Rory had Harvey-James on her hip as she walked up the stairs to the apartment, with Lorelai following behind her.
"I can't go on my own again, Rory."
"Mom, I'm not going to Richard and Emily's Friday" Rory stated. "I refuse to be talking to like a child who is incapable of deciding what she wants in live and how to live it."
"Please Rory" Lorelai put her hands in front of her chest.
"No" Rory stated.
"I'll babysit Harvey anytime you want to do dirty things to the hooligan."
Rory sneered "Can you not bring that-" she nodded her head as she put Harvey-James on the floor.
Lorelai rolled her eyes "You squeezed a baby out of you and you can't discuss that."
Rory walked over to the coffee machine and set to work making a pot. "I'm not discussing this with my Mother."
Lorelai sighed deeply and walked over to the able and slumped on the seat "I was once your Best Friend."
Rory rolled her eyes as she switched the machine on and picked up a toy on the floor by the counter. "I don't even have time to talk to Lane."
Lorelai smirked "you tried to change the subject!" She pointed at her. "You're still coming."
"No I'm not" Rory said putting Harvey-James toy in the toy chest "Until she apologizes with the way she spoke to Jess and me then I will start to see her."
"So you're going to punish me?"
"I'm fine with you" Rory said pouring her some coffee. "But I'm still not going."
Lorelai huffed crossing her arms over her chest.
GG
"I can't believe it!" Rory exlaimed.
Jess smirked as he watched her getting dressed in a knee lenght skirt and blue blouse.
"I don't know how my Mother does it!" She licked her lips and she closed the wardrobe doors. She untucked her blouse from where it got caught at the back. "Can't you give me a call so I can leave early!"
Jess stood up from the bed and stood infront of her "No can do. Harvey-James to bed and then work until the diner closes."
Rory pouted. "Drat!"
Jess kissed her on her forehead. "I might have something for you to think about."
Rory looked up "It depends what it is?"
Jess kissed her on the cheek "How about making a spectacular" He kissed her on the lips "Pro-Con list for me?"
"Really?"
Jess reached over to the desk and pulled out a folder. He laid it on the desk and opened it to the top page. His letters from different colleges were neatly placed between his notepad.
Rory gasped pulling away from his arms and turning round. "How many have you got?"
"4 rejection but 4 acceptant letters."
Rory fanned them out "Jess, this is amazing!"
Jess shrugged "they're all online classes."
"Dosn't matter." She pouted.
"What?"
Rory sighed "Oh man. You've made me excited!" She replied.
Jess laughed.
Rory looked at the time on the wall. "I'll make Harvey-James bath before I leave. I'll slip out when he's occupied."
"Thank you" Jess kissed her on her lips and sat down at the end of the bed.
Rory sighed and walked into the bathroom. She reached onto the wire rack to get Bath soap.
Jess tapped his fist on the table and closed the folder. He turned to Harvey who was sitting by his toy box playing with a toy.
-GG-
"I hate you" Rory said as they were exiting Lorelai's jeep. Rory glared at her mother over the door "Your proud of yourself aren't you?"
Lorelai shut the driver's door and grinned over at her daughter.
They moved over to the glass french doors revealing a elegant interior. The house's swimming pool cased a shimmering reflection on the buildings many glass windows. Rory huffed just as Richard came out of the pool house. "Well Hello Rory my dear" he greeted her and kissed her on the cheek.
"Shaken, not stirred, please, Jeeves" Rory joked.
Lorelai and Rory sat down onto a plush loveseat, Richard sat opposite them in a padded club chair while a male servant mixes drinks at a nearby bar table. "His name is Julian."
"I thought every butler's name was Jeeves." Lorelai jibed.
"He's not a butler. He's a valet." Richard stated.
"So he parks your car?"
"No, he does not park my car. He does exactly what you see him doing."
"So he is a bartender.
Richard rolled his eyes "He attends to my needs."
Lorelai smirked raising one eyebrow "So he's a geisha."
Richard shook his head "You'll be quieter once you have a drink, I assume." He went to turn to Rory but nodded once and sat back down.
Rory looked down at her hands on her lap. She looked up at Lorelai who looked back over at her. Lorelai gestured with her head. Rory shook her head scrunching her forehead into a frown. Rory licked her lips and took a deep breath "Grandpa" she smiled. "Is there a book interesting to you this week?" she asked.
"Not at the moment" Richard replied.
Rory sat back into the back of the chair and looked over at Lorelai.
Lorelai shrugged.
Julian the valet stepped up beside the small loveseat and armchair. "You wanted me to remind you that you were going to bring out the Hungarian cheese, sir."
