A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews, I am so happy that people are still taking the time to read my story. We are getting close to the end, I have six chapters, including this one, planned out for sure, but I might add more if I feel like I should. For now, please enjoy the latest chapter!
Chapter Twenty One
Since bringing Alex home almost six weeks ago, so much has changed. Rufus and Lily had to adjust with having a baby to take care of again. Rufus is happily surprised by Lily, who stays home with Alex or takes her wherever she goes. She hasn't mentioned hiring a nanny once, which tells Rufus that CeCe might have been wrong about her daughter.
Speaking of CeCe, her and Scott returned home a few days after they brought Alex home from the hospital. Eric and Dan left for the Hamptons a few days ago and Jenny went to go visit her mother in Hudson. Serena spends most of the time at Blair's, but she occasionally stops by for dinner and to spend some time with Alex.
Rufus is mostly looking forward to tomorrow, which officially marks six weeks after Alex was born. He and Lily are going out for a nice dinner and then to the Empire Hotel for a few hours of alone time before heading back home.
"Lil?" Rufus calls as he sets the newly purchased groceries down on the counter. He notices that the baby swing that is usually perched in the corner of the living room is missing; meaning Lily probably took Alex upstairs with her. Rufus abandons the food and heads up to the nursery just in case Alex is sleeping.
Finding it empty, Rufus then goes into the master bedroom where he finds his wife, clad only in a cream colored bra and a knee-length black skirt, frantically searching through the walk in closet.
Rufus spots the baby swing, slightly covered in Lily's clothing. He walks over to it and takes the articles off so he can see his daughter's cherub face.
"Lil, why are you halfway dressed and what are you looking for?" Rufus sits down on the floor next to the swing. Lily holds up a red halter top up to her chest, shakes her head and then flings it aimlessly behind her.
"Charles asked me to sit in on a meeting with him and I am trying to find a damn shirt to wear that doesn't make me look like I just had a baby," Lily snaps back in irritation. Rufus furrows his eyebrows, he knows his wife better than to write it off as her just being cranky. She hardly ever swears and she refuses to turn around, having her back to Rufus this entire time. Lily sniffs loudly and yanks a white ruffled tank top off of the hanger. She slips it over her head, being careful not to ruin her braided bun and starts looking around for shoes.
"Lil, why aren't you looking at me?" Rufus asks and stands up, accidently knocking into the swing. Lily's shoulders slump in defeat and she swivels around to face her husband. Rufus is shocked to see black mascara tears tumbling down Lily's cheeks. He immediately closes the gap between them and puts his hands on her hips.
"I'm sorry I…" Lily trails off and breaks eye contact with Rufus to look at Alex.
"Hey, why are you crying?" Rufus asks, wondering if something happened to Alex while he was gone.
"This will be the first time that I have been apart from Alex since she was born," Lily says, feeling slightly embarrassed to be crying over something so minor. Rufus lets out a sigh of relief and pulls Lily closer.
"I understand, but it's only going to be for a few hours and I am sure Chuck wouldn't be asking you to come if he doesn't need you," Rufus tries to pacify her and uses his thumb to wipe a stray tear.
"I know, I guess I have a little bit of separation anxiety," Lily admits and leans in so her head is resting on Rufus' chest. Rufus moves his arms up so he they are coiled tightly around her back.
"It's okay Lil, its normal for you to be feeling like this. What time is your meeting?"
"Two," Lily mumbles against the fabric of Rufus' brown Lincoln Hawk tee.
"Well it's almost one fifteen, you should probably get going soon," Rufus releases his hold on Lily, not before placing a kiss to her blonde tresses.
"Crap, I spent so much time looking for that shirt, now my makeup is a mess…" Lily throws her hands in the air and walks back into the adjoining bathroom. Rufus shakes his head and tells her that he is going to be downstairs putting the groceries away.
Lily comes out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later with her makeup and hair retouched. She lifts her sleeping daughter out of the swing, grabs her purse and carefully descends the stairs.
Rufus is making himself a sandwich when he hears the click-clack of Lily's heels making his way toward him. Lily gently sets Alex down in his arms and gives her a kiss on the forehead.
"Okay there are bottles in the fridge ready to be warmed up, her diaper bag and stroller is in the closet. She likes to sleep with that lamb we got her and…" Rufus cuts her rambling off with a gentle peck to the lips.
"I can handle it, don't worry," Rufus assures her. Lily bites her lip and gives him an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry; I know you can take care of our daughter. I'm just nervous."
"Don't be, I promise I will send you constant updates. You will know about every burp and poop Alex makes until you get back," Rufus jokes in order to ease Lily's nerves. Lily smiles and kisses him again, being careful not to smush Alex.
"I have to go," Lily whispers and brushes her finger over Alex's cheek. Rufus gently pushes her towards the elevator. Lily blows them a kiss over her shoulder and reluctantly gets on the awaiting elevator.
