A/N: another Chapter because I'm feeling very nice today. A little more about Darcy and her family is reveled in this chapter. Plus an appearance from her good friend Austin and her not so good influence brother Carter. Hope you enjoy this chapter as much I loved putting it together.

Disclaimer: I own Darcy that is all. Oh and Austin.

Darcinda?

Cotillion was literally right around the corner. Austin was now staying with Darcy for the time being leading up to it. A part of her was super nervous about it all but at the same time she was super excited. Mostly about Austin meeting her friends. Mostly Nate.

"You ready Hollywood?" she heard Austin ask her bringing her out of her train of thought.

"Uh yeah" she said and they headed out. They arrived at the place where she had spent the last few days practicing the dance.

"So what is it that were supposed to do?"

"They do this dance. Nate's been helping me practice it. I don't know the whole thing since I am years behind everyone on it."

"And you're doing this why?"

"Why not?"

"Darc"
"I just want too."

"To what? Feel accepted?"

"To feel like I belong here. As an Upper East Sider. Not just a Hollywood actress" she said. "For some reason I feel right here"

"So doing this will help?"

"Yeah"
"You actresses are so weird" he replied.

They got further inside and Darcy spotted a familiar face talking to Serena and Dan. She stopped in her tracks not believing what she saw.

"What?" Austin asked her.

"That lady."

"Yeah"

"I know her." She said looking at him.
"Who is it?" he asked and she looked back at the lady

"My great Aunt Cecilia. I haven't seen her since I was 13. She wasn't even at my mother's funeral."

"Why?"

"That was about the time my dad showed back up"

"She not approve of him?"

"I don't know. Maybe she's why he avoids the Upper East Side at all cost." She said and the lady got closer to them.

"Darcinda" the lady said. Her birth name. Her mother only called her that when she was in deep trouble.

"Aunt Cece hey" she said and hugged the older lady.

"Why are you in New York dear?"

"I moved here after my mother's passing"

"Your father?"

"He's um I think in Africa right now."

"And miss all this"

"He's a busy man. Being a doctor and all"

"I'm so sorry about your mother's passing. She was truly a remarkable girl. I loved her as if she were my own flesh and blood."

"Thank you Aunt Cece."

"Mother" they heard someone say and she turned to Lily. Wait she was Lily's mother. Small world.

"Mother?" Austin asked not realizing he said it out loud.

Lily looked at him weird then turned to Darcy.

"Hello Darcy and um…"

"Austin Cooper. Rock Star"

"Of course" Lily said.

"It was great seeing you Aunt Cece"

"Always a pleasure sweetheart. See you at Cotillion"

"Indeed. Lily" she said and waved good bye. She and Austin decided to get out of there and onto the street. She found and bench and sat on it trying to catch her breath.

"Darcinda? Is that really your name? I've known you since we were 5 and I seriously didn't know that."

"Yeah it's a family name I guess. I really don't know its origin"

"I learn something new every day!"

"Har Har." She said as Dan and Serena walked outside.

"D!" Serena yelled running over to them.

"Hey S" she replied standing up.

"You missed my grandmother."

"Oh, well maybe next time" She replied. It was really starting to get stuffy there and they were outside.

"Tomorrow. At her luncheon"

"Yeah. Um sounds great" she replied.

"A blast even" Austin said.

"Oh I'm sorry, this is Austin"

"Austin Cooper."

"As in the band?" Dan asked.

"Yeah you a fan?"

'My dad is a…uh closet fan. Says you guys bring back a lot of the late 80's early 90's sound. He's um. He was in Lincoln Hawk"
"One of the top forgotten bands of the 90's. Who's your dad?"

"Rufus Humphrey"

"I like him. They're good"

"Wow Aust that's a new record for friend making" Darcy said.

"Well you know me" he smiled at her.

"So tomorrow" Darcy said to Serena.

"It's at Blair's

"Charming" she replied and Serena and Dan walked away. Darcy sat back down really starting to panic. Austin sat down next to her.

"You okay Darc?"
"Yeah I think. I'll just get through this and then…"

"You don't have to do this Darc, you're Darcy Ellis, you can do whatever the hell you want and no one asks questions."

"I want to" she said standing up.

The next day Darcy arrived at Blair's. She was not wanting to do this and was wishing that Austin would have come with her. He had told her that she had to do this on her own. She walked off the elevator and spotted Carter talking to her Aunt Cece. Great she thought just another connection to add to her life.

"Darcy!" Serena yelled running over to her and grabbing her hand and pulling her. "Come meet my grandma"

They went over to Cece and Carter.

"Grandma" Serena said.

"Serena darling, this is Carter Baizen, your escort for tomorrow night."

"Hi" Serena said.

"Do you two already know each other?" Cece asked.

