Chapter 20 (amazing!)
To my restless readers:
Alliteration is my friend! Thanks for all the reviews, they inspired me. Especially that 'update!!' one...I got the message. You, my lucky readers, are in for a treat. This is an anniversary story! (For lack of a better term) It's going to be amazing and wonderful, and VERY LONG (!!!), and I'm so excited I can barely type. Good news: I'm on the favorites list of three people. You three rock my world! Not to mention all of the reviews! You guys are so great!
All right, when you read this, I need you to remember that none of anything recent has happened. If you've noticed, I tend to include little things from episodes into the story, but there isn't any Jess and Rory pairing or any junk like that. Eventually I will be writing a satire based on Jess and Rory pairing, but that's wayyyyyyy in the future. I'm getting off topic. Sorry.
Don't sue me, don't send me death threats, don't laugh too hard while reading this. Do review (multiple times!), do enjoy, do sit on the edge of your seat in suspense. If you FLAME me, I will hunt you down, put you in a cage, and give you to my family. And yes, that IS a threat.
One more thing: Jess is back. This chapter only. Get it while it's hot!
Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
-authors anonymous
-----------
Rory groggily opened her eyes to the sound of 'chirpy chickens'. If she were a morning person she would have thrown the alarm clock against the wall. Rory was sorely tempted. Unfortunately, at 7:05 that morning, she just didn't possess the arm strength required to pick up a clock and hurl it at the wall. But then again, if she were a morning person she wouldn't have been grouchy in the first place. Lorelai's sense of humor was sickening.
Upstairs, Tristan was waking. Unlike Rory, his alarm was set to the sound of 'perky pigs'. To his right he could hear Lorelai's choice farm animal, the 'gloating goats'. He rolled out of bed lazily, and rubbed his eyes. Then he wondered into the bathroom.
Rory shut the bathroom door, and out of instinct, locked it. She turned on the water, and waited for it to reach a decent temperature before stepping into the shower.
Lorelai yawned and stretched. The large illuminated letters read 7:35. 'Damn!' Lorelai thought to herself, and pulled herself out of bed. She had over slept. Grumpily she left her room and to the bathroom. The door was locked. "Damn!" Lorelai muttered, realizing that Tristan had beaten her.
Tristan stepped out of the shower, and wrapped the fluffy towel around his middle. He opened a drawer and shifted around in it before he found just was he was looking for: gel.
Lorelai crept down the stairs quietly. She strained to hear an animal. 'Yess!' she thought to herself, when she detected some chirping coming from Rory's room. 'Haha! I get the bathroom!' Lorelai was victorious. Until she tried to open the door. It was locked. "Damn!" Lorelai muttered yet again. She heard Rory chuckle inside.
---
Rory was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee when Lorelai came downstairs. She sat down with a thump.
"Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" queried Rory.
"Rory, I think it's time."
"What?" she asked, confused.
"It's time." Lorelai repeated. Rory didn't respond for a moment. Then realization dawned. "That's right." Lorelai said.
"You mean? Now? Are you-?"
"Yes. Get it out." Lorelai commanded. Rory jumped up and opened the freezer. She took out a large ice cream container and set it on the table. She took a deep breath and pried off the lid.
"Good morning everyone!" Tristan said, and strolled into the kitchen looking quite spick and span in his Chilton uniform.
"Shhh!" both Gilmore's hissed, and turned their attention back towards the container on the table. Tristan sat down in Rory's recently vacated seat and watched with interest. Rory took out a smaller container from the large ice cream container, which she in turn placed on the table.
"What are you-?" Tristan started.
"Quiet!" Lorelai hissed. "Go on!" she urged Rory, her voice low and urgent. Rory nodded. From the smaller container she produced an even smaller container, which produced an even smaller container, which produced an even smaller container. Soon a line of empty containers filled the table, and there was only a small box left.
"Are you sure Mom?" asked Rory again, breathing shakily. "Is it time?"
"Yes." Lorelai watched, entranced, as Rory opened the last box and removed a small clear bag, filled with a dark content.
"What is that?" Tristan whispered.
"That, my friend, is the finest substance known to man." Lorelai told Tristan seriously.
"And it's not illegal." Rory added. "I'm going to put it on...we can stop now if you like."
"No, put it on..."Lorelai said after a pause. "I need it."
"Okay..." Rory held it in cupped hands and turned to the coffee machine. She put a new filter in the machine, poured the mix in, and taking a deep breath, turned it on. It didn't take long for a heavenly smell to fill the room.
