AN: I would just like to thank all of those who reviewed the last chapter, honestly you're encouragement is the reason this chapter was written so quick. So thank you and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

Blast From The Past

Sometimes she forgot, forgot that her mother wasn't the other woman at least not legally. That the title of Rufus' ex-wife was Alison's to keep. Serena knows that she is hated by her, abhorred. But it's ok because despite being hated by the women from Rufus' past, which includes her mother, she knows she is Rufus' future.

Waking up to Serena was an experience. Sometimes it involved waffles that could rival his own, smothered in strawberries and chocolate. Other times he woke up to only seeing blonde hair and smelling her, making him tug her closer and breathe in deeper. Or there were those times like this morning that was all touch. Her tongue trailing down his chest, skin against skin, scratches down his back, fistfuls of blonde locks that feel like silk. He's sure she'll be the death of him, and he's more than happy to die with a smile on his face.

"Remember were just coming clean. Everything, were going to tell them everything." Serena gripped his hand tighter.

"Serena it's going to be fine." She gave him an incredulous look, how was he so calm? They were in the elevator heading to her apartment, and she was deciding whether or not to push the stop button and get off before it was too late. While Rufus just held her hand and waited to reach the floor. As if he wasn't even the tiniest bit nervous.

"What's wrong with you?" She tried to dig it out of him before it was too late and they stepped into the den of the lions.

"What are you talking about?"

"All week you've been hounding me, worrying about tonight, of what should and shouldn't be admitted. You even wanted to call the whole thing off, and now all of a sudden everything's going to be fine?"

"Were on the elevator, you already said you were bringing a guest, no one but those closest to us know anything. You might have kept it a secret from your mom but at least you're coming clean to her before we go public. She can either be fine with it or hate me, whatever but no matter what I'm still going to the loft and you're coming with me at the end of the night, right?" Serena couldn't help but smile, she had wondered why he had calmed down as soon as she said they should make pancakes for breakfast tomorrow morning.

"Right."

"Then what's there to worry about, we're still going to have each other no matter what."

"You're right." With that she squeezed his hand one more time before the elevator chimed and the doors open.

"You have got to be kidding me." Chuck laughed bitterly as he saw them enter noticing their linked hands. He was the only one in the living room despite the fact that the table was all set up in the dining area.

"Shut up Chuck, where's my mother?" Serena glared at him, noticing the glass of scotch he was nursing and the half empty bottle that was on the coffee table.

"Oh my dear stepmother is upstairs she'll be down in a second. Am I right to assume that this" he motion towards their hands. "Will come as a shock?" He couldn't suppress a sardonic grin.

"Don't meddle in something that's none of you're concern." Before Serena could continue another blonde interrupted her.

"Serena… Rufus?" Looking past the living area she saw Eric looking confused and wary.

"Eric, oh good I was hoping to catch you away from mom." She went to his side and hugged him before ushering him towards Rufus.

"Mr. Humphrey?" Eric questioned as he shook Rufus' hands.

"No! Well yes… but I mean Eric this is Rufus my… boyfriend." The word felt odd on her lips. They had discussed earlier what their official title would be, but boyfriend still felt a little insignificant for what Rufus was to her. She had, had boyfriends, boys who liked to touch her, who she had liked to touch, who took her to movies and balls, who she danced with all night and woke up to, but tried to escape before they awoke. But Rufus meant more than any of those other guys did. Rufus was waking up to coffee on the bedside table, hearing him compose a song on his guitar while she read a magazine, watching movies from the 80's and then going grocery shopping so he could maker her dinner. Rufus was home.

"Boyfriend?" She could see Eric's face morph from confusion to shock, he had known there was a new man in her life. One who made her happier than ever, one who didn't return her home coked up at three in the morning, he just never thought it would be Dan's dad.

"Yep." Though she spoke to Eric her eyes were on Rufus and that huge smile was only for Rufus. That action made him see that it didn't matter who was her sister's boyfriend as long as she reacted like that, as long as she was happy.

"Well then that's nice to know…" Before Eric could finish his sentence Lilly enters the room with a flourish following Bart Bass.

"Rufus?" Lily screeches before seeing her husband's look and attempting a more somber tone. "What are you doing here?" Serena moves quickly to his side.

"Hi Lily, I'm Serena's guest." He notice's Bart Bass' glare and hopes this won't result in WWIII.

"Serena? I thought you were bringing you're new boyfriend?"

"I did mom." With that she links hands with Rufus, puts a smile on, and hopes for the best.

"What!" Quickly Lily moves from the base of the stairs and stands near them. "Serena please tell me that I'm completely wrong in what I am thinking right now."

