"Mr. Humphrey, you have a partial scholarship at St. Jude's. You are number two in your class, have a stellar recommendation for Dartmouth from J.L. Hall. It looks as if your dreams are well within your grasp."
"Thank you. Thank you, I guess they are."

"But it seems you're in with a new crowd this year. Dating Serena van der Woodsen."

"Is that on my file?"

Dan knew that he would never be free from the blonde that had entranced him with her down to earth fashion and childlike playfulness.

When he received his diploma, with it came his file. The file that had existed since the day he started kindergarten. As he flipped through the many pages of his school record, he stopped at Junior Year. Headmistress Queller had written: Exceptionally good student. Except many things to come from him. Dating Serena van der Woodsen.

Dan was met with a moment of bittersweet victory. He was in fact right, that his and Serena's relationship was in his file. But at the mere sight of the picture of her attached broke his heart. For the past year, he hadn't been in any relationship – to the disappointment of Vanessa.

Dan picked up his phone and scrolled down his list of contacts to SERENA. He looked at the name and sighed. He quickly shut the phone and groaned. Why did she have to everywhere? Even in his effing school file.

Suddenly his phone rang. He looked at the Caller ID and threw the phone on his bed. After a few more rings, the person hung up and started calling again. Jenny poked her head into Dan's room and said, "I don't know if you've noticed between your moping, but you're phone is ringing and ringing and ringing."

"You're hilarious, Jen. I can hear it ringing, I'm not deaf."

"Why don't you pick up then? You trying to avoid someone?"

"Jen, please. I'm trying to do stuff."

Jenny raised an eyebrow, but walked away nevertheless.

Moments later, there was a knock on Dan's door. "Jenny, I'm trying to do something. Didn't I just tell you that a second ago?"

The door to his room opened and Dan heard a familiar voice. "Its not Jenny."

Dan sat up and looked at the blonde that had been the object of his affection since 2005. "What – How – You.."

Serena gave a small smile and handed Dan three pieces of notebook paper. "I thought you might want these back. They are yours, after all."
"You came all the way to Brooklyn to give me this? And these are yours. It was a Christmas present." Dan looked at her, his heart breaking even more.

Serena nodded. "I should go." She cast a look at Cedric then at Dan's look of quiet desperation and walked out.

Dan watched as Serena walked away and then looked at the papers in his hand. "Shit." He got up and ran up after her.

He pressed the button for the elevator, but it was already on the 3rd floor. He quickly ran down the stairs, nearly tripping.

By the time he got to the ground floor, he could see Serena walking out the door of his apartment building.

He ran after her, calling her name as she flagged down a taxi. She stopped and looked at his sopping wet figure. He quickly caught up to her and pulled her away from the angry taxi driver.

"What are doing, Dan?" Serena asked, exasperated as the taxi drove away.

Dan gazed at her face as the raindrops dripped down. "It's raining. Really hard. Once you left...I thought you might catch a cold so I..."

"Followed me here without a coat to keep me from catching a cold?"

Dan blushed. "Maybe you should come in until the rain lets up."

Serena looked up at the sky and sighed. Wordlessly, she followed Dan into the building and then into the elevator. They stood across from each other, arms folded, and both dripping wet. That was when Dan hit the emergency stop button.

"Dan, what are you doing?" Serena asked for the second time in five minutes.

"I don't know." Dan confessed as he stared at his feet. "I thought we should talk."

"About what?" Serena snapped. "You breaking up with me?" Serena shook her head and walked over to the elevator panel.

Dan blocked her hand. "No. We're not going anywhere until we figure out why the hell I feel like crap since the day we broke up."

Serena pushed Dan's hand aside and got the elevator moving again. "I'm freezing, Dan. We are not going to die in this elevator."

Dan sighed and stepped out of the elevator when they reached the loft. He held the door open for Serena and followed her into his room. He gave her his army jacket. "Do you want some hot chocolate?"

Serena nodded. "Do you have anything I can change into so my clothes can dry?"

Dan walked over to his closet, pulled out a white long sleeved button down and a pair of his sweat pants. He set them down on his bed and walked out.

As Serena changed, she looked around the familiar surroundings. Nothing had really changed. Cedric on his bookshelf that had about a million books. The football sheets. The notebook that was always open on his desk. That was when she saw it. His school file. She quickly put on the sweats and picked up the file.

She skimmed through the page it was on and was about to put it down when she saw the words: Dating Serena van der Woodsen.

Serena felt a few tears creep into her eyes and quickly brushed them away. She set the file down and walked to the living room where Dan had finished making the hot chocolate.