Richard clapped his hands together "Yes I did. I'll be right back." He stands and walked the small distance to the kitchenette area.
Lorelai smiled as Julian handed her martini over to her. He did the same to Rory with a soda before stepping away back beside the drinks tray.
"This is crazy." Rory exclaimed.
"Well, it depends on your definition of "crazy." I, for one, found the Mariah Carey phone messages to her fans just refreshingly imaginative." Lorelai said sarcasticly.
Rory held her soda in the air "We're having drinks in the pool house."
"Yup."
"The last time I was in the pool house was the last time I was in the pool."
Lorelai sat up in the seat and puffed her chest out "I know. I pushed you in."
"So, Grandpa's actually living out here?" Rory asked. Lorelai shrugged. They both watch him across in the kitchenette where he is preparing a cheese board. "Do you think he's happy?"
"I do. I think he's very happy out here with his books and his special friend, Julian." she smirked bring her martini to her lips.
"Don't be gross" Rory sneered.
Lorelai shrugged "What? I'm just saying two grown men out here alone with Hungarian cheese and swim trunks..."
Rory closed her eyes "Oh, jeez."
"Your sounding a lot like Jess these days!" she said spitefully.
Rory glared at her.
"All right, we have cheese, we have drinks" He stated walking over to the coffee table placing the cheeseboard down. "Do you each have a coaster?"
Lorelai holds up philosopher pictured coaster "Kierkegaard."
Rory holds up a coaster too "Schopenhauer."
"Excellent."
-GG-
"Hmm. Soup in 100-degree weather. cool" Rory smacked her lips together as she stared at the steaming bowl infront of her.
Emily, Lorelai and Rory were seated round the large table in the dining room situated in the main house. The maid placed a bowl in front of them and returned to the kitchen. Emily looks over Lorelai ignoring Rory's snide comment. "I have the air-conditioning on, Rory."
"I like it, Mom."
Rory shook her head and mouthed across the table. "Oh, my God, the sucking up."
"Thank you, Lorelai. It's fennel potato puree with a touch of chili to give it spice. I thought we could go more exotic now that it's just us girls."
"If you really want an exotic girls' night out, Grandma, let's hit Baja."
"So, Lorelai, tell me, what's new?" Emily asked.
"Different room, same reaction." Rory quipped taking a slurp of her soup.
GG
Rory groaned as her and Lorelai stepped out of the house "Oh my god, that happened right?"
The door closed behind them.
Lorelai shrugged "It wasn't that bad!"
Rory raised an eyebrow "I'm sorry were you at dinner?" She looked behind her. "I felt like a third wheel."
Lorelai walked towards the jeep. "At least its over with!"
Rory walked round the jeep and got in the passenger side. Slamming the door behind him she put her seatbelt on. Lorelai sighed getting in the car. She started the engine.
GG
Rory yawned as she walked into the apartment. She stretched her arms above her head when she put her bag on the peg. Jess looked up from his place on the sofa, he had a book open on his lap. "That bad?" he asked.
Rory let out a long sigh "You have no idea." She walked round the coffee table and sat down putting her leg under her. "It was like I was the elephant in the room." she licked her laps resting her head on his chest "Big and Pink" she added.
Jess pulled her towards him and kissing her forehead. "Its done now!"
Rory peeked at his book "What you reading?"
Jess held the book up. Making sure his hand was in the book he flipped it closed and showed her the cover. "Just re-reading!" he stated flipping the book open and placed it page down on the table. Jess looked over at the folder and then glanced briefly at the wardrobe. That white romper hovered in his head.
"Did he go to sleep early?" she asked.
Jess shook his head to rid those thoughts. He looked over at Harvey-James as he laid on his stomach in the centre of his bed. "Yeah, he fell within a few minutes."
Rory yawned.
"Tired?"
Rory nodded closing her eyes."I don't know why I'm so tired all of a sudden," she sighed.
Jess licked his bottom lip. He gulped glancing briefly over to the wardrobe. "If your sleepy you will answer my questions right!"
Rory yawned covering her mouth with her hand "depends what it is?"
Jess looked down "I found the bag in the wardrobe!"
Rory opened her eyes "I took a test. But it said I wasn't. It was a moment of weakness that's all." It was silent for a few seconds. "I mean I wasn't intentionally trying to avoid telling you. We don't talk about any of that stuff other than when I have a problem or when we're talking about books. I'm far from thinking about having others, its just." She stopped.
"I don't talk to you about things intentionally either."
"Oh no, Jess. Its not like I hate you not telling me things. Its just the way you are," Rory explained.
