To my patient readers:
I am so so so sorry that it's been taking me so long to update. I'm sure everyone is feeling the last weeks of school stress, and I definitely am. Plus I have a haunted leg (hahaha, get it?). Anyway, thank you for all of the wonderful fantastic reviews. They made my day! Here's the part you need to read: this chapter contains a character that serve absolutely no purpose in the story. Much like most characters that authors make up. And they ALL have nicknames. Ahh, the irony. So without further ado...Chapter 21...
-authors anonymous
p.s. Miss Jess? You'll be seeing more of him by line 13!
---
Rory was sitting on her bed, flipping pages of her magazine without so much as a glance. She was running on autopilot, her head far away. Well, not that far away. In Hartford. Where the love of her life was currently residing.
'What? Love of my life?' questioned Rory silently.
It's an expression. What do you want me to call him, your conflict provider?
'No, I guess that would be stupid...' thought Rory. 'Keep going.'
Why thank you! Anyway, like I was saying, she was flipping pages, yadda yadda yadda, her head was in Hartford with Tristan.
'Couldn't you have just said that the first time?' Rory demanded.
Look, do you want me to write this chapter or not?
'Fine, fine..." she grumbled, and sank a bit farther down into her cushions. 'Some people...'
---
Outside, Lorelai was smirking deviously. Everyone's favorite rebel, Jess, was looking rather uncomfortable.
"Hey there Jess. What 'ya doin'?" asked Lorelai, grinning.
"Nothing Lorelai. Nothing at all" Jess replied nonchalantly.
"Just decided to take a nature walk?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Or did you loose something?"
"Yup."
"Like your way?"
"Exactly." Jess said, running his hand through his hair. "But you found me, so I'll just be going-"
"-nowhere!" Lorelai finished for him. "Come on, let's sit on the stoop. We need to catch up." Taking his sleeve, Lorelai tugged Jess behind her and pulled him onto the stoop next to her. "So Jess..." she began, her eyes shinning brightly, "what's been up with you lately?"
"Look, Lorelai, let's cut though this crap. What do you want from me?" demanded Jess, not bothering to keep his voice low.
"For starters, I'd like to know what you were doing in my bushes."
"How 'bout you tell me Lorelai? It's pretty obvious."
"I'm giving you a chance to defend yourself," Lorelai responded, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Jess. Look at me." Obediently Jess turned his head. "Why are you here?"
"Rory. And since we're having a heart-to-heart, I think it would be more personal if you would call me 'Jes' rather than Jess."
Lorelai nodded wisely. "You don't belong here Jes. Go back to New York. Your time will come soon enough."
Jes(s) paused. "Do you really think so?"
"Yes..." Lorelai said, patting his knee. "Without a doubt."
---
Rory wiped her eyes on the back of her hand when she heard the front door open.
"Rory? Where are you?" called Lorelai.
"In here."
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Lorelai said, sitting on the edge of Rory's bed. "Good news. Tristan's grandfather didn't die!"
Rory sniffed. "How do you know? And how is that good news? Aside from the obvious, of course..."
"Well, Tristan can still live with us, for one thing."
"Something tells me that that isn't an option Mom."
"Rory, the eternal pessimist. Come on. Let's go to Luke's. Up! Up!" Lorelai cried, pulling Rory up from her bed. "Quick! Let's go!"
"Mom...!" Rory groaned, swinging her legs over the side angrily. "It's not even a meal time!"
"It's always a meal time at Luke's! Now up!"
---
Once Lorelai and Rory had made considerable progress in leaving the house, Lorelai told Rory about her confrontation with Dean, and how she knew about Tristan's lack of death in the family. She hadn't, however, mentioned her confrontation with Jess, or that Tristan had seen her and Dean kissing. But that was about to change (dun dun dun!)...
"Do you want to share a plate of chili fries?" asked Lorelai, sitting down at the table in the corner with Rory.
"Yeah. And coffee."
"And donuts." Lorelai added.
"And a side of bacon."
"And a ceasar salad."
"What?" asked Rory, confused.
"No, just joking. I'll be right back." Lorelai walked up to the counter, which Luke was wiping down with a pink rag.
