A/N: Welcome back and as always, thanks so much for all of the reviews! I just love getting them. This chapter takes place a year after the last one and is rated M, but it isn't too bad, I just don't want to get in trouble. Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty Five
It started with a look, nothing more, and nothing less. A look exchanged between couples and suddenly whatever they are doing becomes unimportant. For Lily and Rufus, it is simply the way his eyes met hers over her book that started it all. Lily closes the latest Nicholas Sparks' novel and sets it on the coffee table. She scoots closer to Rufus and wraps her arms around his waist, laying her head on his chest.
"Hmm…I have missed you this week," Rufus tells her, brushing a kiss to the crown of her head.
"Me too, we have been so busy." Lily and Rufus' schedules didn't seem to mesh with each other's this week. Lily has been so preoccupied with helping Chuck with his event that is scheduled for the next day while Rufus' was attending meetings with Panic. They switched off taking care of Alex so the other person could do whatever they needed to do. The only time they managed to be together, they were so exhausted to really acknowledge each other.
"At least we are alone now." Lily catches his drift and tilts her head up to look at him.
"You need a haircut; your hair is getting long again." Lily combs a piece of hair out his eye and leans in to kiss him. In no time at all, they have escalated to making out on the couch. Rufus pulls away, his lips swollen and his eyes twinkling. He stands up and holds a hand out for Lily. She takes it and Rufus surprises her by sweeping her feet off the ground. She gasps, but it is swallowed by her husband pressing his lips against hers. Lily twines her legs around his waist, her arms draping over his shoulders as they walk upstairs toward their bedroom.
At the top of the stairs, Rufus trips and accidently slams Lily into the wall, next to the door to Alex's room.
"Rufus!" Lily exclaims, hoping that they just didn't wake up Alex. Rufus smirks and rotates them to the left, continuing his path to the master bedroom. Lily crosses her arms behind his head, resting at the nape of his neck while Rufus glides his hands down her back, reaching her ass over the fabric of her dress. He squeezes it briefly and extends an arm to open the door to their bedroom, kicking it shut with his foot. Rufus gently sets Lily down on the bed while she reaches up to capture the collar of his sky blue Hugo Boss button up shirt, pulling him down to meet her lips. While kissing her, he skates his hand down her legs until he reaches her Loubouton's, flipping each one off, letting them fall to the floor. Lily pulls at the hem of his shirt, slipping it over his head.
Rufus' hands disappear behind her back, navigating the zipper right away, hearing it cascade down her body. The Kate Spade coral dress pools at her feet, prompting Lily to lift her toes up so the clothing can sink to the floor. Lily works at getting Rufus' pants and boxers off while he unclasps her nude colored bra.
"Lil…so beautiful…" Rufus murmurs, dipping his head down to roll his tongue over her nipple. Lily moans and tosses her husband's articles of clothing, groaning when she feels his erection pressing against the inside of her thigh. Lily leans back to admire her husband's naked body, his toned abs, biceps, running her finger along them. She nearly forgets that she is exposed to him, the only thing she has on is her cream lace panties. She loops her arms around his neck, drawing him in for a lingering kiss. Rufus slips his tongue into her mouth, probing while his wandering hand brushes briefly over the flimsy material of her underwear. Lily arches into him, allowing him to slide the panties down her thighs, calves, ankles, and toes.
Lily takes a deep breath in, the way her husband is looking at her, that is something that she never wants to part with. So much love, affection, and tenderness coupled with desire, longing and lust in a single flicker of his hazel eyes.
"Come here." Their lips duel once more as they back slowly towards the head of the bed. Trailing his lips away from hers, his lips meander down her body, passing between the valley of her breasts, over the dip in her navel, down towards her most intimate area. Lily weaves her hands through Rufus' hair, getting lost in the tactile sensations erupting on her skin.
Without warning, Lily feels his finger slip into her, making teasing circles around her clit. She twitches, clings to the expensive sheets beneath her, curling them into a ball. Back and forth, around and around, Rufus doesn't let up until she is wet and waiting for him. Rufus brushes his lips against hers, withdrawing his fingers and bringing them up to her. Lily wickedly smiles at him, latching onto his index and middle finger, tasting her own salty juices. She hums, releases her lips from his fingers while her hand descends to his balls, massaging them gently.
"Ah…baby…" Lily smirks; the pure pleasure emanating from her husband's face is enough motivation to keep going. She starts slipping down in bed, but stops when she feels a tug on her wrist. Confusion flickers across her features for a brief minute, wondering why she can't return the favor.
Rufus wordlessly answers her question by entering her. Lily moans into Rufus' shoulder, scraping her teeth along the patch of flesh.
Two-year-old Alex Humphrey is woken up with a start. The monsters invading the little toddler's dreams are enough to make her eyes water. Scared and shaken, Alex needs the comfort of her mommy and daddy. She grabs her favorite lamb off of the bed and carefully jumps to the floor. Using the tiny princess nightlight to guide her, Alex makes her way to the door of her bedroom. Luckily, her daddy showed her the other day how to twist the knob of a door, but only if she really needs him or her mommy. Alex thinks this qualifies as an emergency though because she can't go back to sleep. She stands on her tip toes and uses both hands to get the door open. Alex toddles across the hall, stopping in front of the door of her parent's bedroom. She starts repeating the same process to open the door, but stops when she hears a loud noise from the other side of the door. That strikes Alex as odd; she thought her parents were sleeping too.
The door eases itself open and Alex ducks inside. Her mommy is on top of her daddy, naked.