"Alex, you and I are going to go shopping for mommy but first, we are getting you out of this ugly dress," Rufus tells his daughter and takes her to the nursery.
Rufus changes her diaper and throws the green and pink plaid dress Alex was wearing in the hamper. He picks up an almost naked Alex and brings her over to her gigantic closet.
"Which one do you want to wear?" Rufus asks Alex who coos at him. Rufus picks out a onesie that he bought when Lily was pregnant. It's light blue and says "My daddy's a rock star" on it. He changes Alex and takes her back downstairs to grab the stroller and diaper bag.
"What the hell is this?" Rufus asks as he is taking out the beige Kate Spade bag with purple butterflies scattered across it. He straps Alex into the stroller and shoves the diaper bag deep into the storage compartment underneath the stroller, hoping that nobody will see it.
Rufus digs his iPhone out of his jean shorts and switches it over to camera mode.
"Smile Alex," Rufus says and holds the phone out in front of her face. Alex tries to reach for it, but Rufus pulls away. Instead, he tickles her stomach until a gummy smile stretches across Alex's face making for the perfect picture. Rufus sends the picture to Lily with the caption "Hi mommy!"
Lily's phone buzzes as she is walking into the board room at Bass. She sits down next to Charles' empty chair and grabs her phone from her black Chanel bag.
"Aw," Lily whispers and laughs, noticing that Rufus changed Alex out of that dress he hates.
Thanks for the update, but shouldn't her shirt say 'my daddy's a former rock star?'
-L.
Rufus is wheeling Alex out of the elevator when he gets a text back. He opens it up and rolls his eyes when he reads the message.
Ouch Lil, at least she isn't wearing that awful dress your mother got her anymore.
Rufus sends back and thanks Vanya as he opens the door for him. A part of Rufus is wondering how Lily is going to react to dropping Alex off at Blair's tomorrow so her and Serena can watch Alex. After the incident earlier, he is considering canceling all of their plans. However, it might be okay if he is there when Lily drops Alex off.
Lily is about to respond back to her husband, but Chuck walks in which means that their meeting has officially started. Chuck lightly kisses Lily's cheek and pulls in his chair. Lily drops her phone back in her purse and gives Chuck her undivided attention.
Rufus is trying and failing to wheel the stroller into Cartier jewelers. He smacks the side of the stroller into the door frame, startling Alex who starts to cry.
"Sorry kid," Rufus mumbles and locates a pacifier clipped to the side of the baby carrier. He pops it in Alex's mouth and she immediately settles. The doorman inside of the store rushes over and swings the door open wider so Rufus can wheel the stroller in.
"Hello, how can I help you today?" A red-headed saleslady asks Rufus.
"Hi I dropped off a necklace a few days ago and I need to pick it up," Rufus tells the lady who is looking affectionately at Alex.
"Of course, what is your name?" The saleslady asks, tearing her eyes away from Alex momentarily.
"Rufus Humphrey," Rufus responds, sending the saleslady to the back of the store. A few minutes later the lady comes back with a tiny non-descript gift bag. Rufus pays for his purchase and stuffs the bag in the bottom of the stroller.
Lily is trying and failing to pay attention to a potential investor's speech. She feels bad because Chuck asked her here to get her opinion and all she can think about is her daughter. Lily is hoping that she can handle dropping Alex off tomorrow, hopefully Rufus will help her like he did today.
"So what do you think Lily?" Chuck asks her privately once the investor sits back down. Lily nibbles on the inside of her cheek, trying to make it seem like she has a clue on what the suit was just talking about.
"I think…that…you should definitely look into their financial history before you make any sound decisions," Lily whispers back, proud of herself for thinking of that answer off the top of her head.
Rufus is combing through the lingerie at Macy's when Alex whimpers. A second later, the pacifier pops out of Alex's mouth as she sticks her lower lip out, getting ready to cry. Rufus recognizes the face, but can't resist sending a picture to Lily before he deals with his daughter.
Lily sees her phone light up with a text message. While Chuck is discussing the deal with another associate, Lily checks her message.
Help mommy, daddy won't feed me!
Lily covers her mouth to contain her laughter, but a little giggle slips through the cracks of her fingers. Chuck cranes his neck to see the picture, his features softening when he sees the picture of his half sister.
"Is Rufus playing Mr. Mom today?" Chuck asks sarcastically.
"He is watching our daughter while I am here," Lily answers simply and unlocks her phone.
My poor baby! Daddy is being so mean to you!
Lily sends the message and shuts her phone off when Pete Holbrook stands up to have the floor.
Rufus takes Alex to the seating area outside of the bathroom to give her the bottle. It isn't very warm, but it will have to do for now. Luckily, Alex doesn't seem to mind and gobbles it down. Rufus burps her and sets her back in the stroller with a sense of accomplishment, spending the day with Alex was easier than he thought.