"Hey, Ms. Ringwald! What's with the doll?"
"What?" asked Luke, looking up.
"The pink..."
"Oh, that. I dunno." Luke shrugged.
"What, so all of your rags just mysteriously turned pink overnight?" asked Lorelai, narrowing her eyes.
"Yup. What can I get you?"
"Luke, that's impossible. What were you trying to do, dye your hair?"
"Coffee, is that what you want? Here, take the pot," Luke said, thrusting it at her, along with two mugs. "What else do you want, donuts?"
"And fries and bacon."
"Good. Now go and sit down, and someone will bring your heart disease to you on a plate."
Lorelai was about to turn around, but stopped. "Someone?"
"Uh, yeah." Luke said, handing her a plate with two donuts. "There you go."
"Luke, did you hire some help?" Lorelai asked, aghast.
"Well, with Jess gone and Caesar getting married..."
"What? Who is it? Is it Kirk?"
Luke snorted. "Do you think I'd let Kirk near my stove?"
"Good point. Who is it?"
"The sooner you sit down, the sooner you'll find out" Luke monotoned. "There. Your offspring is waiting for you."
"Fine, fine..." Lorelai took the coffee and donuts to the table. "I come bearing gifts, oh child of my loins."
"Do you not want me to eat my donut?" asked Rory, wrinkling her nose.
"Guess what!" Lorelai said, ignoring Rory. "Luke hired help."
"What? Who?"
"I dunno, he wouldn't say!" Lorelai said as she poured herself a cup of coffee and chose a donut from the plate. As Rory and Lorelai munched on their donuts and deliberated who it could be, a willowy blond girl with highlights around her face carrying a plate of fries and a side of bacon emerged from the back.
"Hi!" she said brightly. "Here's the fries and bacon you ordered!"
Lorelai and Rory exchanged side-glances.
"Oh, by the way, my name's Gabrielle! But you can call me Gab, Gabby or Gabs."
"Uh, thanks Gabs. Are you new around here?" asked Lorelai, slightly perturbed by this new inhabitant of Stars Hollow.
"Yeah. I just moved here this morning!"
"Oh really? Where?" asked Rory, her interest piqued. She was starting to like this Gabrielle character already.
"Oh, I don't know the address yet," Gabs paused to giggle, "but I do know that I moved in next to the Gilmore's. Do you know them?"
"We are the Gilmore's!" Rory said, smiling up at Gab.
"Wow! Neato!" Gabby said, and extended her hand to Rory. "You must be Rory. And you must be Lorelai!"
"Spoken to Patty, have you?" asked Lorelai, not surprised.
"Yes, actually I did. She's great, isn't she? Anyway, I have to get back to work, so, I'll see you at school Rory?"
"Actually, I go to Chilton in Hartford."
"Oh yeah? Me too! That's so great! Do you happen to know Louise? She's my cousin."
"Wow. No wonder you look so familiar."
"Yeah! Well, I have to go now, but I'll see you around, okay?"
"Bye!" Rory called to her retreating back. "Wow, she was.... Mom?"
"She was...perky..."
"Oh come on, Gabs wasn't that bad!"
"Rory!" Lorelai said sharply, "what's gotten into you? Since when do you call people you don't even know Gabs?"
Rory shook her head, trying to clear it. "I...I don't know. I don't know what got into me! That was really...strange..."
"I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Things like this happen in most badly written stories, and some good ones too!"
"I know, but that was so...so...creepy!" Rory said, taking a French fry from the plate. "Do you think I'll see her at Chilton?"
"I doubt it."
"I hope you're right..."
---
Lorelai was watching TV that night when she suddenly remembered that she hadn't told Rory that Tristan had seen Dean kissing her. Lorelai switched off the television and knocked lightly on Rory's door before opening it.
"Rory? I have something to tell...Rory?" Lorelai looked around the room. "Rory?" That's when she saw the open windows and the billowing white curtains. It didn't take more than a moment for Lorelai to realize that her only child had been kidnapped.
