Story prompted by: roganjalex: Rory starts a relationship with Christopher's parents after the dinner at the Gilmore house
Disclaimer: No profits being made here, just flights of fancy, please don't sue.
A/N: A huge thank you to all who follow, favorite and review, this story has been very Rory centric and I appreciate you all staying with it.
Chapter 10 – What About... ?
Lorelai came back to the house to check on Rory, she was worried she would make a rash choice, get drunk, break some rules, sleep with Tristan. She wondered if that was happening yet, had it started in New York, would Rory talk to her about it? She called to her daughter then remembered she had called to let her know she was spending the day with Tristan. Her mind was awash with possibilities, would her daughter try her way out? No, she has an IUD, not so easy to forget. She needed to talk to her, to know what was going on, to know how she was dealing. She knew it was a huge responsibility that had been thrown at her daughter. The poor kid to have all of her dreams stripped away before Christmas day was over, hell before the lunch was served. How could the Hayden's and Gilmore's think that taking everything away from her on Christmas day was a great surprise. That they thought she would be pleased, giddy with the possibility of becoming an indentured Hartford business woman, wife, mother and finally president of the DAR. Her beautiful, smart independent girl would be shackled to a plan, the plan she and Christopher escaped, but now it was all on Rory's small shoulders. She returned to work, she would worry about this later. Suddenly she heard Scarlett O'Hara 'I'll think of it tomorrow, after all tomorrow is another day.' She locked the house and decided to stop at Luke's for coffee first. Why is it, when my life is hard the first person I think of is Luke? Am I more dependent on him than I think, is my mom right, we are idiots. Man, I need coffee.
"Luke, 'knock me down and rise me up again', coffee me hard baby." Lorelai plopped onto the stool by the register.
Luke cleared his throat and tried not to picture himself en flagrante with her, he would gladly do as she asked, but he knew she never meant her suggestions. He poured her a cup of coffee and grunted.
Rory returned to an empty house, it was 11:30 and she found herself in need, really desperate need of girl talk. "Steph, want to sleep over?"
"Be there in a few, should I bring a Finn pack?" Steph was already grabbing her overnight bag.
"Better not, my mom will be home tonight, I just need a sympathetic ear and boy translator." Rory sighed, the night had been great but Tristan held firm to his resolve that she calm down before they consummated their relationship, then he was her plaything.
Stephanie arrived and noted the Jeep in the drive, Lorelai was home, talks would be a morning thing, good thing she left the Finn-kit behind.
"She walked into the house easily and found Rory and Lorelai watching 'Pirates of Penzance' and stilled her laugh.
"Hey girls, thanks for the crash pad, Colin is making me crazy! You guys are my heroes! Really I needed the escape." Her tone was excited. "Is the trundle out?" Stephanie wanted to make sure they could still talk.
She had a feeling Rory was stressed and wanted to assure her about Tristan's love of her. She had a suspicion she had tried to seduce him, as she had, she never wanted Rory to know he was her first, he was kind, and gentle, but she never loved him, yet somehow she felt she betrayed them both.
"Hey Lorelai, thought you were out tonight, mind if I crash, Colin is on my last nerve, and the maid won't hold his calls, so I need to hide out." Stephanie began; "I hope it's okay, I'm not interrupting any special mom daughter time, am I?"
"No, just watching the 'modern major general' sing about his lack of being an orphan while Angela Lansbury tries to pass herself off as a youthful maiden. This movie cracks me up, anyway I should get back to the Inn, I should be there, no night manager and all, I just wanted to check on our girl, she hasn't been herself since the big reveal. Maybe you can help, I am sure you have your own plan to contend with. The junk cupboard is full and there are seven flavors of ice cream to choose from, go nuts. Well kiddo, I see you are in capable hands. Goodnight ladies, see you at Luke's for breakfast." Lorelai left reluctantly, she knew Rory was hurting, but she did have to work and at least she wasn't alone.
Stephanie popped into Rory's room and returned wearing her pajamas, "So girlie, what's up? You have been practically catatonic since Christmas. I know they laid a lot on your shoulders, but it's the cross we bear right?"
"Tristan loves me so he won't sleep with me." Rory said with a deep sadness, "He says my first time should be memorable and not a fix for depression."