"I was just about to bring it in." He muttered as he set the beverages down.

"It's fine." Serena took one of the mugs and sipped the hot chocolate gingerly.

Dan sat down across from her and gazed at her. "So..how ya been?"

Serena shrugged. "Okay. I guess. You?"

Dan nodded. "Good. I'm good. Yeah."

Just then, Jenny popped out from her room. "Hey Dan...Serena. Did you guys get back together?"

Dan blushed and his head snapped to Jenny's then Serena's. "Um, Jenny. No, we didn't. Don't you something to do? In your room? Away from here?"

Jenny rolled her eyes at her brother and plucked a banana from the kitchen. "I'm going back to my room, closing the door, putting on my headphones and ignoring you and Serena."

"Haven't you said that line before?" Dan asked with an eyebrow raised.

Jenny smiled and walked into her room.

Dan then looked at Serena who was starting to get up. "I think I should leave. I think the rain's starting to let up."

Dan cast a weary glance outside where the rain was still pouring. "I think the rain isn't going to be letting up for a while. You wanna watch a movie while we wait?"

Serena reluctantly nodded, forcing herself to snuggle into the couch. She looked over to Dan, who was currently searching for a decent movie.

He finally emerged with two DVDs in his hand. They were Breakfast at Tiffany's and When Harry Met Sally. Dan waved the two movies at her. "Your choice."

Serena pointed at When Harry Met Sally and sunk further into the couch, wrapping Dan's army jacket around her leggy frame.

Dan settled down next to Serena, making sure to keep his distance as the movie started.

He watched as Serena started giggling over the whole restaurant/pie scene and the argument in the car. Pretty soon he was laughing as well.

He shifted uncomfortably during the make out scenes while stealing glances at Serena.

Serena watched as Joe and Sally said their goodbyes and immediately thought of Dan's past behavior towards her. She laughed at Harry's rambling and thought of Dan again.

Harry: No, no, no, no, I never said that... Yes, that's right, they can't be friends. Unless both of them are involved with other people, then they can... This is an amendment to the earlier rule. If the two people are in relationships, the pressure of possible involvement is lifted... That doesn't work either, because what happens then is, the person you're involved with can't understand why you need to be friends with the person you're just friends with. Like it means something is missing from the relationship and why do you have to go outside to get it? And when you say "No, no, no, no, it's not true, nothing is missing from the relationship," the person you're involved with then accuses you of being secretly attracted to the person you're just friends with, which you probably are. I mean, come on, who the hell are we kidding, let's face it. Which brings us back to the earlier rule before the amendment, which is men and women can't be friends.

'Sounds just like Dan when he's babbling.' Thought Serena with a small grin playing at her lips.

Soon enough, Serena had fallen asleep on Dan's shoulder. He smiled at her and continued to watch the movie.

Harry: I've been doing a lot of thinking, and the thing is, I love you. Sally: What? Harry: I love you. Sally: How do you expect me to respond to this? Harry: How about, you love me too. Sally: How about, I'm leaving. Harry: Doesn't what I said mean anything to you? Sally: I'm sorry, Harry. I know it's New Year's Eve. I know you're feeling lonely, but you just can't show up here, tell me you love me, and expect that to make everything all right. It doesn't work this way. Harry: Well, how does it work? Sally: I don't know, but not this way. Harry: How about this way? I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. Sally: You see? That is just like you, Harry. You say things like that, and you make it impossible for me to hate you, and I hate you, Harry. I really hate you. I hate you.

They kiss

Dan stared at the screen in amazement. That sounded like what he had said to Serena when he had told her he loved her. The many reasons why he loved her. The way Harry rambled on and on and on. And he'd never even seen When Harry Met Sally before!

Dan gently edged out from underneath Serena and turned the DVD player off. He sat back down next to her and watched as her eyelids fluttered open.

"Is the movie over?" Serena asked, her voice groggy from sleep.

Dan nodded. "Yeah, you missed some really good scenes."

"Doesn't matter. I've seen it tons of times already."

Dan nodded, grinning slightly.

Serena quickly cast a look outside the window to see that the rain had let up. She stood up and headed for Dan's room. "I should go. The rain's let up and I have to go over to Blair's and -"

"I understand. You should go change first though. It might be a little cold outside though, so take the jacket. Wait!"

Dan jumped up and ran after Serena into his room. He handed her his jacket and 10-08-05. "You should keep this. As a memory."

Serena stared at the papers in his hand before pushing his hand away. "Don't you get it, Dan? I don't want a memory of you. I can't deal with it!"

