Story prompted by: roganjalex: Rory starts a relationship with Christopher parents after the dinner at the Gilmore house
Disclaimer: No profits being made here, just flights of fancy, please don't sue.
A/N: Hi everyone, I want to thank those following, favoritism and reviewing! A lot of your questions will be answered in future chapters. Please stick with it, I think you will like it. Please also read and review my other stories, they are complete but I love feed back, encouragement and inspiration to keep writing. I appreciate you all so much!
Chapter 2 – Proud – So Very Proud
Rory parked the jeep in the spot in front of the crap shack and happily walked to her home.
"Mom, are you here, I have great news!" She looked around the room and ventured into the kitchen and started the coffee pot.
She looked at the fridge and saw a note: Sorry sweets, late night at the Inn, Toby called in sick. There is money under the monkey lamp for dinner or drugs, just kidding, don't get Indian and if you do burn the house down. Love your beautiful Mother.
Rory laughed at her mother's antics and considered her Saturday night alone. She contemplated what to do and considered calling Lane to join her. As she was musing over her options her phone rang.
"You have to help me!" Paris began by way of greeting, "Madeline is dragging me to one of those parties and I don't want to go, you have to come so there is a modicum of sanity and someone sober I can talk to."
Rory laughed, she an Paris had a strange friendship, mostly they were academic rivals and rescue friends, you know the type, the friend you call to get you out of a bad date, the one you call to go to a party you dread or even get you out of said party.
"Paris, I would love to help, but mom is working late so I am stuck. You could come here though, we could study, have dinner and you would be able to ditch Madeline honestly." She countered.
"I have to go, it's Tristan's welcome home party, it is a huge event, I am surprised your grandparents didn't make you go." Paris sighed.
Rory considered this new information. "That will work, I can call my grandparents and ask to attend and leave a note for my mom. Then when we get there we say our hellos and sneak into the library to escape until it's time to go. How does that sound?"
"Perfect, it is a cocktail affair so I am sure you have something, don't wear blue though I already am and Maddie is in green, Louise in red, got it? I will be by to get you in two hours." Paris didn't even await the reply and disconnected the call.
Rory quickly dialed the Gilmore home, "Hi Grandma, how are you this evening?"
"Rory dear - how good of you to call, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Emily replied.
"Well, I just received a frantic call from Paris begging me to attend the Dugrey party welcoming home their son Tristan and I was wondering if I was invited?" She rocked on her ankles and hoped.
"Of course you were invited, didn't your mother tell you? She told me you were studying and could not attend. I am sure the Dugrey's would love your attendance." Emily was assuring. "Do we need to send a car, you can't possibly drive that jeep."
"No thank you grandma, Paris is coming to get me, I understand the dress is cocktail, will my black slip dress with a wrap be alright?" Rory inquired.
Emily glowed at being asked her advice and considered the dress in question. "Yes dear, that would be lovely, and be sure to wear the necklace and earrings we got you for your last birthday, the pearls will be a lovely touch. We will see you there." Emily said and then disconnected the call.
Rory retired to her room to get ready for the evening. The phone rang as she was exiting the shower.
"Rory, what are you up to, please tell me you didn't get Indian?" Lorelai began.
"Hello to you too Mom, and no I didn't get Indian, I am getting ready to go to a party with the grandparents, Paris called frantic and begged me to go." Rory hastily explained.
"HA! I tried to get you out and like the mob they pull you back in. Well try to have fun and if you need to spend the night at your grandparents, that way I don't worry about you home alone." Lorelai mocked.
"That sounds like a plan I will pack an overnight bag. Oh and just so you know I had lunch with the Hayden's this afternoon and they agreed we should get to know one another, isn't that great?!"
"That is a discussion for another day, with lots of coffee. OK kid, I got to go, be good and I love you." Lorelai ended the call and gently banged her head on the reception desk. "Dammit kid, what are you doing to me?"
Rory finished getting ready and was just applying her gloss when she heard the car rolling to a stop. She grabbed her travel bag, phone, charger and wrap and headed to the door. She opened the door to a startled Paris.
"God Gilmore, give me a heart attack why don't you? Haven't you heard the person is supposed to knock before you fling the door open like that. Geeze!" Paris ranted.
"Come on Paris, I heard the car and figured you would be in a hurry. Let's go." She shut the door behind her and heard the lock click.
"What's with the bag? I don't recall this being a slumber party." Paris queried as the driver took the bag and placed it in the trunk.
"Mom told me to spend the night at the Gilmore's she won't be home tonight and didn't want me to be alone. I will just have it moved to their car when we get to the party." Rory explained.
"Lucky you, if my parents leave, I am alone ever since they decided I didn't need Nanny anymore. I miss her, but she opened a papusa shop and I can visit sometimes." Paris slid into the car and Rory slipped in beside her nodding to Madeline and Louise.
The drive to the Dugrey's was uneventful and the girls mostly chatted about the upcoming school dance and the dreaded Biology exam. They arrived and Rory directed the driver to her grandparents car to store her bag then followed the girls into the party. She immediately sought out her grandparents to inform them of the plan. She knew they would be more than pleased but it was important that they know so she was not left behind.
The girls made their way through the party, finding the hosts and the guest of honor speaking with the Hayden's.
"Rory, we didn't know you would be here, this is Michael and Amanda Dugrey and surely you know their son Tristan." Francine enthused and Emily who was just approaching stalled at the introduction. "Michael Amanda, this is Rory, our granddaughter, she is Christopher's girl."
