickly. He busily wiped an invisible spot on a table with a napkin he snagged from the dispenser on the table.

“Dad, come on,” Jenny said, rolling her eyes. “Nate’s only been gone six days, and he’s coming home this weekend.”

“Oh, he is?” He still refused to look up.

“I thought you liked Nate.”

Now he did look at her, his expression sincere. “I do like Nate, Jen. But he’s eighteen and you’re only sixteen. Don’t you think you guys are a little young to be so serious?”

Jenny took a deep breath, trying not to overreact. “I love Nate, and he loves me, Dad.”

“I know that, honey.” He threw the napkin away and came to stand in front of her on the other side of the counter.

“Then what else matters? We’re happy.”

Rufus tried not to frown. “I just—”

“How old were you when you fell in love with Lily?” she challenged, arching her brows.

Rufus hesitated. “Nineteen.”

“A year older than Nate,” Jenny mused, her expression pointed. “And Lily was eighteen, right?”

He shifted. “Yes.”

“And you two are getting married next month,” she added softly. “You knew when you were our age who you wanted to spend the rest of your life with.”

“It took Lily and I almost two decades to get our lives sorted out enough to be where we are today,” Rufus interjected, leaning his forearms on the counter. “We both made a lot of mistakes on the way.”

“Well, Nate and I aren’t you and Lily, Dad,” she said calmly. “We know we want to be together now and forever. Maybe if you and Lily had admitted that when you were younger you would have already been together.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he acquiesced. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Jen.”

Her smile was blinding brilliant and confident. “Nate would never hurt me, Dad, and I wouldn’t ever hurt him. Trust me.”

Adventures in Summerland - Part 1

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:09:42 GMT

Title: Adventures in Summerland (1/?)
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny; Chuck/Blair
Rating: R
Word Count: 1,832
Author's Note: Takes place after This Love, This Hate (part of the Can't Stay Away 'verse). This is part 1, but I honestly don't know how many, if any, other parts there will be. Seems I couldn't let their stories go this summer.

Adventures in Summerland

By: IsisIzabel

“It’s too tight,” Nate said with a grimace, his face flushed from exertion.

Jenny glanced up at him, shaking her blond bangs out of her eyes. “Well push harder.”

He frowned, his eyes narrowing. “I am pushing, Jenny.” His shoulders were shaking under the strain, his breaths coming out in hard pants. The muscles of his forearms were corded as he struggled to maintain his hold.

“This isn’t working,” Jenny announced, chest heaving, throwing her head back.

“No kidding,” he replied shortly.

“You know what isn’t working?” Dan said, his voice muffled. “The conversation you two are having. Because from over here, it doesn’t sound like you’re trying to move a damn couch.”

Serena laughed loudly from her place beside Dan, on the opposite end of the couch as Jenny and Nate.

Jenny swung her head over to look at Nate and she arched an eyebrow, smiling when he nodded. They dropped their end of the couch together. Serena and Dan both gasped under the suddenly increased weight and their end came crashing down, wedging the couch firmly in the doorway.

“What the hell are you two doing?” Blair demanded, rounding the corner of the hallway with Chuck en tow. She stopped several feet away, her gaze swinging to each of her friends. “Why is there a couch in the doorway?”

Chuck came up behind her, settling his hands on her shoulders. He didn’t say anything. He simply waited for the explanation that led to his grandfather’s antique leather sofa was no longer in the study.

“Ask Eric,” Jenny said by way of an answer. She sank onto the edge of the armrest as Eric suddenly appeared behind Dan and Serena.

“You know the flow is all wrong in this house,” he started in, not in the least bit phased by their staring. “I thought I could just feng shui one room, but that meant I had to fix the whole house.”

“Fix the whole house?” Chuck repeated slowly. His hands tightened around Blair’s shoulders when she started to laugh.

“Chuck,” Eric said, sighing, “don’t you get it? The reason you’re having so many problems with work is because your Qi is all wrong.”

“No, the reason I’m having problems at work is because –you know what? It doesn’t matter.” He shrugged it off. “But I’m not thinking my … Qi, was it? Will improve with the sofa in the doorway.”

Eric frowned. “It was supposed to be against the eastern-facing wall. These four—”

Dan cleared his throat and straightened to his full height, several inches taller than Eric. “Choose your words carefully.”

Eric smiled sweetly and stepped back. “What I was saying is that I may have misjudged the width of the couch and the doorway.”

“You think?” Dan asked archly, folding his arms across his chest.

Nate chuckled and shook his head, threading his arm around Jenny’s waist when she leaned into him. “Now we need to figure out how to get it out of the doorway.”

“Preferably without damaging anything,” Chuck added for good measure, his gaze focused on the doorway, looking for nicks in the woodwork.

Blair rolled her eyes and shifted her weight, glancing over her shoulder at Chuck. “I told you all of us here for an extended period of time was a bad idea.”

Serena flashed her best friend a blindingly white smile. “Aw, come on, B. Redecorating disasters aside, this has been a great summer.”

Blair tried to hide her smile, but failed miserably. In truth, the past six weeks had been some of the best of her life. But now the summer was coming to an end, and in a few short weeks they would all be scattered across the northeast as they went their separate ways.

“Any ideas on how to move this thing?” Dan asked, eyeing the problem.

Jenny groaned. “Please say it doesn’t involve picking it up again. That thing weighs a ton.”

Nate pressed a kiss to the top of her head before releasing her and turning to look back at the couch. “Maybe if we cock it on one side? Instead of trying to go straight through the doorway?”

Serena wagged a finger at him, shaking her head. “Jenny said a way that doesn’t involve lifting the couch, and I’m inclined to agree.”

“Well, I don’t see it magically transferring itself into the room, so…” Dan said, his tone laced with good-natured sarcasm.

Serena slapped his shoulder and climbed over the arm of the sofa, deftly bouncing across to land on the other side between Nate and Jenny. She looped an arm through Jenny’s, starting to pull the younger girl down the hall.

“Where are you going?” Eric demanded.

“Beach break,” Serena called over one shoulder. “Anyone else coming?”

Dan shrugged at Nate before launching himself across the span of the couch. The two of them abandoned the couch and started for their rooms to change.

“I’m not moving this thing,” Chuck told them all loudly as Blair laughed.

She turned around to face him, winding her arms around his waist. “Let’s go to the beach.”

He looked down at her, his expression neutral. “I have a conference call in two hours.”

“Then I guess it’s a good thing the beach is in your backyard. You’ll be home in plenty of time.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him quickly before sidestepping away from him. “Besides, you’ve got to see the new bathing suit I got when we went out yesterday.”

Not needing any further prompting, he turned and followed her to their room, leaving Eric standing alone by the couch.

Eric sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Chuck was right: The sofa in the doorway was doing nothing to help his own Qi.

***

Jenny didn’t turn when she heard the door open to her bedroom. She was still in the bathroom, applying a liberal coating of sunscreen. The first day they had gone to the beach she had gotten a nasty sunburn as a result of not putting enough of the sunscreen on her back and legs, and she spent a week sleeping on her stomach.

“Hey,” Nate greeted, his eyes sweeping over her as he closed her bedroom door and flipped the lock.

She glanced up at him, smiling as he drew near wearing nothing more than a pair of black board shorts. She held the tube out to him. “Get my back?”

“Love to,” he growled playfully, reaching for her.

Jenny laughed as he pulled her flush against his body. He lowered his head, kissing her slowly, taking his time. Sighing, she wounded her arms around his neck, gladly submitting to the kiss. After a beat she pulled back.

“Where’s Dan?”

“He and Serena already went down to the beach,” Nate answered, reading her nervous look.

Dan had walked in on them kissing once before at the start of the summer and had promptly ignored them both for the next three days, not even making eye contact.

While Dan wasn’t prudish enough to think his sister and Nate weren’t sleeping together, he also didn’t want it shoved in his face. He had made it clear when they got there that Nate and Jenny had separate rooms, and he didn’t want to see anything that went on behind closed doors.

That didn’t deter Nate from sneaking into Jenny’s room almost every night after Dan had gone to bed, but they assumed Dan needed to maintain some form of blissful ignorance to preserve his own psyche, and they were OK with that.

Jenny grinned up at him and stepped out of his arm, twirling a bit to show off the new bathing suit Blair had convinced her into buying the day before. It was a simple white bikini that showed off her summer tan and flat stomach, the high cut accentuating her long legs.

“You like?” she teased, her blue eyes shining.

He let his gaze rove over her unabashedly, his eyes flickering up to her, dark with want. “I like,” he agreed. He started for her again, and Jenny placed her hands firmly on his bare chest.

She fixed him with a serious look. “If you start that, we’ll never make it down to the beach.”

“Fine with me,” he said with a shrug, his dimples flashing.

She giggled and shook her head. “Not now. Later.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” he warned, taking the sunscreen from her. He indicated for her to turn around.

She glanced over one shoulder at him. “Feel free to.”

Nate groaned and squeezed the sunscreen onto his hands, working it into her back. He moved his hands across her back, smoothing down over her shoulders and neck. His hands dipped lower, teasing the swells of her breasts and he smiled as she visibly shifted in front of him.

“Nate,” she warned lightly.

He lowered his mouth to the shell of her ear. “What?” he whispered, his hand gliding across her ribcage and sweeping across the underside her breast.

She shivered and leaned back into him. “We can’t.”

“Are you sure?” he pressed, his other hand finding the curve of her hip and pulled her back against him. He moved the hand to the front of her, the tips of his fingers skirting beneath the top of her bikini bottoms.

Her breath caught and she turned suddenly, lifting her face to his and sliding her tongue into his mouth. He dropped the tube of sunscreen so he could put both hands on her waist, pulling her flush against his body so she could feel his arousal. His fingers tripped up her back, finding the knot of the bikini strings.

A loud knock stunned them both.

“Jenny!” Eric called through the door. “Do you still have my sunscreen?”

Jenny stepped back, pressing a hand to her chest as she tried to catch her breath. She met Nate’s gaze and they both chuckled.

Nate leaned over and kissed her lips quickly. “Later,” he promised with a wink before ducking into the bathroom and closing the door.

