Author's Note: Well, I imagine after all of the drama of the past few chapters, you guys are looking forward to something that's a little lighter. Unfortunately, that will not be this chapter. I warned you guys that, when I first wrote this story all the way back in 2009, I was a bit in a melodramatic mood. Despite deciding to review WS and repost it on my new account, I decided to stay true to the original tone of the story. Thus, you have the chapter before you.
As always, please review. I look forward to reading your thoughts. I hope you like the little glimpse I give you into Shannon Lister's mind. She, like her daughter, is a selfish, self-righteous little gnome. And like Lindsay, she is just as incapable of accepting her share of the fault, or even to accept anything which directly contradicts her views on what is and what isn't. I guess you could say that I'm giving you guys a glimpse into why Lindsay is the way she is and where she gets part of her stellar personality from.
Enjoy!
When it Snows
By TheBlueSwan
Chapter 24: That Sense of Impending Doom
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Forester Residence)1:18 p.m.
It took quite a bit of effort, but after fifteen minutes, Clara had successfully reached her objective. She had to lie to her mother in the process – but it was a lie well spent. Besides, one might argue that it wasn't technically a lie. She was tired after all. And she had needed her mother's help to safely make it up the stairs and to her bedroom. Clara just didn't intend to go to bed quite yet. And so, after waiting a few minutes to insure the coast was clear, Clara yanked at her comforter with the intent of sneaking out of the bed and down the hall to her brother's room.
Clara frowned and glared at the purple comforter.
For the first time since she was ten, her mother had felt the need to tuck her in – which in and of itself, wouldn't be a problem. Except that, well, the tucking seemed to be a lot more thorough than she remembered it being in the past.
Taking a deep breath, Clara yanked with her right hand once more…
Seriously?
Was she truly to be done in by a well tucked blanket? What in the nine circles of hell had her mother done to her bedsheets? Had she superglued them or something?
In a desperate attempt to untangle herself, Clara squirmed in her bed and yanked angrily at the comforter.
Thankfully, after a moment or two, the comforter did come loose – although she almost rolled off the bed in the process…
And so, as stealthily as Clara could, she crawled out of bed and crept to her bedroom door. Her heart thudded against her ribcage as she slowly opened the door, extremely conscious of the slight squeak her door emitted in the process. After ascertaining that her mission remained undiscovered, the teenager sneaked across the hall. Although, it was fairer to say that she hobbled across the hall as quietly as could. Still, credit must be given where credit was due, and despite the inflated state of her right ankle, Clara did manage to cross the hall unnoticed.
Once reaching her brother's room, Clara wasted little time in locating the Rory box.
Dean wasn't what one would call creative with his hiding places. And so, within the space of a minute, Clara had the letter within her hand. She was just about to open it up when a sound attracted her notice.
Her mother was moving about the living room.
Reminded of her precarious position, Clara decided it would be safer to get out of her brother's room as quickly as she could. It would be best not to risk being discovered out of bed by her mother. With this in mind, the teenager tucked the letter in the pocket of her hoodie and closed the Rory box. Tucking it back underneath Dean's bed, she took one final glance about the room.
Her eyes darting nervously about the room, Clara ensured that everything was as it should be before quietly hobbling back to her bedroom. Once inside, she unzipped and removed her hoodie and crawled back into bed. Warily, she eyed her bedroom door for several moments before deciding that she escaped her mother's notice.
Pulling out the letter from where she had hidden it beneath her pillow, Clara smirked as she unfolded it.
Thursday October 21st 2004, Hartford (Highway 40)1:19 p.m.
Sniffling loudly, Lindsay glared determinedly at the back of Officer Johnson's head. The humiliation – the utter shame she felt at this moment was matched only by the seething rage that rose within her breast.
That the Foresters could have had the gall, the sheer audacity to do such a thing to her family…
That the fiends could be so far removed from decency as to believe that they could get away with such an effrontery sickened Lindsay beyond measure.
It was quite clear to her now that the Foresters had no compunction – no sense of what was just and right. They would achieve their base ends through whatever means necessary, heedless of whom they harmed in the process…
Lindsay chocked back a wailing sob.
