The April Twist
Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls. If I did, I am pretty sure I would have done a better job!
An: apparently I have had another aneurysm and wrote this.
Of all the fics that I have read post finale, there is not one of them, that makes Lorelai and April share a less the idyllic good relationship between Lorelai and April. So I did something different. Now being a daddy's girl myself, I put myself in April shoes for a little bit. And I think that I would not be very happy with the lot of them. But my dad is my dad…The twist is, she is not very fond of Lorelai.
I don't mean this as a Lorelai bashing. I tried to be equal in the blame! I am however fully bashing the second half of s6 and all of the s7!
Of course the responsibility of this disaster of a s/l, and I'll never stop writing it, rest entirely on ASP and Rosenthal! A five year old would have done a better job than the likes of them. Let's hope that the revival is better. Although it really doesn't take much, frankly!
I don't have a beta so I am sorry for any grammatical errors! I re-read it a few times now and I can't find any mistake. Being Italian, I am not very good at writing in English. I am trying to learn. And I refuse to use google translate! Lol
I am sorry if you find any mistakes. I'll try and edit if that is the case.
Now, here goes nothing!
It had been eating at her.
Since the day her dad had told her that he and Lorelai were working it out. She didn't like this. At all.
People thought that she didn't know. But she was not stupid. She was smart and a little manipulative too. It really was a piece of cake to get Babette and Miss Patty to cave in. She had hoped after their " break up" that her dad would find someone to make him happy. Because he was a good man, and he had sacrificed literally everything for her. He could've let it go, and not being in a part of her life. Or he could have dragged his heels in and brought her mom to court immediately. None of these things would have made her happy. And he was mindful of that, trying to protect her just like any father would do. And what he got in exchange was only hurt and regret. He thinks it was his fault. But her dad would never say other ways. That was who he was.
But she knew better. And this turn of events didn't make her feel comfortable. At all.
She had come to visit him for a week during the spring holydays and while he seemed happy for the first time in months, she didn't like the cause of it. He had sat her down and gave her the news. With a smile on his face she had waited for her reaction. She had told him that if he was happy about it, so was she. She had been deceitful enough not to make him suspicious of her real feelings, and it worked, because after that conversation he was even happier. And she didn't want to ruin that. But this had been eating at her. A lot. Waiting for the other shoe to drop, because what kind of woman would have done what she did. Yes her dad had made a big mistake, but that did not warrant her actions. Her dad didn't deserve any of this.
Intellectually she knew it was none of her business. So she had left well enough alone. Until one day, when logging on Facebook she found a friend request from one Rory Gilmore, and another one from Lorelai Gilmore. The woman that had hurt her dad beyond measure last year. The nerve, she had thought.
So it was a Tuesday morning, and the diner was full to the brink, when April has asked her dad if she could go and walk around for a little bit. The diner had been hot and stuffy, as a heatwave was announced to arrive in two days. Fortunately, she and her dad were going on their trip tomorrow morning, escaping the dreaded heatwave.
While walking to the lake she found herself taking a left turn, instead of a right. And also unconsciously two minutes later she was staring at Lorelai's house. Coming up the stairs she realized that she didn't really plan this out. And frankly she wouldn't have dreamt of doing something like this if it wasn't for those friend requests.
She had to talk to Lorelai. Daughter to daughter, she hoped! If, no, when her dad would find out, she would have no regrets. She would stand tall behind the choice of talking to Lorelai without involving him in the discussion. A discussion that they had lots of times before. It went something like this. It was my fault, it was my doing, I shut her out, I lost her…. And bla, bla,bla. At that point April would usually shut her dad out.
Frankly she was afraid that her dad would be hurt yet again. For the third time, according to the town gossips. Plus she needed to do this for her peace of mind.
She took a deep breathe, looked for a second at the door and then quickly rang the doorbell. The moment Lorelai opened the door, she looked surprised to see who was on the other side
"April?" the trademark smile had gone, and in its place confusion.
"Hello Lorelai, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something that's been really bothering me? Please?"
