Author: Summer

Title: Across the Borderline

Rating: R

Summary: Yi Min steps off a plane from Korea, and into a new life. What will happen when she abandons her old beliefs for new ones? Is it even possible? Well, here you have it. The story of the present day Mrs. Kim.

Chapter Title: Follow That Dream

Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls, nor do I own Bruce Springsteen's "Across the Borderline" or "Follow That Dream."

Author's Note: Haven't seen too many Mrs. Kim based fics, have you? Well give this a chance. Anyway, major thanks to Katherine, Loz, Helen, and Michelle. Especially Loz, considering it was our conversation about a four letter word dictionary that inspired the last part.

Recommended Story of the Week: When She Cries. Chris's baby's turning a year old!

________________________________________

If your heart is restless, from waiting so long / If you're tired and weary, and you

can't go on / If a distant dream is callin' you / Then there's just one thing you can do

Yi Min stepped hesitantly off the airplane, glancing around San Francisco. It was bright and sunny, and warmth radiated through her skin. Yet she shivered. It was a long way from home, from everything she was used to.

It was still Changma back home, and Min had never she'd never liked that season. "Ma'am? Excuse me, ma'am?"

She turned around to face the woman with that vile American accent, not bothering to hide her lost look. "Me?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, you. I need you to fill out a few papers." The blonde woman smiled reassuringly, placing a hand on Yi Min's shoulder and leading her inside a dreary government building. "It's just health forms, visa information, that kind of stuff."

Yi Min nodded, tucking a strand of her black hair behind an ear. "Okay."

"Do you need a translator?" the woman asked, pushing open the door to a private office. She shuffled around, looking for the right forms.

Yi Min shook her head. "No. I'll be fine." She paused, standing on her tiptoes. "There," she said, pointing to a pile of forms.

The woman gave her an appreciative smile. "Thank you. I'm so messy. I really shouldn't be working here, but-" She smiled. "Never mind. You don't need to hear this." She pointed to a chair on the other side of her desk. "You can fill those out right here. I'm technically not supposed to leave but…" She shrugged. "I need coffee."

"I'll be fine," Yi Min said again, glancing up from the forms. "May I have a pen, though?"

"Oh! Yeah, sure! I'm sorry." The woman fumbled through her desk drawer, then came out triumphantly with a pen. "Here," she said, handing it to Yi Min.

"Thank you."

"There aren't any vacancies, I'm sorry. You could try down the street. There's a nice little inn there." The hotel manager frowned, glancing down at Yi Min.

She smiled albeit her growing anxiety. "Thank you anyway." She turned, shoulders slumping, and walked back onto the street. This was the fifth hotel she'd tried, and all were filled to capacity.

The streets of San Francisco were surprisingly empty for a Friday night, with only the occasional couple walking hand in hand. Yi Min sidestepped such a couple, trying not to stare. Her mother had raised her with an iron fist, to believe public displays of affection, whether it was handholding or kissing, were inappropriate.

"Miss?" A voice interrupted her thoughts.

Yi Min turned slowly, and a young man caught up with her easily. "I heard you were having trouble finding a place to stay."

"What a talkative group." Yi Min nodded. "Yes."

"I just opened a hotel about a block away. It's just starting, so it's nothing five-star, but you seem desperate." The man shrugged. "It's not even finished, and right now there's only a few people there, but-"

"I'll take a room," Yi Min interrupted, nodding at the man. "How much is it?"

"I, well, it's not even open yet. I haven't started charging. I'm basically just… I mean, you can donate money at the front desk but-"

"There's no charge?" Yi Min asked, an eyebrow raised.

"No."

"So, Yi Min. That's like, the coolest name. Is it Chinese?"

Yi Min glanced at the redhead lounging on her stomach. "Korean."

"Oh, cool. I know in China, the last name comes first. Is it the same in Korea? Is Yi your last name?"

"It's my family name, yes." So there had been strings attached. Yi Min had to share her room with a bubbly college student.

"Huh. Can I call you Min? The two name thing… really complicated. I mean, if you called me Welsh Olympia Persephone I'd be kind of annoyed. Well, actually, I'd be annoyed if you called me Olympia. And would a middle name come before or after the first name?"

Very Greek. Very, very Greek. Yi Min bit her lip. "Yeah, you can call me Min. And what would you like me to call you?"

"Ollie. I know it's a guy's name, but it's better than Olympia. That sounds so… godlike."

"Maybe because it is?" Yi Min raised an eyebrow. The name was a derivative of Olympus, for God's sake. As in, Mountain of the Gods.

"Good point. Well, just call me Ollie, Min."

Yi Min shrugged. "Okay."

Umma-

I am writing to tell you that I arrived safely in America. It is not what I expected, but I feel that I'll be okay soon. I've already met a lot of nice people. A nice man helped me find a hotel, and my roommate, Ollie, is a bit… peculiar, but she's really nice. I think you would like her, umma. I don't have a lot of time, but I'll write more later.

Love,

Yi Min

"What are you doing?" Ollie asked, bouncing into the room.

Yi Min closed her notebook and shrugged. "Writing a letter home."

"Oh." Ollie sat down next to her, her eyes compassionate. "Do you miss home?" she asked.

Yi Min nodded. "Yes." She frowned. "Don't you?"

Ollie shook her head. "No, not really. My dad's really mean. I'm kind of happy to be away, you know?"

Yi Min shook her head. "My parents aren't mean."

"Oh. Well." Ollie shrugged. "Don't you know someone with mean parents?"

"No. All the parents I know only want what's best for their children."

Green eyes widened. "Man, you have to be the most sheltered person I know. Do you really believe that baloney?"

"Bologna?"

"Err. Well, spell it."

Yi Min frowned. "B-O-L-O-G-N-A."

"No. Well, yeah. But no. So yes and no at the same time."

"Maybe?"

"No. Well, yeah. Kind of. I dunno."

"I may speak English pretty well, but I'm still not English. Err, American. What are you trying to say?"

"I'm not sure. Just. The way I said baloney, it's spelled differently. B-A-L-O-N-E-Y. But it means the same thing. But it also means gobbledygook, which is what I meant it as."

"Gobbledygook?"

"You know, like mumbo jumbo."

"Mumbo jumbo?"

"Hogwash."

"Hogwash?"

"Claptrap."

"Claptrap?"

"Gibberish."

"Gibberish?"

"Twaddle"

"Twaddle?"

"Balderdash."

"Balderdash?"

"Hokum, bunkum, humbug"

"I give up."

"Nonsense."

"Oh. Okay." Both girls stared at each other, then burst out laughing. When Yi Min gained control of herself, she bit her lip. "You did that on purpose," she accused.

"Yep," Ollie answered simply, her green eyes twinkling.

Yeah, you gotta follow that dream wherever that dream may lead you/ You gotta

follow that dream to find the love you need

________________________________________