"Do you like that Lil hmm?" Her dad asks, but Alex can't see him, her mom is obstructing her view.
"Ah yes…more…" Now Alex is confused, what does her mom want more of?
"Daddy? Mommy?" Alex asks, putting aside her nightmare momentarily. Her mom squeals and presses herself flat against her father, then carefully maneuvers over to the other side of the bed.
This is not happening; our two year old did not just walk in the middle of Lily and I having sex. Oh my god, this is horrible, my erection hasn't gone away yet! I could just picture Alex asking 'hey daddy why is something sticking out under the sheets?' Think of CeCe in a bathing suit…okay…there we go…
Rufus feels himself deflate as his eyes glance over to Lily whose chocolate brown eyes are wide with anxiety and fear.
Thank god Alex is two and won't remember this when she is older. Rufus and I should have been more careful, damn it! Okay Lily, keep calm, whatever comes out of your daughter's mouth in the next few minutes it is important that you keep calm… Lily thinks to herself, crossing her fingers under the sheets that Alex won't ask any questions. Knowing her daughter though, she will.
Rufus clears his throat, trying to salvage this sure-to-be awkward conversation with his daughter when he realizes that his boxers are on the other side of the room along with the other clothing that Lily took off of him earlier. Great, just great, he has no way of covering up unless he asks Alex to get his underwear for him which is just downright uncomfortable.
Alex eyes dance between her mother and father. Her mommy is blushing, something that only happens when her daddy mentions something about whatever they did the night before. Alex never understood, what is so embarrassing about sleeping? Obviously her mom and dad aren't sleeping now, but what are they doing? Why do they not have their pajamas on?
"What ya doin?" Alex asks, watching her mom's cheeks turn even redder, like the strawberries Alex eats sometimes for lunch. Her mom leans over and gets a robe that is on the floor while her father smiles nervously at her.
There is no way a two year old can retain nor comprehend anything about sex right? Let's see if I can distract her, Rufus decides that is the best course of action.
"Why did you come in here Alex? Is something wrong?" Rufus asks, still trying to figure out the best way to get some shred of clothing on him before Alex catapults herself onto their bed. Alex's hazel eyes fill with tears again, the nightmare coming back in full force.
"M…M…Monster daddy," Alex says, a tear tumbling down her cheek. Alex hugs her lamb closer to her tiny frame as her bottom lip quivers.
"Come over here darling," Lily says, reaching her arms out for her daughter. Alex totters over to her mother's side of the bed, smiling a little when Lily scoops her up.
While his wife is busy consoling her daughter, Rufus sneaks out of bed, grabbing some pillows to cover himself in case Alex decides to peek her head out from the crook of Lily's arm. He carefully scampers over to his boxers, slipping them on quickly and runs back to the bed before Alex even notices. Lily breathes a sigh of relief, thank god they didn't have to launch into a birds and the bees conversation with their two-year-old, which would have been even more humiliating.
Alex rests her head on her mother's chest, her tears are starting to dry up. Her father has his hand on his head, facing her and her mother.
"Do you want to sleep with us?" Lily asks rubbing soothing circles on her daughter's back. Alex nods into Lily's chest. Rufus pulls the covers open wider, inviting Alex to sleep in between them. Lily scoots out of bed, heading towards the bathroom.
"Mommy?" Alex asks, popping her head up over Rufus' hip.
"I am just going to the bathroom sweetie," and putting some clothes on, Lily thinks to herself, but doesn't tell Alex that.
This was not how Rufus thought his night was going to go. One minute he and Lily are having the best sex they have had in a while, the next, their two year old daughter stumbles in during in the middle of their tryst. The only bright spot, and it's a rather small one, is that Alex didn't see him or Lily completely naked or one of them having an orgasm. Although what Alex saw was more than a two-year-old should ever see, but still, Rufus likes to hold onto that small silver lining.
Lily creeps out of the bathroom and goes into the walk-in closet briefly, digging through Rufus' drawers to find a night shirt for him. She reaches in and pulls out an old, ratty Lincoln Hawk tee she is positive she has told Rufus plenty of times to throw out. Still, it will suffice for now, holes and all. Lily quickly changes into a nightgown before climbing back into bed with her husband and daughter. She throws the shirt at Rufus with a disapproving look, silently scolding him for not tossing the shirt years ago. If she brings it up now, Rufus will blame it on nostalgia and lapse into a story about how much this shirt is worth to him, complete with puppy eyes. Lily will fold mumbling, "keep the damn shirt", Rufus will smile with victory, kiss her and then they will store the t-shirt debacle for a later day.
"Thanks Lil," Rufus gives her a cheeky grin, damn, he knows that she won't discuss the whereabouts of this shirt in front of Alex, who seems to have fallen asleep.
Rufus and Lily lay there, daughter in between them, mulling over the events that have occurred, or what should have occurred between them before their daughter barged in on them.
"I thought you locked the door," Lily whispers over to him with a click of the tongue, folding of the arms across her chest.
"I thought you did," Rufus blames it on her, though it's futile. Lily gives him a side glare, shaking her head.
"I was a little preoccupied sweetheart," the term of endearment comes out as a sarcastic remark, typical Lily.
"Well at least Alex didn't almost see my erection." Lily doesn't know why, but somehow that comment from her husband makes her laugh.
"Okay that would have been worse than what just happened. Seriously, why does this happen to our kids, why us?" Rufus shrugs, maybe they were just meant to traumatize all of their children.
