To Hear My Song

What if Rory did have some musical talent, well a lot of musical talent? Will be Lit and is a bit OOC.

It was late, and the town seemed empty Rory noted as she walked through the square. She hugged her coat tight around herself as she headed up the stairs of Miss Patty's dance studio. She slowly edged the door open heading into the warmth of the room. Rory slowly walked to the piano, the beautiful piano, her hands brushed along it as she walked around it. The warmth of the room overcame her and she slide of her coat laying it on a chair in the corner. She didn't want to put the main lights on so she fumbled around in a cupboard and found a candle and some matches. Rory took a seat at the piano, candlelight exposing the keys, the doorway to the music. She placed her hands on the piano.

She hadn't played in almost 6 months now, not since that day… She pushed the thoughts from her mind, feeling safe in her familiar place behind the piano. She slide her feet out of her shoes, she hated playing with her shoes on, and she pushed down on a single key, the note of C rung out. A rush of feelings went through her as she played the note again. Rory pushed down again this time playing cords, these combinations burned in her brain. She quickly lifted her hands off the piano and took a deep breath before playing again. This time she played, she played the delicate tune of a song she had written. The lyrics of the song running through her head, but she wasn't ready to sing them out loud yet. She let her fingers dance across the keys, playing the wonderfully familiar tune. It felt good to be back in that place, on that seat, at a piano, letting the music express her feelings. Unknown to the people of Stars Hollow and even her own mother Rory started to make these visits to the piano more regular, never telling anyone.

Lorelai looked up as she heard the door click.

"Rory? That you?" she asked arching her head back to see who had come through the door.

"Yep it's me" she said walking into the lounge room and putting her keys down.

"Your home pretty late" she said watching Rory as she took her coat off. Rory kept her eyes away from her mothers as she walked back to the entranceway, hanging her coat.

"Yeah Paris was on a rampage, she's freaking out about this issue of the Franklin"

"Ah" she said Lorelai, though she wasn't quiet convinced Rory was telling the truth. But she knew Rory and that she would tell her if anything was wrong….

"Well I'm going to go to bed now" she walked over to her mum and kissed her on the head.

"Night Hun"

"Night"

Lorelai sat on the couch a little longer pondering what could be going on with Rory. She knew Rory had been down after what had happened at the piano recital but that had been months ago now and Lorelai thought Rory was over that. She mentally cursed her own mother for that incident.

Rory lay on her bed, still fully clothed. She closed her eyes, she hated lying to her mother, but she wasn't ready to tell her about this yet, it was a big thing for her to be playing again and she wanted to make sure it was …right before she let anyone know.

With her eyes closed the memories of that fateful event begun to flood back to her like they had done so many times before. So many times she had played those events over again in her mind.

Six months ago…

"Rory your so talented you just have to play at my DAR recital" said Emily clutching her granddaughters hand.

"Um grandma I'm not sure, I don't really like to play in front of a lot of people"

"Oh nonsense, you'll be great and there won't be too many, just a small group, please for me?"

Rory smiled weakly at her Grandma, she was so excited about Rory performing for her DAR friends, and if it was only a small group…

"Ok I guess I'll do it"

"Oh wonderful" Emily hugged Rory tight smiling widely.

………

"Only a small group of people!" Rory exclaimed as she looked out the curtain. There must have been at least 200 people in that room. Rory suddenly felt very sick. She rarely played in front of anyone except her Mum and Lane, and her Grandparents when they absolutely insisted but she even less frequently sung in front of anyone and somehow her grandmother had persuaded her to sing.

Rory's breathing became faster and her mind raced, she wanted to talk to her mum but Emily had insisted Rory be left alone to compose herself before performing. She paced back and forth, she was on in less than 5 minutes. She wanted to run her hands through her hand or jump up and down or something but then she would ruin her hair or her dress. Argh she felt uncomfortable and aggravated. Her dress was itching her and her grandmother insisted Rory play with her shoes on, Rory never played with her shoes on and above all these things she was scared. She was scared of screwing this up and she was…scared, because her music was something she only shared with those she loved and trusted and she knew none of those people out there. She didn't know them, she didn't trust them. And when she played she was exposing part of herself, part of her soul and if she exposed herself like that and they laughed or threw it back in her face she would be devastated, so she was scared of that too. A guy appeared beside her.