“Jenny?” Eric called, rattling the locked doorknob.

She bent and grabbed the tube of sunscreen before crossing the room and opening the door.

Eric blinked in surprise as the door was opened suddenly. “Oh, hey. I thought maybe you already went down, but your door was locked…”

He trailed off and his eyes went wide. “Oh, God. Your door was locked.”

She laughed, shaking her head and handing over the sunscreen. “It’s fine.”

“I’m so sorry,” he apologized, swallowing hard. His gaze jumped to the bathroom door. “Sorry, Nate!” he called loudly.

The bathroom door and Nate emerged with two beach towels. He shrugged, smiling at the younger boy. “No problem.”

Eric moved back. “I’ll just … see you two out there.” He turned and hurried down the hall towards his room.

Jenny was still laughing as Nate grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door.

Sam/Jess Vid

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:06:20 GMT

Saw this just now, and thought of my dear friend muses_circle Enjoy, Katie!

Apologies

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:45:52 GMT

Title: Apologies (Complete)
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Dark Blue
Pairing: Dean/Jaimie
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,520

Jaimie knew she was fucked the minute all four sets of eyes snapped to glare at her. Swallowing roughly, she fisted her hands to keep them from trembling. She squared her shoulders, defiant and ready to take whatever came at her next. Her eyes flicked around the cavernous space of the abandoned warehouse that they were all standing in, her gaze landing on each man.

“Your bitch needs to learn her place, Sammy,” Hector Gonzales said after a heavy pause, his eyes sliding to look at the man standing just to her left.

Sammy snorted in agreement, his dark eyes unreadable as they dragged over her. “She needs to shut the hell up,” he added, his voice rough and gravelly from a lack of sleep.

Jaimie shifted her weight, leaning slightly away from Sammy now. One glance at his face and she knew he was furious. Well, so was she. Fifteen days of living in a crappy motel room, of constantly being on guard, and of being trapped into the role of a person she despised. She was tired, but knew the deception was necessary to do their job, her and Sammy both.

Fifteen freaking days she had been living with this cover—the sometimes junky girlfriend of Sammy Morrison, a low-life bookie who was looking to expand his business into fixed fights nationally. Sammy Morrison, who was actually Dean Bendis of the Los Angeles Police Department, was known for his aggressive behavior on the streets and in his business dealings. It was a quality that had endeared him to Hector, their mark.

Hector’s right hand man, Ricky, stepped forward. His smile was cruel and toothy, like a shark going in for the kill. He cracked his knuckles against the open palm of his other hand. “Want me to teach her some manners for ya?”

Dean stiffened. The notice was subtle, almost imperceptible, but then again she was standing right beside him and could feel the tension rolling off him in waves. He relaxed the action almost instantly, giving Ricky, Hector, and Hector’s brother-in-law, Mikey, a lazy smile and keeping his cover intact.

“Naw, man,” he said, shaking his head ruefully. “I’ll talk to her about it later.”

The edge in his tone and the gleam in his eye assured her she would in fact get an earful for injected her opinion in the conversation. She was there strictly in a supportive role capacity, and her verbal slip was unacceptable.

Hector’s eyes narrowed, flicking from Dean to Jaimie and back to Dean where they stayed. “I think you need to handle it now, brother.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Thanks, but I handle my business in private,” he said quietly, his tone calm and lethal at the same time.

Hector leaned back, folding his arms above a massive beer belly. His dark eyebrows slanted together in a line as he frowned. “You know, you can tell a lot about how a man does business by the way his girl behaves. Like if she runs her fucking mouth with no consequences, ya know? It tells me that man doesn’t do good business neither. Tells me that man ain’t someone I want to do business with. You get what I’m sayin’?”

Dean stared at the older man for a several beats before nodding once. “Yeah, I get ya.”

Jaimie barely had time to brace herself before he turned sharply, impossibly fast, and his open hand connected with her cheek. The force of the impact threw her to the ground, onto her hands and knees.

“Shiiiit,” Ricky drawled out with a chuckle.

She tasted copper in her mouth as blood seeped in. She forced herself to swallow the blood and saliva mixture instead of spitting it out the way she wanted. But that way would end with another slap, and her ears were still ringing from the first.

Dean bent down and grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her to her feet. He spun her around to look at him. She shrank in front of him, playing the part of the contrite girlfriend.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, unnerved at the fact that her voice was shaking as much as her knees were.

Something flashed in his eyes for a brief second before his gaze swept over her. He pushed her away from him.

“Wait for me in the car,” he ordered, dismissing her. He turned around to face Hector, all smiles now.

“Not bad,” Hector murmured appreciatively as Ricky laughed harder. Mikey stayed mute, watching the exchange impassively.

Jaimie started for the back door of the warehouse they were in, shoving hard against the metal door that lead outside when she reached it. The sudden burst of sunlight was staggering against the dimly lit, windowless room they had been in. She made it to the car and sank down into the seat, letting her eyes close and wishing like hell she had aspirin for raging headache that would be coming.

Time became irrelevant, and she might have even fallen asleep for a bit. The driver’s side door suddenly opened and Dean got in, starting the engine and gunning it. The tires squealed in protest as they sped out of the parking lot, headed back in the direction of their motel.

Jaimie dared a look over at him, watching the way his fist tightened around the steering wheel. She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

He didn’t glance at her. He turned his wrist, sharply steering them into an alleyway behind another abandoned warehouse. He threw the car into park and stared out at the cracked asphalt in front of them.

She twisted in her seat to face him, nervous. “Look, I didn’t mean to—”

“Are you OK?” He asked the question so quietly she barely knew he was talking.

She hesitated, somewhat stunned he wasn’t reaming her out for her slip up. The hesitation was enough to have him turning to face her. She was taken slightly aback by the hatred in his eyes.

Pure, unfiltered self-hatred.

“Jaimie—”

“I’m OK,” she assured him, smiling through the pain and not mentioning that she thought he might have cracked one of her teeth.

“I didn’t … I mean …” Dean stumbled through the apology, unsure of what to say. As a general rule, he didn’t apologize. Then again, as a general rule, he didn’t go around hitting women either.

She laid a hand against his shoulder. “You did what you had to do,” she answered simply. “Besides, I’ve been hit harder than that.”

His eyes widened slightly.

She waved it off. “Don’t worry about it, OK? I’m fine.” She turned and looked back at the street. “We can go.”

Jaimie was still waiting for him to put the car into drive when she felt him touch her jaw, trace the outline of it. She blinked once and looked back at him.

“It’s bruising,” he muttered darkly, disgusted.

She wasn’t surprised. They had been sharing a motel room for over two weeks and she would be lying if she said she hadn’t looked when he stepped out of the shower several times with nothing more than a thin towel slung low on his hips. His arms were roped with muscles, and she had felt the power of them in his slap.

She also knew he had reigned in the blow or she would probably be unconscious right now.

A bruise and a cracked tooth were minimal damage compared to what he could probably have done if he had really had a mind to.

“Dean, it’s fine,” she insisted, very much aware that his fingertips were still touching her face.

He swallowed hard and let his hand drop. “My dad … he used to hit my mom. I swore I’d never do that.”

Jaimie winced at the revelation. “I’m sorry,” she said lamely, realizing how insufficient those two words really were.

He snorted, shaking his head. “I hit you, and you apologize.” He ran a hand over his head, dropping his head back and looking at the roof of the car.

“Hey,” she snapped, reached up and taking his chin between her fingers. She forced him to look at her. “You didn’t hit me; Sammy did. You were playing the part. It’s your job.”

He nodded slowly, but didn’t look overly convinced. “I’m sorry,” he managed finally.

Her eyebrows rose at the apology. In the few months they had been working together, she didn’t think he knew how to apologize. It seemed to be a foreign concept to him.

Every time she thought she had Dean figured out, he turned around and surprised her.

“It’s OK,” she said again, this time finitely. “I’ll just have to make sure I don’t slip up like that again.”

Any traces of apology suddenly evaporated and he scowled at her. “What the hell was that? Do you want to get us killed?”

Jaimie sighed and leaned back as he put the car in drive and started for the main road, still ranting at her. She shook her head slowly.

This was the Dean she knew.

Summer Icons

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:17:14 GMT

Dark Blue (1-34)
Leverage (35-51)
Smallville (52-69)

*no hotlinking
*textless icons are not bases
*please credit isisizabel

teasers:

1	2	3	4

5	6	7	8

9	10	11	12

13	14	15	16

17	18	19	20

21	22	23	24

25	26	27	28

29	30	31	32

33	34	35	36

37	38	39	40

41	42	43	44

45	46	47	48

49	50	51	52

53	54	55	56

57	58	59	60

61	62	63	64

65	66	67	68

69

TNT Rock My Socks

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:07:47 GMT

I'm thinking Wednesday night is quickly going to become my favorite night of TV this summer. Leverage is back! YAYE! *snoopy dances* And if the first two episodes of the season are any indication, this season's gonna be even better than S1!

I could not get enougn of the Parker/Hardison fight scene, or the fact that Eliot has been teaching Parker to fight. This is my only complaint of the episode: Why couldn't we see Eliot teaching her how to throw down? It would make my shipper heart happy, I tell you! But regardless, seeing Hardison's flailing limbs as Parker put him in her Jujitsu triangle headlock, was absolutely hysterical. Probably one of the funniest moments I've seen on that show - and that's saying something.

The episode was phenominal all the way around. I even liked Sophie, who can sometimes annoy me. But I liked how Eliot and Sophie were able to bond and find mutual ground.

Christian Kane can seriously do no wrong, especially since I found out he does most of his own stuns and fighting scenes. It clearly shows the boy works out. He did such a great job in the episode. He can slide easily into the different roles Eliot plays: fighter, friend, hero, etc. Christian is the highlight of Leverage, for me.

And then there's Dark Blue, which I find myself completely obsessed with. First of all the casting is superb: Dylan, Omari, Nicki, and Logan have fantabulous chemistry, and I love the darker cop shows. This show reminds me a lot of Fastlane, but without the humor. And I'm sensing a serious vibe between Dean (Logan) and Jaimie (Nicki). I don't careif they get together romantically or if their relationship evolves into some big brother/little sister thing: I just love seeing their scenes.

