A/N: I know this gets annoying, but I feel like it's important to thank everyone for the reviews every single chapter. We are so close to the end, but we aren't there yet. This chapter is definitely rated M, enjoy!

Chapter 29

As you get older, you stop looking forward to your birthday, it becomes unlike any other day. For Lily Humphrey, March 14th will just be just another day, not the day she turns 42. All she wants to do is spend the day with Rufus and her kids without the acknowledgment of her increasing age.

Speaking of Rufus, he has been acting weird these past few days. He has been making secret phone calls and hasn't given any inclination that her birthday is coming up. Not that Lily cares, but she has a feeling her husband is keeping something important from her.

Rufus can tell Lily is suspicious, but he doesn't want to ruin her birthday present. He knows she is going to love it, which is why he wants it to be an absolute surprise.

Lily can hear Rufus talking upstairs on the phone with someone, again, for the third day in a row. Whenever she would ask who he is talking to, Rufus would lie and say one of the kids each day. Lily isn't stupid, she is well aware that their kids do not want to talk to them that much. Maybe if she hears who is on the other end, she can catch him in a lie. She sneaks upstairs, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Hey son, did you talk to Serena about watching Alex?" Rufus asks Dan.

"Yeah, she says it is fine as long as Lily is okay with it. Did you tell her yet?"

"No, she won't know until tomorrow."

Lily comes into the office and wraps an arm around her husband, splashing her hand across his upper chest. Rufus jumps a little, but relaxes when he notices his wife is behind him.

"Who are you talking to?" Lily whispers in his ear.

"I'll talk you later son," Rufus says to Dan and slips his cell phone into his pant pocket. "Dan wanted to know when we were doing dinner for your birthday." Rufus settles for half of lie, which he knows Lily will believe.

Lily groans and removes her arm as Rufus turns around to face her.

"Rufus, honestly, I really don't want to do anything for my birthday." Rufus furrows his eyebrows; this wasn't the reaction he was hoping for.

"Of course you do Lil, I am not taking no for an answer." Lily shakes her head; Rufus isn't going to change his mind about this.

"Fine, if we have to celebrate, why don't we do it tonight?"

"I already made reservations at your favorite restaurant and all the kids are coming, including Chuck." A smirk blooms on Lily's face and she interlaces her fingers behind Rufus' neck.

"You tricked me." Rufus nods and grins right back at her,

"It was easier than I thought." Lily leans in to brush a kiss to her husband's lips, thankful that he does things like this for her. Alex tracks her parent's voices into her daddy's office. Not surprisingly, her mommy and daddy are kissing…again.

"Hey!" Alex yells, watching her parents separate from each other. Her dad twirls his head to look down at her while her mom still has her arms draped around his neck.

"Hey yourself sweetie," Rufus tells his daughter. Lily removes her arms and walks over to their daughter, scooping her off the floor.

"Mommy, I need to shop," Alex says, wiggling around in her mother's arms. Lily presses a kiss to her daughter's cheek, before setting her down on the floor.

"You do, what for?" Lily asks Alex, how much stuff could a two and a half year old need?

"Your berday mommy." Lily turns to look at her husband who shrugs.

"I promised Alex we could get you a present. We will be back before dinner." Rufus picks up Alex and walks toward Lily.

"I am going to sulk since my birthday is tomorrow," Lily tells Rufus and gives him a goodbye kiss. Rufus rolls his eyes and kisses her again before taking off with their daughter in tow.

Lily has an hour to kill before she has to get ready for dinner tonight so she decides to take a bath. She goes to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine and then heads into the bathroom to draw a bubble bath. She could tell Rufus lied to her earlier, not about who was calling, but the topic of conversation. Lily heard Alex's name be mentioned and someone not knowing something until tomorrow. She is guessing it is her given that her birthday is tomorrow. Lily really hopes Rufus isn't going over the top with her gift; it's sweet, but unnecessary.

Rufus straps Alex into her car seat and slides into the other side of the car.

"What are we going to get mommy for her birthday Alex?" Rufus asks, gesturing to the driver to hold on a second. Alex taps her finger on her chin, appearing to be in deep thought.

"Toys," Alex answers finally and smiles at her father. Rufus can't help but laugh, he is well aware that is what Alex wants, not Lily.

"I have an idea, Alex. Can you take us to Cartier please?" Rufus asks Isaac, their driver. Alex doesn't know what Cartier is, but it doesn't sound anything like FAO Schwartz, her favorite store.

They arrive at Cartier on Fifth Avenue and Rufus takes Alex inside. Alex is blown away by all the diamonds she sees and immediately breaks from Rufus' hand to press her face against the glass.

"Daddy, look! So pwetty!" Alex eyes sweep the glass display cases, looking for the perfect gift for her mother.

"See anything you like for mommy?" Rufus asks Alex who is busy surveying the store.

"Yeah, 'mere daddy," Alex waves her father over and points to a ring with a giant pink diamond in the center.

"She has expensive taste," The woman behind the counter tells Rufus. Rufus isn't impressed with what Alex picked out; he knows Lily wouldn't really care for it. She is more simplistic in her jewelry selection and Rufus is pretty sure that ring is well over a million dollars.

"I think that might be a little too much money Alex. Why don't we pick out something else?" Alex looks crestfallen, but agrees to choose another piece of jewelry. Alex selects, as her second choice, a white gold necklace with tiny pearls interspersed on the chain. Rufus pays for the necklace and hands Alex the bag.

"Daddy, I make card," Alex tells her father as he is adjusting the straps on her car seat.

"Okay Al, let's go back home," Rufus gets in on the other side and tells Isaac they would like to go to the penthouse.

When they get home, Lily is cleaning up some of Alex's toys in the living room.

"Mommy!" Alex exclaims, running toward Lily with the maroon Cartier bag flapping against her side.

"Hey Alex," Lily says as Alex wraps her arms around her legs.

"Look," Alex holds up the bag, which Lily takes.

"I think I should wait until dinner," Lily tells her daughter and picks her up with her free arm, taking them over to the couch.

"No, open," Alex insists, looking to Rufus for confirmation.

"Do you mind?" Lily asks Rufus as he is sitting in a chair next to the couch.

"I don't think she is going to let you wait," Rufus tells Lily with amusement. Lily looks down at Alex's hazel eyes which are twinkling with excitement. To hell with it, Lily thinks while she opens her gift.