"Well if you think that Rufus is my new boyfriend… then sorry mom but that's the truth."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Serena can see the fury in her mothers eyes and though it's something she's seen many times before the intensity of her anger is disturbing.

"No I'm not."

"Lily, Serena and I…"

"Serena and you, God Rufus do you even hear yourself you're messing around with my seventeen year old daughter!"

"Soon to be eighteen mother… and this isn't us just messing around as you so politely put it. I love him and he loves me and were happy, isn't that all that should matter?"

"Serena if he was anyone but Rufus, My Rufus, Dan's father, your ex boyfriends father I might agree with you but you have to admit that this is just wrong." Serena couldn't believe her ears, she had wanted to avoid this reaction. Didn't want her mother to view her like a women dating an ex lover, but a daughter introducing her to the man she loved, but obviously her mother wasn't capable of that.

"He's not yours mother,"

"Oh I'm sorry you're Rufus then." The sarcasm that dripped from her mother's voice is the last straw.

"I'm sorry did you forget about you're husband standing right behind you? Or was it that you just never could get over the past, you're married you made you're choice I know you could have run off with Rufus but you didn't don't be angry because someone else can be happy with him." She saw her mother raise her hand and prepared for the slap… that never came. Rufus had grabbed her wrist before her hand meet Serena's cheek.

"Lily, stop this is your daughter."

"Exactly my daughter! You're with my daughter, you've been with my daughter, you love my daughter! Why can't you see that this is wrong, that this is all wrong." Lily twisted her arm away but held his gaze.

"Why?" He knew this was more about Lily than Serena.

"Because you love me."

"No Lily I loved you, what we had doesn't exist anymore. I'm not going to lie and say that I didn't love you, that Serena wasn't with Dan, but that's all in the past, everything that is important now is that we love each other and I'm going to be with Serena for as long as she'll want me." He looked towards Serena and saw the love he always did, and knew that it was all worth it, she was worth everything.

"How can you say that Rufus?"

"Because it's true." With that he took Serena's hand and led her out of the pent house.

"So that was… interesting." Serena wasn't quite sure what to say yet, she was happy he had stood up to her mother, had been unafraid to confront the past and move beyond it.

"Very." Rufus answered, he hoped this didn't drive Serena away, didn't make her think he still loved her mother, because that was completely untrue.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah." He couldn't help the relief that resounded in his tone, she way staying.

"Chinese food?"

"Sounds great." With that they walked away from the tornado that was Mrs. Bass.

"Jenny arrived today." Rufus' tone was odd, she had expected him to sound excited at the return of Jenny but something seemed wrong.

"I know, how was she?" Serena readjusted her phone as she attempted to pay attention and look for a new dress, Blair was supposed to be helping her but she had gotten lost in the jewelry isle.

"She was good, happy even but…" She saw a gold mini dress she would have to pair with tights but stopped mid reach when he didn't finish his sentence.

"But what?"

"Alison came with her."

"Oh." Forgetting about the dress she focused completely on the conversation.

"Yeah." She wasn't sure what to say next but thankfully he continued speaking. "Can you come for dinner, Blair's going to be here too, I really want to you to be here. Alison wants to meet you."

"Of course, I'll come."

"Great I'm cooking."

"As always."

"Bye, love you."

"Love you too." She hung up but was still unsure what to do next.

"S!" Turning she saw her best friend walk quickly towards her. "I just heard, your going to dinner right? Of course you are why am I even asking, we have to buy you something fabulous if you have to meet the ex wife you must look gorgeous doing it."

"B I'm not sure if that's…" Alison was the ex wife. Wife. She couldn't get that word out of her head. Rufus had at one point wanted an eternity with this women.

"Of course it is, she wants to meet you only to push you away why do you think she came with Jenny. But that's not going to happen, now come on we have a very important dinner to attend and nothing to wear." Serena agreed if only to ignore these horrible thoughts running through her head.

"S don't bite your nails." Serena groaned as Blair swatted her hand away from her mouth. "Now deep breath and…" With that they both took a deep breath and then Serena used her set of keys to open the door of the loft.

"Blair, Serena." Dan greeted immediately, rushing towards his girlfriend for a kiss. While Serena walked towards the kitchen area noticing a cutting board with half a tomato, she wondered where Rufus had gone to, he hated not completely cutting up any fruit or vegetable.

"Oh yeah, guess Dad got a little busy." Jenny said as she came out of her room smirking.

"Jenny." Serena smiled, attempting to at least be civil towards her.

