'Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug.'

Blair, Nate, Dan and Serena were all sitting in the double suite they were sharing at their hotel in Los Angeles. They had come out to California for six days and they only had one night left. They were all around the coffee table; Serena in Dan's lap and Blair in Nate's. They were playing cards and Blair and Serena were flattening Dan and Nate.

Serena turned her head up to Dan and whispered in his ear. 'If I win what do I get?'

Dan smirked and placed a sultry kiss on the nape of her neck. 'A little more of this.'

Blair laughed and cleared her throat. 'Hey guys, we're still in the room.'

'Right sorry, couldn't help it.' Dan smiled.

'It's your turn Nate. And it better be a good card or I win!' Blair teased.

Nate laid down his card and Blair pumped her fist in the air. 'And I win…again!'

Serena grabbed all the cards off the table reaching to the far side to pound her fist on Blair's. Her reach caused her shirt to ride up over the hem of jeans which exposed some of her perfect skin. Dan's breathing hitched in his throat and he let his finger lightly trace her bare skin. Serena turned her head and arched her eyebrow. Dan shrugged and wrapped his arms around her tiny torso.

'Why don't we go downstairs and get something to eat? Then we can go out.' Serena suggested.

Blair nodded in agreement and they headed off to the bathroom to get ready. Both Nate and Dan watched as their girlfriends left the room. Nate shook his head and Dan bowed his as if in appreciation of Serena.

'We're lucky aren't we?' Nate asked Dan.

'Lucky as hell. And I don't know why.' Dan pushed himself up off the ground and went towards his and Serena's suite but before he shut the door he turned to Nate. 'Do you ever think that maybe this is all we need? Maybe this is all that we need to be happy for the rest of our lives.'

'I know it is.' Nate said.

It was March of that year when Blair and Serena had decided that they should go on a vacation. Now it was the summer after junior year at university and they were in L.A. Nate and Blair were both at Yale while Dan was at Dartmouth and Serena at Brown. They had been slaving away at school for the whole and they had decided it was time for a break.

A half an hour later the girls were ready to go so they took the elevator down from the 8th floor to the lobby. The four of them stepped out onto the crowded main floor and headed for the string of restaurants near the back. Nate suggested they go for Thai and they agreed that would be good. Serena led the way into the Thai place and since it wasn't one of the crowded restaurants they were able to get a table quickly.

They studied the menu and decided on a few things to try. Blair was the expert on what to try only because she had been to Thailand three times. Dan was a little bit more timid about trying the food so Serena had to coax him into eating the spicy curry.

The four friends spent another hour at the restaurant and then left the hotel to find a place to relax. They got a cab to take them to a club Rufus had recommended and soon Serena and Dan were ordering drinks while Nate and Blair were off somewhere on their own.

'The week went by fast, didn't it?' Serena asked Dan.

'Extremely. But you know that's not even the worst part.' Serena questioned him with her eyes. 'The worst part is that summer is almost over. I could care less if we were in Antarctica as long as I'm with you. But now that school is starting again we're not going to be together.'

Serena smiled and reached out her long slender fingers to stroke Dan's cheek. 'True, but it's only a three hour drive. We can visit.'

'I guess so, but maybe we should just make the best of the time we have and spend it in our hotel room.' Dan sexily purred, a sly grin plastered on his face.

Serena flipped open her phone and texted Blair at break neck speed to tell her that she and Dan were leaving. Another Rihanna song came on and Dan decided now was the time to leave. Serena shut her phone and slid it into her jeans which Dan noticed were particularly flattering her.

Serena grabbed Dan's hand but just before they could out the door Blair stepped in front of them with Nate in tow 'Oh, hey! Nate and I have been looking for you!' Blair said exasperatedly.

Just then something buzzed on Nate and Blair reached into his jacket to and she pulled a sleek Treo out of the inside pocket. She pressed some buttons and slipped it back into Nate's pocket.

'Just a text from Serena.' Blair looked at Serena and Serena shrugged. 'So I guess we should go then.'

Serena shook her head. 'You guys don't have to come with us.'

Secretly Dan was hoping Blair and Nate stayed so that he and Serena could have some alone time. But no such luck.

'No, no, we want to come. One more pissed drunken teenager and I will kill someone! It's a little old to get so drunk so young.' Blair said at the same time she thought back to all the times they had gotten drunk just like all the kids she'd seen that night.

