Over the summer, I was rewatching one of my all-time favorite shows Gilmore Girls on Netflix, and then I took a long trip with thinking time. This story came out of the drive. I wanted to find a way to bring the Gilmore family into my BTVS world, and I think I did it. I don't read Gilmore Girls fanfiction much, but I have read a few fun crossovers. I hope you enjoy this one.
It begins in season 1 of Gilmore Girls and jumps to through season 3. The BTVS is in season 5-7 only. The title of this story was taken from an episode of Gilmore Girls in season 1. In this story, Lorelei Gilmore, Richard's mother, is on the Watcher's Council. If you've seen Marion Ross play her on Gilmore Girls, then you could so picture her as this. Her son Richard is Council-trained, and his daughter Lorelai had been a potential.
I had planned on this being a one shot as there are 7 chapters. However, at chapter 6, it's at sixteen thousand words, so I've decided to break it into 2 or 3 parts. After I finish writing chapters 6, I will decide if I'm going to post chapters 4 to 6 or wait to finish seven.
Thanks to Cheryl, my reader who beta'd this for me.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls or Buffy or any of the characters.
Chapter 1: Scary Gilmore Family Secrets
*****Richard and Emily Gilmore Home*****
Richard just finished filling in his wife Emily about the amazing day he had spent with their only granddaughter, Rory. After years of short holiday visits only, he and his wife now saw her every Friday night for dinner along with her mother, Lorelai, his only daughter. Lorelai had once been the greatest pride and joy in his life as she was so brilliant and vivacious, enchanting all who knew her. Her fall from grace due to her teenage pregnancy had shattered him and Emily like nothing ever had. However, when she ran from their home as soon as she turned eighteen, taking their beloved granddaughter, who had not even turned two yet, they'd been inconsolable. She would never understand how much she hurt them.
Recently, though, his clever wife had seen fit to attach strings to the tuition money Lorelai had asked for on behalf of Rory to attend a very prestigious college preparatory school named Chilton. Rory, now sixteen, was brilliant and wanted to go to Harvard and attending Chilton would ensure that happened.
He had just finished telling Emily how well his time with Rory at their club had gone.
"I am so glad, Richard," Emily said, smiling. "I just knew the two of you would have a good time."
"You were right, dear. I am sorry for doubting you," he said. He had thought his wife was crazy to suggest a day of teaching his daughter how to golf. However, Rory was an eager student, and she was so well-read and curious that they never ran out of things to talk about. Unlike his daughter, Rory was thoughtful and not as high energy. Her intelligence was put into thinking deep thoughts and reading; while his daughter Lorelai had a keen mind, she kept it mostly in the verbal. The woman could talk circles around anyone, and she would have been an incredible attorney if her life had not altered course.
The phone rang, and Emily answered it. The expression on her face, clued him in that the call was for him.
"It is your mother," Emily said flatly. The two women had never gotten along, and he had long gotten used to the fact. Two formidable personalities who were so strong-willed that it was not surprising they barely tolerated one another. Luckily, his mother spent most of her time in her London home since his father's passing many years ago.
It was not her normal time to call, so he grabbed the phone. "Trix, are you okay?" he asked, using his pet name for her.
"Of course, I am all right, Richard. I have just left a Council meeting, however, and I am very disappointed in you," she said.
This was not a new thing as his association with the Watcher's Council was loose even though he was a trained watcher—much to his mother's disappointment. She never quite forgave him for refusing to allow his life to revolve around the Council.
Their daughter Lorelai had been a potential slayer, but Emily would not permit his mother to allow the Council to raise her or give her any slayer training. His mother had used her considerable influence to keep the Council away with the promise that after her coming out party, they would read her in on her family legacy and begin her training. His wife had been slightly relieved to know that their daughter's pregnancy would keep her from ever being called as a slayer. A slayer could get pregnant, but no potential had ever been called after giving birth. Many incorrectly believed Nikki Wood had been pregnant before being called, but in reality, her child had been conceived nearly the day after her calling. Celebrating her new power had caused her to make a few poor choices.
"Disappointed about what, Mother?" he asked, sitting down in his office chair. His wife sat down across from him, determined to not miss a thing.
"It has been brought to my attention that you are now in constant contact with both my granddaughters. Why have I not been informed of this?" she asked.
"It has barely been a few dinners, Mother. I was going to mention it very soon," Richard said. "I wanted to make sure things would work out."
"Rory is sixteen, Richard. It is time that she be told about her heritage, so I will be coming to town to make sure you do not let your wife convince you not to," she said.
"When will you be here?" he asked. He watched his wife's eyes widen in horror—it was almost comical.
"Next Friday morning," she said. "As they are arriving at your house for dinner."
"Do you have the Council spying on the house now, Mother?" he asked, annoyed.
"You know that all Council raised people have tabs on them, Richard. You are no exception. As your daughter moved to one of the safest towns in America, we do not keep a close eye on her," she said.
Stars Hollow was a rare magic-void place. The town was bordered by an ancient river, blessed by some deity that predated the Pilgrims, and all dark creatures avoided the place like the plague. A few good witches were known to live there from time to time, enjoying the high energy of the place. That his daughter happened to go to that exact place was no accident. Once on a car ride with him, he had driven through it during one of their many festivals. Lorelai had been enchanted at the small town, and when she ran away from their home, it was there that she landed. When he found that out, he was extremely relieved. Since she was only thirty minutes away, he had felt much better about her departure.
"I have got to get her room ready," Emily said, standing and looking a bit frantic. "Then I have to drag all the horrific gifts she's given us the past three decades out of the basement. Lorelai has the god-awful coat rack. I will call her."
