Summary: What if Tristin had never left for military school in North Carolina?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is affiliated with Gilmore Girls or the Gilmore Girls world. That honor goes to the great Amy Sherman- Palladino. Lucky lady.
Chapter Twenty Three: Town Meeting From Hell
Lorelai, Rory and Tristin walked into Patty's dance studio for the abrupt town meeting Taylor said that they must attend. Lorelai spotted seats next to Luke and grabbed at Rory's hand pulling the two teens along with her to sit down. Taylor and Patty were standing up at the front of the dance studio fighting over what appeared to be the necessity of this emergency town meeting.
"Does anybody know why we're here tonight?" Luke asked gruffly, "I could be over at the diner making money instead I'm going to sit here and listen to Taylor talk about how to stop the deer population from growing or how it's in the town's best interest to put spikes on telephone poles so birds don't land here."
"Not a clue Luke." Lorelai said distracted by the fight Patty and Taylor were having. "I'll be right back." She told them all while getting up and walking over to Taylor.
"What is it Lorelai?" Taylor asked annoyed when Lorelai tapped him on the shoulder.
"Start the damn meeting or we're all leaving." Lorelai said
"Now that language is hardly necessary young lady…" Taylor started
"NOW TAYLOR!" Lorelai yelled walking back to her seat next to Luke
Taylor looked back at Patty and smiled smugly. He walked over to the podium and was about to talk when Patty took the microphone from him and calmly said "People of Stars Hollow, I am so sorry." And then she handed the microphone to Taylor.
Lorelai looked over at Tristin and whispered, "This can't be good."
Tristin eyed her suspiciously before turning to Rory and whispering, "Your mom looks worried about something."
Rory looked over at Lorelai and noticed that he was right. "You're right." She told him. She was about to say something else but was interrupted by Taylor's voice.
"I want to start of tonight discussing the new parking ordinance that has been placed in front of the fine establishment known as Doose's Market." Taylor began
A loud groan was heard throughout the whole studio. "Tell me you didn't call an emergency town meeting to discuss where you can park in front of your grocery store." Gypsy yelled
"Yeah Taylor, I'm tired of hearing about this already." Jackson yelled
"I think it's a great place to start off Taylor. Please do continue." Kirk said
"Kiss ass." Luke mumbled causing Tristin to laugh
"Very well. The current parking ordinance states that no one can park in front of the store…"
"It's not a parking ordinance Taylor. It's called a fire lane. It's so when Jess tried to burn down your store the fire truck can get to it." Luke yelled
"Yes, well your hoodlum nephew better not come within three feet of my store. Anyway. I propose we move the fire lane down about twenty five feet or so, so that parking in available in front of the market." Taylor said
Patty rolled her eyes and said "Fine all in favor of giving Taylor a place to park in front of Doose's and letting the whole town burn down when he gets rid of the fire lane completely?" When no hands raised she added, "Those opposed?" Earning the raising of every hand in the room she looked over at Taylor and smiled. "Proposal denied."
Taylor looked defeated but continued without showing his disappointment. "Ok, the next item of business is the Winter Carnival."
"That's not until next month Taylor." Luke said angrily
"We can still discuss it Lucas." Taylor said
"Those in favor of discussing the winter carnival next month?" Luke yelled earning all but Rory and Lorelai's raised hand.
"You see Rory and Lorelai want to discuss it now." Taylor added
Luke looked annoyed at the two girls and Lorelai smiled. "It's pretty we like the Winter Carnival." She told him
Luke rolled his eyes and looked back up at Taylor." Majority still rules. Why don't you tell us why we're really here. All of this could be discussed next week at the previously scheduled town meeting." Luke yelled to Taylor
Taylor looked over at Ms. Patty who just rolled her eyes. "Very well. It has come to my attention that there is a new member to our Stars Hollow population."
Tristin's head snapped over in Rory's direction and that to Lorelai. Lorelai looked helplessly at Luke. "Make a point Taylor." Luke bellowed glad to step in and defend the Lorelai's honor and decisions.
"We just feel…" Taylor started only to be cut off my Luke again.
"We? We who? Who is this we you speak of?"
"The town Luke. We all just feel that perhaps moving the young man here may not be in the best interest of the town." Taylor stated
"I don't remember agreeing to this." Jackson said loudly, "I personally feel that Lorelai can move whoever she wants into her home."
"Yeah Taylor, I don't ever remember being asked how I felt about this boy moving into Stars Hollow." Gypsy said
"Me either Taylor." Babette said with Morey agreeing with her.
Tristin looked crushed and Lorelai had no idea what to say. She had never expected anything like this from this town. Luke still wanted to defend them but he had no clue how. Rory looked over at Tristin. He was completely silent and hadn't said a word. She reached over and grabbed his hand entwining their fingers. "It's going to be ok. Luke and Mom will handle this. Don't worry." She whispered. Tristin just nodded.
"What's wrong with him living here Taylor? And it better be a good reason because he's not going anywhere." Luke bellowed getting up from his seat and walking towards the podium Taylor was hiding behind.
"It's just that it might give off the wrong impression of the town."
"And what impression is that?"
"That we let two unrelated teenagers live together." Taylor said
Luke just looked at Taylor having no clue where to begin to yell at Taylor. He had just found his angle with Taylor when he heard Rory's voice approaching them. "WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TAYLOR!"