'Alright but we're leaving now.' Dan said.

'For sure, let's go.'

The four of them left the club and called a taxi for a ride back to the hotel. On the car ride home the middle aged driver turned around when they were stopped at a light. He was chubby in the face and had bright orange hair that Blair figured had probably been dyed at a cheapo salon.

'The clouds are low today. Know what that means?' He said in a thick Texan accent.

They shook their heads and Blair shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She had never been one for cabbies.

'It means shiftin' of the rocks. Happened twice before. Not to bad the first time but the second both my guinea pigs died. Not from being squished or nothing but from shock.'

Dan scratched his chin and Serena nudged him. 'Hold up. Shifting rocks? What the hell is that?'

By now the light had turned green so the driver kept his eyes on the road but answered Dan's question none the less.

'You know…' Dan shook his head again and waited for the guy to explain. 'Earth quake an' all.'

Blair squeaked and placed his hand on her thigh. He knew how these things scared her.

No one said anything for the rest of the ride except for thanks to the driver when they stopped at the hotel. They all knew that earthquake's were a possibility but so was burglary at night in New York.

In the elevator it was also quiet like a funeral until Nate spoke up. 'Guys come on. It's just a little myth to scare the tourists. Nothing is going to happen.' He protectively wrapped an arm around Blair.

'Yeah, Nate's right. We came here to have fun and since the week is almost over we can't put a damper on our moods by believing some crap a cabbie tells us.' Serena chipped in.

Dan saw Blair's shoulder's relax just before the elevator doors opened. They stepped out and turned to the left to the master suite. Nate slid the key into the lock and swiftly opened the door. Serena and Blair made their way to Blair and Nate's half of the suite to change into something more comfortable while Nate and Dan went to the small kitchen to grab something to drink.

Soon enough the girls were back out. Blair in a pair of short silk boxers and one of Nate's shirt and Serena in a pair of Blair's long pajamas and a tank top. The boys were sitting at the bar both with beer in hand. When the two girls reached the kitchen Dan handed Serena a beer and Nate handed Blair a glass of white wine he had poured for her.

'So it's our last night here and were spending it in a hotel room just the four of us?' Blair asked.

Serena nodded while tipping the beer up to her mouth. She brought it back down and responded. 'Yeah, why not? You guys are my best friends. Why wouldn't we want to spend the night just chatting in a luxury hotel room?'

Nate put his beer on the table and encircled Blair's tiny waist in his firm grip. 'Serena's right. We don't need to be in an over rated bar to have fun.'

Blair scoffed. 'Well if you guys are so into the stay at home fun, then what do we do?'

Serena smiled and twirled into the den. 'I brought Twister!'

Two Hours Later.

It was just past one in the morning when Dan and Serena stood up to go to bed. Blair and Nate left soon after into their bedroom. The twister game and a bottle of wine and four bottles of beer were left on the floor to be cleaned up later.

Serena flopped down onto the king sized bed while Dan went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. 'Finally just you and I.' Serena sexily called into the bathroom.

Dan came out with a toothbrush in his mouth. He attempted to say something but then thought better of it and went back into the bathroom to spit.

'I thought you wanted to spend time with Nate and Blair.'

'I did, but I'd rather spend it with you. Now go wash out your mouth so I can kiss you.'

On the other side of the suite Blair was lying tucked in to Nate's arms. He kissed her shoulder where the big shirt had fallen off and let his lips linger there for an extra two seconds. Blair pulled his hand up to her mouth and placed it on her cheek. She felt the warmth and strength of his calloused hands from lacrosse and couldn't help but to turn her head and place her own lips on each of his fingers.

'I love you Nate Archibald.'

'I love you more.'

Nate spun Blair's body to face him and brought his lips to her jaw and then her neck and then her eyelid and finally her lips where she eagerly awaited his. She held onto his bottom lip with hers and ran her petite hands up and down his back. Nate slowly and gently pulled her top up and over her brown curls. He placed a kiss in between her perfect breasts and she moaned in pleasure.

All of a sudden the whole room started to shake and a low rumbling noise filled their ears. The dresser in the corner fell to the ground sending glass everywhere. The shaking continued so Nate rolled off the bed pulling Blair with him. They turned away from the windows just as the far one shattered. Blair felt the whole building sway and saw the dust from the cracks forming on the wall fall to the floor. She heard a scream in the other room and immediately started to cry. What was going on in the other room? Nate held her tighter and just as suddenly as the shaking started, the shaking stopped.

