There was something... strange about the way he felt. There was a pain. In his chest. And he couldn't quite justify it.

He insisted on convincing himself he was right. In telling Serena what he did. But every moment alone made him realise that wasn't quite true. It was as much him as it was her. And he didn't know if he should have been more worried about that, or about the fact he was finding himself enjoying every minute of last night. As much as he loved Blair, there was something undeniable about the way their bodies fit every time, the way their mouths moulded against each other or the perfect fit of his hands on her hips. Like they would never fit on Blair's.

His door opened, and his heart jumped at the thought of it being Serena again. He quickly went over apologizes in his head. Knew that one should attempt to suffice. But it was Rufus.

'Hey, Dad, what happened with Lily today?'

'It's over. I need to sign these papers, and let her go. Have you got a pen?' he asked, in typical Humphrey fashion.

It was as if his world stilled. He was confused over wanting to feel sorry for his father, and not being able to. Not being able to comprehend the idea that, without this marriage, he could have still been with Serena, and Blair would have been with Chuck, and things would have been the way they should have been. The way they should have been. Had he known this all along?

'I cannot believe this!' He found himself shouting, and he tried to justify it. He was angry. What at? His Dad? Serena? Himself? All of the above?

'What are you talking about, Dan? It's not like it's you that's losing a marriage.'

'Lily was your great love, Dad. She was the woman you were prepared to sacrifice everything for. Your relationship with her ruined your marriage to my mother, my relationship with Serena, everything that you ever believed in! You changed your life and mine for her, and now you'll just let her go?'

'I am not discussing my divorce with you, Daniel. It is none of your business.' Rufus locked his eyes with his son's, but Dan was too much like his father to back down.

'Of course it is! You knew what the consequences were when you married her, Dad. You even knew it before that! You knew what it was doing to me, and to Serena, and you chose to ignore it and go after what you wanted. And, after a while, I understood it. But I can't believe it was for nothing. Things could have been so—'

'So what? Different? So much better? Face it, Dan, you and Serena would have broken up at some point anyway.'

'How do you know? I loved her, Dad, I loved her so much. And she made me happy. I would have never left her...'

Rufus scoffed. 'You say you loved her? You have no idea what that means, Daniel, because, trust me, it didn't look like that to me when you were sleeping with her best friend.'

It was like a slap. The hardest slap he had ever felt. And as much as he wanted to be angry at his father for saying it, he was angrier at himself for realising it was true.

'Things changed when you married her mother, Dad! They had to change...'

'They never had to change to these extremes. You never stopped and thought what it was doing to Serena to know that while she was sleeping in her bed, Blair was sleeping in yours. I spoke to her after Blair's wedding. She truly loved you. She still does. And if there is anyone I feel sorry for being hurt in all of this mess is her. She suffered more than any of us did.'

For the first time, Dan bowed his head. He was ashamed.

'All of the things I said...' he started, but stopped. There was nothing he could have said to his defence. And he couldn't lie to his dad.

'I slept with her last night.' It was the hardest thing he had had to say in the past year.

Rufus dropped his head and sighed. 'I'm disappointed in you, Dan.'

'And I blamed her for it,' he continued, watching his father shake his head.

'Son, you need to stop and look at yourself. You need to ask if you like who you have become, if this is the person you want to be, and if it's not, they you need to find the right person by your side to help you change yourself. What you said about Lily and I is true. I did change; but I knew the person I was changing for. Who did you change for, son? Blair Waldorf, or Clair? And was it worth it?'

Rufus took the annulment papers in his hands and looked at his son again.

'I know you, Dan, and I know you wouldn't have done what you did last night without feeling something for her. Serena changed for you. You changed her. Let her change you. I hope the good thing about this annulment is that it would allow that to happen.'

He started to walk away, before stopping to stare at Dan one last time.

'I just hope it's not too late. I heard she was on her way to Grand Central.'

There was something... strange about the way he felt. There was a pain. In his chest. And he could guess what it was. His father was right. He did have feelings for her.

It didn't take Dan long to grab his coat and speed out the front door.