No one spoke as Rory took out three cups and poured out the ambrosia. There was just enough for three full cups. [AN: Hey, it's like the story of Chanukah! Hurrah!] Lorelai and Rory locked eyes, and each took a sip from their cups.
It was the chocolate bean coffee Lorelai had invented in chapter 1.
---
"What was up with that?" asked Tristan on the ride to school.
"That was the last of the coffee Mom made one morning. We were saving it for a special occasion or a wallowing fest or something," Rory explained.
"Couldn't she have made some more?" asked Tristan, puzzled.
"No. We tried, trust me. But we couldn't recreate it. So we decided that to be fair, we would keep some for an emergency."
"Well, it was really good. Thank you for sharing it with me." Tristan looked over at Rory. He locked eyes with her. She smiled. "No problem."
---
Tristan was holding Rory's hand when they were called up to do their presentation. [AN: 15 chapters later!] Tristan signaled for the janitor to wheel in their sculpture, and the two walked to the front of the class. They had gotten a high A for their cow essay, and the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary stories hadn't done too badly either. Now all that was left was the interpretive dance, the poetry reading and the sculpture tasting session (where Mr. Medina proceeded to eat sections of literary heroes made of chocolate, marshmallow, and in one case, lima beans.)
Rory patted her bun nervously, and glanced at Tristan who was adjusting his tights and tying up his ballet shoes. [AN: I'd pay money to see that, wouldn't you?] Rory petted her leotard. Truth be told, she was nervous. Tristan smiled at her. Rory felt strangely comforted, and grinned back. To their immediate left, Mr. Medina was gorging himself on the chocolate hero. His face and glasses were covered in chocolate and he was making contented noises.
Headmaster Charleston cleared his throat from the doorway. Mr. Medina looked up, alarmed.
"Shouldn't you be saving some of that for me, Max?" he asked, and wiggled his eyebrows.
"Oh, of course Headmaster! I'm so sorry. Would you like to come in? We are just about to start another presentation." Mr. Medina sat down in a desk and patted a chair beside him.
Charleston smiled at him winningly and flounced in. "I'd be delighted! Thank you!"
Max smiled at Charleston for a minute and then turned back to his students. "All right, Mr. DuGrey, Ms. Gilmore...you may begin."
---
Tristan had danced magnificently. His technique was flawless, his pirouettes unrivalled. His dance told the story of a lost boy, who just wanted to be loved. He aged before the student's eyes. His dancing told tales of a little boy, neglected by his family, who became a rebellious teenager, just for want of some attention. His graceful movements showed how misunderstood he was, how mistreated he had been. All throughout Rory's gentle voice read his poetry, accenting his dancing with her thoughtful cadences. By the time Tristan was done, half of the class was in tears, and Charleston was sobbing into Mr. Medina's shoulder.
"Excellent!" Mr. Medina gasped, blinded by tears. "Excellent!"
It took nearly ten minutes for the class to collect themselves again. If Rory had had to wait any longer to dance she would have lost her nerve. She nearly did, after seeing Tristan's. Watching him rehearse hadn't been nearly as powerful. Rory gulped. Following Tristan's act was going to be difficult.
---
She hadn't opted for ballet as Tristan had. It was a good decision, as it would have been impossible to dance as well as he had. Rather, Rory chosen modern dance. It only took a few impromptu classes from Patty and quite a lot of coffee to make Rory seem like a natural. She waited for the music to start. Soon she was sweating up a storm, and nearly everyone was on the edge of their seats. Rory hopped, jerked, and did obscene body movements to the persuasive beat of her tape (courtesy of Lane, of course) and Tristan did his best to read her couplets with feeling. It was rather difficult, as he was getting rather hot watching her dance so provocatively. Around him, the males were starting to feel the same.
As the last note of music blared, Rory flung back her arms and head, and a collective sigh was heard through out the room. Pieces of hair had come loose, and she was flushed. Then she smiled sweetly and curtseyed. Everyone applauded.
---
"That was amazing!" Rory gushed when she and Tristan were sitting in the cafeteria later that day. "I've never felt so alive!"
"You've never looked so alive either."
"You were really good. You were amazing, actually..."Rory said, and blushed. "I...I'm glad you were my partner."
"Yeah, I'm glad too. And you weren't so bad yourself." Tristan smiled. "I've got a bit of work to catch up on, but I'll see you after school, alright?"
