Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls which really sucks!
Now…On to the story ! After All These Years
Chapter Two – Old Friends
One Week Later …Friday morning.
Rory let out a frustrated sigh as she ran her hand through her coffee brown curls. She was late for work, again. Finn, Emma's godfather, was late to pick her up, again! She loved Finn, she really did, except for the fact that he and Paris were like dogs on heat, making him late most mornings. 'Gosh, elevators are so slow these days.' Rory thought to herself. 'I hope they haven't been waiting too long.' Even though Rory was the editor of her section, Fashion, at BLUSH! Magazine, she hated keeping those who worked for her waiting, especially when she had called an important staff meeting.
After what seemed like twenty minutes, a faint 'ding!' rang throughout the small compartment and the doors opened revealing the Fashion, Advice and Men's sections of the popular Hartford magazine.
Rory quickly made it down the familiar hall of the second floor and walked straight past her office and Marc, the gay secretary of the floor, also one of her closest friends, and into one of the conference rooms where her staff meeting was to be held. She burst through the door and immediately apologized for running late.
"I'm so sorry guys, Finn was supposed to pick Emma up and we all know how he feels about the sun in the morning," She said with a smile. Her co-workers either laughed or frowned. Few of them didn't like Finn, they weren't used to his large persona, but others loved him and couldn't get enough of him. He was also the lead photographer so they had to have some amount of respect for him; he was a good man and made the office brighter, at least everyone agreed with that.
"Ok, so how are everyone's articles' going for next month's issue? "Are we making good headway?" I know that we have gotten off to a rocky start this month but we must keep at it…" Rory questioned the group for another twenty minutes and discussed photo shoot times, and other such things. The meeting was going really well, no interruptions had issued until Finn came through the door in a casual manner that is.
"Finn, what are you doing here? Isn't it too early for you?" Rory asked with a smile.
"Well, love, Emma didn't feel like going to day-care today, so me being the amazing and kind godfather I am didn't force her too." Finn answered with a pleased smile plastered on his face.
Rory, along with others only shook her head. "We'll talk about this later Finn..." Was her only reply before she motioned for him to have a seat and continued with the meeting.
About twenty minutes later she was standing in the break room with Finn sipping on her third cup of coffee.
"Love, you do know that that stuff is going to slowly kill you?" Finn asked, it didn't matter how well he knew her, he was still amazed at her ability to drink a steaming hot cup of coffee in about 5 mouthfuls.
"Finny, Finny, Finny, when will you ever learn?" Rory asked shaking her head and patting him on the head like a bad puppy in amusement as she walked past him and washed her mug, then turn and leave the room, Finn following close behind.
"Love, you know I hate it when you call me that." Finn stated with a look of disgust for the nickname played across his face.
"Oh, but you think it's adorable when Emma calls you Finny!" Rory said a smirk on her face as they made their way towards the elevators.
"Yes, but unlike you, she is cute." 'Ha, got you there.' Finn thought to himself.
"Finn, I taught her everything she knows!" Rory shot back cheekily, she knew it was a weak retort but she didn't care.
Finn sighed dramatically in defeat. "I know." He answered as he stepped onto the elevator to head up towards the main photography office.
Rory smiled. "How are Paris and Nathan?" Who would have thought that Finn would be married to Paris Gellar and have a kid? He was so great with both of them, as well as Emma. You could tell he loved his family so much.
"There great, love. We'll do lunch."
"Yeah, maybe." She answered as the doors began to close. She gave Finn another smile and began heading towards Marc's desk where she knew Emma would be. Rory thought with a smile. Rory loved that she could have Emma at work, everyone loved the little girl. It also gave Rory and her more time together, though Marc would always steal her away and spoil her. Emma had mastered her mother's bambi eyes that you just could not say no to by the time she was a year old. She was walking down the hall, greeting those who greeted her and could not help but smile. The office was like another home and family to her, everyone helped her for she was the youngest editor there and they all looked out for her and Emma when they knew times were tough. Rory heard another 'ding!' from the elevator and smiled.
She really loved it here.
Rory was only a little way away from Marc's desk when she a familiar masculine voice sing out to no one in particular. So she thought.
"Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?"
A huge smile spread out across Rory's face. She turned in the direction she thought the voice was coming from and her smile widened, if that was even possible. "Tris…" she whispered to herself as her eyes met those icy blue ones of her old friend. He looked straight back at her and smiled a warm genuine smile.
