This is dedicated to Krislyn M. who, like me, is crazy. And yeah...also thanks to all the reviewers, I really appreciate it. Really brought up my day! If you want to talk to me, I have AIM. User is same as my user on ff. Now enjoy chapter 2. Chapter 3 will be up soon hopefully.

Dan pulled Serena closer as they walked along Central Park. "I love you." He whispered into her ear.

Serena smiled and gave him a chaste kiss before snuggling into his side. Dan sighed and kissed the top of her head. Ever since they got back together last week, he'd been saying 'I love you' every opportunity he got, but everytime she would just kiss him(not that he minded).

She spotted an empty bench a few feet away and dragged him to it. She sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her firmly. "I love you." He said, for the second time in the past ten minutes. "I always have and I always will."
Serena blushed and squirmed. "Dan," She breathed out. "I-I-I-I-I can't."

"You can't love me?" Dan asked, his eyebrows knitted with confusion. Serena shook her head and mumbled, "I can't say it."

Dan frowned ever so slightly. "Why not? Did I offend you? Do I smell? Am I a horrible writer? Do you secretly hate my family and love Nate?"

Serena smiled and pressed a hand to Dan's cheek. "Dan, you're rambling." Then her face grew somber. "I can't say I love you. I know. I'm the worst girlfriend. But the truth is, its hard for me. It's hard for me to be in the loft, knowing that Georgina was there. Its hard for me to kiss you, knowing that you did the same with Georgina. Everytime we're sitting in your room, I can't stand the fact that Georgina was in the same room.That's going to be with me as long as we're together. So whenever you say I love you, I get this picture of you and Georgina in my head and I can't handle it, Dan. I just can't."

Dan watched as a tears slipped down his girlfriend's cheeks. "I understand. You don't have to say it. I'm sorry."

Serena lifted her head from Dan's shoulder, eyes bloodshot from crying. "Can we go to somewhere? Anywhere? Please."

Dan nodded and picked Serena up. "How about we go get a croissant and some hot chocolate?"

Serena nodded and let Dan her out of the park, and to Vanessa's cafe.

"I just think too much has happened. I don't know how to make things go back to what they were."
"So that's it then? It's just 'Have a good summer, I'll see you back at school'?"

"I guess. Yeah."

The words came rushing back to Serena as she watched Dan get her a mug of hot chocolate and a croissant. Things haven't gone back to what they were. They had to move on. They could be better this time. A whole lot better.

Dan returned with her food and wrapped an arm around her waist. He waited till she put down her drink to kiss her on the forehead. "Serena. I don't want to sound pushy or desperate, but are you ever going to be ready?"

Serena took a deep breath and looked at Dan's face. "I think so. I'm sorry."

"Hey, hey, hey. It's not your fault. It's mine." Dan took Serena's face in his hands. "I'm the one that should be sorry." He enveloped her in a hug. "You know how you said that you told your mom we were forever? Well right now, forever doesn't seem like that big of a leap. If you love me – that is."

Serena raised her head to look at him. "I do. I just can't say it."

Dan smiled at her and placed a kiss on her lips. "I know. I know. You wanna go back to the loft?"

Serena nodded and within thirty minutes, they were in the comfort of Dan's room. Serena took Cedric down from Dan's bookshelf and hugged him to her chest.

Dan sat down next to her and said, "If you spend more time with Cedric, I think I'm going to be jealous."

Serena laughed and grabbed Cedric back. "You shouldn't be." She cooed. "You mean a lot to me. You really do."

Dan smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "Anything on your mind? Besides me, of course."

"Well there is my plan of running away to Vegas to elope with Cedric, but I don't think you need to be informed of that. But um, I am thinking about how sweet you are. And how charming and funny and nice."

Dan smiled and touched her lips with his. "I guess I'm a pretty special person." He said, lips never leaving hers. Its like they were kissing and talking at the same time.

Serena closed her eyes and leaned her head on Dan's. "I don't deserve to be with you." Whispered Serena, so quietly that Dan barely caught it. He tilted her chin up and said, "What are you talking about? I don't deserve to be with you."

Serena looked at his cute, confused face. "You deserve to be with someone that makes you happy. Someone that doesn't complicate your life. Someone that doesn't hurt you."

Dan stared at her as she lowered her gaze. "You make me happy. And everything else doesn't matter because I love you. I know I'm in love with you because you make me laugh even when I don't feel like smiling. I sleep better with you curled up next to me. I love you, Serena van der Woodsen."

Serena's eyes filled with tears at her boyfriend's declaration. "Dan, thank you." She snuggled into his chest again and mumbled, "My whole life, I've wanted someone who just wants to be near me, not have sex every hour. Someone to whisper silly nothings in my ear. Someone to hold my hand, and put my hair back when it falls in my face. Someone who will wrap me in his arms and tell me that he loves me. I never thought I would find that guy. I wasn't really big on fairytale endings. That was Blair, but maybe happily ever afters are something I should have believed in. Maybe I've found my Prince Charming."

"Who, Cedric? Or me?" Joked Dan as he pulled Serena close. Serena rolled her eyes. "You, silly. You're the one for me."

Dan's grin grew wider. "So that means in five years, if I ask you to marry me, you'll say yes?" Serena smiled and kissed him. "We'll see." She teased.

Hours later when both were drifting to sleep, Serena leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "I love you too."

Dan looked at her, now wide awake. "Really?" Serena nodded, closed her eyes and gave herself away to sleep. Dan held Serena in his arms and wondered how he had come upon someone so..so..perfect.