Leaves
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to ASP and all those companies. I've spent all my money on Christmas presents anyway.
Pairing: R/T
Feedback: Please. Just so I don't disappear under a rock.
Author's Note: Supergirl101: It says Trory right in the summary, and that hasn't changed. I just want Rory to be angsting because Tristan always seems to get assigned that role. Thanks for reviewing, it means a lot.
*****
Rory stood with her back pressed to the door, hunched towards her grandfather. She was hissing, trying to keep the argument a secret from the two women sitting at the table in the next room. She knew they were both gawking at the closed door; her mother probably had her ear to the keyhole.
"I don't care." Reason had flown out the window five insults ago; she was hoping to win because of superior sulking skills. "I'm not doing it for your benefit, I'm doing it for Grandma's."
"Everything you do for your grandmother. She says, `Rory, you have to do this thing that you'll hate, that everyone will hate,' and you say, `Of course, Emily, I'd love to.' You never do anything for me! Why won't you do what I want you to?"
"Oh, do you even hear yourself? Why won't I obey your commands? I have to choose between you and Grandma, and she got in first, I'm sorry. Next time, put your instructions in writing, a month in advance."
"Is that what I need to do to get some input around here? Because I'll do it! I will write down everything that I want you to do until you graduate college, right now! Hah! Beat that, Emily!"
"Keep your voice down! God, Grandpa - "
"Do not `God, Grandpa!' me!"
"I'll whatever I want you!"
"Young lady, you will - "
"Will not!"
"Will!"
"Not!"
Richard clutched his head. "This is insupportable!"
"This is unbelievable. I can't believe you."
"You - "
Emily's cool, authoritative tones floated through the heavy door, silencing the combatants. "Richard. Rory. Come and help me with Lorelai. She's trying to make jewelery out of the shellfish. I don't know what to do with her."
They obediently returned to the table, and smarmed at each other for the remainder of the evening.
*****
The Jeep swerved onto the opposite side of the road as Lorelai turned to stare at Rory in fascination.
"Eyes on the road. On the road. Car, car!"
Lorelai wrenched at the wheel, taking them out of the path of danger. "I can't help it. It's just so.... You're me. And Dad is Mom. It's incredible."
"It's not incredible, it's a fight. It's not all that uncommon, especially in this family."
"I know you're right, but I can't believe it. Because it's you! And Dad! But mostly you. You never fight with anyone, except me when I've eaten the last Pop-Tart, and Dad loves you!"
"I love him."
"So what were you fighting about?"
"He's annoyed that this debutante thing is taking up so much of his time, and he wants me to stop it."
"Oh. Well you can't do that."
"That's what I told him."
"Totally his fault. Just ignore it, it'll go away. Or you could follow my shining example, and give him the silent treatment for sixteen years."
"I think I'll go with Door Number One. He'll come to his senses soon. He'll have to, in two weeks this is all over."
"One, technically."
"Besides, his complaints aren't completely unfounded."
"You're a better woman than I."
"I don't want to talk about it anymore."
"Fine. Let's talk about Tristan."
"On the other hand, he is utterly in the wrong!"
"Not distracting me. What's with the tension?"
"What tension? There's no tension."
"You could cut it with a butter knife, Rory. Or you'd need a steak knife? I don't know. Anyway, it's there, and it's thick. Why?"
"You're imagining things."
"He likes you. I always knew he did."
"No." Had that sounded forlorn?
"Oh my God. You like him." Damn.
"Road! Eyes on the road!" Lorelai bit her lip, and concentrated on not getting them killed. Rory counted the lights as they flashed by. "I like him. So what? He doesn't like me." He had been avoiding her, rejecting her, ever since she had started making offers.
"Good."
"Mom."
"I don't think he'd be good for you. I think this would be a bad idea for a relationship. Of course Tristan would be a prime choice for less than a relationship - "
"Mom. This isn't about sex."
"Well then it shouldn't be about anything."
"Well it is about something."
"Well then I'm glad he doesn't like you."
"He used to, though. I don't know for sure that he doesn't still. I just haven't seen it lately."
"I really think this is a bad idea." Rory was in complete agreement.
"I'm not going to get pregnant."
"I thought that too."
"You just suggested that I - "
"Honestly, I'd prefer you get it out of your system than start a relationship. It's too messy. There's school, and your grandparents...." And your mother.
"It's not about sex, mom." It wasn't. She wasn't entirely clear what it was about. She just wanted to go out on a date, or twelve, and take it from there.
"Isn't it? I don't think you're experienced enough to know that." Rory hesitated, not convinced that her mother was wrong, then shrugged it off.
"Honestly. What do you think would happen to me?"
"I think you'd get hurt. I think bad things would happen. It would just be bad."
Quite possibly. "It wouldn't. I know he's not perfect, but I'm seventeen. I'm not talking about an engagement ring."
"Well he won't be."
"Good. I'm too young to get serious."
"Rory, stop it. Stop this."
"Doing things you don't want me to?"
"This wouldn't be good for you. You don't know what you're doing. I've been there, you haven't, and you don't have a clue what you're getting yourself into."
"I'm not you."
Lorelai pulled into the driveway, but made no move to leave the Jeep, staring at her daughter's reflection in the windshield. "Don't do it." Rory turned her head to the side, pressing her lips together, ignoring her mother. "And don't get pregnant."
"He has enough money to pay for an abortion." Shouldn't have said that. She could feel the betrayal choking her, could feel the heat of Lorelai's anger.
"Don't even joke about it. I'll fit you with a chastity belt."
"I won't get pregnant. He doesn't even like me."
"God, I hope not. Don't do it, Rory. Please don't."
Rory didn't know what to say, didn't know how to deny Lorelai. She huddled in the corner, hiding from the silence, until her mother went into the house and left her alone.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to ASP and all those companies. I've spent all my money on Christmas presents anyway.