Blair jumped up but Nate pulled her back down. 'Blair, there could be aftershocks.'

Blair fell back onto Nate the tears still falling but now more controlled. Nate pulled Blair into his lap and rocked her until it was safe to leave.

Fifty-two seconds earlier.

Serena grabbed Dan's shirt and pulled him down on top of her. He moaned in pleasure and kissed Serena hard on the mouth. As mush as they were tired they were hot for each other. Serena shimmied of the pajama bottoms she had on and Dan pulled off his sweatpants. They were both about to go for the underwear when an unexpected shaking uncontrollably filled the room. Along with it came a grunts and groans of the Earth. Dan grabbed Serena's hand and pulled her into the doorway. The doorway to Blair and Nate's room was shut and Serena had no idea what was happening in that side of the suite.

A loud snapping sound filled the room and Serena looked up just in time to get out of the way of the falling beams but Dan wasn't fast enough. It came down hard on his shoulder and the other on his knee and he grimaced in pain. Serena let out a squeal and leaped back to Dan's side. He had gone pale and there was already blood staining his shirt. Serena put both hands on either side of Dan's face. Just as she did the shaking stopped. She breathed a deep sigh of relief.

'Dan! Dan! Are you okay?' Serena asked painfully not wanting to know the answer.

Dan gulped and placed a cold, shaking hand on Serena's arm. 'I'm fine. We should stay put. You know, incase of aftershocks.'

'No, you're not okay. Look at you.' Serena placed her hand on Dan's neck just above his already swelling shoulder. He winced. 'I don't care about aftershocks; we need to get you to a hospital.'

Dan smiled as much as he could and retorted. 'It's just my leg and shoulder Serena, don't worry.'

'I'll worry as much as I like.' Serena stated.

'Alright, I think it's been long enough now. We should go check on Blair and Nate.' Dan pushed himself up but just as he made it past crouching he collapsed. Serena bolted back to him and grasped him firmly around the waist.

'Come on, I'll help you Mr. I'm-Okay.' Serena joked as she pulled up into standing.

They started for Blair and Nate's room when Blair jumped out, pale with horror. She exhaled deeply when she saw that Serena and Dan were both still alive but drew her breath back when she saw Dan.

'Oh my god Dan, are you okay?' Blair asked in a more than worried voice. She twitched in shock when Nate placed an arm around her shoulders.

'Yeah man, you don't look so good.' Nate added.

'I'm fine, just fine but we should probably get out of here.' Dan turned for the door and Serena held tighter on his waist.

Nate like the gentleman he was bounded forward and slung Dan's unhurt arm across his shoulder. 'Here I'll help.' Dan weakly smiled and then his face retorted back into a pained look.

Blair feeling like a nuisance behind her two gallant friends squeezed in front of them and opened the hotel door. She held it open and then leapt in front of them again to open the door to the stairs. The alarm was silently going off and the emergency lights were flashing but none of the four had any care for the devices signaling that there had been an emergency. The actual shaking had been a pretty good indicator.

Their hotel room had been on the ninth floor and they were at the seventh when the stairwell started lurching side to side. The same sound as before filled their ears and they all crouched down. The platform one flight up cracked and crumbled to the next platform.

'We gotta get out of here.' Nate yelled over the noise.

It was only ten stairs until the next floor but it was partially blocked by the debris of the fallen platform. And since their only other option was to jump out the window because the rest of the stairs were completely blocked off Blair took the initiative and bravely made her way to the door. The shaking stopped as she squeezed her hand in between the cement and the door and found the doorknob. She literally heard her friends above her relax as she turned the knob. She felt the scorching pain of a deep gash forming where the cement was scraping her wrist but she continued on. Finally she heard the door click and motioned for her friends to come down. They would have to sit on top of the platform of debris and then spin themselves around so their feet were hanging through the doorway and then jump about two feet but it was the only way.

Nate went first and then Blair and Serena helped Dan up and over. Blair went next and Serena followed. There was another staircase across the hotel so they went headed in that direction. Just as they were passing Room 718 a little boy with a cut on his cheek jumped out. He was crying and he held his arm tenderly.

