Author's Note: Specifically, in this AU, Rufus has met Scott, but no one knows Scott's real last name. Also, Rufus and Lily haven't gotten married yet, but they have met Olivia.

Also, I took the title of this fic from a line from one of my other favorite shows. If you know the line ("Sometimes, you have to roll the hard six") and the show it's from, we need to be friends. 😊

"I can't believe the power went out the second before the headliner took the stage." Leaning into Scott's embrace, Vanessa laughed and shook her head. "Couldn't this storm have waited for next weekend? It was so hard to get these tickets."

Squeezing her against his side, Scott smiled and adjusted the umbrella over both of their heads. "I guess we'll just have to hope she comes back here again."

"Yeah," Dan said, smiling at Olivia as they made their way down the street, "—except Vanessa wasn't kidding about how difficult it was to get tickets for this show."

Her eyes twinkling, Olivia nudged Dan. "Maybe you should have let me help you."

Dan laughed. "You're the one who wanted to have the typical college experience."

Scott chuckled as they all ducked under the nearest awning. "It would be nice if your connections could get us out of this storm."

Olivia blushed. "I can get a car here in five minutes if you all want me to."

"That would be awesome," Vanessa said, "but where are we going to go? According to the texts I'm getting, the dorms don't have power and the surrounding streets are cordoned off because of some downed wires. I would say we could stay with my sister, but she has friends visiting—"

"Don't bother Ruby—I have an idea." Dan dug his phone out of his pocket. "Give me a few minutes to make some calls—maybe things are better down by the loft."

"Are you sure about this?" Scott's muscles tensed. "Do you think your dad really wants all of us staying here?"

Dan slipped his key into the lock. "Believe me—he won't care. Besides, he barely lives here anymore."

Vanessa squeezed Scott's hand. "Rufus's move to Lily's penthouse has basically become permanent."

"Well, they are getting married, right?" Scott's heartbeat accelerated as Dan unlocked the door.

Dan shrugged and threw the door open. "That's the plan."

Scott's heart stopped.

This was it.

The place he might have grown up in had things gone differently.

The place his father called home.

Behind Dan, Olivia smiled and slipped her arms around his waist. "I think it's kind of romantic that your dad and Lily found their way back to each other."

Dan looked back at her. "Yeah. Even though it sucked when he and my mom got divorced, I'm pretty sure my dad has loved Lily for at least half his life."

"From what Eric and Jenny were telling me the other day, it seems like Lily never got over Rufus, either," Vanessa piped up. "Eric said he thinks that's why she's gotten married and divorced so many times—that, on some level, she'd been trying to find what she had with Rufus again."

"Well, if it hadn't been for CeCe, they probably would have gotten married a long time ago." Nodding toward the loft, Dan waved them all in. "Of course, if that had happened, though, I wouldn't be alive, providing you all with shelter right now."

Olivia kissed his cheek. "Well, I'm glad you're alive—and not just because of the shelter."

"Yeah." Vanessa laughed. Nudging Dan, she started inside. "But, right now, Humphrey, it helps."

His fingers dropping from Vanessa's, Scott froze.

"Scott?" Vanessa turned back. "Aren't you coming?"

Scott swallowed. "Yeah . . . of course."

Vanessa's brow creased. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." Blinking a few times, Scott refocused his eyes on her. "It's just been quite a night."

"Yeah, we have electricity."

Scott's attention snapped to Dan.

Vanessa snuggled in closer to him. "Scott—you seem really distracted tonight."

"What?" Scott's eyes darted back to hers. "I mean, I'm not. It just sounds like Rufus is on his way over here—and I don't want to impose."

"You're not." Vanessa smiled. "Rufus likes spending time with Dan and Jenny's friends. Plus," she laughed, "all of us being here will give him a chance to make a bigger batch of waffles for breakfast."

Scott couldn't help but laugh. "I feel like you mention waffles a lot."

Vanessa grinned. "That's because I've pretty much spent half my life in this loft. And, trust me—Rufus will be happy that we're here."

Scott raised his brows. "If you say so."

