Changing Things Around

Chapter One

"I can't believe my baby girl is 18," Rachel Danes hugs her daughter tightly to her. "I just can't believe it, it makes me feel old."

"Well if I'm correct someone is turning 40 this year," Rory Danes laughs at her mother.

"You know, you haven't gotten your present yet," Rachel points out, "so I'd watch it."

"Yeah and I've seen the present," Lane speaks up, "and you don't want to miss out."

"Dad's going to be 41 next month," Rory adds.

Rachel grins, "that does make me feel better."

"Ha ha," Luke responds. "Come on, let's get these gifts open, the ice cream cake I bought is melting all over the counter."

"Open mine last," Rachel states before picking up the envelope with her handwriting on it.

"Dad's first then," Rory grins has she picks up the heavy gift sitting on top of one of the tables in the diner her father owns. Pulling off the wrapping paper Rory stares in awe at the huge book in front of her, "oh my God."

"It's a collection of all of Shakespeare's works, unfinished and completed." Luke explains.

"I love it," Rory hugs her father tightly, "thank you! How'd you find it?"

"Adam helped me find it on the net," Luke responds.

Rory turns to grin at her boyfriend and places a soft kiss on his lips before accepting his gift, lifting the lid off of the box Rory stares at the train tickets, "what's this?"

"Train tickets to New York City," Adam responds, "for you, me, Lane and Dave over Thanksgiving break."

"Really?" Rory looks expectantly between her father and boyfriend.

"You can go, Adam already checked it out with me," Luke assures.

"Thank you!" Rory throws her arms around Adam's neck, "we'll have such a good time."

"And our present," Lane presents the small envelope, "it's from me and Dave."

Rory opens the envelope and immediately launches herself to hug her best-friend, "Phantom of the Opera tickets? Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Okay," once the excitement has settled down Rachel holds her envelope out to Rory, "open mine before you open all of the boring cards."

Rory pulls out a picture of a deep blue Volkswagen Beetle convertible and in a voice that can hardly hide her excitement she asks, "what's this?"

Luke's voice is more suspicious as he echos his daughter's question, "what is that?"

"It's your car," Rachel exclaims. "I bought it for you, it's brand new, it's an awesome car Rory, you're going to love it. It's got that Sirius radio you were talking about, and leather seats, a 6 CD disc changer and awesome speakers."

"Oh my God," Rory screeches. "I can't believe it! Oh my God!" Rory launches into her mother and hugs her while jumping up and down.

"I hid it with Gypsy but she won't let you drive it until she's checked it out, so you can go see it tomorrow morning," Rachel beams at her daughter.

Let a couple minutes pass and the excitement die down Luke suggests, "Rory why don't you open all of the cards you have and your mom can help me get the ice cream served."

"What were you thinking?" Luke demands once he and Rachel are in the back of the diner. "We decided a long time ago that we wouldn't ever just buy her a car, that it was something she would have to work for her own car."

"She's going to need a car Luke," Rachel contests, "she's going away to school next year, an ivy league school no doubt she's going to need a car."

"This is just like you," Luke raises his voice. "You disappear for months on end, a card here, a note there, a phone call once a month and then show up and expect to make it all right by buying her a car."

"I don't think any such thing...." Rachel trails off as Lane walks into the kitchen. "Lane, right now might not be such a good time."

"Yeah," Lane nods, "I know, I have ears. But Rory got a letter with the return address label of Lorelai Hayden."

Rachel and Luke hurry quickly out of the kitchen in time to hear their daughter tell her boyfriend, "I don't want to read it," and set the envelope aside.

"Rory?" Rachel asks tentatively.

Rory turns to face her parents and can immediately see how uneasy she's gotten since they left the room, "yeah?"

"Are you okay?" Rachel asks.

Rory nods, "sure. I just don't want to read it, I don't see the point, she has never been a part of my life."

"Are you sure?" Rachel asks.

Rory flashes her mother a grin that Luke knows is fake, "of course. Now look at this card Babette gave me."

"Hey kiddo" Luke sticks his head through the doorway of Rory's small room over the diner. "You got a minute?"

"Sure," Rory closes the Shakespear book her father had given her only hours before. "I really do love this book, thank you so much."

"Well it's not a car," Luke grumbles before sitting down on the bed.

Concern for her father passes over Rory's expression, "I like the car, I won't lie Dad...But the book means more to me."

Luke smiles at his daughter and gently ruffles her hair, "I don't really want to talk about the car."

Rory sighs, "I know."

"So the letter..." Luke lets his sentence go hoping his daughter will say something first.

As usual she doesn't remain silent, "I'm not reading it."

"Why?" Luke asks.

"Why?" Rory scoffs, "because...because...I mean why should I?"

"Because I think you have a right to know whatever it is she wants you to say."

"Why?" Rory demands. "She's not a part of my life, she never has been. She gave birth to me but you were the one to raise me when she wouldn't for whatever reason..."

"And that's why I think you should do it," Luke interrupts his daughter's spew of excuses. "I think a part of you needs to know why she gave you up for adoption."

Rory falls silent at her father's comment for a long time and nearly five minutes pass before she breaks the silence. The names the adoption agency gave us were Lorelai Leigh Gilmore and Christopher Alan Hayden, and the note on the envelope said Lorelai Hayden."

"Yeah, I guess I never picked up on that," Luke agrees and in his heart he knows where his daughter is going with this.

"So if they were going to get married anyway, why didn't they keep me? I mean..." Rory's sentence is stopped by a choked sob. "I mean I love you and Mom and I couldn't have asked for more from you too...but...sometimes I think about these things and I can't get myself to stop..."

Luke pulls his sobbing daughter to him, "shh, baby, it's okay." After he's let Rory cry for a little while he pulls her gently off of him and looking into her bright blue eyes he states, "and these are the exact reasons why you should read what's in that letter, to answer some of those questions. Right now you have the chance to answer a lot of questions that you've been wondering for a long time, I think you should do it."

"You do?" Rory is surprised by her father's words.

"Of course I do."

Rory chews on her lip for a moment and then nods, "maybe you're right, I should read it. Do you mind if I do it alone?"

"Of course not," Luke gets up off Rory's bed and places a kiss on her head before leaving the room. "I'll be in my room, alright?"

Rory nods, "thanks. Dad?"

Luke turns to face her again, "yeah Rory?"

"I love you."

"Love you too baby."

Here's a little back story since I don't think I can find a way to work all of it into the story without it coming out long winded and sounded lame. Rachel and Luke got married right out of high school and they went into their marriage knowing that Rachel was unable to have children so after they had both graduated from high school and Luke started the diner and Rachel had a job they adopted a newborn from an upper class teenaged mother and they named her Aurora Lynn Danes. But a year after they adopted Rory, Rachel realized that she couldn't stand to be tied down with a husband or children and she and Luke divorced. Rory has always know that she's adopted and she's always known the name of her birth parents but she's never had any drive to meet them, until 18 years after her adoption when her mother tries to reach her...

In the next chapter:

Lorelai's birthday letter to Rory.