'You're pregnant?' Dan asks more inquisitively this time as tears run down Serena's face. She was so scared to tell Dan, so scared this would change things.
'Oh my gosh, Serena, that is amazing' he continues as he pulls her in for a hug. Serena immediately stops crying and pulls out of his embrace and gives him a dazzled look.
'Wait...' Serena gives him puppy dog eyes 'You're happy about this?'
'Of course I am' he says as he places a tender kiss on her lips, then catches one of her tears with his mouth 'I know this may not be the best time to get a child but this is what we wanted at some point anyway, right?
'Right' Serena answers, not sounding really convinced, as she rests her head on his shoulders.
He pushes her gently away from him so she's facing him again
'Serena... I know this is scary but we can manage this, we will manage this. As long as we have each other everything is going to be fine' he tells her.
'I know' she whispers, barely audible. 'I was just so scared to tell you... I don't know. I am happy. I want nothing more than founding a family with you...' she continues.
'It'll all be fine' Dan says, stroking through her hair.
'I guess we have to plan a dinner to announce then' Serena smirks at him.
'Yeah you do that and I'll start inviting people' Dan whole-heartidly laughs.
The dinner was supposed to take place two days later and Serena begged her mom, who was more than excited of the idea of a grand-child by now, to keep quiet and not blabber their secret out.
By the time saturday night has come, Serena was freaking out.
What would Blair think? And Eric? Hell, even Jenny?
Dan and Serena had decided before-hand that they wouldn't tell them until after dinner so Dan's home-cooked meal wouldn't go to waste at least.
Everybody was on time. Even Nate, which was very rare. Dan and Serena don't have the biggest dinner table so at the end it was Dan and Serena sitting next to each other at the one end of the table, Chuck and Blair at the other and on the sides Rufus, Jenny and Nate + Lily and Eric.
Blair thought the whole thing was fishy from the beginning on so right after dessert, she stared at Serena who immediately caught her glimpse.
'What?' Serena asks with everyone looking at either her or Blair.
'Don't you think you should finally tell us and not be so secretive?' Blair suggests.
'I have no idea what you're talking about, Blair' Serena tries to keep her face neutral.
'Oh come one Serena. We all know you guys are not the biggest fans of gatherings like this and would never throw a dinner if it wasn't really important.'
Everybody starts to laugh while Dan turn beetroot red, remembering that time when Dan and Serena sneaked out from a dinner like that to have sex and got caught by Eric who was wondering where the two were.
'Ok shush everyone ' Serena hollers 'You're right. We do have something to tell you.' she continues as she takes a deep breath with everyone's eyes glued to her and Dan.
'I'm pregnant' she proudly announces after Dan put his arms around her back with his fingers resting on her hips and Serena awaiting a reaction.
She is immediately relieved when Blair and Chuck give her a reassuring smile, Jenny and Rufus give their thumbs up and Eric does some sort of dance of joy while Lily just laughs at the silliness of her son. Nate gets up and hugs her and shakes hands with Dan.
She is happy that everyone is happy for her, for them.
As the guests make their way out of the apartment, Dan starts to clean up and Blair stops by Serena.
'You're gonna be an amazing Mom, Serena' Blair hugs her best friend tightly 'I'm so happy for you.'
'Thanks B, I love you' Serena says.
'You too. Buhbaaaai' Blair pouts cutely as she exits the door.
Dan hears that and suprises Serena, hugging her from behind and kissing the nape of her neck gently.
'See, you're gonna be a great Mom' he whispers in her ear 'even Blair thinks so' he continues.
Serena turns around, takes his face in both of her hands and kisses him. Gentle at first, then more passionate. He scoops her up and carries her to the couch where he softly places her. He moves on top of her and kisses her until she can't think straight anymore.
Serena is lucky she's having an easy pregnancy so far. No morning sickness, no mood swings, normal sexdrive and no weird food cravings.
Dan is so excited about the baby, he talks to Serena's belly 3 times a day. Serena has an ultra sound scheduled for today, her second one and the first one Dan is actually coming with her so they're both very excited. She's 20 weeks pregnant by now. They walk up into the examination room hand in hand and just smile at each other without saying much until the doctor comes.
'Hi Ms. van der Woodsen, good to see you again' the doctor says as the two shake hands.
'And you are?' the doctor says as she points at Dan.
'That's my boyfriend and the baby's daddy, Dan Humphrey' Serena talks for Dan while giving him a reassuring smile.
'Nice to meet you Mr. Humphrey, ready to see your baby?' the doctor asks as Dan excitedly shakes his head yes.
The doctor prepares everything and within seconds Dan can hear his baby's heartbeat and an actual tear comes from his eye. He can't even believe his luck. Serena doesn't know where to look, Dan or her baby.
'Do you guys want to find out the sex of the baby?' the doctor asks as she zooms in and out of the ultrasound.
Serena and Dan look at each other real quick and then holler out a cute „Yes" in unison.
