She ran as fast as she could, although the laughter was holding her back. Everytime she lifted her heels, she splashed him, and everytime she took another step, she splashed herself, and, somehow, that made the situation that bit more amusing. He was behind her, pretending not to keep up, yet catching up with her.

He picked her up when she least expected it, and she couldn't stop laughing long enough to say 'put me down right now' without meaning it. He carried her deeper in the water, and at some point she felt how cold it actually was. She squeeled, and squirmed in his arms, and still she couldn't fight the strong arms around her or the inexplicable need to have them there.

'Three...' He started counting, and she knew what it meant.

'No!'

'Two...'

'Have mercy!'

'One...'

She closed her eyes as tight as she could, and hoped her laugh would deafen the sound of her fall. She tried to prepare herself for the chill of the water and the funny feeling of liquid in her nose and ears, but none of that came.

Everything was replaced with tension, usual, experienced before, as strong as the first time their lips met and their hearts raced. Then his lips firm yet soft against hers, and suddenly, everything around them disappeared. She managed to turn so that her legs were tightly wrapped around his torso, and she got lost in the kiss. It was overwhelming, and perfect, and slightly scary that this boy, this man, this sole person, whom she held on to so tightly, could have such a powerful effect on her.

'So this was originally meant to be an apology prior to me throwing you in the water...' Dan said, moving his lips to the edge of her jaw, 'but I changed my mind. I have a better idea,' he said, and started walking back, not really knowing where, until his feet touched sand.

Gently, he laid her underneath him, and smoothed her hair around her face with his hands. Their eyes locked, and Serena smiled. What a smile! It was enough to get his heart going. A moment was passed between them; of perfect stillness and no words needed. The calm before the storm.

He teased, his mouth hovering just above hers, their breaths mingling as her arms wrapped around him, hands firm over his back. Dan caught her bottom lip in his, softly, gently, as if he was testing her. Serena arched her back in his arms as she felt his tongue slip into her mouth, and couldn't help her fingers digging into his skin.

His lips moved to her neck, and Serena let out a soft moan in his shoulder. One of her hands fisted in his hair, her fingers knotting in his short, dark curls.

'This is what I had in mind when I insisted we got the house with the private beach…' she said, barely managing to utter the words in an understandable manner, 'but I'm starting to think it wasn't such a good idea. It's like the sun is staring at us…' She wasn't making sense, and it made him laugh gently against her shoulder.

Dan stood in front of her and helped her up, pressing a soft kiss to the forehead once she was standing beside him. She laid her palm against his cheek, as his lips lingered over her skin. Then he knotted their hands together and walked with her back to their house, shutting the door to the bedroom with his foot once they were inside.

-xoxo-

There was something about the way they would lie together every time afterwards. It was more than just intertwined legs, and her palm on his chest, and his fingers in her hair. It was a sense of balance, of perfection, bliss… Quiet, yet they could hear each other's hearts beating. Relaxed, yet there was a sort of…appreciative…tension around them that triggered random kisses and meaningful whispers. They were still teenagers; not even eighteen, and the fact that they already created such sophisticated moments between them was a sign, to both of them, that the notion of 'forever' they talked about was not as unrealistic as it seemed.

And yet these moments were so fragile. The likes of the loud buzz of a phone forgotten somewhere in a bag thrown in a corner of the room the first minute they arrived was guaranteed to make Dan and Serena tense, sigh, and reluctantly untangle from each other to attend to the interruption. Serena wrapped herself in her silk robe and searched for her phone.

The voice of her best friend was some sort of comfort, but it soon dissipated. There were sobs, and 'please come'. And Serena couldn't say no. She promised she'd try.

'That didn't sound good,' Dan said, once she wormed her way back into his waiting arms.

'It's not. Blair is heartbroken; and she needs me with her.' She searched his face for any signs of anger or disappointment, but she couldn't find them.

'Well, seeing that you need a lifetime to pack all the stuff you brought, and another for the stuff you bought, I'll get us a plane tomorrow morning. How does that sound?'

He saw her face lit up, and she smiled that smile that he could barely handle. It kind of baffled her how understanding he was.

She propped her head on her elbow. 'Wait, you don't mind?'

'Whether we leave now or in a few days makes no difference to me. I would've minded,' he started, slowly rolling on top of her, 'if you had left without me,' he said, and kissed the edge of her jaw. 'But that's not the case, is it?' His lips touched her skin again, and moved further down, towards her shoulder, his nose moving the collar of her robe out of the way.

'I wouldn't want to go anywhere without you.'

-xoxo-

He opened her door for her, and stretched out his hand for her to take. She got out of the car and, for the first time in her life as a New Yorker, she was truly intimidated by the sheer size of the building in front of her. The building which, at the very top, held the apartment of the person she was here for.

'Welcome home,' Dan said, and caught her lips in his before they walked inside.

-xoxo-

As soon as she walked round the corner of the Waldorf's hallway and into the living room, her eyes rested on everyone who mattered in her life. Nate. Dorota. Her mother. Bart. Eric. Jenny. Eleanor. Blair. And when they all smiled at the same time, the overwhelming feeling of a united family enveloped her. She was finally home.

She gripped Dan's hand, but, before starting to walk towards everyone who was waiting for them, her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Good morning, Upper East Siders,

Just because it's the end of summer, doesn't mean my work here is done. Something tells me Lonely Boy and our favorite blonde are back from their summer of love, while not the same can be said about Queen B, who travelled solo this holiday. And while I'm surprised no-one has pitched in with any dirty gossip on any of the three this summer, I can't divulge what our dark prince has been doing in the sun. Or who. All I can say, is that it wasn't Blair Waldorf. Poor B. She got burnt. And not just by the heat.

If you think this is harsh, then you just wait. Because guess what, kids? Senior year is just around the corner. And someone needs to keep an eye on all of you. A very close eye.

You'll hear from me again soon.

XOXO Gossip Girl

She was, indeed, finally home.

A/N: After a lengthy break from writing, I finally finished this first chapter. If you like it, you have Beez to thank. She was the one with the great idea. If you don't, you only have me to blame for my writing. Either way, let me know through a much too welcomed review! Thanks :) xx