Crossing the Rubicon
Chapter 1: Like Mother, Like Daughter
Brief dossier: A couple of days after Keg! Max! Let's pretend that Rory and Jess talked about everything that occurred during Kyle's party and reconciled. For the sake of being me, with said reconciliation they got closer. (Hint Hint Wink Wink) And then Goodnight, Gracie happened allowing for Jimmy's sudden appearance and disappearance. Then consecutively that big argument between Jess and Luke occurred. Jess was left with the only option that felt right: Leave. He packs his duffel and leaves that same night not saying anything to Rory. Luke upon finding Jess's room empty decides it's best for him to tell Rory about Jess's father, Jimmy; how he showed up to leave quickly. And his argument with Jess, ending with his kicking Jess out. Three weeks go by and Rory finds out that she's pregnant. In true Richard Gilmore fashion she's stoic and tries to pretend it away. But then an epiphany hits her. A life-altering epiphany: she can be just like her mother and she comes to a decision.
A/N: I felt pretty bad leaving chapter 1 how I did so I decided to edit it add more to the summary as well as change it to the present tense. The content basically is the same expect it's in present tense. The italics are the thoughts of the people that are talking. Like, when Rory talks the italics before or after her spoken statements are her thoughts. I hope that makes sense and I apologize for the confusion. Also this will in fact be Literati. And depending on whether or not I can pull it off, I might go into more detail of the dossier's events in the form of flashbacks. Now for the edited present tense of the story.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except the insanity that is my mind.
She sits at her bed and looks around at her room. Her blue eyes land on the bulky duffel bag on the floor at her feet, to the Yale paraphernalia, then to her over stacked bookshelves. Rory lets herself fall back on her bed and stares at the ceiling. Her mind is already made up and she tries to name this emotion that swells within her. This emotion, that stubbornly refuses to name itself, blankets her heart and mind from the havoc that her decision will wreak. She lets the silence envelope her as she continues to wait for her mother. Her left hand goes subconsciously to her flat stomach just as the front door opens.
"Oh, fruit of my loins! How's your day?" Better than mine, I hope. Lorelai closes the door behind her just as Rory makes her way into the living room, duffel bag draped around her right shoulder. "Oh, you ready for Luke's?" Lorelai's blue eyes land on the duffel bag her daughter is carrying. She has a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as her eyes go back to her daughters'.
Rory takes a couple steps in front of her mother and pauses as she sees her mother's now watering eyes. "I love you, mom. And I'm sorry," For choosing to repeat your mistakes. I hope you don't hate me too much for this.
"F-for what?" I know that look in her eyes. Mine were like that too. Lorelai's voice shakes slightly. The sinking feeling increases tenfold.
"I'm leaving. I can't stay here. I don't know where I'm going or if I'll come back. So I just need you to know that I love you and I'm proud to call you my mother." In case you could never tell. "I am truly sorry." I cannot tell her the rest. I refuse to have her hating me along with resenting me. Her own voice is breaking and she brushes past her mother, eyes blurry and strides out the door refusing to see her mother break down. She walks down the steps and heads straight for the bus that will take her away from her hometown. As she sits on the bus she thinks she may have heard her name being called a couple of times but she can't be sure. The bus drives off and only when she sees the Stars Hollow sign does she allow herself to breathe through her tears. The nameless stubborn emotion finally allows its name to fall from her lips. "Free."
Stars Hollow
The sound of the door clicking shut behind Rory sounds as final as the look of sheer determination in her eyes. Her daughter walked out on her just like she walked out on Richard and Emily; her parents. Lorelai feels the tears threatening to fall and turns to the door. Even if she did manage to get Rory to listen to her, she wouldn't stay in Stars Hollow. She walks out of the house mechanically, her footsteps taking her somewhere she doesn't have the mental capacity to question. When she hears the jingle of a bell she figures out that her footsteps have taken her to Luke's.
All conversation ceases when eyes land on a barely there Lorelai. Luke steps out of the kitchen and sees her then. Lorelai stands a couple of feet away from the door; her posture distraught, her blue eyes absent. "Out!" A pause and then everyone in the diner scatters out the door. Luke walks up to her silently. "What happened?" Please let it be something fixable. Lorelai tilts her head at Luke.
Considering the question she lets out a shaky breath as Luke gently leads her through the checkered curtain and up the stairs to his apartment. "Rory's gone." She took a cue from me. He sets the breaking mother on his couch next to him. "I get home from the inn and she's waiting for me with a duffel bag. It was big and it looked old. I didn't think we owned one. I don't know how she could've possibly carried it. I don't think I could've carried it." She never fails to surprise me.
Luke tightens his arm around her. "What'd she say?" To make you look this hurt. He asks gently almost afraid of the answer.
Lorelai eyes the floor her tears falling full force. "That she loved me and is proud to be my daughter." Yet she left.
"What did you say?" You must've tried to stop her.