He wheels the stroller back out into the store to pick the item he wants to see his wife in tomorrow night. He feels a little embarrassed to be buying lingerie for Lily in front of his daughter, but Alex is too young to know the difference. Alex is more focused on reaching for her toes than what Rufus is doing.
An hour later, the meeting finally ends and Chuck signals that he wants to talk to Lily.
"Hold on, let me call Rufus first," Lily tells him and then leaves the board room, taking her phone with her.
Rufus is wheeling a now sleeping Alex around Babies 'R Us, wanting to pick out a new toy for Alex to play with, when his phone vibrates.
"Hey Lil, how's the meeting going?" Rufus asks distractedly while picking up a handheld toy.
"I am almost done; Charles just wants to talk to me really fast. Do you mind getting dinner?" Rufus decides on a brightly covered non-breakable mirror to attach to Alex's mobile and stands in line.
"Sure, does Chinese sound good?" Rufus asks.
"Perfect, I should be home in about a half an hour," Lily and Rufus say their goodbyes. Rufus pays for the toy and calls the driver to take them back to the penthouse. While he is waiting, he orders the food to be sent to their apartment.
Lily slips back into the board room where everyone else but Chuck is gone.
"So Charles, how do you think the meeting went?" Lily asks as she leans down to collect her purse.
"Good, I think the board is pushing for the first investor rather than the second."
"I agree with them, the second investor didn't seem to have a solid plan."
"So you were paying attention," Chuck teases, making Lily blush.
"Sorry, Charles I didn't mean to make it seem like I didn't care. I was just worried about leaving Alex." Lily puts her hand on Chuck's, squeezing it before retracting her hand.
"Aren't Blair and Serena watching Alex tomorrow?" Chuck asks out of curiosity.
"If Rufus can pull me away from our daughter tomorrow than yes, they are watching Alex."
"I think Blair wants me to stop by and see her so I think I might." Lily kisses Chuck's cheek and says goodbye.
When Lily gets off the elevator she sees Rufus holding Alex, who is now awake, on the couch. Lily kicks off her shoes and sets her bag down on the floor before walking over to them.
"Hi honey," Lily mumbles and bends down to stamp a kiss on Rufus' lips.
"Hey," Rufus mutters back and kisses her deeper. Lily breaks contact to rest her forehead against Rufus', looking down at their active daughter. She plops down on the couch next to Rufus and tucks her legs under her.
"How was your day?" Lily asks while she reaches over to stroke Alex's cheek.
"Good, but Lil, what's with the diaper bag?" Rufus asks. Lily's eyebrows shoot together and her eyes flicker up to Rufus.
"What do you mean?"
"It's a little girly," Rufus' eyes dart over to the diaper bag resting on the counter. Lily laughs and is about to respond, when the phone rings. She reaches over to answer it.
"Hi Vanya…yup…send him up…thanks," Lily says and puts the phone back on the cradle.
"I am guessing our food is here," Rufus says to which Lily nods. Rufus puts Alex in Lily's arms so he can get money for the food.
"I missed you today," Lily whispers to Alex and takes in a waft of her daughter's signature scent. Rufus pays the deliveryman and heads back to the couch where Lily and Alex are. Lily stands up and motions for Rufus to grab the blanket resting at his end of the couch. Rufus sets the Chinese cartons down and spreads the blanket across the floor. Lily lays Alex on her stomach, giving her a couple of toys to play with while she and Rufus eat.
"Lil, you are going to love the gifts I got you," Rufus tells her between bites of his lo mien. Lily had no idea that they were exchanging gifts, but she isn't going to tell Rufus that. Hopefully she will have some time after her appointment tomorrow to buy him something before they meet up.
"You are going to love yours as well," Lily lies and offers him a sweet smile. She thinks she has an idea of what she is going to buy him; she just has to make it to the store without him finding out.
"Did you like the texts I sent you?" Rufus asks. Lily swallows her bite of food as she is nodding.
"Yes, Charles liked them too."
"Good, then I hope you can properly thank me for them tomorrow," Rufus says, watching Lily's jaw drop.
"Rufus Humphrey! Is sex all you can think about?"
"Oh come on Lil, don't play that card with me. I know for a fact that you have a little heart on your calendar upstairs six weeks after Alex was born." Lily opens her mouth and then shuts it, trying to formulate a reasonable answer.
"Well, that is to remind me that I have an appointment with Dr. Sutherland tomorrow." Rufus quirks an eyebrow, obviously not buying her story,
"Regardless, we will have a good night tomorrow Lil."
"I am just a little worried about leaving Alex with Blair and Serena; they aren't always the most responsible people." Lily says, casting a downward glance at Alex who is busy trying to shove her fist in her mouth.
"Serena has proven that she can grow up and Dorota is there in case the girls can't handle it."
"You will have to remind me of that at Blair's tomorrow. If I see any alcohol in sight we are not leaving Alex there," Lily tells him sternly, causing Rufus to nod in agreement.
