Crash Into Me: CB/BRo Xover--Chapter 1

[jenndeve]

Link to Crash Into Me-Prologue: Midnight Flights & Morning Afters
  http://jenndeve.livejournal.com/1743.html>

Title: Crash Into Me
Rating: T
Chapter: Chapter 1
Spoilers: None, started this in the midst and wasteland of Spoilers aka Summer
I own nothing except a great love for CB/BRo and the many inhabitants of the UES.
Summary: A post finale fic with AU turn, follows the twists and turns as the worlds of GG & HIMYM collides. Two couples work at figuring out what comes after ILY. Unexpected connections are discovered while danger and intrigue weave its destructive web. CB/BRo

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Chapter 1
Masters of the Universe

Two days. He’d had her all to himself for just that long, before the outside world insisted on their attention. Now, Blair was off doing her thing and Chuck was in his father’s old office. Now his office.

Sighing, Chuck glanced blindly at the seemingly endless stack of paperwork that his attorney kept shoving under his nose.

Lily had been true to her word when she’d promised to sign everything over to him. In another thirty days, he’d be all set to take over Bass Industries on a full-time basis.

He’d learned the ins and outs of business, closing the deal at his father’s knee but the board members were insisting on something a little more formal. The old fogies were only satisfied when he agreed to keep his adoptive mother on in an advisory capacity. He’d already planned on picking up a few advanced business courses on a part-time basis.

The next few months were going to be a bitch. Demanding his time and all of his energy but he’d make it work. God, and then there was Waldorf. Blair.

Chuck smiled thinking of her. Life would certainly never be less than interesting with her around and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Even with this fucking party she was insisting on.

His birthday, he cursed silently, why couldn’t they just let the day pass without comment. That tradition had certainly worked well enough he and Bart over the years.

Chuck’s mind spun back to his “disagreement” with Blair over that fucking party. Their first argument as a couple had lasted mere minutes before she’d come sauntering out of that bathroom, purpose in her eyes and seduction in the swing of her hips. She’d been so damn confident that she could sway him to her way of thinking but had no idea exactly why he hated his birthday so damn much and after the past few months of going through the emotional wringer because of losing Bart and almost losing Blair, Chuck hadn’t been in any mood to enlighten her about his mother. How she’d died and his part in it.

The last time, he’d opened up about his mother it’d bit him in the ass and he knew that Blair wouldn’t use it against him…hell, she’d probably feel bad and give in to what he wanted, which was no effing party, but Chuck didn’t want to win that way. And he sure as hell didn’t want pity from the woman he loved.

So instead, Chuck had let her try her hand at seducing him into getting what she wanted. Of course, more than once, he’d turned the tables on her. Their agendas two-fold. Both intent on getting their way but more so enjoying one another in a way that they hadn’t been free to in the past. Not since before things turned serious with the complications of falling in love. Being afraid to say it. Terrified of ruining their relationship, their friendship and doing just that by not taking a chance.

Then playtime was over and all they wanted, all they needed was right there. Any agenda beyond being inside of her had been forgotten and looking into her face, amber clashing with chocolate, he’d known that it was the same for Blair.

Suddenly, his birthday hadn’t been something to dread. Instead he’d relished that time with her. Too busy, too lost in her to even remember the day of the week. It was only later, after they were too boneless and sore to spend another second in bed that they made it out to the romantic dinner she’d had housekeeping set up in the suite.

Tenacious as ever though, she’d broached the subject again of his birthday and the party Lily was already planning. Only when he proved particularly stubborn had she brought in the next weapon in her arsenal. Delicately taking a bite she’d stolen from his plate, she’d informed him that Lily had invited a number of the board members.

The same people who’d seen him at his worse during those long, seemingly endless months after his father’s death.

Since that brunch from hell and the disastrous scene orchestrated by his conniving bastard of an uncle, he’d been trying his best to make nice with the prickly, upright boardmembers. They couldn’t stop him from taking over once Lily signed over those shares, but he preferred to have their full confidence in his direction for his father’s company. For his company.

Fear him or love him, they could do either but he’d rather they not linger and resist, seeing him merely as he’d been. Still within the grips of his youthful, carefree debauchery.

