Author's Note: Thank you for your patience. Again, I apologize for the delay.

Chapter 17: Home Sweet Home

Jenny sat on her couch clutching the carton of Haagen Daas double chocolate chip as she tried to let Casey's words sink in. She hated to think of herself as a relationship destroyer. What he said still left him baffled and she wondered how Nate really felt, but mostly she just didn't want to think about all that drama. She picked up her box of dvds, flipped through them until she found one that would ease her mood and popped it in the DVD player. She settled back and began to watch. There was something about Clueless that always made her giggle. It was her feel good movie. She was about halfway through her movie when someone began knocking on her door loudly. She got out off the couch, tugged on her shirt and pulled her hair back in a ponytail before answering the door.

"Nate? What are you doing here?"

"You haven't called me back?" he said.

"I didn't know you called. My battery must be dead."

"I was worried that you were mad at me. I, ugh, I know this is an awkward situation. I just thought we should talk about it or something," Nate said.

Jenny smiled tersely and said, "Then talk."

Nate took a deep breath and debated where to start. He still wasn't sure why he was here or why it was so important to him for her to understand; to forgive her. She had this pull over him that he never quite understood. A part of him knew Casey was right, they had a history that was something he couldn't deny. She was always the person he found heading back towards.

"Well?"Jenny said impatiently. She really didn't know why he was here, but the last thing she needed was to be drawn back into his web. She always lost a little part of herself when she did so.'

"Just give me a moment. I need to just get this out Jenny. I know I haven't always treated you with the respect that you deserve, but you mean a lot. Tonight Casey said something to me that I know was true even though I thought it seemed a little weird at first. I walked around all night mulling over his words. We do have a history. You've been a part of my life for a long time. No matter how hard I try to fight my feelings for you, it always comes back to you. I can't deny that anymore. I know I've hurt you and I wouldn't blame you if you don't want to have anything to do with me. But, I just ask that you give me one final chance because I need you. Its more than that, I want you," he said as he looked at her earnestly.

Jenny tried to let it all sink in, but the look in his eyes—the sheer intensity of his glare—unsettled her even more than his words. Nate scooted closer to her on the couch and held her face in his hands. "One more chance, "he said softly before placing his lips on top of her and kissing her with a gentleness that nearly took her breath away. Jenny quickly lost herself in the feel of his arms. It was like resisting the forces of nature. Being with him just felt right and no amount of logic could change the way she felt when he touched her like this, held her like this. Nate finally released her and rested his forehead on hers and smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes,"he said with a smirk.

"For now," she said before pulling him in for another kiss.

Dan was sitting on the couch with Serena's feet in his lap. He gently massaged them as they talked about what had just gone down with Rita. Dan still felt a little guilty that he hadn't fully disclosed his past with Rita with her. Her ability to understand and forgive him often blew him away. He had a colored past and that had a lot to do with losing Serena.

"I'm sorry about Rita," Dan said.

"Will you stop apologizing? I said it was okay, but next time you've got to give me a heads up about these things."

Dan sighed and said, "I was a whore."

Serena cocked her eyebrow and said, "what?"

"You heard me. I was a whore. I dated a lot of women mostly cause I couldn't get you out of my head and I thought if I filled my life with as many distractions as possible then I would be fine. But, it never worked. None of them were you."

Serena looked at him a beat and broke into a fit of giggles. One of the things she loved about Dan was his frankness and he often beat himself up more than was necessary.

"You're laughing at me."

"Wouldn't you? Dan relax. I get it. Stop feeling so guilty. I have just as colored a past if not worse. I'm never going to judge you for your past. I guess I wish that you still had me on that pedestal. It hurts to know you've been with others, but so have I. So, I have no right to that hurt. But, really you're making a bigger deal of it then necessary."

Dan let go of her feet and said, "Come here." She moved closer to him and he enveloped her in his arms. She laid back against him and smiled gently to herself. She felt so good about her life for the first time in ages. Their time with others meant not to her because she finally had him back and a part f her knew they had to experience that loss in order for them to find what they now had. In less than a year, all the missing pieces of her life fell back into place.

"I love you,"she said as they sat there.

"I love you more than you could ever imagine. I was thinking maybe we should get a real place. Something thats ours."

"A house? I always imagined living in actual house."

"Brownstone with tons of history and where we can add to the centuries of stories the home has to tell."

"Of course you would think of our life as a story."

"Our life is a story."

"No, its a fairytale."

"No, not a fairytale. It's classic novel, the Great American novel,"Dan mused.

Serena giggled to herself and said, "Always the writer. So, where do you want to live?"

"I don't care. So long as it's close to you."

Dan and Serena followed the portly real estate around the city for what seemed like hours and they couldn't stand any of the houses they saw. Most of them were located right in the middle of the city. It was just too close to the noise and hub-bub of the city. They were looking for something a little quieter. Dan did not envision living out the rest of his life right smack in the middle of Manhattan. He was raised in Brooklyn where it felt almost suburban even though he was a stones-throw from the city.

"This house has woodpaneling and bay windows which gives you a great view into the heart of the city streets,"the agent said.

"Stop. Please just stop. This is not what we want. We were looking for something quieter. This place is not just a home, its our first home and I will not raise my future children in the middle of Manhattan!"Dan blurted out.

Serena looked at him with shocked expression on her face. She pulled him to the side and said, "children?" Dan softened and said, "Of course. Isn't that what this is about. Building a life together and I've always envisioned having children with you."

"But, what we never talked about it?"

"I guess I didn't think it was a discussion we needed to have. You do want to have kids don't you?"Dan asked matter-of-factly.

"Of course. Of course I do. I just didn't think we'd be talking about it for awhile."

"I'm sorry if I freaked you out," he said as he held her close.

"No, you didn't freak me out. I have an idea."

Serena went up to the agent and whispered something to her. The woman gasped and said, "Brooklyn? But, why?"

"Because its home and it's where we belong."

Dan looked at her and smiled. "Are you sure about this,"he whispered in her ear.

She looked at him earnestly and said, "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I've always felt at home with you and its only right that we start our life, our family in the place you grew up. Anyways, I'm gonna be a Humphrey and Humphrey's belong in Brooklyn."