Current status: Anyone in Chicago, on Memorial Day with the storms? Yeah, I'm stuck on a plane in DC with all flights cancelled until the storm passes, trying to get back home to Chicago. At least I'm getting the chance to write the final half of this chapter.

As Dan held Serena, calming the panic she thought she'd been hiding; she felt her body soften at his touch, the warm and loving embrace that made her feel like she was twenty again, and they were just getting married.

She knew that he had moved on, in seven years how could you not, and that he was with Olivia now, and that he was happy with Olivia now; but it didn't stop her brushing her glossed pink lips softly against his.

When he didn't pull away, she wrapped her arms around him tightly and kissed him again; and this time he returned it.

"Se…Serena," Dan eventually moved, pulling away from his ex-wife, reluctantly. "I can't…we can't…" Staring down at the glossed lips he used to be able to kiss when ever he wanted, he found it difficult to form a full and coherent sentence.

"I know," Serena agreed half-heartedly, ignoring his words though when she closed the small gap he had created between them anyway.

Dan pulled Serena closer in to him, and as her body moulded so naturally against his, like no time had passed between them, he completely forgot about the waiting girlfriend at his home. Being this close to Serena again, it just made sense.

They broke apart, after what length of time they couldn't tell, when the sound of joyous giggling reached them from the top of the staircase.

Serena rested her forehead on Dan's shoulder, hiding the smile that had involuntarily spread across her face when she heard her daughter's, their daughter's, laughter.

"Hey Emily." Dan said after a minute, stepping back from Serena as she composed herself.

"I heard Carter leave." Emily giggled, believing all her dreams had come true at once, "I thought it was safe to come out."

"It is sweetheart." Serena turned to Emily, completely composed as her sweaty palms pressed down on the denim material of jeans. "How 'bout you go start on your homework and I'll get the ice-cream out in a second."

"Is daddy joining us?" Emily asked, taking her time, one step at a time as she descended the stairs. Wishing on eleven eleven, the candles on a birthday cake, the first star of a night, a shooting star; she was never going to doubt superstition again.

It didn't matter that it had taken so long, to get here.

"Not right now, baby." Serena said at the exact same time as Dan said, "Maybe another time."

Emily's smile grew even wider.

Dan and Serena looked at each other again, guilty looks apparent over their faces at the realisation that their nine year old daughter caught them not even a minute before anything could advance further; before it was sure to have moved further.

"I'll call you later." Dan whispered as Emily disappeared off to the dining table, humming quietly to herself. Serena nodded, unable to trust anything that would come out of her mouth.

G~G

I'm sorry, but I love my ex-wife

I love you, but I love her more

She's the mother of my child, my teenage sweetheart. How can I not love her?

Sentences, apologies, explanations raced through Dan's head as he walked through the doors to his apartment building, nodding distractedly at the doorman as he made his way over to the elevator.

Even to the successful author like himself, these excuses he was making sounded second-grade. The truth was, no matter what he said to the young woman waiting inside his home for him, he was going to emotionally kill her.

He had never moved so fast before in his relationships, not even with Serena; and he couldn't explain why not even after a fortnight the twenty-two year old had essentially moved in with him.

Now, he had to tell her that he was going to back to his ex-wife, the woman she would continue to see everyday as she became her character.

"Olivia?" He called out, entering the quiet interior of his home. "Are you still here?"

He still didn't know what he was planning on saying to the young woman, and half of him – the cowardly side of him, prayed that there would be no reply. At least he would have some more time to come up with an excuse that sounded half decent.

"I'm here." Olivia answered her voice soft as she came out of his office; the office that was generally kept off limits to everybody. In her hands was the seldom-read copy of A Life to Love that was kept on his bookshelf. One finger holding the place where she had been reading.

"Is Serena still in trouble?" She asked, for the sake of asking and being polite. Dan, who was standing in the middle of the living room, shook his head silently, preferring to stay silent until necessary.

"What game are you playing? With me and Serena?" The question came so suddenly, and so bluntly from her, that Dan stood with his mouth open for a second, scrambling to come up with an explanation.

"Dan, I love you. I do, but I'm not going to get caught up in a miserable relationship while you try to decide between me and your ex. You two have a daughter together, a beautiful and intelligent girl who wants you two back together; I'm still young – and I know I'm going to be the one to lose."

"Olivia…" Dan finally found the words to speak.

"What Dan?" Her voice was a mix of hurt and anger. "Are you going to tell me to stay, that you love me, that you're not going back to Serena?"

