Family Portrait

Standard Disclaimers apply

WOW I can't believe that this is the end of this piece, time sure does fly huh. Before I begin I wish to thank all the people who have read this on the various sites I post this and to those of you who have read this long after I hit post on this finally installment. It's been an amazing ride and though Family Portrait may be done this verse will be far from over.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Upper East Siders. And while most people are heading out to Radio City for a show or skating around in Central Park it is here at the Palace that the real celebration is about to begin. That's right, today Lily van der Woodsen and Rufus Humphrey plan to share their vows in front of their friends and extended family. It's certainly to be an affair to remember and with any luck it will be the last nuptials these two will experience until another one of their children say I Do.

Here is to Happily Ever After.

You Know You Love Me

XOXO

Gossip Girl

Palace:

"Derota," Maxie called out into the hallways as she held baby BJ with one hand and a silver hair clip in her other.

She was set to be bridesmaid for her mother in laws wedding and she wanted to look her best.

The older woman who had been Blair's personal maid had graciously stepped into the roll as nanny last fall when the baby was born.

"I'm here Miss Maxie,"

The blonde smiled as she handed the girl over.

"Do you wish for me to bring her over to Mr. Damian?"

She shook her head.

"Would you mind holding this little one until the reception," Maxie asked hopefully.

Derota nodded as she really enjoyed taking care of the young girl when Maxie and Spinelli were busy with their own budding careers.

Maxie had kept working for Crimson by working out of both its Manhattan office and on its new Web-Zine as well as helping Eleanor Waldorf and her fashion house, thus why Derota was now helping out with Brenna. Spinelli meanwhile had taking a shining to being a big shot club holder and had been running Victrola by night while taking care of his little girl every spare moment he had.

Maxie looked in the mirror at her figure which was back to normal and the slinky green bridesmaid dress she had on and gave herself and approving look before heading back to the mirror to fix herself off wondering if Spinelli would show up for some pre wedding making out.

--

Spinelli however was otherwise engaged as Rufus wanted to steal a moment with his two sons.

"So Dad, you know you have,' Dan paused looking at his watch, "about an hour to back out of this."

Rufus let out a laugh.

"Back out, why would I even think of that?"

"Well her track record with marriage isn't the best for starters."

Spinelli looked over at his brother.

"I think with all my moms History with our dad this time will work."

"Care to place a bet on that."

Rufus looked at his sons and rolled his eyes.

"Boys boys, did I make the mistake of making you both co- best men."

"No," they both said together causing the older man to laugh as he fidgeted with his tie.

"Let me," Spinelli said helping him with a skill he himself had only just recently mastered.

Rufus nodded and let Spinelli help him out while Dan nervously began to pace the room.

"Dan what's the matter now," his dad asked.

"Let me guess, it the priestess pregnant."

Dan laughed.

'Not that I'm aware of no, though Winifred is part of the news I have."

"What news Daniel," Chuck said entering the room and placing his hand around his soon to be step brother.

Dan looked over to where Chuck and Eric now stood and smiled.

"Well as you know Winifred used to be a federal agent."

Spinelli let out a sigh.

"Don't remind me, though if it weren't for the Priestess's original assignment to send me up the river for my previous ties to organized crime then god knows where I'd be. I mean I'd probably still be back in Port Charles under the employ of Stone Cold if not six feet under from a hit gone bad. And Maxie and Brenna god knows about them."

Everyone nodded knowing that Winifred's meddling back in January was a true blessing.

"Anyway," Dan spoke, "like I was saying Winifred just got a job in DC and well...I'm transferring schools next semester to be with her."

"And your telling me this now," Rufus said.

Dan shrugged.

"I thought that if I waited till your wedding day it'd soften the blow."

Rufus nodded.

"I'm happy for you."

He smiled giving his son a quick hug as he finished getting ready for his big day.

--

"I don't need to go through all this tradition stuff," Lily said to Serena who was her maid of honor and was standing in the room with her and Jenny, "I mean it's not like it's my first wedding."

"Tradition is tradition mom," Serena said as she pulled out a box, "anyway something old."

Lily took the box and opened it to find a cameo choker that belonged to her mother who was previously engaged and couldn't make the wedding. Translation she still didn't like Rufus after all these years and the thought of seeing Lily's bastard son and his child, her great grandchild was out of the question.

"Thanks," Lily mouthed as Serena put the piece of jewelry on.

"Something borrowed," Jenny said pulling off the pearl bracelet and handing it to her soon to be step mother.

Lily clasped the bracelet on her wrist and gave Jenny a hug.

"Maxie should be here," Serena said, "she had something new and blue."

Just then the clicking of Maxie's heels filled the air.

"Sorry," she said breathlessly, "BJ left Sweetie in the other room so I had to track down Derota to bring it to her."

The other women smiled thinking how that stupid stuffed monkey that BJ's uncle Chuck gave her was her favorite toy.

"Anyway here is the something new and blue."

She handed Lily a blue garter.

"And try to tell Rufus to throw it in Chuck's direction."

Serena looked at her sister in law.

"No one has an agenda right."

"Come on, like no one else thinks that Chuck and Blair should be the next ones to tie the knot."

They all laughed as Maxie rolled her eyes.

--

Moments had passed and the wedding soon began. It was more traditional then Spinelli and Maxie's wedding the past July but in the same way it suited the older more experienced couple better then an impromptu beach ceremony.

The vows were beautiful and unlike all the grand weddings Spinelli had been to in Port Charles it went off without a hitch.

"You may now kiss the bride," the priest spoke as Lily and Rufus kissed one another.

--

The reception was grand as well which was to be expected seeing as whose ceremony was.

Spinelli was now holding his little girl who had grown a beautiful mass of light brown hair that was pulled up in pigtails in the same pink ruffled fabric as her dress.

"I was wrong about you."

He looked over at Chuck and started to laugh.

"I think Uncle Chuck's going crazy BJ."

Flashing his trademark grin Chuck leaned over to play with his niece.

"I'm serious, I mean I've said if before and I said it again you've come along way from the geek I met at the Cosmopolitan last January."

Spinelli simply smiled as Blair walked over and tossed her arms around Chuck before smiling at Spinelli and BJ.

"The photographers want to take pictures."

--

A few moments later they all stood on one side of the hallway. The bride and groom, their six children, their daughter in law and grandchild along with the assorted girlfriends and boyfriends their kids had, including Michael who showed up for the occasion. It was quite an eclectic family portrait but it was their family portrait and no one standing there in that moment would have had it any other way.

The End

Ok so how did you like the ending? Do you want to see more? Well my two possible ideas for book 3 would be to either have it follow Chuck/Blair/Spinelli/Maxie and baby BJ on their further adventures or to showcase BJ all grown up with the next generation on the Upper East side. Thoughts? Sugestions? Anyway thanks again for your love and support.