"Wow, thank you Alex, this is beautiful. I will wear it with my dress to dinner," Lily tells her daughter as she clasps the jewelry around her neck. It goes perfectly with her black dress with white polka dots. Alex claps her hands with joy,

"I make card." Alex shimmies off Lily's lap and bolts up to her room.

"Alex we are leaving in ten minutes!" Lily yells upstairs, even though she is pretty sure her daughter has no idea what that means. Alex is busy digging out her crayons and coloring books upstairs and doesn't hear her mom. Lily gets off the couch and sits in her husband's lap. "Thanks for the necklace." She presses her nose against the side of his face, stamping a kiss on his cheekbone.

"Alex did pick it out though, she wanted to buy you a million dollar diamond ring."

"Really? Hmm…and you didn't let her because that is what you are getting me right?" Rufus laughs,

"In your dreams Lil, although I am pretty sure you will like my present better." This intrigues Lily; she pulls her head away from his shoulder and quirks an eyebrow.

"Great, where is it?" Lily asks, as her eyes do a panoramic view of the living room.

"You will actually have to wait for it this time." Lily frowns and juts her lower lip out, wanting to see if it will work on her husband. "Sorry Lil, we don't have time." Lily concedes Rufus is right; they have to meet the kids soon.

"Fine, but if I don't like it, can I have the diamond ring instead?" Rufus chuckles and presses a kiss to her temple.

"No, you can have the necklace though." Lily feigns a sigh and gets off of Rufus' lap.

"Alex! We have to go!" Lily yells upstairs. Alex frantically puts the finishing touches on her mom's card and goes downstairs to meet her parents. Her mom already has a black trench coat on and is waiting with Alex's favorite coral pea coat.

"Here ya go," Alex hands Lily the card, which is a scribbled coloring book page.

"Thank you Alex, I will put in on the fridge when we get home," Lily says as she buttons up Alex's coat for her. Alex beams proudly and grabs her mother's hand. Rufus puts his hand on Lily's back, escorting his wife and daughter to the elevator.

"Mommy, Chuck gonna be der?" Alex asks Lily while she is being strapped in to her car seat.

"Yes honey, Chuck is going to be at dinner." Lily closes the door and gets in on the other side, next to Rufus.

"He pwetty mommy," Alex informs her mother and starts playing with her Monkey. Rufus and Lily glance at each other; Lily scrunches her nose at Rufus, who is biting his lip to contain his laughter.

"He is very handsome darling," Lily says to her daughter and turns to laugh into her husband's Gucci blazer.

When they get to the restaurant, all of their kids are already waiting for them. They left two seats open next to each other with the high chair at the edge of the table. Rufus buckles Alex in while Lily exchanges hugs with all of their children.

"My daughter thinks you are pretty," Lily whispers in Chuck's ear. Chuck smirks and waves at Alex who waves back.

"She has good taste," Chuck says and kisses Lily's cheek. They order their food and chat amongst themselves.

"Hey! Its mommy's berday," Alex informs the waiter as he is leaving. The waiter turns around to face the toddler and her mother who is furiously blushing.

"We will be sure to do something about that," The waiter informs Alex and winks at her.

"No, that won't be necessary," Lily tells the waiter, but he is already gone.

"I can't believe Alex just did that," Jenny whispers to Dan and Serena.

"Better her then one of us," Eric tells Jenny and the other kids nod in agreement.

"Mom, open your presents," Serena says to Lily and points to the tiny stack by Chuck.

"Okay, can you hand me them?" Lily asks her eldest daughter. Serena gives the gifts to Lily who dumps them on Alex.

"Can you open them for me, Alex?" Alex nods and tears open Lily's gifts, handing her mom them as they are opened.

Lily gets a new Chanel wallet from Serena, a free night stay in the penthouse suite at the Empire from Chuck, a custom made fuchsia dress by Jenny, tickets to the opera from Eric and the entire Nicholas Sparks anthology from Dan.

"Thank you guys, I really appreciate it," Lily says to her kids.

"Where is your gift Dad?" Dan asks out of curiosity. Lily turns to look at him expectantly.

"I am going to give Lily her gift later," Rufus tells the kids, hoping they will get his meaning. All of the kids, sans Chuck and Alex, make disgusted faces.

"Happy Birthday…" The waiter comes out singing holding a cupcake with a candle in it. The kids join in, being sure to sing as loud as they can to embarrass Lily. Lily buries her head in Rufus' chest until the song is over, not liking all the attention put on her.

"Blow out your candle Lil," Rufus whispers in her ear, just to piss her off. Lily glares at him, but lifts her head up and slides the cupcake over to Alex who eagerly blows on the candle.

"Yay!" Alex claps and starts eating her mom's cupcake. Serena and Dan order cheesecake and Lily orders a glass of wine.

After dessert, the kids all go off in their separate directions, leaving Rufus, Lily and Alex at the table. Alex has chocolate all over her face and hands, as usual. Lily grabs a wipe from the diaper bag to clean her up before they leave.

Back at the penthouse, Rufus takes Alex to bed while Lily does her nightly routine. Rufus comes back into the master bedroom to find Lily already in bed, reading the rest of her book. Rufus quickly changes into his pajamas and slides into bed next to her.

"Can I have my present now?" Lily asks, putting her reading glasses and book back on the nightstand.

"Now I know where Alex gets her impatience from," Rufus teases as Lily straddles him.

"Hmm…well we can both agree she has your stubbornness. I have been patient all day."

"I thought you didn't even want to acknowledge your birthday. When did that change?"

"Rufus!" Lily says in her trademark tone. Rufus rests both hands on her soft thighs, rubbing them slightly.

"Okay, do you remember that conversation over the phone we had after Bart's funeral?" Lily furrows her eyebrows, trying to remember what Rufus is talking about.

"Um…I think so, we were going to go away together, but my mother had to put a stop to that. What does that have to do with anything?" Rufus sighs; she obviously isn't getting what he is trying to tell her.

"Where were we going to go?" Lily stops to think for a second and then a huge smile starts forming.

"A bed and breakfast in Cornwall… Rufus is this for real?"

