Title: The Ties That Bind
By: Rudy
1 Chapter 6: Reconciliation
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LATER THAT DAY
"Hey Jess, where's all the extra jars of mustard?" Jess looked up from the register and thought for a second.
"Oh yeah, Luke moved them to the third shelf in the storage room, he had to make some room on the other shelf."
" 'Kay, be back in sec."
"Hey why don't you let me get them, I mean, do you think you can still fit through the door; it is awfully narrow?" Jess teased grinning saucily. Rory scowled at him.
"You are so getting an ass kickin' when I get back Mariano!" she called to him as she waddled down the hall.
Just as Rory disappeared in to the storage room, the bell above the door rang and a dark haired woman stepped in to the diner. Her gaze swept cautiously over all the faces in the diner before she let out a disappointed sigh and sat down at the counter. Jess picked up his order pad and approached her.
"Hi. Can I get you anything?"
As the woman turned around to face him, Jess' breath caught momentarily from shock. The woman looked so much like Rory it was scary. They had the same eyes, mouth and nose and Rory's hair was only slightly lighter. She could easily pass for her older sister.
"Um, yeah. A large coffee to go…Are you okay?" she asked noticing his shocked expression. Jess quickly came out of his trance.
"Huh? Oh yeah, it's just…you look like…never mind. Your coffee will be ready in a sec," he said giving his head a shake.
"No wait!" the woman called suddenly, " You were going to say I looked like someone. Who was it?! Please, I'm looking for my daughter. Do you know her?"
Before Jess could answer, a voice spoke up from behind him causing both Jess and the woman to jump slightly.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Rory voice was as cold as ice. She stood glaring at Lorelai across the diner.
Lorelai's eyes fill with tears. "Oh God, it's really you! I've been trying to find you for months…"
"You didn't answer my question Lorelai." Rory stated frigidly.
"Look," sighed Lorelai taking a few timid steps toward Rory, who immediately backed up defensively. "I know you hate me. But a lot has changed since you left…and I'm still your mother."
"You're her mother?!" exclaimed Jess who'd been all but forgotten during the whole exchange. Rory shot him a look and he quickly shut up.
"Please Rory, can we just go somewhere and talk? Five minutes, that's all I ask."
"I have nothing left to say to you. I said all I needed to say seven months ago."
"Okay then, how about if I talk and you just listen?" Rory walked briskly past her mother to a table and began clearing the dirty dishes.
"Sorry Lorelai, I don't have time to talk, I'm busy."
"A-Actually, it's pretty slow right now, I can manage for a few minutes by myself." said Jess timidly, earning himself another death glare from Rory. Man, if looks good kill he would have burst into flames. But Jess knew that Rory needed this even if she wouldn't admit it. And if risking her wrath was the chance he had to take, then so be it.
"Rory?" Lorelai looked at her pleadingly. Rory let out an exasperated sigh, "Fine. We can talk upstairs. You've got five minutes."
Jess gestured Lorelai towards the apartment stairs and Rory followed silently. Once the two were alone in the apartment face to face, Lorelai seemed to lose her nerve.
"So, are you having a boy or girl?" she asked sheepishly.
"I don't have time for chitchat Lorelai. So just say whatever it is that you came to say, so you can leave. I'm sure it's almost time for your afternoon shot of vodka." Lorelai ignored the sting Rory's words hit with and began.
"Alright fine. As I said, a lot's changed since you left. After you stormed out, it took me about 30 seconds to realize that I'd just pushed away the most precious thing in the world to me. I wanted so badly to race after you but I knew it wouldn't do any good until I got my life back together. So the next day I checked myself into rehab and I've been sober for almost seven months now." Lorelai search Rory's face for some sort of reaction, finding none she just continued on.
"I guess all I'm trying to say is that I miss you. Not being able to see you everyday and never knowing whether or not you were safe and happy has been absolute hell for me. I love you so much Rory and I want to be a part of your life, if you'll let me…Rory? Please say something baby." Rory stood up from her chair and started pacing the living room.
"What am I supposed to say Lorelai?" she asked her voice sounding slightly strangled from the lump in her throat.
"For the past six years you've NEVER been there when I needed you. And now, now that my life is finally starting to look up, you come waltzing back, claiming that you love and that you've changed? I suppose you expect me to just forget all the years that you spent making me absolutely miserable, huh? Cause' you might as well walk out that door right now if that's what you're hoping for!"
"Of course that's not what I was expecting Rory. As much as I'd like to forget it, I know I've hurt you and believe me, I'll regret that for the rest of my life, but I still think that we have a chance to fix our relationship. It isn't gonna be easy or quick, but I'm willing to try, it you are."
Rory looked down at the floor for a moment then looked Lorelai square in the eyes as of debating whether or not to trust her words. They were everything she'd wanted to hear for so long and the desperate look in Lorelai's eyes made her want to believe them all the more. Rory mentally debated for a few more seconds then came to a decision.
"I want you back in my life too, mom." It was barely a whisper, but for Lorelai it might as well have been a marching band. A bright, but tearful smile spread across her face and she pulled Rory into a tight hug. Rory allowed her mother to hold her as close as her huge belly would allow, but after a about a minute Rory sprang out of the warm embrace.
"Mom?" Lorelai pulled her arms back nervously.
"S-Sorry…I know we're taking this slowly, it's just that-"
"Oh, mom no! It's not that," said Rory who was staring at the floor like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
"We have to go to the hospital…M-My water just broke."