"I don't know, but I am going to put her back in bed, there isn't enough room for us to sleep comfortably." Rufus gets out of bed and leans over, gently picking Alex up. Alex moves slightly to adjust her head on her father's shoulder while Lily hands her husband the lamb their daughter dropped. Rufus curls an arm around Alex, making sure she doesn't fall and walks out of their bedroom. He pushes Alex's door open slightly so he can squeeze through and sets Alex down in her brand new toddler bed.
"Night Al," Rufus whispers and presses a kiss to his daughter's temple. He closes the door softly behind him and walks back into his bedroom, being sure to lock the door this time.
"Did she wake up again?" Lily asks, although she assumes the answer is no.
"No, I think she is out until morning, but just in case," Rufus points to their locked door.
"Good thinking, I didn't know she could even open doors yet," Lily comments as Rufus gets back into bed. Rufus avoids her eyes, making Lily think that there is more to this story. "Rufus, I know when you aren't telling me something."
Shit, he is busted, time to come clean. He scratches back behind his ear,
"Well, I may have taught her how to, but I made it clear that she had to knock first. Obviously, she forgot that part."
"Or we just didn't hear it," Lily quips, scooting closer to Rufus in bed.
"I think we handled that situation the best way we could. Next time, we stop to make sure the door is locked." Rufus hooks his arm over Lily's shoulder, resting his hand on her right upper arm.
"That is a good idea. Now, I hate to say it, but the mood has been killed for me tonight. I think it's just time to go to bed," Lily reaches over to turn her reading lamp off. Rufus' shoulders slump in defeat, but his wife does have a point.
"I agree, night Lil," Rufus says as Lily rests her head on his chest. Lily leans up, stamping a kiss to his lips and lays her head back down again.
The next morning, Alex Humphrey sneaks out of her toddler bed once again to hover in front of her parent's door. This time, she can't open it, toggling the knob isn't working. What did daddy teach me to do the other day? It was some k word… The little girl is confused as to what she should do next; she got the door open with no problem last night, why is it so hard today?
"Daddy! Mommy!" Alex yells, tapping on the wood slightly.
Rufus hears Alex outside of their room, furrowing his eyebrows slightly. Usually Lily hears Alex stir through the baby monitor and gets up with her. Rufus lifts his head up from his pillow, seeing Lily fast asleep and…shivering? First things first, Alex is going to dissolve into tears if Rufus doesn't open the door for her. He climbs out of bed, unlocks the door and swings it open for his daughter. Rufus bends down to pick her up and walks back over to his bed. Alex buries herself in her parent's covers while her father bends down to be eyelevel with her mother.
Rufus brushes Lily's tousled blonde ringlets aside to put a hand on her forehead, which is incredibly warm. He leans forward to stamp a kiss on his wife's forehead, causing her eyelids to flutter open.
"Ugh…" is all that comes out of Lily's mouth as she begins to wakeup. Her eyes come into focus, meeting her husband's concerned hazel orbs.
"Hi sweetheart, how do you feel?" Rufus asks. Lily brings the covers up to her chin, wondering why she is cold.
"Like death," Lily mumbles, twisting her head over her shoulder to see Alex come out from under the sheets, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Rufus smiles slightly and gets to his feet.
"You are very warm; I don't need a thermometer to tell me you have a fever."
This is perfect; Lily has way too much to do today to be sick. However, as much as she wants to do these things, Lily can barely keep her eyes open.
"Rufus, I am fine, I have Charles' party today to worry about."
"Lil, I am sure Chuck will understand that you won't be able to go." Lily huffs at him, bringing her daughter closer to her so she can have an extra source of heat.
"Come on Alex, I have to change you," Rufus tells his daughter, holding his arms out for her. Alex jumps into her dad's arms, waving goodbye to her mother on the way out.
Lily sighs, of course out of all the days she could be sick, and she picks this one. She feels fine, she will get over this by dinnertime, she convinces herself, trying to ignore the overwhelming nausea.
"Daddy?" Alex asks as Rufus' is changing her.
"What Alex?" Rufus asks while he is searching for diaper wipes. Where the hell did his wife put them? Ah, here they are, Rufus finds them in the last drawer of the changing table.
"Mommy sick?"
"Yeah sweetie, mommy is sick. We should help her get better."
Lily listens to the conversation Rufus is having with Alex, a giant smile blossoming on her face. Her husband is so good to her, she is unbelievably lucky to have him. Out of nowhere, Lily gags. She immediately puts a hand over her mouth, bolting to the attached bathroom, making it there just in time.
Rufus feels proud of himself that he changed Alex and got her dressed without any crying. He scoops her up and walks back into the master bedroom, seeing that his wife has vacated the bed.
"Lil?" Rufus asks, thinking that she just went downstairs. He hears his wife throw up and sets Alex on the bed so he can go into the bathroom. Rufus opens the door and sees Lily hunch over the toilet, dry heaving. "Still feeling fine?"
Lily lifts up her head to glare at him, and then bends it down to throw up again. Rufus bends down to rub her back. Lily coughs, spits, and then flushes the toilet.
"We haven't done this since I was pregnant with Alex," Lily says in a weak voice. Rufus laughs and continues to massage her back.
"I know, I kind of miss it," That earns him another defiant stare from Lily, not surprisingly.
"I don't, that was probably the worst part of being pregnant." She blanches and Rufus stands up to grab a towel for her to wipe her mouth with.