"We leave tomorrow afternoon," Lily squeals in excitement and leans down to kiss him. Rufus' arms move from her thighs to wrap around her lower back. Lily pulls away and rests her hands on his shoulders.

"Wait, what about Alex? Who is going to watch her while we are gone?" Rufus reaches to tuck her a piece of hair behind her ear,

"Dan and Serena agreed to watch her for the night. I lied before, I wasn't talking to Dan about dinner, but I didn't want your gift to be ruined." Rufus looks a little guilty, but Lily cups his cheek.

"It's okay; I can forgive you for lying to me as long as it serves me." Rufus laughs and slips the nightgown off of her shoulders.

"Really?" Rufus asks as he pulls the gown down so her breasts are exposed. Lily leans in to kiss him,

"Really…" she mumbles against his lips and her hand gets lost under the covers, blindly fumbling for the hem of his gray dress shirt. She pulls the shirt over his head, running her cold hands over his warm skin. Rufus shivers at his wife's touch and rolls them over. He presses a kiss to her lips before disappearing under the blankets, brushing a kiss to her neck, shoulders, breast, stomach, stopping when he reaches her panties. His teeth graze her skin as he takes her underwear off, kicking it towards the foot of the bed. Lily moans and tips her head back into the pillows. He retreats back up to Lily, sweeping a kiss to her lips.

"I am surprised that you let me undress you first," Rufus tells her and sucks on the hollow of her neck.

"That was my thank you gift for surprising me with our trip tomorrow. Now, strip," Lily's hands tumble down his chest until she finds the fabric of his pajama bottoms, roughly yanking them off and taking the boxers with him. She rolls them back over so she is on top. Rufus gently massages her breasts, making Lily arch her body towards him, allowing him to have better access.

"So...beautiful…" Rufus mumbles as he gently eases Lily toward him so he can take her breast into his mouth.

"Oh…Rufus…" Lily gasps as Rufus' tongue swirls around her nipple and then moves over to the other breast. Lily starts rocking her hips over Rufus' erection, feeling the need for him to be inside of her. Rufus groans in response and stops what he is doing. Lily wraps her hand around his erection and guides it inside of her.

"Go slow," Rufus mutters and places his hands on either side of her hips. Lily nods and her hips roll slowly as Rufus tries to match her rhythm. Rufus reaches around her, pulling her in deeper. Lily whimpers slightly and starts picking up the pace, thrusting harder each time. Rufus marvels at his wife's blonde locks cascading down her shoulders and gives her a powerful thrust of his own.

"Yes…ah…Rufus…" With another mutual thrust of their hips they were both sent over the edge, with Lily shuddering and gasping for air as her thighs quivered and the part her that he had reached pulsed with a frenzy while the electric waves of pleasure of Rufus' orgasm raced from his head down to his toes, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her down on top of him, continuing to pump inside of her as of yet unwilling to let go of the incredible sensation.

Lily collapses on top of him, fully spent. Rufus eases himself out of her and rubs soothing circles on her back while they both try to catch their breath.

"Damn…" Rufus mutters while Lily slides into bed next him and stamps a kiss to his chest.

"That was amazing; I am shocked Alex didn't wake up." Rufus wraps an arm around her and kisses the crown of her head.

"I know, I am tired," Rufus whispers, causing Lily to laugh.

"Did I wear you out honey?" Lily pops her head up from Rufus' chest to look at him.

"Goodnight Lil, love you" Rufus says in order to completely avoid her question. Lily victoriously smiles and kisses the corner of Rufus' mouth.

"Night Rufus love you." Lily hears her husband already starting to snore and she shakes her head. Lily tugs the blankets farther up on them and starts to fall asleep.

The next morning, Lily gets up with Alex and does a puzzle with her while they are waiting for Rufus to wake up.

"Mommy?" Alex asks as she snaps a piece into place.

"Yes my darling?" Lily asks distractedly while trying to fit two pieces together.

"Why you not make waffles?" Lily chews on her lower lip and brings her daughter into her lap.

"Daddy makes them a lot better than I do. I can't really cook."

"I know," Alex mumbles and giggles when her mom starts tickling her. Rufus comes down the stairs, a bright smile adorning his face when he sees his wife tickling his daughter. Alex spots Rufus, "Daddy, help!" Rufus rushes over to Lily and Alex, bending down to start tickling the back of Lily's neck. She relinquishes Alex and turns around to wink at Rufus.

"What initiated this tickle war?" Rufus asks, holding his hand out to help Lily up.

"When I told our daughter you make breakfast because I can't cook, she said 'I know'." Lily rolls her eyes at Rufus' raised eyebrows.

"Our daughter is smart, do you want some waffles?" Lily nods and picks Alex up to get her sippy cup from the fridge while Rufus goes over to his prized waffle maker.

"Alex, mommy and daddy are going out of town so you are staying at the loft with Dan and Serena tonight," Lily explains and sets Alex down in her high chair, putting her sippy cup within reach. Alex takes a sip of milk to process this information. She doesn't want her mom and dad to leave her, but she never gets to stay at the loft. Usually, her dad takes her there every once in a while to visit her older half-brother or to pick something up really quick.

"Okay," Alex says to her mom as her dad sets a waffle down in front of her. Alex devours the waffle and adds her comments into her parent's conversation. "I pack now," she says and tries to push herself out of the high chair.

"Hold on sweetie," Rufus slides the tray out and unlatches the buckle so Alex is free. She races upstairs to find her suitcase, leaving her parents alone to talk.

"She took that well," Lily says with relief and stands up to put their dishes in the sink.

"I know I hope she is fine when we drop her off." Lily nods in agreement and turns around to face Rufus.

"Do you mind helping her while I get ready?"

"No, Happy Birthday sweetheart," Rufus mumbles and kisses her forehead before going upstairs after their daughter. Lily discards their dishes in the sink and then goes to the master bedroom.

Rufus steps into Alex's room where the toddler has her clothes strewn about her room, much like her mother when she can't decide what to wear.

"Daddy, I got dis, dis, dis and…dis," Alex yanks a maroon sweater off its hanger. Rufus looks at the three dresses already in the suitcase and realizes his daughter is about to become upset.

"Alex, all you need is an outfit for today and tomorrow and a pair of pajamas." Alex frowns, her plan has been ruined. She takes the dresses out of the tiny pink suitcase and picks out something more sensible to wear. They end up compromising on one dress, a pair of pajamas and Alex being able to pick out today's outfit if it gets Rufus' approval.

