A Different Life
A/N: A What if story. Instead of being raised by Lorelai, Rory was raised by her grandparents who she always believed were her parents and that Lorelai was just her much old sister. AU of course.
Chapter 1
Rory's eyes slowly opened at the sound of light tapping echoing around her room. Groaning slightly when a patch of light which was streaming through a chink in the curtains hit her eyes. Looking around the room she was reminded yet again to speak to her Mother about decorating the room to get read of some of the more child like aspects which were still left in the room. Perhaps she could suggested the her mother did it as her birthday present considering how close it was. Whilst she loved certain items in the room, there was only so many dolls she could stomach at her age. Of course there was going to be two items which were exempted. The doll house which took pride of place and the stuffed chicken toy which always sat on the end of her bed.
"Rory, Dear." Emilys voices sang out throughout the room "It's time to get up and go to school."
"Okay Mom." Rory called out as she started to pull the covers down on her bed and execrate herself from them.
"Breakfast will be on the table in 10 minutes."
"Sure thing." Rory said knowing she would yet again hurry to get ready to stick to her mothers timetable. Sometimes she marvelled at her mothers very traditionally ways and never veering timetable. Never much so when it came to her very much so non traditionally name considering how right and proper her parents were when it come to there lives and also hers.
She had of course questioned them on this and she was told that her name had been chosen by her older sister as they had promised her due to the very large age gap that she would have some involvement considering she would no longer be an only child.
She mused slightly about it for a moment. Rory Lorelai Gilmore. She loved her name. She had no idea where the Rory part had come from but it was very unique and she adored it. And the Lorelai bit was from her sister and her grandmother. She always though it was strange that her middle name was the same as her sibling but as it was a family name she though that it was included so she could have part of the family legacy in her name.
She scurried around her room and grabbed her Chilton Uniform before diving into her bathroom to get washed and ready for the day ahead.
Rory rushed down the stairs and into the dining room fearful that her mother would notice that she was running late.
She spied her father at the head of the table his head buried in The Wall Street Journal as normal. Hearing the sound of Rory hurrying across the floor his eyes looked up above the top of the newspaper.
"Ahh Rory" Richard said his eyes twinkling as normal Rory was skimming it to get to breakfast. "There you are."
Rory slowed down and walked across to Richard leaning down to give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Morning Dad"
"Morning Dear" Richard replied as Rory went to her assigned seat.
Emily walked into the room. A cup of coffee in her right hand she walked past everyone lightly touching Rory on the shoulder as she passed her and took her normal seat at the table carefully placing her coffee cup on the table.
Looking across at Rory she spoke.
"So what plans do you have today?"
"The Normal Mom. Class and then the library after school. I have a group project for English due at the end of the week and we need to meet up to start working on it."
"Excellent. So who are you working with this time?" Emily questioned back.
"The normal group." Rory said taking a deep breath waiting for the response to one of the names. "Paris, Louise, Madeline, Brad and um Tristan."
"Tristan?" Emily questioned her right eyebrow raised.
"Yes Mom, Tristan." Rory responded waiting for the inevitable conversation.
"I thought I talked to you about hanging out with that boy. He is not the type of boy I wish for you to associate with at all." Emily was well aware of the playboy reputation that Tristan had and would on many occasions would do her darnedest to make sure Rory stayed away from him and other boys like him.
Rory blanched at that comment. She never understood why her parents had such a big problem with her being around boys. On many occasions she felt that she was being wrapped up in cotton wool up until the point where her parents has pretty much made it clear that she was not allowed to date at all. Something which confused her as she knew her older sister had dated at her age. She knew about Christopher her sisters boyfriend when she was her age from her Mom's group of friends which means that something had happened in the sixteen years since her sister had been her age.
"I know. But as I said before Mom, my English teacher keeps to the same project groups throughout the academic year so I will be working with the same group of people till next academic year. There is nothing I can do about being paired about him."
Richard rustled his newspaper and folded it up placing it to the side of him.
"Emily dearest, It is nothing but a school project and she will be studying at the library with a group. It is not like she is going to a party with that boy."
Emily exhaled and nodded across to her husband sensing he was telling her to back of from this in case it turned into something else.
"My apologies Rory, If it is for a class project and you had no choice about your group members then I shouldn't see a problem with you being around Tristan and your other friends so you can complete this work. Just ensure you are back promptly for dinner tonight. Some business colleagues of your father will be dining with us tonight and I want to make sure your are properly attired for the evening.
"Sure Mom." Rory said grabbing a piece of toast from the centre of the table and placing it on the plate in front of her before reaching across for the butter.
"I have some news for you Rory."
"What's that Dad?"
"As you are aware you sixteenth birthday is coming up quite soon and that me and your mother will be throwing you a sweet sixteen party for it. Well your sister Lorelai has been in touch to say she will be will definitely attending."
"Brilliant!" Rory exclaimed. She loved when her sister came for a visit; unfortunately those visits were few and far between. Lorelai has left home, or more correctly run away from home not so long after she had been born. Rory had never been told the true reason why all she knew that the relationship between Lorelai and there parents were extremely strained and that her sister left suddenly after a major disagreement. Since that point she lived and worked in a small town called Star Hallows not far from Hartford. Apart from a few visits when she was very young to where her sister worked she know only saw her sister on holidays and without fail on her birthday. Her birthday but never her parents.
"I though that would make you happy. Now eat up, time is getting away from you and you need to get to school."
