Disclaimer: Rory's job takes her to North Carolina, and her first assignment is to interview one injured soldier. She walks into that army base expecting to get her first story, but that's not all she gets, right? This is a Trory! :)
Also, I'd like to thank Courtney for her help in editing this chapter.
It was Friday afternoon and Rory was hurrying to finish her duties at the newspaper and leave in time to pick Jake up at the airport. He told her a thousand times that it wouldn't be necessary to pick them up and that they could manage on their own, but she insisted.
She was almost out the door when her editor called out to her. She sighed and turned around. This wasn't good. She would never make it on time, now. Damn it.
"Hey Phil. You wanted to see me, boss?" She asked.
"I did, Miss Gilmore. Let's go into my office, shall we?" He asked, and held the door for her.
As she passed Phil's secretary, she quickly scribbled down Tristan's number on a piece of paper and asked the secretary to call him and tell him that she wouldn't be able to pick her family up at the airport. She hoped that Tristan could make it.
After almost half an hour, she exited her editor's office with a big smile. Due to the large response her articles were getting, she had been given another column in the newspaper. She would have her own weekly column on Sunday's about the work of the Special Forces, and one new column every Wednesday, where she would write pieces about international affairs. She was ecstatic. It was a really big deal for her. She rushed out and called Tristan on the way home.
"Hey, babe. Did you get my message? Are you at the airport?" She asked.
"Uh, no, actually. I'm still at the base. I still have some things to finish up here, then I'm going straight home." He said. Home. He was still getting used to it, calling Rory's place home. But every time he thought about it, he ended up smiling like an idiot. "I sent Justin."
"Oh. Okay. I'll call Justin, then. See you at home, I love you." She said and hung up, and immediately dialed Justin's number.
"Hey Doll. I'm about twenty minutes away from the airport." Justin said. He knew that Rory was exited to have her friends over for the barbeque. He himself couldn't wait to finally meet Jake. He wanted to know the guy who was responsible for turning Tristan into a blithering jealous idiot when he started going out with Rory. He was curious to know how Jake fell into Tristan's graces so fast. He knew his best friend didn't warm up to anybody that quickly, especially someone who was Rory's ex-boyfriend.
He also had a lot of embarrassing stories to tell about Tristan and he hoped that Jake would have some about Rory to share with them. They all loved Rory, and thought that she was perfect for Tristan, and while she had no problem sharing some stories about when she was in high school with Tristan, or about her time on the trail with the Obama campaign, she didn't talk much about college or Washington D.C..
"Thanks, Justin. I would have picked them up, but I was called into a meeting with my editor. I just got out. I'll take a cab and meet you at the airport. If I know my mom, she'll want to stop at every store in that airport, making Jake crazy. And most likely late." She said.
"Oh, that's okay. I'll meet you at the entrance, and we can walk together to baggage claim, doll." He said. "Forty five minutes?" He asked, thinking it would give him enough time to park, have some coffee, check some things and meet Rory. He was trying to find the perfect gift for them. Maybe a trip to the airport would inspire him.
Forty minutes later, Rory was entering the airport. Jake had already called her, to say that they had landed, and that Lorelai was trying to raise North Carolina's economy all on her own by buying almost anything that "sounded southern." According to Jake, Lorelai was going through one of her phases. She spotted Justin right away.
"Hey Justin. Thanks again for doing that."
"Hey, doll. It was no problem at all. Tristan asked me to tell you that he's going to be a little late, but he'll meet you all at home."
"Do you know why he's going to be late? When I spoke to him earlier today he said that he would be finished by now." She asked, always the curious reporter.
"Yeah. It seems that he finally got around to replacing Ryan's spot in the unit. He was meeting with Custer to finalize the paperwork, and introduce the new guy to the team. I met him yesterday when we went over his scores"
"Oh. That's nice. Is it someone I know?" She asked. She knew that they were looking for the right person for some time now. Their unit was an exclusive group, which required a very specific set of skills.
"I don't think so doll. It's a new guy. Transferred directly from West Point. His scores were amazing." Justin said. "He'll be good. So, shall we?" he continued, and they started walking. They arrived at baggage claim and Justin was looking around, trying to spot Rory's friends and her mother. When he spotted an older version of Rory, followed by a blonde girl and a guy about their age, he touched Rory's arm, and pointed in their direction. He was taken aback with the mother / daughter reaction.
The older woman tossed her bags on the floor, and there were a lot of bags, and started running in Rory's direction. Rory did the same thing, tossing her purse on the floor next to Justin, and ran in her mother's direction. They met mid-way, hugged each other, yelling and laughing, totally making a scene. Juliet was as stunned as Justin was, but Jake didn't seem surprised at all.
He walked up to Justin, looked him up and down, and said, "You're not Tristan." Then he turned to Rory, and asked, trying to bait her. "Did you already change your mind, beautiful? Tell me you at least let Tristan down gently. I told him you were much more partial to guys with dark hair and brown eyes then the dirty blond types..."
Justin blinked a couple of times, hearing that, and understood why Tristan liked this guy so much. He laughed, tapped him on the shoulder and said.
"I wish, man. I wish. I'm just doing him a favor. But I'll be sure to tell him you said that." Justin told him, grinning. "I'm Justin, by the way. And this lovely young lady here must be Juliet." He said, and kissed her hand, gallantly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
"Ooh, Rory, aren't you going to introduce Mommy to the nice, young, good-looking man kissing Juliet's hand? My, he is handsome. Jake, I'm sorry, I'm demoting you from your post. From now own, I want him to make me breakfast in the morning. Can I keep him?" Lorelai said, clapping her hands like a child about to open her Christmas gifts.
Rory couldn't believe the look on Justin's face, he was actually blushing. She couldn't wait to tell Tristan. She burst into laughter. Jake was the one to make the introductions.
"Justin, this crazy woman coming on to you is Rory's mother. Don't worry. She doesn't bite. Just keep her supplied with coffee and she will be happy."
Justin, fighting his embarrassment, just shook Lorelai's hand and said, "how are you doing, ma'am?"
"Aww, aren't you going to kiss my hand, too?" She asked him, delighted that she made the soldier blush like a schoolboy.
"Mom, stop it. Can't you see that you're embarrassing Justin?" Rory joined in on the teasing.
"You are no fun." Lorelai told her daughter, but turned to Justin, to greet him properly. "I'm sorry. Please, call me Lorelai. None of this ma'am business. I feel old when people call me that."
"Uh. Nice to meet you, Lorelai." He said, getting over his embarrassment. "Man, I think it's the first time since Anna told the whole school that I didn't kissed her good-bye after a date that I've been this embarrassed. You're good." He told her.
"Aw, Thank you, Justin. I try." Lorelai said. After a moment, she asked. "How old were you?"
"When she told me that? I guess I was fourteen or fifteen. It was right before I got into Oak Ridge. When Tristan found that out, he mocked me for a week."
"Well, I'd prepare yourself if I were you, because I would bet a grand that this is going to be the first thing that she is going to tell Tristan when we arrive at their place." Jake warned him.
"You're kidding. She wouldn't... You're not kidding?" Justin asked him. Jake just shook his head, not even bothering with a straight answer. "Damn it."