A/N: I am so sorry it took this long to update, but I was so busy with the finals, and prom, and all that jazz. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Two: Memories

When she woke up, his arm was wrapped around her tightly. Enclosed in his embrace, the feeling of security filled her heart with calm. Her back was pressed against his strong chest, and the rhythmic rise and fall of it reminded her of home; in his arms, she had always felt at home. He made her feel that way, and she loved that about him. With him, the hardships of her life were filtered by her shield, her protective man. A man that she loved greatly and deeply, and as much as she distracted herself with others like Aaron and Colin, men who might have loved her, but whom she fooled herself to believe she loved, her heart never ceased yearning for him. If she were to stop running away from her feelings and face them, she would have rushed into his arms and she would have stayed there a long time ago. She felt ashamed to even think and admit to herself that she knew Dan would have always been there to hold his arms wide open for her to grip on. She hated herself for having always taken him for granted, but, as she stroked the arm he kept around her, she promised to herself she would start to make him feel as appreciated as he had always made her feel.

She felt motivated enough to lift his arm slowly, carefully, so he didn't wake up. She got up and walked over to his side of the bed, kneeling beside him. She looked at him, her eyes pouring adoration as she watched him sleep, his face smoothed by peace. She remembered how much she loved him, and it angered her that she ever forgot. She remembered how much she depended on him, and how she couldn't live without him. She noticed a thick strand of his dark hair covering his eye, and she moved it with her fingers, revealing his eyelid. She knew that, underneath it, there would be the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, the only ones that made her lose herself in them. As cliché as it sounded, they really were the gates to a beautiful soul. Serena run her fingers over his smooth cheek, and swiftly exited the room. She would start by spoiling him with some breakfast in bed. She remembered how much he liked waffles and, although she had never cooked a day in her life, she was willing to try. For him.

Her altruistic plan backfired as soon as she opened the fridge and saw that it was empty; no milk or eggs, and as she scanned the kitchen again, she learned that there was no waffle iron either. She didn't let this demoralise her, though. She'd just do what she did best; shop. She sneaked back into the bedroom and searched for some fresh clothes in Dan's bag. After she observed the limited choice, she noted to herself that, later today, she would have to inspect the shops of Hampstead. She took out one of Jenny's old dresses, and as much as she disliked her, she couldn't not admire the garment. Quietly, she put it on, and looked in the mirror to arrange her hair into a ponytail.

'You're leaving me already?' Dan suddenly asked, his voice thick with sleep.

'Hey, sorry I woke you up,' she muttered, her heart missing a beat when she saw his angelic face peeking from underneath the adorable mess his hair was. 'I was trying to be quiet, I was just going to run to the shop down the street to get us some breakfast,' she informed him, and continued to work on her hair.

Dan let out a small smile. 'Come here,' he instructed, patting the place by his side where she had slept the night before. She didn't need to be asked twice; she lay down beside him, this time facing him, and he instinctively wrapped her in his arms, touching his lips to her cheek. She reeled in the embrace, filling her lungs with his intoxicating scent. 'So, I don't know about you,' he started, 'but I'm really happy right now,' he stated, and she found it hard to overcome the joy she felt. 'I have really missed this,' he whispered, holding her tighter.

'So did I,' she replied simply, lacking the inspiration to come up with a better response.

They stayed that way for a while, the silence healing any broken bonds between them. Her hands were squished between their chests, but she didn't mind; it allowed her to caress his muscular chest through his shirt. Dan made sure his grip on her was as tight as it could be without causing her any pain. He had been deprived of holding her for so long, he felt the need to make up for the time lost. Randomly, he would rub his nose along her temples, maybe even press soft kisses there, showing her his affections, but without moving too fast. He knew she was still frail from what had happened only a few days before, and he didn't want to do anything to scare her away. He was satisfied with just being with her, and it seemed she was too.

'So about that breakfast,' he interrupted the silence, 'what did you have in mind?'

'I was thinking waffles,' she said, pushing away only to be able to see his face. 'I was going to go to the supermarket and buy the ingredients to make them myself,' she announce, proudly.

