Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who left feedback for the last chapter! Means so much. Also, I changed the whole Dean having blue eyes thing to him having brown. Just goes to show I don't pay enough attention to Jared's eyes. Oh well.

Chapter 10: Family

She was still shocked to see Dean Forester in Stars Hollow after all this time, even when she stood up and wrapped her arms around him. He was laughing as she grappled him to her, as if holding on for dear life. "Rory, I think I can't breathe."

"I'm so sorry!" Flustered, she pulled away and beamed at him. "Wow, Dean! Were you always this tall? I don't remember you being this tall!"

He laughed again, his eyes crinkling and she remembered how it used to make her weak in the knees. Oh it had been so long ago. "Same old Rory Gilmore, I see. Why am I not surprised?"

She blushed a little, looked down at her feet. If he only knew how much she had changed. She fixed a bright smile on her face when she looked back up at him. "How long has it been, Dean?"

He shrugged, looking over her shoulder, across the street at Luke's. "I think it was at your mother's wedding."

She marveled at how time took away people who once seemed so important. It still hurt to let go. Maybe I haven't changed all that much, she thought wryly. Shaking her head to rid herself of serious and depressing thoughts, she smiled again. Her cheeks were starting to hurt. "How've you been?"

He pocketed his hands, deeply in his leather jacket. "Good. Busy. Happy."

She could see it in his eyes; could almost feel it standing next to him. "I wonder if happiness is contagious," she wondered out loud before she realized it.

His hand fingers wrapped around her elbow and he looked at her, gravely. "I heard about your grandfather. I'm so sorry, Rory."

She knew he meant it and that he was saying what he felt was customary to say but she was getting sick and tired of hearing it. It didn't help; it only reminded her of him. She had come to Stars Hollow to forget. "Thank you."

Before either of them could say anything else, Lane showed up, two cups of coffee in hand. She looked at Dean, smiled, but didn't look surprised to see him. Rory figured that they had probably already met. "Dean-o."

He smiled widely as Rory giggled at the old nickname. "Lane, hello again."

Rory felt like they had traveled back in time, when she was with Dean and the three of them would hand around Luke's or the gazebo or at her house. Days spent mocking movies, recommending books or CDs – being relatively carefree. Obsessing about the past so much is so unhealthy, she thought to herself as the three of them walked towards the center of town.

"So what have you been up to, Dean?"

"The usually," he shrugged. "Work, family, kids – well one, actually. It gets hectic."

Family? Dean was married and had children? When in the world had that happened and why hadn't Lorelai mentioned it to her? Lane threw her an apologetic smile, the one that said 'sorry I didn't fill you in'. She recovered from the shock quickly enough and managed a smile she hoped didn't look foolish. "Wow. This is very belated but congratulations."

He gave her a sheepish smile. "Lindsay and I were married the summer you were off in Europe."

Lindsay. She had forgotten all about the blonde. "Wow. I feel stupid for saying it over and over again…" she trailed off and smiled again, this time looking right at him to show him that she was genuinely happy. "I always knew you'd live that picture perfect life."

"You should see their kid, Rory. Lila's adorable. She's got Dean's eyes, her mother's smile and blonde curly hair…oh my God, Ro," Lane's excited spiel trailed off as her eyes widened in horror. "I didn't- "

Ignoring the pain that had settled on her heart, Rory cut her off, quickly. "It's okay."

Dean stopped walking and looked between the two women, confused. "Is something wrong."

Lane looked too mortified to answer so Rory smiled at Dean with fake cheerfulness. "Of course not, you do remember how she gets carried away with things. Although, I'm sure Lila is beautiful."

"Thank you," he answered after a pause and then went into a detailed description about how freaked he was when Lindsay went through labor.

So much for forgetting, she thought as she remembered everything she had lost.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Father," Tristan said stiffly into the phone. "How may I help you?"

"Do you take that apathetic tone when you answer all of your phone calls, son?" William asked, his voice sounding strange as well.

"I've learned indifference from the best."

William sighed. "I didn't call you to argue or fight, Tristan."

"Well that's a first," he replied and tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder so he could sign the documents Alice had left for him on his desk. "So, pray tell, why did you call?"

"I need your help."

Tristan didn't let the surprise he felt seep into his voice. "On what?"

"I'd rather we didn't discuss it on the phone." William waited a minute for continuing. "I need you to come back to Hartford."

"I just left Hartford," Tristan replied curtly.

"I know that, son. You left before I could even get a chance to talk to you." That was the idea, of course. He could hear the impatience in his father's voice. "If you had stuck around and not done things in a that reckless manner you always conduct yourself with- "

Tristan bit his bottom lip to keep from yelling. "I know where this lecture is going to go, Father. Can we just cut to the chase, here?"

"Listen, I know you and Lorelai need to put space between yourselves. She's grieving her grandfather's loss and I find it very commendable that you left this time, son." It had been a long time since William had praised or approved of anything he'd done. It made him uncomfortable. "But I wouldn't ask you to come back unless it was important."

Tristan leaned back in his leather chair. "If you're going to use the guilt trip on me, at least tell me what it's about."

"It's business and I need your legal help."

"It sounds serious."