"She walked out before I could respond. When the door closed behind her I couldn't stay in the house; I felt trapped." She pauses, sobs raking through her now. "I don't see why we couldn't talk about what she was going through." We always talk.
Luke rubs her back. "She'll come back." I hope.
"You didn't see the look in her eyes, Luke. If she does come back it's not forever." She buries her head in Luke's shirt and lets the sobs overtake her. Luke holds onto her tightly and whispers soft nothings into her hair.
Boston
The bus stops and makes Rory wake with a jolt. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she sees others departing. She gets up duffel bag around her shoulder and descends the bus looking around at the foreign city. The evening sun bright; she walks for a couple of blocks, bumping into very few people. Her blue eyes dart from building to building trying to ingest as much of the city as she can.
Finally tired, she signals a cab. Hopping in, she places the duffel bag beside her. "Where to, miss?" The cabbie looks at her through the rearview mirror, patient.
"I'm kind of hungry. Can you please take me somewhere not too pricey that serves great food?" She rubs her stomach unconsciously. The cabbie chuckles softly.
"In Boston there are tons of places like that. But there is this one place that just recently got big. The chef there is like a god. Which is funny 'cause he's a Harvard bound senior that works there for kicks; he can make anything." The cab stops at a streetlight.
"Oh? Sounds interesting." Anything? Yum.
"Yeah. He's about your age, Hispanic and a culinary godsend. His name is something Garcia." The cab stops in front of a quaint hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The restaurant itself is very nice. Dark blue and a brazen crimson, the restaurant's front walls look distinguishable. The red horizontal sign above the door proudly reads 'Moonshine' in dark blue.
Rory pays the cabbie, thanks him for the recommendation and hops out duffel bag in tow. The windowed walls tell her that there is a small group inside. She walks towards the door and sees that the small group is ten or so guys all seated at a rectangular table at the center of the restaurant; all talking animatedly.
One notices her and gets up to unlock the door for her. He's around her height with chestnut hair, mocha eyes, and olive skin. He steps aside allowing her entrance. "Welcome to the hole-in-the-wall that is Moonshine; where all your culinary cravings can be conceived." If you don't believe me; put me to the test. He expertly laces his words with mirth. And there's a small accent in his deep voice, which Rory believes to be Hispanic. He pauses. "Hey, silence that sorry excuse for music that is rap! The ballots came in and it's unanimous that rock wins this month." We get like this every month. He shakes his chestnut haired head. His eyes drift back towards Rory. "I'm Des." Her blue eyes drift in front of them to the table. "You can sit with us. They all had their rabies shots, so they're harmless. Well, pathologically." 'Cause they might be inclined to bite someone that looks like you do. Rory laughs and follows him, sitting to his right. She drops her bag on the floor just as the music stops.
Every guy looks at her curiously. Then Des clears his throat. "Men, class is in session; this beautiful creature with brown hair, sapphire orbs, and ivory skin is called a woman. That's w-o-m-a-n. If you think that you've seen one...you are correct. In fact they're scattered all over the world." Nine pairs of eyes glare murderously at Des. His dark brown eyes land on Rory's blue ones. "Beautiful creature that is woman I'll introduce you to the guys." He leans into Rory conspiratorially; and points to the black-haired guy to her right. "That's Leonardo Arroyo. Call him Leo." Fruit cake Leo. Leo smiles at her, his green eyes kind. Des points to Leo's right. "The muscular beast next to him is Michael Cartwright. Don't let him fool you; steroids couldn't do what he did hereditarily." He says jokingly. Muscular Michael. The others chuckle at the angry glare on Michael's face. Michael nods at her in greeting. Des points to the red-haired guy sitting adjacent from Michael. "That's Vinny Price. As his name suggests he is one pricey escort." Just ask his conquests. Des throws Rory a smirk then plows on. "Those three are the Helfer brothers: Billy, Dan and Chris." They're a helluva handful, those Helfer Hounds. Three brown-haired guys nod in greeting at her. Des points to the one next to Chris. "That other carrot top there is Luis Wrangler." Red Wrangler. Luis nods at Rory. "The one with his eyes glued to his watch is Spenser Cross." Spenser's eyes stay to his wristwatch. "And that dirty blonde loser there is Tristan Dugrey." Trashy Tristan.
Blue clashes with blue as Rory and Tristan stare at each other. Then Tristan's lips from a smirk. "Fellas, this is Rory Gilmore." That's right Mare, I remember you. Two years and I have yet to forget.
Rory's eyes flash and she smiles at each one of them in turn. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Tristan, it's good to see you again."
Tristan nods in agreement at Rory's last statement and clears his throat. "Oh, and Des is the chef: Desidero Garcia." Just as Des is going to say something Spenser's wristwatch beeps. "You are going to love dinner...Mary."
Author's Note: So, what did you think? Comments/questions: review please. I hope, you, few readers that I have don't hate me for doing that.