GG S2 DVD - Deleted Scene

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:56:14 GMT

Found this at Spoiler TV, and thought I'd share it. It has acute scene between Jenny, Blair, and Eleanor.

SOA!!!!

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:28:06 GMT

This Love, This Hate: Epilogue

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:44:55 GMT

Title: This Love, This Hate
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny; Chuck/Blair
Rating: PG-13/R
Word Count: 689

Read Previous Chapters

Epilogue

By the time the graduation ceremony concluded, Blair was more than ready to say goodbye to Constance Billard for the rest of her life. She removed the cap and gown, threading her way through the crushing press of parents, kids and graduates until she found her own mother.

Eleanor’s face lit up at seeing her daughter as she turned, Harold and Ramon following suit. “Honey, you were marvelous.”

Blair smiled, reaching out to hug her mother before turning to her father.

“Daddy,” she grinned, reaching for him.

“I’m so proud of you, Blair-Bear,” he whispered, pulling her tight.

“My turn,” Ramon exclaimed, his eyes shining as he reached past his boyfriend to hug Blair himself.

Laughing, Blair returned the bear hug. She pulled back and looked at them, craning her neck to see through the mass of people. “Have any of you seen Chuck?”

She no sooner got the words out then she felt two arms wind around her waist and pulled her back. Chuck rested his chin of her shoulder, smiling politely at the adults.

“Chuck,” Harold greeted, extending a hand to his daughter’s boyfriend.

Chuck released Blair long enough to shake Harold’s hand, but quickly went back to keeping his hands firmly settled at Blair’s waist. He turned his face to her ear and asked, “You ready?”

She twisted in his arms. “Is the car here?”

“Around the corner,” Chuck replied. “Serena and Humphrey are already there. Jenny was going to find Nate.”

Blair turned back to her parents with an excited smile. “OK. We’re leaving!”

“Have fun in the Hamptons,” her mother said with an easy smile of her own. “I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

Chuck, Blair, Nate, Jenny, Serena, and even Dan were going to stay at the Bass home in the Hamptons. Eric and Jonathan would meet them when they were finished school for the summer in a few weeks. Blair was looking forward to spending the summer on the beach with her friends, relaxing for a few months before she would begin classes at New York University in September.

Chuck took her hand and began leading her out of the joint auditorium Constance and St. Jude’s used for graduation ceremonies. They were halfway down the aisle when they were joined by Nate and Jenny.

Blair glanced over at the far corner where Penelope, Hazel, and Isabel stood, staring at the four of them as they made their exit.

She snuck a glance at Nate and Jenny, smiling. “Hey, Nate, Penelope’s checking you out.”

Chuck laughed, looking over at his friends.

Jenny made a face, while her boyfriend shrugged and then started to grin. He looked over at Blair. “What can I say? So many ladies, so little time.”

Jenny held back a laugh, mock glaring up at Nate. “Oh, really, huh?”

Nate’s eyes widened as Chuck shook his head, clicking his tongue at Nate’s mistake.

“Jenny, I meant—”

“Yeah, I know what you meant,” she cut in, giving him a smug look. “Feel free to hang out with Penelope. I’ll just give Carter Baizen a call.”

“Don’t you dare,” Nate said, pulling her possessively to his side and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head.

“I’m with Nate,” Chuck agreed, making a disgusted face. “Stay away from Baizen.”

“I was kidding,” Jenny said with a laugh, rolling her eyes and looking to Blair for support.

Blair shrugged, her eyes sparkling as they stepped out into the sunlight. “I don’t know. Carter’s pretty…” she trailed off.

Chuck stopped her short, whirling her around until he was looking her in the eye. “Pretty what?”

She blinked once, slowly starting to grin. “Pretty forgettable. At least, when I’m with you.”

He wound his arms around her waist. “Is that so?”

She nodded, her eyes drifting down to look at his mouth. She licked her lips.

“Guess that means I’ll have to stay close to you,” Chuck drawled out before lowering his lips to hers.

“Forever?” she murmured against his lips.

“Forever,” he agreed confidently before closing his mouth over hers once more.

THE END

AN: Once again, thank you for all the amazing feedback, guys. You have no idea how much I appreciate it, and how much it keeps me writing. An especially big thank you to all my friends at the Modern Fairytale thread at FF: You guys rock and are the heart and soul behind the NJ fanbase.

As for now, I think I may take a little break from writing GG fics. Just a temporary reprieve so I can write some of the other fics bouncing around in my head. But I still think I have one more story left to tell in this series, so we're not done ... yet.

~Iz

This Love, This Hate: Chapter 12

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:20:41 GMT

Title: This Love, This Hate
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny; Chuck/Blair
Rating: PG-13/R
Word Count: 1,302

Read Previous Chapters

Chapter 12

For the second time that day, Chuck stepped off the hospital elevator. As he walked down the hall with Jenny, he felt infinitely calmer than the previous time. He smiled to Nate as his friend approached, his eyes wide as he looked from Chuck to Jenny.

Nate reached for Jenny, pulling her to his side with a questioning look.

“Is she still awake?” Chuck asked softly.

Nate nodded slowly, lacing his fingers with Jenny’s. “Yeah. I think Serena and Eleanor are in with her.”

Jenny touched his shoulder and smiled. “Good luck.”

Chuck glanced over at her, and surprised both Jenny and Nate when he hugged her quickly. “Thanks, Jenny,” he murmured as he released her and headed down the hall.

Nate turned and gave his girlfriend a quizzical look. “What was that about?”

“Chuck and I came to … an understanding,” Jenny told him, still smiling.

“An understanding?” he repeated slowly. “Does this have anything to do with the cryptic text I got about an hour ago?”

She winced and nodded. “Yeah.”

Nate eyed her, watching as she fidgeted nervously. “Is everything OK?”

She looked up at him, meeting his gaze. She sighed, shrugging helplessly. “I really hope it will be.”

***

He could see Eleanor down the hall with the doctor as he rounded the corner to Blair’s room. He hesitated outside her door, his hand hovering inches from the handle. Taking a deep breath he opened the door, mildly surprised to see the seat beside her vacant.

Blair turned her head slowly and looked at him. She hid her initial look of confusion behind a stony façade. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought Serena was here,” he said suddenly, saying the only thing that came to mind.

Blair shrugged with one shoulder. “She just left. I’m sure you can catch her.”

Chuck shut the door and rubbed his forehead. “I didn’t mean … I came to see you.”

“You already saw me,” Blair replied stiffly, her expression smooth and calm. She looked completely unruffled by his sudden reappearance now.

“How are you?” he asked, ignoring her cool tone. He went to the seat beside her bed and sank into it.

“Fine,” she answered, blinking slowly. She watched his hands curl around the end of the armrests. “Why are you here?”

“I think we need to talk,” he started quietly, his gaze intense.

She sighed and shook her head, resigned. “I don’t think we do.”

“We really do,” he murmured. “There’s so much you don’t understand.”

Her eyes snapped up to his, annoyed instantly. “Oh, I think I understand perfectly well. How is Vanessa, by the way?”

“I wouldn’t know,” he replied mildly, leaning back and crossing an ankle over his knee. “She moved out.”

Somewhat deflated, she frowned. “Oh. Well, that’s too bad. What happened?”

“Blair, Vanessa and I … we were never serious. It was just a thing,” he admitted, stumbling for the right words.

“A thing?” she repeated dully. “So moving in and sleeping with Vanessa was just a thing.”

“A distraction,” Chuck amended quickly. “A distraction from what I really wanted.”

“Bullshit.”

His eyes widened, stunned at the curse word that came from her lips. “Blair—”

“I know you, Chuck,” she hissed, leaning forward. “You never do anything you don’t want to do. So to say Vanessa was some pathetic distraction is just … pathetic! Because the real Chuck Bass would never let something distract him from what he really wanted.”

“And normally that’s true,” he conceded, fighting the urge to snap back at her. He met her gaze levelly. “Unless the thing he wants scares the hell out of him.”

Blair blinked several times, her brow creasing. “First? Stop talking about yourself in the third person. It makes my head hurt.”

He smiled and tried not to laugh.

“And second?” She sighed. “You’re not the only one who’s scared.”

“Blair,” he started slowly, his voice rough with emotion, “don’t you get it? I’ve lost everyone I’ve loved. My mother, my father … it’s only a matter of time before I lose you, and I really don’t think I could take that.”

Her features softened with understanding and she reached for him with her good hand. She watched him twist their fingers together. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You don’t know that,” he said stubbornly.

“Sure I do.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah.” She tugged on his hand until he stood up and sat on the bed beside her. She smoothed her thumb over the back of his hand. “I know because I’m me, and you’re you. And that’s enough. It always has been.”

He dropped his head, expelling a hard breath.

“Chuck, I’ve seen you at your absolute worst, and I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere.” Her lips quirked into a sad smile.

He let out a shuddering breath, leaning down until his head rested on her shoulder. She reached up, stroking his hair, just being with him for the moment. Neither of them spoke for the longest time. They simply enjoyed the newfound understanding they had come to.

After several minutes of silence, Chuck sat up, straightening his back. He scowled down at Blair. “This can’t happen again.”

She blinked, confused and amused all at once. “Excuse me?”

He gestured to her laying the bed. “This, Blair. What happened?”

A shadow crossed her face, darkening it for a second. “I just … I don’t know.”

“Blair—”

“I really don’t know, Chuck,” she answered quietly, looking away. She tried to pull her hand back, but he refused to let go. “It was like everything was spinning out of control and this was the one thing that I actually could control.”

He shut his eyes, shaking his head. “This is all my fault.”

“No,” she protested, sitting up.

“If I hadn’t come back and moved in with Vanessa … If I had just told you what was going on …”

“That’s a lot of ifs,” she countered gently. “This is all me, Chuck. Something is wrong with me.”

A faint smile ghosted across his lips as he looked down at her. “You? You’re perfect.”