'So see this' the doctor points at the ultra sound 'There's no little hump here so that lets me assume it's -'
'A GIRL' Serena screams excitedly 'Oh my gosh, Dan, it's a girl'
Serena is so excited she jumps off the examination chair and gives Dan a long hug whereas Dan is just sitting there speechless and utterly stunned by what just happened.
'Congratulations you two, I'll give you guys a minute' the doctor says as she leaves the room.
'We're gonna have a baby girl, that is amazing' Dan finally finds some words.
'I know, I know, I'm so excited' she says as she kisses him sweetly.
Back at home, Serena turns suspiciously quiet and Dan can feel that something is wrong and just as he's about to ask her, she has a full-fledged panic attack.
'I can't do this, I cannot be a Mom, I'm only 23, I'm not ready, I can't do this. We can't do this. No' Serena starts yelling and is so in rage she doesn't see that Dan is smiling at her.
'We're way too young to be parents, we can't do th-'
'Serena, will you marry me?'
'What?' she turns awfully pale.
'Will you marry me?' he asks her again, now searching for her hands to hold.
She stares at him for a little more before a bright smile hits her face.
'You're right, as long as we're together, we can do anything' Serena says
'So yes, of course I will' she continues before they kiss slowly.
When Dan and Serena were teenagers, they had always planned their wedding to be a simple and intimate ceremony, not many guests, only the most important ones. Blair of course, as the maid of honor, Nate as Dan's best man, Chuck, Jenny, Rufus, Lily and Eric. They didn't need a pompous setting, it wasn't about that, it was about them. That's what they wanted, that's what they got.
Lily who had always had fun planning weddings was a little sad that her own daughters wasn't gonna be prestige as she wanted it to be and that there was no actual time for planning, so she did the best she could to throw a nice wedding together in less than a week.
A beautiful day in mid-May, where Serena's baby bump was already there but not so big she couldn't wear a fancy dress, everybody gathered at the Hampton beach, where Dan and Serena once watched the fireworks and watched them get married.
The guests stand up as Serena walks down the aisle in a beautiful, flowing white dress, holding pink lilies, her hair flowing in the wind, bare-footed.
Dan looks at her from the far and tears up. He's as proud as a soon-to-be husband can be.
When Eric gives Serena away, Dan and Serena take a moment just to smile at each other before the reverend starts.
'Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, in the sight of God and this company, to witness and celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes and blessings to the union of
Daniel Randolph Humphrey and Serena Celia van der Woodsen.
Serena and Dan, marriage is an institution ordained of God, and it is not to be entered into lightly or unadvisedly, but reverently, deliberately, and only after much consideration, for in coming together in marriage you are committing yourselves exclusively, the one to the other, for as long as you both shall live.
Knowing this, I ask of you this question:
Do you Dan, choose to marry Serena on this day; to speak the words that will join you with her as your wife, for all the days of your life? If so, please answer: I DO'
"I do" Dan says, gripping Serena's hand tighter.
'Do you Serena, choose to marry Dan on this day; to speak the words that will join you with him as your husband, for all the days of your life? If so, please answer: I DO'
"I do" Serena says as she tears up.
'Then, if you would, please turn to face one another and join hands as you each take your marital vows:'
Dan starts while everyone else's eyes are glued to him.
„Only once in your life, I truly believe, you will find someone who can completely turn your world around. It wasn't that long ago when I laid eyes on that special someone. That special someone that was you. October 8th 2005 was probably one of the greatest days of my life. The day I fell completely, head over heels, in love with you. It only took you to smile at me and say those two sentences to me to turn my world completely around and to make me feel something, I've never felt in my life before. From that day on, every single moment we spent together, is a memory that I'll never forget. Our first date, our first kiss, even our first break-up is something I will cherish forever because in the end, it made us wiser, stronger and made us realize that we are the ones that belong together. I truly believe that you are the love of my life, you are the first person I ever loved and you will be the last one. No matter what happened in the past,… ahead of us is the future, a future that I want to spend with you. I can't wait to found a family with you, to see our first child grow up and to spend the rest of my life with you. You are the most beautiful, sweet, selfless, genuine person I've ever met. I take you to be my best friend, my faitful partner and my one true love. I promise to encourage you and inspire you and to love you truly through good times and bad. I will forever be there to laugh with you, to lift you up when you are down and to love you unconditionally through all of our adventures in life together. You're the one person I always wanted, the person that I was scared to lose forever, but in the end, something always brought us back together. Serena, with all my love, I take you to be my wife. I will love you through good and the bad, through the joy and the sorrow. I will try to be understanding, and to trust in you completely. Together we will face all of life's experiences and share one another's dreams and goals. I promise I will be your equal partner in an loving, honest relationship, for as long as we both shall live."
Serena fights her tears and eventually manages to before she starts with her vows to Dan.
