Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Not even the idea. Premise and plot bunny brought to you by Jelsi4Life. Characters brought to you by Cecily von Ziegesar, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.

Set: Starts in the events of 5x24 (The Return of the Ring), spoilers up to 5x24.

Summary: What if everything you thought you knew was a lie? How do you survive? Dan's life isn't what he thought it was, living with people who feel like strangers, will he forever wish for the life he once had or accept it as it is now?

A/N - I know I shouldn't be starting a new series but I couldn't pass this one up and since I just finished my Charmed series I figured I could give it a shot. Anyway I hope you like it. Reviews appreciated :) ~ Gabz

Dan couldn't keep his mind from wondering even as Serena wrapped her legs tighter around his waist. Instead of feeling aroused as her hair tickled his neck as she whispered into his ear, he just felt annoyed and angry. Glancing around the room, he felt his throat burn with bile as he thought about the last time Serena had been at this place. He could almost hear Nate's taunting laugh as if he were watching like Chuck had been the night of the Sheppard Wedding and the two of them were comparing his performance.

Sure over the last few years he'd come to consider Nate a close friend however there was always going to be that difference between them. Even with the shame of his father's embezzlement, Nate was the athletic, good looking if somewhat dim witted lovable dream guy. While Dan he was just the guy from Brooklyn who dreamed of being on the inside, never able to fully trust his first love since it seemed like whenever they called it quits she went running to the aforementioned dream guy. Even for that brief period of time where Nate had crashed at his loft in Brooklyn when his place was chained up Nate had still had an air about him that people fluttered to, something that prevented Dan from truly embracing what could have been an amazing friendship.

Running his hand through hair that was a little too straight and too fair he sighed, Blair's name bouncing around in his head as he thought about where she was and what she was doing. If she was with him.

Closing his eyes, he traced the soft curves in his mind, her milky white skin so soft against his lips as he cherished her. Feeling the familiar pull at the base of his spine he felt his lips quirk upwards as he watched Blair's lips part, a soundless scream slipping through her lips as she was overwhelmed by pleasure, pleasure that he knew he could bring her. There was truly something amazing about watching her like that, something that finally pushed him over the edge.

Hearing a slight sniffle, Dan opened his eyes and looked into Serena's hurt blue eyes as she stared at him, betrayal leaking through them. "You said her name."

Cocking his head to the side he ran his eyes over the woman he once claimed he loved more than life itself and realised that all that he felt when he looked at her was distain and a longing for the feelings that once were. Angry that she had sought him out and forced him out of the bubble he'd kept himself in about Blair returning to Chuck. Turning his back on her, he started fixing his clothes, not even caring enough to hide what they had done instead just wanting to get out of here as soon as possible.

As far as Dan was concerned the only thing Serena had done since she'd walked through the door twenty minutes ago was destroy the one sliver of light in his life and then proceeded to use him in her sick game to one up Blair.

Spotting the phone on the counter, he quickly scooped it into his hands, deleting the video before it could come back to haunt him. He wasn't about to star in another one of Serena's sex tapes and it amazed him that he wasn't the least bit surprised to find she'd filmed it in the first place. "I hope you're happy."

Serena cringed at Dan's tone and her mind unintentionally brought up the memory of Nate saying that to Blair just after Chuck had outed her dirty deed to Dan not even a day after they'd first met. Scowling at the boy she once and still tragically enough did love, Serena desperately fought to keep the tears at bay as she recalled Blair's parting words. "Not even close."

Only a step away from the door, Dan suddenly dropped to his knees and clutched his head in agony at the pain that shot through him. He paused briefly to wonder if this was him being smited, if somehow Blair already knew what had transpired between Serena and himself and was now punishing him. But somewhere inside of him he knew despite what everyone including Blair herself liked to believe she didn't actually have those powers.

He vaguely heard Serena calling his name as others screamed for help but within seconds there was nothing but static. His vision blurred slightly before a white spot appeared in the centre of his vision and rapidly grew to encompass his whole field of vision. Feeling his air pipe close up the last thought on his mind was Blair. And as her name slipped through his lips as he flailed around, his scream still caught in his throat, he desperately hoped she could hear him.

A/N - And so it begins... I promise things will start to be a lot clearer by end of chapter 2 start of chapter 3. I'm not sure how long this story will be but it shouldn't be as long as my other Gossip Girl one (In Plain Sight). A million thanks to Jelsi4Life whose story idea has my mind spinning out of control with the possibilities. ~ Gabz