Disclaimer: Let's see Cecily owns the books and the producers own the show. I don't happen to be either. You can guess if GG belongs to me now! (Hint: it doesn't)

Author's note: I was just in the mood to write this. My first GG oneshot! Enjoy! Warning- mature content. M just in case.


Can you keep it?

~.~

"Oh my god this is so good!" Serena said when Chuck walked over.

"Well if you're looking for a way to thank, I've got a couple ideas." He replied, as eager with innuendos as she remembered him to be. They didn't use to be directed towards her all the time back then. She'd turned him down enough times for him to stop being serious about his offers.

"It's a sandwich Chuck." She dismissed, raising her eyebrows. When she took another bite, keeping her eyes on him, he made another move by placing one hand on her bare thigh casually.

That was the line. She gave out a short laugh. "Okay this is," She shook her head unbelieving, wiping her hands on a napkin and pushing away the one on her knee. "This is not happening right now."

"Worried Nate will find out?" He asked her, playing his trump card.

She just kept looking at him, her expression frozen in place until he gave her 'you're really gonna play dumb' look by raising her eyebrow. Did she really think she was going to get away it? Even if he hadn't seen the act himself by chance, Nate would probably tell someone. Chuck was surprised he hadn't till now. It was only a matter of time though before the secret got out but Serena might not be able to admit that. Knowledge is power and he was going to squeeze all the juice he could out of this one.

"What?" She prompted softly, finally being able to get a word out.

"Last year. The Shepard wedding," He allowed as she continued to look him in the eye. "You think I don't know why you left town."

His words involved a flashback of that night. Her face grew less amused and more worried.

"Best friend and the boyfriend. That's pretty classy S," He commented, snapping her out of it. "I think you're more like me then you'd admit." His lips pulled up into a slight smirk.

Maybe there was a truth to his words she couldn't face. She became flustered. "No that was then I- I'm trying to change." It was almost like she was pleading for him to believe her and that meant she didn't fully believe it herself. If she was looking for encouragement, then she couldn't have picked a worse place to search.

"I liked you better before." He breathed and he meant it. He liked the old Serena, the party girl who knew how to have a good time. "But I don't know if a certain Waldorf will when she hears this."

"Please," She begged, averting her eyes to the kitchen floor. "Please don't tell her."

She was seated on the countertop and he moved closer, invading her personal space casually. This time she let him. Holding back a smirk with only limited success, he whispered in that throaty voice of his, "And why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know maybe because you have some shred of decency in you?" She tried, exasperated that it had come to this.

He made an error noise. "Try again." He prodded.

"What do you want?" She forced through gritted teeth, swallowing her pride and fearing the answer. She didn't have any bargaining power or leverage over him at the moment. Immunity from cruelty could be gained through familiarity but she'd been away for so long. It wouldn't matter to him that she was an old friend. And she couldn't let him spill her secret… not this soon. If Blair knew…

"Let me put this way; people can find out your secret or we can make a new scandal right now." He nudged himself between her legs and bent his head into the crook of her neck, taking in her scent.

She was thoroughly disgusted by the assault and was tempted badly to just knee him where it hurt and make a dash for the exit but she knew this wouldn't end there. He'd corner her again and then he'd be angry, not just lust-filled. She tried in her softest tone, "Chuck stop."

"On to more pressing areas then?"

"You know what I mean." She retorted, trying to keep her emotions in check. There were just so many; disgust, anger, guilt, and shame.

"So I'm not good enough for you is that it?" Chuck replied feverously, clearly getting irritated with her attitude.

"I'm not some whore for you t-" Serena started.

"We'll see if everyone feels that way. I'm sure Gossip Girl would love to conduct a poll after the post." Chuck rallied, seeing her resistance as a form of foreplay.

The tears that gathered in her eyes were genuine. "Fine do it. Tell whoever you want. Anything's better than this."

His eyes narrowed and he withdrew from her neck. Was she challenging his ability to claim her? Oh she was messing with the wrong Bass. "I always get what I want S. One way or another."

"Why? Why are doing this?" She pleaded, not below playing pathetic to get him to back off. It wasn't like he had any sympathy for her to work off of.

"Isn't it obvious?" He shrugged, giving her a smoldering look.

"What? That your conquests give you an ego boost? That you think fucking a bunch of girls will quench your boredom? That you like feeling in control?" She spat out, unthinking. Then she delivered a more calculating blow. "Or is this about Nate? He had me, he has Blair now. Does th-"

"You don't know anything about me bitch," He rebuked sharply, his hand going to her stomach. She flattened it, partly as a reflex and partly in fear. "You're a nobody now, slut. You have no friends and your life is over." He went back to her neck and spoke against her skin. "This is all you're good for."

A few tear drops splattered on his shoulder. He tried to pull back to look at her but she didn't let him. Instead she held his head to her neck, leaned into his other shoulder and started crying softly into it.

What was she crying about? There could be many answers to that question including the most obvious one at the moment.

As much as Chuck hated to admit, it didn't feel right to do it like this. Maybe he wouldn't have cared if she was a stranger but despite what he said she did use to know him. The girl he knew didn't break this easy… maybe she'd been broken too many times already.

He used his hands to shove himself away from her and turned around. "You look like a screwed-up mess. I stand corrected; you're not even good enough for that." He strode away.

It took a while for her to get her wits about her. She made herself presentable and walked out of the hotel as fast as she could; she only paused to pick up the things that fell out of her purse when she bumped into someone in her hurry. Even though the deed wasn't done it sure felt like the walk of shame. She shivered uncontrollably.

Why did she ever think coming back would be easy? Maybe she missed the past; the nights at the bars, being over at Blair's, lunch at the steps. Perhaps she thought it could be the way it once was but she should have known better. You couldn't chase after the past but you could work for a better future- except she didn't know how to do that when dark secrets were haunting her at every turn.

Hey upper-east-siders,

We all know Serena's got a dirty little secret buried in her backyard. It's time to do some digging kiddies. Remember S, nothing ever stays a secret around here. What goes around... well it gets around.

XoXo

~Gossip Girl

~.~


Both times in this episode when Chuck forced himself on a girl, I think he would've stopped eventually even if there were no interruptions.

Review please!

~Alexxis T. Swan