'Please help, help me. My momma is 'tuck and Daddy can't get her out on his own, she needs your help. Please!' He pleaded.

Blair bent down so she was eyelevel with the boy. 'Show us where she is and we'll get her out.'

Blair and Nate followed the little boy in and Serena stayed out with Dan.

The boy whose name was Decklyn showed them into the bedroom and when Blair saw what was in the middle of the room she turned her face into Nate's chest. Decklyn's mom was pinned underneath the exact same type of dresser that had fallen in Blair and Nate's room and there was a slice of glass in her abdomen. She seemed to be knocked out from where the dresser and hit her head.

'Oh thank God! My wife, Anna, can't get out and I need help so I don't move the glass. If one of you just holds it still we can lift it off.' The distressed looking man explained.

'Of course, Blair go hold the glass still.' Blair looked up at Nate in protest but the serious look in Nate's eyes told her she had to.

Blair went to the woman's side and grabbed a blanket off the floor to wrap around the glass and then to wrap around the wound. She steadied her grip on the glass when she heard Nate's 1, 2, 3. The two men easily lifted the dresser onto the bed while Blair did her job perfectly.

Anna's husband, Caleb, timidly but strongly scooped her up and headed for the door but stopped when Decklyn spoke up. 'Someone carry. I need help.'

Caleb grunted but Blair knew what to do. She swiftly ran back to the boy and whipped him up in her arms. He stifled back the tears willing to pour as the five left. When they got out they saw that Dan's condition had worsened. He was now extremely pale and shivering even though it was quite hot.

'Let's get out of here.' Nate firmly said. He went back to Dan's side and silently they opened the door to the stairwell. No one spoke the whole way down except for Decklyn who kept trying to wake his mom up. Occasionally someone would grunt or groan but it wasn't until they opened the door to the outside of the hotel that someone finally spoke.

Dan inclined his head towards Serena and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper. 'I don't feel so well babe, I…I…'

Before he could finish his sentence he collapsed on the ground. Serena saw Caleb whisking Anna into an ambulance and rushed over. 'Excuse me, my boyfriend collapsed over there,' she pointed to Dan without turning around. 'And he was hit by a beam that fell from the ceiling. He needs help.'

A man who looked to be the head of the ambulance spoke in an affirmative voice but at the same time seemed to calm Serena down. 'We have enough room in the truck for two more people. James, Poppy, you get the guy.'

Serena quickly showed them to where Dan was propped up in Blair's lap. 'Blair, Dan and I are going to the hospital. I'll call you when I've got more information.' And with that James and Poppy lifted Dan up and took him into the ambulance and set him on a stretcher.

At the Hospital

The ride to the hospital had been quick and painless but the wait for Dan to come out of tests and surgery was never ending. Serena had phoned Blair and Nate and now they were sitting in the waiting room along with Caleb and Decklyn. Serena knew that the reason she wasn't crying now was that she was still in shock. The emotions would have to come some time she just didn't now when.

It had been two hours and no one had even come to tell Serena if Dan was even alive. She knew his injuries hadn't been as serious as Anna's or others she had seen come into the hospital but still Serena was scared.

Serena felt a hand on her leg. She looked down and she saw Decklyn sucking his thumb and waiting patiently. She pulled him up on to her lap and he whispered something in her ear. 'Daddy says that you and Blair and Nate and Dan are our guardian angels and he says that guardian angels don't die.'

Serena stared at the four-year-old boy in awe. Decklyn then placed one pudgy hand on either side of Serena's face and kissed her cheek. It was then that emotions started. Serena felt the tears pouring down her face and she felt the sobs wracking her breath but she didn't feel it all happening to her body. It was like she was watching the scene from above. There in the waiting room was broken girl waiting for the doctor to tell her if her life was over.

But just as soon as she had left she came back because there in the doorway was a doctor calling out for any friends or relatives of Dan's. Serena, Nate and Blair all jumped up and rushed for the doctor.

'I have good news and bad news. But I'll tell you the good news first since you don't look so well.'

Serena nodded and leaned into Nate. Blair held her hand and rubbed circles on the back of her hand with her thumb.

'Dan is okay, he is going to live.' Serena covered her mouth and cried even harder than before. She fell to her knees and thought of Decklyn. She hoped so much that his mom would live and Caleb could be as happy as she was now. Serena felt Blair's hands on her shoulders and stood back up. She looked at Blair and saw she was crying a little as well.