"Fine, but I think the girls are excited about watching her, at least Serena is. Besides, just think about a dinner with just the two of us tomorrow and then desert at the hotel." Lily puts her empty carton of food on the coffee table in order to scoot closer to her husband.
"Hmmm…I can't wait," Lily says and moves to sit on his lap, placing intermittent kisses on his neck. Rufus drops his garbage on the table behind him as his breath starts to hitch.
"Don't start something you can't finish," Rufus whispers while he pulls Lily up to his face. Alex sees her parents divert their attention away from her so she starts squealing. Lily and Rufus break apart from each other to look down at their daughter who gives them a toothless grin back.
"She likes being the center of attention I guess," Rufus tells Lily, keeping his hold on her in his lap. Lily tips her head to kiss her husband's cheek before standing up.
"I am going to take a shower, do you mind cleaning up?" Lily asks.
"Nope, as long as you promise we can shower together at the hotel tomorrow," Rufus proposes with his eyebrows bouncing up and down.
"You are insatiable," Lily laughs and picks Alex up, depositing her in Rufus' arms.
"Only for you," Rufus says, planting a lingering kiss on her chin. Lily laughs and heads upstairs.
"Alex, I am going to apologize in advance for hearing me and your mom have sex because it will happen eventually," Rufus tells his daughter who is starting to fall back asleep. Rufus takes her upstairs to the nursery and heads back to the living room to clean up their dinner.
The next day, Lily straps Alex in her stroller and slips the pacifier in her mouth.
"Why are you taking Alex to your appointment?" Rufus asks out of interest.
"Dr. Sutherland wanted to meet her since she was out of town when I delivered Alex. I thought since she did all my prenatal care, it was the least I could do," Lily explains.
"Okay, well I have to go. I'll see you later," Rufus gives Lily a quick kiss bye and pulls up the hood of the stroller to kiss Alex on the forehead.
Rufus hails a cab to the florist near the penthouse. He buys Lily a bouquet of pink roses and some rose petals to spread across their bed. Rufus is hoping that this will make up for the surprise he planned for her that was cut short when she went into labor.
Lily is busy wrapping up her appointment with Dr. Sutherland. Fortunately Alex slept through the whole thing. Even though her daughter is still so young, Lily still finds it awkward to have Alex sit in on a gynecological exam.
"So your daughter is adorable and you are cleared for sex, any questions?" Dr. Sutherland asks Lily, making her blush slightly.
"Thank you and no, I think I am okay." Lily shakes Dr. Sutherland's hand and wheels the stroller out of the doctor's office. She almost stopped at the receptionist's desk to schedule another appointment, but Lily is grateful that she doesn't have to. Lily likes Dr. Sutherland, but not the exams themselves.
"Are you hungry Alex?" Lily asks her daughter as she is starting to wake up. Two hazel eyes mirroring her father's stare up at Lily, Alex's notorious pout already starting to take shape. Lily stops in the bathroom to feed Alex before heading out of the office.
With the help of her driver, Lily folds up the stroller and places Alex in the back seat.
"Where would you like to go Mrs. Humphrey?" Isaac asks.
"Um, how about Bergdorf's?" Lily requests, not sure if she can actually find what she is looking for there. Unfortunately, the high end stores Lily usually buys gifts for Rufus at isn't too big on diaper bags.
Isaac helps Lily set up Alex in the stroller before departing. Lily asks the first saleswoman she sees if they had any diaper bags for men. The lady shakes her head and takes her over to the men's side of the accessories department.
"You might be better off at a baby store, most stores just carry briefcases and messenger bags for men," The saleslady suggests and leaves Lily alone. Lily doesn't find the diaper bag, but she figures she might as well get some lingerie for Rufus tonight.
Lily decides on a black silk teddy with rhinestones around the neckline. She also buys some new fishnet tights with black bows at the top of them. Lily makes a mental note to wear her red stilettos tonight to complete the look.
Lily pays for her purchases and stops to get a late lunch at a café on Fifth Avenue. Lily changes Alex after she is done eating and then leaves the restaurant.
"Can you take me to Giggle on Lexington please?" Lily asks Isaac when he picks her and Alex up in front of Bergdorf's. Isaac drops her off and waits outside until Lily is done.
"Hi, I know this is an odd request, but I was wondering if you had any diaper bags for men. My husband keeps complaining that the one we have is too girly for him," Lily tells a blonde saleswoman.
"Of course, we get that a lot. Follow me," The blonde takes Lily to a tiny section in the back of the store devoted to men's accessories.
"Our most popular one is this black one here," the salesperson points to a simple ebony over the shoulder bag with zippers down the sides making it seem like a laptop case. Lily isn't that impressed with it, it's too plain for Rufus' tastes.
"I will take this one please," Lily points to a rustic brown messenger bag with various sized pockets on the side.