"Ah girlie, he's right you know, you should have a great first time, one that you can recall with fondness. You have to know he is only saying what he thinks is best, he is changed so much since military school, he is so much more mindful of others." Steph rubbed her back, "Should I have a Finn pack delivered?"
"Thanks, but no, mom will 'pop by just in case' at least two more times tonight. I think she was about to ask me about my sex life, which is really a lack there of, just before you showed up. Your timing is impeccable by the way, I couldn't stand to have this talk with her. I mean, I am losing every dream I ever had, why can't I just lose myself in him?" Rory sighed.
"That's why", Rory looked at her quizzically, "it's because you lost everything he wants to make this thing yours to keep. Rory you have waited for the perfect moment, that I am so in love with you moment, he wants you to have that. He really loves you, you are one of the lucky ones."
Rory let her friends words sink in, "I didn't think of that, I just thought if I was going to be one of you I might as well get it over with, you know embrace the stereo type. What difference does it make if I am a virgin? I see what you mean though, it does make a difference, it set me apart, it is why I have him. Thanks Stephanie, you really made me feel a bit better. So shall we get ice cream and watch 'Tommy'?"
"Sounds like a plan, sugar coma meet acid trip." Steph agreed.
"Steph, what's up with you and Colin? You said he is bugging you, what about?" Rory turned to look at her friend with interest.
"He wants to be my boyfriend, you know exclusive. He sees what you and Tristan have and he wants it for us, he has been after me for days to commit." She revealed as she handed Rory an ice cream pint and grabbed one for herself.
"Why is that a bad thing, don't' you like him, maybe even love him?" Rory popped the top off her ice cream and handed Steph a spoon.
Steph dug a spoonful out and let the treat melt in her mouth as they returned to the living room, "I don't know that I want to commit, we are only eighteen, next year we start Yale, I am afraid he will get drunk at a party sleep with someone else and I will be crushed. I already have enough stress, keeping a monogamist relationship with a player like Colin? I don't know if I can trust him, honestly I don't know if I can trust me. If we fail I lose a really good friend, heck I might lose more than him if we mess up really bad. I am really afraid I will lose out on all of you if it goes badly."
"Well what if I screw up and Tris and I break up, then say I start dating Logan, would you hate me?" Rory argued.
Rory sat sideways on the sofa while Tommy played pinball, "You would date Logan?" Stephanie looked at her wide eyed.
"Maybe, I don't know, he is different that Tris, I mean it's not like I am planning my next boyfriend, it is an example, you know I would never date Colin or Finn and Robert, really?" Rory explained.
"Okay, say I date Colin, we are exclusive and I drunk hookup with, to use your example, Logan, would you still be my friend?" Stephanie absently poked the container of ice cream and watched Ann Margret dance spastically in front of the round mirror.
"Steph, no relationship comes with a guarantee, I thought I would still be with Dean and what if Tristan had never returned from that military school. There is no way to say what will and won't work, but if you never try you will never know. Heck, do you think we would even be friends if I hadn't been with Tristan, I would just be the weird girl who sits with her walk-man in the cafeteria." Rory enthused.
"That's what I thought, I just really like him and I don't want to lose everything we already have." Steph lamented.
"You know when I said yes to Tristan, I was taking a big risk too, my mom hates all things Hartford and I had to go and fix things with the Hayden's, start dating Tristan, meet all of you guys, my whole life could have been different, if say I never fixed things with the Hayden's, got back with Dean and kept my life between Chilton and Stars Hollow completely separate. Do you think we would even have met without Tris?" Rory restated.
Stephanie shrugged and got up to put the ice cream in the freezer, she was done and it was getting soft. Rory followed her example and considered making coffee.
"Tired? Maybe we should go to bed it's late and we have both had tiring days." Rory suggested.
"Yeah, and I have to have a long chat with Colin tomorrow, we should resolve our situation before school starts again." Stephanie agreed.
The girls were lying in the dark and Rory began, " I'm scared Steph, I can really muck this up, then I lose everything and every one."
"Stephanie was surprised by this, "I promise, no matter what happens, I will always be there for you."
No more was said, nothing was needed and the girls both fell into fitful sleeps.