A Different Version of the Gilmore Girls Part 9: The Confession
Author: Ice
Rating:pg-13
Spoilers: All of Season 1
A/N: Ok I know in my story that Lorelai doesn't go to work and Sookie isn't in the picture much, but the story is mainly based on Rory and Tristan with a little Lorelai and Dean thrown in. Ok? Ok. Oh and thanks again for so many reviews! I love 'em!
Tristan walks in the backdoor of the Gilmore home to see Lorelai crying at the kitchen table.
"Lorelai?" He goes over and hugs her. She turns into him and starts crying into his shoulder. "It'll be ok Lorelai." They sit like that for about five minutes before Lorelai calms down.
"Thanks Tris. I needed that. Now go in to see Rory. I'll be ok." He looks at her one more time and he goes to Rory's bedroom door.
"Rory? Can I come in?" A faint yeah was heard from inside the room. Tristan pushed the door open to see Rory curled up on her bed.
"Rory?" He goes over to the bed and lies down next to her. "Are you ok?"
She rolls over to face him. Her face is tearstained and she looked tired.
"Yeah." She gives him a small smile. He smiles back heartbroken, to see her this upset. "She's never yelled at me like that before. And she knows that I did nothing wrong. Why is she so angry?" The tears started coming again. Tristan pulled Rory against his chest and let her cry. Within minutes Tristan heard the tears stop and when he looked down saw that Rory was asleep. "Goodnight Mary. I love you." He whispered into her ear. She stirred in her sleep.
~~Later that day at Luke's~~
Lorelai, Rory and Tristan were in Luke's diner eating lunch. Rory and Lorelai had made up and now everything was somewhat back to normal. Rory and Lorelai were still a little wary of each other but other than that it was business as usual, like bugging Luke for coffee.
"Luke we've had a really tough morning more coffee please!" Lorelai shouted across the diner. Luke comes over with the coffee pot.
"Two more cups each then I'm cutting you off."
"Evil coffee depriver."
"Yep." Luke walks back behind the counter. Taylor walks in and comes over to the Gilmore table.
"Lorelai!"
"Taylor."
"So your going to help make the costumes for the living nativity scene again this year correct?"
"I don't know Taylor."
"Lorelai! You have been the seamstress for the past fourteen years! It's tradition that you do it this year too!" Lorelai rolls her eyes at Tristan and Rory.
"Ok but only if you make Luke give me and Rory a never ending supply of coffee from now until New Years."
"I'll see what I can do." Taylor walks over to Luke.
"No Taylor." Luke says before Taylor can even ask.
"Mom your gonna get Taylor killed one of these years." Tristan laughed taking a sip of his soda. Lane walks in and sits in the extra chair at the table.
"Rough morning Lane?"
"Mama is making me spend Christmas break at Korean Bible camp. It's a family thing."
"That sucks honey I'm sorry."
"Yeah, so I won't be here for Christmas so you guys are going to have to wait until I get back to get your presents."
"Then same goes for you missy." Lorelai smiles at her. Rory and Lane go outside to say goodbye.
~~At the Gilmore home watching movies~~
The three are at the Gilmore's watching Remember the Titans, Tristan's pick, Lorelai and Rory are trying not to make fun of it because Tristan threatened their Christmas presents and coffee supply if they did. The phone rang.
"I'll get it!" Lorelai said racing to the phone. She wasn't enjoying the movie, but Rory was who had her head on Tristan's lap.
"Hello?"
"Lorelai." Lorelai made a face at Rory who had turned towards her mother to see who it was.
"Mom, Hello." Tristan smiled. This should be an interesting if not one sided conversation.
"I wanted to talk to you about Christmas dinner this Friday."
"Christmas dinner?"
"You forgot didn't you Lorelai."
"Well mom, there's been a lot going on around here lately, your Christmas shindig's not exactly high on my list of things to obsess about."
"Well I'm sorry if the timing is bad Lorelai, but the world doesn't always revolve around you."
"Well thanks for the tip."
"Cocktails are at 6, dinner's at 8."
"I probably won't be there for cocktails."
"Why not?"
"Because I have to work."
"You can't leave work early?"
"No I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because it's not in my job description." Tristan stifled a laugh.
"Well then don't come."
"What?"
"Don't come. It's obviously an enormous burden for you."