Alex swings her legs over the edge of the bed, trying to be patient. She is hungry and really wants her daddy's waffles. From the bathroom, she hears her mommy and daddy quietly talking and then a weird noise coming from one of her parents. Not the kind of strange sounds she heard last night, this sounds different. She wonders if this has something to do with her mommy being sick. Being the curious child she is, Alex hops off the bed and pops her head into the bathroom.
"Hi mommy," Alex whispers, her cherub face contorting with worry when she sees how white her mom's face is.
"Hi sweetie, I'm okay," Lily assures Alex, lying to console her anxious daughter. Alex tilts her head, clearly not buying her mom's story. Lily groans and throws up again. Alex watches her father tuck her mother's hair back while using an open palm to caress her shoulder.
"Daddy? I'm hungy," Alex says, although she isn't sure how hungry she is after watching her mommy throw up.
"Are you going to be okay honey?" Rufus asks his wife, smoothing her matted hair down.
"Yeah, go, I'll be here," Lily tells him in an attempt to be funny, but it falls flat.
"Do you want anything?" Lily raises her head up from the toilet bowl to look at him.
"A gun and some Sprite would be fantastic." Rufus rolls his eyes; of course his wife didn't lose a touch of her sarcasm even while puking.
"How about just some Sprite instead?" Lily shrugs, watching their daughter turn around and leave the room, tugging on Rufus' hand. Rufus nods over his shoulder and follows Alex downstairs.
Rufus makes waffles for him and Alex, keeping the conversation light to distract Alex from worrying about Lily.
"Mommy okay?" Alex asks while her dish is being taken away from her by her father.
"Yeah, that's what happens sometimes when you are sick. Mommy is okay though, I promise. I have to go upstairs to bring mommy some things. Can you play down here while I am gone?" Alex nods and Rufus releases her from the highchair. Alex walks over the living room to find her favorite toy, the pink tricycle she got from Santa last Christmas. Satisfied that Alex is making laps around the living room, Rufus grabs a can of Sprite with a straw and a bucket for Lily, bringing it up to their bedroom. He opens the Sprite, pops the straw in and puts the bucket on Lily's side of the bed, setting it as close to the mattress as he can. He then goes into the bathroom and sees Lily with her eyes closed, leaning against the lip of the bathtub.
"I'm awake," Lily mumbles when she hears Rufus enter. He walks over to her and lifts her into his arms. Lily grips onto her husband's Lincoln Hawk tee, cocooning herself into him. He lays her gently on the bed and starts to leave the room, but is stopped by Lily grabbing his hand.
"What?" Rufus asks, gliding his thumb over her knuckles.
"Can you stay?" Lily asks weakly, bringing him back towards the bed. Rufus is hesitant, leaving a two-year-old alone for a while is not a good idea, but his wife is sick. He hopes Alex is fine by herself and releases Lily's hand, watching her eyes trail him as he crawls into bed beside her. Lily rolls back over when she feels Rufus press flush against her. He lightly kisses her temple and draws lazy circles on her arms, watching her slowly drift back to sleep.
Downstairs, Alex is becoming bored of the tricycle. She has already crashed into the coffee table a few times, which her mom won't be too happy about. Alex wants to find a way to make her mommy feel better because she remembers her mom staying up with her, rocking her to sleep the last time she was sick. How does she make her mom feel better though? Hmm…the way her dad explained it, her mom's stomach doesn't feel good, so maybe some food and a drink will help. She abandons her bike and toddles into the kitchen, yanking the door open to the fridge. Alex spots her favorite pink sippy cup on the bottom shelf and grabs it. What does mommy like to drink? Alex usually sees her mom drinking this dark red stuff that smells bad when you get your face to close to it, but she can't reach it. Plus, her mom told her that Alex isn't allowed to touch it, so that drink option is out. The only thing she can reach is the milk, but it's really heavy. Alex opens the sippy cup and sets it on the floor, carefully pouring the white liquid into the glass. She spills a little, but Alex manages to return the milk back to its original place on the shelf.
Alex sets the sippy cup on the floor, a feet away from the fridge while she focuses on the next task at hand; food. The refrigerator door closes while Alex isn't looking, causing her to tug it open again. She doesn't understand why it is so easy for her mom, dad and her older siblings to get the door open with such ease, but again, not important. Her hazel eyes glance around inside the appliance, most of the good stuff is high up. There are no chairs in the kitchen so Alex will just have to take whatever is in her reach. The only thing that looks appetizing is the yogurt mommy sometimes gives her for a snack before her nap. Alex grabs it and lets the refrigerator close itself. Her mommy generally gives her something to eat the yogurt with, but what is it? It starts with an s….um…spoon! That's it, but where is it?
Rufus can hear Lily's deep breathing, indicating that she has fallen asleep. He carefully extracts his arms that are looped around her waist and creeps out of bed, closing the door behind him. When he gets downstairs, he starts panicking, seeing the living room empty. Oh god, where is Alex? He goes into the kitchen after he hears a grunt. Rufus sees Alex struggling to open a drawer with a sippy cup and yogurt nearby.
"Alex, what are you doing?" Rufus asks. Alex huffs and gets off her tippy toes.
"Helpin' mommy, see," Alex points to the food and refreshment. Rufus is blown away by Alex's intelligence; he didn't think his two-year-old was old enough to register what is going on.
"Okay, what do you need to help mommy?" Rufus is willing to play this game with Alex to expand her vocabulary and knowledge.
"Um…spoon…I phink…" Alex shrugs, unsure if that is the right choice. Rufus picks her up and heads over to the silverware drawer. He grabs a silver, adult-sized spoon, but Alex shakes her head.
"What's wrong?" Rufus asks, wondering why she is objecting.