"Let her know that there will be some discussion at dinner," Richard said. "Mother is insisting that we tell Rory that she is a potential."
"How do they know she is? I don't believe it!" Emily said. "She has not the strength of her mother and is sweet, nearly docile."
"They have ways to know, Emily," Richard said. "I am sorry."
Emily reached out and squeezed his hand. Her father had worked for the Watcher's Council also, and she had been raised knowing about the supernatural. Richard, though, had not wanted to ever be a full-time Watcher as he loved Yale. He got his MBA, and the Council paid for it all as he spent every summer undergoing his Watcher training in London. For Emily, the pressure was not the same. Her father had only been a researcher. Her grandfather, though, had been a watcher of a slayer. That the slayer had only lived a year had destroyed him. Emily's father never wanted to experience that, and their family legacy had made Emily determined to protect her daughter from such a fate.
She went into the living room to grab her cell and called Lorelai. Predictably, she got that horrid machine of her daughter's. The girl refused to ever answer her calls—it was maddening.
"Lorelai, this is your mother. If you are there, pick up." She waited a minute. "Your grandmother, Lorelai Gilmore, the one you were named after, will be at dinner Friday."
"Hello? Mom?" Lorelai said. "Sorry. I just came in. What were you saying?"
"Your grandmother will be at Friday dinner," Emily said again.
"Really? Grams is coming to town? That's great!" she said.
"It's a nightmare is what it is!" Emily said, clearly frantic. "I need you to bring the coat rack with you that I gave you. Do you still have it?"
"The one you gave us for Christmas? Of course, I do," she said. "Why do you need me to bring it to dinner?"
"Because your grandmother gifted it to us, and she will expect to it," Emily admitted.
"Are you telling me that you re-gifted a gift? I am shocked!" her daughter exclaimed, more delighted than offended.
"Lorelai, this will be the least shocking thing of the week, I assure you," Emily said. "Unfortunately, the dinner will not be pleasant, and I have to say that I am very sorry."
"Sorry for a dinner that hasn't happened yet? That's okay, Mom. We'll be fine," Lorelai said. Her mother was never apologetic or worried. The phone call had taken a very odd turn.
"No, you won't. It will be the worst night of your life and Rory's. If I could keep you from it, I would, but she is insisting that you learn the truth," Emily said.
"The truth about what? What's going on, Mother?" Lorelai asked, growing concerned at the tone in her mother's voice. Her mother had apologized and showed real regret all in one short conversation. Something was very wrong.
"I can't tell you over the phone," Emily said. "I had hoped you would never have to know about the family legacy. I'm just sick—Rory doesn't need to know this. Neither do you. But there's no stopping your grandmother."
"Mom, should Rory not come? Maybe this is something I should learn first," she said.
"If I thought it would help, I'd say yes, but it concerns her. She can't escape it if she is chosen, and it does her no good to be completely unprepared," Emily said. "Bring the coat rack."
Her mother hung up before Lorelai could say anything.
"Gee, I didn't think I could dread dinner with my parents any more than I already do," she muttered.
"What?" Rory asked, hearing her mom's voice.
"That was your grandmother. She came to ask for a gift back and to warn us that Friday night dinner will be more hellish than normal," Lorelai said.
"She did not," Rory said, not believing her mother, who was prone to exaggeration.
"She did so," Lorelai said. "Your great-grandmother, Dad's mom—Lorelai the first, will be at dinner. She makes Mother nuts. Normally, this would be a source of great amusement to me, but there was a note in Mother's voice that I have never heard before. She seemed almost scared."
"About what?" Rory asked, frowning.
"Us learning about the Gilmore family legacy—whatever that is," Lorelai said. "I told her that maybe you shouldn't come. That I should hear it first, but she said that Gran is insistent you be there. That you could be chosen. No, I don't know what the heck she was talking about."
"Chosen? That's very odd word to use," Rory said. "Normally being chosen for something is a positive thing."
"I know, right? It's very worrisome. It seems that whatever news we hear Friday won't be happy news," Lorelai said. "Secrets are never good."
"We have to wait six days to find out," Rory said.
"I am not feeling good about this," Lorelai said. The note in her mother's voice still disturbed her, and she really wished there was a way to get out of Friday's dinner.
*****Friday at the Gilmores'******
Lorelai and Rory pulled up to her parent's home. She turned off the car, a feeling of dread in her stomach.
Rory looked at her mother, who had been unusually quiet the entire drive. "Are you ready to go in?" she asked.
"No, but I guess we will—we have to," she said, opening her car door. Then she and Rory struggled with the coat rack—the thing was huge. Before they got to the door, it opened.
"Did you bring it?" Emily asked.
"No, Mother, we're just carrying a very large loaf of bread," Lorelai said, glaring.
"Quick bring it in," Emily said, pulling the door open wide. "Put it right there."
They gladly sat the thing down.
"Did Grams not notice it wasn't here when she came in?" Lorelai asked.
"I had her brought in the back. Then she took her nap, so she has yet to come this way," Emily said, feeling proud at her maneuvering.
Her gran was sitting on the sofa, and she smiled when she saw Lorelai. "You're all grown up and as lovely as ever," she said to Lorelai, who bent and kissed her cheek.
"I was about to say the same to you, Grams. You look great," Lorelai said. "This is Rory."
Rory greeted her great-grandmother and sat down next to her mother, which put her across from Gran, who was soon making Emily nuts with her complaints.
Finally, after greetings and chit chat, they were at the dinner table. Rory shared about her studies and Lorelai her work managing the inn while they ate dinner.
