A/N: So, this is the last chapter of like background stuff. I'm sorry if it is kind of slow or boring, but like I've explained to a few of my wonderful reviewers, I'm introducing a lot of new characters so I feel like I have to do a lot of set up stuff to establish them.

But don't worry, the next chapter is going to revolve around Chuck and Blair and it will introduce Lexie, who a few of you seem eager to meet! Lol

…

"So, is CJ like Hank?" Lauren asked casually as she examined her fingernails, "Does he have some super hot ex-girlfriend who is practically a second daughter to Chuck and Blair?"

Celia laughed, "No, no," She said through her giggles, "You don't have to worry, Hank is the only Bass boy to ever settle down with a girlfriend."

Lauren froze and looked at the other girl in confusion, "Wait, so before me, CJ-, he had never-"

"Oh, no, I didn't say that. He has been with plenty of girls, trust me. He has just never had a girl that lasted more than a day or two. It's the Bass way." Celia said with a shrug.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, except for Hank. He has always been more like Blair; an old-fashioned romantic, doing everything for that fairytale ending. No matter how much I try to screw it up." Celia shook her head and smiled before she continued, "But the others, except for the two youngest, they don't really have an opinion yet, but for the rest you could say that they are, um, I guess the right word would be guarded. I would say skeptical, but when you spend that much time around Chuck and Blair, you can't doubt the existence of true, lasting love."

"So they are 'guarded'?" Lauren asked skeptically.

Celia laughed, "Yea, I mean, I guess. But their views are all a little bit different. Like, Fitz knows that love is real and everything, but he doesn't think it is for everyone. He is fully convinced that it isn't for him and that he'll never fall in love."

Lauren frowned, "That is a little pessimistic for a twelve year old."

"Yeah it is, but after everything he has been through, he is pretty mature for his age." Seeing Lauren's continued frown, Celia tried to lighten the mood, "Don't worry, Fitz is still young. His opinion could still change."

"I guess you're right," Lauren sighed. "But that's not how CJ feels about love, I'm sure of that."

"Your right," Celia said slowly, "CJ is more in line with the twin's point of view."

"Sleep with as many girls as he can?" Lauren asked skeptically, "I don't mean to criticize you opinion, but I don't think that's how CJ feels either…"

"No," Celia quickly agreed, "That's not what I meant. Yes, the twins don't really ever spend more than one night with a girl, but CJ used to be the same way."
"What?"

"I mean, he was a bit nicer about it. Sometimes he would take them out on a date and sometimes he would actually talk to them and try to get to know them a little."

Lauren rolled her eyes, "Wow, what a gentleman." She said sarcastically.

Celia raised a brow, "Compared to what the twins do that is gentlemanly." She laughed slightly before she continued, "Anyway, Ed and Theo both think of being in love and in a relationship as something that will happen eventually, but it's not something they are looking for right now. They think that they are too young to worry about 'true love'-"

"Which is a valid point," Lauren added with a slight nod.

"-and while they are young," Celia continued, "they firmly believe they should enjoy as many different woman as possible. Ed and Theo think of love as something that isn't relevant to them now, even if it is staring them right in the face, and they'll deal with it when they are older."

"And that is how CJ feels?"

Celia smirked at the other girl, "No, felt would be the correct word to use there, but even then the answer would still be no. I said CJ's view was similar to the twins, not the same. CJ has always believed that when he found the girl who would be 'the one' he would know. He didn't know what it would feel like or when he would know, but he was confident that when he fell in love he would know it and he wouldn't have doubts. I think deep down he is a little more like Hank than we all realize. I think he always kind of wanted to just settle down with one girl, but he didn't want to waste his time in a relationship he knew wouldn't work out. He only had all those one-night stands because he hadn't found a girl that he thought would stick, but he didn't want to be alone."

"So," Lauren began hesitantly, "You think I'm going to stick?"

"Sweetie, I think you're already stuck." Celia said kindly, "Don't you get it? The fact that he has brought you home is, like, a huge deal! CJ has never introduced a girl to his parents. None of them have ever lasted this long. Whatever feeling he was looking for, he obviously found it with you," Celia said with a shrug, "I can guarantee you that he thinks you two are forever." Seeing Lauren's wide eyes, Celia quickly continued, "And don't freak out about that. I'm sure he won't do anything about it until he is sure you are ready. And don't try to run away from it either. Once the Bass men realize you are what they want; what they are meant to have, they won't let you escape. If you run out of fear he'll chase you down. As long as he believes you still love him, he'll keep going after you."

Lauren groaned and dropped her head into her hands, "I don't know how to respond to that. I mean, its romantic, but it is so intense. I don't know if I'm ready for this."

Celia patted her back, "Just don't worry about it; pretend I never told you. Nothing has changed. CJ is still CJ and I can tell you love him, so just roll with it."

"I guess you're right," Lauren sighed, "If he has really felt this way all along, he hasn't done anything too overbearing so far, so maybe I'm just freaking out over nothing."