"Dat one," Alex extends her arm to grab the tiny spoons she uses to eat. Rufus laughs and puts her down. Alex walks over to her collection of things for her mother and grabs the yogurt. Rufus picks up the sippy cup and follows Alex upstairs.
"We have to be quiet, mommy is sleeping," Rufus warns her, letting the door open slightly so the light seeping through doesn't wake his wife. Rufus sets the sippy cup next to the Sprite and Alex hands him the yogurt with the spoon. Alex and Rufus sneak out, shutting the door behind them. "We have some stuff to do for mommy okay?"
Alex nods eagerly, always up for running errands with her parents, especially when it involves shopping with her mom.
"Mommy okay?" Alex asks, gesturing her head towards her parent's door. Rufus furrows his eyebrows, not understanding exactly what Alex is saying.
"What do you mean sweetie?" Alex is having trouble stringing her words together, mostly due to her young age.
"Um…she lone daddy…" Alex fumbles with her words a bit, but says enough to get her meaning across. Oh, Rufus comprehends what Alex is saying.
"It's okay Alex; mommy is old enough to stay by herself. Would you feel better if we wrote her a note?"
"Sure," Rufus takes Alex into his office, ripping out a scratch piece of paper to scribble Lily a quick note. He tells Alex to wait outside so he can slip a note over the sippy cup.
Rufus and Alex catch a cab to Crabtree and Evelyn to buy Lily her favorite bath products. Rufus watches in amusement as Alex carefully scrutinizes the bath soaps, trying to find the best one for Lily.
"Dis one," Alex tells her dad, picking a pink bottle of Spring Rain scented bath soap. Rufus grabs it off the shelf, picks up an extra loofa and pays for his purchases.
"Walgreens please," Rufus tells their driver, setting his bag down on the car floor. Alex is busy playing with the loofa, letting the sponge-like material sweep over her skin.
The pair arrives at Walgreens and they immediately go to the pharmacy in the back of the store. Rufus searches for some Tums to soothe his wife's stomach and more Advil, just in case. Alex sees a sparkly pink box and severs her hand with her father's. Rufus watches Alex run over and grab a box of condoms, obviously having no clue what they are.
"Here," Alex hands him the box, not seeing the amused expression on her father's face.
"Alex, I don't think mommy needs those. Can you put those back where you found them please?" Alex frowns, she wanted the pink box. She does return the box and goes back over to her father. Rufus purchases the medicines and they leave Walgreens.
Rufus takes Alex to Panera Bread for lunch before they head home for Alex's nap. Rufus orders chicken noodle soup to-go for his wife which he grabs on his way out.
Back at the penthouse, Lily is just starting to wake up again. She pushes herself up with her hands, spotting the sippy cup and yogurt that must have been left by her daughter. Smiling, she picks up the note that is resting on top of the sippy cup.
Hi darling, Alex and I just ran out to get some stuff for you. We will be back soon with soup. We love you, Rufus and Alex.
Lily grins and puts the note back on the bedside table. As adorable as what her daughter did for her is, Lily doesn't think she can stomach warm milk yet. Instead, Lily opts for sipping on the Sprite her husband brought up for her a few hours ago.
Rufus and Alex step back into the penthouse, each holding a bag. Alex is practically jumping with excitement to give Lily the stuff they bought her, but Rufus wants to make sure his wife is up first.
"Alex, let me get a tray first," Rufus digs through the kitchen drawers to grab a tray to put the soup on. Alex waits, twirling the bag of bath stuff around her arm while her father is rifling through the kitchen cabinets. Rufus takes the soup out of the Panera bag and rests it on top of the tray. He picks the tray up and scoops the Walgreens bag off the counter. "We have to make sure mommy is awake before we give her everything okay?"
Alex nods as they wait outside of the master bedroom. Rufus instructs Alex to knock on the door since his hands are full.
"Come in!" Lily yells and switches her can of Sprite with the sippy cup Alex brought her so her daughter knows that she appreciates the gesture. Alex beams when she sees her mom drink the sippy cup and jumps on the bed, bouncing her way over to Lily.
"Here," Alex thrusts the bag at Lily while Rufus sets the tray over his wife's legs. Lily winks at him and opens the bag Alex gave her.
"Thank you Alex, I love them," Lily opens the bottle of bath soap, fighting back the nausea building in her stomach when she catches a whiff of the strong scent. She closes the bottle down on the nightstand and opens the soup. She eats some of it, but her stomach is fighting her. Alex munches on Lily's crackers while Rufus shows Lily the medicine they got her.
"It's time for your nap Alex," Rufus tells his daughter once Lily is done with her soup. A pout forms on Alex's face, her lower lip jutting out.
"No, nap here," Alex scoots closer to Lily, coiling her arm around her mother's wrist.
"No Alex, I don't want you to get sick," Lily explains to Alex. Alex sighs, realizing that she doesn't want to be throwing up like her mom. Rufus extends his hand out for Alex who reluctantly takes it. Rufus and Alex go to her bedroom. Lily gazes down at the half-eaten carton of soup and grimaces. She gets up and throws the rest of the soup away before Rufus gets back.
Rufus shuts the light off and closes the door to Alex's bedroom. He goes back into his own bedroom, seeing his wife inch back in bed.
"Are you feeling better?" Rufus asks Lily.
"Yeah, much." Rufus doesn't buy it; her skin still looks flushed and pale. He walks over to the garbage can and sees the majority of the soup still in the carton. Rufus smirks at her before crawling into bed next to her. He feels her forehead, confirming that it is still warm. "Okay, fine, I feel awful."