After they had their desserts, Richard said to the maid, "Please do not disturb us as we have some important family news to discuss. You may clear the table in an hour."
Lorelai shared a surprised look with her daughter and said, "So what's the big family secret? Did you used to be a spy for the CIA or something, Dad?" Her comment was meant as a joke, but the serious looks her parents and grandmother gave her in return made her very concerned.
"Lorelai, we have a tradition in the family that goes back generation," her grandmother said. "We are not spies, but we do work for a secret organization called the Watcher's Council that is located in London. It is an ancient organization that has a primary directive to safeguard humanity. In the past, our ancestors have been researchers, teachers of ancient folklore and weaponry, and Watchers. We have had one slayer called only in our family tree, but there have been many potentials. You were one, and so now is Rory."
"Watchers of what?" Rory asked.
"Slayer of what?" Lorelai asked. "And potential what?"
"Potentials are young girls who have the potential to be called as slayers," Grams said. She looked at her son. "As the trained Watcher, you should give them the rest of it, Richard."
"Girls, this may sound crazy, and I assure you what I am about to tell you is the absolute truth," Richard said. He looked at his wife.
"He is correct," Emily said. "My family worked for the Council. They were not on the Council as your grandmother is, but we have always worked in some capacity or another. I, myself, did what my father did, research and ancient languages."
"You read ancient languages?" Rory said.
"I told you she read Latin," Lorelai said.
"I also read Sumerian and a few demonic languages," Emily said.
"Demonic? Huh?" Lorelai asked.
"The world is older that most believe," Richard began. "Contrary to what many think, it did not start out as a paradise. . ."
When he finished his recitation, Rory and Lorelai looked at each other and began laughing.
"Why are you laughing? This isn't funny!" Emily said, glaring at both of them.
"This is the greatest prank ever, Mom. I didn't know you had it in you. You almost had me going for a minute there!" Lorelai said, grinning.
Grams grabbed her walking stick and slammed it on the floor, ending the laughter. "This is no prank. I did not fly across an ocean for any joke. This is your heritage. Vampires are real. Demons are real, and the current slayer is an American girl named Buffy Summers, guarding the hellmouth in Sunnydale, California. She has been doing so successfully for over four years, and she has stopped the world from ending several times already. She has died once, but she was resuscitated. Another slayer was called named Kendra. Kendra, though, did not have Miss Summer's imagination or gifts, and she was killed within a year on the hellmouth fighting by Miss Summer's side." She paused and pointed to Lorelai. "You escaped your training because of your pregnancy, and then you fled to a town that is one of the safest in the world. However, your daughter could be called to be a slayer, and she must be prepared to carry such a burden."
Rory stood up, suddenly realizing that this might not be a joke after all. "Are you insane? I can't fight monsters! I can't even kill a spider!" she protested.
"It does not matter what you think you can or cannot do," Grams said. "You are a Gilmore, and Gilmores are strong. You will do what you must. The fate of the world could one day depend on you being strong."
"You can't be serious, Dad," Lorelai said. "Even if you're telling the truth, Rory's future is already planned. She can't change it to be some superhero with a short lifespan."
"Not all potentials are called, Lorelai," Richard said. "Mother was one, and she wasn't called. You were one, and you weren't called. However, the selection is random, and you cannot know. One day Rory could suddenly have superstrength and be a beacon for demons and vampires. She couldn't hide if she wanted to because the supernatural monsters out there will seek her out if she's called. She has to know what she might be facing."
Rory sat back down as the strength seemed to leave her body. "I still don't believe this," she said.
"Believe what you will," Grams said. "Humor an old lady if that's what you want to call it. You will have to make some adjustments. Two or three days a week, Richard's driver will pick you up and bring you here. Emily with instruct you on ancient languages, and Richard will introduce you to the various demons that exist. He will also hire a personal trainer who will work with you five days a week."
"Exercise? You want me to exercise?" Rory asked incredulously.
"You say that like she asked you to skin a cat," Emily said, frowning. "Exercise is a good thing, Rory. You have P.E. at Chilton."
"I have a semester of it," Rory said.
"The trainer will teach you basic self-defense and conditioning," Grams said. "Richard will show you how to slay a vampire and the various weapons to kill demons."
Lorelai wasn't sure she could take another minute of this insanity. "We need to go," she said, standing.
Richard got up. "I have a book for Rory to begin reading before you go," he said. He got up and went to his study.
"Lorelai, I hope you do not plan on ignoring this," Grams said. "It is better to be prepared and not need the preparation than to be unprepared and have Rory come to serious harm."
"I understand," Lorelai said, not really meaning it. None of this made any sense. Did they all three suffer a mental breakdown of some kind? This was insanity.
Richard came back with a book. "This is the slayer's handbook, Rory. It should help you," he said.
Rory accepted the book and realized it was very old. How could this be real?
When they finally made it to the car, Lorelai drove home in a fog. Neither of them could find the right words to say.
After she pulled into her driveway, Lorelai turned off the ignition and looked at Rory, who was looking down at the book her father had given her.
"So what do you think? Did they smoke some really good reefer before we arrived or what?" Lorelai said, trying to joke with her daughter because that was what they did.
Rory looked up from the book, her eyes stark with fear. "I don't think it's a joke, Mom. This book—this book seems very real," she said. "What are we going to do?"
Lorelai hadn't felt this helpless since she was a teenager trying to figure out how to escape her parents' control after giving birth to Rory at sixteen. For once, she had no words or idea what to do to protect her daughter. How does one protect one's child from fate?
Chapter 2: Sharing the Secret
*****Stars Hollow*****
Neither one of them wanted to go home to bed, so they walked into town even though it was dark. Rory kept hold of the book her grandpa gave her, but she kept the cover of it toward her, so no one could see it.
