A/N: I think I might be messing up the timeline in this chapter (or in all of them, more likely), but please try to ignore it and just go with the flow. My head starts hurting if I try to match up the timeflow with how it all goes in the series.
I like to think I write Emily fairly well; please give me your opinions. I know she can be tough to write for some. Paris, too. Sometimes I think she knows more pop culture references than Lorelai and Rory do - and definitely more than I know, which makes her especially difficult to write.
After dropping Jess off at the bus station early Monday morning, Rory trudged back into her suite, coffee in hand. It was quiet, too early for anyone but Janet to be up, and she was presumably out jogging or hopping up and down or whatever she did for exercise. She smiled to herself, remembering what a great weekend she and Jess had. Just a pinprick of worry darkened her mood; it was always there, looming, reminding her that everything couldn't be this perfect forever, that Jess would probably get sick of her and leave again. But every day, every conversation with Jess, every kiss made the pinprick get smaller, and soon, Rory hoped, it would disappear altogether.
"Yo, Gilmore!" Rory blinked and realized she'd been standing just inside the door for the better of five minutes, not moving. Having appeared from nowhere, as usual, Paris was staring at her. "You look like you're on drugs," she said accusatorily. "Now, I know taking drugs is traditionally a part of the college experience, but – "
"Paris! I'm not high!" Rory said, tossing her purse on the couch and taking a long swig from her coffee. "I'm just happy," she told her roommate, friend, and former rival, who cocked an eyebrow skeptically.
"I'm in a relationship too, but I'm not that happy," Paris said. "So is he gone now? Can I have my bed back?"
Rory nodded. "Yeah, I dropped him off at the bus half an hour ago." She didn't bother telling Paris that she didn't have to stay at Asher's every time Jess was over. She'd never feel comfortable with it, which Rory could understand.
"How's the long distance thing going?" Paris asked, seemingly no longer under the impression that Rory was on drugs. Unless she was going to try to test her urine later. Rory wouldn't put it past her.
"It's tough, but we're working with it," Rory sighed, playing with her takeaway coffee cup. "I just try to keep busy so I don't think about him too much when he's not around."
"How long's it been now?" Paris asked. "A month?"
Rory smiled. "Two and a half. He said he wants to do something special for our three-month anniversary. Not in so many words, of course…'special' isn't really in Jess' vocabulary."
"My three-month with Asher's coming up too," Paris said conspiratorially. Rory involuntarily grimaced, as she always did whenever Professor Fleming came into the conversation. The May-December (or, more accurately, May-Ming Dynasty) relationship still skeeved her out. Paris shot her a look and Rory tried to arrange a smile on her face instead. "He wants to take me up to the cape," she continued proudly.
Rory frowned. "Which cape?"
Paris' face fell. "Um…I don't know. One of those capes up there." She waved a hand in a vaguely northern direction. "Anyway, it sounds nice. Doesn't it?" she challenged, daring Rory to say otherwise.
"Yes, it does," Rory replied quickly, swigging the last of her coffee. "I'm going to take a nap; I don't have class until one." Truthfully, Rory just kind of wanted to get away from Paris. They were close friends, but one could only take so much Paris in one sitting. She had to be dealt with in small doses. The other girl just nodded and flipped on C-SPAN.
/
Before Rory knew it, it was time for Friday night dinner again. Her nerves fluttered slightly as she pulled into the Gilmores' driveway – she hadn't heard from Emily since last Friday and she wasn't sure she had the energy to fight with her grandmother. She was thankful for her mom's presence – at least she wouldn't be tackling Emily alone. And Richard had certainly taken a shine to Jess, she remembered hopefully.
"Hey, honey!" Lorelai called, the Jeep already parked ahead of Rory's Prius. She waved with her left hand, the ever-present cup of coffee in her right.
"Hi, Mom!" Rory exclaimed, kissing her on the cheek. "I didn't realize how much I missed you until I saw you."
"Well, isn't that what every mother wants to hear?" Lorelai said jokingly, leading the way up to the door, her arm around her daughter. "You wanna ring the doorbell?" she asked, like Rory was five. She felt five. She was so completely dreading the confrontation with her grandmother. As if reading her mind, Lorelai said, "I know, hon, but I'll be there. I won't leave you alone for a second. Even if I have to pee, I'll just hold it." Rory couldn't help but laugh, and Lorelai gave her a comforting smile as she rang the bell.
"Good evening," said the maid in a heavy French accent. She was different from the one who had greeted them last week, but that wasn't really surprising. "May I take your coats?"
"Lucille, please put them in the front closet, as we discussed," Emily said haughtily as she entered the room. Richard was nowhere to be seen, and Rory's stomach rolled over. "Hello, Lorelai. Hello, Rory. No one else joining you?"
"Not tonight, Mom," Lorelai said patiently. "It's just us, sorry."
"Well, that's fine. Richard? Are you done with that call yet?" Emily said loudly so that her husband could hear from his study.
"Yes, Emily," he replied, emerging from beyond the staircase. "It was very short, unusual for a business call. Hello, Rory! Hello, Lorelai!" he said jovially, the polar opposite of his wife. "Rory, I have another book for Jess. Remind me about it after dinner," he added with a smile.
"Okay!" she replied, and Lorelai squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.
"You'll be seeing him soon, I expect? So you can deliver it to him personally? It's rather valuable; I'd prefer not to put it in the post," Richard continued, to Emily's obvious displeasure.
Rory's mouth opened to reply, but Emily broke in: "Drinks, Lucille! Please help me with the drinks. We mustn't linger in the foyer; it's not proper." She stalked off to the sitting room, leaving Rory, Lorelai, and Richard to exchange exhausted glances.
Emily was silent during drinks and most of dinner, except when she snapped at Lucille, leaving Richard to make small talk, although he pointedly avoided anything that could possibly relate to Jess. This, of course, included all books and most movies, leaving them with politics, religion, and music. Rory and Lorelai looked at each other helplessly as Richard tried to stir up a discussion around Sergei Rachmaninoff.
"Never heard of him," Lorelai said, stabbing at her broccoli.
"Well…then…how about Johannes Alanus?" Richard tried, looking at Rory. She bit her lip and shook her head.
"I know Alanis Morissette!" Lorelai volunteered. Everyone stared at her. "Jagged Little Pill? No?"
Rory heaved a heavy sigh. "Look, Grandma, we all know what subject – or should I say person – we're avoiding here. Can we just talk about why you're so upset? Calmly?" she added. Lorelai raised her eyebrows at her daughter and Rory just shrugged. She couldn't take the chilly silence from the head of the table anymore. Emily pursed her lips and carefully put her knife and fork down on the table.
"There's nothing to discuss," she said, not meeting her granddaughter's eyes. "I do not find your…friend suitable. I would prefer that you do not speak about him to me" – here she gave a pointed look to Richard that clearly said 'that goes for you too' – "or bring him here again." She picked up her silverware again, indicating that the discussion was closed. But Rory frowned.
"That's just not fair, Grandma," she said, shaking her head and pushing back her chair. "My boyfriend is very important to me. In fact, second to Mom, you and Grandpa, and Lane, he is probably the most important person in my life. And if you can't even accept that we're together, then I'm afraid I can't come here anymore. I can't pretend to be pleasant and civil when you're just over there, hating Jess for no reason. I need to leave now. I'll get that book – for Jess – some other time, Grandpa." Rory walked out of the room, to the shock of everyone else present, including Lorelai, who jumped up immediately and followed after her daughter.
"She's right, you know," Lorelai said before exiting the room, looking directly at her mother. Then she left.