Freudian Slip


Little girl, little girl, why are you crying?

She runs all the way back home and arrives out of breath, a little dizzy and completely confused. "Oh my God!" she exclaims as she closes the door behind her, starting to panic.

Her outburst attracts the attention from her mother, who calls from the kitchen. "Rory, is that you?"

But Rory is too freaked out to answer. "Oh my God!" she repeats, getting frantic. "I just left him there!"

"Rory, honey, are you alright?" Lorelai asks worriedly, as she's rounding the corner.

Ignoring her, Rory starts pacing the living room floor. "What if he can't find his way back and ends up wandering around all night? Is it cold out? What if he freezes to death? Or what if it actually dissolves when he walks back and…"

"Rory!" Lorelai yells, and Rory finally looks up at her, a bit startled. "What's dissolving? Who's wandering around?"

"The bridge!" she exclaims, pausing for a moment, but then starts up her pacing again. "I just left him, and what if it dissolves and he's on it?"

"First of all, I doubt the bridge will dissolve," Lorelai says. "And secondly, who are we talking about?"

"Jess!"

"Jess, Jess?"

"Yes!" Rory exclaims.

"Yes it's Jess?"

Frustrated, she stops and glares at her mother. "Mom!"

Lorelai smiles apologetically. "Sorry."

Rory starts fidgeting with her sleeves. "I just left him, and he's new in town, and he doesn't know his way around yet and…"

Lorelai gently puts a hand on her arm and starts steering her towards the couch. "Rory, calm down. I think it's safe to say that Jess will be fully capable of finding his way through town on his own."

Rory follows automatically, but is too agitated to sit down. "Maybe, but we don't know that!"

Lorelai is still holding onto her arm. "I'm sure he will be fine. Now how about you tell me why you're freaking out?"

"Because, he was about to kiss me again, and…"

"Whoah!" Lorelai's eyes grow wide. "Back up a bit there sweetie, mommy is freaking out here. What's this about kissing?"

"It just happened, and then I panicked and ran."

"Ok, I sense a theme, but I'm gonna need more information here."

Rory ducks her head. "I tripped and he caught me and we were kissing."

Lorelai's voice rises an octave. "Rory, that's the plot of a Harlequin novel, and though you know how much I enjoy them, I need to know what really happened."

Rory throws her arms up in exasperation. "That is what happened and it was great and then he pulled away and sort of tucked my hair behind my ear and smiled and that's when I panicked and ran all the way here."

"Ok, well, at least you're consistent," Lorelai states.

"Mom!" Rory pleads, feeling like she's close to tears. "Not helping."

"Right, sorry." Her mother says, taking a deep breath. "So, you kissed?"

Miserably, Rory nods. "Yeah."

"And it was good?"

Her head shoots up to stare at her mother. "Mom!"

Lorelai frowns. "Still not helping?"

"No," Rory shakes her head, starting up her pacing again. "I'm a horrible person!"

"Aww honey, you're not a horrible person."

Rory abruptly stops. "Yes, I am! It's his second day in town and we were supposed to make him feel welcomed and what do I do? I just kiss him and run away!"

"Always leave them wanting more," Lorelai says with a wicked grin.

Rory stares at her mother. "Mom! Can you be serious for one minute?"

Lorelai nods. "I could, but then I might really start freaking out about my daughter making out with the hoodlum from New York."

"We weren't making out!" Rory exclaims defensively.

"So not the point!"

"And he's not a hoodlum," she adds, ignoring Lorelai.

"We don't know that for sure," Lorelai tells her. "For all we know, it could turn out he wasn't actually sent here, but came here to hide from the mob because he killed one of their hit men."

Rory stares at her mother in disbelief. "Mom! That's so far from helping it's not even funny."

Lorelai gives her a sheepish grin. "Sorry. So, maybe we should both try and calm down a little?"

"Good idea."

Lorelai smiles. "I thought so. You first."

"What?" Rory exclaims. "No! You first!"

"But you freaking out made me freak out!" Lorelai complains.

"And that's why you have to stop me," Rory tries desperately.

"But I'm the oldest," Lorelai says childishly.