"Sure," Rory said, slightly disappointed. She was only alone for a minute though, when someone else walked up.
"Hey, Rory, that was good. Great even."
"Thanks Paris, yours was good too."
"I never knew you could dance so well. I was very impressed." This was high praise indeed. Paris sat across from Rory and rummaged through her backpack. Rory peered in interested. Paris pulled out a packet. "Want one?" she asked, and held out a Twinkie.
"Uh, sure. Thanks..." Rory took one and bit into it. "So...I'm sorry about your fracture. Are you feeling any better?"
"Well the stitches were removed last night. By next week I should be a- okay!" Paris replied brightly. Rory slid slightly away from her. "So, are you ready for the chemistry quiz?"
---
Rory was leaning against her locker reading a book she had borrowed from Tristan. 'Margin notes!' she thought to herself, and smiled. 'Why was that so familiar?' Rory wondered. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. 'Jess.' She hadn't thought about him in ages. As far as she knew there hadn't been any word of him. It seemed that the town had forgotten about him. 'Oh Jess...' Rory sighed, 'I hope you're happy.' [AN: Trust me, he is!]
---
Rory was still leaning twenty minutes later. She was about to glance at her watch for the bazillionth time when Tristan walked up.
"Oh Tristan, there you are! I thought you had forgotten or something!"
"No, I would never forget you Rory." Tristan sighed. "Do you think you could take the bus home today?"
"Uh, sure. I guess. Why? What's wrong?"
"It's...my grandfather. He died. I have to go home."
"Oh, I'm so sorry..."Rory said, and took the boy's hand. Tristan smiled sadly at her.
"You understand, right?" asked Tristan.
"Of course. Do you think you'll be home tonight?"
"I...I don't think so."
"Oh...okay." Rory blinked several times. "Will you be moving back then?"
"I...I think so."
"Oh. Well...bye..." Rory picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Without a backwards glance she walked away. Tristan stared sadly afterwards.
---
On the bus ride home, Rory stared out of the window, not seeing anything. She was too miserable. 'It was inevitable' she told herself, but part of her didn't believe it. 'It's irrational!' she argued with herself, but she couldn't shake the feeling of misery that cloaked her. Rory remembered about everything Tristan had done for her. He had befriended her, stood up for her, saved her from an almost certain death by means of rabid beasts, fought Dean...
Speaking of Dean, there he was. Sitting at her bus stop. Rory gulped.
---
"Uh, hi Dean." Rory said, uncertain what to do. She hadn't seen or spoken to Dean since the fight.
"Rory. No sports car?" Dean stood.
"No. I decided to go the environment friendly route today," Rory said, and attempted to side step him. It didn't work.
"So your prince in shining armor found a new princess, huh?"
"No!" Rory ejected, violently.
"So he's not sticking his tongue down some girls throat? Is that it?"
"I don't have time for this Dean!" Rory said angrily, and turned on her heel. Dean grabbed her.
"Not so fast."
"Let go of me!"
"Not without this!" and with that, Dean pulled Rory up to his chest and smashed his face into hers.
Unfortunately, Tristan had seen the whole thing from his car window. Without blinking, his foot hit the pedal and he sped away.
---
"Mom! Mom!" Rory yelled as she ran inside and dropped her bag to the floor. "Mom!"
"Rory! I'm right here? What's wrong?" Lorelai asked, running into the hall to meet her daughter.
"Mom!" Rory said again, and collapsed into Lorelai's outstretched arms.
"What's wrong?" asked Lorelai again, after Rory had stopped crying. "What is it?"
"It's...it's...Dean...he...he..." Rory broke down in tears again. When she had stopped (somewhat) Rory told Lorelai what had transpired between herself and Dean, and about Tristan's family problems. Rory sniffed. "Now don't you wish we hadn't used that coffee?"
Lorelai didn't respond. She half dragged half carried Rory onto the couch, grabbed her coat and left, slamming the door behind her.
---
"Dean! I want a word with you!" Lorelai yelled, and dragged Dean away from his till in Doose's.
"Lorelai, I-" Dean started.
"No, I'll do the talking, thank you very much!" She had pulled him outside the shop. "You and Rory broke up a long time ago. All the way back in chapter 1, if my memory serves me correctly. No-!" Lorelai cut Dean off. "You and Rory are no more. You haven't been for a long time. You left Dean. You left Rory, you left Star's Hollow, hell! You even left the state! You can't just come back here and demand that Rory come back to you!"