It would do her no good, she thought, for these heartless officers were as loss to common decency as Sheriff Jeffries had been. And Lindsay had no intention of suffering any further indignities at their hands. She would not allow the brutes to see her so utterly downtrodden…
She would not!
Not when she was innocent of any wrongdoing.
No, Lindsay thought, taking a deep breath, all would soon be set to right. The sheer ludicrousness of the Forester's suit would be revealed and the brutes would have little choice but to set her daddy and herself free. Everything in her garden would soon be rosie again – though the Foresters would surely learn to rue the day they had decided to harm her family in such an infamous manner – her daddy would see to that sure enough.
Taking another loud sniff, Lindsay wished she had a few Kleenexes to wipe her face with. Although she could hardly discern her features in the reflection of the window, the blonde could clearly see that her red face was covered in snot and tears. Lindsay couldn't stand the thought of looking such a mess in front of dozens of strangers. The very idea was utterly mortifying.
And so, her vanity being prickled, Lindsay gave no more thought to her predicament. Not even the divorce papers or the restraining order she had been served with gave her pause to worry.
Why would she be worried about such inconsequential matters? Especially, when it was obvious that the documents had been issued before she had announced her pregnancy to her husband?
No, Lindsay had no doubt that Dean would retract the papers as soon as he possibly could. Although it infuriated Lindsay to no end that her husband had not only had the thought of divorcing her, but that he had the gall to issue a restraining order as well. Still, Lindsay breathed deeply, attempting to calm herself, these matters could be properly attended to at a later date.
There would be ample time to think up ways of making her husband suffer later. At the moment, the blonde felt she had more pressing matters to attend to – the most important of which was to see the Foresters pay for every indignity she had suffered.
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Forester Residence)1:21 p.m.
Clara frowned as she stared at the letter. Had she read it wrong? Was her imagination getting the better of her once again – or did she truly see what she was seeing right now. Wide eyed and in utter disbelief Clara simply stared at the letter for a long moment before regaining her wits. Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, she decided that she would read it through a second time – just to make sure she wasn't imagining things.
And so, eagerly, she read the following letter once more:
Dear Dean,
I hope you will forgive me for the abruptness of this letter. I spent a long time contemplating how and what I should write. For some reason I managed to convince myself earlier on that if I could just find the right way to go about it, somehow all of this would be less painful. Stupid, I know, but there you have it. Although this fact might have been obvious to anyone else, it took me weeks to realise that there was no right way to go about any of this, nor was there any conceivable way to make this process anything less than excruciatingly painful.
With that in mind I need you to know that the night we shared together was special. You were my first and only – my first kiss, my first love, my first everything. And I know sometimes it might not have seemed like it, but I never did stop loving you. I think that is part of the reason why I couldn't bring myself to see that we had done something wrong in being together that night. But I can't pretend otherwise anymore Dean.
You're married to someone else.
You were married to someone else when we slept together, and I imagine, that despite what you told me that night, you are still married to someone else. As such, I have decided that the best thing for me to do now is to remove myself from the equation.
Love you always,
Rory Gilmore
Nope – she clearly read the letter right the first time.
Dean had slept with Rory.
Rory had slept with Dean.
The woman Dean had cheated on Lindsay with was Rory.
Clara's brain was fried.
For a minute, the teenager simply stared at the letter, frowning in confused disbelief. And then, blessed realisation struck.
Rory still loved Dean.
They had slept together.
There was still a chance!
Ecstatic, Clara giggled and clapped her hands, delighted. Of course, she would be horrified to know that, in that moment, she resembled very much the happy little toddler she had been once upon a time. Thankfully, for Clara's peace of mind, Mrs. Forester was not present to comment on her actions.
Still, in that moment, all Clara could do was grin, giggle and laugh.
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Forester Residence)1:24 p.m.
Jane Forester frowned as she heard her daughter laughing in her room upstairs. Hadn't Clara said she was tired – that she wanted a nap? Why in the world would she be laughing?
Worried, Jane began climbing up the stairs, "Clara? Are you okay up there?"
Abruptly, the laughing stopped, and Jane found herself missing the sound.
"Yeah, mom," Clara giggled, "I'm fine."