He let out a short laugh. 'Serena, as much as it was a lovely plan, and a wonderful surprise, we both know that the last time you tried to cook, I had to use the fire extinguisher for the first time,' he told her, and she laughed, hiding her face in his chest. 'I suggest we go out for breakfast today, and we shop for tomorrow. What do you think of that? '

'That sounds great,' she said, and got out of bed, but not before kissing the arm Dan snaked around her.

'You know, you didn't have to buy every single appliance that this kitchen lacked; I mean, we could have done without the mixer, or the bread slicer,' Dan mused as he dropped the countless bags on the counter. 'My arms are dying,' he complained, and he noticed Serena entering the room with equally as many bags hung from her hands and arms. 'How can you not be tired after all this shopping? I'm exhausted,' he moaned, as he unpacked to make room for more bags.

'Years of practise,' she said, and they both smiled when they caught each other's eyes. It felt so good between them; so at ease and natural. 'Well, at least now we have everything we need for you to cook and changes of clothes to last us the three weeks.'

'We do, don't we?' he said, and stacked the juice maker neatly in one of the cupboards. 'All done,' he announced, and led Serena on the balcony. They sat on the plastic chairs, watching the sun set behind the soft waves. Their hands, interlocked, hanged in between them, keeping them somehow united and touching. The moment was perfect, and neither wanted it to finish. But the sun disappeared, and Serena felt her stomach ask for food.

'Hey, let's try out our new equipment,' she suggested, and Dan complied eagerly.

'I cook, you learn,' he decided, and picked Serena up gently, carrying her effortlessly to the kitchen. This sparked sweet memories in both of them; they remembered the night of the cotillion, another Upper East Side formality that neither liked nor understood. She looked beautiful in that golden dress, and he recalled the ideal ending to a night that didn't necessarily begin well. When he held her and kissed her, the rift that CeCe might have created between them disappeared, and, as he carried her out of the venue, they both felt liberated. Free from the heaviness and expectations of the Upper East Side elite, free from the misunderstandings and lies. They were together and that was all that mattered.

He set her on the counter, and, after he noticed a rebellious strand of hair on her perfect face, he pinned it behind her ear.

'So,' he interrupted the silence, 'what do you want to eat tonight? I have the facilities to prepare you a five-star restaurant meal,' he joked, and took her hands into his.

'Surprise me,' she challenged, and he agreed.

She watched as he cooked, moving around the kitchen expertly. She noticed his muscles flex as he cut and diced and mixed whatever it was that he was cooking. The smell was heavenly, and it brought back memories of times when he cooked for her in the morning, when she would walk out of his bedroom in only his shirt and see him prepare something that he hoped she would like. She always did. It was weird how often this vacation brought back old memories; it allowed them to continue the great love they once shared.

'Dinner is served, m' lady,' he joked, and helped her to jump off the counter. He led her to the table on the balcony, holding out a chair for her to sit. 'I hope you like it,' he said as he sat opposite her.

She took a bite, and, as she chewed, she smiled, tears threatening to creep out of the corners of her eyes. 'I can't believe you remembered,' she whispered, repeating what she had said the night before, when they walked on the beach.

'Of course I remembered. How could I not?' he muttered, and stretched his hand across the table, reaching for hers. She didn't hesitate to grip his fingers with hers. They thought of that special night, the night of Serena's birthday. It started disastrously.

'Mom, do you really completely ignore everything I say to you? I told you I didn't want this party; I had plans with Dan! He's waiting for me in town, and I'm not going to leave him waiting,' Serena shouted, once Lily shut the door to her room.

'Well, Serena, I thought that maybe once you saw all of your friends here, for you, you might...'

'Stand up Dan? Why, because he's not Ann Archibald or Eleanor Waldorf's son? Face it, mom, you did this so you could stop me from being seen with him on my birthday, instead of at one of your stupid parties. I told you Dan was more important to me than what your friends might think about me, and I'm not going to give him up just so that we maintain this stupid facade. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to meet my boyfriend,' she said, and stormed out the door, not looking back.