"So? I freaked out first!" Rory exclaims, matching her tone.

Lorelai shakes her head. "Ok, anyone else think this is getting ridiculous?"

Rory nods. "A little."

"So, how about we do it at the same time?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Count to three?"

"Yeah." Rory nods. "You ready?"

"No…" Lorelai whines.

Rory glares at her.

Lorelai adopts a straight face. "Yeah."

"So…one," Rory starts counting, "two, three."

They stand still, staring at each other for a minute. Then Lorelai takes a deep breath.

"Did it work?" she asks.

Rory frowns. "I don't know. Did it?"

"Let's try." Lorelai suggests.

"Ok," Rory agrees, uncertain.

Lorelai takes another deep breath. "So, you kissed Jess?"

Rory nods. "Yeah."

They stop, staring at each other again, and then they both start smiling.

"I'm not freaking out," Lorelai starts.

"Me neither," Rory says, relieved.

"So it worked?"

Rory nods. "That seems to be a logical assumption."

Lorelai lets out a short laugh. "Good, 'cause I was starting to scare myself."

"And me."

"Sorry."

"It's ok. Just try not to do it again."

"I will do my best. No promises though."

"I wasn't expecting any," Rory assures her.

"Ok then, that's cleared up. Do you think we've stalled long enough?"

"You can never be too sure about these things, but I say it's worth a shot," Rory says, sitting down cross legged in one end of the couch.

"Ok." Lorelai nods, taking a seat opposite her. "So, you kissed Jess?"

Rory nods, a smile spreading over her face. "Yeah."

"And judging by that look on your face, it was a good kiss."

"I don't have a look," Rory tries to defend herself.

"Oh yeah honey, you do," Lorelai says matter-of-factly. "Don't worry though, I figured it was. He looks like he would be a good kisser."

Rory stares at her, horrified. "Mom!"

"I'm just saying," Lorelai defends.

"Please, don't," Rory glares. "Really bad mental image there."

Lorelai scrounges up her face. "Eew! Sorry."

"You better be," Rory warns, blinking her eyes furiously to get rid of the image.

"Believe me I am." Lorelai shudders. "I think I need to clean the inside of my eyes with soap."

Still a bit queasy, Rory mutters, "I don't ever want to see that again."

"You won't. I swear."

"Thank you," Rory says with a grateful smile.

"No problem." Lorelai pauses for a moment and then she smiles giddily. "So, come on tell me. How was it?"

Rory smiles brightly, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks at the memory. "It was good. Really good."

Lorelai looks triumphant. "I knew it!"

A look of horror starts spreading over Rory's face.

"Sorry," Lorelai quickly apologizes.

"I'll think about it," Rory says, wrinkling her nose.

"So…" Lorelai picks up the subject again a moment later. "Tell me."

Rory looks at her, confused. "Tell you what?"

Lorelai gives her a disbelieving stare. "About the kiss of course."

"Mom," Rory protests, uncomfortable.

"Remember, I live vicariously through you now."

"So?"

"So, I need details."

Rory sighs. "Will you tell me how to make him not hate me if I give you details?"

"I'm sure he doesn't hate you."

"But I ran away from him," Rory reminds her mother, feeling gloomy again.

Lorelai looks at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Ok, yes, I'll help you."

Rory perks up a little. "Promise?"

"Would I lie to you?" Lorelai asks, putting on her best show of innocence.

"Um…" Rory pretends to think for a moment. "Yes."

A look of mock hurt spreads over her mother's face. "You wound me!"

"I'm sure you'll get over it," Rory says, confidently.

"You're probably right," Lorelai concedes. "And do you know what would help? Details. So, how about you give them to me?"

Rory shakes her head. "Not before you help me."

"But Rory!" Lorelai whines.

But Rory remains stoic. "No, you help me, or you won't get any details. That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

"Fine," Lorelai grumbles. "But it better be good."

"You'll have to wait and see," Rory says with an evil grin, but immediately turns fidgety. "So, what do I do?"

"You talk to him," Lorelai simply states.

At the suggestion, Rory feels the panic starting up in her stomach again. "No!"