"Let me go see if we have that in stock," The saleswoman excuses herself. Alex coos at the bright colored woman's diaper bags next to the men's. Lily tickles Alex's cheek until she hears her phone ring in her Marc Jacobs bag.
"Hi sweetheart, what are you doing?" Rufus asks after Lily says hello. Lily purses her lips, she can't tell Rufus that she is out shopping because he will figure out that she didn't buy him anything but she doesn't want to lie to him.
"I am about five minutes away from penthouse," Lily says, settling for a half of a lie.
"Here is your bag," the saleslady tells Lily, not realizing that she is on the phone. Rufus hears a muffled voice on his wife's end of the phone and the word bag. He is assuming that Lily is out shopping for his present, he could tell by the look on her face yesterday that she didn't have anything to give him. However, he doesn't want Lily to know that yet, he wants to watch her sweat it out.
"I should be home in about ten minutes. Do you want something to eat?" Rufus asks as he steps into a taxi.
"Uh no, that's fine, I had lunch at the café at Barney's. I will see you when you get home," Lily says.
"Okay, bye, love you," Rufus tells her.
"Bye, love you too," Lily hangs up and quickly buys the bag. The only problem is sneaking her bags in past Rufus. She never mentioned to him that she was going shopping so he might ask.
Lily and Alex go back to the penthouse where Rufus is eating some chili. Rufus eyes Lily's shopping bags and smiles at her.
"What did you buy me?" Rufus asks, watching Lily's eyes widen in shock.
"How did you know?" Lily isn't even going to bother trying to lie, she is caught.
"I could tell the second I mentioned getting you a present that you didn't get me one." Lily takes Alex out of the stroller and holds her while she walks over to Rufus.
"I didn't know that we were exchanging gifts otherwise I would have bought you something earlier," Lily admits sheepishly.
"Don't worry, I didn't spend too much money on you," Rufus nudges her.
"I am glad, I wouldn't want you to empty out the change in your "Welcome Back Kotter" mug on my account," Lily jokes.
"Speaking of tonight, I made a reservation at six so we should probably leave here about five," Rufus says.
"You never told me where we are eating at," Lily mentions as she readjusts Alex on her shoulder.
"I like to keep some things mysterious," Rufus tells her and takes a bite of his chili.
"Fine, I am going to get Alex and I ready then," Lily turns on her heels and exits the kitchen, heading toward the stairs, stopping to pick up the "girly" diaper bag.
"Remember we are only dropping her off for a few hours so pack light," Rufus teases her. Lily rolls her eyes and takes Alex into the nursery. She sets Alex down in the crib while she loads some pajamas, another change of clothes, extra diapers and wipes and Alex's favorite lamb into the bag. Lily has to shove the few things in there so the diaper bag will close, but she manages.
"How about a bath Alex?" Lily asks her daughter, bending down to scoop her daughter out of the crib. Alex instinctively leans into Lily, burying herself in her mother's chest. Lily rubs circles on Alex's back as she takes her daughter into a bathroom next to Serena's bedroom that has a baby bath set up in the sink.
Rufus goes to their bedroom to get dressed so he can watch Alex while Lily is getting ready. He picks out a forest green dress shirt that Lily loves on him pairing it with black dress pants and shoes.
Lily comes into their bedroom a half an hour later with Alex dressed in the black onesie she bought in the Hamptons. She passes Alex over to Rufus with a kiss before looking at the alarm clock on the nightstand.
"I don't have enough time for a shower doI?" Lily asks, noting the time is a little after four.
"We can take a shower at together later if you start to stink," Rufus tells her as he sets Alex on her back down on the bed. Lily gives him a death glare and disappears into the bathroom to adjust the bobby pins holding up her bun.
"You better watch it or you aren't getting any tonight!" Lily says back to him and walks past him, going into their closet.
"Your mom acts tough Alex, but I know she won't be able to resist me," Rufus tells his daughter while dangling a rattle over her, trying to get Alex to reach for it.
He can hear Lily scoff as she takes her scarlet cocktail dress out of the garment bag.
"Oh please, we both know it's the other way around," Lily informs him and reaches down to grab her crimson Alice and Olivia stilettos.
"Do you want to bet?" Rufus asks her with an arrogant smile. Lily narrows her eyes at him and crosses her arms.
"What does the winner get?" Lily asks, wanting to keep things interesting in her marriage. It's not that she doesn't love Rufus, but things between couples tend to flame out after having a child. She doesn't want that to happen to them.
"I will have to think about it, but you should get dressed. We need to go pretty soon," Rufus tells her and nods to the open bathroom door. Lily glares at him again and slams the bathroom door shut behind her.
Ten minutes pass before Lily steps out in her dress and heels adding in some ruby jewelry to make her dress pop. Rufus wolf-whistles and gestures for her to spin around, causing Lily to roll her eyes dramatically. Lily does a quick twirl, deciding it is easier to indulge him, liking the lust-filled look her husband is wearing.
