Rory smiled as she entered Stars Hollow. It had been more than ten years
since she'd moved out of there, but it had barely changed. There was some
new people, some older people, but essentially it was the same. So much the
same that Rory felt that she could walk into Doose's market and still see
Dean stacking shelves, or into Luke's and see Jess sullenly serving people
and her mother arguing her way into that last cup of coffee. Well the last
part just may happen, it was just more likely to happen at 'The Crap-
Shack', where Luke had moved into after the two of them had gotten married.
Rory stepped up to her old house, smiling at the fact that her mother still hadn't installed steps, Grandma mustn't come visit that much… she thought to herself, or else she would have insisted that there was some suitable steps put in…
"Babe! You're finally here!" she heard her mother shout from the door.
Rory looked up to find her mother standing in the doorway, with a huge grin on her face while from behind her walked Luke, trying to restrain a giant Labrador that the two had bought instead of having more children. By the time the two of them had finally gotten together, they had both decided they didn't want any more children.
As Lorelai ran towards her daughter and pulled her into a huge hug whilst Luke closed the dog inside the house. "That one's just a little excited about visitors… so's the dog come to think of it." Lorelai stuck her tongue out at him, "Welcome home Rory. We're still unclear about how long you're staying for."
"Just a few days, I don't have long off work but I just wanted to come home and see you all."
"We're going to a party at your Grandmother's tomorrow for a party," Lorelai said, "unless, you know, you're feeling pretty tired and just can't make it, and then we can make it a family night and just not go."
"I'm fine to go, I haven't seen Grandma and Grandpa in ages."
"Damn! Are you sure? I mean, we'd all understand if you don't feel up to it."
"Let's go Mom!"
"Please Rory!"
*The Next Night*
Rory walked through the party, enjoying it more than she would of in her earlier years, but not really enjoying it completely.
"Rory?"
Rory turned around and saw the professional looking woman standing next to a tall, amazingly handsome man, and she had to stare for almost a full minute before she could identify the woman as Paris. Rory couldn't place her finger on why, but Paris had changed an amazing amount.
"Paris Geller, I haven't seen you since I left Harvard! How are you!"
"Paris Geller-Owens actually. I'm good, and this is David, he's also good, at least, I think so. Are you good?"
The man beside her smiled at her, "I'm perfectly happy baby," he said and gave her a small kiss on the lips.
"David, this is Rory, she and I went to Chilton together, and then to Harvard."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Rory," he said as he shook her hand, "I'm going to go get us a drink, ok?"
"Sounds like a plan," she said after she kissed David back.
It was then Rory could see exactly why Paris was so changed, she was happier than Rory had ever seen her. She was so happy she was practically glowing. Love suited Paris.
"You look so great Paris!" Rory exclaimed, "and you're man is certainly a handsome one, where'd ya find him? I think I might go line up there tomorrow."
"I take it you're single," she said, and added, "you can't have him," with a joviality and security that made Rory think of the way she said things that meant the same thing, but in a completely opposite way during their teenage years when talking about Tristan. She frowned and banished the unwanted visitor from her mind, as she had had to do quite a few times recently, much to her dismay.
"Where are you living right now?" Rory asked Paris.
"Actually, we moved back to Hartford recently, we're kind of starting a family and we wanted a family home."
Rory looked down at Paris stomach and then back up to her face, "then you're…?"
"Pregnant. Yes." Apparently it wasn't just love that made Paris glow. "Where are you living right now? I haven't seen you at any social events until now, so I assume it's not around here."
"You assume right, I'm in New York, doing some writing."
"Doesn't Tristan live in New York sweetie?" asked David as he returned, handing Paris a drink.
She smiled and took the offered cup, "thank you, and yeah, I think he does, you should visit him Rory, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to see you again. I can give you the address if you want?"
Rory nearly hit her head against a wall, she had been trying to stop thinking about Tristan, but now that she knew that he was living in her city, even if the city was a very big city, she would never be able to stop thinking about it. "That address would be nice," she heard herself say before she could stop. At least if she had the address then she could choose to contact him if she wanted to.
Rory took the phone number and address, as well as Paris' phone number and address, and talked with Paris some more for the evening before heading home, unsure of whether to talk to Tristan again.