"Rory," Lorelai says firmly. "Breathe."

Rory nods, taking a few deep breaths, slowly taking control over her body again.

"Good," Lorelai nods. "Now you wanted to know how to make him not hate you. And my answer is that you have to talk to him."

"But I can't!" Rory protests. "What if he won't talk to me?"

"Then you know that and you can move on."

"But what if I don't want to move on?" Rory pouts.

Lorelai sighs. "Then you'll just have to make sure he has to talk to you."

"But how do I do that?"

"You could always chain him to a wall," Lorelai suggests with a wicked grin.

Rory looks at her incredulously. "And how is that gonna help to not make him hate me?"

Lorelai shrugs. "Maybe he's into bondage?"

"Mom!" Rory squeaks out, disturbed, pressing her hands to her ears. "I so did not need to hear that!"

Lorelai gives her a guilty look. "Bad mental image, huh?"

"Incredibly."

"Sorry, I'll work on that."

"Work fast," Rory suggests.

"Promise," Lorelai says. "But seriously though, if you like him you really have to talk to him."

"I never said I liked him," Rory says meekly.

"Ok," Lorelai says with a knowing smile. "Let me see if I got this straight. You blush when he smiles at you. You stare at him whenever you think no one's looking. You turn all fidgety when you accidentally touch. You get a sickeningly giddy look on your face when you think about kissing him. Or did I just imagine all of this?"

Rory has started blushing during her mother's speech, and now she is staring intently at one of the couch cushions, refusing to look up.

"No," she finally says, barely above a whisper.

Lorelai lets out a breath. "Ok, god. I was getting worried there for a while."

"But I just met him," Rory tries, weakly, picking at the slightly knotty fabric of one of the cushions.

On the other end of the couch Lorelai sighs. "Believe me Rory, I know that."

"Mom?" Rory frowns.

Lorelai looks at her a little sadly. "I'm trying to be the cool mom here, but you're right, you just met him, and we have no idea why he's even here in the first place."

"I'm sure it's nothing bad," Rory says defensively, trying to ignore the knot forming in her stomach.

"Maybe not," Lorelai concedes. "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm worried."

"I will be careful, mom. I promise."

"You really like him, don't you?" her mother asks with a sad smile.

"I…" Rory falters, looking down on the couch again for a moment. "Yeah, I do. Is that crazy?"

Chuckling, Lorelai shakes her head. "No, it's not. And besides, he's got that whole bad boy image, and that's always a safe bet."

"That has nothing to do with it," Rory protests.

"No?" Lorelai questions.

"No." Rory hesitates for a second. "Well, maybe."

Lorelai gently pats her arm. "See, that wasn't so bad?"

Rory looks up at her. "Are you really ok with this?"

"Yeah," Lorelai says, and then shakes her head. "Well, not completely, but I love you, and I trust you. Just promise me you'll tell me if something happens. Anything, no matter how insignificant, I want to know."

"I promise, mom."

Lorelai nods slowly. "Then you have my permission to see him again."

Remembering, Rory fidgets with the hem of her shirt. "Do I really have to talk to him?"

"Well," Lorelai shrugs. "You could always lock yourself in the house for the rest of your life."

"That doesn't sound like much fun," Rory says sadly.

"Or you could move away and leave your poor mother here all alone," Lorelai says dramatically.

Rory can't help but smile, and a satisfied smile spreads over her mother's face.

Rory sighs. "Maybe you're right."

"I'm always right," Lorelai states proudly.

Rory shakes her head at her and smiles. "I wouldn't go that far."

"So," Lorelai starts, ignoring her, "are you gonna talk to him? 'Cause you know, I would be totally cool with you staying in here for the rest of your life."

"I'm sure you would, mom," Rory chuckles.

"I would even bring you coffee from Luke's," Lorelai offers.

"Thanks," Rory smiles. "I'll think about it."

"Ok," Lorelai nods, and her smile turns devilish. "Now, how about those details?"

Laughing, Rory shakes her head at her mother. "You're crazy."

"And proud of it," Lorelai grins. "So, did the air erupt in spontaneous fireworks?"

Rory grins. "As a matter-of-fact…"