We don't have to try
To think the same thoughts
We just have a way
Of knowing every thing's gonna be okay

We'll laugh till we cry
Read each others minds
Live with a smile
Make it all worthwhile
Make it all worthwhile

"Dan," Serena almost whispered, another smile dying on her lips almost as soon as it was formed when he looked at her disgustedly. "What are you doing here?"

"Yeah man, what are you doing here, not that we aren't glad to see you," Nate added going to stand behind the chair he previously occupied so he'd be closer to Serena and facing Dan.

"Well, that's good to know," Dan said scratching his now short hair. "I actually just wanted to let you know I was back in the city, Gossip Girl's spotted page spotted you here last so I thought I'd give it a try."

"You could have called instead of relying on Gossip Girl to find me," Nate told him clenching his fists at the thought of the blogger, he wished he didn't have to give away the only clue he had to find her but if he had to make the choice again he'd say there was no choice, he'd always save Serena.

"It slipped my mind to call," Dan said and both Nate and Serena looked at him skeptically. "It's been a long summer."

"Where's the psycho?" Nate asked, he was well aware that Dan was only addressing him and Serena was as still as a stone statue since she last spoke but he didn't want to comment on that just yet. "Please tell me Chuck was lying about that."

"He probably wasn't," Dan said and Serena turned to give Nate a questioning look. "Georgina is back in town, she's with Milo at the moment."

"Do I want to know?" Nate asked and Dan shook his head no, Serena just stared between the two because she had sure missed a lot when she was gone. "Ok I'm not going to ask."

"Yeah, so what have you guys been up to?" Dan asked Nate with a half smile.

"We just got back from a lunch with Chuck, Blair, Lily and Bart," Nate said shuddering at the thought of how the day had gone.

"So they're together now? Chuck and Blair I mean," Dan asked and Serena tensed up waiting for his reaction to Nate's answer. "Like officially."

"Yeah man, they've been together since the beginning of summer," Nate said as gently as he could, he knew Blair and Chuck's relationship was a sensitive subject for Dan. "I thought you knew."

"No I didn't," Dan said frowning, he looked to be deep in thought.

"Are you ok?" Nate asked and Dan nodded absent mindedly.

"Yeah, so I just came to say 'I'm back' and I said it so bye," Dan said and Nate frowned as he raced out of the apartment because that was really rude of him.

"Was it just me or was he acting strange?" Nate asked Serena when he left.

Serena pulled down her sleeves and drew her knees to her chest on the chair she was sitting on. "I don't even know what strange is for him anymore."

"You were going to tell me the reason you left before Dan came, I'm still listening, what was it?" Nate asked, Dan may have interrupted a breakthrough with Serena and Nate wasn't sure if he'd get any more moments like the one they had before where she felt comfortable enough to speak to him about her drug bound trip to LA.

"I …" Serena didn't know what to say, all that confidence she had before just disappeared, she had an entire speech planned out in her head about her fight with Blair and her night with Dan and then her fight with him but she just couldn't bring herself to say it anymore. Nate would just think she was jealous of Blair and Dan, after all he was still friends with both of them and he would probably just get tired of her problems and leave her and she didn't want to lose Nate, she couldn't.

"Serena?" Nate asked looking worried, it almost looked as if she were going to cry and he didn't know how many more tears he could handle but more than that, he really didn't want to push her too hard. "You don't have to say anything, its ok."

Serena swallowed and looked at him, he was giving her a way out, a way she would gladly take, she needed to take. "I'm sorry."

Nate watches as she gets up and goes to her room and closes the door, sighing he buries his face in his hands. He wants to go back to that morning where she was curled up next to him and thought he had no idea that she was there, where she was smiling and making jokes as she attempted to make him breakfast, where she was finally the Serena he loved again.

It's dark outside by the time Serena finally emerges from her room to find Nate watching TV with a huge bowl of popcorn on his lap. "Are you going to finish that all by yourself?" she asked.