"Sure come in" Lorelai let April in and directed her toward the living room. Having sat down on the sofa, Lorelai then asked if she wanted something to drink. Water, tea, coffee? She asked April with a smirk. She knew that Luke would freak if she gave April coffee. April refused. She looked very serious. She was first confused, the worried and then curious as to why April was here…
"I hope I didn't interrupt anything..." April said looking around the room. She assumed the dog was outside somewhere.
"No, no. just watching TV. Is something the matter?"
April took a deep breathe to find the courage. "You could say that…"
Lorelai leaning toward April asked with a smirk "Is this about a boy?"
"A boy? No, Lorelai it's not about a boy…it's about dad…"
"Your dad?" Lorelai sobered up immediately. She was sitting in the chair, while April was sitting on the couch, stiff like a plank of wood. It reminded her of Emily.
"Well I don't have any other. There is him. He is the only one that I have and quite frankly, the only half of the parental unit that I really like at the moment…"
"Is your mom…."
"Me and mom have not had it easy since last year. What she did to dad… let's just say that I was heard…repeatedly."
Lorelai nodded understanding where this was perhaps heading. She wasn't prepared for this "Oh…".
"You see, I am not someone that takes these kind of things lightly. I am fourteen, yes. But I am not an idiot!"
"Of course you are not…"
"Thank you, that is why I am here. Apparently everyone seems to think that I am just a child, that I don't understand certain things. And that is not true! I understand them well. Just like I understand right from wrong, and very wrong…" she took another deep breathe, looked at Lorelai and started talking "First of all let me say that dad does not know that I am here. If you want, you can tell him afterwards. I have no problem about that. I am aware that he's going to be upset with me and I will deal with it…"
"Ok.. April, I am confused… I don't understand….
"Dad told me you two are back together. Officially, I mean. And I KNOW what happened between you two and…. Um… Christian? last year…"
Christian? Lorelai smiled for a second understanding instantly that April's mistake was not on purpose, but the hesitation in trying to remember the right name, it was just an indication of how unimportant Chris was to April. And how she didn't care to talk about the other man.
Lorelai anyway thought to correct her "You mean Christopher, he is Rory's dad…"
"I am very well aware of the parentage relation, Lorelai…" April interrupted not wanting to hear what she was sure would be a big point of contention between the two of them, if ever this man came to visit… but undeterred Lorelai continued to talk.
"….but that is over. For good. And me and your dad, we are it. We are all in, even if we are not rushing into anything…"
"Good, I think it's very wise. Not rushing I mean. You see, I like you. You are a good person, I guess. Deep down." April looked at Lorelai in the eyes "But what happened last year, with you and dad and.."
Lorelai was shaking her head and trying to reassure her. Now it made sense for her. "It's not your fault April…."
"Oh, I know it's not my fault. It's dad's and yours!" Lorelai looked taken aback by the retort. April, unware continued "However whatever you two are right now, it's my business! And I don't want to see dad suffer the same way he did last year. And that is on you. The point is that I don't trust you with my dad! I don't. I know he is in love with you, and far from me to understand why out of all the women that usually ogle and flirt with him, while we are out, he choose you still. Despite everything. I can't wrap my head around it…"
"I love him…." Lorelai murmured while still looking at April who looked progressively more agitated.
"ah, yes love. You love him? now? what about last year then?" and now April was getting upset. If this was love she'd rather be hated. She stood up and started pacing.
"I… April…" how could she explain this to a fourteen year old.
"You see I know intellectually that this is rude and disrespectful, and this is your home and I have no right to ask you this, but I am talking about MY DAD here. You'll find that I am very protective of the people I care about. Between everyone else last year, all the craziness that was my mom's behavior, he is the only one that cared about me, what I wanted and what I needed. I didn't need him to go to court for custody, to fight mom to death, and he understood that. He sacrificed everything for me. He stood there, taking and taking insults and stupid rules from my mom, for my sake Lorelai! Mom forced his hand at last. And he was not happy about it. And I am still so mad at her for what she put him through. For what she put me through! And I am so upset about what YOU put him through. I know he hurt you deeply, but …. I just don't give a flying fig about it! It's my DAD!". She took a deep breathe, hoping to calm down. The responsibility laid on a lot of people, she knew, but it was important that Lorelai understood well what she was trying to say! She then sat back down, looking at Lorelai " I know that mom and dad should have known better! I know better and I am fourteen, YOU are an adult you should have known better. I know you don't owe me anything. But you do owe my father. According to the town, years and years of it. So I ask that if you truly are in love with him, and you are sure of it, right here, right now, then I will let it go. And I will make the effort for his sake and happiness. But if you are not sure, I ask you to let him go. He would be hurt, but he would be able to move on eventually, but the hurt that he would feel other ways, if you are not sure, or you change your mind later on, or you go to someone else again…." She took another deep breathe. A tear escaped her eye, ruining effectively April's cool exterior ".. this time it will destroy him! And I cannot allow you to do that! He is my dad."