"Lorelai, this-"
She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "You are entirely too violent! Or, in some cases, you just leave Rory, saying stupid things like 'I love you, so I want you too be happy'! You need to pick a side Dean. It's one or the other. Either be homicidal, or don't care! You can't be both! You can't threaten to kill her but say you love her! That's just not how it works, I'm sorry!"
"I never-"
"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking!" Lorelai said fiercely. " Where was I?"
"Me and Rory are broken up, have been, will be, be homicidal..." Dean repeated dully.
"Thank you. Yes! You and Rory ARE broken up! You have no right to kiss her! No right what so ever! You have no right to take advantage of her! And even though she isn't with Tristan, you can't just-"
"So what exactly am I allowed to do?" yelled Dean angrily.
"You can inject obstacles into the plot!" Lorelai yelled back.
"I did!" Dean sneered. "When I kissed her, Tristan was watching. He was there!"
"What?" Lorelai asked, at a loss for words. "How...?"
"I phoned the school and pretended that I was Tristan's father, and told them that Tristan's grandfather had died. Since everyone knows that Tristan is always attached to some family member, I took a chance that this story would be exactly the same! And it was! Tristan ran off home, and Rory was alone! But when Tristan got there he would find that no one died! So he would come back to Rory! I timed it perfectly! He drove up to see me and Rory kissing! So he got angry and left! I won. So ha ha ha!" Dean said evilly. Then he started cackling.
{Think: "Wuaah-ahh-ahhh! Wuaahhh-ahhh-ahhh!" etc.}
Lorelai didn't say anything. She was tempted to slap him in the face, but quite a crowd had gathered, and she didn't want trouble. She decided that the best course of action was too go home and help Rory. It was the least she could do.
---
Lorelai walked briskly back to the 'crap shack'. She was about to go up the front stairs, but she saw some movement in the bushes. She tread softly around them and peered through the foliage.
"Ahem." Lorelai said, smirking.
Jess turned around guiltily.
------------------------------------------
AN: Did you think that was marvelous? Amazing? Incredibly boring? Let me know! Just press the review button and all your troubles go away!
To my restless readers:
Alliteration is my friend! Thanks for all the reviews, they inspired me. Especially that 'update!!' one...I got the message. You, my lucky readers, are in for a treat. This is an anniversary story! (For lack of a better term) It's going to be amazing and wonderful, and VERY LONG (!!!), and I'm so excited I can barely type. Good news: I'm on the favorites list of three people. You three rock my world! Not to mention all of the reviews! You guys are so great!
All right, when you read this, I need you to remember that none of anything recent has happened. If you've noticed, I tend to include little things from episodes into the story, but there isn't any Jess and Rory pairing or any junk like that. Eventually I will be writing a satire based on Jess and Rory pairing, but that's wayyyyyyy in the future. I'm getting off topic. Sorry.
Don't sue me, don't send me death threats, don't laugh too hard while reading this. Do review (multiple times!), do enjoy, do sit on the edge of your seat in suspense. If you FLAME me, I will hunt you down, put you in a cage, and give you to my family. And yes, that IS a threat.
One more thing: Jess is back. This chapter only. Get it while it's hot!
Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
-authors anonymous
-----------
Rory groggily opened her eyes to the sound of 'chirpy chickens'. If she were a morning person she would have thrown the alarm clock against the wall. Rory was sorely tempted. Unfortunately, at 7:05 that morning, she just didn't possess the arm strength required to pick up a clock and hurl it at the wall. But then again, if she were a morning person she wouldn't have been grouchy in the first place. Lorelai's sense of humor was sickening.
Upstairs, Tristan was waking. Unlike Rory, his alarm was set to the sound of 'perky pigs'. To his right he could hear Lorelai's choice farm animal, the 'gloating goats'. He rolled out of bed lazily, and rubbed his eyes. Then he wondered into the bathroom.
Rory shut the bathroom door, and out of instinct, locked it. She turned on the water, and waited for it to reach a decent temperature before stepping into the shower.
Lorelai yawned and stretched. The large illuminated letters read 7:35. 'Damn!' Lorelai thought to herself, and pulled herself out of bed. She had over slept. Grumpily she left her room and to the bathroom. The door was locked. "Damn!" Lorelai muttered, realizing that Tristan had beaten her.