"Yeah but –"
"Just send Rory."
"You're telling me not to come to the Christmas party?"
"Well you're obviously too busy."
"I had the German measles in the 5th grade, I still had to show up to the Christmas party."
"Lorelai stop being dramatic."
"My polka dot dress matched my face and still I had to sit through 12 courses." That was the last straw Rory and Tristan burst out laughing.
"What was that?"
"Nothing Mom just two laughing hyenas we picked up."
"Well anyway, I am tired of forcing you to do all those terrible things that infringe upon your life and I do not have the energy to pretend that the way you treated my the other day was in any way acceptable."
"So you're uninviting me to Christmas dinner?"
"Yes I am."
"Fine."
"Fine."
"Ok, anything else?"
"Tell Rory she can invite Tristan."
"Will do."
"I believe that's all."
"Ok well, great mom, it's been swell talking to you."
"Bye Lorelai."
"Bye." Lorelai hung up the phone in shock and walked back to her chair.
"What Mom?"
"Mom said that you are to go to the Christmas party on Friday but I'm not invited. Oh and you can bring Bible Boy over there."
"Your kidding."
"Nope. My mother uninvited me to the only dinner she serves those little apple tarts."
"She must have been kidding." Tristan said.
"Oh. No. Emily Gilmore does not kid."
She sighed and they turned back to the movie.
~~Friday night~~
"Come on Lorelai. Come with us. I'll drive so you can get smashed."
"Lovely thought Tristan and as much fun it would be to do that at one of my mother's parties, I can't."
"I wish you'd change your mind." Rory said.
"It's not my mind that needs to be changed."
"I don't think she meant it."
"Oh she meant it."
"Well maybe she thinks she meant it at the time, but I bet she won't mean it later when I show up there without you."
"And without a map to follow that reasoning I say, 'Take a coat it's cold outside'."
"You just wanna hold a grudge." Rory proclaimed. Tristan was standing near the door.
"Yes, it burns more calories."
"That's not true."
"Yes it is, how do you think your grandma got those legs of hers? She's not exactly a Stairmaster gal."
"Mom."
"Never saw her on the running track."
"Ok."
"I don't remember the country club organizing a Tae-bo class."
"Fine, forget it. Should I put your name on Grandma's present?"
"Yes, sign it the inn keeper formally known as her daughter."
"You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think you're acting a little immature."
"I'm not acting."
"Well what about the apple tarts? Don't you wait all year for those apple tarts?" Tristan put in.
"I can live without the apple tarts."
"Uh. Mom. You've made up songs after eating five of them with lyrics that contradict that last statement."
"Oh you know what? You have to go, you're late."
"You really won't come?"
"What, I'm sorry, is somebody speaking? Couldn't be Rory, she's already half way to Hartford."
"Fine, we're going."
"Drive carefully. Watch out for ice. And bring me back one of those," The door shuts, "..tarts!"
~~At the Gilmore Mansion~~
The door to the Mansion opens.
"Rory, Tristan you two look lovely."
"Hi Grandma. Thanks for inviting us." They walk into the house.
"Oh Grandma here this is from us and mom."
"Why thank you Rory. I'll have Fiona put it under the tree. Please take off your coats." Tristan and Rory take off their coats and are escorted by Emily into the living room.
"How you holding up so far?" Tristan said after a couple of hours.
"Like I want to go hide in the library." Tristan smiled and they followed the rest of the guests into the dining room.
~~Back at 'The Crap Shack'~~
"Joe come on give me a time here. I ordered the pizza over an hour ago." She listens, "Now Joe. How old was this truck?" Pause "Well yeah. Ok. Never mind. Cancel my order. Ok bye." Lorelai hung up the phone defeated. She went into the kitchen to see if she could scrounge something for dinner when she heard a tapping at Rory's window.
Lorelai looks and sees Dean. She goes over and opens the window.
"Well, hi there."
"Hi."
"How you doing?"
"Fine."
"Good, good. Shouldn't you have a squeegee with you or something?"
"I was just…"
"Looking for Rory?"
"Yeah."
"She's not here."
"Ok."
"She's at my parents' dinner party with Tristan."
"Oh. Are they dating?"
"No. But I do know that Tristan cares deeply for my daughter and would do anything for her. I also know that Rory loves Tristan like a brother and nothing should come between them."
