a/n: Here's the second chapter, reviews are appreciated but obviously not required.

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Lily and Rufus sat at the table for a while after the kids left, staring at each other but not saying anything. Finally Lily broke the spell and got up,

"I should go." She got up and grabbed her coat.

"Wait Lil, don't go. I know I'm not your favorite person right now, but its Thanksgiving. Besides, we can wait for the kids; they're bound to wander back here eventually."

"But it's highly inappropriate for me to be here alone with you."

"It wasn't highly inappropriate the last time you were here waiting for the kids was it? And it's only highly inappropriate if we make it highly inappropriate."

She stared at him for a moment, seemingly weighing her options, then sighed and sat back down at the table. She took a sip of her wine in the elegant way that only she could.

"So you told your kids that you wrote Rosewood about Allison?"

"Well… she kind of assumed and I just didn't correct her. You were right, she does despise you. I don't really know what her reaction to me writing a love song about you would have been."

"Of course she despises me, the women is obviously threatened by me."

"Wow Lil, that wasn't at all arrogant."

"It's the truth, would you deny it?"

He rolled his eyes, defeated. Allison was very much threatened by Lily. And she probably had good reason, because Lily was his first (and only?) great love. And she hadn't changed a bit, despite the Upper East Side persona he could look into her eyes and see that she was still the same Lily that hadn't batted an eye about sleeping in a dirty old bus with 5 guys and loved watching the sunset. She was more guarded of course, and she had lost her innocence and idealism, three marriages and three divorces will do that to a person. But beneath the cynicism and hard exterior he was sure his Lily was in there somewhere.

"Penny for your thoughts," her voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, I was just thinking about how you've barely changed at all in twenty years."

"Excuse me? Twenty years ago I was a groupie who went gallivanting around the country with you and slept in a tour bus. I don't even recognize that person anymore."

"Really Lily? Because I remember you as a sarcastic, slightly arrogant groupie who went gallivanting all over the country with me. Minus the groupie status you haven't changed a bit."

"I am not arrogant! Just sure of myself, there's nothing wrong with that."

He smiled at her and she smiled back. That man… knew exactly how to get under her skin in the best possible way. As soon as that thought entered her brain she shook it off. She had Bart. And Serena would through a fit if anything happened between Lily and her boyfriends father, if her reaction to finding out about their past was any indication. She got out of her chair and announced that they should clear the table.

"Are you sure you don't need me to show you how to wash the dishes?" Rufus asked her.

"That's funny Rufus. Now get up."

And so they cleared the table, wrapped up the leftovers and began doing the dishes. Lily found herself wishing that he would stroke the inside of her wrist the way he did last time they stood together in this kitchen… the way he always did when they were together. But that was a life time ago and as much as she wished she could go back she knew it was impossible. They fell into a comfortable silence, smiling at each other once in a while. Lily wondered if maybe they could be friends, a romance was entirely out of the question, but at least it was something.

The voices of their children jarred her from her thoughts. They reentered the apartment and Serena looked at her suspiciously when she saw that she was still there.

"Mom, you're still here?"

"Well I couldn't very well leave Rufus here to clean up this mess after your rather abrupt exit, could I?"

"I suppose not… let's go."

The three Van der Woodsens put on their jackets and while Serena was saying goodbye to Dan Lily pecked Rufus on the cheek and whispered,

"Call me, we should have coffee sometime."

One last smile between the former lovers and they were gone.

I'm absolutely dying to know what went on between Lonely Boy senior and L. Did they canoodle while the kids were away? Send me tips.

XOXO

Gossip Girl