Author's Note: I am so sorry it took me so long to update! I had a horrible case of writer's block. Thank you all for the reviews. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. As always, thanks to Katy for being awesome.

All the things you do - can't help myself

"Gossip Girl here. We've got less than a week until our little Queen B makes it official with everyone's favorite former Lothario turned CEO. But that's not the biggest piece of news on this fine morning. Guess who is finally gracing us with her presence after all these years? S has returned from her European extravaganza to be at her best frenemy's side for the big day. So what is she doing sitting on a bench in Central Park all by her lonesome? Strawberry Fields forever, anyone?"

Serena was up and out of her mother's apartment early the morning after Blair's party. She had gotten very little sleep and had spent the night tossing and turning in her bed until the sun came up. She had slipped out quietly, not wanting to wake Lily and Rufus, with her camera in her bag and every intention of spending the day taking pictures.

Central Park had been her first stop. She had settled on a bench to watch tourists discover the Imagine tribute before walking through Strawberry Fields. It was the perfect spot for reaction shots as the shrine never failed to bring out various emotional responses in people.

But she had been sitting on the same bench for over an hour and her camera was still tucked away in her bag because her heart and her mind were not in it. She couldn't stop thinking about Carter. She had avoided coming back to New York for so long because she had been afraid to confront the memories of their brief time together. Coming face-to-face after all these years and having him reject her was worse than any nightmare scenario she had imagined.

The worst part was knowing that it was all her fault. Carter had loved her and she had screwed everything up by not believing in him. Even after seven years, Serena could not get over how selfish and self-righteous she had been. How many times had people forgiven her for the terrible mistakes she had made? Why couldn't she have done the same for him? Why couldn't she have just trusted him and his feelings for her?

"S, what are you doing?" Blair's demanding voice brought her out of her head and back to the present.

"Hey." Serena smiled at her friend. "Are you here to feed the ducks? Where's Dorota?"

"I was looking for you," Blair replied. She pulled out her cell phone and showed Serena the text from Gossip Girl. "It looks like you're back on her radar."

Serena scowled and hit the delete button before handing the phone back to Blair. "I guess it was too much to hope that she had managed to get a life after all these years."

"Are you kidding? She's as bad as ever." Blair put the phone back in her purse and sat down beside Serena. "You didn't answer my question. What are you doing here? Are you sulking over Carter?"

"I'm not sulking," Serena said. She sighed. "But I was thinking about Carter," she admitted.

Blair's expression softened. "S, when did you and Carter get so close? What happened that summer after graduation?"

Serena shrugged. "A lot of stuff happened." She could see that Blair was listening and decided it was time to tell her best friend everything. "He was helping me find my father. We were in Europe after Fiji was a bust. I was frustrated and sad and he was there for me."

"Okay," Blair said, as she struggled to understand. "But there has to be more to the story. How did you go from being grateful for his help to thinking Carter might be the one person you can't live without?"

Serena smiled at the memory. "There was this day we spent together in Greece."

"Tell me the whole story," Blair urged.

* * * * *

Santorini, Greece – July 2009

Serena walked along a beach under an endless blue sky. The warmth of the sun felt good against her bare arms and a soft breeze from the crystal blue water blew the hem of her green sundress around her legs. Her hair was down and bounced in soft waves over her back as she made her way across the white sand. She was barefoot, but she barely noticed the warm sand tickling her feet. She glanced at the note in her hand that Carter had slipped under her door asking her to meet him at the spot they had discovered on their last trip to the island.

This trip wasn't turning out to be much better, Serena thought. Her father's trail had gone cold after they had traced him back to Greece. She didn't understand how he always managed to be three steps ahead of them. Did he know she was looking for him? Was he purposely trying to hide from her? The thought brought the familiar ache back to her chest and she quickly pushed it aside. Of course he didn't know she was looking for him. If he did, he would want to see her. She was his daughter.