Rufus grins, he loves when he proves Lily wrong. It happens so little in their marriage that he enjoys it and milks it for all that it's worth.
"Well, how about you use the new bath stuff Alex and I got you? It might make you feel better," Rufus suggests, reaching across her body to snatch up the bottle off the nightstand. Lily nods, sending her husband straight into the bathroom to get the water running. He comes back and takes Lily into his arms, setting her down in the warm water that is quickly filling with bubbles.
"Come in with me," Lily whispers, tipping her head back to rest against the bath pillow. Rufus hesitates, he was going to do some paperwork for Panic, but the way his wife is looking at him, the pleading and begging laced in her eyes, he finds it kind of cute.
"Fine, but not for too long," Rufus tells her and quickly strips down to nothing. Lily scoots forward so Rufus can sashay into the tiny space behind her. He drapes his arms around her shoulders, searching for her hands underneath the bubbles. Lily feels her husband interlock their fingers and wishes that he could kiss him. However, Rufus wouldn't take too kindly to the passage of germs so she resists.
"We haven't done this in a while," Lily comments, resting her head on Rufus' shoulder.
"I know, we have been so busy lately with Alex lately, we just haven't had the time to ourselves," Rufus mutters, brushing a kiss to her hair.
"Could you imagine throwing another baby into the mix?" Rufus tilts his head down.
"This is the second time you have mentioned pregnancy and babies today, are you hinting at something?" Rufus asks jokingly, although he is secretly wishing that she has changed her mind about not trying to have more kids.
"No, I am happy with the way things are, it's just every so often I wonder. What it would be like to have another baby, you know?"
"I do, maybe another boy this time, even though I would be happy with either. There is still time if you want to," Rufus suggests, trying to maintain a nonchalant tone.
"I don't know, maybe it's just the way you are taking care of me that makes me want to have another child. The water is getting cold, I think I am going to get out," Lily reaches forward to unplug the drain, sending the water down. Rufus bites his lip, there were only in there for about ten minutes, but he thinks that Lily is avoiding their topic of conversation. This is the first time since they talked about expanding their family over a year ago that she has ever brought it up. Maybe Rufus is reading too deeply into this, maybe it's just more of a passing thought than an actual desire. He climbs out of the tub first, looking down at his wife who is deep in thought.
Lily hopes that she didn't just plant a seed about having another child in Rufus' head. She isn't against having another child; it's just that she is attempting to be realistic here. She and Rufus are in their forties, trying to raise a two-year-old and have six other children between the two of them, having another child might stretch them too thin.
"Lil?" Rufus asks, cutting into her thoughts. Lily glances up to find her husband with a towel wrapped around his waist holding out another one for her to grab. Lily slowly stands up, feeling the cotton fabric engulf her, absorbing the little droplets of water still clinging to her skin. They transition over to the walk in closet, each silent as they change into their pajamas.
"Do you mind if we watch a movie?" Lily asks with a hopeful smile on her face.
"Sure, as long as it is not The Notebook," Rufus tells her, laughing when a disappointed frown forms on his wife's lips.
"Fine," the word is accompanied by a sigh and a slump of the shoulders. Lily slips another nightgown over her head and walks over to their DVD collection. Eventually, she decides on Sleepless in Seattle, pops it in the DVD player and sits back on her side of the bed. Rufus joins in her, snatching the remote off of his bedside table and cuddling closer to his wife.
"Thanks for staying with me," Lily whispers into his arm, looping her arms around the bend in his elbow, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Of course, you would do it for me," Rufus presses play and tugs the blankets over them.
"Hmm…maybe," Lily teases, scooting up slightly to brush a kiss to his cheek. Rufus rolls his eyes at her and unhooks his arm, choosing to wrap it around her shoulder instead. Lily slides down in bed a little so she can lay her head on his chest.
About halfway through Rufus is bored to tears. He hates the romantic and sappy movies that his wife always makes him watch.
"Lil, this movie sucks," Rufus mutters, expecting a snarky comment back. However, Lily is fast asleep and the remote is out of Rufus' reach. He doesn't want to wake Lily up, but he doesn't want to suffer through the rest of this movie either. Ugh, what a dilemma. Carefully, Rufus reaches forward in bed, keeping his eyes trained on Lily, hoping that she doesn't wake up. He extends his fingers and slides the remote closer to him so he can turn the movie off. Rufus switches to sports and the TV blares, waking Lily up.
"Wha…" Lily says, rubbing her eyes. Rufus turns the TV down as fast as he can and rubs Lily's arm.
"Sorry honey, go back to sleep." Lily moves her head slightly and slings her arms across his stomach, her eyes drooping shut.
Lily and Alex wake up a few hours later, both feeling refreshed. Lily stretches and sits higher up in bed as Rufus comes into the room with their daughter.
"Hi mommy," Alex breaks out of Rufus' arms to climb onto the bed.
"Hi Alex, did you have a good nap?"
"Yup, you better?" Alex asks, mimicking her mother's position in bed. Lily giggles and tucks a piece of blonde hair back behind Alex's ear.
"A little, thanks for asking," Lily tells her daughter and tickles her cheek. Alex pulls the covers over her face so her mom can't get to her. Rufus laughs and sits on the edge of the bed. Lily looks over her shoulder to check the time on the alarm clock, if she gets ready in time she can still make it to Chuck's party. However, Rufus won't let her go because he won't believe that she is suddenly feeling better. She still feels nauseous and feverish, but a little better than this morning. Now, how does she get Rufus and Alex out of the house long enough to get ready and over to the Empire?