Reaching the landing, Jane turned left and entered her daughter's bedroom. There, she found Clara sitting up in bed with a large novel in hand. Jane's brow puckered in confusion, "I thought you wanted to take a nap."
For a long moment, all was silent, "I did," Clara eventually answered, "But I was having trouble falling asleep and I decided to try and get ahead on my reading assignment for English Lit."
"Oh," Jane nodded her head, feeling like she was missing something, "So, the novel you are reading, it's funny?"
"Today it is," Clara laughed, "But I'm guessing it wasn't considered as such in the eighteenth century."
"Ah," Jane bit her lip in confusion.
Seeing her mother's confusion, Clara was about to clarify when the sound of someone knocking angrily upon their front door reached their ears.
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Oak Street)1:25 p.m.
Shannon Lister had always prided herself on being nothing less than impeccable while in the eye of the public. Everything she did was efficient and graceful – and the woman took great pleasure in the knowledge that her poise and decorum far surpassed that of any other woman in the village. Though, it was hardly a wonder, Shannon believed – not in such a small, quaint little town – and not with her breeding. Unlike the country savages with whom she was presently surrounded, Shannon Lister had been raised as a prominent lady of sophisticated society.
And everyone knew that a lady, no matter her reduced circumstances, always comported herself perfectly.
Now, Shannon was not the kind of woman to engage in arguments in full view of the public. Not only did she find such displays to be mawkish and vulgar, but they were considered to be quite improper in the eyes of polite society.
The small town of Stars Hollow, however, had no claims whatsoever on polite society – and given the present circumstances, Shannon Lister believed her actions wholly justifiable.
"Jane Margaret Forester," Shannon shrieked as she vigorously struck the door with her delicate hands.
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Forester Residence)1:26 p.m.
Having been drawn out of Clara's room by the sound of violent knocking, the Forester girls stood upon the landing of the staircase, watching the front door apprehensively.
"You come out here right this instant and explain yourself, you hateful shrew!" Mrs. Lister screeched behind the oak door, pounding oafishly upon the panel. Clara jerked back as she saw the door pulse under the pressure.
"Damn it!" Jane Forester hissed, attracting a startled glare from her daughter.
Taking a step down the staircase, Jane's descent was halted by a hand grasping desperately at her arm, almost clawing into it in the process. Looking up at her daughter, Jane saw Clara trembling, her head vigorously shaking back and forth. Police, the teenager mouthed insistently.
Her mother, however, felt a deep seated need to confront Mrs. Lister, and so dismissed her daughter's pleas accordingly. Later, Jane Forester would deeply regret her impetuous decision and dearly wish she had heeded her daughter's appeal. But at present, she gave little thought to the fears of a fourteen year old girl, confident that her judgement was sound.
And so, in believing that, by virtue of her age, she was wiser than her daughter, Jane Forester fell into the same trap that many before her had. For although wisdom could indeed be gained with age, Jane failed to acknowledge the reality that being older did not necessarily make her wiser…
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Forester Residence)1:26 p.m.
Clara watched, in awful dread as her mother opened the door to confront the screaming banshee on the other side of it.
"What do you want, Lister?" her mother boldly hissed, advancing upon Mrs. Lister, forcing the woman to step back and off the porch.
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Oak Street)1:26 p.m.
Shannon Lister spluttered at Mrs. Forester's churlish tone.
The audacity of the woman, Shannon thought, why, one might think the shrew believed herself to be the injured party!
"Well?" Jane prodded, sneering.
"You – You – You," she stuttered, gasping in affront, "You despicable wretch!"
Mrs. Forester scowled, but Shannon refused to allow the conniving bitch the time to attempt to defend herself. She was in no mood to suffer such a disgusting display, for no excuse could ever justify the actions that the Foresters had taken against her beloved daughter and husband.
"Have you no decency?" Shannon asked, "No sense of remorse? To speak to me in such a brazen, aggressive fashion? After all that you have done to my family?"
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Oak Street)1:27 p.m.
Jane Forester stared down at Mrs. Lister in incredulous shock, "All that we've done to your family?" she repeated, flabbergast.