"Can you get a few of your favorite toys while I go talk to mommy?" Alex nods and already begins the task of selecting a couple things to take to the loft.

Rufus goes into the master bedroom and sees multiple outfits laid out on their bed. He finds Lily in the walk-in closet, debating on whether to pack a black sweater.

"Our daughter has your packing habits, I see." Rufus comments and moves a few dresses out of the way so he can sit down on the bed. Lily scoffs,

"You don't understand because you are a guy. I am guessing it took you under five minutes to pack?" Lily comes out of the closet holding a different black sweater to put in her suitcase.

"Uh…no for your information it took me exactly five minutes," Rufus jokes and disappears into the bathroom so he can get ready.

"Hi mommy!" Alex exclaims as she scampers into her parents' bedroom, leaving her tiny suitcase by the door.

"Hello Alex, are you done packing?"

"Mhmm! I help you now," Alex declares and picks up a royal blue chevron style dress. Lily holds up a one-shoulder crimson Vivienne Westwood dress.

"I like this one," Lily tells her daughter who shakes her head.

"No, dis one," Alex insists and plops in her mother's suitcase. Lily picks Alex up and gently tosses her against the pillows. Alex squeals and races into her one of her favorite parts of the penthouse, her mom's enormous closet. Alex comes out wearing Lily's Marc Jacobs peep toe stilettos. "Dese too mommy!" Lily zips her suitcase and turns around to see Alex stumbling in her shoes.

"Okay darling, don't fall," Lily picks Alex up and slides on the shoes her daughter recommended to her. Alex claps her hands; she is thrilled that her mother took her fashion advice.

"I like dat mommy," Alex says and points to her mom's beige t-shirt dress.

"Thank you honey, where's Monkey?" Alex's eyes widen and she jumps off the bed, running into her room to grab her favorite stuffed animal.

Alex comes back into the master bedroom to find her mom and dad grabbing their suitcases. Alex totters over to hers and rolls it to the top of the stairs. Rufus picks her up with his free hand and takes her down the stairs.

"Do we have everything?" Lily asks Rufus as she glances around the first floor of the penthouse.

"I think so, I told Dan he could always take Alex back here if she wants to." Lily nods and feels her husband tug on her hand. Lily, Rufus and Alex head downstairs and then into the car waiting for them, being sure to say hi to Vanya so Alex can collect her lollipop.

They arrive at the loft about a half an hour later. Dan, Serena and Jenny are already waiting there.

"Hey, Alex," Serena says and picks the toddler up. Alex waves to her other siblings while Lily and Rufus sit down on the couch.

"Anything we need to know?" Dan asks, referring to Alex. Rufus looks over at Lily, letting her do all the talking.

"She is very good; I doubt you will have any problems. Her bedtime is around eight, I don't if she is going to go willingly though. If you have any questions or anything, just call one of us. Um…I don't think I am forgetting anything…" Lily breaks off to look at Rufus who shakes his head. Rufus stands up and claps his wife's hand, bringing her up with him. He can tell Lily is a little hesitant to leave their daughter behind since Alex ended up in the hospital the last time she was gone.

"Alex, come give me and your mom a hug goodbye," Rufus tells her daughter who is already coloring with Dan and Jenny. Alex drops her crayon and runs over to Rufus and Lily. Rufus scoops her up and Alex presses a kiss to his cheek. He passes her over to Lily and Alex repeats the process.

"Bye mommy and daddy, I miss you dis damn much." Rufus and Lily freeze and glance at each other, did Alex really just say that? Serena, Dan and Jenny hang in the background exchanging shocked looks with one another, curious as to how their parents are going to handle this.

Rufus is the first to speak, "Alex, where did you learn that word?"

"You, daddy," Alex says with the honestly only a small child can possess. Lily glares at him, silently telling him to fix this or he can forget about touching her for a long time.

"Um…Alex well that is a bad word. I don't want you saying that word anymore okay?" Rufus doesn't want to scold his daughter since it is technically his fault.

"Why you say it daddy?" Alex inquires, her hazel eyes widening. Rufus swallows, how the hell does he respond to that?

"I can say it because I am an adult. You are too young to be saying words like that okay Alex?"

"Okay, I not say dat word," Alex tells her parents, smiling at them to smooth things over. Lily breathes a sigh of relief and Rufus sets her down on the floor. Serena, Dan and Jenny are trying not to laugh at the scene that just unfolded before them.

"Have a great trip and Happy Birthday Lily," Jenny says. Lily wordlessly turns around and walks out of the loft. Rufus stays behind for a second,

"Wish me luck," he waves goodbye to his and Lily's kids and follows his pissed off wife to the car. He slides in next to her and waits for her to yell at him for what Alex said. "Just say whatever you need to say Lil; there is no use in dragging it out."

"I think that we need to be more careful in what we say in front of Alex, she has obviously gotten to that age where she mimics everything we say and do." What? She isn't going to give me the silent treatment? Yes! Rufus thinks to himself as the car starts moving.

"You are right and I am sorry. You are a lot better at that than I am." Lily gives him a "duh" look and cuddles closer to him.

"At least she didn't say she will miss us this fucking much," Lily comments and watches Rufus' drop open, he isn't used to his wife swearing.

"Now I see where Alex gets her potty mouth from," Lily angrily stares at him and jabs Rufus in the ribs. "OW!"

"Oh you deserved that," Lily laughs and leans up to kiss his cheek.

"Go to sleep will you? I don't want you falling asleep on me during sex." Rufus tells her and earns a swat on the arm. He wraps an arm around her as Lily rests her head on his shoulder.

Back at the loft, Alex has already colored a few pages in her book and is starting to get bored. The loft isn't as cool as she thought it would be there aren't many toys here. Serena can sense Alex's boredom and is surprised it took her this long; the loft isn't really an entertaining place for a two-year-old.

"Alex, do you want to go shopping?" Serena asks and sees the toddler instantly perk up.

"Yeah! 'Mon Swenea, Jenny, Dan," Alex gets her Monkey and tugs on her half sister's hand.

"I am going to stay back and write a little, but you have fun," Dan tells Serena, Jenny and Alex. Alex is indifferent and is waiting by the loft door for Serena and her other sister.