"Your on a minute" he said quickly before turning away.

Rory heard the compare start to hush the audience and then the sound of the microphone as he made his speech about how wonderful music was etc and soon he would be introducing her, saying her name and the names of the songs she would be playing. And all too soon that came true.

"Would you please welcome Miss Rory Gilmore" she heard the compare say, and the crowd erupted into applause. A nervous Lorelai Gilmore sat in the audience, she was nervous for Rory, she knew Rory hadn't been keen on this performance but as the sweet kid Rory was she wanted to please her Grandmother. Lorelai crossed her fingers as the compare introduced Rory.

She stepped out from behind the curtain and made her way to the piano, never looking at the audience just keeping her eyes totally focused on the piano. She took her seat and looked up at the lines of music in front of her. She took a deep breath and placed her hands just above the keys, she knew she had to look up at the audience, slowly she raised her head. 200 people were staring at her in anticipating, waiting to hear her, and in her mind…waiting to judge. Rory froze. She just sat there, people started to whisper and ask why she wasn't playing. In the corner of her eye Rory could see her Grandmother edging her on. Rory shook her head and looked at the music in front of her, suddenly none of it made any sense, it was all just lines and dots. She looked at the keys, she tried to play, but instead of the sweet sound she usually heard a muffled ugly sound erupted. The room was spinning around her and she suddenly felt like she was being suffocated. She got up, she started saying sorry, stuttering her words out as she ran from the stage, ran with tears spilling down her eyes. She couldn't do it, and her piano, her beloved piano had let her down, so she ran.

Back in the audience Emily appeared beside a shocked and concerned Lorelai.

"How can you let your daughter behave like that!" said Emily in disgust.

Lorelai turned around and started straight at her mother. If it could be describe it would be as a stare of death, her usually warm blue eyes were now hard and cold giving Emily a look of upper most loathing, before she turned and headed after her daughter.

Present day…

Rory curled up on her side now, gripping to her blanket, a lump appearing in her throat. She clung tight to her blanket, lying there in the dark. Rory heard her door creek open and saw a sliver of light hit the floor as her Mother entered. She walked to Rory's bed and sat down on the edge, Rory curled up facing away from her.

"You alright?" she asked her hand on Rory's back

"Yep" she said quietly.

"I'm just tired" she said staring straight at her wall.

"...Ok" she said, she pushed Rory's hair back and kissed her lightly on the head before leaving, shutting the door quietly behind her.

The next night as Rory was walking home, she made her now usually detour to Miss Patty's. Sliding the door open, lighting the candle and slipping off her shoes.

It had been a week ago that she had first come back to the piano, and she now felt ready to use her voice.

She took a deep breath and placed her hands on the keys. Pushing down the keys, peddling with her shoeless feet, the piano started to play the tune Rory instructed it to.

She opened her mouth and as easily as playing that first note had been, the words flowed out of her mouth.

'…So much is happening to me…' she played it softly, slowly and carefully.

'…So much that I can't even see…'

'…So many words of wisdom I am trying to be….'

She played her song, softly, slowly, feeling free for the first time in a long time.

Unaware she was being watched Rory played the whole song through, singing the lyrics and basking in the feeling of her fingers on the keys and her voice singing out. Standing in the shadows of the door was a certain boy, dark hair, dark eyes, and a bad boy reputation to match. He watched in amazement as Rory played and sung, she was an angel illuminated by the candlelight. Jess was mesmerized, she effortless produced that music that was magic to him. Though the type of music wasn't the type he was usually into, the way she was relaying her feelings, showing more feeling and compassion than anyone he'd ever known.

Rory slowly played the last line as her voice and the sound of the last note lingered in the air. She opened her eyes which she hadn't noticed had been closed and stoped dead when she saw Jess standing in the doorway, his mouth half open.

"Jess?" she asked panicked.

"Wow" was all he could say.

Please let me know if you like it, or if you want more etc. And the song Rory played/sung was 'In my own time" by Delta Goodrem, of which I own nothing of, I am just borrowing the lyrics, created by the amazing Delta Goodrem. Please review and let me know.

Luv Hayley