"You are ridiculous," Lily says and leans over the bed so her lips are inches from his.
"You are ridiculously hot so that makes us even," Rufus brings her face closer so he can kiss her. Lily breaks contact to pick up Alex, reaching for a washcloth to protect her shoulder in case her daughter spits up. Rufus snags his wife's hand and leads them downstairs so Lily can put Alex in the stroller.
"Can you grab the diaper bag in the nursery if it doesn't destroy your manhood?" Lily asks him teasingly. Rufus pinches her arm and goes back upstairs, coming back moments later with the bag to tuck into the bottom of the stroller.
Rufus, Lily and Alex take the car to Blair's where she is waiting in the living room with Serena.
"Hi Blair, Serena," Lily kisses both of their cheeks as Rufus lifts Alex out of the stroller, handing her over to Serena.
"She is adorable," Blair gushes, hovering over Serena's arm to look at Alex. Rufus wraps his arm around Lily's waist; he can tell that his wife is starting to regret dropping their daughter off by the nervous smile on her face.
"Everything that you need should be in the diaper bag, however, if you need anything just call. Alex usually falls asleep around seven, but will be up about ten for a bottle. Make sure you warm them up before giving it to her and…" Lily is cut off by Rufus squeezing her shoulder, signaling that she can stop at any time.
"Don't worry mom, Blair and I can handle this. Dorota will be here if we have any questions. Please go and have fun, but remember, I don't want to hear about it," Serena winks at her mother, knowing how Lily tends to over share.
"Right…okay…well bye," Lily gives Blair and Serena a weak smile, making no attempt to leave. Rufus realizes that he is going to have to physically take his wife out of Blair's apartment because Lily certainly isn't moving on her own. Rufus slides his arm that is around Lily's waist and reaches down to intertwine their fingers. He then turns on his heels, taking Lily to the elevator.
"I did it again didn't I?" Lily asks with disappointment as the elevator is falling.
"A little, but the important thing is you left Alex there with Blair and Serena," Rufus kisses her temple while the elevator doors are opening. Lily grins at him, squeezing his hand as she leads him to the car.
"Where are we going Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey?" Isaac asks them when they get settled in the back of the car. Lily rests her head on Rufus' shoulder, her eyes flickering up to his face.
"We have reservations at Bella Vita tonight," Rufus tells the driver then looks down to his wife, watching her face light up.
"Rufus how did you get a table? That place just opened," Lily says in amazement.
"Apparently the owner of the restaurant is a romantic at heart. Chuck gave me his number and I explained that I was taking you out for the first time after having a baby. The owner gave us a private table in the back and a free appetizer. I am telling you Lil, our daughter is better than a puppy sometimes," Rufus explains. Lily laughs and slings her arm around Rufus' stomach.
"I am glad that you used Alex to get us a table at a restaurant," Lily reaches up to plant a kiss on Rufus' cheek.
Isaac stops the car in front of the restaurant and opens the door for them. Rufus hands him a tip before snagging Lily's hand, taking her into the restaurant. The hostess leads them to their promised private table in Bella Vita.
"Your waiter will be right with you," The hostess tells the couple and excuses herself from the table. The waiter comes to their table and orders drinks.
"Come here," Rufus says and puts his arm around Lily, pulling her towards him in the booth. Lily cuddles closer to him as their drinks are set on the table. They put in their food orders and hand the waiter the menus.
"I want to give you your present," Lily tells him and twists her body to snatch up the gift bag resting on the floor.
"Sure, I'll get yours," Rufus takes the tiny gift bag and they switch gifts.
"Open yours first Rufus please," Lily requests and bites her lip in anticipation. Rufus laughs and pulls out the diaper bag from the tissue paper.
"Oh wow, Lil, thank you," Rufus stamps a kiss on her lips.
"Do you like it? I didn't really have that many options."
"I love it, I can't believe you got this for me," Rufus says in amusement; leave it to Lily to find a designer male diaper bag for him.
"I thought it was easier to buy you one then to listen to you complain," Lily gives him a seductive smile.
"Maybe I should return your gift to the store," Rufus says and takes the gift bag out of Lily's lap. Lily gasps and snatches back her present making Rufus chuckle.
"Rufus, I love it! I am so surprised that you remembered, thank you," Lily pulls his face in to kiss him passionately. A week ago while Lily was taking a shower, Rufus took the necklace with all of their kids' birthstones that he got her for Christmas and brought it to Cartier to have them add in Alex's. Rufus clasps the necklace onto his wife and kisses her cheek.
"I have another gift for you later," Rufus whispers and nips her earlobe. Lily's chocolate orbs widen and is about to respond when their food is placed in front of them.
"I have another gift for you too," Lily tells him when she swallows her bite of lobster ravioli. This peaks Rufus' interest and starts looking around for it.
"Where is it?" Rufus asks, not being able to find it anywhere on the table or on the floor.
