Thank you for the reviews, I honestly didn't know how much of an audience (if any) this story would have considering how long it's been since the fandom was in its throes. It is so great to see that there are still people out there who appreciate Rufus and Lily. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 3

Lily glanced at her watch nervously, she had ten minutes before her car would be here to take her to Grand Central and then her new life with Rufus would start. She swept her eyes over her luggage making sure that she had everything. For once she hadn't over packed and she smiled to herself, remembering the first time they had been on a trip together.

"Lil?" he said to her looking perplexed, "what is all this stuff?!"

"Um, that bag is clothes, that bag is clothes, and the remaining bags are shoes"

Rufus surveyed her luggage.

"Lil that's 3 bags of shoes?"

"Yes" she answered defensively. "Rufus everyone needs shoes."

"Yes but…" he opens one of the Louis Vuitton cases. "Unless you turn into a centipede at night you don't need this many pairs!" she watched as he pulled out one of the pairs; sky scraper heels with a dazzling green and black snakeskin print. He shook his head. "Lily, you do realise that we're going to be spending most of our time on the bus?"

Lilly just rolled her eyes at him, she was becoming used to Rufus' non material ways. She was pretty sure he only actually owned 3 pairs of shoes, and he always wore the same old ratty rock band t-shirts. She knew he didn't understand the amount of clothes and shoes a person like her needed.

"So, just because we're on a bus means that I can't look good?"

Rufus said nothing, and she watched as he tried to lift up one of the cases, dropping it back down when he realised how heavy it was.

"Seriously Lil, this weighs more than my guitar! Do you really need all this stuff? And who's going to carry it around?

Lilly bit her lip, truth was, she was so used to having someone carry her bags for her that she hadn't even thought of the practicalities.

"I just assumed you'd have…roadies…groupies.."

Rufus laughed, "Lil, we're a small band doing a grimy pub tour, you're not exactly going on the road with Led Zepplin!"

Suddenly Lilly felt embarrassed and uncomfortable. Perhaps making the snap decision to join him on tour wasn't such a good idea, and she felt silly bringing a hoard of designer shoes and dresses onto a casual pub band bus tour.

Rufus, sensing her discomfort smiles at her.

"Not to worry! It just looks like I'm going to have sore arms for the next two weeks!"

"I'm sorry Rufus, it's that….well…I'm expected to dress a certain way…in my world you commit social suicide if you step out in the same outfit twice in one week!"

She twiddled with her hair nervously.

Rufus lent over the luggage and took the hand that she was encircling in her hair.

"This…" he gestured to the bus, "this isn't your world, this is your chance to step out of that closeted world and make your own world."

"Our world" Lilly said quietly.

"Exactly" He manoeuvred her around her luggage, and tucked his arms around her waist, kissing her softly. "Hey, you'll know for next time!"

Lily felt himself blush, not just from the kiss but because he already wanted there to be a 'next time'. She tried to laugh the comment off.

"We haven't even left yet, and you're already thinking about the 'next time'

"What can I say Lil, you make me look to the future." He avoided her eyes, feeling awkward and shy. There was a short silence, until Rufus cleared his throat. "Sorry, that was a bit much wasn't it?"

"No" Lily said softly, reaching up to brush his hair away from his forehead. "I think it's very sweet." She swung her arms around his neck, pulling him to her before kissing him deeply.

"Mmmm" Rufus said mid kiss as he jokily squeezed her behind. "See, this is why I want you on tour with me."

Lily laughed, throwing her hair back.

"Won't you miss hanging out with just the guys?"

Rufus pulled her back in for another kiss.

"Nope, and besides, they're not as good kissers as you."

Lily poured herself a tumbler of scotch from the decanter, feeling the need for some Dutch courage. She felt butterflies in her stomach at the prospect of spending a long weekend away with Rufus. No kids, no responsibilities, just the two of them, being their true selves in their own private world. The last few days had been stressful for her, worrying about the secret that had nearly been revealed. It made her uncomfortable that more people knew now, but she trusted that those in the know wouldn't say anything to Rufus. She'd tried so many times to have that conversation with him but as the years wore on and they both got on with their lives it seemed unfair to disrupt them with old news. As much as she tried to forget what had happened twenty years ago she never could, and she thought about their baby everyday.