"You owe me," Serena whispers and collects her Celine bag off the couch. Jenny picks Alex up and allows her to open the loft door and then closes it behind them and Serena.

"Wake up Rufus," Lily says when she can see the bed and breakfast approaching. The Cornwall Inn is a colonial mansion situated on a large lawn. Rufus jerks awake and looks out the window as the limo pulls to a stop. Lily is already out of the car, instructing Isaac to bring their bags inside. Rufus opens the door and snags his wife's hand, leading her inside the house.

"Checking in for Humphrey," Rufus tells the woman behind the desk.

"Of course, I will lead you to your room," The older woman takes the couple upstairs and unlocks the door for them. "Congratulations on your honeymoon Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey."

"Thank you," Rufus says before Lily can interject. The woman smiles at Rufus and closes the door behind her.

"I didn't know we were on our honeymoon, Rufus?" Lily asks with confusion.

"We get a discounted rate and a bigger room," Rufus explains.

"Right, well are you hungry? We didn't get a chance to eat lunch and I am starving." Rufus looks at the clock; it is a getting close to six.

"We have a reservation at six, shall we?" Rufus holds his arm out for his wife. Lily loops her arm through his and allows him to bring her out of the room and to a restaurant close to the Cornwall Inn.

"This is so cute," Lily tells Rufus as her eyes sweep the place. It is a tiny café with a fireplace near the back. Rufus nods while he is glancing over the menu. The waiter comes by to take their drink orders, giving them a chance to make their dinner selection. Their drinks arrive quickly and they order their entrée.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" Rufus asks and takes a sip of his beer. Lily follows suit with her wine, giving herself a chance to think.

"Hmm…I am not sure, maybe walk around town a little bit. What time do you think we should get back?" Their conversation is put on hold for a minute while the waiter puts their food down in front of them. Rufus and Lily give each other a portion of the other's food to try.

"I am sure Alex would like to see us before she goes down for her nap. Speaking of Alex, have you heard from Serena or Dan at all?" Lily checks her phone to see a text from Serena.

"Serena says that Alex got bored of the loft so she and Jenny took her shopping." Lily sets her phone back in her purse and concentrates on her meal.

"I would like to propose a toast…" Rufus ignores his wife's eye roll, "to us and Happy 42nd birthday." He holds up his beer bottle to clink with Lily's wife's wine glass, but she hesitates.

"24th,"

"What?"

"Rufus, I am 24, not 42."

"Uh huh," They bring their bottles together and then their lips.

"Mmm...What do you say we get out of here?" Lily whispers seductively in his ear. Rufus drops some money on the table and helps Lily slip her coat on. Lily intertwines their fingers, leaning on Rufus' arm while he drops a kiss on the top of her head. They walked back to their room in a comfortable silence.

"I am going to call Dan," Rufus tells her and pulls out his phone. Lily sits on the bed with her feet up while Rufus dials. "Dan? Hey, do you have your laptop and my youngest daughter handy? Yeah…okay…we will load it up now…okay…bye."

"What's going on?" Lily asks as she is yawning. Rufus pulls his laptop out of his suitcase and boots it up.

"I thought we could Skype our kids," Rufus sits on the bed next to her. Lily comes up behind him and loosely drapes her arms around his shoulders.

"What a good idea, you must really want some tonight huh?" Rufus swivels his head to look at her, a smirk chasing across his mouth.

"Maybe, now come here," Rufus pats his legs and clicks on Skype. Lily releases her arms and carefully sits in his lap. They click on Dan's name and wait for him and Alex to come on the screen.

"Daddy, mommy!" Alex cries and waves. Rufus waves hi to Dan who is hiding in the background.

"Hello my darling how was your day?" Lily asks their daughter.

"Mommy! I shop and I got dis!" Alex scurries off of Dan's lap to grab her new pink shirt.

"Wow, who got you that Alex?" Rufus asks and tilts the screen up.

"Sewena! We watch movie soon," Alex informs her parents.

"Alex, why don't you go find Monkey?" Dan suggests and sets Alex on the floor.

"You look tired son," Rufus comments. Dan glares at him, but still maintains a smile.

"I don't know how you guys do it every day." Rufus and Lily glance at each other and grin.

"I'm sorry Dan, she is definitely a handful. We should be back in the early afternoon tomorrow." Lily tells her stepson.

"Okay, Alex do you want to say goodnight to your mom and dad?" Dan asks and hoists Alex up again.

"Bye mommy and daddy, I wuv you," Alex says and blows a kiss into the computer screen.

"Night sweetie, we love you too," Lily says for the both of them. They each close out Skype.

"Dan? I wanna go home," Alex says, her eyes brimming with tears. Before Dan has a chance to answer, Serena stumbles into the loft. She looks at Dan and then sees Alex's tears.

"What's wrong Alex?" Serena asks with concern, she doesn't want the toddler to have a meltdown on her watch.

"I wanna go home," Alex says as a tear rolls down her cheek. Serena gathers Alex into her arms and nods at Dan.

"I'll take you back home; let's get your stuff together."

Rufus and Lily are still lounging on the bed after their Skype call with their kids.

"What do you want to do?" Rufus asks, turning slightly to gather Lily into his arms. Lily turns to look at him and captures his lips with his. Rufus moans and immediately twines his fingers through her hair. In no time at all, Lily is on top of him, ripping his shirt off and tossing it aside. Without stopping, her hands divert to his pants, shoving the boxers down with them. She rocks her hips over his erection as he starts the process of undressing her. He removes her dress, gently tossing it on the floor, knowing that if he ruined her favorite dress he would never hear the end of it. Her bra goes next, pausing to tenderly knead her breasts before moving his hands downward towards her underwear.

"Yes...oh…" is all Rufus can make out from Lily as he rolls his tongue over both of her nipples. She lifts up her hips so he can slip her underwear off, leaving both of them completely naked. He reached between their bodies, slipping a finger inside of her, swirling it around until he knows she is ready for him. Her lips crashes onto his while they roll over so she is now on the bottom. She grasps his hips, gently guiding him into her. Rufus lets out a moan and starts out slow, in and out, thrusting harder and faster into each time.