TBC
Thanks everyone for all the emails/reviews. I know this chapter took a while but I've been studying for finals the last couple weeks so I didn't have the time to write. Keep the reviews comin'; I love them. Thanks, Rudy
By: Rudy
1 Chapter 6: Reconciliation
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
LATER THAT DAY
"Hey Jess, where's all the extra jars of mustard?" Jess looked up from the register and thought for a second.
"Oh yeah, Luke moved them to the third shelf in the storage room, he had to make some room on the other shelf."
" 'Kay, be back in sec."
"Hey why don't you let me get them, I mean, do you think you can still fit through the door; it is awfully narrow?" Jess teased grinning saucily. Rory scowled at him.
"You are so getting an ass kickin' when I get back Mariano!" she called to him as she waddled down the hall.
Just as Rory disappeared in to the storage room, the bell above the door rang and a dark haired woman stepped in to the diner. Her gaze swept cautiously over all the faces in the diner before she let out a disappointed sigh and sat down at the counter. Jess picked up his order pad and approached her.
"Hi. Can I get you anything?"
As the woman turned around to face him, Jess' breath caught momentarily from shock. The woman looked so much like Rory it was scary. They had the same eyes, mouth and nose and Rory's hair was only slightly lighter. She could easily pass for her older sister.
"Um, yeah. A large coffee to go…Are you okay?" she asked noticing his shocked expression. Jess quickly came out of his trance.
"Huh? Oh yeah, it's just…you look like…never mind. Your coffee will be ready in a sec," he said giving his head a shake.
"No wait!" the woman called suddenly, " You were going to say I looked like someone. Who was it?! Please, I'm looking for my daughter. Do you know her?"
Before Jess could answer, a voice spoke up from behind him causing both Jess and the woman to jump slightly.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Rory voice was as cold as ice. She stood glaring at Lorelai across the diner.
Lorelai's eyes fill with tears. "Oh God, it's really you! I've been trying to find you for months…"
"You didn't answer my question Lorelai." Rory stated frigidly.
"Look," sighed Lorelai taking a few timid steps toward Rory, who immediately backed up defensively. "I know you hate me. But a lot has changed since you left…and I'm still your mother."
"You're her mother?!" exclaimed Jess who'd been all but forgotten during the whole exchange. Rory shot him a look and he quickly shut up.
"Please Rory, can we just go somewhere and talk? Five minutes, that's all I ask."
"I have nothing left to say to you. I said all I needed to say seven months ago."
"Okay then, how about if I talk and you just listen?" Rory walked briskly past her mother to a table and began clearing the dirty dishes.
"Sorry Lorelai, I don't have time to talk, I'm busy."
"A-Actually, it's pretty slow right now, I can manage for a few minutes by myself." said Jess timidly, earning himself another death glare from Rory. Man, if looks good kill he would have burst into flames. But Jess knew that Rory needed this even if she wouldn't admit it. And if risking her wrath was the chance he had to take, then so be it.
"Rory?" Lorelai looked at her pleadingly. Rory let out an exasperated sigh, "Fine. We can talk upstairs. You've got five minutes."
Jess gestured Lorelai towards the apartment stairs and Rory followed silently. Once the two were alone in the apartment face to face, Lorelai seemed to lose her nerve.
"So, are you having a boy or girl?" she asked sheepishly.
"I don't have time for chitchat Lorelai. So just say whatever it is that you came to say, so you can leave. I'm sure it's almost time for your afternoon shot of vodka." Lorelai ignored the sting Rory's words hit with and began.
"Alright fine. As I said, a lot's changed since you left. After you stormed out, it took me about 30 seconds to realize that I'd just pushed away the most precious thing in the world to me. I wanted so badly to race after you but I knew it wouldn't do any good until I got my life back together. So the next day I checked myself into rehab and I've been sober for almost seven months now." Lorelai search Rory's face for some sort of reaction, finding none she just continued on.
"I guess all I'm trying to say is that I miss you. Not being able to see you everyday and never knowing whether or not you were safe and happy has been absolute hell for me. I love you so much Rory and I want to be a part of your life, if you'll let me…Rory? Please say something baby." Rory stood up from her chair and started pacing the living room.
"What am I supposed to say Lorelai?" she asked her voice sounding slightly strangled from the lump in her throat.
"For the past six years you've NEVER been there when I needed you. And now, now that my life is finally starting to look up, you come waltzing back, claiming that you love and that you've changed? I suppose you expect me to just forget all the years that you spent making me absolutely miserable, huh? Cause' you might as well walk out that door right now if that's what you're hoping for!"
"Of course that's not what I was expecting Rory. As much as I'd like to forget it, I know I've hurt you and believe me, I'll regret that for the rest of my life, but I still think that we have a chance to fix our relationship. It isn't gonna be easy or quick, but I'm willing to try, it you are."
Rory looked down at the floor for a moment then looked Lorelai square in the eyes as of debating whether or not to trust her words. They were everything she'd wanted to hear for so long and the desperate look in Lorelai's eyes made her want to believe them all the more. Rory mentally debated for a few more seconds then came to a decision.
"I want you back in my life too, mom." It was barely a whisper, but for Lorelai it might as well have been a marching band. A bright, but tearful smile spread across her face and she pulled Rory into a tight hug. Rory allowed her mother to hold her as close as her huge belly would allow, but after a about a minute Rory sprang out of the warm embrace.
"Mom?" Lorelai pulled her arms back nervously.
"S-Sorry…I know we're taking this slowly, it's just that-"
"Oh, mom no! It's not that," said Rory who was staring at the floor like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
"We have to go to the hospital…M-My water just broke."
TBC
Thanks everyone for all the emails/reviews. I know this chapter took a while but I've been studying for finals the last couple weeks so I didn't have the time to write. Keep the reviews comin'; I love them. Thanks, Rudy