She blushed, ducking her head slightly. “Not perfect.” She glanced up, her eyes dazzling with mischief. “But I’m pretty close.”

He laughed and kissed the back of her hand. “One of the many things I love about you.”

Blair stiffened, her eyes snapping up to look incredulously at him. “What did you say?”

“What?”

“What you just said,” she said quickly, searching his face. “You said it was one of the things you love about me. You’ve never said that before.”

He smiled slightly. “Said what?”

“Love,” she breathed, her eyes rounded with amazement. She bit her low lip, embarrassed.

Chuck leaned towards her until his forehead rested against hers and he was looking directly into her eyes. “I love you, Blair Waldorf. I think I always have.”

She let out a long breath, her eyes sliding shut. “Thank you.”

He chuckled and raised his eyebrows, incredulous. That wasn’t the exact reaction he had been counting on. “Thank you?”

She gasped, her eyes flying open. Her mouth dropped open, stunned. “I mean, I love you, too!”

He outright laughed now. “I hope so.”

“I really, truly do,” she said sincerely, angling her face so she could kiss him. She raised her good hand, cupping his jaw. She smiled as he shifted his weight so he was closer still.

After a second kiss, Chuck pulled back. “I should go.”

Worried creased her brow. “What? Why?”

He trailed his finger down her jaw line, tracing the outline of her lips. “Because you need your rest. I’ll be back soon.”

Blair watched him stand, her eyes following his every move. “Promise?”

Chuck smiled down at her. “I promise.”

I'm BACK!

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:27:12 GMT

Talk about an awesome vacation. Well, aside from the nasty sunburn, but my pasty pale white Irish ass always burns. Then I tan. But the burn sucks.

Anyway, I didn't have internet access (obviously, or you all would've seen me around), but I did some SERIOUS writing while I was away. I'll be updating my fics in the next few days, as well as posting some new fics I've begun.

Hope everyone had a great week! I'll try and make my rounds to all my boards, LJs, websites, etc. this weekend. Oy. A week is a lot to catch up on.

Also, a big HI to all my new friends! I came back and had a ton of new friending requests, LOL. I love it! :-)

VACATION!

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:45:59 GMT

I'm so excited: I leave for vacation tomorrow when I get off work. A nice, relaxing week on the beaches with awesome outlets for shopping nearby.

I'm taking my laptop so I hope to get some writing done in the evenings and such. My goa is to finish This Love, This Hate while I'm away. I also am crazy excited about these two new fics I've been working on: one is an SPN/SV crossover and the other is a fic based on the movie Push (with Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning). If y'all haven't seen Push - WATCH IT!

So ... see you guys next weekend!

This Love, This Hate: Chapter 11

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:31:20 GMT

Title: This Love, This Hate
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny; Chuck/Blair
Rating: PG-13/R
Word Count: 1,550

Read Previous Chapters

Chapter 11

By the time Jenny made it off the elevator, she was afraid to knock on the door for fear of what she might find.

Was he crazy? Had he really, truly lost his mind this time? Didn’t he see that leaving was the last thing either of them needed? Blair and Chuck had been in a race to outrun the other, all the while never realizing it had put them on a collision course from the beginning.

She had known what he was planning as soon as she watched him head for the bank of elevators, moments before the nurse came and told them Blair was awake. Everyone had hurried to see Blair, but she had hung back. It only took a moment to decide to follow him, but by then she was afraid it was too late.

She had gone to the elevators only to be stopped by Eleanor coming off. She spent precious moments explaining what had happened and that Blair was awake. Eleanor had hurried down the hall, her three inch heels clicking on the linoleum of the floor as she went.

It wasn’t until she was finally in the elevator that she realized she hadn’t told anyone what she was doing. Thanks to the hospital, she knew she had no reception, so she had to wait until she was outside to send Nate a quick text:

Went to find Chuck. Call u soon.

She could only hope it got to him before he started wondering where she was. Or before Chuck left. She didn’t know how successful she would be at stopping Chuck on her own, and having Nate there would definitely help.

But now she was alone, standing in the hallway in front of Chuck’s room, and she was worried about knocking on the door only to find he had just gone straight to the airport.

Jenny sighed and steeled herself, raising her hand to knock. The door flew open, and Vanessa looked just as surprised as Jenny did.

“Hey, Jenny. What … what are you doing here?” Vanessa stammered, thrown by the younger girl’s sudden appearance.

“Is Chuck here?” Jenny demanded, looking over Vanessa’s shoulder.

“Uh, yeah,” Vanessa said after a second. She waved a hand, gesturing for Jenny to come in.

As she stepped over the threshold, she noticed the duffel bag slung over Vanessa’s shoulder. “Going somewhere?”

Vanessa smiled thinly. “Yeah. I found an apartment in Brooklyn with this girl I met at a film festival a few years ago.”

Jenny frowned. “I thought you and Chuck…”

Vanessa’s head dropped and she sighed. “No. Chuck and I aren’t … We were never serious. I needed a place to stay, and he needed a distraction. That was all.”

Jenny blinked, stunned. “I guess we all just thought—”

“Well, you thought wrong,” Vanessa interrupted coolly, readjusting the strap of the bag.

Jenny couldn’t think of anything else to say. She watched as Vanessa stepped through the doorway, and started down the hallway. After a few steps, Vanessa turned back around. She fiddled nervously with the edge of the strap of her bag.

“You know, he loves her, right?”

Jenny looked up at Vanessa, her expression neutral.

“I mean, I always knew that Chuck loved Blair. He was just using me as a cover,” Vanessa explained after a heavy pause. “And contrary to what you all think, I didn’t sleep with Chuck to get back at any of you.”

Jenny’s heart clenched, and for a moment, she saw the girl who had spent countless evenings on the couch with her and Dan, watching movies and eating ice cream by the half gallon. The girl who sat up for five hours one night after Jenny’s fifth grade crush broke her heart by going to the dance with another girl.

Jenny took a small step towards Vanessa. “Vanessa, I—”

Vanessa held up a hand to stop her, a sad smile playing on her lips. “It’s OK, Jenny. And for what it’s worth? I am sorry for how we ended things. Maybe I’ll see you around?”

Jenny shrugged with one shoulder and nodded. “Yeah. Maybe.” She waited until Vanessa was at the elevator before closing the door.

Stepping further into the suite, Jenny looked around for Chuck. She turned a corner and found him in his room, haphazardly throwing clothes into a suitcase.

“Leaving again?” she spoke up as she made it to the door.

Chuck glanced up, mild surprise on his face when he saw her. “What are you doing here?”

“Hopefully stopping you from making a big mistake,” she answered honestly. She leaned one shoulder on the doorframe, watching as he kept moving around the room.

“Don’t,” he ordered, pausing for just a second before heading into the bathroom.

“Don’t what, Chuck? God, don’t you get it?” Jenny came further into the room. “Are you seriously thinking that you’ll help Blair by leaving?”

He came out of the bathroom with a bag of toiletries in hand. He stopped short and glared at her. “I’m not good for Blair. This proves that. If I had never come back—”

“What Blair did is not your fault. And you coming back didn’t set this whole thing in motion, Chuck!” Jenny snapped.

“How can you say that?”

“Easy—I saw what she was like before you came home, and she wasn’t much better off then either,” Jenny retorted, her blue eyes flashing fire. “What will it take for you guys to admit you need each other?”

“Not everyone can be as happy as Nate and Jenny,” Chuck replied, his tone mocking and cruel. “We don’t all get the modern fairytale romance.”

“No, Chuck, not everyone does,” she agreed sardonically, “but how will you know if you never even try?”

“Blair and I aren’t meant to be,” he replied stiffly, shoving the bag into his suitcase and zipping it closed.

Jenny wanted to scream. She wanted to throw something—anything—to make him understand. How could he miss what was right in front of him.

He pulled the suitcase off the bed and started for the door. “Move, Jenny.”

“No.” She folded her arms under her chest, daring him to challenge her with her eyes.

Chuck’s gaze narrowed. “Move.”

“No,” she repeated coolly, adamantly.

“Dammit, Jenny,” he growled, dropping his suitcase on the floor with a muted thud. “Stay out of it.”

“Getting pissed at me isn’t going to make me go away,” she replied firmly. “What will it take for you to get that she needs you as much as you need her? That she loves you as much as you love her?”

He rubbed a hand over his face, weary. “Blair doesn’t need me. What she needs is for me to leave before I ruin her life even more.”

She shook her head slowly. “No. No. Don’t you see how wrong you are?”

“No,” he cut in harshly. “Don’t you see how wrong you are?”

“Chuck—”

“I ruin everything I touch!” he exploded. He stalked away from her and went to the dresser.

Completely baffled, she followed him a few steps into the room. “Chuck, you don’t believe that.”

“Don’t I?” he asked bitterly, staring hatefully at the reflection in the mirror above the dresser. “My mother, my father, and now Blair. I destroy all the people I love.”

Her jaw dropped. “Chuck, what happened to your dad was not your fault. And what happened to Blair isn’t your fault either—she’s sick. She has an illness and she needs treatment for it. Don’t you see that you’re one of the best things in her life?”

“Best thing in her life?” he repeated quietly.

“Yes,” Jenny urged, coming up behind him. “You know, when I first met you, I thought you were an arrogant asshole who only looked out for himself.”

Chuck smirked, staring at their reflections in the mirror. “Thanks, Humphrey.”

“Let me finish,” she said, rolling her eyes. “But in the last few months, I’ve gotten to know you—the real you. The guy who helped me out at a party when some guy wouldn’t leave me alone. The guy goes out of his way to help his friends. The guy who is so bent on protecting the girl he loves, he’s ready to move away from everything he’s known to give her a shot at happiness.”

Chuck let out a long breath, but didn’t say anything.

After a moment, Jenny placed a hand on his shoulder. “Just trust me. Just this once. Blair loves you, and she needs you. Especially now. She’s going to need all of us to get through this, but she’s mostly going to need you.”

“How do you know?” he asked quietly.

“Because I know what it’s like to be in love,” she answered simply. “And if the situation were reversed, you know she would be there for you.”