"It's for the hotel later," Lily tells him, trying not to laugh at the crushed look on her husband's face when he couldn't locate his present.
They wrap up their dinner and Lily checks her phone to make sure Serena hasn't called or texted her.
"Is everything okay?" Rufus asks, reaching over to look at Lily's phone.
"I hope so, Serena hasn't tried to call you has she?" Lily asks. Rufus takes his phone out of his pocket and shows Lily his lock screen picture of Alex with no texts or calls from Serena.
"She is fine Lil, are you ready to go?" Rufus asks her while he is signing for the check.
"Yes, thank you for this nice dinner," Lily kisses his cheek and slides out of the booth. Rufus stands up and places his hand on her shoulder, guiding her into the car.
Isaac drops them off at the hotel and Rufus asks him to pick them up in a few hours. Lily and Rufus grab their gifts for each other and head for the elevator.
"It was so nice of Charles to let us borrow one of the penthouses for the night," Lily comments as they are riding up to their room.
"I think Chuck is starting to come around," Rufus muses when the elevator doors open.
"He is trying to become a part of our family especially now that Alex is born. Charles is aware that if he messes up again than that's it, but I don't think we will have to worry about that," Lily tells him and runs her fingers through his hair.
"Should we open our other gifts now?" Rufus asks, stopping her in the hallway so she can't see the bedroom.
"Of course, here you go," Lily and Rufus give each other the second part of their gifts to each other and open them at the same time.
"You got me lingerie?" Lily asks, admiring the plum silk fabric of the chemise.
"You gave me lingerie for you to wear?" Rufus asks in disbelief.
"We gave each other the same gift, now that's weird," Lily comments, coiling her arm around Rufus' shoulder.
"Which one do you want to wear for me?" Rufus asks her.
"It's up to you since you arranged all of this for us," Lily says sincerely. Rufus gets a crestfallen look on his face as he compares the two pieces. Lily waits patiently for him to choose, a bemused expression chasing across her features.
"I like this one better," Rufus drops the plum clothing on the floor and hands her the black teddy.
"Good, it comes with tights," Lily whispers and goes into the bathroom in the hallway to change. She comes out a few minutes later with her hair down and still wearing the heels.
Rufus strolls over to her and picks her up, walking her backwards toward the bedroom. Lily coils her hands around his neck, pulling him in to kiss him fervently. She breaks away from his lips to start unbuttoning his shirt, bending her head down to nip at the patch of flesh. Rufus moans and lays them down gently on the bed.
"Wait, I want to get my phone just in case," Lily pats his chest and runs to her purse that is left in the hallway. When she comes back, Lily notices the bouquet resting on the bedside table and the rose petals scattered across the bed, making her smile serenely at Rufus.
"Stop hovering in the doorway and get over here," Rufus demands. Lily bites her lip and puts the phone next to the flowers. She climbs on the bed and straddles Rufus. Rufus slips one strap of the teddy out of her arm at a time. Lily looks down as the teddy cascades down her skin, leaving her chest exposed. Rufus turns them over in order to be able to suck at Lily's nipples, eliciting a moan from Lily.
Lily takes Rufus' shirt off and her hands starts to descend into his pants, expertly massaging his balls. Rufus assaults her neck with gentle kisses while Lily takes his boxers and pants off, throwing his clothes off the bed. Rufus gets the rest of Lily's outfit off of her so they are both naked.
Rufus' fingers trickle down Lily's body until it reaches her clit. Lily rotates them over again, liking to be on top. Lily rejoins their lips, gasping into this mouth when Rufus slides his fingers into her.
Lily hums and closes her eyes. Rufus retracts his fingers, not appreciating the one-sided seducing that is going on between them. Lily's eyes open and she furrows her eyebrows in confusion.
"Why did you stop?" Lily asks, her breathing starting to quicken.
"I want some too," Rufus says and kisses her forehead. A wicked smile spreads across Lily's mouth as she starts stroking Rufus' length. Rufus moans and tips his head back.
"Okay enough," Rufus whispers and pulls Lily's hands away. Rufus swirls around her entrance before entering her fully.
He starts slowly thrusting into Lily making her eyes slightly roll back in her head. As he picks up the pace, Lily's phone rings making Rufus stop.
"Hold on…it's Serena…" Lily says and tries to control her breathing. Rufus sighs rubs his face with his hands.
"Hi mom, how long do I heat up Alex's bottle for?" Serena asks and looks to Blair who is holding Alex. Rufus glides his fingers up and down Lily's arm, admiring the way she can flip from horny wife to concerned mother in a matter of a few seconds.
"Don't microwave it, bring the water to a boil for about two to three minutes and it should be fine," Lily instructs Serena.
"Okay, mom why are you breathing so heavily?" Serena asks out of interest. Rufus watches a pinkish hue heat up Lily's body, wondering what she and Serena are talking about.
"I thought you didn't want to know Serena. Rufus and I will be back to pick up Alex in about an hour." Lily says simply.