"Lil…shit…" Rufus mumbles. Lily tips her head up, placing sloppy kisses on his shoulders and biceps as he continues his unrelenting pace. Lily clasps his hand as her body withers against him, sensing that her peak is near.

"Ugh!" Lily cries out as her legs go stiff around him, letting her body take over. Rufus slams into her several more times until he finds his release. The only noise is in the room stems from their panting, each trying unsuccessfully to catch their breath. "Rufus…ow…" Lily gently tries to push him off of her, feeling crushed underneath him.

"Sorry…" Rufus mutters and rolls off of her, pressing a kiss to her lips in the process. Lily snuggles closer to him, resting her head on his chest.

"Much better," Lily skates her hand up and down his chest. Suddenly, something catches Rufus' eye and he jumps out of bed. Lily follows him with her eyes, smiling when he yanks the champagne bottle out of the ice bucket. Her happiness is marred by him disappearing into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Lily hears the water running and Rufus whistling, causing her to shake her head.

Back in Manhattan, Serena and Alex step off the elevator at the penthouse.

"Alright Alex, let's get you dressed into your pajamas," Serena says and takes Alex to her room. She quickly changes and redresses Alex. "Where do you want to sleep?" Alex thinks for a moment and scampers out of her room. Serena follows her and frowns when Alex leads her into the master bedroom. She would rather not sleep there with Alex because she knows that Rufus and Lily have had sex in that bed multiple times. She won't tell her younger sister that however, she doesn't want to traumatize her.

"Here," Alex says and spread-eagles on top of the covers. Serena sighs, there is no way she is leaving Alex alone, but she can't sleep in there.

"How about we set up in your dad's office? There is a TV in there," Serena proposes. Alex grabs her Monkey and leads her older sibling into Rufus' office, plopping down on the white leather couch. Serena puts an old Disney movie into the DVD player and sits next to her sister, pressing play when the menu screen pops up.

Rufus comes out of the bathroom, frowning when he sees his wife's eyes are closed.

"Did you fall asleep on me Lil?" Rufus asks, nudging her slightly. Lily's eyes flicker open and she shakes her head. "Good, get up."

"Pft," is all Lily says as she pulls the covers closer to her chin.

"Sweetheart come on, let's take a bath, it will be nice and warm." Lily sighs, essentially giving into her husband. Rufus pulls the covers back and scoops Lily up, keeping her close to him. Lily instinctively coils her arms around his neck as he walks them into the bathroom. He sets her down gently in the hot water, letting the bubbles engulf her.

"Can we have some champagne?" Lily asks before Rufus slips into the tub with her. Rufus grabs two glasses and the bottle prior to joining his wife in the bath. He pops the cork away from them, almost hitting the glass mirror. Rufus tries to make some of the amber liquid go into the glasses and hands one to Lily. She accepts it graciously and leans back into his arms a little.

"Are you having a good birthday?" Rufus asks as he stamps a kiss to her temple.

"Hmmm…the best, I just hope Alex is okay." Rufus can't help but smile, even on Lily's birthday, she is always thinking of their children.

"I am sure she is fine, I told Serena or Dan to call us if there is an issue." Rufus senses Lily nod against his shoulder while he takes a sip of champagne.

"Are you glad that I didn't fall asleep during sex? Where did that come from anyway?" Rufus blushes, he was hoping that Lily wouldn't ask about that.

"Oh nothing…" Lily turns to arch an eyebrow, letting him know he owes her an explanation. "Alright, if I tell you, you have to tell me something."

"Something, as in an embarrassing sex story…" Rufus nods, "What if it involves you?" Lily burst into laughter when his eyes widen.

"Does it?" Rufus can feel his cheeks heat up. Lily slides out of his arms to sit across from him in the bathtub.

"Darling, if it was about you, we wouldn't still be married. Although, that time when my mother caught us was pretty embarrassing, but I am getting off topic here, continue with your story." Rufus lets out a sigh; he wishes his wife wasn't so stubborn sometimes.

"Fine, shortly after Jenny was born, Alison and I were…you know…having sex and she fell asleep in the middle of it." Rufus looks away from Lily, who is laughing against her glass.

"Oh…well…did you ask her why?" Lily asks once she stops laughing.

"I did and she said that she already finished, but I didn't." Lily tips her head down to laugh some more, her husband looks like a kicked puppy. She reaches her hand to caress his cheek,

"Honey, I am so sorry, but that is hilarious!" Rufus rolls his eyes and lets his wife laugh at his misfortune for a few more minutes.

"Enough, will you tell me your story now?" Lily wipes her eyes and takes the last gulp of her drink.

"Fine, Bart and I were on our honeymoon and we were in bed, having sex. In the middle of sex, his phone rings and he answers it! So naturally, I wait for him to be done, although I am really irritated at this point. He tears himself away from his conversation to ask why I stopped." Rufus' shoulders shake as he tries to contain his laughter.

"Oh wow, that is bad. Alison sneezed on me as she was having an orgasm."

"William high fived me and told me 'good job'. I think at that point we both knew our marriage was over."

"I am going to do that to you the next time we have sex." Rufus jokes, just to rile his wife up.

"You do that and I will cough right into your mouth when you kiss me." Rufus wrinkles his nose,

"Are you ready to get out?" Lily reaches behind her to unplug the drain, sending the water away. Rufus gets out first to grab them both towels. He wraps one around his waist and holds out one for Lily. She stands up and walks into the towel, allowing her husband to wrap it around her.

"Mmm...Thank you," Lily lifts her heels up to inch closer to his face, but Rufus backs away. "What?"

"I don't want you to cough." Rufus flashes an adorable grin at Lily. She shakes her head before meshing her lips with his. They swap kisses as they back up towards the bed.

Serena is bored. It's only ten o'clock, Alex is passed out and she has no interest in watching this children's movie. She can't just leave Alex by herself however, and she is positive Blair doesn't want to babysit with her. In fact, Serena is pretty sure that Blair is out with Chuck right now. She sighs to herself; there is nothing to do at the penthouse.

Serena ends up in the master bedroom, spotting a picture of her mom and Rufus on the nightstand. It was taken while Lily was pregnant with Alex, but it wasn't one of the pictures taken during their family photo shoot.