She ran down the busy streets, tears of anger and frustration streaming out of her eyes. She could feel her makeup run, but she didn't allow herself to care. What mattered most was meeting Dan and spending this evening with him, and she wouldn't let anything ruin it...anymore. She sped through the gates to Central Park, searching desperately for just a sight of him. She needed to know he was still there, that she wasn't too late. Their bench was close, and her heart hurt from the hope of finding him there. She didn't even bother to look at her watch, she already knew she was late, and that thought made her run even faster.

She gave out a small sob when she saw him waiting, relief shaking her hands uncontrollably. Her legs moved faster than they ever had, her six-inch heels making a noise that almost seemed uninterrupted. She was so close, but he didn't see her, his eyes searching for her in the opposite direction. She couldn't shout; the tiredness didn't allow it, so she just ran.

Until she fell. She was close enough for him to hear it, and as soon as he set eyes on her, crumbled to the concrete, he jumped by her side, picking her up.

'Serena, are you okay? What happened?' he asked, holding her in his arms as he carried her to the bench.

'Dan, I am so sorry,' she cried, burying her face in his shoulder, embarrassed. 'My mom made me late because she tunes out everything I tell her, and I ran to meet you because I was afraid you would think I stood you up, and you'd leave, and my heel broke because it seems Louboutin doesn't design running shoes, and I fell,' she rambled, explaining.

'Shh, calm down,' he soothed,' I would never leave you,' he promised. 'So, now you're crying because you thought I would leave, or because you fell? Be honest,' he joked, hoping to lighten her mood.

He succeeded. 'A little bit of both,' she admitted, and let out a weak laugh.

He laughed with her, bringing their foreheads together. 'Hey, when it comes to me, you won't lose me that easily. I will stick around for a while, and I'll be here for so long, that you'll start hiding from me. I love you too much to leave you, Serena,' he promised, his face cupping her cheek.

'I will hold you up to that promise,' she muttered, and brought her lips together with his, their mouths moulding perfectly against each other.

'Happy Birthday,' he whispered once his lips were freed, and he moved them to her cheek, pressing them there a few times. 'Okay, so I thought we could have a little picnic here, just the two of us, under the New York stars which, might I add, shine brighter than any other stars,' he said, pointing to the setting sun. Time flew by them when they were together, and they didn't seem to notice. He pulled out a soft blanket and wrapped it snugly around them, and then smoothed her hair with his hand. 'You look as beautiful as always,' he complimented her, causing her cheeks to burn, an unusual reaction for Serena van der Woodsen, who usually expected men to desire and admire her. He had a way of making her feel more special than any other man had ever made her feel. There was something in his voice when he spoke to her, or in his eyes when he looked at her, that she hadn't seen anywhere else, and that caused her insides to melt. 'I know how much you like fish, so I thought I'd make you seafood paella,' he announced, as he placed a plastic bowl on her lap. 'Enjoy,' he said, and pecked her lips before eating his food.

'Dan, this is amazing,' she said, her mouth full. 'If it was up to me, I would eat this every day. Promise me you'll make this for me again,' she asked, her mouth now busy with another spoonful of paella.

'I promise.'

He didn't keep his promise. Until now. He couldn't have kept it; little did they know at that time that so much would happen between them, they would soon break up. How could they have known that evening in Central Park, that Georgina, Serena's past and the Upper East Side would form an entity stronger than them that would split them apart? They had no idea; they were madly in love, and when it happened, it tore them both to pieces.

But now it was the time to try again, and they were so set on succeeding, nothing in the world seemed strong enough to destroy them. This time, they would be together forever, as they imagined a long time ago. Serena subconsciously smiled at this and, as she enjoyed her seafood paella, she saw Dan smiling too.

A/N: I would really appreciate some reviews, and thank you to all of you who have reviewed the first chapter of this story. It was extremely encouraging for me. I'll be posting the next chapter as soon as possible! xx