Swallowing the scotch down she tried to concentrate her mind off of that subject and into dissipating the butterflies she felt. She scolded herself for feeling so nervous.

'For God's sake Lily you're a 40 something successful woman with two kids, not a nervous teenager!'

But the truth was, that she loved the way she could still get that fluttery feeling she was around Rufus. She poured herself another glass and swirled the liquid around the glass, letting it breathe; letting herself breathe. Out of all the men she'd ever been with, including her 4 husbands, none had ever given her the feelings of nerves crossed with excitement. William and Bart were both so wooden, serious, completely motivated by money, success and power. She had been taught early on in her life by her mother, that those attributes should be valued in a partner over everything else. A person's status, she would remind her is the only thing to be concerned about. Whilst Lily would never deny that she enjoyed her social status, and having money she had always felt deep down that there had to be more to a relationship than those face values that her mother scared for so deeply.

"But what about love?" she'd asked her once. Cece just laughed at her. "That doesn't exist dear."

Before she had met Rufus, Lily had played her mother's game, dutifully attending functions and balls with potential suitors that her mother had chosen for her. She found them all to be perfectly nice and polite, but no sparks ever flew and Lily would often find herself almost falling asleep whilst her clueless suitor would try to impress her with fancy stories - usually about yachting. It was so tiring to sit and nod politely and smile in all the right places.

She had almost resigned herself to the fact that her mother was right, and that she was doomed to a lifestyle of wooden men with no passion for anything meaningful, until the day she met Rufus and her 'world' as she knew it was turned on its head.

As she stands in the audience, her camera strung around her neck she feels awkward and out of place. Carol, standing beside her squeezes her hand.

"Don't worry little sis, no ones going to bite!"

"I know, but.." she gestures around with her hand. "This is not what I'm used too."

"Isn't that the point of this assignment? To photograph an event where you're completely out of your comfort zone?"

Lily half nodded. She'd been admonished by her professor for not, in his words, taking photos of anything 'real' She tried to explain to him that nothing was ever completely real in her world, apart from the designer wares, but he dismissed her with a wave of his hand and told her to go and photograph something out of her comfort zone. When Carol had suggested a grimy rock bar which was putting on a live band she knew this was her chance.

Her sister pressed a glass in her hand.

"Drink this, you'll relax." Lily sniffed the drink.

"What is this? It smells like paint stripper?" Carol shrugged.

"Drinking something other then high end label brands won't kill you Lily! Just think of it as adding to the whole experience. Oooh!" her attention was captured by the band arriving onto the small stage. She nudged Lily all the way down to the front so that she was standing almost directly in front of the lead singer.

"Enjoy!" she said, turning away from her.

"Hey! HEY! Carol! You can't leave me here on my own!"

Carol looked at her exasperated.

"Lily this is exactly what you need to do to pass this assignment." She kissed her sister on her cheek. "Just enjoy the music and take some kickass photos, okay." Carol giggled "look, the lead singer is gorgeous! I bet he will photograph very well!"

Lily looked up at the lead singer who was messing around with his guitar strap. She had to admit that Carol was right. He was very good looking, clearly around the same age as she was but with a rugged, almost outlawish way about him. He looked completely different to the clean cut, polished boys that she usually met. She turned back to say this to Carol but she saw that she'd disappeared through the crowd.

She turned her attention back to the band whilst unscrewing the lens off of her camera. The lead singer adjusted his mic and greeted the crowd.

"Good evening guys! Great to see you all here tonight…we are Lincoln Hawk!"

Lily set her empty tumbler down on the side, hearing the familiar 'ding' of the elevator signalling Vanya's arrival.

"Your car is ready" he said, reaching down and picking up her luggage. "Are you ready?"

Lily nodded. "Vanya I've been ready for twenty years" she said, smiling. Vanya nodded, to be polite. Lily let out a deep breath and walked to the elevator with Vanya.

'This is it" she told herself. 'There's no going back now.'