"Actually we went to school together, just a couple years apart" Serena said

"Oh"

"Hi I'm Carter Baizen" Carter said reaching out to shake Dan's hand.

"This is Daniel Humphrey"

"Dan actually"

"Serena's friend"

"No my boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you man" Carter said then turned to Darcy "and…"

"Really?" Darcy questioned raising her eyebrow at him. Was he seriously going to pretend the two didn't know each other?

"Wait you two know each other?" Cece asked which made Serena wonder.

"Depends" Carter said still looking at Darcy who was looking at him.

"On?" Serena questioned.

"If Darc here is still mad at me"

"Just a tad bit but you know me, I've never been able to stay mad at you long."

"That's my girl"

"How do you know Darcinda?" Cece asked which made Serena look at her grandmother.

"Wait grandma how do you know Darcy?"

"I knew her as a child" Cece said then turned to head into the living room "Let's sit shall we"

They headed into the sitting area and talked. The conversation was mostly about Carter and how all these ladies adored him. Darcy just rolled her eyes. She really didn't see all the glamour about him but then again he was like her brother. After it was over she got up and went to head out. She got over to the elevator when she felt someone pull her aside.

"Be honest. Are you still Mad?" Carter said.

"Well first of all I wasn't mad Carter. I was furious. You as my big brother are supposed to be a good influence on me."

"I've failed you."

"I care about you so much, but when you screw over my friends you know that I am going to side with them."

"Sis"

"Don't sis me"

"I get it I do. You know me so well that you know when I'm playing someone."

"Exactly Carter."

"So Cotillion. Please tell me Chuck isn't escorting you."

"He's not. Austin is"

"Cooper. That clown. You can do so much better than him."
"Like Chuck?"

"No"

"No one will ever be good enough for me will they?"

"Exactly" He said and then hugged her. "I've missed you little sis"

"Right back at you. Behave this round please. For me. For my mom."

"I'll do anything for Olivia" he said to her which made her smile.

He laughed at her and she got on the elevator.

Later that evening she arrived at Cotillion with Austin. Austin helped her out of the Limo and they ran straight into Carter.

"Carter Baizen" Austin said.

"Austin Cooper" Carter replied. Darcy shook her head. It was always this way.

"Coning girls out of money anytime soon"

"I promised Darcy I would stop"

"Guys will you stop." She said walking by them and into the building. She spotted Chuck and Nate up ahead and decided to make conversation. Pass the time while she waited for the pissing contest to be over.

"Wow Ellis" Chuck said admiring her. She gave him a once over and smiled back.

"Not bad yourself Bass"

"Chuck is right Darcy. You look amazing" Nate replied.

"Thank you" she replied. "So I heard through the grapevine that you're escorting Blair."

"Yeah I am"

"I'm serious about that Calendar." She joked.

"Where's your escort?"

"Having a pissing contest with my…with a Carter Baizen"

"Your escort knows Carter?" Nate asked.

"You never told him?" she asked Chuck surprised. She figured he would have right away.

"Told me what?"

"Carter is like a brother to me. He's also over protective. Very over protective."

"I see" Nate said and Darcy looked at what he was looking at.

"Austin is protective as well so they compete over me"

"I'll beat them all" Chuck said with a smirk which made Nate and Darcy to both give him a weird look. "What we're friends"

"Uh huh. I'll see you both inside." She walked into the ballroom and spotted Blair and Serena with Carter. That was weird she hadn't seen him sneak by.

"Are you mad at me?" she heard Austin ask behind her.

"I don't know are you done having a pissing contest with Carter?"

"Darc"

"Don't Darc me. You two do every time and you always start it "

"He just…:"

"What are you trying to prove Aust?"

"I'm protecting you"

"Stop. You're not my brother"

"Neither is he"
"In every way that counts. Yeah he is"

"Where was he when your mom died then?"

"He was there. I saw him but he knew that I was still upset about the money thing that he didn't walk over. He respected that."

"Whatever"

"I so wish you weren't escorting me right now. I'm having a hard time already because my dad isn't here to see this."

"Fine I'll leave"

"Fine!"

Austin walked away and Darcy walked up to the girls. She had no clue what she was gonna do now. She had no escort and she was pretty sure that you needed one for this.

"D, you okay?'
"I don't have an escort but yeah I'm golden"

"Well if I wasn't escorting Serena I would escort you little sis" Carter said.

"It's okay Carter but thanks"

"Darcy"
"Carter"

"I'll go without one. I think Carter should escort you" Serena said.

"I'll escort you" Chuck said from nowhere "My date found another date anyway"

"Bass" Darcy said totally shocked he was offering.

"You have a better offer Ellis?" he asked with a smirk. She couldn't help but giggle and he popped behind Carter across from her. They all got lined up. Darcy vaguely remembered what the lady had said about the other girls in front of her. Well that was until Serena was announced and well it was only because it was a hilarious speech.

