Author's Note: We're rolling right along! Glad you guys like it so far. Keep those reviews coming! I give a bit of a recap in this one

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 2: The Past isn't Left Behind

"Hey baby," Caroline leaned down as Ducky pounded her tail against the tile floor. She hugged and kissed the dog's head. One of the things she'd always been grateful for was her parents' insistence that Ducky was hers. It had taught her responsibility, caring for her since she was a puppy.

"Hey fart face," Richie said walking past her. She rolled her eyes. Why couldn't she have a nice older brother was like super cool and could buy her booze? Why did she get stuck with 12 year old Richie who's idea of a good time was picking up Ducky's pooh and lighting it on fire on the neighbor's doorsteps.

"Cara!" Julie ran and hugged her. "Hey sweetheart."

"Hi Mom," She said softly.

"Are you hungry?" Julie asked, "Do you want dinner?"

"No, I'm really tired," She lied, in reality she couldn't look her mother in the eye just yet. "I'm just going to go up and read a little."

"OK," Julie said and eyed Scooter as Caroline walked upstairs, "Is it OK?"

"I don't know," He shrugged, "She was really quiet the whole ride home. I think there's some kind of boy situation."

"Uh huh," Julie said, disbelieving. She knew her daughter, she didn't act like that over boys. Which meant it was something more serious, which meant that she'd go to Rick about it. Julie could always get Rick to talk.

Caroline sat on the window seat in her room and stared at the package Mr. T. had given her. Especially the cover letter.

Dear Ms. Vanderbilt,

We're so excited to have you on board this year at St. Clair.

Blah blah, career building, blah blah college apps and then there it was at the bottom.

Sincerely

Chloe St. Clair.

Caroline stared at the name. She wet her thumb and smeared it across, it was a real signature, not a printout. Which meant she knew! She had to. How many 16 year old Caroline Vanderbilts were there in Minneapolis? Ducky trotted up and jumped onto the seat at her feet.

"How do we tell them Ducky?" She whispered. She remembered once when she was 14 and they'd gone on a family trip to Disney World and she had unsuspectingly bought a copy of St. Clair because it has an actress she liked on the cover. She'd never seen her father look more guilty or her mother so upset except during the actual separation. She knew there was only one person who could really advise her here. She picked up her cell phone and scrolled through the contacts. She pressed send and waited for it to ring.

"Rick Riley," She already felt better.

"Hey Uncle Rick," She said softly.

"Cara," She could hear him smiling. "How's my star? Read that cover story last week. You're going places kid."

"Yeah," She sighed, "It's sort of about that. See, I got this amazing internship offer."

"You don't sound excited," He said, "Why aren't you excited?"

"It's at St. Clair," She whispered.

"Ohh," He exhaled, "So you told them and your mom had a nervous breakdown?"

"No," She sighed, "I haven't told them, will she be really upset?" Rick sighed. He loved Cara. He wanted to tell her that her parents would be thrilled for her. He was. But he knew that the thought of Caroline at St. Clair would break Julie's heart. Chloe St. Clair hovered above that family like a well pedigreed, stylish ghost.

"Sweetie, I don't know," He said, "But I'm super proud of you. You have to just see I think."

"I was afraid you'd say that," She groaned. He laughed. "What if it makes them split up again?"

"It won't," He assured her. "You wanna put it off until Sunday? I'll back you up."

"No," She said, "No, like you always say, like a band aid, quick and painful."

"OK, Angel," He smiled, "Good luck. Love you."

"Love you too," She said and hung up. They never said goodbye, it was part of their deal. The other part was that they were always supposed to tell each other the truth. Which was how she knew about the separation. After the Disney World incident she asked what it was about and he'd told her everything. From why she never saw her father's parent's, with the exception of her grandfather's funeral six years ago, to the fact that he'd thought he was in love with Julie. Before that, she'd never done the math, her parent's anniversary was seven months before her birthday, she was four and a half when her dad moved out, Richie was born right after she turned five. She'd hated herself for asking and she could see he hated telling her.

"Caroline?" Julie knocked on the door. "Sweetie, are you OK?"

"Yeah," She said, "Come in." Julie walked in. "Mom, I have to tell you something you might not like,"

"Oh God!" Julie gasped and sat down, "You're pregnant aren't you? I knew it was a bad idea for you to go off the pill!"

"Mom!" Caroline cut her off, "I'm not pregnant, thanks though, that that's the first place your mind went." Julie sighed in relief and then Caroline handed her the packet.

"What is this?" Julie said, scanning it her stomach lurched. "Oh, wow."

"I didn't pick the magazine!" Caroline said, "Honest!"