In the picture, Rufus is behind Lily, smiling as he kisses her cheek with his arms wrapped around her expanded stomach. Lily is beaming at the camera and has her hands on top of Rufus'. Serena gives a closed lipped smile and puts the frame back on the nightstand, making her way over to the walk in closet. She knows she shouldn't be snooping, but Serena wants to see if her mom has any clothes worth borrowing.

Lily and Rufus make their way back to the bed. Rufus detaches himself from his wife to get under the covers. They meet in the middle and cuddle close to each other.

"Did you have a good birthday?" Rufus asks Lily.

"I did, thank you; this was such a sweet idea." Lily yawns and puts her hand in the middle of Rufus' chest.

"Go to sleep, we will have more fun in the morning, I promise." Rufus whispers as he hears Lily's breathing even out.

The next morning, Rufus stretches and rubs his eyes. He turns to face Lily who is surprisingly still sleeping. He smiles softly and brushes a kiss to her forehead before sneaking out of the room.

Alex's eyes flicker open to discover that she is alone in her daddy's office. She clutches her monkey close to her chest; she doesn't know where Serena went. Did her sister leave her here by herself? Alex gets off the couch and toddles into her room, maybe Serena slept in there. Seeing no Serena in sight, Alex goes into her parent's bedroom, spotting Serena tucked in on her mommy's side of the bed. Alex throws her monkey on the bed and then heaves herself onto her daddy's side.

"Sewena," Alex lightly hits her sister's arm. Serena wakes up and frowns when she realizes that she did indeed sleep in her mom's bed. Gross, Serena thinks to herself and wonders how she ended up here. She was trying on a few of her mom's new dresses and then fell asleep reading The Beautiful and the Damned, her favorite book.

"Hey Alex, did you sleep well?" Serena asks her voice still husky with sleep.

"Yup! I want waffles."

"Alex, I can't make waffles like your dad." Alex's eyebrow crinkles with worry, that is what she always has for breakfast, what is going on here?

"Sewena, waffles." Serena bites her lip, she needs to come with an alternative before she has a pissed off two year old on her hands.

"How about this, we can go out for breakfast and you can get waffles there? I can't cook." Alex nods; her mommy says the same thing.

"Okay, I poop," Alex points to her diaper and Serena crinkles her nose in disgust.

Rufus comes back into their room carrying a tray full of breakfast goodies. Lily is still in a deep slumber and has stolen his pillow. He sets the tray down on the bedside table and sits on the bed. Lily notices the shift in weight and rolls towards him.

"Hi," Lily whispers, smiling when she spots the assortment of food her husband brought her.

"Hi," Rufus mumbles, bending down to kiss her cheek. "I brought you some food." Lily wraps the sheet around herself before sitting up in bed.

"Thank you, can you hand me my bra?" Lily asks before Rufus can put the tray on her lap. Rufus juts his lower lip out,

"Can't you just eat naked?" Lily laughs and shakes her head. Rufus acquiesces and heads over to her suitcase, searching through it until he finds a bra. He tosses it over his shoulder, making Lily reach for it. She quickly clasps it on and Rufus hands her the tray of food before climbing in bed beside her.

"Thank you Rufus, this was delicious," She swallows her bite of food and pecks him on the lips. He scoots closer towards her and starts placing kisses on the side of her neck. Lily moans and tilts her neck to give him better access.

"We should just stay in bed," Rufus whispers onto her skin and nibbles on her shoulder.

"I would love to, but we can do that at home. I am going to get ready and then we can go." Lily turns to kiss him one last time before slipping out of bed. She sashays over to her suitcase to pick out matching panties, leggings and a white sweater. Lily goes into the bathroom and shuts the door behind her. Rufus scowls,

"Hey, why did you close the door?" Lily laughs,

"I thought I would spare you the disappointment of seeing me get dressed." Rufus changes out of his pajamas and into jeans, a flannel long-sleeve shirt and a leather jacket. Lily quickly gets dressed and puts her makeup on. She comes out with a toiletry bag which she puts back into the suitcase. Rufus checks his phone before they leave,

"Serena took Alex back to the penthouse to sleep; apparently Alex didn't like the loft too much."

"Oh, well, we should go so we can get home." Rufus nods in agreement and rests his hand on the small of her back. They leave their bags in the room so Isaac can pick them up later.

"Where do you want to go exactly?" Rufus asks as he removes his hand from her back to interlock their fingers. Lily shrugs,

"I'm not sure; I was just hoping we could walk around."

"Okay, after you," Rufus uses his free hand to open the door from the mansion, which bleeds out into the town. They walk along the sidewalk, admiring the laid back atmosphere which contrasts the city.

"Do you think you could ever live in a place like this? I mean, it would be safer for Alex," Lily asks. Rufus shakes his head,

"No, the city has been good for the kids. I think this place is too small, what about you?"

"I don't know, when we first were together twenty years ago, I had this idea that we would be married with a couple of kids, living on some ranch in Connecticut or Vermont. Then I realized how boring our lives would have turned out." Rufus furrows his eyebrows,

"Don't we kind of have that life now, minus the ranch of course?" Lily opens her mouth and shuts it again.

"Well…kind of…but our lives aren't boring, right?"

"Not in the slightest, we have way too many kids and you have way too many ex-husbands for our lives to be uninteresting." Lily coils her arms around his forearm and leans into him. Suddenly, Rufus spots an outdoor ice skating rink and breaks their arms. Lily follows Rufus' gaze and vigorously shakes her head back and forth.

"Rufus, no, you know I can't skate."

"Aw Lil, come on, I know how to skate." Lily wants to protest more, but her husband looks so excited and he did plan this trip for her birthday.

"Fine, but if I fall, I am taking you down with me." Rufus gives her a dopey grin and drags Lily to the skate rink.

"Go slow Lil," Rufus gets on the ice first and holds out his hand for Lily. She eases herself onto the ice, wobbling a little. Rufus swivels around and grabs both of her hands to provide more stabilization. Lily is a little scared, but focuses on moving her feet in accordance with Rufus'.

"Okay, this isn't that hard," Lily mutters and eases her grip on her husband's hands. Rufus mischievously grins, deciding to test her a little. He releases their hands completely and turns around, wanting to see if Lily can skate by herself.

"Rufus! No, I can't…" Lily crashes onto the ice with a loud boom and a curse word. Rufus turns around and skates toward her. Lily is furious with him, her butt is wet and she is freezing, she knew she should have never gotten onto the ice.