"Good, are you up for some dinner?" Rufus asks. Lily smiles, she realizes that Rufus just inadvertently gave her a way to sneak out.
"Yes, yes, I am. I haven't thrown up in a while, but I might not eat it all."
"That's fine, what are you feeling like?" Lily takes a second to weigh her options. She doesn't want to send Rufus and Alex too far away because that will look suspicious, but not too close that they will get back while she is getting dressed. Brooklyn seems like the most logical option, but will Rufus fall for it?
"I don't know, maybe a sandwich from that café near the gallery?"
"Okay, I have to pick something up at the loft anyway. Alex, do you want to come with?" Lily is silently cheering, this couldn't have gone better.
"No, stay!" Alex protests, hiding deeper underneath the covers. Lily bites back a sigh; there is no way she can leave Alex by herself. There has to be a way to convince Alex to go with Rufus.
"Alex, it's going to be boring here. I think daddy might need your help with dinner," Rufus quirks an eyebrow at his wife. Why does it matter to Lily if Alex stays or goes? Alex pulls back the covers, sliding out of bed to stand next her father.
"We will be back in an hour or so," Rufus tells Lily who nods. Rufus and Alex head out, but stop when they see Vanya.
"Hello Mr. Rufus, can I help you with something?" Vanya asks, handing a lollipop to Alex who accepts it with a big smile.
"Yes, actually you can. I think my wife is trying to pull a fast one on me. If you see her can you give me a call?" Vanya smiles, he always sees Rufus or Lily playing games with each other, but the doorman knows it's out of love.
"Sure Mr. Rufus I will, but I haven't seen Ms. Lily all day."
"That's because she is sick, but she really wants to go to Chuck's party tonight. Don't stop her, just let her go and call me okay?"
"Okay, I will," Alex and Rufus say goodbye to Vanya and take a car to Brooklyn.
Lily swings her legs over the foot of the bed, standing up, but swaying a little. She places a palm out, using the mattress to balance herself. Shaking it off, she walks into her closet and pulls out the gold, snake skin printed, Dolce and Gabbana dress she put on hold specifically for Charles' party.
She swallows a few Tums to settle her stomach for a few hours and goes into the bathroom to put her makeup on. She looks in the mirror and is surprised by how pale she looks. Lily feels her forehead and it is still a little warm. She applies her eyeliner, lip stick and puts a little extra foundation just in case. Lily takes one final look at her appearance and snatches her gold clutch as she is walking out the door.
"Ah, Ms. Lily, you just missed Mr. Rufus and Ms. Alex," Vanya says, spotting Lily step off the elevator. Lily blushes; she didn't expect to be stopped by the doorman. Vanya is impressed that Rufus correctly predicted Lily sneaking out.
"Right, well my husband is taking Alex to Brooklyn for dinner and then he is going to meet me at Charles' party," Lily lies, giving Vanya a reassuring smile.
"Of course, well, have fun," Vanya waves goodbye and Lily takes a cab to the Empire. When the taxi is off, Vanya dials Rufus.
Rufus' phone goes off as he is picking up their food. He checks the caller ID, smirking when he recognizes the number from the penthouse.
"When did she leave?" Rufus asks, thanking the man behind the counter while Alex is toddling in front of him.
"About five minutes ago," Vanya says. Rufus shakes his head, why is his wife so stubborn? He hangs up the phone and turns to his daughter.
"Well Alex, we have to go back home and then we are going to a party," Rufus says, making Alex clap her hands in excitement. Alex yanks on his hand, dragging her father outside and into the town car.
They get back to the penthouse and Rufus sets the bag of food on the counter while Alex stands by the elevator.
"Daddy, go," Alex tells him, pointing to the elevator. Rufus realizes that he is in jeans and a raggedy t-shirt, hardly the attire for a black tie affair.
"Hold on, we have to get dressed, and then we can go see mommy and Chuck." Alex runs upstairs, heading straight toward her closet. Rufus rolls his eyes and follows her to her bedroom. Alex is throwing clothes around her room, much like her mother does when she can't find anything to wear. Rufus lets Alex decide while he gets dressed himself, opting for a plain black suit with a gold tie to match Lily's missing dress. He goes back into Alex's room, watching her pick between two pink dresses. Who thought a two year old would have such a fascination in fashion? "Alex, we aren't going to be there long. We are just picking up your mom and leaving." Alex chews on her lower lip, deciding to go with a sparkly fuchsia dress that Lily bought her from Bonpointe.
Lily arrives at the party, checking her coat in. She spots Chuck from across the room chatting with perspective clients. Before she can get to Chuck, Serena and Dan intercept her.
"Mom, hey, where is Rufus?" Serena asks, readjusting her black strapless dress.
"He is at home with Alex," Lily lies and tries to control her queasiness when someone walks by reeking of alcohol.
"I saw my dad and Alex earlier, he said that you are sick," Dan says in suspicion. Lily's cheeks redden; she forgot that Rufus was stopping at the loft when he went to get them dinner.
"I…uh…am I guess, but I am feeling a lot better. I thought I would come and show support for Charles. Speaking of, I should go talk to him." Lily kisses her daughter and stepson's cheek, walking over to Chuck. She detours into the bathroom instead and throws up.
"Name sir?" The doorman asks Rufus who is carrying Alex in his arms.
"Rufus Humphrey, my wife, Lily Humphrey, is already here," Rufus tells the doorman, who finds his name on the clipboard. Rufus bypasses the doorman and is ambushed by Serena and Dan.