"I do." Vanessa rubbed his back. "Now, let's go take Dan up on that offer of dry clothes. Between him and Rufus, they must have something you can wear."

Scott's throat tightened. "I really don't want to impose."

"You're not imposing," Vanessa insisted, waving Dan over as he finished up his phone call. "Dan—tell him. If your dad were here, he'd be happy that we're all staying the night."

"He would be." Dan dug his hands into his pockets as he crossed the room to them. "He is. In fact, he, Lily, Eric, and Jenny are on their way over right now. He just called to ask me if he should stop at our storage space first to get the portable generator."

Scott's heart stopped. "They're all coming here?"

"They are," Dan said. "But don't worry—we have enough blankets and pillows for everyone."

Scott swallowed. "I really think I should go."

"Don't be ridiculous," Dan said. "It's really bad out there. Besides, my dad likes you—he's happy you're staying with us tonight."

Rufus was happy he was here?

His father wanted to spend time with him?

His father wanted him here?

A wave of emotion flooded Scott's chest.

"Scott?"

Scott's heart jumped, his eyes flying to Vanessa's.

"Sorry." Vanessa curled her fingers around his arm. "I didn't mean to startle you. What were you thinking about?"

"Noth . . . nothing." His brow creasing, Scott sank down onto one of the kitchen stools. "This might seem like a random question, but that CeCe person Dan mentioned before—who was he talking about?"

"CeCe?" Raising her brows, Vanessa laughed. "Lily's mother? Why on earth were you thinking about her?"

"No reason." Scott blushed. "It just seems like she caused a lot of trouble, that's all."

"That's because she did," Vanessa said. "For both Dan and Serena when they were dating—and for Rufus and Lily years ago."

Scott shifted on the stool. "What did she do?"

"Basically, she tried to break them all up." Vanessa shook her head. "It didn't work with Dan and Serena, but with Rufus and Lily . . ."

Scott's back straightened. "With Rufus and Lily—what?"

Behind Vanessa, the door to the loft opened.

Scott's eyes flew to the door.

Vanessa turned to see what he was looking at.

Rufus's eyes met Scott's as he stepped into the loft. "Scott—it's good to see you."

"Rufus." Scott rose up from the stool as Jenny followed Rufus in. "It's . . . it's good to see you, too."

"Mr. Humphrey?" Olivia piped up.

Rufus's eyes darted to her. "Olivia? I didn't see you over there. It's good to have you with us tonight—it's really quite something out there."

"Yes, it is." Lily—his mother—walked in with one arm up around her youngest son. The son she had raised herself.

Every muscle in Scott's body tensed.

Why had he ever thought he would ever be ready for this?

"Scott?" Vanessa turned back to face him. "Scott—what's wrong?"

"Nothing." His heartbeat accelerating, Scott curled his fingers around the edge of the kitchen counter. "I just think I need to go."

Vanessa arched a brow. "You need to go? Right now?"

"Vanessa's right." Rufus strolled up to them. "It's still a mess out there. Besides, I think Dan is setting up Cranium. Trust me—you don't want to miss out on Humphrey game night."

"He's right." Lily walked up behind Rufus. "I never feel as at home as I do here."

Rufus smiled at her and turned back to Scott. "Lil—this is Vanessa's boyfriend, Scott. He's the one I've been giving guitar lessons to."

"Oh, right—you told me about that." Lily extended her hand to Scott. "It's nice to meet you."

Scott's fingers dropped from the counter; his gaze fell to her hand.

"Don't worry—she doesn't bite," Rufus laughed. "At least not until you tick her off."

"Rufus," Lily laughed.

Scott stared at her hand. "I . . . I'm sorry." Shaking his head, he peeked up at her and shook her hand. "I was in another world for a minute there."

Lily's hand froze on his. "Have we met before?" Her eyes falling to the floor, she laughed and released his fingers. "I'm sorry," she said, her eyes flying back up to his, "—I know that sounds strange."

"That would be really random," Vanessa said, "but I guess stranger things have happened."

Scott swallowed. "I've lived in Boston for most of my life."

