Looking under the bed for the fifth time in ten minutes Alistair gave up and went to ask his wife if she had seen where he had put his pocket watch the night before since it wasn't on his nightstand where he usually kept it.
As soon as he descended the staircase Tristan slipped into his parents bedroom and took his father's watch out of his pocket putting it in the exact same place he'd taken it from the night before. Before he left the room he quickly switched the decorative pillows around on their bed.
Tuesday evening Gilmore House.
Rory pulled her sell phone from her ear and looked at it like it had lost it's mind, one the other end of the line Tristan tried not to laugh, really he did but it was just too damn funny.
"Really Rory this might just be..."
"LALALALALALA"she interrupted him, "I can't hear you. LALALALAL chrrrrrrrrrrshshshs, YOUR BREAKING UP I CAN BARELY HEAR YOU...THINK YOU MIGHT BE GOING THROUGH A TUNNEL OR SOMETHING!"
At home Tristan looked around his bedroom "Oh I'm going through something alright," he muttered under his breath, "And I'm pretty sure it's known as a mental breakdown"
"ALRIGHT." he yelled into his phone, deciding to playing along, "I'LL LET YOU GO THEN SEE YOU TO...ORROW AT SCHOOL." and promptly hung up.
"He didn't have to yell." Rory grumbled and hoped the hearing returned in her left ear soon. Lorelai who was sitting on the other end of the couch looked at her questioningly. "He thinks that Finn's latest 'crush' is a good thing." Rory snorted and closed her eye waiting for the inivitable..."And I take it from the tunnel thing you just pulled that you don't, so who is it so I can hate on it too?" Lorelai grinned just itching to get in the middle of something new since the whole Luke thing just WAS and looked to be staying that way for a long while. She was a bit un-nerved by the look Rory was giving her until she finally answered, "It's you." and then it all became clear to Lorelai the annoyance with her Rory was suddenly exhibiting; she was still a major HOTTIE!!
Rory saw the pleased look take hold on her mom's face and threw her hands up exasperated, "MOM, he's sixteen, you're not. He's still in high school, you're not. He's single, you're not..." she argued hoping to talk some sense into her easily excited mother.
"hmmm...You do make some good arguments there Grasshopper." Lorelai said sounding all wise sage-like, "But he won't stay underage forever. He'll eventually graduate thanks to the no-child-left-behind thing Prez Bush enacted, and Luke well I'd rather not get into that right now until I've gotten my own head wrapped around it but I will tell you it involves a Mr. Potato Head and a poster of Bea Arthur."
"uh, Yeah, I'm going to go to bed or hide under it...whichever." Rory shrugged and after getting to her feet backed out of the room slowly Lorelai's laughter followed her until she closed and locked her bedroom door cutting the sound off.
As soon as she heard Rory's bedroom door close Lorelai reached for the cordless phone and pressed redial...
"Hello Finn it's me Lorelai"
"Yeah she and Tristan fell for it, they don't suspect a thing"
"No it's no problem, I've been a bit bored lately anyway"
"Sure I think it's do-able. Ms. Kim wants Lane to get a job and I know Luke wants more help at the dinner since he's gotten into making paper mache sculptures so it'll be a win, win for all of us"
"Good, good talk to you later..." Lorelai hung up and grinned while rubbing her hands together as another one of her plans fell into place; Lane would be straightened out in no time without having Rory going to jail for assault with a bag of blueberries. Yep life was good sometimes.
Saturday Afternoon Dugrey Mansion
Rory stumbled though Tristan's bedroom door not waiting for him to invite her in after she knocked. She had to get away from the smell of the incense the white robed figure had waved in her face as soon as she'd entered the house after the mask wearing maid let her in.
"What is going on?" she wheezed trying to catch her breath.
Tristan who was playing a new MMORG on his computer looked over at her wearing a devious smirk, "The psychic mom and dad hired"
"And why did they hire a Psychic?" Rory asked scratching her head at the turn of events.
"Because the church wouldn't send out a priest." he shrugged and turned back to his game. Leaving Rory to stare at the back of his head dumbfounded.