"Alex!" Serena exclaims, taking her half-sister from Rufus. "Are you hungry?" Alex nods, sending the pair off to the desert table.
"Not too much Serena," Rufus warns, hearing Serena's infantile laughter grow further and further away.
"Hey, Dad, did you know Lily is here? She said she was feeling better, but I don't think she was telling the truth. I think she went to talk to Chuck," Dan says, pointing over to his sibling.
"Yeah, that's actually why Alex and I are here. Thanks Dan, I am going to find Chuck," Rufus pats his son on the shoulder and disappears into the crowd.
Lily wipes her mouth with a napkin and looks at her reflection in the mirror. Her skin is a pale hue and she can see little droplets of sweat gathering on her forehead, presumably from her throwing up a few moments ago. She dashes some cool water on her face and leaves the bathroom.
Rufus meets Lily's eyes from his position next to Chuck. He waves her over, enjoying the shocked expression on his wife's face.
"Hi darling, what are you doing here?" Lily asks when she approaches her husband and Chuck. She leans forward to brush a kiss to Chuck's cheek as Rufus coils his arm around her waist.
"Alex and I thought we would deliver your sandwich to you in person. Although, I think I lost our daughter to Serena." Rufus glances around the room nervously, relaxing when he sees Serena holding Alex and gossiping with Blair. She does a side-view of her husband, trying to detect if he is angry at her for deceiving him. He doesn't seem to be mad, just worried about her. Rufus squeezes Lily's arm, bringing her head closer to his to see if it is still febrile, not shockingly, she is burning up. He guesses that she vanished into the bathroom to throw up when she told Serena and Dan she was going to talk to Chuck.
"Well, I think we are going to call it a night, it's time for Alex to go to bed," Lily excuses, waving goodbye to Chuck. Chuck kisses Lily's cheek, shakes hands with Rufus and goes to find Blair.
"Should we find our daughter and go home?" Rufus asks.
"Please," Lily leans her head toward Rufus as they walk over to Serena and Alex. Serena is surrounded by guys in suits who are doting over Alex. Rufus is not amused by all the male attention his two-year-old daughter is getting.
"Be nice," Lily whispers, noticing the sour expression on her husband's face. Rufus scowls, wordlessly taking Alex out of Serena's arms and glares at his step daughter. Lily hugs her daughter goodbye and races to catch up with Rufus who can't get Alex out of that party fast enough.
"Bye boys!" Alex shouts, waving goodbye to the guys that are still talking to Serena, making Lily laugh when all of the men wave back.
Lily, Rufus and Alex climb into the town car, heading back to the penthouse.
"Okay, maybe I shouldn't have gone to the party," Lily admits, clutching the blazer Rufus gave her closer to herself. Rufus doesn't say anything, relishing in the fact that his wife is acknowledging her faults for the second time today. "How did you figure it out?"
"Well, I guessed that you were going to the party when you didn't want Alex to stay home with you when I went to get food, so I had Vanya call me if he saw you."
"I am impressed that Vanya would join you in your scheme. I thought Vanya was more scared of me than you." Rufus rolls his eyes and presses a kiss to his wife's temple.
"How do you feel?" Lily sighs, her eyes flicker over to Alex who fell asleep in her car seat.
"I feel terrible; the Tums I took helped me until I smelled bourbon." Lily tips her head down so it is resting on Rufus' shoulder.
They arrive back at the penthouse and Lily opens the car door for them. Rufus stays behind to extract Alex from the car seat, carefully inching her out so she doesn't wake up or hit her head. Lily snags his hand and they take the elevator to their apartment.
"I am going to put her to bed," Rufus tells his wife, who is already flipping her heels off. Lily walks over to Alex, kissing her cheek. Rufus walks upstairs and Lily stays behind to take an Advil and then heads to the master bathroom to undress and wash her makeup off. Rufus closes Alex's door behind him and goes into the master bedroom. They undress and redress into their pajamas together, climbing into bed afterwards.
"I am stubborn aren't I?" Lily asks out of the blue as she pushes the covers back.
"What? No, why would you think that?" Rufus asks unconvincingly. Lily glares at Rufus as they meet in the middle of their bed like they always do.
"I'm sorry for sending you to Brooklyn under false pretenses." Rufus drapes his arm around Lily's body, putting his chin on top of her head.
"It's okay; I shouldn't have included Vanya in our relationship."
"Don't worry about it, he is our middleman, we will both use him and Dorota against each other from time to time." Lily tries to stifle a yawn, but it slips through the cracks of her fingers. Rufus starts to doze off when he feels Lily slide out of their embrace.
"Lil, what are you doing?" Lily freezes about halfway to the door of their bedroom.
"I was getting an extra blanket from the linen closet, I am really cold." Rufus separates from the covers and closes the gap between them, placing her hands on her shoulders, walking her backwards toward the bed. He pushes on her shoulders, forcing her to sit down on the bed.
"I will get it, now you just lay here and be sick," Rufus tells her and leans in to kiss her forehead.
"What does that even mean?" Lily asks herself when she is sure her husband is out of her hearing range. She rolls her eyes and lays her head back on the pillow, finally allowing her body to take over.
A/N 2: That is all for now. I know I have been counting down the chapters, but I was thinking of extending so this story will have 30 nice chapters. What do you guys think? I have so many ideas that I am just not ready to just end this story yet. I was thinking I will keep writing as long as you guys keep reviewing? Let me know by leaving a review on your way out the door. Thanks!