"It is."

"Then why the hell are you asking me to help?"

"Because you're family."

Tristan scoffed. "Since when did that matter?"

"Tristan, I want you to come home. It's not an order, it's a request."

That threw him off a little but he finally replied. "Let me think about it."

"I've instructed Jonathan to have the jet ready. You should be back here by tonight. If you decide to come."

His father hung about without another word and Tristan stared at the receiver in his hand. William sounded serious and it was a twisted sense of familial loyalty that had Tristan worried about the state of the family business – something that he had given up to pursue a different career, to escape his father. But, he didn't know if he had the willpower to return to Hartford, knowing Rory would be there and not go to see her.  He did know that he didn't have the strength to see her face her again.

Because you're family.

It was a risk he was going to have to take.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Mom, what are you doing?" Lorelai asked as she watched her mother inspect the silverware the maid had left on the table.

Supervising," Emily returned shortly. She turned around and called for the maid. "Julia, would you look at this. These spoons are filthy."

Lorelai scrambled around the table to get into her mother's line of vision. "Mom, why are you going through with this inspection? I thought we were supposed to have dinner in Stars Hollow, tonight. With Rory."

Emily looked at her daughter briefly. "Rory called and said she's coming home. It's Friday night, Lorelai. We have dinner here on Friday nights ever since Rory was sixteen. She's hardly ever in town anymore. No need to let this opportunity pass."

"But Mom," she replied a little shocked. "You still want to have Friday night dinn- "

This time, her mother's gaze hardened. "It's tradition, Lorelai."

"I know but -"

"Julia!" Emily hollered, disappearing into kitchen, without waiting for Lorelai to finish.

"Oh boy," she said and expelled a breath. Emily had gone from being withdrawn and lost to her normal, controlling self in one day and Lorelai was beginning to worry about the state of her mother's mind. Her father's death seemed to have taken the life out of her mother's eyes. And it killed her.

"Grandma? Mom?" Rory called out.

"In here, babe."

Her daughter appeared in the archway, taking off her coat. Rory glanced at the table, saw the fine china and raised an eyebrow, surprised. "What's going on?"

"Friday night dinners."

Rory's eyes went wide. "But Grandpa…"

Lorelai sighed and sat down at the table. "We're going to have to do this for Grandma." Rory nodded mutely and hung her coat on the back of one of the chair. "So, what happened to the whole having dinner in Stars Hollow thing?"

"I changed my mind."

"I thought you said it was going to be nice to go back and visit," Lorelai stated, furrowing her eyebrows together. "What was the word you used? Cleansing."

"Yeah, but not so much when you run into your ex-boyfriend who happens to be married with a kid," she explained and sat down across from her mother. "Then it pretty much reminds you of what you don't have."

"Oh honey! I completely forgot that Dean was in town."

"It's okay. Although, I would have liked to known he was married. Fortunately, I didn't stick my foot in my mouth. In fact, I'm having dinner with the three of them tomorrow or sometime."

Emily walked back into the room and smiled at her granddaughter. "Rory, you're home. I guess we can tell Julia to start serving then."

She disappeared again and Rory turned to her mother, wide eyed. "Is something wrong?"

Lorelai shrugged. Rory has always been so perceptive when it came to her grandparents. "I don't know, sweetie. Ever since morning, Mom's been acting like nothing has changed. She's even planning on going to the DAR brunch tomorrow afternoon."

Rory leaned back against the chair. "Is it at the country club?"

"Where else?"

"I'm going."

This time it was Lorelai's turn to be shocked. "Why?"

Rory played with the napkin on her lap before answering her. "Because, I'm family."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Rory!" Georgia Hayden squealed as she ran into the Gilmore mansion. Rory smiled and opened her arms for her sister to jump into the twirled the auburn-haired pixie around. "I missed you so much!"

"Oh, I missed you too, George." Rory placed her sister back onto the floor and turned to her ex-stepmother who was standing in the doorway with Christopher. "Hey Sherri. Hey Dad."

Sherri enveloped her in a hug. "Oh Rory, I am so sorry. We came rushing back as soon as we heard the news. Gigi didn't want to stay in Europe another day without her big sister."

Rory crouched down to her sister's height as Sherri and Christopher went to greet Lorelai in the living room. "I'm sorry you had to cut your trip short."

"It was kind of boring, anyway," Georgia complained and then rolled her eyes. "I hated the tours. Mommy kept insisting that we take them because they were scheduled. She's driving me crazy, Ror!"

"Well, it's not just your Mom," she confided conspiratorially. "It's their jobs, you know."

Georgia's caramel eyes became serious, her expression sobered. "I'm sorry about Uncle Richard."

Rory felt tears sting but she managed to keep them at bay as she hugged her sister. "He asked about you the other day. He wanted to give you a present. I'm sure Grandma has it somewhere."

As the two sisters headed for the living room, Georgia jumped up and down, excited. "I have so much to tell you about Europe! I don't know where to start!"

"Well, it looks like I'm going to be here for awhile. So we have a lot of time to catch up," Rory said and ruffled Georgia's hair. "In fact, let's ask your Mom if you can spend the night with me."

"That sounds so cool."