"Oh! Ew…okay…bye," Serena hangs up the phone and slaps her forehead. She told Lily that she didn't want to hear about it, but yet she is asking about it. Lily puts the phone back on the table and bursts into laughter.
"What did Serena have to say?" Rufus asks, curious as to why his wife is giggling.
"She figured out that we were in the middle of having sex and couldn't get off the phone fast enough," Lily says, putting her head against Rufus' bare chest. Rufus' chest shakes with laughter, caressing her blonde hair.
"Well now that we have succeeded in traumatizing both of your children, shall we continue?" Rufus asks as Lily brings her head back up to look at him.
"Yes, but we should skip the shower, I think Alex is starting to get fussy," Lily tells him.
"How about we move to the shower instead?" Rufus asks. Lily stands up and guides Rufus into the bathroom. They have sex in the shower and then get dressed back into the clothes they were wearing before. Lily stuffs the two pieces of lingerie deep into her purse and grabs the roses.
"You ready?" Rufus asks her. Lily stops him to fix the button that was placed in the wrong hole. Lily grabs his collar, pulling him in for a long kiss.
"Thank you, I really had fun tonight, even though we were interrupted." Lily mumbles when they separate from each other.
"Good, I did too, but Lil, we never talked about our bet," Rufus tells her as they are stepping into the elevator.
"True, I guess we will just have to save it for next time then," Lily winks at him. Rufus and Lily step off the elevator and breeze through the hotel and climb into the car, instructing Isaac to take them to Blair's.
About halfway there, Lily texts Serena to tell them that they are coming while Rufus stares out the window.
"Serena texted me back telling us to make sure we look decent. Should I even respond to that?" Lily asks, showing him the text.
"We will be there in a few minutes so I don't think so," Rufus says, complementing Serena on her brazenness.
"I can't really yell at her because she was no nice to watch Alex for us tonight, but if I could, I would," Lily informs him with a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
The limo pulls to a stop in front of the Waldorf's apartment. Lily and Rufus ask Isaac to stay until they get back before he is relieved of duty. Isaac is happy to wait, hoping that he will get a big tip because of it.
"Hey mom, hey Rufus, I take it you guys had a fun night?" Serena asks playfully when she sees her mom and step-father step off of the elevator.
"Well your mother and I had sex two times if that's what you're asking," Rufus says and holds up two fingers, mouthing the word twice over to Serena.
"Rufus!" Serena exclaims, holding her hands to prevent her step-father from elaborating. Lily puts her hand over her mouth and elbows her husband in the ribs, that wasn't exactly her idea of getting back at Serena, but it did the job.
"How did your night with Alex go? I hope she wasn't too bad," Lily says, steering their conversation away from her sex life with Rufus.
"She was great, didn't cry except when she wanted to be fed. Chuck stopped by for a little which was surprising. He actually seemed to enjoy Alex's company for a while and then he took Blair out for a late dinner. Anyway, she is upstairs in Blair's room and her stuff is over there," Serena points to the diaper bag and stroller in the corner by the couch.
"Thank you Serena for doing this, I really appreciate it," Lily hugs her daughter and then heads upstairs to Blair's room where Dorota is watching over Alex to make sure she doesn't fall off of Blair's bed.
"She is very good Mrs. Humphrey," Dorota says and stands up so Lily can sit down next to Alex who is sound asleep.
"Thank you Dorota, she is a good girl," Lily leans down to kiss Alex before picking her up.
"I am glad that you and my mom got to have a good night alone," Serena tells Rufus.
"Thank you for watching Alex, Serena, I know it took a load off of Lily's mind," Rufus rubs Serena's shoulder.
"No problem, but I am not a babysitter on retainer, unless it's an emergency."
"Understood," Rufus and Serena turn their heads to see Lily walking down the stairs with Alex tucked in her arms. Serena watches Rufus beam with pride and feels happy for her mother. Out of Lily's several failed marriages, it appears that she finally found someone to spend the rest of her life with. Serena is a little jealous that she didn't have a father like Rufus growing up, but what's done is done. She has a good relationship with her real father now, having forgiven him for abandoning her a long time ago.
Lily kisses Serena goodbye and straps Alex into the stroller. Rufus swings the diaper bag over his shoulder, causing Serena to laugh.
"What?" Rufus asks, hearing his step-daughter's child-like laughter echo through the apartment.
"Nothing, it's just you look very manly carrying that diaper bag Rufus," Serena says sarcastically.
"Your mother bought another one, it's in the car," Rufus defends himself. Lily nods her head and pushes the button on the down elevator.
"Goodnight," Serena says and waves. Rufus holds the door open so Lily can push the stroller in and waves back to Serena, as the elevator doors close in front of them.
A/N 2: That is all you are getting for now, I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter jumps ahead a little in time and involves a family dinner going horribly wrong. Please leave a review on your way out and thanks for reading!