A/N: Hey the slacker co-writer is BACK!!! At least until the homecoming dance Saturday!
Ellie
A/N: Ugh, now who's the slacker co-writer? Well, I have good reasons that I won't bore you with, but let's just say a lot is going on in my life right now and I think I broke my toe. So anyway, Ellie did a wonderful job with this one. Everyone bow down to her!
Disclaimer: Don't own…
On with the story…
--
Chapter 10: Thank God
Nobody's POV
"And then he took the bat to me, and I past out on the porch. The next thing I remember is being in the hospital," Rory said as tears ran down her cheeks. She and Tabby were sitting. Tabby had her feet curled under her as Rory just sat as comfortable as she could. From all the running and moving, her back was killing her and her vicodin was at home, so she just let her heart flood and told Tabby.
--
"His name is Dean Forrester," Lorelai said again as the cop held Dean against the cop car. Another was talking to Luke over by the diner.
"What did he do ma'am?" the Chinese man asked as Lorelai sighed.
"He beat my daughter," she seethed as a door was heard. All four people who were not currently pinned, or doing the pinning turned towards Doose's. Taylor came hobbling out in his nightshirt.
"Lorelai?" he demanded. Lorelai pointed to Dean and Taylor walked to him. He got down in Dean's face.
"I don't believe I'll need your services, you're fired," Taylor spat and walked back to Doose's. The assembled crowd cheered as a few cops tried holding back the mass crowd. Lorelai just bit her bottom lip and watched Luke wink at her.
--
"Come on Greg," thirteen-year-old Tabitha Delores yelled. She whipped her black braids behind her shoulder as a boy ran after her. They were in the forest clearing that Tabby had always loved. Her Uncle Kevin grinned as he fished from the pond lying there in splendor.
"Hold on Tabs," Greg, a sixteen-year-old wrestler yelled then ran for Tabby. Tabby squealed with laughter as he pinned her to the ground.
"Greg, you're a loot," Tabby said as she blew in his face.
"A loot?"
"Yeah, so I made it up," Tabby said as she squirmed out from underneath Greg. She ran and tripped on a twig. "SHIT!" she yelled and when Greg came over to look at her knee she laughed and ran to eat, Kevin had finished dinner.
--
"Dean Forrester you are under arrest," the officer said and Luke put an arm around Lorelai. Lorelai cupped her hands and brought them to rest at her chest. The cop pushed Dean in the car and drove away. Lorelai made eye contact with Dean as they drove away.
He was a serious psychotic ass, Lorelai thought as she and Luke turned to go to the diner.
--
"I know," Tabby said as Rory just cried. "He did it to me too," she said but bit back her tears. She knew Rory needed someone strong, but Tabitha couldn't help reliving it.
"Good night Greg," Tabby said as she climbed in her tent. Kevin had already gone to bed in the tent next to his son. Tabitha unzipped her duffle bag and pulled out old brown sweats, a brown cami and her 'NYU' sweatshirt. She slipped them all on and crawled into her sleeping bag.
Rustling was heard in the tent and Tabby quietly opened her eyes. Greg sat there. He smiled and scooted closer to her.
"Greg?" Tabby asked and looked at the tall dark lean and handsome man, who was her uncle's adopted son. He had brown wavy shoulder length hair, his eyes were the color of night and his mouth was lean and wide now in a grin.
"Tabby, you're beautiful," he whispered and Tabby felt her heart beat. He was the boy who she'd read about. The one who comes into your life at awkward times and makes the world seem right. Tabitha felt so cool to be this close to a cute guy. Even if he just was adopted last year.
"Thanks," she said and blushed. Greg reached for her chin and lifted it to his mouth. He captured her mouth and Tabitha pulled him in further.
"WHAT'S this!" outraged, Kevin yelled as he opened the tent and saw his son kissing his niece.
"Nothing Kevin," Greg said and stood. Kevin glared at him, just as Kevin turned Tabby saw Greg grab the baseball bat.
"KEVIN!" Tabby yelled and Kevin ducked just before Greg hit him. But it was all too soon that Greg was out of his six-month sentence.
--
"Tabs, you need to be careful," Jess said as they ate their school lunch. Tabby had shrugged it off, but she was really shaking in her boots.
--
"Hi mom!" Tabby yelled when she walked in. But her voice echoed back, lonely. Tabby shrugged and threw her book bag on the couch. She peeled off her shirt and revealed a sports bra, as she walked into her room. She grabbed her GWMS shirt.
"Wow," Tabby whipped around and saw Greg standing there, smirking. He walked towards her and smiled down at her.
"G-Greg," Tabby stuttered and backed into the wall. She was trapped.