"When did we start being afraid of the dark?" Rory wondered as she felt unusually scared.
"You heard Grams. This town is super safe," Lorelai said. "No monsters here."
"That's good, I guess," Rory said. "Can I tell anyone?"
"I don't know that anyone would believe us," her mom said. "You can try. It would sure piss off the grandparents."
Rory smiled. "That's a bonus," she said.
Lorelai threw her arm around her daughter. "I don't know if our family is totally certifiable or if there's truth to what they said," she said. "All I know is that whatever happens, we'll face it together."
Rory nodded, grateful for her mother. They walked in silence into town, the night air a bit chilly, but it wasn't too cold yet.
She went to Lane's house and debated on if she should knock. Then she decided it would be better to just climb the tree and go to her window. Lane's mother would interrupt them, forcing them to keep the conversation short if she knew Rory was there.
Lane grinned as she heard the knock on her window and saw Rory. Her best friend rarely resorted to such measures to talk to her, so it must be important.
"What's up?" Lane said after she opened the window. "Do you want to come in?"
Rory sat on the ledge of the lower roof. "Nah. This is fine. I needed to talk to you about my family dinner," she said. "My grandparents and great-grandmother told me something that's totally insane. I don't want you to freak or think I'm crazy."
"Of course, you're not crazy," Lane said automatically.
"You might change your mind once I tell you what they said or rather told me about myself and my possible destiny," she said.
"Destiny? You have a destiny?" Lane said. "That sounds both cool and ominous."
"It's ominous, completely ominous," Rory said. Then she shared with Lane all the crazy things she learned at dinner.
"Oh, my God," Lane said when Rory stopped talking and showed her the vampire slayer handbook.
"Yea. It's insane," Rory said.
"Why would they make up something so elaborate?" Lane wondered.
"So you think it might be true?" Rory asked.
"I don't know," she said. "The bible talks about men with super strength and even giants—in Genesis. Sons of angels mating with sons of God and producing powerful people. Who knows what that exactly meant?"
That Lane didn't laugh and dismiss Rory shook her more than anything. If it was true, what was she going to do?
At Luke's Diner, Lorelai was unburdening herself in a very exuberant manner, and Luke was snickering.
"Vampires? Demons? Slayers? Are you sure they weren't drunk?" he asked, amused. He walked over and locked the door, changing the sign to closed.
"No, they weren't, Luke. You weren't there—they were very serious," she said. She sipped her coffee. "I need an Irish coffee. Do you have any whiskey?"
"No, I don't have any whiskey," he said. "I have a beer or two upstairs."
She said nothing else, getting up and moving toward the stairs that led to his apartment. Luke followed after her complaining. "That's my beer, and I don't want to share it with a loon!"
"This loon needs to be medicated," she said, opening the fridge and grabbing a beer. She twisted the top off and guzzled it down. Then she reached for a second as Luke protested.
"Slow down, Lorelai. Getting drunk won't make you feel any better," Luke said, grabbing a beer and shutting the fridge.
"It will make this entire night seem less clear, and then maybe I can forget," Lorelai said.
Luke didn't know why her family would tell her such a crazy tale, but Lorelai choosing him to confide in meant something. A part of him wanted to draw her closer or even ask her out. However, he wasn't sure as she never seemed like she felt the attraction he did.
"Why did you tell me this?" he said. "We're not that close, are we?"
"I've been coming into your diner daily since you opened it three years ago," she said.
"Yes, but you've never shared personal things with me before—we haven't been those kinds of friends," Luke said.
Lorelai looked away, trying to explain what made her tell him of all the people she met. Miss Patty or even Babette would have believed every word. Sookie probably would have also. However, there was just something so solid about Luke—she knew that no matter what she could depend on him. "I didn't want to upset Sookie—she would worry herself sick. I also don't trust Patty or Babette to not tell everyone," she said. "And I knew you wouldn't tell anyone. I had to have some to tell this insane stuff to because Rory needs me to be strong."
"I think you shouldn't worry about it. Nothing is going to come of this—it's just preposterous," Luke said.
"I hope you're right," she said. "What should I do? Should I sever her ties with my parents? Would that be the right thing here? She'll have to withdraw from Chilton, but wouldn't that be better?"
Luke was silent a long moment as he considered the situation, pushing down his incredulity. "Okay, so the chances that this story is true are slim. However, let's speculate about the possibility that it's true. What does that mean? If you let her be trained to learn some dead languages, what's the harm? So she does some exercise that might be unnecessary, that's only a good thing for her healthwise. Since her eating habits are atrocious, exercise can only be beneficial," he said, flashing her a smug smile. He'd been trying to get the Gilmore girls to eat better since he opened.
"I guess that's true," Lorelai said.
"And then there's the other side of it," Luke said as he rubbed his hands together in the one nervous tic Lorelai found endearing.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Well, even though the chance of it being true about the whole vampires and demon bit is very slim, you have to consider the remote possibility that it is true," he said. "Wouldn't you want her to be as prepared as possible?"
"Yea, I know," Lorelai said with a sigh. "That's what they said, too. I just hate the whole idea of her being alone in some mystical destiny that could get her killed."
"Who says she has to be alone?" Luke pointed out. "You and she are the closest mother-daughter duo I have ever seen. Be there with her every step of the way."
"I have a full-time job, Luke. I don't think I can," she admitted.
"Not everything, but I'm sure you could do one day at your parents, and you could work with the trainer," Luke said. "It's never too late to exercise."
She gave him a glare. "You just see this as an opportunity to get me healthy!" she accused.
