Rory grumbled slightly as her head turned in an effort to get the early sun out of her eyes; it didn't work in the slightest, though. The question about who had opened the curtains stilled on her tongue as her eyes took in an unfamiliar room. It was rustic, all the furniture made from the same logs the walls seemed to be made of. A place so very unlike anywhere she'd ever been before.
She got out of bed slowly, got dressed in the simple cotton dress she found in the wardrobe, and headed out into the main room of the house that seemed to be living room, kitchen, dining room all in one. "Mom?" she could barely believe her eyes as Lorelai moved around in front of the sink.
Lorelai turned and smiled at Rory. "I was hoping you'd be up soon. I need you to take those to your Grandmother." She nodded her head at a basket on the table, as she finished cleaning up the mess from baking.
Rory moved closer to look into the basket, eyes widening a little at the still warm muffins inside. Since when did her mother cook? "Grandmother?"
Lorelai dried off her hands with a nod and pulled a red cape off the hook near the door. "Yes. Are you feeling alright?" The question held concern as she tied the cape around Rory, the very essence of the perfect, kind mother.
Everything had started to fall into place though, the cape giving her the best clue, and she shook her head with a smile. "I'm fine. I'll head there straight away." With a smiled goodbye, she picked up the basket and headed on her way, down the dirt path to Grandmother's house.
She was about halfway down the road when she heard a familiar voice with a darker tone. "My, my, my, Red. That basket smells delicious."
Rory turned slightly to see a very wolfish Jess melt out of the forest with a dark light in his eyes as he watched her and her basket. "My mother made the muffins, I'm just delivering them."
He fell into step with her slowed pace, just off the path. "I wouldn't be able to get you to part with any of them, would I?"
Rory shook her head and looked forward on the path, "They're for my Grandmother, and she'll know if one is missing." When she turned to look back at Jess, he'd already disappeared back into the forest at her answer. She shrugged it off slightly as she picked up her pace a little down road, wanting to be there faster.
When she got to the front door, she knocked before opening the door and stepping inside. "Grandmother?" She called out as she closed the door behind her.
"Back here, dear," Emily's voice rang out from the bedroom.
Rory sat the basket down on a table she passed and moved to the room. Her feet stopped her just inside the door, not daring to go closer because Emily on the bed didn't quite look right. Her feet seemed to be the only thing she could control though as words she knew well fell out of her mouth, "My Grandmother, what big ears you have."
Her Grandmother smiled a little, "All the better to hear you with, my dear."
"My Grandmother, what big eyes you have," Rory heard herself say as her heart picked up a little bit of speed.
The smile grew, showing sharper than normal teeth, "All the better to see you with, my dear."
Rory knew what would come next, but even knowing and fighting with everything in her she couldn't stop her next words. "My Grandmother, what big teeth you have."
"All the better to eat you with, my dear!" Even as the dark words were said the person on the bed leapt at her.
Rory screamed as any resemblance to Emily melted away to reveal the wolf-looking Jess and an arm around her waist pulled her back and out of the dream.
"Rory...shhh, you're having a nightmare."
Rory's eyes blinked open and focused on Logan's face above her as she panted from the fear of her dream. "Logan..." She shifted and curled into his arms, "The wolf was about to eat me...and you saved me."
Logan kissed her hair and rubbed a hand along her back to help sooth her nightmare away, "I'll always be there to save you."