He was different now. The man his father had seen in him last year. That morning when his old man and Lily had left for their honeymoon. His father’s well-meaning words had scared the fuck of him last year, but now he wanted to be that man more than anything else. He wanted to be a man that his father could be proud of, the one he’d trusted with Bass Industries.

So in the end, he’d finally given in, but with a few conditions. First that this “celebration” be an intimate affair and second…that Blair consider taking a trip with him.

She’d been triumphant and all smiles until he’d told her just where he wanted them to go. Not exactly picking up where they’d left off last year, but maybe just maybe getting it right this time around.

He could see the wash of bad memories sweeping across her features when he brought up Tuscany and maybe even Italy where they could enjoy a Roman Holiday of their own. Rushing headlong, he’d hurriedly promised even to watch the movie with her on the flight over.

Blair hadn’t answered at first, pushing the food around on her plate and sipping wine. She’d frowned when he brought up Paris and Serena’s revelation of Blair’s miserable summer after he’d stood Blair up.

That had gotten the brunette’s attention, her dark eyes flashing. “Don’t be so full of yourself. Serena doesn’t know what she’s talking about. I had a lot going on last year…things that had nothing to do with you.”

“Oh, come on, Waldorf. Get off it. You missed me like crazy…just as much as I missed you. I’ll bet if I’d given in and hopped on the first plane out, you’d have forgiven me.”

“You keep thinking that.”

“Blair, I don’t want to fight with you.”

“Well, why bring up last year?”

“Because…I’d like to take my girlfriend to all of those place without it being tainted by my mistakes and your pigheadedness.”

The slow smile that had slowly began curving Blair’s mouth flattened as he tacked on the last. Her eyes darted about the table, as if searching the surface for something to fling at his head. At that point, though, all she could possibly add to her arsenal were a few meager bites of food and silverware. He reached out and snatched her wine glass up, draining it himself before she could make a grab for it.

“I’m sorry but you were beyond stubborn when you came back. Rubbing your fake boyfriend in my face.” He made a face, remembering Blair’s British lord.

Confronted by his lingering and entirely baseless jealousy, Blair felt herself relenting. She reached across the table threading her fingers through his. “Sorry, Bass. But I needed some line of defense.”

“Because you would’ve melted like warm butter the first time I got my hands on you…oh, wait you did. The night of the blackout if I recall.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened if he hadn’t interrupted us?” His thumb drew circles on the inside of her wrist, their eyes locked.

Her mouth quirked and mischief danced in depths. “Wow. You certainly seemed to know what you were doing at the time. I thought it was pretty evident…”

Chuck rolled his eyes, “Okay, I know what would’ve happened…I mean after.”

Blair sighed, her expression growing serious as she looked away from him, “We would’ve carried on the same way…the attraction and fire was never our problem. It was the deeper stuff that made us both want to run.”

“And we’re done with that, right?”

“Oh, you can bet on it. No more running, Bass. Think we’ve both done enough of that to last a lifetime.”

“So you’ll come with me.”

“Hmm.” She’d tipped her head, seeming to mull over his proposition. “Let me see if I have this right. You’d like to sweep your girlfriend off her feet and squire her all over the world.” Her teasing tone had lingered on the title girlfriend, as if she experienced almost as much of a thrill out of the idea as he did. As if those damn butterflies went haywire for her too at the mere mention.

“That’s the idea.”

She’d smiled then, “Well, then if that’s the case…let’s do it. I’ll go with you. I mean what’s one more leap in the face of everything else we’ve been through over the past year.”

“I won’t let you down this time, Waldorf.”

The sound of a clearing throat brought him back to the present, made him realize that he’d been lost in thought, staring until the words were a meaningless blur on the page. Forcing himself to focus, he saw his own signature scrawled at the bottom.

Chuck ignored the lawyer, glancing down instead at the papers that represented the future of his father’s legacy and locked in Chuck’s place at the head of Bass Industries.

It was a momentous occasion and he wished like hell that Blair was there with him to complete the moment.

“The full transfer should be finalized within days of filing all of the paperwork. Mrs. Bass tells me that she will be continuing on in an advisory capacity. Smart idea keeping her on, sir.” His father’s attorney … or rather his attorney now, nodded his approval. Still months after the fact, it still hard not think of it as his father’s company, his father’s attorney, or even his father’s office.