Serena reached the spot and was surprised to see a blanket spread out in the sand. As she moved closer, she saw a wicker picnic basket and a bottle of wine with two glasses beside it along with a large plate of fruit. She peered into the basket and found sandwiches and Tupperware containers filled with the hotel chef's specialties.

She turned at the sound of footsteps and saw Carter coming towards her. He was dressed casually in light gray pants and a white button-down shirt that hung open and showed off his tanned skin. Serena couldn't help admiring his muscled chest. Carter had definitely grown up since the last time they had been here.

"Hey beautiful," he said lightly.

"Carter, what is all this?" Serena asked.

"This is lunch." Carter took her hand and brought it to his lips before leading her to the blanket. "I had the chef prepare some of his specialties and the fruit is from that little market you like to stop at."

Serena was confused. "Why did you do this?"

"I did it for you," Carter replied. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and rested his hand on her cheek. "I know this trip has been rough for you and I wanted to remind you that Greece can be special. But mostly, I miss seeing you smile."

Serena was touched. "Carter." She placed her hand over his and entwined their fingers. "I appreciate everything you've done for me. You've more than made up for what happened the last time we were here."

Carter's face became serious again. "Serena, you have to know I never expected to get caught. I really thought that boat was the quickest way to get you to your father."

"I know that. You didn't have to keep looking for him after I blackmailed you into leaving New York, but you did." Serena chewed on her lip. "I'm sorry I used it against you."

"I deserved it," Carter replied. He dropped his hand from hers. "I'm sorry about Blair. I let my need to destroy Chuck cloud my judgment."

"Blair is okay now," Serena said. She reached for Carter's hand. "We're okay too," she assured him.

"I want to be more than okay," Carter said. He caught her face in his hands and lowered his lips to hers.

The kiss was nothing like the ones Serena remembered from the last time they had been together. The kiss was soft and slow and Serena felt it from the top of her head all the way down to her toes.

He pulled back and touched his finger to her lips before she could say anything. "Why don't we have lunch?" he suggested.

"Okay," Serena agreed.

* * * * *

The sun had set over the horizon and the sky was a beautiful mix of pink, purple, blue and orange as day faded into night. The breeze from the water teased her long hair, but the air was still warm as she sat on the blanket and watched the sea lap gently against the shore.

She was relaxed and happier than she'd thought possible when the day had began. Serena smiled to herself as their day played over in her mind. Everything had been so perfect. For once, they hadn't been talking about her father or the next step in trying to find him. Instead, they had simply talked. They had filled each other in on what had happened in their lives while they had been apart. Serena told Carter about her dream of going to Brown and he told her how much he wanted to own his own business and be free of his trust fund brat label. They had walked on the beach and played in the surf and just enjoyed the moment.

Serena had realized how comfortable she was with Carter. He understood her and he never tried to get her to be someone she wasn't. He just accepted that she wasn't perfect because he wasn't perfect either. But somehow when they were together, it seemed like everything could be perfect. She wondered if somewhere deep inside she had always know that it could be like this with him.

His lips brushed her temple and she snuggled closer to him, closing her eyes and resting her head against his bare chest to listen to his heartbeat. His arms closed around her and she felt safer than she had in a long time.

"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" Carter asked.

Serena gently pulled out of his arms so she could look into his eyes. "Carter, this day has been amazing. Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," Carter said. His stroked her hair. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Serena."

She smiled as her heart swelled in her chest. She laid her lips on his, brushing her fingertips over his face and into his hair. Her lips parted and his tongue found hers, deepening the kiss until everything but him drained from her mind. For the first time in a long time, Serena knew exactly what she wanted.

"Let's go back to the hotel," Serena said.

Carter's eyes met hers. "Are you sure?"

Serena smiled and kissed him again. "Completely," she whispered against his lips.

* * * *

"Wow," Blair said in disbelief when Serena was finished. "I never would have pegged Carter Baizen for the romantic type."

"Says the girl who is marrying Chuck Bass," Serena teased as she wiped away the tears that were threatening.