"Like what you see Mare?" he asked, a cocky smirk gracing his features.
"You'll never change will you?" Though she wouldn't have him any other way, she loved him so much and couldn't help but think what she'd do without him? She would never tell him this though; his ego would get even bigger!
"You wouldn't have me any other way." Tristan stated as she began running, well as best as she could in a black, just-below-the-knee length pencil skirt and black pumps. He held his arms out wide and she jumped into them eagerly. He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly and spun her around a few times. "Tristan!" she squealed as he did this. He placed her back firmly on the ground and leaned back in the embrace and smiled at her.
"I've missed you Mare." He stated looking into her eyes warmly. Tristan had always loved her; he didn't think that it would ever go away. Ever since that day in military school, when he got a large, long letter from one, Miss Rory Gilmore-Hayden, he knew his life would never be the same. And he knew how dorky and cliché that sounded but it was true, that letter had changed his life. Ever since that day, he and Rory had been the closest friends and he along with Finn were the godparents of her child, Emma. He knew that he and Rory would never be anything more with friends, but he always had hope, even if it was only a slight piece.
"I missed you too Bible Boy." Rory replied as he hugged him once more before letting go and stepping out of his embrace. She openly gave him the once over and smiled, and nodded in confirmation. "Australia really agrees with you Dugrey. Look at you, all tanned and tall. It's nice." Tristan had spent the last month in Australia helping his fathers business set up another office for the company. He was supposed to take over in the next year or so and secretly couldn't wait, he knew being CEO of Dugrey Law Firm would be hard, but he was ready for it.
"Yes, well you definitely don't look to bad yourself Mary, always easy on the eye." He said with a smirk and a clever eyebrow raise.
"Yeah, whatever." Rory replied, giving him a playful smack on the arm at the same time. Rory really enjoyed having Tristan around. She knew he loved her, more than in a friendly way but he also knew that she didn't feel the same way about him. She was so grateful for their friendship though, and he knew that. Ever since Yale, Tristan, along with Colin McRae, Stephanie Vanderbilt (soon to be McRae), Finn Rothschild and Logan Huntzberger, had made Rory appreciate things so much more. One of those things being friends and the ones she loves, they had all taught her to love the people around her and they had been there for her (besides Logan) when Emma was born and when Rory found out she was pregnant, Rory was truly grateful for them all.
"I am so glad your back though! Things got a little crazy without you around, especially Steph and all her wedding plans. She's worse than my mother I swear." Rory said with an amusing eye roll.
Tristan chuckled. "If I had known that I would be missed this much Mare, I would have gone sooner." He said with a smirk plastered across his face.
"You're so cocky! But either way, you had to be back because it's my birthday tomorrow." A huge grin spreading across Rory's face as she said this.
"I know, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. You know that."
"Yeah, I know. It's hard not to miss me, or anything about me for that matter." her smile turning into a smirk causing Tristan to laugh again.
"I'm brushing off on you too much Mary."
"No that's from another old friend." Rory said before she knew what she was saying. She looked down at her feet, felling the awkwardness between them.
Tristan sighed and gave her a sympathetic smile when she met his gaze. His eyes filled with a warmth that could always comfort her. Rory sent him a small smile in return. He was about to open his mouth and say something to maybe ease the tension when they heard the high pitched giggle of a little girl. They both turned towards the noise and let out a small laugh at what they saw.
Marc had Emma on the ground laughing uncontrollably as he tickled her madly.
The duo approached the pair with smiles on their faces as the young girl's laughter filled the before, quiet reception.
"Stop … it … Marcy …" were the noises heard in between the breaths and giggles of the four year old.
"Not until you tell me you did it you little terror." He said teasingly. Rory and Tristan still standing to the side watching the interaction play out.
"I'm not … a …t-terror."
"Oh yes you are! Say you did it!" Marc demanded playfully whilst still attacking her sides with his fingers crazily.
"Ok … I d-did it!" Emma screamed with another high-pitched giggle.
Marc made a noise of victory and stood from the floor, smiling down at the girl now pulling on her mothers hands to get up, a look of annoyance gracing her cute, child features. Emma pushed the hair falling around her face out of her eyes and shot Marc an angry look before turning to her mom and whining.
"Mommy, Marcy was being mean to me." She stated giving her mom her big blue pleading Bambi eyes.
Rory had to stifle a laugh as she heard Marc muttering words of a rebuttal under his breath before he spoke up.
