I've been forgetting these, sorry for the 'false update,' but I wanted to add them in before I forget completely!:
Disclaimer: I do not claim to own the rights to "Gilmore Girls" or it's characters. No copyright infringement intended.
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57…58…59… I had been watching the clock over the bar the entire time of the silence. Well, it's been a solid four minutes and I still can't hear any sounds coming from the bathroom. The trouble now was that so much time had passed, I was afraid to open the door and witness what could be happening inside. Suck it up Jace. Just one peek to make sure they are okay and then run like hell… I reached out for the handle just as the door forcefully opened and Rory came charging out muttering a nearly inaudible, "Oh my God," as she pushed by without noticing me. Were those tears? Logan was just two beats behind her but I stopped him.
"I thought I told you not to be a jerk! You were so desperate for her that you couldn't keep it in your pants until you got home? Who are you, Collin Farrel? This is exactly what I was afr-"
Looking defeated, Logan finally interrupted my attack, "No! Nothing happened! I said 'Hey Ace,' she looked me in the eye, smiled, turned green and faced the toilet, then proceeded to projectile vomit for the next…however long. Then she stormed out before I could say anything to her."
"Thanks for the visual…it's exactly what I needed to end the night." I let out a long sigh and pressed my hand to my forehead trying to figure out how Rory could have gotten so sick from a few drinks spaced out over several hours. We were pretty tipsy, but she could usually drink me under the table. (She always credited Lorelai for that ability.) "So, what did you do? Why didn't you come for help?"
Logan looked up to the ceiling for the memory to return, "I was about to. I turned to walk out of the stall and she grabbed my wrist. I thought she wanted me to stay, so I made sure her hair and her clothes were secure and…waited. I just waited for it to be over."
"Tequila!" I shouted and slapped my hand to my forehead. Rory could never hold her tequila.
"Again with the tequila? Do you get royalties every time you shout it out or something?" Logan wondered.
"No! That's why she got sick. We were drinking wine all night, but when Marty came over, we switched to something with tequila in it. Rory can't-"
"…Hold her tequila. Yeah, I remember…"
He was going to continue but Steph ran over looking worried, "Hey, Rory's upset. She said she just wants to go…We should probably…" She looked from Logan to me and I nodded.
"Yeah, we should go." Logan looked defeated and started walking toward his friends, and a very uncomfortable Marty, who were blissfully unaware of what was happening. I turned to Steph, "Hey, call Tom, tell him to come get us, and wait with her. I'll meet you out there." She nodded and walked back toward the exit. I turned and followed Logan back to the table.
"Why so glum Logan? Did Jace have to cut your hair or something?" Colin chimed in. The others hadn't noticed his return yet.
Finn perked up at Logan's reappearance, "Logan! Hey Mate, I was just telling this bloke here about the time where we invited these chicks back to the house and you slept with one and it turned out that she was Rory's friend and you found out when Parker came back after a turn in the sack with Rory and they saw you and you saw them and… Hey! That girl, right there, she looks just like one of 'em…What? Why are you looking at me like that Colin? Don't you remember?"
"Of course we remember Finn! It was last week! Sometimes I wonder how you have survived to be twenty six," Colin retorted.
I stepped up to the table, red faced, to address the guys, "Well, not that re-living the most shameful moments of my life isn't fun or anything…But we have a slight problem. Rory's gone, she embarrassed herself and I honestly don't know how we can rectify this one. I will let Logan fill you in on the details. I just wanted to let you know that we're leaving. Please start trying to figure out how to fix this… I don't want to see her cry anymore. It's…it's too hard," my voice cracked on the last part of my speech and for one second, I let my shame break my composure one last time. Wiping the lone tear off my cheek, hopefully before anyone would notice, I remembered the lonely person at the table, "Marty, thank you for the drinks, it was really great to finally put a face to the nick-name," I smiled. "If you want to keep in touch with Rory, write your number on this," I tossed him a dry drink napkin, "and I'll make sure she gets it."
He quickly grabbed the pen off the table and scribbled down his information. I watched out of the corner of my eye as Logan scowled at Marty. "Thanks…Jace, right?" I nodded and Marty got up from the table. "It was nice to meet you too. Logan, guys, always a pleasure," and with those parting words, Marty walked off.
I took that as my cue, "Alright, well, talk to Steph when she comes home and I guess we'll hope there is something we can do." I looked down at the ground once more, trying to rid my mind of the painful memories Finn so kindly brought back. "Good night." I walked toward the exit and my waiting friends, only to be stopped by Jon placing his hand on my shoulder.
"Hey, stop beating yourself up. Finn's an idiot sometimes. Don't let him get to you okay? Seriously he's just-"
"I'm fine really. And thanks…Well, I really should go," I gestured toward the door, Jon nodded in acknowledgement and I made my exit to find the black Mercedes waiting for me. Ensuring that my emotional reserves were in check, I let out one more sigh and got into the car where Steph was holding a blotchy-faced Rory. It looked like she had stopped crying and just wanted comfort from her friends. I silently thanked Lorelai for waiting at the house for us. We were definitely going to need backup.
"Where to, Miss Sheridan?" Tom asked.