Luke fought back a smile. "Hey, exercise it a good thing—so is eating right," he said. He could never convince her to try something healthy, but he kept trying.
"I don't see you out in the morning jogging," she pointed out.
"I work at the diner at five in the morning some days, but I could join you probably three days a week," he said.
"You'd do that?" Lorelai asked.
"Sure," he said with a shrug. "I used to be very athletic and ran all the time."
"Oh, yes, that's right. I've heard a few rumors about the mythic Luke Danes, who played and ruled nearly every sport," she said, batting her eyelashes at him with a smile.
Luke looked embarrassed. "I do run some, but not as regularly as I did since I opened the diner," he said.
"I might need a lot of mocking to get going," she said.
"I am an expert mocker," Luke said with a grin.
"Don't hold back," Lorelai said. "I have to be able to help Rory in some way—no matter how minor."
"It's probably not real," Luke said.
"Probably—I hope so," she said.
"I have pie. Do you want some?" he asked.
"You know that I do," she said. "Coffee." She went to his apartment door and headed back downstairs.
"You won't be able to sleep," he reminded her as he followed after her.
"Sleep? I don't think I'll be able to sleep ever again," she said, looking forlorn as she made it to the stools in the diner.
Luke went around his counter and sat on the stool next to her. "It will be okay," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders.
She leaned her head against him. "Promise?"
"Yes," he said.
They both hoped his words would be true.
Chapter 3: Reaching her Potential
******Several Weeks Later*****
Rory could not believe this was her life now. Nearly every day, she and her mother got up an hour earlier and jogged for a half hour. Luke joined them a few times a week, talking smack and getting them to pick up their slow speed.
No longer did she have Friday dinners at her parents. Instead, Rory stayed over on Friday for extra instruction in ancient languages with her grandmother. As much as she hated to admit it, Rory found all the learning fascinating. On Saturday, her mother would join them at three in the afternoon as she would leave the Inn by two if there was no wedding or event that day. She would study the demons in her dad's book with Rory and work on swordplay with her dad. It kind of freaked Lorelai out that her dad had this entire side that she had no inkling about. At the same time, it felt kind of nice to learn more about him.
Rory was learning fencing at Chilton, so they started with that. It was fun, actually, and Lorelai liked doing it with her daughter. Eventually, her father said they'd progress to regular swords, which were often the best for killing demons.
They would have dinner on Saturdays together, and then she and Rory would go home. On Sunday, they both agreed to do no running or talk about anything slayer related. Instead, Rory would do her homework and spend some time with Lane.
It was a strange new reality, but they were managing it. When Christmas break came, her father had a surprise for her.
"I have spoken to the Slayer's watcher, Rupert Giles, and he has agreed to allow you to spend two nights on the hellmouth and go patrolling with Miss Summers," Richard said. "As I do not feel secure enough to take you patrolling in New York City or Boston, I thought it'd be a good idea to expose you to the supernatural and understand what to do if faced with a vampire. Also, it will eliminate any doubts that what I have told you is true."
Rory's eyes widened and fear filled her as she realized what her grandfather was saying. His words worked to eliminate the doubt she still had about if this entire potential-slayer bit was true. He would not bring in outsiders if it was an elaborate ruse.
"Seriously, Dad?" Lorelai asked. Hope that it was still a joke was what kept her going. If she found out it was real, she was not sure what she would do.
"Of course, Lorelai," Richard said. "Before—back when you were young—the active slayer was not like the current slayer. Nor was her watcher. Rupert Giles is not known for doing what is expected. In fact, the Council fired him for refusing to put their edicts ahead of his slayer's welfare."
"They can do that?" Rory asked in disbelief.
"They can," Richard said. "Mother was most unhappy about it and would not allow the Council to send anyone after Rupert as the slayer refused to work for the Council and won't have any other watcher but him."
"Sounds like a very loyal girl," Lorelai said.
"Yes, it's quite admirable," Emily said. "The Council has become drunk on their own power and self-importance. It's why I refused to let them in your life when you were young."
"When are we going to California?" Lorelai asked.
"Oh, you want to go?" Richard said, surprised.
"Well, I'm not letting you take my only daughter to a hellmouth without going with her," Lorelai said.
"I was thinking we could fly in on the twentieth and be back on the twenty-third, so it won't interfere much with the holidays," Richard said. "There's a Bed and Breakfast in the town next to Sunnydale where we should be safe."
Lorelai groaned. "I hate Bed and Breakfast places," she complained.
"Well, there's none in Sunnydale, and a hotel is not safe," Richard said. "A Bed and Breakfast is the home of the owner; therefore, vampires cannot enter."
Lorelai's eyes widened as she contemplated that. "Okay, I love Bed and Breakfast places and can't wait to visit the one in California," she said.
Rory grinned at her mother, relieved that she was going to be with her.
*****Sunnydale*****
Buffy was not in the mood, but Giles wanted to see her. She stopped by the Magic Box to see what was up. Her mother was recovering from brain surgery, which was great. However, her boyfriend had just left her after she had confronted him about allowing vampires to feed on him. She was feeling discombobulated and out of sorts. Maybe there was a new demon in town that she could beat up on. The idea of that brightened her a bit as she stepped into the shop.
"What's up, Giles?" she asked.
"How is your mother?" Giles asked her.
"She is doing fine," Buffy said, smiling. "There's still some head pain, but the doctor said that was to be expected for a few weeks. No more hallucinations or anything."
"Good," Giles said. He walked over to the round table and sat down, indicating that Buffy should sit down.
"Is there a new demon in town? Glory and her minions haven't been spotted in a few days," Buffy said.
