1 Chapter One
Cute. That was the only word going through Rory's mind as she stepped off the bus and into Stars Hollow. It reminded her of the room Grandma had made up for her when she was five and they had just moved into a new apartment in New York. It was all pink frills and dolls. Everywhere. Rory was convinced that the dolls' eyes were moving all the time so they had been removed. Then there were the frills that attacked her in the middle of the night. They had been the next to go. She finally got it so that her room was dark and studious. Like her grandfather's study that she was so fond of.
She wanted to go back on the bus and back into her nice, dark, studious life. It was safe, and it was predictable and oh, how she loved it dearly. Dark and studious didn't give her nightmares like pink, frills and dolls did.
Rory readjusted the strap on her backpack and picked up the small suitcase that she had brought on the bus. All her other stuff would arrive by movers, hopefully by yesterday if it was all on schedule. It probably wasn't.
She moved through the streets with icy gracefulness taught to her by her governess in England. Rory found Lorelai Gilmore's without any difficulties. Though Rory doubted she could get lost in such a small town.
With great hesitation, she lifted her hand and knocked.
"Oh, that's her," Lorelai Danes exclaimed at the sound from the door. "Oh, Luke! What am I going to say? Is she going to be like all moody and depressed because of what happened to Richard and Emily? Or is she going to be happy to see me? No, of course she isn't. She doesn't know me. No one likes meeting strangers. I don't like meeting strangers. Of course, that's not to presume that she's anything like me. Though after living under Richard and Emily's thumb there's a great chance that she could be." Another thought occurred to her. "Oh, you don't think she's pregnant, do you?"
"No," Luke Danes answered for her before intercepting the cup of coffee that seven-year-old Ramsay Danes was holding up to his mother. "No. What have I told you about contributing to your mother's addiction? Especially in high stress situations."
Lorelai glared at her husband. "Devil incarnate, you are. Especially to do that to my little hazelnut." She fluffed Ramsay's hair.
"Please do not call the children by coffee flavors," Luke let out a frustrated sigh. "Speaking of which your daughter's going to leave if someone doesn't answer the door soon."
"Right." Lorelai turned towards the door before spinning back. "Do I look okay? I mean I was looking for the stable mother luck that stills says 'I'm a mother but more so I'm your friend' but I think I might too much glitter for that."
"Lorelai," Luke warned.
She nodded before heading towards the door and opening it. "Rory! Hi, come in."
Rory stepped in cautiously, surveying her surroundings; at least it wasn't as cute as the rest of the town. "Hello…mother."
"Yes well, that's me. Dear old mom," Lorelai said awkwardly. "Right here is your stepfather Luke Danes and your half brother Ramsay. You have a sister, Keely, but she's in the shower."
Rory forced a small smile, "Hi."
"Now, you probably had a long trip, right? Of course you did, I'm sure wherever it was that Richard and Emily were living was far away from here. I'll show you to your room," Lorelai said, leading Rory up the stairs.
"Kent."
"Huh?" Lorelai stopped in mid-step.
"Grandma, Grandpa and me were living in Kent. It's in England," Rory clarified.
"Wow that was a long trip then," Lorelai resumed leading her up to her bedroom.
Rory stepped in to the room that could only be described at bare. It had white walls and a hard wood floor and only her bed frame was set up. The rest of her boxes were lined up against the east wall.
"We- Luke and I- didn't set up your room because we didn't know how you'd want it set up. So if you need any help, you know, setting up stuff just give us a holler and Luke, Bert and I will come running."
"Bert?"
"Luke's toolbox…" Lorelai saw Rory's confused look. "I name stuff."
"Oh."
Lorelai clapped her hands together in a nervous gesture. "Yes now, anything else? Oh, your grandparents left you school money. They left it for Chilton, incase anything happened to them…which obviously did, but you don't have to go if you don't want to."
"No, I want to go," Rory told her, she had read the brochures and information on the website on Chilton. Besides, private schools she was use to. Public schools, she was not.
"Well that'll start on Tuesday. I figured three days would be good enough to get settled in. Is it good for you?"
Rory nodded. "It's fine. Is my mattress here?"
"Yeah, it's against the wall," Lorelai told her. "I'll go get Luke and he'll set the bed up for you."
"Okay. Thanks."
"I'll be back in a flash," Lorelai said before disappearing from the room.