Blair rolled her eyes and ignored the dig. "You came back to the city without Carter and then did everything you could to avoid him. Did he do something?"

Serena chewed on her lip as she remembered how stupid she had been. "He tried to stop me from making a fool out of myself to get my father's attention. He kept telling me I didn't need it, but I didn't want to listen and I wasn't going to let him stop me. So I left in the middle of the night. When we were back in New York, Carter tried to show me how much he cared about me and I ruined everything. You know the rest," she said.

"I also know that it doesn't have to be over. S, you and Carter are both here," Blair pointed out.

"B, please. I can't go through this again. I'm going to do whatever it takes to avoid Carter for the next week and then I'm going back to Paris," Serena said firmly. It was the only way.

"Okay," Blair agreed. She glanced at her watch. "I'm going to be late to meet my mother. Let's have dinner tonight, just the two of us. I promise no Carter talk."

"That sounds great," Serena agreed.

"I'll meet you at the Palace at eight. I'll have Chuck reserve the private room for us." Blair stood up and pulled her phone from her purse. She waited until she was out of earshot before dialing Chuck's number. "Bass, I've got a mission for you."

* * * *

Carter was on edge when he walked into Chuck's office a few hours later. Chuck's secretary had called to request a meeting and Carter knew Chuck well enough to know a sudden need to meet probably had nothing to do with business. He had considered declining, but he had agreed on the off chance it was business related.

"What do you want, Bass?" Carter asked as he took the seat across from Chuck's desk.

Chuck looked up from the paperwork he had been reading. "I want to know what your intentions are for my sister."

Carter rolled his eyes. His instincts had been right. "You could have saved us both the time and just asked me on the phone. You would get the same answer."

"But then I wouldn't have the opportunity to see your smiling face," Chuck replied. "Answer the question."

"Is Waldorf hiding in the closet with a tape recorder?" Carter asked. "I can't imagine you're overly concerned with this topic." If Chuck was determined to play this game, Carter wasn't about to make it easy for him.

"Serena is my sister," Chuck pointed out. "If it were up to me, none of us would be giving you the time of day."

"You wound me."

Chuck scowled. "Do you have an interest in resuming your relationship with Serena?" he asked.

Carter knew Chuck well enough to know they could play this chess game all day and he had better things to do. "No. Serena and I ended our relationship a long time ago and I have no intention of reigniting it. Can I go now?"

"Serena is not the same person she used to be," Chuck commented.

Carter sighed as his annoyance rose to the surface. "Neither am I, Bass. I'm here to open a restaurant, not to be a pawn in some warped version of love connection that you and Blair have come up with." He stood up. "As far as I'm concerned, Serena is a girl from my past and I plan on keeping her there. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Chuck replied warily. "I will be working on some location possibilities today. Why don't you meet me at the Palace for dinner? Eight o'clock."

"Fine," Carter agreed. He turned and stormed out of the office.

Chuck shook his head in disgust and reached for his phone. "Mission accomplished, Waldorf."

* * * *

Serena made her way through the Palace dining room and slipped through the door that led to Chuck's private dining room. The floor-to-ceiling windows showed off one of the best views of New York City and she was hoping for some inspiration. She had spent most of the day wandering around the city and half-heartedly taking pictures. She was determined to stop moping about Carter and take advantage of her time here. But that was proving to be easier said than done.

She walked into the dining room and instead of Blair, she found Carter. He was sitting at a table near the window scanning the menu. Before Serena could turn and walk away, he looked up and their eyes met and the familiar tug of longing pulled on her heart.

Carter politely stood up as she crossed the room to the table. "Serena."

She tried not to be hurt by his cold tone. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

"Are you telling me you really don't know?" Carter's eyes searched her face for answers.

Serena shook her head. "I'm meeting Blair for dinner," she explained. She wished he would stop looking at her like her mere existence annoyed him.

"I was told I'd be meeting Chuck."

