The force that was Serena van der Woodsen left Dan's apartment as quickly as she'd arrived, and for a minute he was stunned; unable to move from the position she'd been standing in when she had unexpectedly entered his home.

Afterwards, he vaguely remembered moving towards his phone to call Brian Goldberg's office to inform him that he could officially start production on the movie. He also remembered telling him that Serena van der Woodsen wanted a degree of creative control on the project. Goldberg instantly agreed, the van der Woodsen name was not something any one wanted to mess with.

After all that, he also remembered getting dressed, getting ready to go across town to Brooklyn; where his father would be opening up his small art gallery slash café for the day.

"Dan." Rufus' voice rang out through the studio that had really picked up business in the last couple of years. Dan smiled briefly at his father, waving to show that he had heard him and took his usual seat in the adjacent café that his friend Vanessa had established when they were still in high school.

"What do I owe this pleasure?" The older man asked, making it through the crowd to join his son at the table.

"I talked to Serena yesterday, she showed up to my apartment today." He didn't know why he had to tell his father something like that, but he did. Rufus nodded patiently, knowing that his son wouldn't have made the trip to tell him just that piece of information. "They're making A Life to Love into a movie."

"That's…great news." Rufus congratulated his son slowly, studying the younger man's reaction. "Is it good news?"

Dan nodded, but it was hesitant and they both knew he was having trouble believing his own actions. "It means I have to spend a lot more time around Serena."

"You never know, it might be good for the two of you. It might be time to finally clear the air. You do have a daughter to consider, you can't keep avoiding each other forever." Dan wasn't sure if he agreed with his father, after all they'd done a great job of avoiding each other so far; but he knew that he had to at least try to clear the air with Serena, even if it was just for Emily's sake.

Rufus left Dan alone in the peace of his thoughts after that, eager to get back to all the potential buyers carefully inspecting the large canvases that covered the walls. Dan finished the espresso the waitress had brought over for them and left the gallery, pushing the heavy doors open into the bright sun.

His sister would be busy at work in her own studio, working on the designs for her newest line and she wouldn't appreciate a visit from her brother, no matter what the reason; and Dan knew that she would stop by that night, like she did nearly every night.

He didn't want to go back to his empty place either, where the only thing to keep him company was his hated laptop; instead, he let his feet take him through his childhood neighbourhood, without thinking about where he was going.

"I feel like a duck." Serena complained as her husband helped her down on the wooden park bench that overlooked the children's playground. It was a Saturday morning, and they were using this park bench as a break point after spending brunch in the old Humphrey loft.

"Well, you don't look like a duck." Dan consoled, brushing some hair away from her face as he spoke. When Serena first found out she was pregnant he had quickly learnt to contradict any criticism she made about her appearance. If he didn't, her hormones would take over, and he'd spend the rest of the day apologising.

"I just want this thing out of me." Her hands slowly massaged her swollen stomach. She was still two weeks away from her due date and her hormones were everywhere, more than usual.

"It will come when it's ready." Dan promised, "Then we'll have all those sleepless nights to look forward to." Where she would be wishing for these days back again, he thought. Serena rested her head on Dan's shoulder; right now those sleepless nights felt light years away.

Dan stood on the sidewalk that surrounded the park that hadn't been new when he was a kid; looking in at the children's play equipment that was in need of a fresh coat of paint and the benches crowded with adults watching their children.

He still came to this park sometimes, if he was in the neighbourhood and had Emily with him; and for the most of it he had managed to keep past memories attached to this place buried. He cursed the fact, that now Serena was back in his life and she appeared to be the key to unlocking these small moments of time.

For the second time in as many days, Serena stood in front of her wall length bookcase, staring at the spine for A Life to Love. Even though she hadn't read a single word from the book in seven years, she knew that if pressed she'd be able to recite most of the story verbatim from memory.

Those words, that she once treasured, were going to be made into a movie, most of her high school years would be immortalised on the big screen with someone else saying their words.

She had definitely entertained the thought of telling her ex-husband that she wouldn't allow the book to be turned into the movie; but in the end her sentimental side won out.

"Please, tell me this is a joke Serena." Serena had to tell Lily about the up-coming movie before she found out about it in the societal grapevine; the older woman's voice it's normal sea of calmness after Serena carefully outlined everything for her.

"Why would I joke about this mum?" The young blonde paced her living room, it was not something she would normally joke about.

"Because, that means you and Daniel will be in the same room; having to talk to each other. That isn't something you've managed to achieve so far."

It was a natural reflex that Serena had developed in the last decade when talking to her mother; she rolled her playful sapphire eyes. It was such an obvious statement, she was surprised her mother had even found the need to vocalise it.

"I'm well aware of that fact mother; I'll talk to you later." She had just realised the time, breathing a sigh of relief; she'd been saved by the bell.

~G~G~

"I heard the good news." Serena had made it to the communal entry gate for Constance Billard and St. Jude's ten minutes before the final siren rang. She looked up from inspecting her perfectly manicured and painted fingernails, to find one of her old friends Vanessa Abrams-Archibald leaning against the wall next to her.

"Dan called me." She clarified when a confused expression clouded the blonde's face; surely not everyone knew about the movie that had gone into production merely hours earlier. "So, you're fine with everything becoming a movie? I don't know if I'd want my relationship acted out for everybody to see."

"Everyone's read the book already," Serena explained her line of reasoning for the initial problem she'd had. "How much damage could a movie make?"

"As long as they don't completely eff up the script…"

The rest of their conversation was cut off as the loud siren sounded, and the massive doors opened allowing the wave of students to come down the stairs. It was the elementary school aged children that came into view first; the older classmen still hanging around their lockers and it wasn't long before Serena spotted Emily racing down the stairs.

Vanessa had already found her young son Benjamin, and she had taken off after him; the little boy already jumping around for his soccer practice.

"Did you talk to daddy today?" It was the first question that came out of Emily's mouth when she caught up to her mother; no hello or anything.

"This is going to be so cool." Emily squealed after Serena promised her she had; she was excited about the idea of her parents talking to each for once, too young to remember anything besides joint custody and her parents going to considerable lengths to avoid each other.

While they walked back to their apartment building, the child let her imagination run away with her. She was imagining a world where her parents actually talked and got along with each other, and Serena didn't have the heart to tell her that it might not necessarily work out like that.

The older blonde, the more experienced and cynical one was imagining the tense conversations and petty little arguments which were more realistic, while they tried to maintain a happy façade for Emily's sake.

Casey xXx

[Edited: 13 March 2010]