"No, nothing like that," he said. "I need a favor."
Her watcher had never asked her for a favor, so Buffy was very surprised and curious. "Sure, Giles. What do you need?" she asked.
"An old chum of mine, Richard Gilmore, lives in Connecticut. He spent summers in London training to be a watcher," Giles explained. "His mother is on the Council, but he refused to leave his studies at Yale to move to London. His daughter was a potential, and her mother's family had also always worked for the Council. However, she had a negative opinion of the Council's methods."
"I like her already," Buffy said.
"Her daughter Lorelai, however, became pregnant and had a girl at sixteen and left her parent's home to be her own person," Giles said. "Recently, Lorelai was made aware of her family legacy because her daughter Rory, who is sixteen, is also a potential."
"Okay," Buffy said, not sure where he was going with this story.
"Richard comes from a very wealthy family. His daughter rebelled against all the family expectations and runs an inn and is not dependent on the family for her livelihood. However, since she and Rory have found about the family legacy and Rory's training has started, Lorelai has been very involved."
"That's great," Buffy said. "No Kendra robot or crazy Faith."
"Yes, it's good," Giles said. "However, Richard is insisting that Rory be exposed directly to the supernatural because his daughter and granddaughter don't fully believe what they've been told."
"Seriously?" Buffy chuckled. "I can see how it might be hard to believe without evidence. I thought Merrick was a loon when he told me. It was only when he took me to a cemetery that I believed him."
"That's what Richard is thinking. Would you mind taking the girl and her mother patrolling tomorrow and the next night?" Giles said. "They will be staying in a nearby town at a Bed and Breakfast, so we don't need to put them up or anything."
Buffy shrugged. "Sure," she said.
"I would've told you sooner, but with your mother's surgery, I wanted to wait. Maybe you can have them meet Riley and everyone," Giles said.
"Riley is gone," Buffy said flatly. "We broke up, and he went back to his soldiers."
"I hadn't heard. I'm sorry," Giles said, giving her a look of sympathy. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not right now," Buffy said. "So a distraction will be good."
"They will be here at the Magic Box by seven," Giles said.
"So they are complete newbies, right?"
"For the most part," Giles said. "They've been learning how to do hand-to-hand and some sword play. Demon and language instruction also, I believe. Rory goes to a prestige private school, though, so she is not in full-time training."
"Not being a pod person is only to her advantage," Buffy pointed out.
"You are probably right," he said.
"What about their grandpa? Is he going patrolling? I'm not sure that's a good idea," Buffy said.
"No, Richard has no desire to and trusts that you will keep his girls safe," Giles said. "Maybe you can show her some moves."
"I'll bring Willow and Tara along with some magical backup," Buffy said.
"That's a good idea," he said, glad she was so willing to play tour guide.
*****The Next Day******
Rory and Lorelai were both anxious as they drove into Sunnydale in the car her father had hired.
"I don't see why we didn't get a rental, Dad. Having a driver is a bit much," Lorelai said.
"Nonsense," Richard said. "We do not know the area, and we need to be focused."
"The slayer knows we're coming, right?" Rory asked.
"She does," Richard said. "I probably should tell you that her mother recently had brain surgery to remove a tumor. Her life hasn't been easy. She had to withdraw from college to move back home to help with her younger sister."
"That's awful," Rory said.
"These types of distractions can be deadly for a slayer, which is why the Council takes them away from the family at a young age," Richard said. "However, Miss Summers has a support staff to help her."
"Do you know anything about them?" Lorelai wondered.
"Only what Rupert has told me. There are two classmates she went to high school with. A boy and a girl. The girl is a witch—a lot of raw talent," Richard said. "I believe both the boy and girl have romantic interests that help. Rupert said his business partner is the boy's girlfriend."
"He went into business with a twenty-year old?" Lorelai asked.
"He went into business with Anya, a thousand-year-old former vengeance demon trapped in the body of a twenty-year-old. Buffy Summers does not turn twenty until next month," Richard said.
"Buffy? Her name is Buffy?" Lorelai asked.
"Californian mothers are known for ridiculous names for their offspring," Richard said. "I would advise you, however, to not insult the slayer. And I believe you were told the name of the slayer when we told you about Rory's calling."
"That entire dinner is a fog, Dad, so forgive me if I missed a detail. Please tell me the slayer's not also blonde and perky," Lorelai said.
"I have no idea, Lorelai, as I have not met the girl," Richard said. "All I know is that she is excellent at keeping the hellmouth closed and has died once until one of her friends gave her CPR. On her high school graduation, she had to arm her entire graduating class and have them fight the mayor, who ascended and turned into a real demon—a forty-foot snake. Of course, she did blow up the high school to kill him, but she saved countless lives."
"She armed her classmates?" Rory asked in shock. "No way!"
"Yes, way," Richard said, enjoying their reaction to the story. "There was an eclipse, so vampires on his payroll attacked to keep them from fleeing."
"What about the secret identity bit?" Lorelai asked.
"You will recall that she quit the Council at the time, and she goes her own way," he said. "The results cannot be denied, however. Instead of a complete slaughter, only a few lives were lost."
"So you're telling me that instead of a nice graduation ceremony, Buffy and her friends and her entire graduating class had to fight vampires and a giant snake?" Rory asked incredulously.
"Unfortunately, it is what happened. The mayor ate the principal, in fact," Richard shared.
"No way!" Lorelai exclaimed.
"That can't possibly be true," Rory said.
Richard shrugged. "This is the hellmouth. In the next two nights, you are going to see things that are from your nightmares, and you'll know without a doubt my mother and I and Emily were telling the truth," he said.
