AN: Okay guys, a new story. This is an idea that has literally only just popped into my head, so I'm penning the first chapter to see how it's received. Please let me know what you think, if it's worth continuing I'll leave it up, if not I'll take it down.
Disclaimer: Alas, I don't own Gilmore Girls.
Rory tapped her fingers on the steering wheel as she drove through Hartford. She was tired, she had period cramps and to cap it all off, she was far more irritated than she should have been. The last place she wanted to go was a party being thrown by her grandparents.
She pulled sharply into the driveway. She had planned the drive from Yale so she'd be early and have a chance to change. She was meeting Lorelai inside.
The latest maid opened the door for her, letting her know her grandmother was directing the final touches for the party which was being held outside to celebrate the late days of spring.
"Yeah, yeah" Rory muttered as she made her way upstairs. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly and deeply though her nose, she knew she was being an irritable bitch but it seemed to come so easily the past few weeks.
Lorelai was in Rory's bedroom, waiting for her.
"Hey kiddo" She greeted her daughter.
"Whatever" Rory muttered, dropping the bag that held her dress, on the bed.
Lorelai cocked an eyebrow but her face changed to concern as Rory's lip started to quiver.
"Are you okay?" she asked, hurrying over to hug her.
Rory pulled away from the embrace,
"I'm fine mom…I'm just a bit cranky, I'm sorry"
Lorelai raised an eyebrow again.
"Okay, well…what're you wearing?"
Rory pulled the dress she hurriedly bought that afternoon, out of the bag. It was very plain but she didn't care, it's fitted.
"It's beautiful" Lorelai said, trailing the champagne coloured silk through her fingers as Rory fixed her hair.
"Thank you"
The dress was fine in Rory's opinion, she'd hardly be a knockout in it, but it was a backyard party so what did it really matter? By the time she finished getting ready, most of the guests had already arrived and Lorelai had long since gone downstairs. Rory's phone was vibrating noisily on the bed, it was Lorelai, telling her to get her butt down there soon to prevent Lorelai from completely snapping, and besides, Louise had arrived.
Rory smiled at the thought of seeing Louise, they had been so close in high school, the gossip queen turning out to be an intuitive and eternally loyal friend. Going to different colleges they didn't get to see as much of each other though.
Slicking on a merlot coloured lipstick, Rory hurried downstairs and into the party. It was crowded and surprisingly the warm day had lasted into the evening. Rory helped herself to a glass of champagne, hiding it from Emily when she waved to her grandmother. She finally caught sight of Louise in forest green, across the party. They two caught each other's eyes and Rory hurried across to where her friend stood.
Louise threw her arms around Rory dramatically, taking the chance to whisper in her ear.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah" Rory whispered back, "Fine"
Louise pulled back and stared into Rory's eyes.
"It's ok not to be fine you know"
Rory glanced down at the ground before replying.
"I know"
"It was a nasty break up" Louise continued softly.
"What break up isn't?" Rory asked brightly, taking a sip from her champagne.
Louise chewed on her lip in thought, surveying her friend. She knew Rory wasn't telling the whole truth.
"You know you two are going to work this out, right?" She asked softly and Rory smiled.
"I know we will, it'll all be back to normal in no time"
And she believed that, she knew they'd sort it out, that he'd stop being so vacant.
Where do you go? She wondered, for the millionth time, it felt. Where do you go when you're standing beside me but you're not there?
It had been two months, and that seemed to be the expected grieving period. It was only those closest to her who still asked, still worried. She was glad of that at least, she was sick of pitying looks, and offers of dinner and copious drinks. She just wanted to be left alone, was that too much to ask?
She finished her glass of champagne and asked for another as she and Louise talked of inconsequential things and shared memories. Emily wandered over to them and exchanged pleasantries.
"Annalise and Lincoln are here Rory, you will say hello won't you?"
Rory paled at the mention of the couple and Louise nearly choked on her drink.
"Of course Grandma" Rory replied, more tersely than she'd like to had sounded.
"Excellent, you can't very well ignore them"
"No Grandma" Rory defiantly took another sip of her champagne and turned to Louise. "Let's get this over with shall we?"
She made her way, with Louise in tow, towards she the couple she had thought would one day be her parents-in-law.
Annalise smiled sadly when she saw the girl who she had always thought would one-day be her daughter-in-law, walk towards them.