"Oh," Serena said as it become clear to her what was happening and why Carter was annoyed. "I didn't know."

"I can see that." Carter's expression softened and Serena held her breath as hope filled her heart. "Enjoy your evening," he said coolly as reality hit her again. Before he could walk away, Serena grabbed his arm.

"Please don't go."

Carter stiffened and his eyes focused on her hand on his arm. "I told Chuck I wasn't interested in playing this game."

"Carter, please look at me," Serena said. When his gaze lifted to hers, she quickly continued. "I'm sorry about Chuck and Blair and I promise you I'm not trying to play a game. But I want to talk to you. Please."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Carter pulled his arm away from her and started to leave again.

"Why not?" Serena demanded as she desperately tried not to cry. "It's been seven years, Carter! Do you really hate me so much that you can't be in the same room with me?"

Carter stopped walking and turned back to face her. "I don't hate you, Serena. But I'm not interested in a trip down memory lane either. We've both moved on and I think it would be best if we kept it that way. Good night."

He walked out of the dining room before she could say another word and made his way to the elevator. He wondered if seeing her was ever going to get an easier. He hated seeing the hurt on her face, but there was nothing he could do about it. Carter was not about to go down that road again with Serena. He was determined not to feel anything for her.

Carter knew from experience that would only lead to disaster.

* * * * *

"Where is she?" Serena demanded when Chuck opened the door to the apartment he shared with Blair. She pushed past him into the foyer. "Blair!"

"Good evening, sis. Please come in." Chuck closed the door and turned to face Serena. "Blair's not here. Eleanor needed her for something."

"I'll bet she did." Serena glared at Chuck. "You need to tell Blair to back off. She can't keep throwing Carter and me together and expect everything to be okay. He doesn't want anything to do with me." She swallowed the lump in her throat. Saying the words out loud only made the ache worse.

"Do you really believe that?" Chuck asked. He poured her a glass of scotch and gestured for her to sit down.

Serena accepted the drink, but she was too angry to sit. "Carter has made his feelings clear, Chuck. He's not interested and these run-ins Blair keeps planning are not helping." She swallowed the scotch and let it burn her throat.

"You didn't answer my question." Chuck sat down on the couch and watched Serena carefully as she continued to pace. "Do you believe Carter when he says he doesn't want anything to do with you?"

"Why shouldn't I believe him?" Serena finally dropped down on the couch beside him. "Carter told me seven years ago that he didn't want to be with me anymore. Time apart hasn't changed his mind."

"I don't like Carter Baizen," Chuck stated. "I never have and I never will." He held up his hand when she started to protest. "But I can see that you care about him and this is hurting you. If you want Carter, then you should fight for what you want." He frowned at the thought.

"Come on, Chuck. Why should I humiliate myself so Carter can reject me again? It's going to make him hate me."

"How much do you know about Carter's restaurant?" Chuck asked.

"What?" Serena was confused by the abrupt subject change. "Blair mentioned he's opening one here and you're working with him. How did that happen, by the way?"

"Long story," Chuck muttered. "Carter already owns a restaurant in Los Angeles and he wants to open one here. The name is Kalliste. Does that mean anything to you?"

Serena shook her head. "Should it?"

"Kalliste is a Greek word meaning 'the beautiful one.' It was also the original name of the island of Santorini. I believe that location means something to you," Chuck said.

Serena was momentarily speechless as Chuck's words sank in. "Carter named his restaurant after Santorini?" she said quietly.

"Does that sound like someone who is over it?" Chuck asked.

"No," Serena admitted. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. For the first time in a long time, she felt real hope. "Thank you."

"I still think you could do better."

Serena laughed and hugged Chuck hard before kissing him on the cheek and jumping up from the couch. She was suddenly filled with energy. "Tell Blair to call me when she gets home. Actually, don't worry about it." She reached for her cell phone and sent a quick text.

"We need a new plan."

A full minute didn't go by before her phone beeped with Blair's response.

"Carter won't know what hit him."