The Gilmore girls were silent until he pulled up next to shop in the middle of town. Lorelai read the name on it. "The Magic Box. Seriously?" she asked.
"Lorelai, you will not embarrass me by offending these frontline fighters," he said sternly. "They risk their lives nearly daily to save lives. They have saved this entire planet more than a few times, and they do not deserve mockery. Remain silent and watchful. Pay attention to your surroundings at all times. This is no elaborate joke—like I don't have better things to do with my time than to waste it on juvenile stunts." With an annoyed sniff, he got out of the car, and the girls followed at a slower rate.
"Mom, I'm scared," Rory said, reaching for hand. Her grandfather's words had served to eradicate any doubts she had harbored about the supernatural. He was right—there was no way such a busy man would waste his time on a falsehood.
"It'll be okay," Lorelai assured, putting her arm around her shoulder as they walked to join her father. She, too, was rattled, but she had to be strong for her daughter.
They walked into the shop no knowing what to expect, but the friendly greeting of: "Welcome to our shop. We are happy to have your money," said in a bright, cheery voice was unexpected. They moved toward the counter and saw an attractive woman with shorter hair lighter than theirs but not true blonde.
"Is Rupert Giles here?" he asked.
The woman looked crestfallen when she realized he wasn't a normal customer. "Giles—your friend is here," she said.
Richard smiled at her. "Don't worry. I promise to spend money before I leave," he told her.
Her beaming smiled in return made him grin. "You must be Anya," he said, holding at his hand to her.
"Yes, I am. Anya Jenkins," she said.
"I am Richard Gilmore, and this is my daughter Lorelai and granddaughter Rory," he said.
Anya appreciated his civility as few ever managed the simple feat of a polite introduction since she became human.
"It is nice to meet you. What brings you to the hellmouth?" she asked.
Before they could answer, Giles step from the back. "Hello, Richard," he said, giving him a warm smile. He went around to the front of the counter to shake his hand and clapped him on the shoulder. "It has been too long, old friend."
"That it has," Richard said, smiling back at him. "You are looking very well."
"I am doing fine—as well as one can be in this line of work," he said.
"He is doing great considering the man gets knocked unconscious every few months," Anya said with a grin. "His head is very hard."
"Yes, thank you for that, Anya," Giles said.
"This is my daughter, Lorelai and her daughter, my granddaughter, Rory," Richard introduced.
The two women shook his hand, each having vastly different thoughts. He has a British accent and is kind of cute! Lorelai thought, surprised.
He looks like a librarian. How could he actively fight monsters? Rory wondered.
"I am sure you both are feeling a bit anxious about this field trip Richard has arranged, but I assure you that it will be quite fine," Giles said. "The big bad we've been fighting lately has not been spotted. We think she left town for the holidays, so you should be safe."
"What is it?" Richard wondered.
"A woman much stronger than Buffy, who seems completely invulnerable and can run in a blur," Giles said. "She has these minions that do her bidding."
"They are very ugly things," Anya said with a grimace. "They have hurt my money every time they've invaded the Magic Box."
Lorelai grinned, finding the woman more and more amusing. Talk about a one-track mind. At the same time, the manager in Lorelai appreciated Anya's commitment to her work.
"Is your slayer here?" Richard asked.
"Buffy will be here shortly," Giles said. "She is getting Willow and Tara to accompany your girls as she figures magical backup will ensure their safety if she is distracted fighting."
"We appreciate the thoughtfulness," Richard said.
"Very much," Lorelai asked.
"Do you mind if we look around?" Rory asked.
"I will be happy to show you the things we sell," Anya said, coming around the counter.
Richard and Giles sat at the round table while Anya gave the girls a tour.
"Over here, we have the tourist stuff, crystals and other New Age items," Anya said.
"Do crystals actually do anything?" Rory wondered.
"If a practitioner with knowledge or power is using them, of course," Anya said. "They are great to store energy in or for various protection spells."
"Seriously?" Lorelai asked. "That's very cool."
"Some crystals are known to ward off dark thoughts or evil spirit," Anya said.
"Look, there's a mummified hand," Rory said, pointing.
When she reached out to touch it, Anya yelled, "Don't touch it!"
Rory jumped and flashed a guilty look. "I'm sorry!" she exclaimed.
"It's best if you only touch things that you ask about," Anya said. "That mummy took us forever to put in stasis. If you wake it up, it will try to kill you."
"Seriously?" Lorelai asked.
"I am always serious," Anya said.
Lorelai believed her.
Then they were all focused on the entrance as the door opened, and three women came in, two blondes and a redhead. Somehow, though, Rory just knew that the short blonde was the slayer. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail, but she felt familiar to Rory, somehow. When the blonde looked at her Rory, she smiled in a friendly manner. Ironically, Rory thought of Paris, her nemesis at Chilton, another tiny blonde whose force of personality could fill a room.
When Buffy spoke, Rory knew she was right—that was the slayer. "Sorry, Giles, we're running late. I had a hard time leaving Dawn, and then Mom insisted I bring her with me," Buffy said as the door opened, and another teenager came in. A taller gangly girl with long hair like Rory's, but she was all arms and legs.
"I want to meet Giles' friends," Dawn said, glaring at her sister.
Lorelai bit back a smile as Buffy rolled her eyes. It was strange and comforting to see that the superhero had annoying little sister problems like a mere mortal.
"Buffy, this is Richard Gilmore," Giles introduced. "A good friend of mine from my younger days."
Buffy shook his hands and frowned. "I hope not from your Ethan days, though," she said.
"Good God, no!" Richard said with a shudder. "I abhor that miscreant troublemaker."