"To be honest, I never thought I would have one kid!" Jess said.
"I know." Rory licked her lips. "I thought I wouldn't have any until I had a stable career and I was married."
"Now I've experienced it, I'm not saying no about anymore."
Rory let out a breath she didn't know she was hiding. "So If it wasn't planned you wouldn't think too much about it right?"
Jess took a moment to think. "Would you be disapointed if I said no"
"Are you saying no?"
Jess shrugged "Lets get to bed!" He stated. He wrapped his arms round her shoulder and stood her up. Rory whined fustrating with his non-asnwer. She followed him as they walked to the bedroom.
"Oh no Pro-Con lists!" she whined. Glancing at the folder still on the desk from this evening.
Jess smiled. "Brain like a elephant" he teased.
"I'm forever going to be an elephant" she pouted.
Jess smirked.
GG
Rory was kneeling over Harvey-James bed. She patted Harvey on the chest as he fell into sleep. She licked her lips taking a deep breath and stood up. She looked over her shoulder as she walked towards the kitchen. She looked at the time.
'11.14am'
She let out a deep sigh. She switched the coffee machine on and grabbed a mug from the tree holder. Leaning forward on the counter with both hands she waited for the coffee to brew. She smelt the air. Once it had been done she did a little dance, swinging her arms above her head in excitement. She lifted the Decanter off the hot plate and poured herself a generous amount in the mug. She watched the steam with satisfaction.
Taking a small sip. She picked her phone from the table and looked at the messages. She raised an eyebrow.
Marty: Hey I dropped by Paris's new dorm room hoping you were there. What happened?
Rory: I dropped out! You were allowed into Paris' room?
Marty: Paris isn't here yet? Is she an alien.
Rory: :p I wonder!
Marty: Y did you drop out!
Rory: Got too much! with HJ and work as well as studying.
Rory: R u surprised?
Marty: Never thought u would bail!
Rory: HJ is more important!
Marty: Its not my business!
Marty: Jerk-face turned up!
Rory: urg!
Rory: Paris is never late!
Rory licked her lips. She dialled a number and put her phone to her ear. "Paris, hey, Its Rory!"
"Hello" Paris answered the phone.
"No drop out joke this time?"
"Asher's dead"
"What!" She stood up straighter.
"He died two weeks ago in Oxford." Paris stated "Heart attack. It was quick."
Rory raised an eyebrow "Um...it wasn't during, um...was it?"
"No, Rory. This great man was not brought down by my vagina, okay?"
"Okay. Sorry. I just - that's terrible." Rory put her mug on the counter. "How did it happen?"
"He was teaching a Shakespeare class - "A Midsummer Night's Dream." He was doing Puck, and then suddenly he wasn't." Paris explained.
Rory pursed her lips "Oh, man." She said in disbelief "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No. Thanks." There was a long paused, she sighed. "I'm sad."
"I'm sorry!"
"Bye." Paris hung up.
Rory sighed shaking her head. She looked down at her phone and looked at the new message of Marty's 'Talk to you later. I have to finish unpacking.'
Rory: Asher Fleming is dead!
Marty: In Bed?
Rory: No
Marty: Damn, I lost the bet!
Rory shook her head and put her phone on the counter. She drunk the rest of the mug of coffee before she cleaned the kitchen. After making sure the kitchen was wiped down she refilled her mug and walked to the sofa. She leant back and enjoyed her fresh mug in silence, glancing over at the bed every now and again.
GG
"Sherry left your dad."
"What? When?"
"A couple of days ago. She got a job offer in Paris and she packed her tiny pants in a bag and bailed." Lorelai explained. She sat at the table with a mug in her hand. "Left Gigi with Chris."
"No way."
"Yeah. He came home, and the nanny handed him a letter."
"How do you know all this?" Rory rasied an eyebrow.
Lorelai licked her lips "He called me yesterday. He was freaking out because he couldn't stop Gigi from crawling out of her crib, and you know, I do have to hand it to him, he gets extra points for the very original duct taping of the diaper move. That place was a wreck." She exclaimed. "But I calmed him down, and, you know, we sort of got the place in order and I think everything's going to be okay. I'm going to go back on Monday and just make sure that everyone's still breathing."
Rory looked over at Harvey and shook her head. Couldn't believe a mother would leave her kid so easily "Oh. Well, that's very nice of you."
"Well, your dad is going to need a little help being… a dad. 'Cause, I mean… well he was your dad, so…no newsflash here. But you should see Gigi. She's huge, and gorgeous, and a belcher." Lorelai laughs.
Rory crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the floor with a frown on her face.
