Dan and I were still at home when Rufus surfaced for breakfast. He came out and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"I thought the two of you would be at school by now." he commented

"I thought you'd live on the Upper East side with your wife." Dan retorted as I sat on the island nursing my coffee and not getting involved

"Dan." Rufas sighed

"Lily came by yesterday looking for you. What's going on?" he questioned his Dad

"Lily and I had a fight. It's complicated." humm that's what they all say. Something tells me it has something to do with what Serena found that made her mad.

"Israeli- Palestinian complicated by the look of it. Is this why you shipped Jenny of to Mom's for Christmas?"

"Well it was your mothers year. And it wasn't one of those Parent Trap situations that you and Jenny can swoop in on. Lily and I need to figure this out." Rufus rebuffed

"And you're doing that by not telling her where you are?" Dan was confused

"Not the best strategy but until I talk to her at least I can hold out hope I'm wrong about what happened." Okay this is stupid

"So you're not talking to her, because you don't wanna hear what you think she might tell you? That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"Rosie!" Dan scolded

"What?! It is." I defended

"You know, I'm not willing to explain myself here."

"All right, fine make your own damn waffles." Dan retorted and I grabbed my coat slipping it on. Then I grabbed my bag.

"You can catch me up." I head on out a couple of minutes later Dan caught up.

----------------------------

When I got back home Chuck was waiting for me on the steps.

"Chuck? What are you doing here."

"We need to talk." he told. i nodded and let him inside my apartment. I made him something to drink and we sat across from each other.

"I wasn't planning on telling you, in all honesty I didn't think there was anything to it but..." he sighed

"Whatever it is you can tell me."

"The night of your accident. I left to finally visit Dad's grave. When I got there, there was a woman. At first I thought it was Lily but it wasn't." he started as I then removed my jacket.

"Okay?"

"She knew my name, Rosie. She looked right at me and knew me."

"So one of Dad's former girlfriends, then?" he shook his head

"I thought that at first but...." he dropped something on the table I picked it up, there was a picture of a young Dad and on the outside was the letter E "She left that at the grave. I did my research my Dad only ever bought one. I think he gave it to our Mom."

"Chuck, this is insane. Mom's dead, she died giving birth to us."  I rolled my eyes dropping the necklace.

"I know, I know but it's the only thing that makes sense, we never visited her grave, no death certificate in any of Dad's safe's or deposit boxes." I rubbed my temples

"Chuck, some woman standing over Dad's grave leaving a locket like Cinderella sounds far fetched even for me. But to think that she's our mother, that Dad lied to us about that of all things is just..."

"I know."

"Do you?" I ask "If and that is a huge if, she's alive and has been all this time that means she either abandoned us, or didn't fight for us. Either way not my mother or yours for that matter. Say what you like about Dad at least he raised us in some way."

"He hardly raised us. You have no idea what it's like to feel like that you killed your mother and almost killed your sister."

"It's better than never being there. The only Mom I'm concerned about is Lily. And you didn't kill either of us. I'm right here and still kicking. Both Dad and I told you, you had nothing to do with her death." I went to go make something to eat.

------------------

I laid on the sofa staring into space, when Dan came to sit next to me.

"You okay?" Dan asks

"My brother visited me today. He told me he thinks our birth mother is alive, that she never died."

"Wait, What?" I told him what Chuck told me earlier. He sat there stunned

"Does he think it's really her."

"I don't know and I don't care." I stand up heading for bed

"How could you not care, Rosie. She could be your mother."

"If she is she left us, for whatever reason she wasn't there and we were barely raised by our Dad more like a team of nannie's and aupair's. Lily is the only one who has resembled what it's like to actually have a Mom."

"Rosie."

"No, I don't want to hear it. Lily is my Mom, she is the one who looked after me, who gave me advice. She was the Mom I wanted all my life and i'm not giving that up. never."