Tristan stepped out of the shower, and wrapped the fluffy towel around his middle. He opened a drawer and shifted around in it before he found just was he was looking for: gel.
Lorelai crept down the stairs quietly. She strained to hear an animal. 'Yess!' she thought to herself, when she detected some chirping coming from Rory's room. 'Haha! I get the bathroom!' Lorelai was victorious. Until she tried to open the door. It was locked. "Damn!" Lorelai muttered yet again. She heard Rory chuckle inside.
---
Rory was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee when Lorelai came downstairs. She sat down with a thump.
"Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" queried Rory.
"Rory, I think it's time."
"What?" she asked, confused.
"It's time." Lorelai repeated. Rory didn't respond for a moment. Then realization dawned. "That's right." Lorelai said.
"You mean? Now? Are you-?"
"Yes. Get it out." Lorelai commanded. Rory jumped up and opened the freezer. She took out a large ice cream container and set it on the table. She took a deep breath and pried off the lid.
"Good morning everyone!" Tristan said, and strolled into the kitchen looking quite spick and span in his Chilton uniform.
"Shhh!" both Gilmore's hissed, and turned their attention back towards the container on the table. Tristan sat down in Rory's recently vacated seat and watched with interest. Rory took out a smaller container from the large ice cream container, which she in turn placed on the table.
"What are you-?" Tristan started.
"Quiet!" Lorelai hissed. "Go on!" she urged Rory, her voice low and urgent. Rory nodded. From the smaller container she produced an even smaller container, which produced an even smaller container, which produced an even smaller container. Soon a line of empty containers filled the table, and there was only a small box left.
"Are you sure Mom?" asked Rory again, breathing shakily. "Is it time?"
"Yes." Lorelai watched, entranced, as Rory opened the last box and removed a small clear bag, filled with a dark content.
"What is that?" Tristan whispered.
"That, my friend, is the finest substance known to man." Lorelai told Tristan seriously.
"And it's not illegal." Rory added. "I'm going to put it on...we can stop now if you like."
"No, put it on..."Lorelai said after a pause. "I need it."
"Okay..." Rory held it in cupped hands and turned to the coffee machine. She put a new filter in the machine, poured the mix in, and taking a deep breath, turned it on. It didn't take long for a heavenly smell to fill the room.
No one spoke as Rory took out three cups and poured out the ambrosia. There was just enough for three full cups. [AN: Hey, it's like the story of Chanukah! Hurrah!] Lorelai and Rory locked eyes, and each took a sip from their cups.
It was the chocolate bean coffee Lorelai had invented in chapter 1.
---
"What was up with that?" asked Tristan on the ride to school.
"That was the last of the coffee Mom made one morning. We were saving it for a special occasion or a wallowing fest or something," Rory explained.
"Couldn't she have made some more?" asked Tristan, puzzled.
"No. We tried, trust me. But we couldn't recreate it. So we decided that to be fair, we would keep some for an emergency."
"Well, it was really good. Thank you for sharing it with me." Tristan looked over at Rory. He locked eyes with her. She smiled. "No problem."
---
Tristan was holding Rory's hand when they were called up to do their presentation. [AN: 15 chapters later!] Tristan signaled for the janitor to wheel in their sculpture, and the two walked to the front of the class. They had gotten a high A for their cow essay, and the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary stories hadn't done too badly either. Now all that was left was the interpretive dance, the poetry reading and the sculpture tasting session (where Mr. Medina proceeded to eat sections of literary heroes made of chocolate, marshmallow, and in one case, lima beans.)
Rory patted her bun nervously, and glanced at Tristan who was adjusting his tights and tying up his ballet shoes. [AN: I'd pay money to see that, wouldn't you?] Rory petted her leotard. Truth be told, she was nervous. Tristan smiled at her. Rory felt strangely comforted, and grinned back. To their immediate left, Mr. Medina was gorging himself on the chocolate hero. His face and glasses were covered in chocolate and he was making contented noises.
Headmaster Charleston cleared his throat from the doorway. Mr. Medina looked up, alarmed.
"Shouldn't you be saving some of that for me, Max?" he asked, and wiggled his eyebrows.
"Oh, of course Headmaster! I'm so sorry. Would you like to come in? We are just about to start another presentation." Mr. Medina sat down in a desk and patted a chair beside him.
Charleston smiled at him winningly and flounced in. "I'd be delighted! Thank you!"