"You are." Celia agreed, "So let's change the subject. I'm guessing that since CJ has kept you in the dark on just about everything regarding his family, he hasn't shown you any pictures yet."

"No he hasn't! I mean, I've looked up pictures of his parents online, but they were all sketchy paparazzi pictures. And I have no idea what any of his siblings look like. I just keep imagining all of his brothers looking like him."

Celia laughed, "I hate to break it to you, but your imagination is a little off." The blonde girl reached behind her and picked up a picture frame from the nearby table. "Here, look at this," She said as she handed it to Lauren, "It's a portrait the Basses had taken this past summer."

Lauren looked at the picture of the good-looking family, all dressed to the nines with Chuck and Blair seated in the middle and a little girl perched on their lap.

"Oh, you and CJ weren't lying. Lexie really is the cutest little thing!" Lauren exclaimed when she spotted the small girl. She looked like a little doll, with porcelain skin and long, wavy brown hair. She was sitting primly with a charming smile but she had dark, slanting eyes that gave her a hint of mischief.

"Yeah, she is. She is the only one who is all Blair. She walks like her, talks like her, acts like her. All the boys saunter into a room just like their father with the trademark Bass smirk, and then Lexie comes along as a perfect little princess looking exactly like her mother, except that she has Chuck's eyes, which makes her look just a little less innocent."

"Oh my God, they are all smirking!" Lauren said as she looked at the picture. When she looked up, Celia was giving her the same look that she had seen in the picture, "Oh my God, you have it too! What, is it contagious?"

The smirk on Celia's face only grew, "No, no. This is the one physical trait I inherited from my father. No, that look is competently different, and completely Bass."

Lauren nodded in understanding as she further examined the picture. Chuck and Blair were a bit older than the pictures she had seen online, but they were still a very attractive, intimidating couple. As she looked over the picture, she noticed that while all the boys did not look completely alike, they all shared the same strong jaw line and cheek bones which they had obviously inherited from their father.

She had previously noted that CJ and Hank didn't blatantly look alike, and now she realized why. CJ looked a lot like his father, except he had Blair's lips while Hank had all of Blair's facial features but Chuck's facial structure.

"You obviously know CJ and Hank," Celia said as she gestured to the two boys in the picture, "And on either side of them are the twins."

"Wow, they look exactly like Chuck."

Celia chuckled softly, "Yes, everyone always says that they are younger versions of their father, in both their looks and their actions. And Ricky is the same way. Once he is a little bit older I'm sure they will all be mistaken for triplets."

Lauren looked at the younger boy Celia was pointing too and nodded in agreement, "He does look a lot like them." She studied the last boy in the picture and frowned slightly, "Is Fitz adopted?"

"What?"

Lauren pointed to the little blonde boy in the picture, "Well, look at him! He doesn't look anything like anyone else in the family. He has blonde hair and wide eyes, but not like Blair's. Plus, he's so tiny! I mean, isn't he older than Ricky? In this picture he looks like he is a few inches shorter than him."

Celia nodded, "Yes, he is older, but he is just smaller because his growth was affected when he was sick."

Lauren looked confused, "What do you mean, when he was sick?"

Celia tilted her head and looked at the other girl, "CJ really didn't tell you anything, did he?"

Lauren raised her hands and groaned in frustration, "No, he ddin't!"

"Wow," the blonde girl said, "I'm really surprised he didn't tell you this."

"Tell me what?" Lauren asked in exasperation.

"Well, I don't want to go into too much detail, I think you should ask CJ about that, but when Fitz was like seven or eight he was diagnosed with leukemia."

"Oh my God."

"Yeah," Celia said seriously, "He is in remission now, but that is why he is a bit smaller than the rest of the boys."

"But that doesn't explain that fact that he looks absolutely nothing like anyone else in the family."

Celia smiled, "That's not entirely true. If you look, he does have Chuck's strong jaw line, just like the other boys. But otherwise, you're right. He doesn't look like Chuck or Blair. And for the first, like, year after he was born they wondered where his looks came from. Chuck always joked about getting a paternity test. But then one day he must have done something that annoyed little Fitz and he gave Chuck a look that instantly cleared it all up." Celia paused and laughed quietly, "I still remember that day Blair was helping me with my homework when Chuck came in with Fitz in his arms and the most shocked look on his face. Blair asked him what was wrong and he told her that Fitz was his father; that he finally realized that the baby looked exactly like Bart Bass, or what he imagined a baby Bart Bass had looked like."

"Does Chuck not look like his father?" Lauren asked.

"Not at all!" Celia laughed, "Chuck took after his mother mostly, but I found some pictures of Bart from before he died and I can see the resemblance in Fitz."

"Huh," Lauren said thoughtfully as she continued to look at the family portrait, "I guess I'll take your word for it."

"Gee, thanks," Celia said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes, "I'm glad you trust me."

"What choice do I have?" Lauren asked teasingly, "You are about the only one around here who will actually tell me anything."

The two girls laughed together before Celia went to pull out some more pictures to show the other girl.