The last time she had seen him was just after she had graduated. He had come home for the summer before college and they had met again at a party; he seemed a little bit more mature, but essentially the same. But talking to him there had made Rory realize how much she had missed their little sparring matches, and she had always wanted to get in touch with him but had never had the guts to do it. Maybe this way she could work it up slowly, and as soon as she made up her mind to call him, she could, without loosing her nerve. Rory smiled at her plan before falling asleep.
Rory stepped up to her old house, smiling at the fact that her mother still hadn't installed steps, Grandma mustn't come visit that much… she thought to herself, or else she would have insisted that there was some suitable steps put in…
"Babe! You're finally here!" she heard her mother shout from the door.
Rory looked up to find her mother standing in the doorway, with a huge grin on her face while from behind her walked Luke, trying to restrain a giant Labrador that the two had bought instead of having more children. By the time the two of them had finally gotten together, they had both decided they didn't want any more children.
As Lorelai ran towards her daughter and pulled her into a huge hug whilst Luke closed the dog inside the house. "That one's just a little excited about visitors… so's the dog come to think of it." Lorelai stuck her tongue out at him, "Welcome home Rory. We're still unclear about how long you're staying for."
"Just a few days, I don't have long off work but I just wanted to come home and see you all."
"We're going to a party at your Grandmother's tomorrow for a party," Lorelai said, "unless, you know, you're feeling pretty tired and just can't make it, and then we can make it a family night and just not go."
"I'm fine to go, I haven't seen Grandma and Grandpa in ages."
"Damn! Are you sure? I mean, we'd all understand if you don't feel up to it."
"Let's go Mom!"
"Please Rory!"
*The Next Night*
Rory walked through the party, enjoying it more than she would of in her earlier years, but not really enjoying it completely.
"Rory?"
Rory turned around and saw the professional looking woman standing next to a tall, amazingly handsome man, and she had to stare for almost a full minute before she could identify the woman as Paris. Rory couldn't place her finger on why, but Paris had changed an amazing amount.
"Paris Geller, I haven't seen you since I left Harvard! How are you!"
"Paris Geller-Owens actually. I'm good, and this is David, he's also good, at least, I think so. Are you good?"
The man beside her smiled at her, "I'm perfectly happy baby," he said and gave her a small kiss on the lips.
"David, this is Rory, she and I went to Chilton together, and then to Harvard."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Rory," he said as he shook her hand, "I'm going to go get us a drink, ok?"
"Sounds like a plan," she said after she kissed David back.
It was then Rory could see exactly why Paris was so changed, she was happier than Rory had ever seen her. She was so happy she was practically glowing. Love suited Paris.
"You look so great Paris!" Rory exclaimed, "and you're man is certainly a handsome one, where'd ya find him? I think I might go line up there tomorrow."
"I take it you're single," she said, and added, "you can't have him," with a joviality and security that made Rory think of the way she said things that meant the same thing, but in a completely opposite way during their teenage years when talking about Tristan. She frowned and banished the unwanted visitor from her mind, as she had had to do quite a few times recently, much to her dismay.
"Where are you living right now?" Rory asked Paris.
"Actually, we moved back to Hartford recently, we're kind of starting a family and we wanted a family home."
Rory looked down at Paris stomach and then back up to her face, "then you're…?"
"Pregnant. Yes." Apparently it wasn't just love that made Paris glow. "Where are you living right now? I haven't seen you at any social events until now, so I assume it's not around here."
"You assume right, I'm in New York, doing some writing."
"Doesn't Tristan live in New York sweetie?" asked David as he returned, handing Paris a drink.
She smiled and took the offered cup, "thank you, and yeah, I think he does, you should visit him Rory, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to see you again. I can give you the address if you want?"
Rory nearly hit her head against a wall, she had been trying to stop thinking about Tristan, but now that she knew that he was living in her city, even if the city was a very big city, she would never be able to stop thinking about it. "That address would be nice," she heard herself say before she could stop. At least if she had the address then she could choose to contact him if she wanted to.
Rory took the phone number and address, as well as Paris' phone number and address, and talked with Paris some more for the evening before heading home, unsure of whether to talk to Tristan again.
The last time she had seen him was just after she had graduated. He had come home for the summer before college and they had met again at a party; he seemed a little bit more mature, but essentially the same. But talking to him there had made Rory realize how much she had missed their little sparring matches, and she had always wanted to get in touch with him but had never had the guts to do it. Maybe this way she could work it up slowly, and as soon as she made up her mind to call him, she could, without loosing her nerve. Rory smiled at her plan before falling asleep.