Max smiled at Charleston for a minute and then turned back to his students. "All right, Mr. DuGrey, Ms. Gilmore...you may begin."
---
Tristan had danced magnificently. His technique was flawless, his pirouettes unrivalled. His dance told the story of a lost boy, who just wanted to be loved. He aged before the student's eyes. His dancing told tales of a little boy, neglected by his family, who became a rebellious teenager, just for want of some attention. His graceful movements showed how misunderstood he was, how mistreated he had been. All throughout Rory's gentle voice read his poetry, accenting his dancing with her thoughtful cadences. By the time Tristan was done, half of the class was in tears, and Charleston was sobbing into Mr. Medina's shoulder.
"Excellent!" Mr. Medina gasped, blinded by tears. "Excellent!"
It took nearly ten minutes for the class to collect themselves again. If Rory had had to wait any longer to dance she would have lost her nerve. She nearly did, after seeing Tristan's. Watching him rehearse hadn't been nearly as powerful. Rory gulped. Following Tristan's act was going to be difficult.
---
She hadn't opted for ballet as Tristan had. It was a good decision, as it would have been impossible to dance as well as he had. Rather, Rory chosen modern dance. It only took a few impromptu classes from Patty and quite a lot of coffee to make Rory seem like a natural. She waited for the music to start. Soon she was sweating up a storm, and nearly everyone was on the edge of their seats. Rory hopped, jerked, and did obscene body movements to the persuasive beat of her tape (courtesy of Lane, of course) and Tristan did his best to read her couplets with feeling. It was rather difficult, as he was getting rather hot watching her dance so provocatively. Around him, the males were starting to feel the same.
As the last note of music blared, Rory flung back her arms and head, and a collective sigh was heard through out the room. Pieces of hair had come loose, and she was flushed. Then she smiled sweetly and curtseyed. Everyone applauded.
---
"That was amazing!" Rory gushed when she and Tristan were sitting in the cafeteria later that day. "I've never felt so alive!"
"You've never looked so alive either."
"You were really good. You were amazing, actually..."Rory said, and blushed. "I...I'm glad you were my partner."
"Yeah, I'm glad too. And you weren't so bad yourself." Tristan smiled. "I've got a bit of work to catch up on, but I'll see you after school, alright?"
"Sure," Rory said, slightly disappointed. She was only alone for a minute though, when someone else walked up.
"Hey, Rory, that was good. Great even."
"Thanks Paris, yours was good too."
"I never knew you could dance so well. I was very impressed." This was high praise indeed. Paris sat across from Rory and rummaged through her backpack. Rory peered in interested. Paris pulled out a packet. "Want one?" she asked, and held out a Twinkie.
"Uh, sure. Thanks..." Rory took one and bit into it. "So...I'm sorry about your fracture. Are you feeling any better?"
"Well the stitches were removed last night. By next week I should be a- okay!" Paris replied brightly. Rory slid slightly away from her. "So, are you ready for the chemistry quiz?"
---
Rory was leaning against her locker reading a book she had borrowed from Tristan. 'Margin notes!' she thought to herself, and smiled. 'Why was that so familiar?' Rory wondered. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. 'Jess.' She hadn't thought about him in ages. As far as she knew there hadn't been any word of him. It seemed that the town had forgotten about him. 'Oh Jess...' Rory sighed, 'I hope you're happy.' [AN: Trust me, he is!]
---
Rory was still leaning twenty minutes later. She was about to glance at her watch for the bazillionth time when Tristan walked up.
"Oh Tristan, there you are! I thought you had forgotten or something!"
"No, I would never forget you Rory." Tristan sighed. "Do you think you could take the bus home today?"
"Uh, sure. I guess. Why? What's wrong?"
"It's...my grandfather. He died. I have to go home."
"Oh, I'm so sorry..."Rory said, and took the boy's hand. Tristan smiled sadly at her.
"You understand, right?" asked Tristan.
"Of course. Do you think you'll be home tonight?"
"I...I don't think so."
"Oh...okay." Rory blinked several times. "Will you be moving back then?"
"I...I think so."
"Oh. Well...bye..." Rory picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Without a backwards glance she walked away. Tristan stared sadly afterwards.
---
On the bus ride home, Rory stared out of the window, not seeing anything. She was too miserable. 'It was inevitable' she told herself, but part of her didn't believe it. 'It's irrational!' she argued with herself, but she couldn't shake the feeling of misery that cloaked her. Rory remembered about everything Tristan had done for her. He had befriended her, stood up for her, saved her from an almost certain death by means of rabid beasts, fought Dean...
