Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters except Andrew and Lorelai Lane.
Set in future when Tristan and Rory are about 24.
~*~
It was late and the moon danced over his face like he was the stage of their ballet. I stay awake watching him sleep. The rise and fall of his chest were a step behind his breathing.
I sighed and rolled over. I couldn't bear to spend another restless night staring into that face. The face of all my happiness and unhappiness. The face I almost regret when I remember all I could have had or accomplished.
Life was going so well for both of us. We were two young students in love with the world at their feet and each other in their arms. We'd smile and kiss and life was peachy.
Everything changed the week my third year of college started at Harvard University.
It was a small ceremony with few family and friends. It wasn't the wedding I had been planning since I was five, but atlas we were married.
Now I'm here 2 years later watching my husband sleep as I spin my wedding band over and over. Slip it on and off, off and on. My career was put on hold as his skyrocketed.
We were set for life on his career alone. Heck, we were set on his inheritance. What was the point for me to continue?
I followed him on trips around the world and never used my degree. I look down at my round belly and can feel the baby kicking. I'll read to the baby when she's born and teach her to make better decisions. I almost laughed at the thought. I could imagine my mother whisper the same thought to herself before I was born and I let her down. Sure, I graduated high school and college with honors and got a degree in Journalism but I got it all for nothing. I got it for it to sit on display but never used. I walked right into the very life my mother spent her whole life protecting me from.
I heard our son start to rise on the other side of the room. He was 10 months now and as cute as a button. I padded across the room to pick Andrew up out of his crib before he could wakeup his father.
I rocked him back and forth as I danced in small circles at the edge of the bed. I begin to softly hum and before I could stop myself I was singing softly.
Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings
Of the bluebird as she sings.
The six o'clock alarm would never ring.
But it rings and I rise,
Wipe the sleep out of my eyes.
My shavin' razor's cold and it stings.
I kissed Andrew forehead as he quieted down. Then I placed him back into his crib.
When I slid back into bed he was still asleep. I pulled the covers over his shoulders and then I snuggled down into my side of the bed. He rolled away from me. I glanced at the clock as a single tear slid out of my eye and stung my frozen cheek.
It was morning before I knew it. I slipped out of bed when the sun shinning through the blinds woke me and I began his breakfast. I'd let him sleep in. He's rarely home and he needs his rest. I grabbed some eggs and bacon and went to work on a good old-fashioned breakfast. It wasn't long before he emerged from the bedroom sniffing the air. He smiled and kissed my cheek.
He picked Andrew up out of his playpen and began to coo at him. I rolled my eyes before setting down two plates of food at the table. After Andrew was replaced into the playpen he joined at the table. We ate in silence. It felt like an eternity of emptiness. I couldn't eat so I dumped it down the disposal and started to clean. I never got used to the staff at the house that was there to help out. I actually dismiss them when he's not home.
Halfway through a basket of folding, he came in and said goodbye before heading off to the office. After I heard him back out of the drive I picked up the phone and dialed that oh so familiar number.
"Hello Mom..."
It was close to midnight when he came home. I flipped off the TV when he entered the house. I was about to say hello when he cut me off.
"You'll never guess where I'm going in two weeks?"
My heart sunk and my breathing became shallow. How could he forget? I wondered.
He didn't even noticed and continued his speech, "LA. We're representing the Sparco case," he smiled and went to the kitchen, grabbed a beer and began celebrating.
I looked down at my swollen stomach.
"How long?" I murmured as I used the frame of the door to support myself knowing my knees wouldn't be much help.
"If all goes well only about a month," he was still smiling. I wanted nothing more then to knock those pearly whites into the back of his throat.
"Oh and in the meantime what am I supposed to do? Stay pregnant?"
"Huh?" he looked utterly shocked like he was just finding out I was pregnant, "Are you that far along already?" he scratched his head and glanced at my stomach.
"Try 'I'm due in 3 weeks' but obviously its not, I'm not important enough for you to care. And I think,"
"What? Are you-"
"Don't you dare interrupt me!" I spat out. He has some nerve! The audacity! I thought. "You aren't worth this,"
"This what?" he inquired.
"This pain, this regret, this life, this loneliness, this emptiness, this-" I pulled my rings off and held them up in the palm of my shaking hand before I sent them sailing across the room. They barely missed his nose as they misled across the room and smacked into the wall. Finally, they plummeted to the floor, landing with a plunk; "This marriage isn't worth it, Tristan."
With that I turned and ran up the stairs, or waddled rather, as fast as my pregnant form would carry me. This gave Tristan more than ample time to stop me. To take me in his arms and tell me he was sorry. But he didn't, he stayed in the same damn spot, not even saying anything.
After Tristan finally heard the loud slamming of the door and the equally loud screeching of his son, he slumped onto the floor. With his head in his hands he began to cry.
My Mom met me outside like I asked and helped me with the few belongings I managed to collect in-between my fits of anger and tears.
Andrew clung to my shirt as we drove the thirty minutes drive back to Stars Hollow. I felt the baby kick as we entered the familiar view of my childhood home.
Suddenly, my cell began to ring. It was a persistent ring, the kind that makes you want to throw the damn phone against a wall. I handed Andrew to my Mom before flipping the phone open to check the caller ID. I sighed when the glowing digit revealed the familiar number. I quickly answered.
"Hi Lane, What time is it in Hong Kong?"
I woke up around noon. I almost smiled until I rolled over and remembered where I was. I quickly jumped up in search of Andrew. I found him on the porch with Mom and Luke, smiling and playing.
I tried to smile at my son but all I could see was his father. The same button nose, crystal blue eyes, a head full of tousled blond locks, even a baby version of his father's ever-present smirk. Suddenly, I was taken from my trance as Andrew let out an shrill scream. And his lungs I thought as I picked him up and tried to calm him down. Mom got up to answer the door and Luke went to the kitchen.
Andrew continued to scream and I continued to try and quiet him. I sat in the chair frustrated and tired even though I just woke up.
"Mind if I try?" he asked.
I quickly jumped up, as did my heart, which was caught in my throat forming a lump.
"Tristan?" I whispered. Andrew suddenly shut up. Mom came and took him into the other room. Leaving Tristan and me alone.
"You know, you get more beautiful everyday?" Tristan asked as he came over and sat down in front of me and grabbed my hands.
"I'm a mess, I just woke up, I'm preg-" He placed a finger to my lips.
"Shhh. You look beautiful. Do you know I thank God everyday he brought us together. My heart still skips a beat everytime you walk into a room, or smile, or laugh. When you touch me your skin is like a flower petal. I took you for granted, I'm so sorry," He rested his head against my stomach and kissed my hand, He sniffled then continued, "and I knew I'm not worthy of you or your forgiveness but I was hoping, you'd give it to me anyway."
I was speechless. I stared down at Tristan with tears in my eyes. I sniffled then squeezed his hand. I pulled him up before wrapping my arms around his neck and crying into his shoulder.
"I love you," he whispered before kissing my forehead, "and I'll never do that again."
"I love you too,"
ONE WEEK LATER
"You. You did this to me!" I screamed as I wrapped my hands around the metal bars until my knuckles turned white, "I HATE YOU!!!"
"Aww. honey, no you don't," Tristan grabbed my hand and kissed it.
"Get away from me you basturd!" I screamed, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
"Don't leave me, I need you. I love you," I screamed when he started to back away.
Two Hours later we were parents to two kids and Andrew was a big brother to Lorelai Lane DuGrey.
A year later, I was working for the Hartford Times as a journalist. We traveled as a family and I finally went to Fez.