'He is awake and you can see him but he's lost a lot of blood so he's very weak.' Serena still couldn't believe it but she let the doctor continue. She knew next was the bad news and she had to get it over with.

'The blood he lost was in great amounts so his heart went into overdrive. We regulated it a little but it is in pain from working so hard. Also the beam that fell on his shoulder broke his collarbone and tore a muscle in his shoulder so that is going to need intense therapy. The beam that fell on his leg didn't break anything but it burst a blood vessel. It's okay now though, we got everything under control. You can go in and see him although he is sleeping. Room 210.'

Blair and Serena held hands all the way to Dan's room while Nate hung back to relay to Caleb what the doctor had said. Serena entered the room but Blair stayed in the doorway.

'B, come on. I need you.' Dan stirred in his sleep at the sound of Serena's voice.

'No, no, you go.' Blair shook her head and held up her wrist. 'I should probably get this sewn up while I'm here.'

Serena gaped at Blair's bloody wrist. 'What happened? Are you okay?!'

'I'm fine, it's just a scratch but I have to go because someone is waiting for you.' Blair smiled then turned and left the room.

Serena made her way back to Dan's bed where wide-awake yet groggy boyfriend was smiling at her. He moved over and she lay next to him. 'Does it hurt?'

'Like mother fucking hell, but it's not as bad with you.' Serena smiled up at him. 'And all the medications.' Serena laughed.

'I'm not gonna say I told you so because I'm just glad you're okay. And I love you Dan.'

'I love you to Serena.'

Dan kissed her forehead and together they fell asleep peacefully to the sound of each other's breathing.

Two Weeks Later.

Dan hobbled over to where Serena was sitting in her dorm room at Brown and placed his hand on her shoulder. He had had crutches for the first four days but got so tired of them so quickly he threw them down a staircase. He was still in a very protective sling and would be for another five weeks.

Serena looked up from the computer and craned her neck up. Dan bent his down and they locked their lips in a flammable kiss. And although Dan was pretty immobile so a kiss never led up to anything they both let it deepen only to be interrupted by Serena's cell.

Serena groaned and pulled it out. It was Blair.

'Hey B!'

'Guess what S?' Blair chirped excitedly.

'What?' Serena asked back in a mock excited voice.

'Me and Nate…'

'Come on Blair, spit it out.' Serena said impatiently, eager to get back to making-out with Dan.

'…Are engaged!'

Serena squealed in excitement and Dan looked at her inquisitively.

'I know it's so exciting but I don't want to tell you all the exciting details until we are face to face.'

'Okay, I'm so happy for you B! But I have to go, sorry.'

'Oh okay, but there's one more thing.'

'What is it?'

'Well, you know how everyone that Anna was going to be okay.'

Serena felt her heart start thudding in her ears. 'Ya?' She squeaked.

'Well, she's not. Something came undone in her stomach and she's on life support. Nate and I are going to drive from here to Allentown and we wanted to know if you guys wanted to come to.'

'Oh my god, that's terrible. I can't believe this.' Dan looked worriedly at Serena. 'Dan and I will talk. Gotta go.' Serena clicked off and turned to fully face Dan.

'First of all Blair is engaged, secondly,' Dan noticed a shift in the tone of her voice and placed his good hand on her waist. 'Anna, from the hotel, is on life support.'

Dan shook his head. 'That's funny you know, the woman with a husband and a son dies and me, I live.'

Serena stepped forward and leaned her forehead against his. 'Yes, it's sad that Anna mightdying but it is also the happiest thing that you lived because honestly if I had chose one, I would rather you have lived because I love you.'

Dan put the arm that had been on Serena's waist on the back of her neck and pulled her in for a comforting kiss. Serena wrapped one arm around his neck and the other around his waist. She let her head fall into the crook of his neck.

'Blair and Nate are going to drive down there and I think we should to.'

Serena felt Dan nod into her hair.

'That's a good idea.'

'Ya, and I think it'll be good to see our friends on last time before the school year really kicks off.'

'Uh hm, you're right. But right now I just want alone time with you.' Dan whispered.

Serena looked up at him and placed a sweet delicate kiss on his lips. She let them linger and then led him to the bed. They lay down and embraced each other not taking any moment for granted.

Hope you liked it. It's sort of like the earthquake episode of the OC.

Review!!!!!!