Luke growled "I mean it, Kirk, get away from here!"
Rory rasied an eyebrow looking at Lorelai. They went over to the window to look out of the window.
Kirk stood with a hotdog costume on "I am on the sidewalk, Luke! You do not own the sidewalk! The sidewalk is for the common people! The everyman! And every man and every woman would like to have a delicious lunch at the Dragonfly."
Lorelai bit her bottom lip "I better go and see what's happening?"
"I'm going to call the cops." Luke's voice bellowed.
Rory smiled "This is exciting!"
Lorelai rolled her eyes "Anything gets you going." she stated as she took a sip of her coffee and rushed outside the door. She ran down stairs and out the Diner door. She stood beside Luke. "Uh, Kirk, what are you doing? You're a giant hot dog."
Rory giggled covering her face. She moved to the table and picked up her Mom's mug.
-GG-
"Rory, hey! What are you doing here? I – uh, here. Hey, it's good to see you, kiddo!" Christopher hugs her. "Uh, come on in, sit down. Uh, Gigi is asleep, which is basically a miracle, but what the hell, for you I'll wake her up."
"No, that's okay. I can't stay long."
"Well, some sit down."
"No, I can't stay." Rory said as she loitered near the front door.
"Okay." Chris paused. "How's Harvey? Right?"
"Good" Rory licked her lips. "I don't want you calling Mom anymore. I want you to stay away from her." She blurted out.
"Rory, I –"
"Mom's in a relationship now, and she's doing really great. He's kind, and, well, he's there. And she's happy. And engaged!" Rory stated. "You'll mess it up! You'll mess everything up! Because every time you come back, it always ends up the same way. Mom's crying and you're not being there and I know it's not your fault, I know you don't mean it to be that way, but that's how it is.
"I just needed some help. That's all."
"Well, next time you need help, call a nanny, or a babysitter. I've never asked you for anything in my entire life. I can't believe that after all this time where you weren't there for me for my entire life. You show up and expect help!" Rory shrugged uncrossed her arms. "I'm sorry that you have been dealt this hand but leave Mom alone." She opens the door and leaves.
Chris bangs his head on the door.
-GG-
Rory rubs the back of her neck as she walked into the apartment.
Jess looks up from the sofa much like last night. "Hey!"
Rory once again walked towards the sofa and curled into Jess's side. "I'm tired!" she yawned. She leant her head on his chest. She looked at the coffee table. "Isn't that your folder?" she stated leaning forward.
"Yeah!" Jess leaned forward and picked it up.
Rory pouted "Did you decide?"
"Central Connecticut State University."
"When?"
"Start in Janurary. I have orentation in November."
"Any Idea?"
"You know me?"
Rory leaned back. "Did you like my Pro/Con list."
"Yeah very detailed."
"I know." She said with a air of smugness. "I got a text from Marty today."
"Ah Naked Guy!"
"I totally forget to tell him I wasn't going to go back." She stated.
Jess hmmed.
"On another note Asher Flemming is dead!"
"It wasn't by...You know Paris. I mean it takes a lot of Paris to scare me but"
Rory shook her head "That's what I said but unfortunetly Asher was not bought down by her vagina. Which she clearly told me?"
Jess shivered "Paris and Sex is not something I would be thinking about!"
"Me neither!" Rory yawned. "Anything happened after I left!"
"No."
"Well all the excitement was this morning with Kirk!"
"Where did you go?"
"To my Dad's." Rory replied "And it wasn't for anything else then to tell him to stay away from Mom." She crossed her arms over her chest. "He always does it. He appears and he makes things worse. When he said he would be there for Mom and Me back in School he disapeared and I can't blame him because he didn't want to do what he did to Mom and me to Gigi. But seeing Mom heartbroken was the worst thing I could ever see. He swoops in wanting help after Sherry leaves."
"To clarify Gigi is your sister and Sherry is the Mother."
"Yeah!"
"So did she just up and leave?" Jess asked.
"Said she wasn't a Mother, packed her bags and left for Paris!" Rory said. She shurgged "After all that and she leaves her kid." She huffs "I just couldn't! You carry them for 9 months and then you leave them to live a thousand miles away."
"Do you think your Dad deserved it!"
Rory licked her lips. "On some level yeah I do! Do you think that's bad!"
Jess shrugged "No, that's just what you feel."
"It's not because he hurt Mom. It's because he was in and out of my life for 15 years, he hung around for a couple of months to be a family and then he leaves to be with his ex-girlfriend through her pregnancy. Then a year later she leaves him to look after a child all by himself." She shrugged. "Its just Karma that's all."