He turned slowly, a muscle working in his jaw. He swallowed roughly and nodded once. “OK.”

“OK?” She raised her eyebrows.

“OK, let’s go.”

Jenny held her breath. “To the airport?”

Chuck shook his head. “Back to the hospital.”

This Love, This Hate: Chapter 10

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:33:11 GMT

Title: This Love, This Hate
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny; Chuck/Blair
Rating: PG-13/R
Word Count: 1,780

Read Previous Chapters

Chapter 10

The elevator couldn’t move fast enough. As soon as the door chimed open, they were sprinting down the hallway to the nurses’ station, their feet pounding against the tiles of the floor.

Chuck’s hands slapped on the countertop first. “Blair Waldorf,” he barked out, his chest heaving with exertion. “Where is she?”

The nurse looked up at him, stunned, her green eyes wide. She nervously patted her curly red hair and wheeled her chair back a foot. “Sir, if you—”

He sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes narrowing with ill-concealed rage. “Listen, my name is Chuck Bass and I demanded to know where—”

“Nate!”

Nate and Chuck turned together to see Jenny emerging from the waiting room, her face pale and her blue eyes enormous on her face. She took several steps towards them, and Nate closed the distance between them in two long strides. He hauled her against his chest, holding her while the tremors ripped through her body.

“What happened?” Chuck demanded, resisting the urge to tear Jenny away from Nate and shake her. He had been a nervous wreck since Jenny had called Nate, nearly hysterical, saying Blair had collapsed and they were on their way to the hospital.

Jenny sniffed and lifted her head from Nate’s shoulder, but not stepping out of his embrace. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “We were working on the dress and Blair went to the bathroom. She didn’t come back for like twenty minutes. She passed out when she was on the top step.”

“Was she dizzy before that? Has she been sick?” Chuck went on, his heart pulsing hard and heaving in his chest.

“No, I don’t think so,” Jenny replied, trying to think. “Maybe she said her stomach was upset?”

“Think, Jenny,” Chuck urged.

“Hey, ease up, man,” Nate admonished gently, rubbing Jenny’s back. He looked down at his girlfriend. “Has anyone called Eleanor?”

“Yeah,” she said, nodding quickly, her movements jerky. “Dorota did on the way here. I called Serena after I called you. She and Lily are on their way.”

“OK,” Nate said slowly, pressing his lips to her forehead before releasing her. He reached for her hand, linking their fingers. “Has anyone talked to the doctors yet?”

“No. Dorota’s filling out insurance forms, and the doctor should be out soon.”

“I’ll find out what’s taking so long,” Chuck vowed, turning and starting back for the nurses stationed at the front desk. He came up short as Dorota rounded the corner, her expression drawn and weary.

“What happened?” he asked, waiting for Dorota to come to them.

Dorota sniffed and wiped her red-rimmed eyes. “The doctor says Miss Blair has not eaten in a long while. That is why she fell. She hit her head and has concussion. And a dislocated shoulder.”

“Fuck,” Chuck swore harshly, wiping his mouth as his gut twisted. He set his hands on his hips, shaking his head.

Nate squeezed Jenny’s hand when he heard her sharp gasp. “Is she going to be OK?”

“Doctor says that Miss Blair needs to stay here for treatment for her … condition,” Dorota explained, adopting Eleanor’s passive description of Blair’s illness. She looked at Chuck now. “Miss Blair is still unconscious.”

Chuck turned and stalked away, disappearing around a corner.

“Dorota, did you reach Eleanor yet?” Jenny asked quietly.

“Yes. She is coming home now, but it will take her hours. She is in Paris.”

“OK,” Nate murmured, nodding slowly as he let it all sink in. “Is there anything we can do?”

Dorota turned as the elevator opened down the hallway and Serena, Lily, and Dan all got off. She turned back to Nate and Jenny. “Tell Miss Serena and Miss Lily what has happened. I must stay with Miss Blair.”

“Sure thing, Dorota,” Jenny agreed with a nod. She sighed softly as Dorota headed back through the double doors to Blair’s room. She sagged slightly against Nate, looking up at him.

“Let’s go tell Serena,” Nate said quietly.

***

“What the hell were you thinking?” he asked quietly, reaching for her hand.

Chuck stared down at their fingers, smiling dimly at the thought of Blair waking up to him holding her hand. She would freak out, yell, and order him away. And he would gladly go if it meant she was awake and all right.

He swept his gaze over her for the fifth time in as many minutes. There was a dark bruise shading in blacks and purples on her forehead, a cut under her left eye, and her left arm had been immobilized in a sling. And that didn’t begin to touch on the wires and leads that were tucked under her gown, the IV in the back of her hand, and the pulse monitor clipped to her finger.

He sighed softly, glaring at the monitor as it beeped again, keeping time with her heart. He hated the machine and what it represented—that Blair was imperfect and needed it to support her. He found it offensive and disgusting.

Blair—his Blair—was nothing short of amazing.

“You weren’t supposed to do this,” he went on, sweeping his thumb across the back of her hand. “You were supposed to move on.”

He lifted her hands and pressed his lips to the smooth skin. “This wasn’t supposed to happen, Blair.” He lowered his head, resting his arms on his legs and staring the tiles.

Minutes dragged on like hours. Time became meaningless as each hour slid into the next, and he didn’t know how long he sat there until he felt her begin to stir. He eyes snapped up and he leaned forward, her hand still clutched in his.

“Blair? Blair, wake up,” he ordered quietly.

Her eyes fluttered open and he watched the confusion twist her features as she tried to remember where she was.

“You’re in the hospital,” he supplied.

She turned her head and slowly looked at him, her mouth tight. “I fell.”

“Yeah, you fell down the stairs,” he added, his gaze raking over her face. “I should get the doctor.”

“Wait,” she said softly, her expression still muddled and confused. “Why … why are you here?”

He smiled then. “Where else would I be?”

The look of sheer vulnerability that crossed her face was enough to wrench his heart.

“What about Vanessa?” Blair reminded him.

He shook his head. “There is no more Vanessa.” He stood up, placing her hand back on the bed. “I need to go get the doctor, and tell Dorota you’re awake.”

“Dorota’s here?” She was becoming more aware now, looking around the room and trying to sit up.

“She’s in the lobby with Nate, Jenny, Serena, Lily, and Dan. Your mom’s plane should be landing soon.”

“My mom’s coming home?” Blair was stunned. “Everyone’s here?”

“Of course she is. And everyone’s been waiting for you to wake up.”

“Oh.” She leaned back, blinking slowly.

“Blair, I’m going to get the doctor, OK?” He started for the door.

“OK,” she murmured, watching him go.

Chuck opened the door and crossed the threshold, not bother to close it. He grabbed a nurse in the hall and told her Blair was awake. The nurse hurried off to get Blair’s doctor, but he didn’t wait around for that.

He took a turn at the nurses’ station and bypassed the waiting room where his friends were. They would know soon enough she was awake. He started for the elevators, waiting impatiently until the doors opened and he stepped inside the car.

It was time Chuck Bass left New York for good.

MEME!!!!

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:56:41 GMT

So, a meme... new friend or old friend, this is your chance to get to know me a little better. Here's how it works:

1. Comment and ask me 5 questions. They can be simple or complicated and you can ask me anything and I will answer it.
2. Repost so I can ask YOU 5 questions.

This Love, This Hate: Chapter 9

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:46:37 GMT

Title: This Love, This Hate
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny; Chuck/Blair
Rating: PG-13/R
Word Count: 1,780
Author's Note: If you haven't read it yet, check out Sparks by youfadesofast . It's an incredible N/J fic that I'm completely in love with.

Read Previous Chapters

Chapter 9

“Can we talk?”

Blair didn’t bother pausing as she headed down the street, grateful another day at school had slipped by into oblivion. She forced her chin parallel to the sidewalk and kept going, ignoring the annoyed growl that escaped his clenched teeth when she went by.

“Dammit, Blair—” His hand reached out, catching her elbow.

Blair spun sharply, jerking her arm away with much more force than was needed. Chuck rocked back on his heels, a muscle popping in his jaw as he ground his teeth.

“What do you want?” she demanded, her voice cool and wooden, emotionless.

“I want to … talk,” he said, weakly. Suddenly he didn’t look so sure of himself. He gestured to the waiting limo a few feet away. “Can I give you a ride?”

“No,” she replied flatly, looking away.

He exhaled hard. “OK, then. I just wanted to make sure you were OK.”

“OK?” she repeated stiffly, swinging her gaze back over to his. She arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “You wanted to make sure I was OK?”

He took a step back, a shadow crossing his face. “Blair, I—”

“Save it,” she snapped, the words coming out in a hiss between clenched teeth. “I do not want nor do I need your concern. Don’t you have a slut to be servicing right now?”

He swallowed hard, trying not to retaliate, but she was making it harder by the second. “I was trying to be adult about this.”

Her hand cracked across his jaw before he could start the next sentence. She stared down at the offending appendage, wondering when it had started acting of its own volition.

Chuck’s eyes widened and he rubbed his face.

Blair found her voice first: “Don’t you dare tell me how adult you’re being!” Her tone raised with each word until she was nearly shouting, not bothering to take notice of the swell of students that were now standing and staring at them. She was beyond caring.

“I cannot believe you hit me!” he shouted back. “What the hell is your problem?”

“My problem?” she all but shrieked, eyes wild.

“Yes, Blair,” he ground out, glaring at her. “I’m not sure what the hell is wrong with you—”

“What the hell is going on?” Nate’s voice cut through their yelling. Both turned to see their friend standing only a foot away, flanked by Jenny and Serena. All three wore matching expressions of astonishment.

Serena moved around Nate, going for Blair. “Blair, let’s just go, OK?”

“Get off me!” Blair hissed, yanking her arm away from Serena’s hold. She stumbled a step in her heels.

“See?” Chuck looked at Nate and gestured to Blair. “She’s crazy!”

“Chuck!” Jenny and Nate snapped together.

“You aren’t helping right now,” Jenny added, quieter now. She looked at Chuck, her eyes pleading with him to shut up.