Rory pulled into the driveway outside her home after what had been the day from hell. Tristan has been his normal charming self flirting a storm with her. And Paris, well Paris had gone nuclear about the project and how much work they had to do between now and Friday.
As she was just undoing her seatbelt her cell phone started to ring. She snapped it open without reading the screen knowing instantly who it was going to be.
"Yes Paris."
"Gilmore. I need you to come back to the library there is still stuff that we need to work on for this project. I cannot believe you are shirking your work in this caviller manner."
"There is no shirking. I told you Paris that my Mom wanted my home for dinner tonight and there would be no circumstances that would get me out."
"But the project..." Paris tried to interject. She may be Rorys best friend but on some occasions she did drive her to the point of insanity.
"I know about the Project and I know its importance. But if I don't go to this dinner my Mom will probably ground me for a year with the only time I would be allowed out of my room will be for meals and school. You kow how strict my Mom is."
Paris exhaled loudly down the speaker of her phone. She had seen on many occasions how strict Emily Gilmore was when it came to Rory. She had always though it was a bit strange considering the stories she had heard about how wild her older sister was when she was a child.
"Okay" She said begrudgingly. "Go, Eat Dinner, Talk to you parents. But as soon as it is over I want you in the phone. Considering how much attention Madeline, Louise and Tristan were not paying we may have our work cut out on this."
"Thank you Paris! As soon as Dinner is over I will be on the phone. Anyway Brad seemed to be paying attention. Call him, he maybe able to help you get started on this. "
"Don't make me laugh! He barely can say two words to me!."
"I wonder why. In one sentence you threatened to punch both him and his Rabbi. Look Paris. I'm home now. I need to go and get ready."
"Fine Go Rory. Make certain it is straight after Dinner. Skip the cheese plate if you can, we need to get to work on this straight away."
"Bye Paris." Rory said laughing slightly as she closed her phone and stashed it back in her bag. Paris had been the same since they were kids in Kindergarten. Always worrying about school and her grades.
Grabbing her book bag and her keys she stepped out of the car and walked towards the front door quickly unlocking and stepping in. She stood in the entry way and was about to call out when she heard the voices of two people speaking. One voice been her Mothers and the other one she recognised as her sister Lorelai. She knew it was rude to stand and listen in but the next sentence pulled her in and she couldn't help herself.
"You Promised Mom." Lorelai said pleading at Emily.
"I did no such thing Lorelai, I said when that point in time came up we would discuss the situation and the best course of action in regards to it."
"Well I am here and I am discussing it. And I want to go ahead with it. That's my decision Mom."
"It's not the right time. She is not ready for it. We need to take our time with this. It is a big thing"
Lorelai started to yell and Rory stepped closer to the sitting room door getting more intrigued at the whole conversation.
"If you had your own way it would never be the right time. Every-time I bring this up you keep on saying this and I bet you will carry on doing this. When is it going to be the right time 2 years, 5 years or maybe if you have you way never? This has got to come out sometime Mom regardless of what you say."
Emily's voice picked up and she almost started to yell as well.
"You have no right to push our hand in regards to this Lorelai. Rory is our daughter and we will make the decision about this not you."
Rory moved even closer to the sitting room door, because of Emilys statement she know knew that her Mother and her sister were having an argument about her and she wanted to find out desperately what Lorelai wanted to tell her.
"That is where you wrong Mom. I am your daughter no matter how much at times I wish I wasn't. But she is not. She is my daughter, she was my daughter when I gave birth to her almost sixteen years. You and Dad are her grandparent not her parents. She only thinks you are her parents because you took her from me, you gave me no choice, you faked a pregnancy and sent me away so your precious society would believe that she was your child not mine. You never asked me if it was something I wanted to do. As soon as you found out I was pregnant the decision was made. You were going to be her Mother regardless of my feelings. Well time is up. She is going to find out regardless of your feelings."
Rory was stunned by Lorelai's last sentence and her bag and her keys slipped from her grasp clattering loudly onto the floor beside her.
Emily and Lorelai took a few steps towards the doorway after hearing that sound and spied Rory standing there a stunned look on her face and was visibly shaking with emotion.
They both realised that Rory had overheard them. They hadn't been aware at all that Rory had even been in the house. When Lorelai has arrived only a few minutes earlier than Rory she had been advised that Rory was studying in the library after school for some class project.
"Oh Rory." Lorelai said noticing the emotion which was over her. This was not the way she wanted her to find out. She had had it all planned, how she was going to tell her. How she was going to explain what had happened and what had gone on all those years ago.
Looking up into Lorelai's eyes Rory spoke quietly. Unsure now in her voice and in the person she was
"What you said it's not true, right. You can't be. Mum and Dad are my parents and you are just my much older sister. Not my mother."
Stepping forward Lorelai walked towards her and clasped her shoulders lightly to stop her shaking.
"What you heard is true. I am your Mother Rory. I have always been your mother regardless of what you were brought up to believe."
Rory pulled back out of Lorelai's touch tears streaming down her face.
"You are not my mother! Emily is my mother. You are nothing but my sister who never has any dealings with this family at all."
With that Rory made a bolt for the stairs running up them extremely quickly , this was followed by the sound of Rory's bedroom door slamming.
Lorelai turned round to face her mother. Tears welling in her eyes and what Rory has spat out at her. She knew that it was not going to be easy when Rory would of found out the truth. But to her this felt like a punch to the stomach. She spotted the stony expression on her mothers face and just waited for her words to come out.
"See Lorelai, See what your precious truth has done. That Girls did not deserve to find out that way. By you yelling at me!"