Lorelai sat still. Listened to the child rave and rant and then talk softly. And all she could think about was that there was no doubt that April was Luke's daughter. Through and through. She wasn't expecting this. She wasn't expecting the truth of her ways, of Luke's ways staring right back at her. Shrinking in shame, she looked back at April, who was now trying to get rid of unwanted tears from under her glasses. She saw Luke in her. Not Anna. She saw what she was doing, and ironically it was what Lorelai needed. Someone to say it like it is. And for April to accept that this time Lorelai Gilmore would stand her ground. And fight. And fight she would. Of that she would reassure April. She was glad that April had not ripped into her, or Luke. But she was almost sure that she had made herself clear to Luke too. Briefly she thought of how Emily and Richard would relate to this young girl. Smiling she got up from the chair, just to sit down on the coffee table, directly in front of April, who was still intent on trying to keep her emotions at bay.
Lorelai took April's icy hands in hers, and looking straight into her eyes she started " I am in love with your dad, April. I was in love with him, even before we got together the first time. I was and I always be in love with your dad. I won't repeat past mistakes, I assure you. I promise you, right here, right now that I will not do anything willingly to hurt him ever again, ok?"
April looked at Lorelai. Her hands were getting warmer. And the tears stopped. Just like that. This was all April needed to hear from Lorelai. She nodded as to give Lorelai her approval. Taking her hands back, she sat up, making her way to the foyer…
"Thank you Lorelai. That was all that I needed to hear from you… really thank you. "
"You are very welcome… anytime April."
April made her way to the front door, followed by Lorelai, when she suddenly stopped, turned around.
"In a while, say ten minutes … you can come to the diner... for coffee maybe. This avoidance on yours and dad's part because I am here…. it's getting ridiculous and you are way too old for that nonsense."
And with that April closed the front door behind her. Looked at the porch and started walking down the driveway, and in route to the diner.
Inside the house Lorelai was rooted to the spot when she heard footsteps…
"She is good…"
"Mom! " Lorelai turned around to see her mom leaning on the door frame, with a smirk painted on her face! "How…how long have you been standing there…and where did you come from?"
"I snuck in the back door when I heard you had company. Actually I was here to talk to you about the Spa "stuff", since you have been avoiding the subject at dinner. Your father suggested I corner you, so here I am…cornering you!" Emily said this with a smile, while following Lorelai into the living room.
Lorelai sat down in the chair, with her hand on her head lamented a "mom! I said I was thinking about it, I am still thinking about it!"
Emily looked at her daughter, and almost thought of taking pity on the girl, but refused to. Lorelai was strong, but sometime needed to be pushed. "Well think faster! So…that was Luke's daughter…"
"Mom…"
"You do know that I REALLY want to meet her now, don't you?!"
"Mom!"
"I mean it Lorelai, at dinner, it'll round up the table nicely. You must ask Luke for her favorite dish! Yes, Richard will be pleased. Now, you heard the girl, go on and change, I am coming with you to the diner so I can finally taste his famous coffee which apparently is to die for… and then we'll talk about the spa." Lorelai was still sitting there, wondering if this was a bad dream. "well, what are you waiting for? An invitation? go on now and put something nice on!"
"You are really bossy…." Said Lorelai standing up. Ascending the stairs, Emily could hear her daughter mutter about what had she done wrong in a previous life that would warrant not one but, for how April had talked to her, two Emily in her life.
"That's my second name, bossy…" Emily looked around. Smirking she added in a loud voice so that Lorelai could hear…"I wonder if April would be interested in coming out to society…."
"MOM!"
And it's done
if you want... review!
madisondanes