"Back on track" the lady said and Darcy assumed she was next. "Darcinda Cecilia Ellis daughter of the late Olivia Ellis. Escorted by Aust…change of escort sorry. Escorted by Charles Bass. Miss Ellis plans on still being a Hollywood Actress but would also like to get her education at a college of her choice."

Darcy and Chuck walked up the steps to the top. Darcy could hear one person in particular cheering and clapping in the back. She looked behind her and saw a man disguised as a blind man. She smiled to herself thinking of her conversation with her dad days earlier.

Darcy stood in her cotillion dress trying it on when her dad called.

"Hello" she said.

"Hey sweetheart. How's dress hunting going?"

"Well actually really easy. It helps I have a personal designer. I called Victoria months ago and she drew up something pretty awesome and flew it in"

"My daughter the Hollywood starlet, I'm sure whatever you wear you will look beautiful. I'm sad I'll miss it"

"Why exactly can you not come?"

"Darc we had this conversation. "

"I don't care if people know you here dad. I am your only daughter and it's my cotillion. Disguise yourself Dad."

"Darcy"

"I want you there."

"Darc it's done, I can't"

"Fine"

"Hey, I love you"

"You too" she said then hung up and looked in the mirror at her dress. It was the exact replica of what her mom wore when she married her dad.

After everyone was announced they headed to the dance floor. She had to give Chuck credit, he wasn't bad at this. She kept glancing around the room for her dad wondering where he went but wasn't finding him.

"Who are we looking for" Chuck asked her.

"My dad. He was here and now he's not"

"You mean the guy that clapped super loud when you were called"

"That would be him" she smiled. She thought she spotted him and excused herself from the dancing and walked that way. When it wasn't him she walked into the bathroom and checked her makeup.

"You looked so beautiful out there" Jenny said behind her. Darcy smiled at her through the mirror.

"Thank you J" she said turning to her.

"Your dress is beautiful, who designed it"

"Her name is Victoria. She's a…"
"She was your mother's designer."

"Yeah." Darcy said.

"I'll see you out there"

"Yeah, thanks J"

Jenny left and Darcy turned back to the mirror at her dress. She headed out and spotted Serena guiding Carter to the couch and she ran over.

"Oh my god. What happened?"

"Your friend Nate happened" Carter said.

"Let me get you some ice" Darcy said and walked over to the bar area and grabbed some ice. She walked back over to them.

"I'll be fine" Carter said then spotted Darcy "Plus I'll have great company"

"Thanks D"

"No problem" she smiled and then sat next to Carter handing him the ice. Serena walked away.

"Your friends are dicks" he replied.

"Like you didn't have it coming"

"You're lucky I see you as family"

"Same to you" she said and there was a moment of silence. She watched Blair dance with Chuck.

"So Chuck Bass huh?" Carter said making her turn to him.

"He is just a 'pain in the ass' friend."

"So…what happened to Austin exactly?"

"He's jealous"

"Of me?"

"He doesn't believe that we are just friends. He thinks you think of me romantically"

"Darc. I love you but in a you're my 'kid sister' way"

"You too Carter"

"Still can't say it can you"

"I don't know if I ever will"

"I'm sure for the right guy you will"

"Thanks Carter." She said "I'm gonna talk to Cece"

"Good Luck"

"Don't start anything while I'm gone"

"Hands to myself. I promise"

"It's your mouth I'm worried about it" She said with a smile then walked away toward Cece. She got over there just as Serena was leaving. She had heard the tail end of the conversation.

"Darcinda" Cece said.

"It's Darcy"

"What can I do for you darling"

"Why are faking sick when you know my mother died because she was sick?"

"I didn't think you of all people would be here. I wanted Serena at her cotillion"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's a small world" Cece said and walked away making Darcy even more clueless then what she was.

"You and Carter looked cozy" Chuck said behind her.

"As did you and Blair" she said looking at him.

"Touché"

"Two can play that game Bass" she said and watched Nate and Blair walk into a room making out. "Ouch"

"Ouch to what" he asked and she pushed him so he was seeing what she was seeing.

"Ouch to you too."
"Touché" she smiled back at him.

"I'm gonna get out of here" he said.

"Yeah. I'll see you later" she said as he walked away then she thought of something "Bass!"

"Yeah"

"That thing about Victrola. I'm still interested"

"I'll think about it."

"Oh and thank you for escorting me"

"You would do the same" he said she could see a hint of a smile on his face as he turned.

"Touché" she shouted as he walked out the door.

A/N: let me know what you thought. Also I want to know what friendship you like best out of Darcy's friendships. Also what do you honk of all of Darcy's Connections to the Upper East Side. Why does her Dad really hide from the Upper East Side?