"Now young lady that kind of language is not necessary." Taylor said as the teenager stood directly in front of him.
"Really because I think it is. You see that guy over there." She said pointing to Tristin, "His name is Tristin, so you can quit referring to him as the boy, or the young man, you can call him Tristin! And just who in the hell do you think you are?"
"Lorelai make your daughter sit down and let me continue my meeting." Taylor said fear in his voice
"I don't think so Taylor. You pissed her off." Lorelai said
"Are you going to answer me?" Rory yelled at Taylor
Taylor looked over at Patty who said "Meeting adjourned." Knowing Taylor didn't want an audience even though she knew no one was going anywhere. They had all been waiting years to see Taylor put into his place.
"I am this town's magistrate young lady. I only care about what is in the best interest of the town."
"And it's in the best interest of Stars Hollow that I force Tristin to leave."
"You're seeing this situation with the eyes of a teenager with a bad case of puppy love young lady. I'm seeing this with grown up eyes."
Tristin's head jerked up at his comment and met eyes with Rory. She looked away and he noticed that she was glaring at Taylor. He got up and started walking over to her and Luke. "Rory…" he started only to be brushed off by her.
"You know I do everything for this town. I pass out fliers for all of your stupid town events. I participate in all of your town events. I play pilgrims at Thanksgiving and elves of whatever you need for Christmas, not to mention all of the other ridiculous town holidays you come up with, and now you try this. Tristin is one of my friends. One of my best friends at that, and I will not have you disrespect him again. He needed help, my mother helped him. This is a permanent arrangement. Get over it, because no one else agrees with you Taylor."
Taylor looked dumbfounded. No one other than Luke had ever really stood up to him like that and he didn't know what to say. He could tell Rory was about to say something else and he braced himself. While awaiting Rory's voice, he heard someone else. "I agree with him."
Rory rolled her eyes. "You know I was actually expecting you to."
"Yeah, well. Then why do you look so surprised?" Dean asked her
"Because contrary to the vibe you are putting out now, I didn't think you were really that much of a jerk Dean!"
"Yeah, well I don't like the guy." Dean said looking smugly at Tristin
Rory was about to defend him again when Tristin stepped in. "You know what I have had just about all I am going to take from you today."
Dean just rolled his eyes. Taylor seeing that Rory's attention was focused on Dean, decided to pick that moment to try to leave, but was stopped but Luke's forceful hand. "You're not going anywhere. When she's done, you're apologizing to Tristin." Luke whispered causing Taylor to sit down.
"And what are you going to do about that accountant."
"Look, I get it. You don't like me. I don't care. You don't want me to live here. Again I don't care. You blame me for Rory leaving you. And still I don't care. There is nothing about you that I care about. The only thing I care about is her." He said pointing at Rory and earning a few awwws from mainly Patty and Babette and causing Rory to blush. "You can be as petty and as bitter as you want and it's not going to affect me any." He then looked at Taylor. "The only way I'm leaving is if she asks me to leave. Are you planning on doing that Rory?"
"Not at all."
"Lorelai?"
"Nope, I think you're handsome. You have to stay and live with me and provide me and my daughter with lots and lots of coffee."
"Thank you. I think." Tristin said smiling, "Now as for the rest of the town, You don't have to like me, it won't hurt my feelings at all. Except for you Luke. Your opinion matters because it matters to the Gilmore women."
"Like I said. He's not going anywhere." Luke said to Taylor
"Must feel good to earn Luke's approval." Dean said bitterly
"Would you get over it!" Rory yelled, "I didn't want our relationship to end with me hating you! That's not what I wanted at all, but you're making it impossible Dean. You're jealous that all this is. You're jealous that I chose my friendship with Tristin over a loveless romance with you. You're jealous that Tristin has earned Luke's approval in two weeks when you've been here almost two years and he still hates you. Just get over it."
"I am not jealous." Dean yelled at her, "Why would I be jealous? You don't mean anything to me anymore. You are just some pathetic girl who woke up one day and decided what you had wasn't good enough anymore. That you wanted someone with more money then your mom and your dad combined, a fancy car, and an Ivy League education. You've turned into one of those stupid girls that I hate, that I feel sorry for. You've a spoiled little brat who always gets what she wants…"
It was obvious that Dean wasn't done with his rant on who Rory had become but tears were falling from her face and Tristin decided that this pause was the perfect moment for his face to come into contact with Dean's face. Dean herked back at the impact and Taylor jumped up in his seat. "That is why the boy shouldn't be here. He's obviously a violent boy."
Lorelai rolled her eyes but also decided that now was a good moment to get her makeshift little family out of the dance studio, before Dean decided that he wanted to fight back. "Shut up Taylor. Dean brought that on himself." She then turned to Tristin who was engulfing Rory in his arms to make sure she was ok. "You ok baby? Nothing he said was true. You know that right?" Lorelai asked her daughter. Rory nodded and felt Tristin pull her closer.
"Why don't you three come back with me and I'll make you some coffee." Luke offered leading the three out of the studio.
"Does that mean you are reopening the diner for the night Luke?" Taylor yelled
"No, we're closed. Private Party." He said
AN: Ok not quite as long as the one I wrote before and not nearly as good as how I planned, but here it is… the town's reaction… read and review…