Speaking of Dean, there he was. Sitting at her bus stop. Rory gulped.
---
"Uh, hi Dean." Rory said, uncertain what to do. She hadn't seen or spoken to Dean since the fight.
"Rory. No sports car?" Dean stood.
"No. I decided to go the environment friendly route today," Rory said, and attempted to side step him. It didn't work.
"So your prince in shining armor found a new princess, huh?"
"No!" Rory ejected, violently.
"So he's not sticking his tongue down some girls throat? Is that it?"
"I don't have time for this Dean!" Rory said angrily, and turned on her heel. Dean grabbed her.
"Not so fast."
"Let go of me!"
"Not without this!" and with that, Dean pulled Rory up to his chest and smashed his face into hers.
Unfortunately, Tristan had seen the whole thing from his car window. Without blinking, his foot hit the pedal and he sped away.
---
"Mom! Mom!" Rory yelled as she ran inside and dropped her bag to the floor. "Mom!"
"Rory! I'm right here? What's wrong?" Lorelai asked, running into the hall to meet her daughter.
"Mom!" Rory said again, and collapsed into Lorelai's outstretched arms.
"What's wrong?" asked Lorelai again, after Rory had stopped crying. "What is it?"
"It's...it's...Dean...he...he..." Rory broke down in tears again. When she had stopped (somewhat) Rory told Lorelai what had transpired between herself and Dean, and about Tristan's family problems. Rory sniffed. "Now don't you wish we hadn't used that coffee?"
Lorelai didn't respond. She half dragged half carried Rory onto the couch, grabbed her coat and left, slamming the door behind her.
---
"Dean! I want a word with you!" Lorelai yelled, and dragged Dean away from his till in Doose's.
"Lorelai, I-" Dean started.
"No, I'll do the talking, thank you very much!" She had pulled him outside the shop. "You and Rory broke up a long time ago. All the way back in chapter 1, if my memory serves me correctly. No-!" Lorelai cut Dean off. "You and Rory are no more. You haven't been for a long time. You left Dean. You left Rory, you left Star's Hollow, hell! You even left the state! You can't just come back here and demand that Rory come back to you!"
"Lorelai, this-"
She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "You are entirely too violent! Or, in some cases, you just leave Rory, saying stupid things like 'I love you, so I want you too be happy'! You need to pick a side Dean. It's one or the other. Either be homicidal, or don't care! You can't be both! You can't threaten to kill her but say you love her! That's just not how it works, I'm sorry!"
"I never-"
"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking!" Lorelai said fiercely. " Where was I?"
"Me and Rory are broken up, have been, will be, be homicidal..." Dean repeated dully.
"Thank you. Yes! You and Rory ARE broken up! You have no right to kiss her! No right what so ever! You have no right to take advantage of her! And even though she isn't with Tristan, you can't just-"
"So what exactly am I allowed to do?" yelled Dean angrily.
"You can inject obstacles into the plot!" Lorelai yelled back.
"I did!" Dean sneered. "When I kissed her, Tristan was watching. He was there!"
"What?" Lorelai asked, at a loss for words. "How...?"
"I phoned the school and pretended that I was Tristan's father, and told them that Tristan's grandfather had died. Since everyone knows that Tristan is always attached to some family member, I took a chance that this story would be exactly the same! And it was! Tristan ran off home, and Rory was alone! But when Tristan got there he would find that no one died! So he would come back to Rory! I timed it perfectly! He drove up to see me and Rory kissing! So he got angry and left! I won. So ha ha ha!" Dean said evilly. Then he started cackling.
{Think: "Wuaah-ahh-ahhh! Wuaahhh-ahhh-ahhh!" etc.}
Lorelai didn't say anything. She was tempted to slap him in the face, but quite a crowd had gathered, and she didn't want trouble. She decided that the best course of action was too go home and help Rory. It was the least she could do.
---
Lorelai walked briskly back to the 'crap shack'. She was about to go up the front stairs, but she saw some movement in the bushes. She tread softly around them and peered through the foliage.
"Ahem." Lorelai said, smirking.
Jess turned around guiltily.
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AN: Did you think that was marvelous? Amazing? Incredibly boring? Let me know! Just press the review button and all your troubles go away!