"Rory," She greeted as warmly as she would allow herself. "And Louise, I haven't seen you since last year!"
"Annalise, it's lovely to see you again" Rory replied.
"Yes, I know we said we'd still see each other but it's…"
"Difficult" Rory supplied, her voice dripping with irony.
"Yes"
"Lovely to see you Rory, you look stunning," Lincoln told her, kissing her cool, pale cheek.
"You're getting too think" Annalise added with a slightly mothering tone. "Don't forget with all those classes that you still need to eat"
Rory smiled graciously and took a long sip of her champagne, this was awful. She should have guessed it was about to get worse.
"Mom! Dad!"
Four heads turned to where the voice was coming from and Rory paled. She honestly hadn't thought he'd come. Louise's hand crept to wrap around hers and squeeze it reassuringly.
He had reached the group before he realized who his parent's were talking to. He'd hoped she would have gotten out of this party, given the excuse of class or the newspaper. He knew somewhere that she wouldn't, that she would be here. He'd hoped at least not to find her with his parents.
He kissed his mother's cheek before turning his attention to her. She looked lovely, but thin…and pale, especially in the dress that was the same colour as her drink, it washed her out.
"Rory"
She met his gaze fiercely.
"Tristan"
"It's good to see you"
"A pleasure and an honour" She muttered before smiling brightly, the show must go on. "Lovely to see you too"
Louise, ever the best friend came to the rescue.
"Rory have you even seen your mom yet? She's over there jumping up and down and waving"
Rory smiled apologetically at the DuGrey's and bade her farewells, Louise following her and shooting a dirty look at Tristan.
It was later in the evening that she caught his eye, his gaze had always had that effect on her, she could feel it like a weight upon her. She was talking to Paris when she felt that familiar heaviness and trailed off, mid-speech to look at him. Without thinking, half mad with the lack of sleep of the past two months, her lips curved into a smile reserved only for him.
Her lips were soft and sweet, curled only for him but that smile faltered when she realized that he wasn't meeting her eyes, wasn't even looking at her. Slowly, her body feeling with dread, she turned to where he was staring at something behind her.
Like something out of a movie the crowd seemed to part and from them emerged a creature like nothing Rory had ever seen, in shimmering a shade of yellow nobody had ever worn before, her long dark curls fanning a face that no photographer could properly capture. Swept aside by something she couldn't name, Rory could only watch, helplessly at the scene that held the whole party captured.
In the background she could hear voices, she could even hear her name being mentioned as she watched Tristan and the mystery woman approach each other. He didn't kiss her, no, that would've been tacky, especially given the setting, but the way he touched her arm as though she might break, belied an intimacy that no other gesture could have.
The creature's name was Serena, Rory found out when she introduced herself. It was expected of her, people would talk otherwise, of how her heart had been broken so publicly, and beside, she had Louise beside her.
"And how long have you and Tristan been seeing each other?" Rory asked as Tristan strode toward them.
"We've been together for three months" Serena said, through her beautiful Spanish accent.
Louise choked, for the second time that night, on her champagne. Rory's smile tightened.
"Serena," Tristan greeted her as he arrived by her side. "I see you've met Rory,"
Serena smiled at him.
"Yes"
"Yes, she did Tristan," Rory said sweetly. "She was just telling me how long you two have been seeing each other"
Tristan paled.
"Rory," he breathed in the way one does when about to make an apology.
"Fuck you" Rory said calmly, society heads turning when they heard.
"Rory"
"No, fuck you Tristan"
She waited until she got inside and had called for a cab, to let the tears come. She could hear them all behind her; her mother, her grandparents, Louise, Tristan. They all exploded into the foyer where she was pulling on her jacket.
"Babe!" Lorelai called out.
"I'm going home mom"
"I'll drive you"
"I'd rather take a cab"
"Rory," Tristan was trying to say but Richard turned on him.
"You!" Richard began, "Are no longer welcome in my house!"
Louise was nodding vehemently and Rory had to fight urge to laugh at the dramatic scene.
"With all due respect Mr. Gilmore, I'm trying to talk to your grand-daughter"
Rory felt Louise grasp her hand and then felt herself being pulled out of the house. The cab was outside waiting and the two girls jumped in, speeding away from the party and the unfolding dramas with Rory's head on Louise's shoulder as she cried for the first time since the break-up.