"Home, please," I responded as I went to sit next to Rory, and taking her hand in mine we drove back to the Gilmore's summer home in understanding silence.
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Laughter really was the best medicine. Steph had phoned Lorelai just after calling for the driver and when we arrived back at the house, we were bombarded with piles of all our favorite junk foods and a stack of "Brat Pack" movies sitting on the coffee table in the living room. "Pizza's on the way," Lorelai called out from the kitchen.
Rory instantly perked up at hearing her mother's voice. "Pizza, hmm. I could really go for some-"
"Chinese?" Lorelai laughed as she came out of the kitchen with her arms full of little white Chinese Food take-out boxes.
We all joined in the laughter and instantly felt better. "Where on Earth did you get Chinese Food at Martha's Vineyard?" Steph asked, amazed.
"It's all about who you know…" Lorelai quipped. We looked at her a little confused. "Or about how much you are willing to threaten the local steakhouse for the location of such an establishment."
More laughter ensued as we all got comfortable on the oversized couch. It was silently acknowledged that we wouldn't speak of what happened, at least, not tonight. Tonight was about Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, and their friends.
"This can't be real," I announced cryptically. The others looked at me with curious eyes. "Am I actually going to take part in a 'No joke - Lorelai certified - 100% genuine - No talking - No rewinding - No interruptions - Gilmore Girl Movie night'?" Steph and I gazed toward the Gilmore's with mocked awe.
"Well, I was planning on forgoing the rules, just for tonight, considering that you've all been out drinking and will probably have to take several breaks, but if it's that important to you, you'd better make all your pit stops now. Because once this bus is moving, we stop for no man...or woman! I don't care how tiny you say your bladder is."
Steph and I looked at each other and nodded. "We accept the challenge," I declared, then got up quickly.
"Giving up already?" Rory asked smiling. Wow, it was good to see her smile like that. My best friend looked truly happy. I inwardly hoped that it would last.
"Hell no!" I shouted as I started running away from them.
"Where are you going?" Steph wondered.
"I am one of those 'tiny bladder people'… I need to at least give myself a chance at making it through tonight!"
I heard someone mutter, "Wuss!" as I closed the door to the bathroom. It was followed by more giggling and laughing. I already knew that tonight was going to be a night that the four of us would always remember. And it would be a happy memory, not one filled with the pain of why we were here to begin with. I realized at that moment that the horrific events of the last week wouldn't be what we remembered. A few years from now when we looked back, we would remember the laughs and the embarrassing moments and all our thoughts about Martha's Vineyard would be good ones…especially if we could get through the next part of "The Plan" without any more issues.
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I woke the next morning to the sound of shuffling and shouting, only then to realize that I couldn't see anything and I was moving against my own will. Now I could hear laughter. I started struggling as I listened harder to pick up on what was happening around me.
"Put me down!" I heard Steph cry out. Her order was followed by more laughter.
"How did you get in here anyway? This place has more security than Alcatraz!" Rory shouted.
Finally one of our captors spoke and I instantly felt stupid for feeling alarmed. Who else would try to pull this off? "Relax Rory! Your mom let us in." Colin. Of course Colin would have a hand in this.
"Mom, you knew about this!" Rory's voice drifted away and I assumed that her and Steph were already whisked outside, probably being shoved into a trunk, just for laughs.
"Sorry kid!" Lorelai called from behind me. "They called last night before you got back and asked permission. How could I deny them their fun?"
I stopped my struggle, held back a laugh and replied, "Maybe for the health and safety of your daughter and her friends?"
"That's why we stayed up so late watching movies! And well, Finn was very reassuring on the phone. I trust him…" There was an eerie silence and even my "captor" stopped walking out of shock. "Okay, what was I thinking? Maybe this isn't such a good idea. Colin, are you sure this is going to be safe?" Lorelai sounded genuinely worried.
The transporting of me started again and laughter came from the man carrying me to my fate. "Relax Lorelai. We explained everything on the phone, we won't deviate from the plan," Jon assured her.
I was instantly righted and then escorted up a step and into a seat right next to someone. "Jace?" The voice of Steph spoke.
"Yeah it's me. Rory, where are you?"
"I'm next to Steph," she answered back. I jumped as I felt arms reach across my body and there was another rumble of laughter.
"Safety first!" Parker chuckled and buckled my seatbelt.
"My God, you all are loud this morning. Can we please get moving? My skin is starting to rash from the sunlight." Of course Finn was there...
The car doors slammed shut and the car lunged forward, taking us to Who-Knows-Where, and I was a little excited.
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I know! I am so mean to leave you with yet another cliff hanger. I don't think this one's that bad though. Is it?
I feel that this story is winding down. I know there won't be anything else in the way of our happy ending so things should move pretty quickly from here. Maybe 2 chapters left? Thanks again for reading my first FF. If you like my writing at all or want to see something a little different, I have another idea for a story (Rory/Logan, of course) and I would love some thoughts on it. I will post the info in my profile.
I love all of you for making it this far! I love hearing from you through your reviews, and I am still willing to accept the positive or negative. Either kind will help! Thanks!
~Melinda