"Oh."
"I'll tell her you tapped."
"Thanks."
"Mm-hmm," she was about to close the window when she saw that Dean was still there. " "Something else?"
" I just wanted to say that things got all messed up."
"Yes they did."
"And I'm sorry."
"Uh-huh."
"But nothing happened."
"Ok, I have to go."
"We were talking and then fell asleep. That's all.
"Ok."
"So am I public enemy #1 with you now?"
LORELAI: #1? I don't know, would you settle for top five? Now with Tristan…"
"Yeah well I don't really care about what he thinks."
"You should. Because Rory does. And they are going to stay friends. You have to realize that."
"Yeah yeah."
"Now if you were to hurt her or stop her from going the distance, you wouldn't have just me to answer too."
"No?"
"Nope. You'd also have Tristan, Luke, and probably about every other person in Stars Hollow. Got it?"
Dean nods a little scared. "Good. I'll tell her you were here." She closes the window.
~~Gilmore Mansion~~
"This was a great meal Mrs. Gilmore thank you so much for having me."
"It was a pleasure Tristan. We'll see you soon."
"Grandma I had fun. Can I take one of the apple tarts for the ride?"
"Here take three so that your mother and Tristan can have one too." Emily smiled. This should have been her daughter.
"Goodnight Grandma. Bye Grandpa!"
"Good night Rory. Tristan!" Her grandfather called from the other room.
"Goodnight kids. Have a safe ride home."
~~Back at the Gilmore's~~
"We're home!" Rory called as Tristan and Rory walked into the house.
"Oh apple tarts!" Lorelai grabbed the bag out of Tristan's hand before they could even get their coats off.
"Lorelai hold it! Two of those are for us." Lorelai gave him a dirty look.
"Just for that I'm making you drive all the way back to Hartford and then making you drive back here tomorrow morning." Rory gave her mom a look.
"You know as well as I do Tristan is staying the night. Tris, you get the couch. See you in the morning." Rory kissed his cheek.
"Night Ror."
"Night sweetie." They watch her go into her bedroom and then Lorelai and Tristan get Tristan's sheets for the couch. After getting him comfortable Lorelai sat in her favorite chair.
"Ok so how'd it really go?" Tristan laughed.
"It was ok. We both wanted to get out of there before dinner started but we were on our best behavior."
"Sure. Tris, can I ask you a question?" Tristan looks at her quizzically.
"Sure I guess."
"What's going on with you two?" He looks down at his hands and then back at Lorelai. He knows anything he says won't find itself somehow in Rory's brain, and that he could trust her. He decides to tell her the truth.
"Really? Nothing we're friends and that's it. But I want to be more Lorelai. I've loved that girl since the first day of kindergarten and when you guys moved it broke my heart. When you asked me for directions a few months ago I thought I was seeing a ghost then when I saw Rory later and figured out it really was her I fell in love all over again. I figured I'd tell her how I felt after a while and she'd feel the same way back you know? But then Bag Boy came into the picture. Now I don't know what to do. Then at the dance I was just so jealous. I saw them kissing and everything I just couldn't deal with it. Lorelai I just want to be more than friends soo much." The expression on his face turned to dreamy. "I remember the fun we had and no matter what my problems were at home I knew if I saw her I would be happy. No matter what we were doing. But when I saw her ask him to the formal and was so excited about it I'd realized I'd probably lost my chance. I'm just glad I never told her this so we can still be friends."
Lorelai sat with a soft smile on her face. This is the man she knew would care about her daughter, the guy who Rory could turn to about anything, the guy who would never park somewhere with probably ulterior motives than what actually happened. This is the guy that loved Rory to no end.
"I knew you liked her Tris. It's kind of obvious to everyone except for my smart little girl in there. But I didn't know you felt this strongly about her. And let me tell you. I like you a whole lot more than that Dean kid." Tristan smiled. Lorelai noticed he looked tired but it also looked as though a weight had been lifted off of his chest, "I'll try and help you but the Dean thing is new. You might have to wait." Tristan nodded. He had waited this long he can't wait a little longer. Lorelai got up tousled his hair, which he immediately ran a hand through, and went up to bed. Tristan sank down into the couch and fell to sleep felling better that he had finally told someone how he felt.
