Title: How It Should Be
Part 4,
Rating: PG-13 (though it is at the top of the page so I have no clue why I put this in)
Disclaimer: You know the drill!!
Summary: My take on what should happen after "Run Away Little Boy"
A/N: ok I'm soooooooo sorry this took me so long to put out!! First there was school stuff then there was home stuff and then I had it written but was too lazy to type it up and post it!! Anyways here's the story!!
WAIT!!!!!! KATE!!! HAPPY NOW I POSTED IT FINALLY!!!!
** ** ** **
"I can't do this!!! It's just too damn hard!!" Rory exclaimed, throwing down the letter she held.
For the past half hour she had been trying to talk herself into reading Tristan's letter. So far it hadn't been working. Now extremely frustrated she stormed around the room searching frantically for the phone. Triumphantly she pulled her hand out form between the cushions of the couch bearing the phone. Rory quickly dialed Lane's number. As she was waiting for someone to pick up she tried to rationalize why this letter was bugging her so much.
"Hello." The person on the other end snapped.
"Hi Mrs. Kim, it's Rory. May I please speak to Lane?"
"She's studying."
"It will only take a few minutes. Please??" There was a pause.
"Fine. You have 3 minutes, I'm timing." Rory sighed in relief. After a couple seconds Lane's voice was heard.
"Hey! What's up??" She inquired.
"I need your help. Is there any way that your mom would let you come over here for a sleepover?"
"I'm sure I could swing it. Is something wrong?"
"I'll explain when you get here."
"K. Well I better go. I'll need all the time I can get for negotiating with my mom."
After hanging up Rory collapsed onto the couch. Her life, which had seemed so perfect just a short time ago was now more, complicated than she ever thought possible. She groaned, hearing the insistent ringing of the phone. She picked it up slowly before answering it.
"Hullo." She moaned.
"Rory? Is that you?" Dean asked Rory. Immediately she felt guilty.
"Yeah it's me." She replied hesitantly.
"You ok?? You sound kinda upset."
"No I'm perfectly fine!!"
"Ok well I was wondering, since we haven't been able to spend much time together lately, we could go to a movie tonight?" Rory was quickly becoming upset over what was happening. Because In truth she had been avoiding Dean in order to try and sort out her feelings for Tristan. It hadn't been working so far.
"I'd love to Dean I really would. But mom Lane and I are having a girls night in kinda thing." She heard a dejected sigh coming from the other end of the line.
"OK I guess. Y'know Rory, for the last couple of weeks you've seemed sorta distance. What's been going on??"
"School's been rough. You know Chilton."
"I just wish we could spend more time with each other." Tears were pricking the corners of her eyes.
"Yeah, me too." choked out. "Look Dean I gotta go." It was getting harder to hold back the tears now and she was just about to loose control.
"Rory wait!! What's wrong??"
"It's nothing really. I just have to go." Not waiting for his reply she hung up the phone.
Trying really hard not to let herself give into her emotions, Rory began pacing back and forth across the living room floor. *Why is this happening to me? Why am I having these thoughts?? I was perfectly happy until he showed up!! This should be happening it isn't right!!* The beginnings of a headache were steadily starting to get worse but she chose to ignore it.
From the doorway Lorelei watched her daughter thoughtfully. *Poor kid, this is really getting to her. I wish there was something I could do to help. *
As she was pacing Rory decided that she needed to get some air otherwise she was going to go nuts.
"Mom!" She called, startling Lorelei out of her reverie.
"Yeah hun?"
"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in a bit. Oh and Lane might be coming here later."
"Yeah ok." The only response Lorelei got was the slamming of the back door. "Yes of course Lane can come over. Thanks for asking me first. Y'know me being the parent and all!" She looked around the empty house. "Ok I'm talking to myself. Time for coffee."
Rory aimlessly walked through Stars Hollow not really paying attention to where she was going. When she finally stopped she was standing on the edge of the lake that was behind the Independence Inn. Picking up a rock she hurled it into the water. She watched in satisfaction as it skipped across the surface several times before sinking. For some time she continued doing this in silence, then she began putting words to the rocks.
"Confusion." Another rock flew from her hands. "Attraction." One more followed closely. "Distress." Yet another. "Tristan." She threw this one as hard as she could as if trying to get it as far away from her as possible.
She gathered up a number of small stones and began throwing them in a flurry of motion. "Love, hate pain, anger, Dean Chilton, stress, tear, sadness, joy, endings, possibilities." The last of the stones didn't even skim the surface the just sunk straight to the bottom of the lake. Throughout she had been trying to get her mind OFF Tristan but all this served to do was make him a large presence in her head.
"Stupid Tristan. You just had to send me that damn letter didn't you? Just when I thought I could hide my feelings for you cause they were under control, you decide to write me that stupid letter!! There are hundreds of girls in Chilton why couldn't he have written to one of them?" She screamed up at the sky, trying to vent some anger. "Paris would love to hear from you!! But nooooo you couldn't write just anyone you had to go and pick me!!" She slowly began to trudge back to her house. Hopefully Lane would be over soon.
** ** ** **
Rory walked into her house but froze when she heard whispering voices coming form the kitchen.
"I'm worried about her. She's really upset, and I just KNOW it has something to do with Tristan." The murmured reply was lost on Rory.