"It wasn't I who was being mean, you," he said pointing at Emma to give a better reaction. "Were the one stealing my staples and you, were the one who so 'accidentally' clicked the mouse button causing me to loose all my work on the computer for George. He is going to kill me!" Marc finished his rant by throwing his hands up in the air. He turned back to Rory and Emma who were both openly laughing at his antics but immediately stopped when they saw how serious he was.
"What?" he asked in disbelief. "You're with her on this one, this little terror!"
Rory stifled her next laugh and said with a straight face. "Marc I'm sure it wasn't that bad. You've handled her and my mother at once before, I think you'll be ok." Rory stated reassuringly as she remembered the time she asked Marc to keep an eye on Emma and Lorelai which had only been a disaster as they had successfully damaged one of the printers and caused his and four others computers to crash. But they both deny it to this day saying it was all him for he was chasing after them.
"Yes, yes I guess you're right. Well now that you're out of your meeting you can have her back. I have work to do." He said as he turned to walk away.
"Oh, Marc couldn't you just take-" Rory started but was cut off by Tristan.
"Don't worry about it Mary, I got it."
"Her name isn't Mary its Rory." Emma said matter of factly before she turned to look at the man that had called her mother a name only one person was allowed to call her. The little girl's eyes widened when she saw who it was, causing Tristan to smile a genuine smile and open his arms wide again as another Gilmore girl jumped into them for a hug.
"Hey Bluey, how you doing?" Tristan asked, using his nickname for her. She had been named Bluey by him since the day she arrived home from the hospital and Tristan, along with their other four friends had been at home waiting for the mother and daughter to return. Her eyes were as blue as her mothers and were the first thing he noticed about her.
"I'm good." She said sweetly smiling up at him as he held her in his arms.
Rory smiled as he watched her daughter and best friend chat about anything. Tristan had been such a father to Emma and she knew that one day he wanted a child of his own and when that day was to come, he would be a great father, just like Finn, with Emma and with Nathan, he was a natural. Rory only wished that if Logan had stayed around he would be just as natural as Tristan and have the loving emotion fill his gaze when he looked at their beautiful daughter.
"So," Tristan started after his animated discussion with Emma about ruining Marc's work, he placed Emma on he floor in front of him and put his hand into his designer denims pocket, slowly pulling out a small, flat box as he spoke. "When I was away I thought. 'Hmm Emma is a little girl-"
"A big girl!" she interrupted.
"Ahh, yes, a big girl. So as I was saying. When I was in Australia, I was walking around the city and thought to myself, 'Emma is a big girl, and she likes pink things and she likes fast things.' And then I turned around to look in one of the shops and there, right in front of me was something I knew that you would love." He said with a smile. He was very proud of this gift and also knew for a fact that Colin was thinking of buying Emma once of these things, now Tristan was one up on him.
"Tristan please tell me you didn't?" Rory asked with a roll of her eyes. All he did was smirk back at her and she let out a low groan. "You do realize that Colin was going to buy her one for her birthday in a few months?" his only response was a short and very cocky, "I know" before he turned back to Emma and squatted down on his haunches so he was level with her.
He pulled the box out of his pocket and handed it to her. Emma looked down at the box in her hands, confusion washing over her as she continued to stare at the small white box with a blue bow around it. She made quick work with the ribbon and threw it to the floor before opening the box and taking out what was set in it.
"Uncle Tristan, what's this?" asked Emma in a voice as she looked at the object dejectedly.
Tristan laughed at the girl and at Rory as he saw her roll her eyes again and gave him a look which clearly said, 'I cannot believe you did this'. "Well, sweetie, it's a key. You put it in things and they open, or in this case they move."
"Really?" asked Emma, she was now looking at the key with great interest. "Well, what does my key do?"
Tristan just chuckled. "Do you want to find out?" Emma nodded her head furiously and grabbed Tristan's hand as she attempted to pull him down the hall and towards the elevators. "I guess that a yes then! See you later Mary, and don't worry, she's with me."
"That's what I'm afraid of." Rory called to Tristan's retreating back as she finally made her way to her office for the morning.
"She's only four years old for goodness sakes. Next time he'll buy her a space ship or something." Rory muttered to herself, sitting in her comfy leather chair behind her desk and switching her computer on.
"Who's getting a spaceship? I want one." Came Finn's familiar accented tone from the doorway.
"Emma." Rory stated simply with a smile.
"Oh. And who may I ask is getting her this spaceship?"
"Tristan."