"I'm sorry." He wasn't going to make any excuses. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen…I'm just…sorry."

Olivia nodded, and turned back into the office, returning a second later, sans book with the one small suitcase that had all the clothes and personal effects that had come with Olivia to the penthouse.

"I'm going to be professional about this." Olivia stood next to him, facing him. "I still want this movie to succeed. You and I will be polite on the set, only taking to each other when needed."

Dan nodded, silently. Unable to say anything that would make this any easier for her; she at least deserved a dignified exit.

"I'm just so sorry Olivia." He could only make one more apology before she left his apartment.

G~G

Dan wanted to go straight back to Serena's, and be with the family he had lost seven years ago as a result of his pride and stubbornness. He wanted to go back and hold on to them, and never let go again.

He wanted to pretend that the last seven years had never happened, but he couldn't.

But he also knew that he couldn't keep away, and so he started the walk back to Serena's.

No one was surprised to see him back in the lobby of her 5th avenue building, they nodded and smiled and waved as he quickly made his way back to the elevator.

G~G

"Focus on the question, Em." Serena pushed her daughter's math workbook in front of her, trying to unsuccessfully get her to study. "Otherwise you're not going to get an A."

"What happens if I don't get an A?"

"Then Grandma is going to send you off to boarding school. You're not going to turn out like me."

"What's wrong with you mom? And when is daddy coming back?"

"Baby, I know what you saw…" Serena started to explain to her daughter that just because she had kissed Dan it didn't necessarily mean that they were back together, pausing to try and work out how she was going to word it without completely destroying her daughter, as well as any fantasies that might have popped up in her imagination, but before she could Emily pushed back from her chair.

"Daddy!" Emily squealed, racing towards the person who had suddenly reappeared in her home.

"Dan." Serena was surprised, and her dining chair crashed against the white tiles of the dining room as she stood up.

Emily launched herself at Dan, her arms locking around his legs so he couldn't move.

"Hey Em." Dan smiled down at his daughter, bending down to her height to return the hug and give her a kiss. "I'm here to talk to your mom."

Emily looked between Dan and Serena, her smile widening as she imagined their reunion.

"We can go talk in my room," Serena agreed. "We can get some privacy there. Emily you need to do your homework."

The small nine year old girl pouted, but when both parents glared at her she reluctantly moved back to her schoolwork.

G~G

Serena sat cross-legged on her bed, watching Dan as he paced up and down the bedroom that used to belong to the two of them.

"What happened?" Dan asked, turning to face Serena for the first time since she had closed the door. "Between us."

"You were an idiot." Serena shrugged. "And you were too proud. And you thought I was a spoilt, entitled heiress brat." She started to list off his faults.

"I never said you were a…" He faltered when he caught sight of the glare she had focused on him.

"Okay," He conceded. "Maybe I called you that, but I never believed you were one." It sounded stupid even for him, but luckily she understood.

"You and Emily were the two most important things to me." He continued. "I never wanted to lose either of you."

"I thought I could be a different woman with you; that I wouldn't turn out to become the next Lily van der Woodsen, but you were determined to lump me with my mother."

"I never meant to do that."

"You walked out on us Dan." She finally reminded him of the one thing he had always regretted.

"You told me to get out." Dan finally had a response, and he shot this back in a quick defence.

"I was upset, and tired." They were finally getting the chance to defend their last moments as a loving, married couple.

"You were the one that filed for divorce." He reminded her bitterly.

"You never came back. You never fought for me, or for our daughter."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence, letting the accusations settle between them.

"I never stopped loving you." Serena finally admitted, for the first time out loud and for herself.

Dan stopped in his pacing, which was great since he was about to wear a hole through the carpet and sat down on the bed next to the blonde.

"Serena, Olivia's gone, I still love you." He repeated her admission, and pulled her in for a hug. "I've always loved you – for exactly who you are."

He brushed his lips against her soft lips, stopping any more words that would be coming out of her mouth; he wasn't going to give her a chance to stop them again.

"We can do this again." He murmured, never moving his lips off hers. "We can become who we were again."

?

I don't think I can ever be completely one hundred percent happy with this chapter, because I've come to the realisation that it's the last chapter (excluding the epilogue) (sorry, Vivi); but the good news is that I'm already planning a prequel to this story.

So review, and soon the Derena filled chapter that everyone is craving will be up for all of your reading pleasure =)

Casey xXx