“I thought so.” Chuck tried to shake himself free of memories of the last few days with Blair, at least long enough to concentrate on the task at hand. “Lily will officially vacate her current position in three weeks time.”

“Three weeks? But I thought you’d want to take over, as soon as possible. The board members expected that you’d jump right in at the earliest opportunity.”

Again he found himself entangled in thoughts of Blair. “I have other… obligations.” Chuck told the man. Completely unaware of the wealth of meaning in his tone, the all too pleased expression on his face.

“Hmm.” His lawyer murmured after a moment, organizing the stack of documents, he’d spent the past hour shoving beneath the young billionaire’s nose.

“Was there something else, Jones?”

The man didn’t answer immediately. He started to say something but seemed to think better of it at the last moment.

“Mr. Jones.” Chuck’s eyes narrowed as he studied the lawyer. “You worked with my father for as far back as I can remember. You knew him well, didn’t you?”

“As one as one could, sir.” Jones offered, his curiosity an obvious thing as he wondered what the younger man was getting at.

“My father was a very straightforward man, as you know. He wasn’t one to mince words,” he murmured his tone deceptively lazy, expression bored. “If you and I are to continue working together, you’d be wise to remember that I am my father’s son in every way that matters.”

“Your father always advised that I speak my mind.” Jones nodded.

“Please do then.”

“It’s just. Don’t you think it’d be the best thing to take the reins immediately. Show your detractors that you’re truly serious in your intention to run Bass Industries.”

“I believe I’ve made my intentions very clear. A few weeks…tending to personal matters shouldn’t change a damn thing.” Chuck told him, “Make no mistake. This is my company and I plan to lead in the manner that I see fit. I’m no one’s figurehead…stopping by to collect dividends. I’m in this for the long haul.”

“Show them.” Jones retorted, “Your father showed a lot of faith in naming you CEO…putting you at the head of this empire. Let them see what he saw. That’s all I wanted to say.”

Chuck sat there long after the attorney left him. He wandered from his office, into the adjoining boardroom.

The empty room resounded with the steady echo of his footsteps. Hands thrust into his pockets, he made the long, slow walk to the head of the gleaming table.

In just a matter of weeks, he’d finally get what he’d always wanted. Stepping into his father’s shoes, running Bass Industries.

Only in his childish fantasies, Bart hadn’t been dead. He’d been very much alive and proud of his only son. Finally all the screwups in the past behind them.

“But you’re not here. You’d probably be taking Jonas’ side if you were.” He whispered, “I promised Blair, though and I can’t disappoint her…again. I love her, Dad.”

Chuck turned about the empty room, feeling his father’s presence there more than he ever had back at the apartment. Maybe because his father’s life had revolved around BI, rather than his son or the family they’d gained the year before.

“I think maybe like you loved my mother.” Not that the old man had ever even spoken a word to him about the woman who’d loved them both. Died giving birth to Chuck. No, he spoke from knowledge gleaned from old pictures. Dozens of them.

His father smiling in a way that Chuck couldn’t ever remember seeing him do. Not in all the years that he’d been alive. Not even after the older man had finally opened himself up enough to let himself fall for Lily van der Woodsen. He recognized the look in his father’s eyes when he gazed at the exotic beauty in his arms because it was the same expression Chuck faced in the mirror every morning when he caught himself thinking about Blair when he should’ve been shaving or doing any number of other things.

Chuck’s mouth curved just thinking of her right then. No way in hell was he cancelling on her. She’d have his balls for earrings. Or rather she’d try her damndest to make it happen.

He wouldn’t make the same mistake that his father had. Throwing himself so completely into his work that those he loved suffered for it. Granted, he’d always had the best that money could buy, but in the end all he’d ever wanted was time. Time spent with the old man.

There would be no change of plans. He was taking off for three weeks with his girlfriend and if the bastards on the board didn’t like it then that was just too damn bad. What the hell could they possibly say about it?

He was eighteen and the company was all his. Just three weeks. What could possibly happen?