"Mom?? Lane?? You guys here??" Quickly she headed for the kitchen. Both Lane and her mom were sitting at the table eating popcorn. "Hey guys. What were you just talking about??"
"Nothing." "You." They replied in unison. Lorelei glared at Lane.
"The point of a secret conversation is that the person said conversation is about is not supposed to know!!" Lorelei screeched. Rory was trying really hard not to laugh at the look on her mothers face.
"Mom, I would have found out sooner or later."
"Good point. Ok so now out with it. What's been up with out lately??"
"Yeah your mom said it had something to do with Tristan but she wouldn't elaborate."
Rory joined them at the table and recalled the events of the past two weeks. She went through everything. How she had realized her feelings for Tristan, her total meltdown on her date with Dean and finally getting the letter. "Well what's the verdict?? What should I do??" Lane looked at Lorelei and nodded.
"Open the letter!!" They both exclaimed.
"Did either of you hear a word I've said so far?? I tried, and I couldn't do it!!"
"Yes but now you have moral support." Coaxed Lane. Reluctantly Rory picked dup the envelope and opened it. Her eyes had to read over the words three times before she actually comprehended them.
"He missies me." She murmured, more to herself than to anyone else.
"I'm sensing a 'but' coming along." Lorelei quipped. Rory chewed on her lip in concentration.
"I don't know. This just doesn't seem like Tristan. He is never this open with his feelings. It's almost if he wasn't writing this for me."
"Then who did he write it for??" A very confused Lane asked. Rory shook her head.
"Nevermind. It's just me being weird." She laughed.
"I don't know why that took you so long. It wasn't that hard was it??"
"You just needed the right support with you. So are you gonna write him back or what??" Questioned Lane.
"Nah. I'll wait awhile. Tonight I want to eat to much junk food and drown my sorrows in sappy movies."
"Sounds like a plan to me!!" Exclaimed Lorelei. "Let's get this party started."
** ** ** **
Rory purposely forgot about Tristan and the letter during the course of the night. She instead focused all her energy on relaxing wit Lane and Lorelei. At 3 am all three girls were thoroughly exhausted and instead of trying to get their bedrooms they all fell asleep right where they were.
** ** ** **
Rory sat on a nondescript bench in a park she didn't recognize. All around her there were people were milling around but she couldn't make out any of their faces. Standing up she craned her head around trying to get a look of anything that was familiar or anything she could orient herself to.
She started to panic. She had no idea where she was and the crowd was starting to close in on her, making it hard to breath. They got even closer, jostling her. Tears of frustration pricked at the corners of her eyes. When she thought she would collapse into hysterics a hand reached out to her through the crowd. Having no other options she grabbed it and held on tight as she was pulled towards the invisible body. She was so intent on getting away she didn't notice when she slammed into her savior. Immediately two strong arms encircled her and pulled her close, as she sobbed.
"Shhh it's ok. Your fine Mary." Her head snapped up when she heard the name. She was met with a familiar smirk.
"Tristan?" He smiled and nodded. She then threw herself against him yet again. After several minutes she looked up at him. "You left without saying goodbye." She observed quietly. When he opened his mouth to contradict she put a finger to his lips. "Although I sure you tried we never did get a proper farewell." She reached up behind his neck and pulled his head down to hers. Briefly their lips met in a chaste and sweet kiss. Rory was shocked at her on boldness. When they pulled away she noticed he was fading. She reached out to him but then there was blindingly white light all around. As she squinted out ahead of her Rory saw Tristan had disappeared.
** ** ** **
Groaning Rory squinted into the bright ray of sunshine peaking through the curtains. She muttered something incoherently before throwing the blankets over her head. She hadn't even noticed her mom sitting on the coffee table staring at her.
"Aha!! I saw that!! Your awake, I know it!!" She screamed causing Rory to jump in surprise.
"GO away mom!!" She grumbled.
"No you're awake and I need somebody to talk to. Lane went home already cause of her mom, and now I'm all alone. There's no on here to guide me!!" Rory threw off the blankets and scowled at her mother.
"How much coffee have you had this morning?"
"Four cups, but that's beside the point. It's almost lunch and we're going to Luke's." Rory squawked in outrage.
"You woke me up before noon?? Minion of Satan what have you done with my mother??"
"I'm no minion. You're confusing me with Paris, although there really shouldn't be any confusion between the two of us. Now up child!! Be quick with you!!" She replied indignantly, pulling Rory off the couch. Rory reluctantly trudged up the stairs muttering under her breath as she went. All Lorelei caught was
"She owes me big. And, "Not enough coffee in the world."
Rory stood under the stream of scalding water, and let it rinse away the remnants of sleep from her system. Quickly she went to her room and got dressed. She was walking past her dresser when she noticed the envelope form Tristan. She picked it up and pulled out the letter. As she ran her hands along the text her mother bounded into the room exuberantly.
"Ready to go yet??" The intrusion broke Rory out of her reverie.
"What?? Oh yeah sure." She replied quickly. Without conscious thought she slipped the letter into her back pocket.
END PART 4!!!!
A/N: I'm too tired to write more but I promise the next chapter is coming soon very soon!!! I already have it half written!! R&R thnx!!