Tristan looked at Rory with a slight awe, "Rory, nice to see you again."
"Hello Tristan, Michael, Amanda, thank you for having me. Welcome home Tristan, Chilton hasn't been the same without you." Rory replied and knew Monday would bring a bevy of gossip with this new information.
"My aren't you a lovely girl, we haven't met you before were you abroad?" Amanda queried.
"No, I just live in a small town and only began attending these events since I started at Chilton." Rory evaded and both Emily and Francine were proud of her diplomacy.
"Rory darling - there you are, I see you have met the Dugreys and Francine, how have you been?" Emily approached the group when conversation stalled.
"Hello Emily, so good of you to come it has been such a lovely turn out for our Tristan. Is your granddaughter here as well? " Amanda inquired.
"Hello Amanda, Michael, Tristan yes she is, Rory is my granddaughter as well." Emily observed their acceptance of this information and knew they had just put the story together. This was the child of the Gilmore / Hayden scandal.
"Well Rory aren't you fortunate that your grandparents are so well accepted in society. You are a lucky girl indeed. Tristan, why don't you take Rory here and show her the library, I hear she is quite the prolific reader and you write for the Franklin as well correct?" Amanda placed Rory's hand on Tristan's offered arm.
"Yes I do and thank you I would love to see the library." She and Tristan left the adults to talk and the other girls followed.
The adults watched as the group disappeared into the library, "Emily, Francine, she is a beauty, and smart too. You have done well with her. I am not surprised though you both are so impeccable." Amanda acknowledged.
"Thank you, we are very proud of her." Both women replied as if rehearsed and then looked at each other and giggled.
The group of youths entered the library, "Hayden, are you kidding me?! Why would you keep that a secret? You are the granddaughter of legendary Judge Hayden, wow, no wonder you are so good at debates." Paris was incredulous.
"Why is this such a big deal? The Gilmore's are known to be as well set and known as the Hayden's, why does it matter?" Rory was flabbergasted at the tone of accusation.
Tristan took the lead, "My family and the Hayden family own the largest law firms on the Eastern seaboard, you are now inline to be the Hayden heiress and that will make you perfect for me in their eyes."
Louise giggled, "I bet they are signing a prenup as we speak, you are in deep girlie. Here we thought you were some churchmouse from Hicksville and you have a better pedigree than we imagined."
Madeline piped up, "The only other suitable match would be Huntzberger, but I don't see that happening."
Rory looked at the group as if they had grown a new head. "Huntzberger as in the media mogul? You are all bent, I don't think my mom would allow any of it. She has kept me out of so much already."
"Nope, no more girl, you are out and trust me, every trust funder who is able will be around to land you. You are the great hope." Paris supplied. "My friendship with you will gain some parental approval as it will for Maddie and Louise."
Tristan playfully leered at her, "It looks like I am candidate number one now though, so how about it Mary, up for dating the soon to be Law king?"
Rory laughed at that, "Maybe, we'll see." She snuggled up to him and he was dumbfounded. "Enough about me and my future hubby, show me the library."
The teens laughed and spent the remainder of the evening hiding out in the library. It was there Emily found them and several other youths who had joined them in a rousing game of pictionary, she stood back and enjoyed their antics until Rory noticed her.
"Grandma hi, is it time to go already?" Rory embraced her grandmother cordially. The group stilled and looked to the door for other parents to arrive.
"I hate to take you from your friends, but it is quite late, ready to go?" Emily smoothed her hair behind her ear.
"Sure grandma, I will just say goodbye and meet you at the door." She excused herself then went to say goodbye and retrieve her wrap.
Tristan followed her as she exited the door,"Rory, just a minute, do you want a ride home tomorrow?"
"That is really sweet, I would like that." You know the address I guess I will see you at one after brunch, or better yet I am sure my grandparents will insist. If you want you can come, we usually start at 11:30 if you want to stop by, I am sure they won't mind."
"Thank you, I will do that." Tristan kissed her cheek and then returned to the library.
Rory found her grandparents, said goodbye to the hosts and waved to the Hayden's as the exited.
Once they were in the car Emily asked "Rory, what happened with the Hayden's? They were so different towards you than they have ever been. I mean even last Friday they were hardly civil."
"Actually, after everything that happened I decided to put the record straight, meet them face to face and show them the real me. Then I had lunch with them today and we kind of started to get to know one another. I hope that's OK?" Rory was nervous for the second time today.
"That's fine Rory, was it your idea or theirs?" Richard asked.
"Well grandpa, after last week I wanted to let them know that I wasn't anything to be worried about, that I was a good student, a good citizen and not anything like they thought." Rory explained, "We are having lunch again in two weeks so I can learn about more of their family."
Emily was concerned but tried to be encouraging, "Well that sounds like you did the right thing, Francine was simply glowing going on and on about you today. It was quite a surprise. She simply went on and on, you would think she had a dossier or something, she was on about your grades, awards and acting as if she had known you for years."
"Well grandma, I kind of put together something of a book on me, it had pictures, report cards and such, I wanted to prove to them that I am not an accident or a disgrace." Rory's voice was a little embarrassed.
"They were wrong, and you never should have felt the need to impress them, but I am glad you took it like a Gilmore and proved them wrong." Richard had pride in his voice.
"Oh, grandma, Grandpa, Tristan offered to drive me home tomorrow so I invited him to brunch, is that OK?" Rory rushed.
"That is fine dear, just fine." Emily beamed at Richard and he smiled.
They arrived at the house, the driver handed the maid Rory's bag and the family retired for the evening.