"I'm not taking sides or anything but do you think you could have handled things a little better." Jess paused. "I mean what would you have felt towards me if I didn't come back!"
"It's different! You came back and your still here."
"It may be different but I thought of never coming back" he looked down at his lap. "He's just been left by the girlfriend he loved. He's the only thing in that kids life."
Rory licked her lips "I admit I never thought of it that way."
"I didn't say it to make you feel guilty about what you told me but he's a man that was was left with this girl." Jess licked his lips. "Even now I still think If I didn't get you pregnant you would be in Yale and you wouldn't be tied down with a kid."
"Jess."
Jess shrugged looking up "I'm slowly getting over it but there is still this 'what if' scenairo."
Rory straightened up and leaned away from Jess. "Life is all about 'What Ifs' Jess. What if both of our dad's stayed and raised us! What if I never met you! What if I never left Dean! What if for the rest of my life I would not experience having kids! Because that's what would have happened. Every decision you make is always going to have a 'What if!' scenario. To be honest I don't regret not one of my decisions."
"I will go back to school but its just going to be delayed a little longer" She said insistantly.
"I'm sorry!"
Rory kissed him on the lips "It's okay, your just putting things in prespective for me."
"Nobody deserves to be left. Maybe your father dosn't have the right to ask for help from your Mother but at least he's asking for help!"
Rory sighed and fell back into Jess. "Now I do feel guilty."
Jess kissed the side of her head.
-GG-
Rory let out a deep breath and knocked on the door. Harvey-James was on her hip. She took a step back and waited.
Chris opened the door. "Hi."
Rory looked down at her feet "Hi."
"If you hear to yell at me-"
"No, I'm here to apoligise." Rory lifted Harvey more onto her hip.
"Come in" He opened the door wider.
Rory walked in. "Mom was right. It looks like a hotel room on spring break."
Christopher shut the door "Yeah. It's been hectic since."
Rory turned "I'm sorry for what I said."
"I was just a little lost! I never thought Sherry would just up and leave."
Rory shrugged. "I never liked her."
Chris sat down on the sofa "Why didn't you tell me this!"
Rory sat down on the sofa shifting Harvey to sit on her lap. "Dad, It wasn't my place to tell you that. I would have if it wasn't for Mom. As much as it hurt her when you left for Sherry she didn't want you to be unhappy."
"She's happy isn't she?"
"Yeah, Luke is great! And it's not because he's Jess Uncle." Rory smiled. "As much as its hard to tell you, Luke's like my Dad for when you weren't. And Mom made the right decision to raise me on her own, she made me into the person I am now."
Christopher looked at his hands on his lap. "I think it was exactly what was supposed to happen," Chris stated looking up. "And I think your Mother would back me up on that."
Rory nodded. "I would too."
A loud wail echoed round the silent apartment. "Great!" he whispered. "I don't know what it is today. She's been crying non-stop." He stood "No matter what I give her." He walked down the hall into his room.
Rory smiled. She moved Harvey-James and put him next to her "Do you wanna meet your Auntie!" She shook her head "No meet GiGi?"
Harvey-James looked up "GiGi?"
"Yeah."
The wails got louder, Rory looked down the corridor. She looked down at Harvey-James. "You sit there for now okay" she leant forward and got out a colored picture book "Stay there okay?"
"Ye Mama."
Rory kissed him on the head and stood. She walked down the hall "Hey Dad."
Christopher turned round "Hey, I'm sorry for the noise."
"Its fine Dad" She looked over at GiGi in his arms "Hey!" she waved.
GiGi hiccuped as she stared over at her with unshed tears in her eyes.
"Here let me!" She said.
Christopher sighed and passed her over. "I don't know what she wants. I've changed her clean diaper, I hold her, feed her but she just keeps wailing."
Rory held GiGi to her chest. "She knows there's only you!" she stated.
Christopher sighed.
"You just have to be patient Dad." She tapped her on her back "Hey, What was all that noise for?" she said looking down at her face.
GiGi blinked "Hi."
"Hi, I'm Rory your sister"
"Sista" she repeated.
Rory nodded "Yeah." she smiled "See all cried out are we?"
GiGi wiped her noise with the back of her hand.
"How did you do that?" Chris asked.
Rory smiled "Its called being a Mother."
Christopher smiled fondly as GiGi's eyes drooped every few seconds. The rocking movement sent her to sleep. Rory swayed side to side as she laid GiGi on her back and gently tapping her on the chest. Christopher stared in awe as Rory got to go back to sleep. "How do you do it?"
Rory shrugged. "You'll learn as you go!"