"Nah, I was hoping you'd come join me," Nate said smiling, holding the popcorn out to her and patting the seat next to him.

Serena obliged and flopped down next to him, reaching into the bowl to take some of his popcorn. "What are you watching?"

"Don't look like that," Nate said laughing at her as she frowned at the screen. "It's the highlights from the weekends game."

"This is boring," Serena said gesturing to the screen. "Let's watch a movie."

Come on S, this is awesome," Nate said trying to make her see the epic-ness of what he was watching. "This is like … It's like a form of art."

"This is sport Natie," she complained reaching over his body to grab the remote and change the channel. "And I don't like it."

"Hey," he exclaimed when he realized what she did, he grabbed some popcorn and threw it into her hair.

Serena gasped and took the popcorn out of her hair, "Nate!" she screamed laughing as she took popcorn and threw it back at him.

"You did not just do that," he said throwing more popcorn onto her.

Serena grinned and grabbed the bowl, emptying its contents onto his head. "I did," she said giggling at his expression.

Nate blinked a couple of time and blew a breath out, blowing the salt and flavor that was in the bowl of his face, then he leaned toward Serena and shook his head so that the salt and popcorn stuck in his hair fell onto her. Serena squeaked and jumped up off the couch running when Nate got up and ran after her.

"Nate, no," Serena laughed as she ran back to the couches, falling when he caught her.

"This my dear, is payback," he said tickling her, Serena laughed until her laughs became silent.

"Nate I can't breathe," Serena gasped and Nate chuckled as he stopped tickling her and just propped himself above her as she caught her breath. "I have popcorn… everywhere," Serena said throwing whatever popcorn she grabbed of the couch at him, her face was getting numb from all the smiling but she couldn't help it, Nate was perfect at keeping a smile on her face.

Nate dodged the popcorn and laughed at her. "It's in my shirt and pressing against my back, it's uncomfortable, I don't think you should be the one complaining."

"Well … I'm lying in it," Serena countered as seriously as she could and then laughed. "My sides are so sore from all the laughing."

"My, my, my, what do we have here?" came Blair's voice from above them, only then did Nate and Serena realize exactly what position they were in. Nate jumped off so he wasn't hovering above Serena anymore and Serena held her breath for a moment before getting up herself.

"Hi," she said quietly, dusting herself of and facing Chuck and Blair, who both had amused smiles on their faces.

"I feel like I just stepped into the past," Blair said eyeing both of them with a smirk, referring to their previous relationship where both couples basically lived together and Serena and Nate would have constant food fights and make out sessions on the lounge couch where Blair would find them in similar positions.

"You look … well better than you did a few hours ago," Chuck said reaching out to pick the popcorn out of Serena's hair.

"I am," Serena said laughing as she took more popcorn out of her hair and looking at Nate who was currently doing the same.

"You guys need Dorota," Blair said frowning at the mess on the couch.

"Larisa is coming in the morning," Serena said giggling, it felt like old times when she and Nate would mess the place when they had food fights and Blair would look at them disgustedly before calling Dorota to clean immediately, she would not sit on food.

"Yeah Blair it's just a little popcorn," Nate teased taking what he gathered from his shirt and hair and chucking it at her.

"Make him stop," Blair squealed hiding behind Chuck.

"Nathaniel," Chuck said in a scolding voice to appease Blair but grinning with Nate.

"Charles," Nate shot back seeming happy that there was no popcorn left on him, he leaned on the counter.

"What exactly did we walk in on?" Chuck asked raising an eyebrow to Serena and turning to face Nate, expecting an answer.

"Popcorn fight," Nate said holding a stray popcorn he found on the counter out to his friend. "She stole the remote and I was watching my sport."

"How could you stop him from watching his sport Serena," Chuck drawled out and Nate scowled at him because Chuck's supposed to be on his side.

"It was just highlights," Serena said pouting. "You weren't even paying that much attention."

"I was too," Nate argued playfully. "I made popcorn and everything."

"You two are like children," Blair said stepping out from behind Chuck and rolling her eyes.