Pairing: R/T
Feedback: Please. Just so I don't disappear under a rock.
Author's Note: Supergirl101: It says Trory right in the summary, and that hasn't changed. I just want Rory to be angsting because Tristan always seems to get assigned that role. Thanks for reviewing, it means a lot.
*****
Rory stood with her back pressed to the door, hunched towards her grandfather. She was hissing, trying to keep the argument a secret from the two women sitting at the table in the next room. She knew they were both gawking at the closed door; her mother probably had her ear to the keyhole.
"I don't care." Reason had flown out the window five insults ago; she was hoping to win because of superior sulking skills. "I'm not doing it for your benefit, I'm doing it for Grandma's."
"Everything you do for your grandmother. She says, `Rory, you have to do this thing that you'll hate, that everyone will hate,' and you say, `Of course, Emily, I'd love to.' You never do anything for me! Why won't you do what I want you to?"
"Oh, do you even hear yourself? Why won't I obey your commands? I have to choose between you and Grandma, and she got in first, I'm sorry. Next time, put your instructions in writing, a month in advance."
"Is that what I need to do to get some input around here? Because I'll do it! I will write down everything that I want you to do until you graduate college, right now! Hah! Beat that, Emily!"
"Keep your voice down! God, Grandpa - "
"Do not `God, Grandpa!' me!"
"I'll whatever I want you!"
"Young lady, you will - "
"Will not!"
"Will!"
"Not!"
Richard clutched his head. "This is insupportable!"
"This is unbelievable. I can't believe you."
"You - "
Emily's cool, authoritative tones floated through the heavy door, silencing the combatants. "Richard. Rory. Come and help me with Lorelai. She's trying to make jewelery out of the shellfish. I don't know what to do with her."
They obediently returned to the table, and smarmed at each other for the remainder of the evening.
*****
The Jeep swerved onto the opposite side of the road as Lorelai turned to stare at Rory in fascination.
"Eyes on the road. On the road. Car, car!"
Lorelai wrenched at the wheel, taking them out of the path of danger. "I can't help it. It's just so.... You're me. And Dad is Mom. It's incredible."
"It's not incredible, it's a fight. It's not all that uncommon, especially in this family."
"I know you're right, but I can't believe it. Because it's you! And Dad! But mostly you. You never fight with anyone, except me when I've eaten the last Pop-Tart, and Dad loves you!"
"I love him."
"So what were you fighting about?"
"He's annoyed that this debutante thing is taking up so much of his time, and he wants me to stop it."
"Oh. Well you can't do that."
"That's what I told him."
"Totally his fault. Just ignore it, it'll go away. Or you could follow my shining example, and give him the silent treatment for sixteen years."
"I think I'll go with Door Number One. He'll come to his senses soon. He'll have to, in two weeks this is all over."
"One, technically."
"Besides, his complaints aren't completely unfounded."
"You're a better woman than I."
"I don't want to talk about it anymore."
"Fine. Let's talk about Tristan."
"On the other hand, he is utterly in the wrong!"
"Not distracting me. What's with the tension?"
"What tension? There's no tension."
"You could cut it with a butter knife, Rory. Or you'd need a steak knife? I don't know. Anyway, it's there, and it's thick. Why?"
"You're imagining things."
"He likes you. I always knew he did."
"No." Had that sounded forlorn?
"Oh my God. You like him." Damn.
"Road! Eyes on the road!" Lorelai bit her lip, and concentrated on not getting them killed. Rory counted the lights as they flashed by. "I like him. So what? He doesn't like me." He had been avoiding her, rejecting her, ever since she had started making offers.
"Good."
"Mom."
"I don't think he'd be good for you. I think this would be a bad idea for a relationship. Of course Tristan would be a prime choice for less than a relationship - "
"Mom. This isn't about sex."
"Well then it shouldn't be about anything."
"Well it is about something."
"Well then I'm glad he doesn't like you."
"He used to, though. I don't know for sure that he doesn't still. I just haven't seen it lately."
"I really think this is a bad idea." Rory was in complete agreement.
"I'm not going to get pregnant."
"I thought that too."
"You just suggested that I - "
"Honestly, I'd prefer you get it out of your system than start a relationship. It's too messy. There's school, and your grandparents...." And your mother.
"It's not about sex, mom." It wasn't. She wasn't entirely clear what it was about. She just wanted to go out on a date, or twelve, and take it from there.
"Isn't it? I don't think you're experienced enough to know that." Rory hesitated, not convinced that her mother was wrong, then shrugged it off.
"Honestly. What do you think would happen to me?"
"I think you'd get hurt. I think bad things would happen. It would just be bad."
Quite possibly. "It wouldn't. I know he's not perfect, but I'm seventeen. I'm not talking about an engagement ring."
"Well he won't be."
"Good. I'm too young to get serious."
"Rory, stop it. Stop this."
"Doing things you don't want me to?"
"This wouldn't be good for you. You don't know what you're doing. I've been there, you haven't, and you don't have a clue what you're getting yourself into."
"I'm not you."
Lorelai pulled into the driveway, but made no move to leave the Jeep, staring at her daughter's reflection in the windshield. "Don't do it." Rory turned her head to the side, pressing her lips together, ignoring her mother. "And don't get pregnant."
"He has enough money to pay for an abortion." Shouldn't have said that. She could feel the betrayal choking her, could feel the heat of Lorelai's anger.
"Don't even joke about it. I'll fit you with a chastity belt."
"I won't get pregnant. He doesn't even like me."
"God, I hope not. Don't do it, Rory. Please don't."
Rory didn't know what to say, didn't know how to deny Lorelai. She huddled in the corner, hiding from the silence, until her mother went into the house and left her alone.