Lily's eyes widened. "Boston?"

"Yeah." Scott scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry—would you excuse me for a moment? I just need to go make a quick call."

"Does that mean you're staying for game night?" Rufus asked.

"Please stay." Vanessa kissed his cheek. "You don't know how ridiculously competitive Dan can get when we play Cranium—I need you on my team."

"A fence? A crown?" Eric leaned in closer to Jenny, his eyes focused on what she was sculpting.

"Time's up," Dan laughed.

Groaning, Jenny threw her hands up. "Grass. It was grass."

"That's grass?" His brows arching, Eric laughed. "It's a good thing you do your designing with pencils and not clay."

Rolling her eyes, Jenny grinned. "Judging by what your jellyfish looked like, I wouldn't be talking if I were you."

Olivia snuggled in closer to Dan. "I thought both of your sculptures were good."

"Really?" Dan looked at her. "You would have gotten those?"

Rufus leaned forward and picked up the die. "Don't be bitter, Dan."

"Come on, Dad," Dan said. "You would have gotten my last Cloodle, right?"

Shrugging, Rufus laughed and shook the die. "I don't know. I didn't really get cheese fondue from your drawing."

Vanessa squeezed Scott's hand and smirked. "Seriously, Dan. You have no one to blame but yourself."

"All right, all right." Sighing, Dan squeezed Olivia's hand. "We're going to get the next one, though."

Her eyes twinkling at his, Olivia smiled. "We will."

Shaking his head, Rufus chuckled and rolled the die. "Come on, Lil. Let's show these kids how this is done."

Scott glanced at Lily—only to find her looking straight at him.

Lily's eyes darted from his.

Did she know?

She couldn't possibly know.

But if she didn't know, why were her eyes now flying from Jenny to Eric to Dan? Basically, to anyone but him?

"Lil?" Rufus said. "Lil—it's our turn."

Lily's eyes snapped back to Rufus's. "I'm sorry," she laughed, drawing a card from the green box. "I don't know what got into me."

Rufus took the card from her, his eyes twinkling at hers. A few seconds later, he started humming a familiar tune.

"Ooh!" Her gaze fixed on Rufus, Lily wrapped an arm around Eric and pulled him in close. "That's clearly 'Stand by Me'!"

Scott's face twitched.

Rufus smiled. "Won't you stand by me? Oh, stand by me. . . ." The lyrics spilling from his lips, he tugged Lily up from her seat, twirled her around, and pulled her in for a kiss.

"All right, all right, enough," Dan laughed.

Scott drew in a breath.

Sure—now, they finally had it together. After having two more kids each, another adopted son for her—and, apparently, a bunch of other marriages between them—they had finally figured out how to make their relationship work.

He'd thought he would be happy about this.

He had been when he had first seen that article reporting that they were back together.

But seeing them here, with some of their other children—witnessing the ease between Dan and Rufus, the way Lily fussed over Eric—it was all just too much.

What had he been thinking coming here tonight?

How had he allowed himself to end up in a situation like this?

With people he should have belonged to—but feeling more alone than he ever had?

An ache coiling in his chest, Scott sprang up from his seat and grabbed his jacket, umbrella, and keys.

"Scott?" Vanessa leapt up after him. "Where are you going?"

"I really need to go check on my apartment." Scott looked at Dan. "Thanks for lending me some clothes—I'll wash them and get them back to you."

"No problem," Dan said. "But are you sure you really want to go back out in this?"

"Dan's right," Rufus jumped in. "No one should be outside right now."

Scott looked at him. "Thank you. I really appreciate the offer to stay here. But I really have to go."

Lily's eyes flew to his. "Are you sure?"

Scott's heart stopped.

Was it possible that she actually knew?

She didn't.

She couldn't.

But the look in her eyes, the edge in her voice—was it possible that some part of her had realized that, more than two decades ago, she had brought him into this world?

Honestly, he didn't know which would be worse—her knowing and choosing not to acknowledge it or her not recognizing him at all.

Right now, it felt like he only knew one thing for sure—he had to get out of here.