"Yes!" Shannon answered vehemently, "All that you have done! Not only has your family stolen from my daughter, but your little bitch actually attacked Lindsay! And when Reginald attempted to intervene, your husband attacked him! Do you know that they spent the night in jail for your abuse? In jail!" Shannon wailed indignantly, "And now, now you have them arrested on false charges?"
"False charges," Jane echoed, having trouble grasping the depths of Mrs. Lister's depravity. Her shock, however, soon gave way to fury, and she incredulously shrieked, "My daughter attacked yours?"
"Yes," Shannon sneered, "and now you have had my Lindsay arrested for it!"
Breathing heavily, her face red with rage, Jane felt the strongest urge to strike the woman. Mrs. Lister, having some sense, seemed to realise this and took several step backs accordingly. Despite this, the blonde refused to simply back down from the confrontation. And so, for several long moments, the women simply glared at each other, both seething with unadulterated hatred.
It was whilst Jane attempted to regain her temper, that she noticed the crowd that had gathered upon her front lawn. Similarly, Mrs. Lister seemed to take note of them for the first time. At the sight of them, the loathsome blonde straightened her spine and smirked triumphantly at Jane.
It was clear the hag felt that their presence was a boon in her favor.
Jane bit her lip and attempted to ignore the way in which her entire being trembled with rage. Instead, she focused her frustration into her closed fists, digging her nails painfully into the palms of her hands, "My daughter," Jane began, hissing, "didn't so much as touch Lindsay. Clara did nothing wrong. It was your family," she insisted, "your psychopathic husband – and your whore of a daughter that attacked Clara."
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Oak Street)1:29 p.m.
Shannon gasped, clutching at her breast, scandalised, "How dare you," she hissed, "How dare you spread such lies about my family! And to insult my daughter in such an infamous fashion as well! Are you so utterly devoid of feeling? Of propriety? You must be, to knowingly throw about such brazen and baseless slurs! Oh," Shannon howled, "that my perfect little girl had never married your brute of a son!"
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Oak Street)1:29 p.m.
Clara stared at the scene unfolding before her, wide-eyed and horrified. The teenager, unlike her mother, truly understood that the Listers did not take well to any form of confrontation – especially those that contradicted their understanding of the situation at hand, and called into question their own perceived superiority. As such, Clara knew all too well that if the argument was not soon brought to an end, the situation would devolve rather quickly. And, it was quite clear to her, that her mother had reached the end of her patience, and was quite ready to throw both caution and restraint to the wind.
And so, having crept down the stairs and onto the front porch, Clara attempted to intervene, "Mama?" she pleaded.
But once again, Jane Forester ignored her daughter in favor of her impetuousness. Staring down angrily at Mrs. Lister, her mother hissed, "My brute of a son, found your perfect little girl, on her knees in their bed with her lover ramming into her from behind!"
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Oak Street)1:29 p.m.
With an inhuman screech, Mrs. Lister launched herself upon the shameless bitch that had the gall to so abuse her poor, sweet daughter. Her concerned neighbours pulled her back before she could do much more than slap Jane in the face and shove her. But Shannon got the satisfaction of seeing the hussy stumble backwards. Her little whore of a daughter had rushed forward, attempting to brace her mother. But Shannon had shoved Jane back too strongly. The blonde watched, gleefuly, as Mrs. Forester and her brat fell to the ground, with Mrs. Forester landing firmly upon her daughter.
"I won't stand for this anymore," Shannon declared, victoriously.
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Oak Street) 1:30 p.m.
Horrified, Jane scrambled to the ground as quickly as she could. Turning towards her sobbing daughter, she saw that Clara clutched at left shoulder and arm, holding her injured wrist protectively against herself.
"Oh God," she exclaimed, frantic and tearful, "Oh God, please, someone call an ambulance!"
Her world narrowed to her sobbing daughter lying upon the damp ground. Her focus solely engaged in her attempts to soothe her injured daughter, Jane barely noticed when Mrs. Lister began spewing her hateful spiel once more. And even when she became aware of it, Jane did not comprehend a single word of the woman's diatribe – her voice and the voice of all others save Clara's, washed over her like waves upon an ocean.