~*~

The boys were all clustered around Barney’s laptop when Robin and Lillie returned to the apartment. Exactly as they’d left them more than four hours before. Only now they were camped on the sofa with empty beer bottles scattered about and…

“You guys actually made popcorn?” Lillie shook her head, her incredulous words echoing Robin’s own thoughts. “I can’t believe you’re still reading that thing.”

Marshall motioned his redhead wife closer, his eyes glued to the screen. “You’ve got to see this, baby. Barney was almost an uncle.”

“Hey, it could’ve been the other guy’s, remember?” Ted argued, leaning over Barney’s shoulder.

“You are way too into this, baby. All of you are? You do remember what happened fall semester sophomore year.” Lillie settled in her husband’s lap, peering at the screen.

Ted and Marshall shared a look, smiling slowly as they spoke in unison, “Erica Kane.”

Lillie rolled her eyes.

“Who’s she?” Robin grabbed a water from the fridge. Hanging back in the doorway with the bottle in hand, she let her eyes stray to the back of Barney’s blonde head. “Some girl you dated, Ted?”

“In his dreams. These two idiots nearly flunked out of Critical Theory, they missed so many classes.” Lillie jerked a thumb between Ted and Marshall.

“In our defense, it was either stay home and watch Erica or sleep our way through forty minutes of BORRRING. The professor could barely stay awake during her own lectures.”

“Don’t remind me.” Ted groused.

“Whatever. You guys have to know that blog is fake? I mean people don’t act that way in real life.” Robin called out, her eyes still on Barney.

“Robin’s right. Do you guys…hmm.” Lily found herself reading the entries over Barney’s shoulder. She frowned, “What’s a Waldass?”

“Why do you care if you think the site is a fake?” Ted demanded.

“Guys. Please. I’m reading here.” Barney finally spoke up, dragging his gaze away from the screen long enough to look at them each in turn. His expression deadly serious.

“Barney, wouldn’t it just be easier to go find this kid and tell him the truth?” Robin said, as their eyes finally caught.

“Yeah, I suppose you’ve got something there. Just walk up to him out of nowhere and say…’hey, you don’t know me but I’m your long-lost brother Barney’.”

“Why not give it a try.”

“Do you have any idea how many long-lost cousins and brothers have probably come out of the woodwork since his…our…” Barney cleared his throat, “Since Bart Bass died.”

“But you really are his brother.” Lillie said.

“With only my mother’s word as proof.” Their friend said, “The same woman who let me believe watching Bob Barker every morning was apart of the visitation agreement they’d come up with.”

Marshall piped up, “Barney’s right. About the proof thing. I’m not touching the Bob Barker thing.”

“What kind of proof? She didn’t put Bass on Barney’s birth certificate. God, imagine that, Barn. You were that close to being Barney Bass.” Ted fought a snickering smile, his laughter infectious as the others joined in.

“God, that is bad.” Barney nodded.

“What about a blood test?” Lillie suggested.

“Now, who’s been watching too much daytime TV?”

“I’m serious, Marshall.” His wife said, “Your little brother can’t exactly call you a liar with DNA results staring him in the face.”

“Problem, Liliput. Bart Bass is dead.”

“But his son…Chuck isn’t.” She argued.

“That’s even worse. Picture this…Barney goes walking up to the guy…I think I might be your long-lost brother, if you could just donate some hair and saliva for the cause we’d be ever so grateful.” Ted shook his head.

Barney shook his head, smiling slowly. His eyes gleaming as a plan started forming in his mind. He looked to Robin, gaining his feet in his excitement. “I’ve got it.”

“What?” She asked.

“We suit up.” He told them, “There’s a party this Saturday night. I say we sneak in and get what we need.”

“I like it.” Lillie rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

“I’m in.” Marshall and Ted said at once.

“Scherbatsky? What do you say?” Finally, Barney seemed to see her for the first time since that night. Since finding out the truth about his mother and Bart Bass. He could finally see beyond the complicated turn that his life had taken and he was looking at her.

“You want me to come along.” Her mouth twitched, her dark mood finally lifting. Tempered by growing excitement.

“Couldn’t see doing it without you. What you say? Are you in?”

“You bet.”

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Link to Chapter 2--  http://jenndeve.livejournal.com/3119.html

ஐCourtneyஐ