"Love, if you give me another one word answer, I'm seriously going to start questioning how you ever got into Yale. Tristan is in Australia anyways."
"Finn, even you should know. The old man's money." She smiled to herself seeing Finn's annoyed expression. He was about to open his mouth to ask her again for the answer when she opened her own, easily cutting him off. "Tristan, is no longer in Australia, he's back and has just taken Emma down to see her present. And I know for a fact that it is something fast and pink."
Finn laughed. "Colin's going to kill him."
"That's exactly what I told him." Rory said laughing as well.
"Well then, love, I think it is best if I go give the man an Australian welcoming." And with that Finn was out the door.
Rory smiled to herself once more before turning back to the computer and clicking on her flashing e-mail's icon.
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"Ok thanks Jules, I'll talk to you about the cover shoot in a few days … Yep, when I decide what I want them to wear … Of course, it's a date … Ok, I'll talk to you soon … Later … Bye." 'Gosh that woman can talk.' Rory thought to her as she hung up the phone after talking to Julia Simons for over an hour about anything put the reason she had actually called until the last few moments. "I'm in dire need of coffee right now." Rory muttered to herself as she began to stand from her desk. She was just about to step out of her doorway when her phone started ringing.
"Ahh …" Rory let out a frustrated groan and earned a sympathetic smile from one of the junior-assistants as she walked past the editor's door. Rory shut her door and turned back to the offending machine and slowly took her time to answer it upon seeing the caller ID. Rory reached for the phone and pressed the speaker button so she sat in her chair and got comfortable.
"Hey Grandma." Rory started with the formalities first.
"Rory, dear, what took you so long to answer the phone? Oh, I can hear myself echoing. Am I on speaker phone to you Rory? Oh, you know how I hate it." Emily Gilmore rambled on.
"Sorry Grandma," Rory let out a sigh. "I can't find my handset so I have to use this, but don't worry Marc is looking for it as we speak." 'A lie, but oh well, she can't exactly tell that it's a lie.'
"Rory, don't lie to me, you never were a very good liar like your mother, but I didn't ring you to discuss your ability to lie. In fact I rang you to see whether you were ready for your fabulous birthday party tomorrow night."
"Yes Grandma, I'm ready. I made sure that I had everything taken care of this past week so I don't and shouldn't have to get called in once this weekend, or at least once tomorrow. Everyone knows that it's my birthday so it's all taken care of."
"Well that's splendid dear. Are you doing anything this evening? It was just today that I remember how your mother, your father, Kevin and you used to come to our house every Friday for dinner along with Francine and Straub, oh how I miss those nights…" Emily's voice trailed off as she lost herself in her own thoughts. She knew Lorelai hated the dinners and the rest of them were not somewhat far behind her but they would never know how much those dinners meant to her. She knew also, that for Francine and Straub, it was good for them all to come together as a family, even after the trouble with Lorelai's first pregnancy. They as a family had all pulled through.
"Um, actually I have no idea what I am doing tonight probably just a quiet night in." Replied Rory, aware of Emily's distraction.
"That sounds nice, dear. Well I best be off, I think Richard has just returned from playing a round of golf with some of his old college friends. I'll see you tomorrow at the party dear, and don't forget to remind your mother to be on time. I know Christopher is always telling her to hurry up but I don't think she listens to him very much. Maybe ask her yourself? Either way I am looking forward to seeing you again."
"Ok Grandma, I'll talk to you tomorrow night. Bye." Rory hung up the phone and sighed. "Now for the coffee." Rory said to herself again as she started getting up from her chair before sitting back down again for the phone was ringing. "Why must this thing keep ringing?" Rory asked the room out loud. "Hello?" she answered once she had put the phone to her ear.
"Hey sweets, how you doing?"
"Hey mom." Rory answered with a sigh, making it easy to tell that she had had enough.
"Oh, kid, is it really that bad?"
"No, not really, they are actually pretty good, but I recently got off the phone with Julia and you know how long those conversations can last. Then just as I was walking to the door to get coffee I get a call from grandma just asking if I was ready for tomorrow night and if I had plans for tonight. Then she mentioned how she missed Friday night dinners but I wasn't very sympathetic and just now, as I was about to stand, you called. But you calling is ok, I really need a happy conversation that I know will make me smile when I hang up. At least I hope that's what you're doing. Calling and making me smile?" Asked Rory with a slight hint of hope in her voice, today had been good except Finn being late, but other then that it had been fine.