"Mad?" Rufus asks, holding his hand out for her. Lily sweetly smiles at him and accepts his hand, roughly yanking on it so he falls.

"Yup," Lily nips on his earlobe and stands up, leaving him on the ground. Rufus shrugs, he guesses he deserved that. He gets back to his feet and skates toward Lily, grabbing her hand from behind.

"Let's go Lil, we have more to see."

"Good idea, I am so cold," Lily tells him as they step off the rink. Rufus glides his hands up and down her forearm to create some heat. Lily kisses him and they take their skates off, putting their shoes back on. They resume their walk through town hand in hand.

"Should we call Serena before we go anywhere?" Rufus asks and takes out his phone.

"Good idea," Lily stops to window shop while Rufus dials her daughter.

"Hey Rufus, Alex and I just went out to breakfast," Serena tells her stepfather when she answers.

"Good, are you guys doing okay?" Lily turns her head at the sound of her husband's question.

"Yeah, do you want to talk to her?"

"Sure, put her on," Rufus motions for Lily to come near him. She makes a mental note to go into that store and walks over to her husband. There is some shuffling on the other end and Rufus can hear Serena telling Alex to talk into the phone.

"Hi daddy!" Alex exclaims. Lily grins at the sound of her daughter's voice; it is such a refreshing sound to hear.

"Hi sweetie, are you having fun?"

"Mhmm! I eat waffles."

"You did? Were they as good as mine?"

"No daddy," Alex says as if it was obvious. Rufus suppresses an eye roll and his eyes flutter over to Lily's.

"Do you want to talk to mommy?"

"Yeah!" Rufus passes the phone over to Lily and points to a wine shop across the street. Lily nods and goes back to her phone call.

"Hi my darling."

"Hi mommy! I eat food and shop and watch movie," Alex informs her mother. Lily laughs and starts walking toward the shop Rufus said he was going to be at.

"That's great Alex, do you want some candy?"

"Yeah, lollipop mommy."

"Alright darling, can you put Serena on the phone?"

"Here," Alex hands the phone back to Serena and starts chasing after a bird in Central Park.

"Hey mom, what's up?"

"Do you want some candy? Rufus and I are going to get your sister something."

"Uh yeah, if you see some chocolate covered strawberries, I would like some."

"Okay, we should be back in a couple of hours. Thanks for watching Alex."

"No problem, I have to go," Serena says when she realizes she can't see Alex anymore. Lily's eyebrows shoot together, Serena seemed adamant on getting off the phone, she hopes nothing is wrong.

Lily opens the door to the wine shop and sees Rufus holding two bottles of wine, seeming to be deciding between the two.

"Hey, I told Serena we would be home in about two hours or so. It was weird, though, she couldn't get off the phone fast enough." Rufus turns to face Lily,

"Oh, we should get going soon then. Which one do you want?"

"The cabernet, I promised we would get the kids candy."

"Okay, we are too nice to them sometimes," Rufus coils an arm around her waist and they head toward the checkout counter.

"Alex!" Serena yells as her flicker frantically around Central Park. "Damn it," She never should have left her sister out of her sight. Her mom and Rufus are going to murder her if she doesn't come home with their daughter. Serena heads toward the duck pond, knowing that Alex likes to chase the birds.

"Sewena, look," Alex says and points to Blair and Dorota. Serena breathes a heavy sigh of relief; she is so lucky that Alex ran into her best friend.

"Alex, you can't just run off like that," Serena admonishes. Blair hands Alex some bread to throw to the ducks.

"Sorry, I chase bird," Alex points to the pond where the ducks are swimming.

"Relax S, why are you watching little Humphrey anyway?" Blair asks her best friend.

"My mom and Rufus went on a mini vacation for my mom's birthday. I was left in charge with Alex."

"Ah you and Lonely Boy playing house for the day, I am glad that little Humphrey is still alive."

"Thanks B for the vote of confidence. I only have lost Alex once and found her within a couple minutes."

"Blair, I Alex," Alex informs her sister's best friend, getting tired of being referred to as little Humphrey. Blair smiles at the toddler, impressed that the two year old can pick up at such things.

"We better go, I will see you later B. Come on Alex, let's go find Chuck." Alex immediately perks up and grabs Serena's hand, eager to locate her half brother.

"Lil, come here," Rufus waves her over and points to a giant lollipop as big as Alex's head.

"Rufus, that is way too big for her! Can we get her something more practical?" Rufus sighs and slumps his shoulders.

"Fine, I guess we can settle for a smaller lollipop," Rufus grabs the sucker slightly smaller than the one before.

Serena finds Chuck on the Gossip Girl spotted map, apparently he hasn't left the suite at the Empire.

"We are going to Chuck's house to surprise him," Serena tells her sister and picks her up.

They walk into Chuck's suite to find him and Nate with some girls.

"Chuck! What are you doing?" Serena asks her brother, shielding Alex's eyes. Chuck and Nate freeze and push the girls off of them.

"What are you doing here?" Chuck asks. Alex gets out of Serena's arms and walks over to Chuck, waving hi to the girl that has her arms around him.

"What you doin Chuck?" Alex asks, climbing onto his lap.

"Having some friends over," Chuck smugly smiles at Nate.

"Oh, hi!" Alex waves to the girls, presumably prostitutes. Serena walks over to Alex and yanks her off of Chuck's lap. "Bye, Chuck!" Alex waves over Serena's shoulder.

Rufus opens the limo door for Lily and closes the door behind him. The car starts rolling, heading back to Manhattan. Lily surprises Rufus by straddling him, placing a passionate kiss on his lips.

"I had a wonderful time, thank you so much for taking me on this trip," Lily mumbles against his lips. Rufus rakes his fingers through her hair, pulling her in for another kiss.

"You're welcome; I had fun too, except for sharing my embarrassing story with you." Lily bites her lower lip, a smile blossoming on her face.

"Well, we both have dirt on each other so I won't share yours as long as you don't share mine, deal?" Rufus nods and grazes a kiss over her lips.

"Yes, although the next time I see William, I might have to high five him."

"Rufus, don't you dare!"

A/N 2: That is all! Next is the final chapter of Clean Slate! If there is anything you would like to see, now is the time to let me know. Please leave a review on your way out and thanks for reading!