Cute. That was the only word going through Rory's mind as she stepped off the bus and into Stars Hollow. It reminded her of the room Grandma had made up for her when she was five and they had just moved into a new apartment in New York. It was all pink frills and dolls. Everywhere. Rory was convinced that the dolls' eyes were moving all the time so they had been removed. Then there were the frills that attacked her in the middle of the night. They had been the next to go. She finally got it so that her room was dark and studious. Like her grandfather's study that she was so fond of.
She wanted to go back on the bus and back into her nice, dark, studious life. It was safe, and it was predictable and oh, how she loved it dearly. Dark and studious didn't give her nightmares like pink, frills and dolls did.
Rory readjusted the strap on her backpack and picked up the small suitcase that she had brought on the bus. All her other stuff would arrive by movers, hopefully by yesterday if it was all on schedule. It probably wasn't.
She moved through the streets with icy gracefulness taught to her by her governess in England. Rory found Lorelai Gilmore's without any difficulties. Though Rory doubted she could get lost in such a small town.
With great hesitation, she lifted her hand and knocked.
"Oh, that's her," Lorelai Danes exclaimed at the sound from the door. "Oh, Luke! What am I going to say? Is she going to be like all moody and depressed because of what happened to Richard and Emily? Or is she going to be happy to see me? No, of course she isn't. She doesn't know me. No one likes meeting strangers. I don't like meeting strangers. Of course, that's not to presume that she's anything like me. Though after living under Richard and Emily's thumb there's a great chance that she could be." Another thought occurred to her. "Oh, you don't think she's pregnant, do you?"
"No," Luke Danes answered for her before intercepting the cup of coffee that seven-year-old Ramsay Danes was holding up to his mother. "No. What have I told you about contributing to your mother's addiction? Especially in high stress situations."
Lorelai glared at her husband. "Devil incarnate, you are. Especially to do that to my little hazelnut." She fluffed Ramsay's hair.
"Please do not call the children by coffee flavors," Luke let out a frustrated sigh. "Speaking of which your daughter's going to leave if someone doesn't answer the door soon."
"Right." Lorelai turned towards the door before spinning back. "Do I look okay? I mean I was looking for the stable mother luck that stills says 'I'm a mother but more so I'm your friend' but I think I might too much glitter for that."
"Lorelai," Luke warned.
She nodded before heading towards the door and opening it. "Rory! Hi, come in."
Rory stepped in cautiously, surveying her surroundings; at least it wasn't as cute as the rest of the town. "Hello…mother."
"Yes well, that's me. Dear old mom," Lorelai said awkwardly. "Right here is your stepfather Luke Danes and your half brother Ramsay. You have a sister, Keely, but she's in the shower."
Rory forced a small smile, "Hi."
"Now, you probably had a long trip, right? Of course you did, I'm sure wherever it was that Richard and Emily were living was far away from here. I'll show you to your room," Lorelai said, leading Rory up the stairs.
"Kent."
"Huh?" Lorelai stopped in mid-step.
"Grandma, Grandpa and me were living in Kent. It's in England," Rory clarified.
"Wow that was a long trip then," Lorelai resumed leading her up to her bedroom.
Rory stepped in to the room that could only be described at bare. It had white walls and a hard wood floor and only her bed frame was set up. The rest of her boxes were lined up against the east wall.
"We- Luke and I- didn't set up your room because we didn't know how you'd want it set up. So if you need any help, you know, setting up stuff just give us a holler and Luke, Bert and I will come running."
"Bert?"
"Luke's toolbox…" Lorelai saw Rory's confused look. "I name stuff."
"Oh."
Lorelai clapped her hands together in a nervous gesture. "Yes now, anything else? Oh, your grandparents left you school money. They left it for Chilton, incase anything happened to them…which obviously did, but you don't have to go if you don't want to."
"No, I want to go," Rory told her, she had read the brochures and information on the website on Chilton. Besides, private schools she was use to. Public schools, she was not.
"Well that'll start on Tuesday. I figured three days would be good enough to get settled in. Is it good for you?"
Rory nodded. "It's fine. Is my mattress here?"
"Yeah, it's against the wall," Lorelai told her. "I'll go get Luke and he'll set the bed up for you."
"Okay. Thanks."
"I'll be back in a flash," Lorelai said before disappearing from the room.