„True love is not how you forgive, but how you forget, not what you see but what you feel, not how you listen but how you understand, and not how you let go but how you hold on. We've been through so much together. And with 'much' I mean more than normal couples go through. I'm a person that has her up's and down's, probably someone that isn't easy to handle and most people I let into my life, leave it sooner or later. But there's always been you. Despite what everyone was saying, you were the only one that always believed in me, the only one that always stayed by my side, no matter what happened. And we've both hurt eachother in the past, but at the end of the day, you're still the love of my life, the one person I've always loved and always will love. The day I first met you, where I actually remember it, was just a day after I returned home from boarding school to have a fresh start here once again. And you didn't leave my mind since that day. You've been so different to all the snobby Upper East Siders I know, you've been funny and sweet and you were so shy at first, it was cute. You made me fall in love with you immediately. You're my first love and my last love. No matter how many boyfriends I had, no one was ever able to replace you. There wasn't a day where I didn't dream of our Reunion in Summer 2008 and not a day where I didn't think about our special Christmas Night. You were the first guy that really made me feel special and I love you so terribly much. Back then I said that you and I were forever, because it really felt like that and I know I was right, otherwise I wouldn't be standing here with you today. 'I love you' means that I accept you for the person that you are and that I do not wish to change you into someone else. It means that I do not expect perfection from you - just as you do not expect it from me. It means that I will love you and stand by you even through the worst of times. It means loving you when you're in a bad mood or too tired to do the things I want to do. It means loving you when you're down - not just when you're fun to be with. 'I love you' means that I know your deepest secrets and to not judge you for them - asking in return that you do not judge me for mine. It means that I care enough to fight for what we have and that I love enough not to let go. It means thinking of you, dreaming of you, wanting and needing you constantly, and hoping that you feel the same way for me. Dan, I promise to love and care for you and I will try in every way to be worthy of your love. I will always be honest with you, patient, and forgiving. But most of all, I promise to be a true and loyal friend to you. And I believe you're gonna be an amazing daddy to our little girl. I love you."
Lily is actually sobbing when Serena is done with her vows and even Blair has to keep it together.
The reverend finally continues a couple of minutes later.
'Beginning with you, Dan:
Do you, Daniel Randolph Humphrey, take Serena Celia van der Woodsen, to be your lawfully wedded wife; to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, or for worse, for richer, or for poorer, in sickness, and in health? With respect for her integrity and faith in your union, do you promise to unfailingly seek out the best you can in her, loving her every day, in every way, until the end of your forever? If so, please answer: I DO.'
"I do" he says, smiling cutely at her.
'And now you, Serena:
Do you, Serena Celia van der Woodsen, take Daniel Humphrey, to be your lawfully wedded husband; to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, or for worse, for richer, or for poorer, in sickness, and in health? With respect for his integrity and faith in your union, do you promise to unfailingly seek out the best you can in him, loving him every day, in every way, until the end of your forever? If so, please answer: I DO.'
"I do" Serena says adoringly, shaking with her voice though.
Everybody starts clapping before they realize it's not quite over.
'The wedding ring is the outward sign of an inward and spiritual grace, signifying to all the union of this man and this woman in holy matrimony. It was Saint Augustine who said, "The nature of God is like a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference is nowhere." May the rings that you hold symbolize the nature of God in your lives, and as often as either of you see them, may you be reminded of this moment and the endless love you have promised.'
The rings - classic gold, simple, yet so precious. On the inside it says Dan & Serena - October 8th 2005.
Dan, as you present Serena with her wedding ring and pledge your love and your life to her, will you please repeat after me:
Serena, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. With all that I am, and all that I have, I promise to love and honor you always. With this ring, I thee wed.
Serena as you present Dan with his wedding ring and pledge your love and your life to him, will you please repeat after me:
Dan, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. With all that I am, and all that I have, I promise to love and honor you always. With this ring, I thee wed.'
They both repeat after the reverend and now are just smiling at each other. They turn back to the reverend one last time for the moment everyone has been waiting for.
Dan and Serena, in as much as you have consented to be joined together in the holy state of matrimony, and having pledged and sealed your vows by the giving and receiving of rings in the presence of both God and this company, it is with great pleasure that I now pronounce you husband and wife. What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.
Congratulations! You may kiss the bride.'
Dan doesn't need to be told twice, he gently swoops her over and kisses her gently but passionately as the guests raise up and start clapping once again.
'It is with great joy and honor that I now present to you
Mr. and Mrs. Serena and Dan Humphrey!'
They walk down the aisle together, hand in hand of course and every one joins them for a beautiful wedding dinner.
Instead of a steamy wedding night, Dan and Serena count their blessings and cuddle up together on the while Dan gently rubs her belly and talks to her belly.
'I'm thinking Madeline... Or Maddie' Serena says and Dan immediately realizes what she's talking about.
'I think that's a beautiful name' Dan smiles at her.
a/n: Yep, I finally updated. I believe many of you wanted to see drama in this SL but that's really not my kinda thing, I'm all for fluff and romance so I hope you enjoy it anyway. Many, MANY, thanks to Anca for writing the vows for me 5 months ago. I know a lot happened in this chapter and it's going to go on like that because I don't really want to drag this story out any longer. As always, let me know what you think. xx
ps: I wanted to name the baby 'Baya' so badly (because of the fic 'Have you ever?') and for me it's just Derena's baby's name but I wasn't gonna steal so I hope you like Maddie too :)