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Oak Street)1:30 p.m.
"The people of Stars Hollow will not stand for this anymore!" Shannon Lister continued her diatribe, speaking loudly over Clara's cries. If she hadn't been so infuriated, so utterly disgusted with Jane Forester's horrid lies, she might have actually smiled at the sight. But as it was, she settled for grim satisfaction. As her neighbours held her back and stood protectively before her, Shannon felt more confident than ever in the support of her fellow townspeople.
So confident and so superior was she that Shannon failed to note that the very neighbours who were 'protecting' her were scowling at her. Nor did she realise that the general disgust she sensed from them were directed at her person rather than at her rivals. And so, she added insult to injury, "You will call your lawyer immediately!" she demanded of Mrs. Forester, "You will see to it that the charges against my daughter and husband are dropped. And your husband and daughter will sign a statement, confirming my family's version of the events. You will do all of this, and you will do it promptly! What's more, you –"
At this point, blessedly, Shannon Lister was interrupted by the arrival of Mr. Forester.
"What is it?" he yelled frantically, making his way through the crowd, "What's happened?"
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Oak Street)1:31 p.m.
Forty-two minutes.
He had been gone for forty-two minutes – only long enough to stop by the post office and fed-ex a package. He would have been home sooner, but he had decided to surprise his girls with the double fudge brownie ice cream they loved so much from Kitty's Ice Cream Parlour down on Lilac Drive. He'd even splurged and bought the hazelnut truffles that Clara loved so much.
He'd been looking forward to seeing the look on his girls' faces when he walked through the door with their unexpected treat.
Except, when he had driven up his street, he had found a crowd gathered in front of his house.
A dark dread filled him as he rushed out of his car, barely remembering to turn off the engine beforehand.
As he rushed to the house, the crowd parted for him. And at the base of his front porch, he had found his daughter sobbing upon the ground, and his crying wife frantically attempting to soothe her. Falling to his knees beside his family, Matthew attempted to catch Jane's attention, asking her to tell him what had happened. The exercise, however, proved fruitless, as his wife seemed utterly oblivious to him. Casting his gaze about the crowd, he searched for an explanation.
The man hissed as his eyes landed upon Mrs. Lister's face, "What did you do?" he asked angrily, his voice low and dangerous.
Shannon Lister gasped, seemingly affronted, "Nothing," the woman hissed.
"Nothing?" Matthew Forester echoed derisively, unable to believe the gall of the woman.
"Nothing that was not justly deserved," the blonde amended, "as my neighbours will attest."
Sharing a dumbfounded look with Elsa McQueen, one of the very neighbours detaining Shannon, he stared at Mrs. Lister in utter disbelief, "You're delusional."
Thursday October 21st 2004, Stars Hollow (Oak Street)1:31 p.m.
Enraged, Shannon attempted to move forward in order to strike the impertinent fool in the face. Her neighbours, however, concerned for her wellbeing, held her back. Realising the futility of struggling against them, Shannon settled for sneering at the man – though she, for a short moment, dearly wished she was not so beloved within the community.
Laughing derisively, Shannon shook her head in mock disappointment, "I'm delusional?" the blonde simpered, "look around you Forester. Look at your neighbours – look at how they sneer at you. You must see how disgusted they are with you. Can't you see that they know that you, your wife and daughter are nothing more than a bunch of conniving liars ? That the lies you have been spreading through town about my family are only a means of justifying your deplorable actions? Can't you see, that whatever it was that you hoped to achieve with this scheme of yours – this filing of false charges – has already been undone? For, can't you see, that against such vile and base slander, our neighbours will stand by my family?"
Shannon Lister nodded her head, satisfied she had brought her point home. And so, she made to turn away from the scene – to walk away with her head held high, emphasizing the dignity she bore, and the dignity that the Foresters so sorely lacked. Her actions, however, were halted by her neighbours. It was in that moment that Shannon Lister realised that the protective hold her neighbours' had upon her person was, in fact, quite painful. Yet it wasn't until she began to struggle against them, and angrily demanded, "What are you doing? Let me go!" that Mrs. Lister began to suspect that something was horribly amiss.
Posted December 10th 2017