Buffy grinned. "I like him already," Buffy said. She casted her eyes to Rory and Lorelai. "Hello."
"Hi," Lorelai said, smiling at the very short girl. This was The Slayer?
"This is my daughter Lorelai, who was once a potential, but she only recently learned about that fact," Richard said. "That's Rory, her daughter, who is a potential."
"A potential what?" Dawn asked.
"Slayer," Giles said. "Richard's mother is on the Council."
"I'm sorry," Buffy said, her eyes losing some of their warmth.
"My mother has never liked or supported Quentin," Richard said. "She was quite angry when you quit the Council, and she used her considerable influence to stop that barbaric practice for slayers who turn eighteen."
"What practice was that?" Rory asked.
"I was hypnotized by my watcher during meditation time, and then he injected me with a drug to suppress my powers," Buffy said. "The idea was to have me face a vampire powerless to see how I fared."
"Sounds like a misogynist ploy to keep slayers young and dumb," Lorelei said.
"That's exactly what I thought!" Willow said. "I'm Willow, by the way. This is my girlfriend, Tara."
"Yes, I am sorry. I was going to get to you," Giles said.
"Giles felt bad and told me about it, but somehow, the vampire the Council brought was a drug addict, who liked his pills. He killed his minders, and then kidnapped my mother to draw me to the house," Buffy said.
"That's when we found out tricking a vampire into drinking holy water will kill him!" Willow said with a grin.
"Just say no to drugs," Buffy said, snickering at the memory.
"They endangered your mother?" Lorelai said, outraged.
"That's why Lorelai is here," Richard said. "She wants to be prepared. She's been training with Rory and learning some demon lore."
"Not ancient languages because I have a job and a life," Lorelai said with a grin.
Buffy laughed, liking this mother, who had a child at sixteen. Buffy couldn't imagine being a mom at nineteen. She died for the first time at age sixteen, but the idea of raising a baby was more terrifying to her.
"This is my best friend, Willow. She and Tara are witches," Buffy said.
"Not to be confused as a polite word for bitches, right?" Lorelai joked.
Rory groaned. "Mom!"
It was strange for Buffy to meet a mom who was not the serious one. She could tell by looking at Rory that the girl was very intelligent like Willow. In fact, her long hair and earnest expression reminded her a lot of Willow at that age.
"No, we're real witches," Willow said, surprised but not offended by the woman's outrageous question.
"Oh, will you do some magic for us? We thought my parents and grandmother were smoking the good reefer or something when they told us this insanity about vampires and slayers," Lorelai said.
"Lorelai, really," her father said, frowning in disapproval.
"Sorry, Dad, but you can't go my entire life without telling me this and then suddenly throw it out at me like I shouldn't wonder," she said.
Willow raised her hand and produced star lights, and the girls clapped.
"Cool!" Lorelai said. "Can you pull a rabbit out of a hat, too?"
"Rabbit? Why would you say such a thing?" Anya shrieked. "There will be none of those vicious creatures in my store!"
The Gilmores all looked at her in surprise as she seemed genuinely upset.
"Oh, of course, no rabbits. How about a cute puppy?" Lorelai said.
"We're only here for two days, Lorelai," Richard said. "Magic used on the hellmouth is not for entertainment."
"No, but I could totally do it," Willow said.
"How about we get going?" Buffy suggested.
"Can I go?" Dawn asked, eagerly.
Buffy sighed. "I guess. But you will not put your hand on any swords. Only a stake," she said. She led the girls behind the curtain and passed out stakes.
"I should talk to Luke about taking up whittling," Lorelai said as she grinned down at her stake.
Rory smiled. "I could see him being good at that," she said.
"Who's Luke?" Dawn asked. "Is that your boyfriend? Buffy's boyfriend dumped her and left the other day. Riley was very nice and pretty."
"He did not dump me!" Buffy exclaimed, glaring at her sister. "I caught him doing something extremely inappropriate, and he left town in shame."
"Same thing," Dawn said.
Buffy clenched her jaw. "Sorry about Dawn. She can't help but be intrusive and annoying."
"Can, too," Dawn said.
"Cannot," Buffy said.
"Let's not fight," Tara said in a mild tone that caused both girls to instantly shut up.
Lorelai's eyes widened as the very quiet girl uttered her first words in their presence. Her effect and power were instant. "Is that a witch power? Getting sisters to stop bickering? That is very cool!" she said in admiration.
"No, that's just a Tara power," Willow said, gazing at her in adoration.
The Gilmores had little exposure to same-sex couples, but they found the pair very sweet.
As both Gilmores were wearing jeans, they put their stakes in their back pockets.
"Axe or sword?" Buffy asked.
"Sword," Rory said.
"Axe," Lorelai said, amused at the thought.
"Dawn, I'm not giving you the crossbow because you've not been trained on it," Buffy said. "Take this small hatchet in case something surprises you."
Dawn looked pleased to be given even that, and she didn't complain.
Rory and Lorelai trailed after the witches, who followed the slayer. Dawn was the last out the door.
The Gilmore girls were finally going to see what they had only heard or read about.
Rory was both apprehensive and excited. However, she was glad to know she hadn't been wasting her time the past few months. Now she was about to get real proof that vampires and demons were real.
She just hoped she and her mom survived the experience.
******To Be Continued******
How does my first Gilmore Girls fanfiction feel? Did I nail the characters? I wrote the entire story spelling Lorelai's name with an ei instead of ai, so let me know if I missed one. Also, I got confused with Gran/Grams. I think I fixed all of them, so tell me if I didn't. Take a minute to review and let me know your thoughts! Thanks so much!