"Wow, you have suffered, Julia and Grandma in one bashing. Now all you need is for Francine to call and for me telling you that I can't make it till late for your party tomorrow night. Ha ha." Lorelai let out a small laugh, hoping the obliviousness in Rory was working right now. She knew her daughter would hate it if she wasn't at the Gilmore mansion when she arrived.
"Was that you trying to make me laugh or you trying to tell me, hoping that I would be oblivious, that you can't make it till late tomorrow night? Because if it was the latter, you do realise that I will be annoyed."
"I am so so so sorry honey. You have no idea how much I would like to be there early but I have to go to New Haven to organise this thing for one of mom's friends but I will be there as soon as possible." Lorelai rushed through her reason not wanting Rory to get too mad.
"Moooom." Rory whined into the phone. "You know I can't stand it and then there's Emma too. Who's going to give her the good old 'birds and bees' play with the bread sticks at dinner?" Rory asked, trying to lessen the annoyance in her that her mother would be in New Haven of the day of her birthday organising something for Emily.
"Babe, you know how much I want to be there for you, and don't worry. I'll teach your dad the show so he can do it if I don't make it back in time, but don't worry because I will be there. Don't worry, I'll be there. Besides, Kevin will be too. I know you are excited about seeing him. When was the last time you saw him? When he came down for Emma's recital? Hmm…?"
"Yeah around then I guess. So, um… Is that all or was there something else you wanted to talk about?" Rory asked. The fact that her mom wasn't going to be there wasn't exactly the thing annoying her. It was more the fact that Lorelai had never missed one of Rory's, or Kevin's birthdays and that this was going to be the first one and it sucked. She didn't care if she was being a baby, she wanted her mom there.
"No I guess not. Is there anything that you wanted to talk about?" Lorelai asked as concern filled her voice. Rory used to get really emotional around the time of her birthday for it was a month before Logan had left her and she would sometimes just sit at home in bed and cry, though she did that on any day of the week sometimes.
"No, I'm fine…Oh, wait, Tristan's back!" Rory said excitedly as she remembered of her friend's surprised appearance.
"What? Bible Boy? Spawn of Satan, has returned from Down Under? Is he hotter?" Lorelai asking the last part of her questioning in a low, seductive voice.
"Mom? Seriously? Finn is infatuated by you, isn't that enough?"
"Finn doesn't count anymore. Now he is married and has a child. Now that's kinda icky."
"So it wasn't icky when we were still in college?"
"No, then it was cute!"
"Yeah, because that's logical?" The sarcasm evident in Rory's tone.
"Hey, don't tease mommy. I gave birth to you."
"Yes and you are also missing part of you daughter's birthday party at the Gilmore Mansion."
"Right." Lorelai remembered and suddenly felt sad again. "I really am sorry kid. You know if I could, I would be there in a heart beat."
"Yeah, I do. But telling Grandma won't be as easy as it was me."
"Ahh, yes. How fun will that be? Gosh, I swear that woman hates me."
"Mom, you know she doesn't. She just prefers me!"
"Shhhh, don't go telling everybody."
"Ok, so I'll talk to you tomorrow and will hopefully see you tomorrow night." Rory stated now wanting coffee even more than she did earlier.
"Correction. I will talk to you tomorrow and you will see me tomorrow." She tried to enforce the words in Rory's head hoping that her daughter didn't have any doubt that she would see her tomorrow.
"Ok mom, talk to you tomorrow."
"Ok, I love you, kid."
Rory smiled to herself. "I love you to mom. Say hi to dad for me?"
"Of course I will sweets. Bye."
Rory hung up the phone and stood quickly before the phone could ring again. She opened the door and saw a large group of people walking between one another and smiled at a few people walking by and thought of something she had thought earlier that day. 'This was definitely like another home.' She smiled one more time before leaving her office, in search of her much need coffee.
Beta Note: Hey, Readers...Just wanted to say I hope everyone is having an amazing week and is not too bogged down with school. I hope that you will enjoy the story that Kass and I are working so hard to come up with an interesting chapters for you all to enjoy. Please tell us what you like or didn't like as all comments are appreciated. HUGS!!!
A/N: Hey readers!
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. No drama at the moment, more of an introduction to the work place and some old friends.
Thank you all so so so much for your reviews last chapter, and I'm sorry if in this chapter you were expecting some Logan. But don't worry; he should be coming up in the next chapter or two. My beta and I are still discussing ideas for that.
So now you know the drill…Please review and let us know what you think!
-Kass x