“Oh, I’m crazy?” Blair spun, her hair flying wildly around her face. She pushed it away, impatient, as Serena stepped into her field of vision. “S, would you—”

“No, B, I won’t,” Serena said softly, worriedly. Her eyes flickered nervously around the growing crowd of people. “You need to calm down. People are staring.”

“Since when does Serena van der Woodsen care about people staring?” Blair scoffed, her tone vicious.

“Blair,” Jenny tried, coming around to stand next to the brunette. “Let’s go somewhere and talk, all right?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Blair announced, her expression daring Chuck to challenge her.

“Fine,” he finally said, throwing his arms up in exasperated defeat. “I’ll leave then.”

“It’s what you do best,” Blair replied with a mocking smile.

“You know what?” Chuck took a step towards her and was intercepted by Nate, who grabbed his arm and forcefully hauled him back three feet.

“Enough!” Nate snapped, shaking his friend. “Walk away, man.”

Chuck shrugged out of Nate’s hold and turned on his heel, stalking down the street. Nate turned and shrugged once at Jenny before taking off after Chuck.

Serena glared at the people openly gawking at them. “Ok, show’s over, people!” she shouted, waving them on. It took a moment, but the crowd began to disperse.

“Blair, what was that?” Jenny asked quietly.

“He’s an ass!” Blair snapped, breathing hard.

“Yeah, we all know that,” Serena agreed easily, nodding. “But—”

“Whatever,” Blair interrupted, shrugging her shoulders. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Serena and Jenny exchanged worried glances before looking back at their friend. Blair’s hands were shaking and she was definitely not OK. There was a haunted, vacant look in her eyes. Eyes that were ringed with dark circles.

“Why don’t we go get something to eat?” Serena suggested, trying to keep her tone upbeat. She forced a bright, toothy smile on her face.

Blair ignored her and looked at Jenny. “Are you ready to go?”

“Um … sure,” Jenny agreed softly, glancing once at Serena.

“Where are you going?” Serena asked, looking from one to the other.

“My place,” Blair explained in a rush, already moving to the street to hail a cab. “Jenny’s designing my prom dress, remember? We need to work on it.”

“Do you want me to come?” Serena offered, hopeful.

“No need,” Blair said, completely dismissive and oblivious to the pained expression that crossed her best friend’s face. The cab pulled to the curb and she opened the door, turning expectantly to Jenny. “Coming?”

“Yeah,” Jenny said quickly, moving forward with an apologetic smile to Serena. She got into the cab after Blair and sat back as it sped away.

***

“I can’t believe you got into a screaming match with Blair in front of the entire school!” Nate snapped as he let himself and Chuck into his apartment. He dropped his backpack and headed for the bar, needing a drink.

“She—”

“She is a mess, in case you haven’t noticed, Chuck!” Nate spat, turning sharply to fix his best friend with a glare. “Did you even think this through?”

“Think what through, Nathaniel?” Chuck’s voice took on a decidedly petulant tone, his eyes narrowing with annoyance.

“Did you honestly expect Blair would be able to handle not only you rejecting her, but finding out you’re sleeping with Vanessa?” Nate hissed, his blue eyes flashing dangerously. He reached for the bottle of bourbon and sloshed some into a tumbler. He downed it in one rough swallow.

Chuck sighed and deflated somewhat. “I didn’t … Vanessa and I … I never meant to hurt her.”

“Well, you did,” Nate replied stiffly, setting the glass down. “And for what it’s worth? You hurt me, too.”

“How did I hurt you?”

“You know my history with Vanessa,” Nate answered, shaking his head. “You know how I feel about her.”

“I really didn’t think me screwing Vanessa would be a big deal to you. What? Are you saying you still have feelings for her?”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Nate retorted, his face twisting into a look of disgust. “I love Jenny, and we’re happy. What I mean is that you know, better than most, how many problems Vanessa caused for me and Jenny.”

Chuck moved the couch and sat down, resting his elbows on his thighs and tenting his fingers. He stared blankly ahead, slowly shaking his head. “I truly never meant to hurt anyone.”

“But you did,” Nate said, his tone softer, kinder. “You didn’t care how living with Vanessa would affect me or Blair—you only thought of you.”

“No,” Chuck started, shaking his head with more insistency. He looked up at Nate from across the room. “I wanted to help Blair. Vanessa was just … convenient.”

“How does sleeping with Vanessa translate to helping Blair?”

“I figured if Blair thought I moved on, she would, too,” Chuck muttered. “I never thought I would come home and she’d be…”

“Waiting?” Nate supplied, moving to the overstuffed arm chair adjacent his friend. He sat down and sighed. “Chuck, Blair loves you.”

“She seemed pretty emphatic about her hate of me today,” Chuck retorted bitterly.

“You hurt her,” Nate reminded him, “and Blair doesn’t handle being hurt very well. She lashes out. It’s how she protects hers.”

Chuck nodded slowly, letting Nate’s words sink in.

“Just the way you protected yourself by moving in with Vanessa when you came home,” Nate finished quietly.

Chuck’s head swung in his direction, immediately balking. “I—”

Nate held up a hand, stopping him. “Chuck, you forget that I know you. Anytime someone—especially Blair—gets too close, you shut down. You emotionally retreat. Like you did last summer when you and Blair were supposed to go to Italy. This thing with Vanessa is no different.”

Chuck rubbed his eyes, but stayed silent.

“You admitted to me that you loved Blair last year. Are you saying you don’t love her now?”

He had no answer. Chuck leaned back and stared up at the ceiling, thinking.

Nate let out a long breath. “You have to stop pushing her away. Sooner or later you’re going to push her too far and you won’t be able to get her back.”

***

Jenny set the sketchpad down on the coffee table and glanced for the tenth time at the stairs. Blair had been up there for nearly twenty minutes now, and she was considering going after her. They had only worked on the dress design for five minutes when Blair announced she needed a bathroom break.

Jenny stood up, stretching as Dorota came around the corner with a tray piled with tea and cookies.

“I bring snack for you and Miss Blair, Miss Jenny,” Dorota said with a trademark smile.

Jenny grinned at the older woman, snagging a peanut butter cookie from the tray as the maid set it down. “Dorota, I told you—it’s just Jenny.”

“Yes, Miss Jenny,” Dorota said, her eyes twinkling.

Jenny could only laugh as the maid headed back for the kitchen. She heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up to see Blair there.

Jenny moved to the foyer, smiling. “There you are! I thought you got lost or something.”

Blair hesitated at the top step by the landing, her fingers curling around the banister as she bowed her head.

Jenny lowered the cook from her mouth, her eyes narrowing with worry. “Blair? Are you—”

Before she could finish the sentence, Blair tumbled—head first—down the marble stairs. She fell until hard, her body hitting each step on the way down. Finally her body crumpled into a heap at the bottom. She didn’t move.

Conversations #2: Oh, Baby

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:04:35 GMT

Title: Conversations #2: Oh, Baby
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing(s): Chuck/Jenny (friendship), Jenny/Nate, Chuck/Blair
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 750
Author's Note: This is a post-series fic. It's in the same 'verse as Can't Stay Away and This Love, This Hate. It's a series of conversations between Chuck and Jenny after both fics have taken place. I've never attempted a dialogue fic before, and I'd appreciate any and all feedback. :-)

Oh, Baby

Conversations #2

“What the hell is this?”

“Sure, Chuck, come on in. I do so love when you barge into my room.”

“I’m serious, Jenny. What the hell is this?”

“That? That looks like a pregnancy test to me.”

“Thank you, I got that much. Why the hell was it in the bathroom?”

“Because people don’t take pregnancy tests in the living room? And why are you going through the trash in the bathroom? That’s kinda pervy—even for you.”

“I saw it when I was in there. Don’t change the subject.”

“Wait—you think it’s mine? Oh, my God.”

“Are you telling me it’s not?”

“Not unless I sleepwalked to the drug store and took a pregnancy test before I woke up. No, Chuck, it isn’t mine.”

“Then who’s is it?”

“Do I look like the pregnancy test police? It’s not like I’m the only woman living here. Hell, Blair was here yesterday with Serena—maybe it’s hers.”

“That’s not funny.”

“OK, you’re right. It’s not funny. But it isn’t mine. Did you ask Serena or Lily?”

“No.”

“So you immediately assumed if someone was knocked up it was me? Thanks.”

“You’re sure you’re not pregnant?”

“Do you want me to hand over my half-empty box of tampons? Don’t make that face—you asked for it.”

“Then I wonder who it is.”

“Is it positive?”

“I didn’t look.”

“How the hell did you not … Whatever. Give it to me.”

“So? Is it positive?”

“It’s a blue line.”

“That means yes?”

“That means I don’t know without the box it came in. There are different tests. Some tests a blue line is yes. Sometimes you need a pink line. Some you need two lines. Sometimes a positive symbol…”

“Do I want to know how you know about all these different pregnancy tests?”

“Probably not.”

“Fine. So how do we figure out who’s test that one is?”

“We could do a DNA test on it!”

“I’m serious, Jenny.”

“Chuck, maybe you should accept that this is none of your business and leave it alone.”

“What if it is Blair’s? She was here almost all day yesterday. And if she was going to take a pregnancy test, I bet she would tell Serena.”

“If it is Blair’s, you have to trust her to tell you when she’s ready.”

“Trust Blair?”

“Why is it such a foreign concept for you to trust the girl you love?”

“Because she’s Blair.”

“I see your point.”

“Should I ask her?”

“Ask her? Hell, no! Are you insane?”

“Then what do I do?”

“Look, if you ask her and it is hers, she’s going to think you were snooping. If you ask her and it isn’t hers, she’ll drive everyone crazy trying to find out who it is. Either way isn’t fun for you or me. I vote you leave it alone.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

“I usually am.”

“It isn’t Blair’s test.”

“What? How did you—”

“I asked her.”

“I thought you said I shouldn’t ask her.”

“Exactly. I said you shouldn’t ask her. It’s one thing for your boyfriend to shove a pregnancy test under your nose and ask if it’s yours. It’s another thing for your friend to ask out of concern.”