"T-Tabby," he mocked and laughed. He took Tabby's arms and roughly shoved them above her head as he made his way, with his lips, down her shirtless body. Tabby squirmed and looked for help. She sucked in a breath when Greg reached her navel. She took a deep breath and tensed her body as she kicked Greg. Greg landed on the ground holding himself.
"Bitch!" He yelled and clambered her to the floor. He slapped her right side of her face. Tabby flicked her head to the side and felt the tears. She knew her mom wouldn't be home until five, and she estimated, as Greg bent her arm back and bit her shoulder, that it was only three.
"Greg stop!" She tried but he just bit harder and stood to kick Tabby. Tabby was stronger than this, she told herself. She could beat him. Tabby jumped up and went for his gut, but he stopped her and threw her away from him. Tabby rammed into the dresser and just dropped. She couldn't breath; she had heard something crack in her rib area. Tabitha clutched her mid drift as Greg bent down. He threw her on the floor and pulled away her plaid skirt.
"Stop," Tabby nearly muttered and watched with glassy eyes as Greg looked down at her.
"You know what," he said. Tabitha just stared. "You don't deserve me," he said and just merely stepped on her stomach and left. Tabby just lay on her bedroom floor as the phone rang an hour later. Two hours after everything Tabby heard running.
"Tabitha Gracie Delores?" Jess yelled and stopped short when he saw her on the ground. She'd been trapped.
"Who?" Rory asked as the tears slowed. Tabby turned with what Rory noticed for the first time to be a very calm look on her face.
"Gregory Valleys," Tabitha said and picked up her water. At Rory's look Tabby smiled and sighed, "He was my uncles adopted son when I was about thirteen…"
--
Jess' POV
I watched Lorelai and Luke talk to the cops as I filled the coffee filter with coffee and started it. As the coffee peculated I leaned against the counter with my arms folded.
"Tabs?" I had asked, as she lay there, motionless. I walked to her and checked her pulse. "You need to talk to me baby," he muttered and Tabby fluttered her eyes open then closed. They stayed closed and Jess ran fingers through his hair.
He had taken her to the ER. She'd gone home a week later after suffering depression, three broken ribs, internal bleeding and a scarred heart.
--
Nobody's POV
"What's with that far away look?" Lorelai laughed as Jess snapped back.
"I was thinking," Jess muttered and turned to pour coffee. Luke mumbled something about making some food and Jess handed Lorelai her coffee. He turned and was stacking the to-go cups when he heard the little almost squeak-like noise.
"Lorelai?" Jess whispered as he turned to see Lorelai with her hands over her eyes. She shook her head and Jess watched her black hair fall out of the clip that had held it back earlier. Jess looked around, not knowing what to do.
"It's my fault," she said through her hands. Jess peered down at her and nodded. She was having that mother's guilt.
"No it wasn't," Jess said turning on his comforting voice. Lorelai chuckled and lifted her head. She looked terrible, Jess thought.
"Yeah, it was. See if I had noticed the simple things like a bruise in an awkward place, or the tears she shed, or how she'd wince when I'd hug her. It wasn't until today that I remembered those things. Something as simple as that and I didn't notice," Lorelai said and Luke came out of the kitchen with fries. He looked at Jess and Jess shook his head, Luke retreated.
"If she'd wanted you to notice, you would've," Jess said moving to the other side of the counter and sitting next to Lorelai. Lorelai turned to him and then back at her coffee. She toyed with the handle of her cup and sat up straight.
"Then how good of a mother am I when my daughter doesn't want her mom to know that she'd been abused?" Lorelai asked, staring at a spot on the other side of the counter.
"You're the greatest mom in the world," Jess said meeting her eyes as he dropped the napkin he had had in his hands. Jess looked at Lorelai fully, "She didn't want to disappoint you-"
"But—"
Jess held up a hand and nearly blinked, "It doesn't matter that you wouldn't have gotten mad, she still didn't want you to know. The best thing is to not upset yourself, but be there for her."
Jess stood and walked away from Lorelai, "Thank you."
He turned and grinned as Lorelai laughed.
--
Rory just nodded as Tabby finished her story.
"Jess was there for me when no one else was. He was there for both of us," Tabby said as blue met green. Rory smiled and Tabby leaned over and hugged her. "We're strong Gilmore, we can get through this, together," Tabby added and smiled when Rory nodded off into the world of no pain, and unicorns. Tabby laid her down, slowly, on the couch and covered her. She smiled down at Rory and knew, forever, that Rory would make it. Tabitha Gracie Delores just thanked God, as she walked into the kitchen and cleaned their glasses that Jess had been there for her. Without him, she'd be in some hole covered with six feet of dirt.
Tabby shivered and walked over to the old TV set. Let's see if something decent is on, she thought and curled into the huge armchair. She was sleeping two minutes later.
--
A/N: Hey, I hope you all like this!
Ellie
A/N: Reviews are love so press the pretty little button!