Royalty ➳ Archibald

7 | the truth

"Lily, I'm home!"

"Aha...."

Lily smiled down at her husband as she walked down a flight of stairs.

"I've missed you," Bart smiled at her. "Good, because I am going to steal your passport and lock you in our room." Lily said in a seductive tone. They kissed one another happily, both sighing into the kiss. "That sounds like the perfect plan, but we need to discuss the matter at hand," Bart's eyebrows furrowed and Lily frowned at his quick change of mood. "Is she here?"

Lily walked passed him and he followed her to the couch. "No, Chuck said she's going to be out all night at some concert and so will he."

"Good," Bart pulled out an envelope from his dress-jacket and handed it to Lily. She opened it as Bart began to speak. "That should be enough to get her back to Rome and to stay there. All I'm going to tell her and Chuck is that she isn't mine. But, they don't have to know you and Rufus are the parents."

Lily pulled out a one-way plane ticket from New York City to Rome, and a check for a quater of a million dollars. She said nothing and placed it all back into it's envelope and sealed it. "Okay. Do it tomorrow."

-

"Wasn't that just the best performance you guys have ever seen?!"

Alaska led Dan and his father out of the crowded building and into the, even more crowded, New York City. "Yeah, that was really something Al, thanks for inviting us."

"Al?" Dan gave his dad a confusing look while Alaska laughed. "While you were on your phone, me and your dad really got to know each other! Seems like we have so much in common!"

Dan fake gagged at the pair as his dad laughed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were my daughter."

Dan and Alaska laughed as they came to a stoplight. Rufus stayed quiet, something turning inside of him. My daughter. Was Alaska the girl Lily spoke about?

"Where did you say you were from?" Rufus looked over at Alaska, but Dan answered for her. "From Rome! She's Chuck's sister."

Alaska grabbed Dan's arm and led him to a hotdog stand while Rufus watched the two. It was her. He felt a pang in his heart and debated whether right now really is a good time to tell her, but seeing Alaska laugh with Dan as the worker handed her three hotdogs and handed Dan two cokes and a sprite made it even more tempting. Alaska paid the man before they both walked back to Rufus. "Dad, you okay?"

Dan worriedly handed over a coke and a hotdog to Rufus, and traded a sprite for a hotdog with Alaska. Rufus stood there, as pale as ever, like he had just seen a ghost. "I have somehing I need to tell you, both of you."

-

Serena, Chuck, Lily, and Bart sat in the living area. Serena was droning on and on about what happened at the Fashion Show, her mother listening to every word. Chuck had a drink in his hand, sipping every so often, wondering where Alaska was, and Bart read some bussiness papers from his briefcase.

The elevator dinged, signaling someone was here and Chuck stood up as soon as he saw Alaska, but confusingly narrowed his eyes towards Dan and Rufus who followed behind her. She stomped her way over to the four, who all stood up.

"Rufus?" Lily's face paled as she saw them together.

"Dan?" Dan ignored Serena as Alaska started to speak. "I want to know the truth," she said this to no one in particular. What she had just found out could be life changing for her and the people around her, so her asking for the truth really seemed like the only reasonable idea at this point to find out what the hell was happening.

"Excuse me?" Bart spoke up.

"Dad, this is Alaska," Chuck spoke and Bart quickly grabbed an envelope from the table and handed it to her. "Leave," was all he said.

Rufus grabbed the envelope before Alaska could grab it and opened it up. He found the plane ticket and check to $250,000. "You were going to send her away again," Rufus looked at Lily in pure disgust and Dan grabbed the slant papers from his dad's hands. He ripped it up into pieces.

"Mom, what's going on?"

"I was going to ask the same question." Chuck spoke after Serena. Lily just stood dumbfounded in front of everyone, so Bart stepped in front of her. "Alaska is a liar, she-"

"Don't," Lily finally spoke up. "Please Bart, just... just don't."

She stepped around her tall husband who tried to hold her back, but she refused. "Serena," Lily reached out a hand to her first born who took it despite her confused state. "Alaska."

The dark haired girl waited for an explanation. She didn't know what to feel right now. "After you were born," Lily turned to Serena. "Your father left me. I was alone, I was depressed and I found Rufus once again."

"Lily, don't." Bart angrily said. "Let her finish," Chuck scolded his father.

"You were with a nanny, and we went out. We went back to his apartment and I got pregnant."

"What?" Serena let go of her mother's hand and stepped away from her. Chuck sat down, anger spiking within him. "I had Alaska, I didn't want to ruin my marriage so I sent her away with the nanny, to Rome. I had known Bart briefly and he sent the checks in his name, so she wouldn't come find me."

Everyone was quiet, processing what was happening before them. Bart angrily left the living room and went to his shared bedroom with Lily. Serena went to her own bedroom, only sharing a glance with Alaska before leaving. She felt bad for her. Chuck still sat in the same position. Saddened that Alaska wasn't his biological sister.

"Alaska, get your clothes. You're coming with me." Alaska hurriedly went to the guest bedroom, packed everything she could fit and ran back to the elevator where Dan and Rufus waited for her. She looked back at Lily who held so much remorse in her face, Alaska just had to look away.

"I'm getting custody of her Lily, this will not be the end of it."

-

a/n; Yay! new update, & it's a bit longer than usual ;)! -E