“You’ve been hanging out with Blair too long. You’re almost as manipulative as she is.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I like it.”

“You would.”

“That still leaves the mystery of who’s test that is.”

“It’s Eric’s.”

“What?”

“Yeah. Apparently he and his science partner were doing a project on the validity of pregnancy tests. He thought he cleaned them all up. She took like five tests. Four said she wasn’t pregnant, and one said she is.”

“So she’s pregnant?”

“No. She’s a virgin, so unless it was an immaculate conception…”

“I see.”

“So you were freaked out all day over nothing.”

“I wouldn’t say nothing. I mean, a guy finds a pregnancy test in the trash and he immediately goes to the worst case scenario. It biology.”

“But you came to me first. Not Blair. So are you saying that me being pregnant would be the worst case scenario?”

“Absolutely.”

“Wow. I think I’m … touched. You know, that you would worry about me.”

“Actually I was thinking that the last thing the world needs right now is another Humphrey.”

Conversations #1: Implications

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:44:31 GMT

Title: Conversations #1: Implications
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing(s): Chuck/Jenny (friendship), Jenny/Nate, Chuck/Blair
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 870
Author's Note: This is a post-series fic. It's in the same 'verse as Can't Stay Away and This Love, This Hate. It's a series of conversations between Chuck and Jenny after both fics have taken place. I've never attempted a dialogue fic before, and I'd appreciate any and all feedback. :-)

Implications

A Chuck & Jenny Conversation: #1

“Just admit it: you missed me.”

“Yeah. Like I missed a venereal disease.”

“That hurts, J.”

“Truth usually does.”

“Big plans with Nate tonight?”

“I think we’re just hanging out. Watching a movie or something. Why?”

“Blair got these tickets to a play. Eleanor and Cyrus were supposed to go, but they backed out.”

“So, you’re asking if Nate and I want to go?”

“Well, it’s you and Nate or she’ll ask Serena and Dan. Of the Humphreys, I prefer you.”

“Thanks. I think.”

“Consider it a compliment. I used to hate you all.”

“Chuck, I really don’t think you even know what a compliment is.”

“Sure I do.”

“Oh, really?”

“I told you I preferred you to Dan. That’s a compliment.”

“You hate Dan. Saying you prefer me to Dan is like saying you prefer sunshine to a monsoon. They’re two different things. And then you twist it around by saying you used to hate my family.”

“Yes. I used to. As in I don’t anymore. I really don’t get why you’re so mad.”

“You can be such a dumbass.”

“So are you coming or not?”

“I guess so. As long as Nate doesn’t mind.”

“Why would he mind?”

“We don’t exactly get to spend a lot of time together. He might want to stay in. You know, just the two of us.”

“You live thirty minutes apart by train. Blair and I see each other less than that, and we’re going out.”

“Yeah, but Nate’s at Columbia and I’m at F.I.T. so it makes it hard. Our schedules never work out … Oh, I’m sorry. Am I boring you?”

“Yes, actually. If I wanted to hear about your relationship troubles, I’d ask.”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from the guy who called me up in a panic two weeks ago because he thought he messed things up permanently with Blair.”

“That was different.”

“Was not.”

“Was too.”

“Oh, please. You called me up, asking me to talk to her since she hung up every time you called. And I did. I never asked to be put in the middle of your relationship issues, but you had no problem whatsoever begging for my help.”

“OK, first off? I didn’t beg.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Fine. If that’s the story you’re going with…”

“And second … Don’t roll your eyes.”

“You totally begged me!”

“I did not. I would never—”

“OK, OK! Secondly, what? You’re an insensitive ass that couldn’t remember your six-month anniversary?”

“How was I supposed to know she would make such a big deal? And it’s not like I ever had an anniversary with a girl before Blair. I figured the one year anniversary was the big one. Who celebrates six months?”

“Blair does, and your forgetfulness isn’t an excuse. Besides, she hinted for weeks that she wanted to do something big and elaborate. And you completely forgot.”

“I had a huge chemistry test I was cramming for. Stop laughing, Jenny.”

“I’m sorry! It’s just the thought of you studying… I thought you paid your minions to take tests for you.”

“If you’re referring to the SATs, that was one time. I can take tests for myself.”

“Sure, Chuck. Whatever you say. Doesn’t change the fact that I saved your ass.”

“OK, OK. I’m grateful for your help with Blair. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“So, are you coming with us or not?”

“Didn’t I already answer that?”

“Not really. You said you were going to check with Nate.”

“Well maybe if you left my room so I could call him…”

“You need me to leave before you call him? Is this some kinky, phone sex type—”

“Chuck!”

“Ow! Dammit, Jenny. I can’t believe you threw a hairbrush at me.”

“Then don’t say stuff like that!”

“Fine. I’m going.”

“Good. It’s about time.”

“You know, you’re one of the few people in this place I can actually tolerate for more than five seconds.”

“There you go again…”

“What?”

“The back-handed compliments. Whatever. I guess I should be used to it by now.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Ugh. Remind me again when you’re going back to school?”

“I’m only home for the weekend. But I thought you liked having me around.”

“Please. Lily and my dad are gone for the week, and you, Eric, and Dan are all home. I thought it was bad enough having one brother.”

“So you’re saying I’m like your brother?”

“I’m saying you’re as annoying as my brother. There’s just too much testosterone in this place right now. Now, can you please leave me alone? I’ll call Nate in a minute.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll leave you to your … phone call.”

“You are so lucky I don’t have anything else I can throw at you within reach.”

“What? All I said—”

“Yeah, yeah. I heard what you said. I’m referring to what you implied.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know what? I changed my mind.”

“Huh?”

“Have fun at the theatre with Serena and Dan. Nate and I are staying in by ourselves. And yes—I meant it exactly the way it sounded and implied.”

This Love, This Hate: Chapter 8

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:04:41 GMT

Title: This Love, This Hate
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny; Chuck/Blair
Rating: PG-13/R
Word Count: 1,439

Read Previous Chapters

Chapter 8

She knew it was inevitable, knew it was going to ultimately be unavoidable, but Jenny still came up short when she opened the door to the loft and saw Vanessa and Dan laughing in the kitchen. Her arms laden with bolts of fabric, she kicked the door shut with a booted foot and watched them for a moment, dumbfounded by the eerie sense of déjà vu that swept over her.

Dan noticed her first. His smile slipped a few notches. He looked decidedly nervous. “Hey, Jen.”

Vanessa turned on the barstool, her eyes still sparkling from laughter. She gave Jenny a courteous smile that dimpled her face. “Hey, Jenny.”

At that moment, Jenny was positive she would have slapped the smug look off Vanessa’s pretty face if she didn’t have her hands full. As it were, all she could manage was a glare as she stalked by the two of them, making a point to stomp her heels as hard as she could on the floor.

“Dammit,” Dan muttered, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Vanessa.”

“It’s OK,” Vanessa said sweetly, swinging her legs around and sliding off the barstool. She gave Dan a smile and a helpless little shrug. “Let me talk to her.”

Jenny dropped all the fabric onto her bed in an unceremonious heap, her hands shaking. She heard the end of their conversation and turned, waiting for Vanessa to enter her room.

“Can I come in?” Vanessa asked, leaning on the doorframe. Her face was the picture of innocence.

“No,” Jenny replied coolly, barely glancing up. She went to the other side of her bed and lifted Max from the pen she had constructed to keep the puppy from getting into trouble while she was out. He licked her face, delighted to see her.

A smirk ghosted across Vanessa’s lips and she came in anyway, clasping her hands in front of her. “Cute dog. When did you get—”

“Nate bought him for me. For Christmas,” Jenny interrupted, staring blandly at Vanessa. “Is there something you wanted?”

“Guess friendship is out of the question?”

Jenny snorted and shook her bangs out of her face. “Do I even need to dignify that with an answer?”

“Look, Jenny—”

“No, you look,” Jenny started, her voice shaking with anger as she stepped closer to Vanessa. “You want to run around and mess up my life, then fine. But leave Blair and Chuck alone.”

Vanessa tilted her head to one side, amused. “Typical, Jenny, always thinking it’s all about you.”

“You expect me to believe you have real feelings for Chuck? That you aren’t sleeping with my boyfriend’s best friend to try and worm your way back into our lives?”

Vanessa grinned, showing a row of even, white teeth. “Sex isn’t always about love, Jenny.”

“Said the skank,” Jenny muttered, rubbing Max’s head.

Vanessa sighed loudly, frustrated. “You know, I was ready to bury the hatchet.”

“Maybe I’m not,” Jenny countered, moving forward even more. Her eyes glittered with fury. “Stay the hell away from my friends.”

“Since when is Blair Waldorf your friend? She practically ruined your life last year, remember?”

“Things change,” Jenny said with a one-shouldered shrug. She placed Max back in his pen. “I mean, I used to say you were one of my best friends.”

Dan moved into the doorway then, looking nervously between the two girls. He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, forcing himself to smile. “Well, I don’t see bloodshed,” he started, joking lightly. He paused when Jenny glared at him.

Vanessa turned slowly, her smile angelically apologetic to Dan. “Look, maybe us hanging out was a bad idea.”

Dan frowned and came into the room. “No, no. It’s … OK.” He glanced at his sister quickly.

Jenny clicked her tongue against her teeth and grabbed her purse from her bed. “No, please. You stay, Vanessa. I’ll go.” She stormed across the length of the loft, slamming the front door in her wake.

***

Nate rubbed a hand over his face as he unlocked the door to his apartment. He was exhausted. He had a ten-page term paper due in less than a week he had yet to start because he was running around trying to do damage control for his friends.

And really, what the hell was Chuck thinking?

Nate had spent the last hour at Blair’s penthouse talking to a very worried Dorota. The loyal maid had seen the changes in her young charge and was becoming more and more concerned. To the point she was going to call Eleanor home from Vienna if Blair didn’t snap out of it soon.

Nate tossed his keys onto the table by the door. At least he had the penthouse to himself tonight. His mother was at Grandfather’s for the week, which left him free to do whatever he pleased. He had a feeling the evening would include Jenny, a movie, and some form of takeout.