"Serena, Blair." Jenny greeted as she sat on a stool near Serena while Dan and Blair walked over to the kitchen area.

"Little J." Blair smirked as she sat next to Jenny, while Dan played with her hair.

"Sorry Serena my dad is kind of dealing with an issue."

"Him and mom are in his room." Jenny added. That hurt. Serena hadn't moved in, but enough of her stuff was intermingling with Rufus' that she felt it was more of their room than just his room.

"No they're not, they're in your room." Jenny frowned as Dan glared at her.

"Oh well that's… they probably just have to talk about…"

"Serena!" Rufus came out of Jenny's room with a fuming Alison in tow.

"Hi." He immediately came over to her and greeted her with a kiss.

"Alison this is Serena." Serena turned to see Alison grimacing.

"Yes we met, thanksgiving remember you were the one canoodling with my son right?"

"Alison." Rufus began in a warning tone.

"Yes well now I'm the one canoodling with Dan, Blair Waldorf nice to meet you." Blair interrupted before Serena could say anything.

"Alison Humphrey." She added the Humphrey as though it made her queen of the loft.

"Serena's best friend." When Alison gave her an odd look, she added. "Oh I'm sorry I thought we were just spewing titles out now." Despite the cheery grin plastered on her face everyone could see the dislike pouring off of Blair.

"B…" Serena started but Blair quickly cut her off.

"I'll play nice."

"As I was going to say, yes we have met before but it's nice to see you again."

"Yes, might I say you look remarkably like Lilly did when she was your age."

"I've been told."

"Rufus I didn't realize you were just trying to relive old times had I known it was just a fling, I wouldn't have bothered coming all the way here." She looked at Serena as if she were scum.

"Mom!"

"Dan, honestly you can't tell me this is alright with you."

"It is but even if it wasn't I'm not going to get in the way of his happiness."

"Dan, do you really want your ex girlfriend to be our new stepmother?" Jenny spoke up frustrated for how long this was actually taking, she was hoping Serena wouldn't have even shown up knowing their mother was in town.

"Jenny stop being such a brat, you want to act like an adult than realize you're no longer a child and that our dad has a right to move on with his life."

"Easy for you to say the evil witch of the east side, has you confused. They can't just come in here and take over Brooklyn." With that she stomped away into her room.

"Happy Rufus, you're little fling is causing our daughter…" Serena sighed in frustration why couldn't the blow ups ever happen after the food, and not before?

"Look Alison, I'm not a fling, and yes I do look like my mother but this isn't some sick relationship where Rufus is trying to relive glory days. Were together and moving forward and frankly I don't want fight with you because I get it your part of Rufus' past, you're the mother of his children, I respect that. But that doesn't give you the right to talk to me or about me as if I am a child. This isn't something that we just thought would be fun, were committed to each other and we both need you to respect that." At first she was worried she had overstep her boundaries but when Rufus placed a comforting hand on her lower back, she relaxed.

"She's right and if you can't do that then I'm sorry but your not welcomed here. See the children as much as you want I wouldn't ever try to keep them from you, but if you want to be in my house then you respect me and anybody else who is welcomed here." With that Alison quickly made her way out.

"Why is it every time we plan a family dinner, we never eat?" Serena asked as she buried her face into his neck.

"Maybe because the only times we tried to have family dinners is when we're going to tell them about us." He rubbed her back hoping to calm her down, currently they were lying in his bed or their bed as he had come to think of it.

"Mmm. True. Do you ever find it odd that no one besides Dan has asked how long we've been together?"

"Not really I feel like everyone else is just judging us not because of what we feel towards each other but because they feel we're directly trying to hurt them by being together."

"I swear it's annoying its not about them, it's about us."

"Well then who cares what they think or say."

"I don't." Serena looked into his eyes, she hopes it's clear to him that though before she might have worried about everyone else's opinions, but not anymore. Especially not about their relationship.

"Neither do I." She smiles and realizes that despite their family issues everything was perfect because they still had each other.

So Alison was his ex wife, that was ok. She could survive that. Because when Rufus looked at her she felt like his world, and that was more than she had ever wished to get. So her mother and Alison could still hate her, and Alison could live in Hudson, while her mother enjoyed the upper east side, Serena was more the happy to be in Brooklyn.

AN: I'm not too sure of the characterization of Lily in this chapter I'm worried I made her react too harshly but I feel as if despite her many marriages that she held onto the idea of Rufus as being devoted to her despite that she believed they couldn't be together. So seeing him with her daughter would maybe cause her to be more unbalanced than usual, well that's what I think anyways. Review and tell me what you think.