Author's Note: I was rummaging around in my closet and found a box of old stuff including a notebook where I'd written a ficlet based on a prompt from gossip girl fandom.

Prompt: Dan and Serena married

They say the first year of marriage is the hardest, but for Dan and Serena it was a piece of cake. After all, they've pretty much experienced it all-the highs and the lows—before they got married. They'd ealt with crazy exes, their parents marrying each other, and the fear that comes with loving someone so deeply. Instead, their first anniversary was marked by the birth of their first child: Daisy. Two years later they had a son named Ethan.

Motherhood was everything Serena dreamed it would be. It was a high like no other—and she had experience many different ways of getting high. She rubbed her expanding belly as Ethan played with his yellow truck and Daisy was busy drawing with a concentration that reminded her of Dan. They were in the backyard. They had bought a townhouse in Brooklyn just before Ethan had been born. Dan said that he wanted to go back to his roots despite his busy duties as the new Editor-In-Chief of the Spectator. Nate had asked him to take it over when he decided to run for Mayor. There was no one he trusted more than his soon to be future brother-in-law and closest friend. Dan had relaunched Serena's old column, S by S, and she stole wrote for it despite the demands of motherhood.

Dan walked in still in his suit and smiled softly as the children stopped what they were doing and ran to him with excited tales of their day. Dan picked up Ethan and patted Daisy on the head. Serena got up and walked up to him, kissing him on the cheek, and taking Ethan from his arms so he could lift Daisy into his arms.

"Kids, why don't you let Daddy get changed,"Serena said softly.

Dan kissed her and said, "thanks, babe."

"How was your day?"Serena asked.

"Crazy. The usual. And yours? You feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, Dan. I'm a pro at this being pregnant thing."

Dan sighed and said, "I just don't want you to overextend yourself. Ethan is a handful and Daisy has only just started school."

Serena caressed his cheek and said, "Still so sweet, Humphrey. Always worrying about me."

Dan shrugged and she took him in. He wore a suit to work everyday, but he still refused to wear a tie. She loved that as much as things had changed, the boy she fell in love with was still there. Once Dan had showered changed into a pair of jeans and a comfy sweater, he setlled in to spend time with the kids.

"I wanna be Mario Daddy!"Ethan exclaimed.

"Okay, okay,"Dan said..

Daisy ran up to them as they set up the video game and said, "Daddy look at my drawing."

Dan took the picture in his hands and smiled at his daughter who was the spitting image of her mother. "You're getting real good at this Dais. Maybe its time we got you some real art supplies."

"Like paints?"the little girl replied excitedly.

"Exactly, sweetie. We'll go to the art store on Saturday,"Dan promised his daughter before returning his attention to his son and the impending video game.

Dan smiled to himself and wished that his mother was still around to see that her love for drawing had been passed on to another generation.

Daisy went to join her mother on the couch as Dan and Ethan played video games.

"Why do boys like video games? Even big ones like Daddy?"she asked her mother.

Serena chuckled and said, "I don't know baby girl. When you find the answer to that question make sure to tell me."

Later that evening, after Dan and Serena had put the kids to bed, Dan made Serena a cup of tea and he helped himself to a bottle of beer.

"Did you ever think this would be our life, Dan?"

"Are you unhappy?"Dan said as he looked at his wife with concern. There was always this fear that his bubble would burst and she'd get tired of him and walk out the door, crushing his soul in the process.

"No, not at all. I just never saw us doing something so traditional."

"Are you lacking adventure?"Dan asked.

"No, not at all,"she said as she climbed on to his lap and said, "I'm happy exactly where I am. I have you and the kids and that's all I need."

"They're pretty darn awesome, aren't they?"

"They are.