He kicked off his shoes in the hallway, not bothering to put them away. He headed for his bedroom and froze when he made it to the threshold. After a moment a slow smile curved on his lips.

Jenny’s back was to the door and she was lying on her side in the bed. The TV was on and she appeared to be watching a rerun of a trashy teen soap that had somehow made it into syndication on a cable station. He had given her a set of keys to the apartment shortly after moving in and told her to make herself at home whenever she wanted.

“Well this is a pleasant surprise,” Nate said by way of greeting, closing the door behind him as he came in.

Jenny turned off the TV but didn’t roll over. She stayed fixed in the same position and his stomach clenched with worry almost instantly. He knew her almost as well as he knew himself, and her lack of a greeting either meant he was in serious trouble or something was really wrong.

He went around the side of the bed quickly, his eyes widening when he saw the tears falling steadily, silently down her cheeks.

“Jen, what happened?” he asked quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed. He touched the small of her back and watched as she moved closer, putting her head on his leg, fisting her hand in his jeans. She turned her face into the denim and kept crying, her shoulders shaking with the effort now.

Alarm slammed through him as he stroked her hair. When he had been with Blair, tears had been a normal part of their relationship. Blair thrived on the drama, and had once even confessed she loved how cathartic crying could be.

Jenny wasn’t like that. He knew she would rather go someplace by herself and lick her wounds in private without anyone around to stare or judge. He had only seen her cry a few times in the last two years.

“Jenny,” he started after giving her several moments, “what’s going on?”

She drew in a long, shuddering breath and pushed herself up on one hand until she was more eye level with him. She sniffed and blinked, her eyes red and swollen. “Vanessa.”

He stiffened visibly, his eyes narrowing. “Did she say something to you?”

She laughed weakly, bitterly, and wiped her eyes. “No. No, nothing like that. Not really, anyway. She was just at the loft today when I got home. Just sitting there on the damn barstool with Dan like the last five months hadn’t happened. Like she isn’t living with Chuck.”

Nate smoothed a hand over the top of her head, tucking a lock of hair behind one ear. “I’m sorry.”

She leaned into his touch, welcoming it. “I just needed to get out of there. This was the only place I could think of coming.”

He couldn’t hide his smile. “I’m glad. That’s why I gave you the key, you know.” His grin widened as he looked over her slowly. “Besides, I’ll never complain about coming home to find you in my bed.”

She tossed her head back and laughed, winding her arms around his neck and pulling him down. “Good. I think you’re stuck with me for a while.”

He covered her lips with his mouth, taking his time with the kiss. He settled his hands on her hips, pulling her against him until she was straddling his lap. Breathing hard, he pulled back and looked at her, his eyes dark and half-closed.

“I definitely think that’s something I can handle.”

Job Update

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:06:43 GMT

Just thought I'd let y'all know that I didn't get the job I interviewed for last month. Unfortunately there was one other applicant who had a bit more experience than I did, and they got the job.

However, Mark (my interviewer) told me I did a great job and they were very impressed with me, and would like to call me if another position opens up. Silver lining, right?

This Love, This Hate: Chapter 7

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:04:14 GMT

Title: This Love, This Hate
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny; Chuck/Blair
Rating: PG-13/R
Word Count: 1,338
Author's Note: So sorry for the lack of updates. Hopefully now that it's summer, things will ease up and I can write more.

Read Previous Chapters

Chapter 7

One Week Earlier

The biggest problem with trying to remain inconspicuous was that Chuck had built his life around being conspicuous. Which was why he found himself smack in the middle of an underpriced coffee bar in lower Manhattan, being waited on by a girl who had more tattoos than visible skin.

In truth he could have made the coffee back at his suite at the Ritz-Carlton, but why waste time making what he could afford to buy? Besides, being holed up for the last three days in what the Ritz declared a deluxe suite was making his head throb. He needed the fresh air, and the relief.

Chuck took a tentative drink of the black coffee, slightly grimacing at the bitter liquid. He had stopped adding sweetener to his coffee somewhere between Milan and London, favoring the crude, raw taste the plain coffee left in his mouth. He needed the edge.

He was pushing through the main glass door when he collided with a smaller, more pliant body than his own. He twisted on instinct to avoid dousing her with the coffee, biting back a roar of pain when the scalding liquid poured like an amber waterfall onto his hand.

“Shit,” he hissed, dropping the cup. It fell to the sidewalk, the coffee beginning a slow dribble towards the sewer at the corner.

“Sorry,” the raspy, but distinctly feminine voice replied. Her voice was thisclose to being truly apologetic.

“It’s—” The words died on his lips as they hooked up, creeping into a smirk. “Well, well. Miss Abrams.”

Vanessa eyes narrowed, her expression somewhere between frigid and lethal. “Chuck Bass. Don’t you have your own coffee shop to go to?”

Another heavy sigh, this one tinged with exasperation. “I wanted to see how the other half lived.”

Her eyes glittered with the promise of a fight. “And?”

He shrugged lazily, his eyes wandering with disdain around the cracked streets. “It’s about as dull as I expected it would be.” His eyes slid smoothly to hers. “And it keeps getting duller by the moment.”

Her jaw clenched, her teeth grinding almost audibly. “Well, I won’t stop you from moving on to more exciting things.” She started to step around him, her cheeks flushed with anger.

“Guess that means I won’t be seeing you there?” Chuck couldn’t resist the goad. He kept his back to her, waiting for Vanessa to stalk back around him, planting herself in front of him. Fury rolled over her body in waves.

“What the hell does that mean?”

Chuck smiled slowly, his eyes raking over her. “Have you finally moved past your obsession with my best friend?”

Vanessa’s jaw dropped open for a second, and then it snapped shut. “I am not—”

“Please,” Chuck laughed, shaking his head. “Denying it only makes you seem all the more desperate.”

She visibly flinched. “And you’re one to talk?”

He waited patiently, enjoying the anticipation. He needed a good fight. Things had been far too complacent recently, and Vanessa was a decent verbal sparring partner.

“Like you haven’t been off pining for the Ice Queen?” she scoffed. The corner of her mouth hooked up in a sneer. “Oh, that’s right. You’ve been in mourning.” She spat the word like an insult, watching him freeze as it hit home.

Chuck took two steps closer to her, his eyes dark with fury. “You know nothing—”

“Just like you know nothing about me and Nate,” she cut in harshly, her tone ruthless and raw.

He licked his lips. “I know he enjoys Jenny. The things he’s told me about her …” His gaze swept over her once more, long and lingering. “But then, he never did sleep with you, did he?”

He heard the crack of her open palm against his cheek moments before he felt the sharp sting. He welcomed the pain, embraced it for what it was. He had been numb for too long. He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “Maybe I underestimated you, Abrams. Maybe you do have a little fire to you.”

Her eyes flashed brilliantly in the sunlight, polished sapphires. “You have no idea.”

A muscle in his jaw jumped, twitched. Without warning, he reached out, hauling her body against him. They collided, the impact hard enough to make them both stumble a step. He lowered his lips to hers without a second thought, the force of the kiss bruising.

Vanessa pulled back suddenly, abruptly twisted out of his hold. She slapped him again, this time hard enough to rock him back against the brick wall of the coffee shop. The brick and mortar cut into his back and hands.

He watched, breathing hard, as a shadow crossed her face. He could see the warring emotions as they battled it out in her eyes. It was hard to see who was winning.

Still he waited, watching her without seeing her. She was a means to an end, and they both knew it. The question was, did she care?

Vanessa took a confident step forward and reached up, fisting her hands in his hair and pulling him down to her level. Her breath whispered across his lips for a moment. “This means nothing,” she warned.

“Agreed,” he muttered before closing the centimeters between them.

***

Now

Vanessa sank into the plush armchair and crossing her bare legs, a glass tumbler of vodka in one hand. She arched an eyebrow and watched as Chuck walked back into the room. “She’s gone?”

Chuck nodded, distracted. “Yeah.”

Her lips quirked into something akin to a smirk. “Wow. I didn’t think she’d fold so easily.” She took a small drink.

“Shut up,” he replied darkly, walking to the wet bar and pouring himself a drink.

She snorted. “Did I hit a nerve?”

He downed the Scotch, single malt, in one gulp. He slammed the tumbler into the countertop before turning and glaring at her. “Blair’s off limits.”

Vanessa shook her head and sighed. She swirled the clear liquid in her glass. “Did you think she wouldn’t find out about this? Us?”

“I wanted to be the one to tell her.”

“No, you didn’t,” Vanessa countered with a chuckle, still smiling. She looked smug and completely at ease.

Chuck grimaced. “Yes, I—”

“Chuck, please,” she cut in, rolling her eyes. “If you wanted to tell her, you would have gone to her this morning and not Nate. You would have told her you got back in town last week, and that I was living with you.”

“Temporarily,” he amended. “You’re moving out.”

She sighed loudly, annoyed. “If you want Blair, then go after her, Chuck. But don’t act like you’re a victim in this—you asked me to move in.”

“Because it seemed like the easiest thing at the time,” he snapped. “This thing isn’t serious.”

She made a face. “God, she really got to you, didn’t she?”

He glowered at her and started forward towards the bedroom. He needed a shower.

Vanessa stood slowly, fluidly, putting herself directly in his path. “Chuck, I know what we are, OK? And I’m not … changing the rules of the game, as it were. We both agreed it that we’re strictly no strings attached. And for the record? I’ve put in applications at several apartment buildings. I’ll be out of here sooner rather than later.”

He smiled thinly. “Need any good references?”

She smirked. “Got it covered, thanks.” She lifted her hands to her collar, slowly sliding the button through the hole.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice low and gravelly as he watched her hands.

Several more buttons and she let the shirt slide from her body. “Giving you what you want.”

Chuck let her wind her arms around his neck, let his lips find hers. His hands went to her waist, his motions mechanical even as he felt his body responding to her touch. But it was just biology.

Somehow he didn’t think this was what he wanted at all.

Where has the time gone?

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:25:54 GMT

Has it seriously been a nearly a month since I updated?

Damn,,,

Updates of most of my fics will be coming soon. Promise!

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