"Oh honey," Julie hugged her. "How do you even know,"

"I asked Rick once," She explained, "I mean, I was so little and you never talk about it, so," Julie nodded. It had never even occurred to her that Caroline would have feelings about it. What kind of a mother was she?

"Well, I'm proud of you," Julie sighed, "And as long as it doesn't interfere with school and your commitment to the paper you can absolutely do it/"

"Oh Mom, thank you!" She hugged her. Julie made a mental note to a have a long talk with Rick.

"So," Scooter said as Julie descended the stairs.

"She's not pregnant," Julie shrugged going into the kitchen and pouring herself a glass of water.

"That's good right?" He said, confused, "We like our 16 year old daughter not pregnant."

"She has an internship," She said, he nodded, again not seeing the negative. "At St. Clair."

"Oh," He said softly. "Well, good for her."

"That's it?" She looked at him. "That's all you have to say?"

"What do you want me to say Julie?" He said sharply, "I can't spend the rest of my life apologizing for something that happened 12 years ago!"

"That woman is going to be mentoring our daughter!' Julie said, now nearly hysterical.

"Chloe probably won't even see Caroline," He shook his head, "She'll be an intern, getting coffee and making copies." He saw Julie close her eyes and press her lips into her mouth. He walked over and put his arms around her. "It could be worse."

"How?" She sighed, looking up at him, "How could it possibly be worse?"

"My mother could be involved," He shrugged.

"Hey freshman," Jack turned around at dinner. He wasn't in the mood for hazing tonight, not that he ever was. But it was Jeremy Paulis who was talking. "Its Jack right?"

"Yeah," He nodded, "What do you want?"

"How well do you know Caroline Vanderbilt?" Jeremy asked. Jack smiled. He'd been waiting for this.

"Pretty well," Jack shrugged, "Our moms are best friends, my mom's her godmother." Jeremy nodded. "Why?"

"I can't figure her out," Jeremy shrugged, "It's kind of hot, but really annoying so if you could help me out," Jack wanted to laugh, like he was going to help Jeremy Paulis get Cara's underwear off. "I know she's on the paper."

"Yeah, she wants to be a journalist in New York," Jack nodded, wait that was the truth, but when it came to Caroline, well, once he started talking about her, he just couldn't stop "Um, she's got this dog, that she's obsessed with."

"Dog?" Jeremy said.

"Yeah, a golden retriever," Jack said, "Named Ducky."

"Like the Ducks," Jeremy said with some understanding. Jack nodded. "She talks about her mom a lot."

"Yeah she and Julie are really close," Jack said, "But she totally adores her dad. Not in like a creepy daddy's girl kind of way, just," He stopped, he knew he needed to. Caroline wouldn't want Jeremy to know about the separation and her subsequent lifetime clinginess to Scooter. "She just really cares about her family."

"RICHIE YOU TWERP!" Caroline shouted from her room. "Where the hell is my black cashmere sweater?" She stomped into his.

"Why would I take your sweater?" He raised his eyebrows. She looked at him.

"It's my favorite and I have a date with Jeremy Paulis tomorrow and you better give it to me NOW!" She stomped. Jeremy had called and asked if she needed a ride to James Walker's, where the weekend party was being held.

"God, you're such a brat sometimes," He said, "I don't have it."

"Ugh!" She yelled and stomped back into her room, where her entire wardrobe it seemed had been turned onto the floor. She picked up a simple black dress and held it against her body. She balanced it under her chin and then turned he blonde hair up to the a twist. She smiled letting it fall down her back and dropping the dress. She picked up her cell phone.

"Hello?" Pam said answering hers.

"Is a little black dress too formal for tomorrow night?" Cara fell back onto her bed.

"Not if we both get dressed up!" Pam squealed, "Oh it'll be perfect. How are you getting there?"

"Jeremy's picking me up," She squeaked.

"You two are going to look so amazing together!" Pam sighed, Caroline could hear the jealousy in her voice. She'd met Pamela in sixth grade where they'd bonded over the fact that neither of their mother's let them wear makeup to school and they'd been best friends ever since. "I mean, you could have come out of a Ralph Lauren catalogue together." Caroline smiled. Jeremy was practically perfect, all tall and muscley and blond. "So we're dressing up?"

"Mm hm," Caroline nodded. She could just see it. People always started doing whatever Pam and her did. If they dressed up for this weeks party, by the next one, every single one of their friends would be wearing dresses, as long as Caroline and Pam played it like they'd read in some magazine that that kind of formality was back in.

"Cara," She heard her mother call, "Dinner."

"I have to go," She said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright, bye hon," Pam said as Caroline hung up. It would be so Old Hollywood and perfect, her flitting around that party in her little black dress her heels kicked off somewhere and Jeremy kissing her madly.

Kinda long, but necessary, because of the recapping! Review please!