Dan winced as though he had been hit. "Serena, I made a mistake."

"Yeah and so did I. And you don't get it do you?"

"What are you talking about?"

Serena sighed and shook her blonde hair out of her face. "I'm seeing someone."

Dan's mouth fell open. "What?"

"I'm seeing someone."

"Oh." Dan's hand dropped and he sat down on his bed. "Oh." He said again.

Serena pushed the army coat in Dan's arms and started to walk out the door.

"Serena, wait." Dan managed weakly, trying to keep the tears from exploding.

"What?"

Dan opened a drawer and pulled out a crisp white envelope. "Take it."

"What is it?"

"Just take it." Pleaded Dan.

Serena nodded and slit the envelope open. Inside were a few pages of notebook paper and a strip of pictures. The pictures were the ones Dan and Serena had taken before Spring Break at a random store. They were goofing around in the first three pictures. The last one was of them kissing. The pieces of notebook paper were apparently another story.

On October 8th, 2005 I met a girl at a party. To this day I have never forgotten her. Her name is Serena van der Woodsen. Two years ago, I would've never thought that she would talk to me. Now she's my girlfriend. Thanks to her, I have learned so much. I learned what love really is. I will always love her. I always have. Since the day I saw her. The day I saw her, I loved her for her image. But now I love her and everything else that goes with it. All the secrets, qualities...everything. She is everything I could wish for and more.

Serena would've kept on reading, but the many tears falling blurred her vision. She looked over at Dan who had his head buried in his hands.

"Who are you dating?" He croaked out, head still in his hands.

Serena sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You." She whispered softly.

Then she kissed him slowly. They both could feel the spark that had ignited when they had their first kiss.

He pulled away slowly, savoring the moment. "I thought you were dating someone." He mumbled, his voice husky with desire.

"I lied. I'm sorry. I just couldn't deal with you...or this..and everything."Serena eyes brimmed with tears again, wondering if he would hate her again because she lied to him...again.

"I understand." With that, he pulled her closer to him. "I love you." Without warning, he crushed her lips with his. Months of yearning and desire and sorrow and passion came forward in the kiss.

Serena pulled away reluctantly, once she felt Dan's erection. "Dan, I can't. It just hurts. A lot."

Dan closed his eyes, ashamed of what he had done before(With Whore-gina). He shuddered and pressed a kiss to Serena's forehead. "I understand." He repeated, pulling her closer and wrapping an arm around her waist. "Stay the night? And possibly tomorrow?"

Serena nodded and quickly sent a text to Chuck and Blair so they wouldn't worry. She pulled off Dan's long sleeve and put on the t-shirt he gave her.

She snuggled into the crook of his arm and gave a contented sigh. She opened her eyes to gaze at him again and that was when she saw Vanessa climbing through the window.

Serena quickly sat up and brushed the hair away from her face. "Vanessa! Hey!"

Vanessa gave a wave, clearly not embarrassed walking in on the two of them.

Dan looked up and saw Vanessa and Serena in some sort of staring contest. "Hey V! Whatcha doing here?"

Vanessa looked at Dan oddly and said, "I wanted to see if you wanted to go catch a movie, but I can see you're busy. So I'll just leave now."

Vanessa quickly walked out of his room via fire escape. Once she had left and Dan had closed his curtains and locked his window, Serena collapsed on his bed once more.

"Why does she still crawl through your window?" Serena asked wearily.

Dan shrugged and lay back down next to Serena. He played with her hair before saying, "So...where are we now?"
Serena sat up again and stroked Dan's cheek. "I don't know. Where do you want us to be?"

Dan pulled Serena closer to him and said, "I want to be with you. Always with you."

Serena smiled. "Me too."

Out of nowhere, the door opened and in came a flying manila envelope. Dan jumped off the bed and picked it up. Inside was a sheet of paper. It said: If you guys got back together, knock once on the garage door. If you didn't knock twice. Love Jenny. P.S. Vanessa says if you guys start making out at her cafe again, she's going to kill you.

Dan laughed and knocked on the garage door once.

His door opened again and in came a CD.

"What's the note say and why did a CD fly in here?" Asked Serena.

Dan laughed. "It was Jenny." He passed her the note and lay down next to her again.

The two of them lay there for a while, holding each others hands, knowing that this time would be different. This time they would be honest. There would no psycho bitch between them – hopefully. They would be perfect.

This was crap wasn't it? Well if it wasn't or was please review and tell me and if a lot of people like it, I might make this a two shot or a three shot.