"Why are you guys here anyway," Nate asked as if he just realized that he didn't invite them and they didn't call to say they were coming.

"Well we wanted to let you both know that … Humphrey is back on town," Chuck said, looking at Blair who nodded. Chuck rolled his eyes and Nate looked confused at the gesture. Blair and Dan may have broken up and said enough to each other in their last conversation for him not to be in her good books but she felt bad enough as to not let her boyfriend call him degrading names.

"We know," Nate said shrugging. "He came to visit earlier."

"Why?" Chuck asked and Nate frowned, noticing again that Serena had tensed up as soon as Dan's name was mentioned.

"He wanted to let me know he was back," Nate said and Chuck nodded. "He also wanted to know if the two of you were really back together."

Chuck smiled at this, "Sorry to burst your bromance bubble Nathaniel but that probably all he came here to find out."

"We saw him and Georgina," Blair said taking a moment to shiver at Georgina's name. "At the Empire when we took Monkey for his walk."

"What were they doing there?" Nate asked.

"Georgina and her husband are staying there," Chuck said. "I think it would be easier to keep track of her if she's in my hotel so we're going to let it be for the moment."

"I am not happy about it," Blair said wrapping her arms around Chuck's and resting her head on his shoulder. "But he convinced me to let it go."

"What scares me is the fact that Dan and Georgina could be planning something," Nate said walking over to stand next to Serena, she looked a little pale and he was getting worried. "Wherever she is, there's bound to be trouble."

"Yes Nate, that's the definition of Georgina," Blair exclaimed taking her head of Chuck's shoulder to give Nate a 'this is obvious' look. "I don't think we should worry though, we're together again, the four of us, it's going to take a lot to break this."

Serena looked up to lock eyes with Blair who smiled and gave her a nod, Serena felt a wave of relief rush through her, it was Blair's way of letting her know without actually saying the words that she was willing to get their friendship back and not just act to keep in Chuck's good graces.

"All this talk about Humphrey is depressing me," Chuck finally said. "Let's go to dinner, it's been too long since the four of us enjoyed a night out together."

"Since my popcorn is gone," Nate said nudging Serena. "I'm starving again."

"You're always starving," Serena said smiling up at him. "So that is not my fault."

"Stop," Blair called as the three of them started walking toward the door. "There is no way we're going out with the two of you looking like that, change now."

Serena, Nate and Chuck stared at her open-mouthed because they look fine but the look on her face let them know that this was not up for discussion. Chuck shook his head as the blonds made their way to their respective rooms to change out of their salty clothes.

"Kids," Blair said shaking her head and Chuck laughed, this is how it was supposed to be all those years ago when Serena came back from boarding school this was how it should have ended. Dan Humphrey messed up their perfect lives then by playing on his sister's insecurities, there was no way he was going to let the Brooklyn boy do it again. One thing he was certain of he thought as Serena and Nate made their way back to him and Blair, was that he will do everything in his power to make sure Dan never does it again.


A/N Guys! I'm so happy with this happy chapter! I know some of it was a little depressing for Serena but she's still a little emotional over everything so it had to be there but NS fluff and NJBC moments and Blair making a comment about making an effort which lets us know that she will be trying even if her pride doesnt let her say it out right hehehe

Ok so the song is On the ride by Aly and Aj and its a friendship song well I've always seen it as a friendship song, but it's soooo cute and fun and perfect for the non Dan parts of this chapter so I think it fits :D

I am in a very good mood after finishing this chapter lets hope I stay in a good mood so I can write another one lol on another note though, my study material is on it's way to me as we speak so updating may not be as easy but I ususally write alot more when I have other things to do so it may just work in your favour lol I'm not promising hehe

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed in the previous chapter I appreciate it, please please review this chapter and let me know if you liked the happy or want the drama lol

I know the story is going slowly but that was my intention I wanted to drag it out a little to go through everything, just let me know if I'm boring you so i can pick up the pace lol

Until next time (^^,)