---
I am so so so sorry that it's been taking me so long to update. I'm sure everyone is feeling the last weeks of school stress, and I definitely am. Plus I have a haunted leg (hahaha, get it?). Anyway, thank you for all of the wonderful fantastic reviews. They made my day! Here's the part you need to read: this chapter contains a character that serve absolutely no purpose in the story. Much like most characters that authors make up. And they ALL have nicknames. Ahh, the irony. So without further ado...Chapter 21...
-authors anonymous
p.s. Miss Jess? You'll be seeing more of him by line 13!
---
Rory was sitting on her bed, flipping pages of her magazine without so much as a glance. She was running on autopilot, her head far away. Well, not that far away. In Hartford. Where the love of her life was currently residing.
'What? Love of my life?' questioned Rory silently.
It's an expression. What do you want me to call him, your conflict provider?
'No, I guess that would be stupid...' thought Rory. 'Keep going.'
Why thank you! Anyway, like I was saying, she was flipping pages, yadda yadda yadda, her head was in Hartford with Tristan.
'Couldn't you have just said that the first time?' Rory demanded.
Look, do you want me to write this chapter or not?
'Fine, fine..." she grumbled, and sank a bit farther down into her cushions. 'Some people...'
---
Outside, Lorelai was smirking deviously. Everyone's favorite rebel, Jess, was looking rather uncomfortable.
"Hey there Jess. What 'ya doin'?" asked Lorelai, grinning.
"Nothing Lorelai. Nothing at all" Jess replied nonchalantly.
"Just decided to take a nature walk?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Or did you loose something?"
"Yup."
"Like your way?"
"Exactly." Jess said, running his hand through his hair. "But you found me, so I'll just be going-"
"-nowhere!" Lorelai finished for him. "Come on, let's sit on the stoop. We need to catch up." Taking his sleeve, Lorelai tugged Jess behind her and pulled him onto the stoop next to her. "So Jess..." she began, her eyes shinning brightly, "what's been up with you lately?"
"Look, Lorelai, let's cut though this crap. What do you want from me?" demanded Jess, not bothering to keep his voice low.
"For starters, I'd like to know what you were doing in my bushes."
"How 'bout you tell me Lorelai? It's pretty obvious."
"I'm giving you a chance to defend yourself," Lorelai responded, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Jess. Look at me." Obediently Jess turned his head. "Why are you here?"
"Rory. And since we're having a heart-to-heart, I think it would be more personal if you would call me 'Jes' rather than Jess."
Lorelai nodded wisely. "You don't belong here Jes. Go back to New York. Your time will come soon enough."
Jes(s) paused. "Do you really think so?"
"Yes..." Lorelai said, patting his knee. "Without a doubt."
---
Rory wiped her eyes on the back of her hand when she heard the front door open.
"Rory? Where are you?" called Lorelai.
"In here."
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Lorelai said, sitting on the edge of Rory's bed. "Good news. Tristan's grandfather didn't die!"
Rory sniffed. "How do you know? And how is that good news? Aside from the obvious, of course..."
"Well, Tristan can still live with us, for one thing."
"Something tells me that that isn't an option Mom."
"Rory, the eternal pessimist. Come on. Let's go to Luke's. Up! Up!" Lorelai cried, pulling Rory up from her bed. "Quick! Let's go!"
"Mom...!" Rory groaned, swinging her legs over the side angrily. "It's not even a meal time!"
"It's always a meal time at Luke's! Now up!"
---
Once Lorelai and Rory had made considerable progress in leaving the house, Lorelai told Rory about her confrontation with Dean, and how she knew about Tristan's lack of death in the family. She hadn't, however, mentioned her confrontation with Jess, or that Tristan had seen her and Dean kissing. But that was about to change (dun dun dun!)...
"Do you want to share a plate of chili fries?" asked Lorelai, sitting down at the table in the corner with Rory.
"Yeah. And coffee."
"And donuts." Lorelai added.
"And a side of bacon."
"And a ceasar salad."
"What?" asked Rory, confused.
"No, just joking. I'll be right back." Lorelai walked up to the counter, which Luke was wiping down with a pink rag.
"Hey, Ms. Ringwald! What's with the doll?"
"What?" asked Luke, looking up.
"The pink..."
"Oh, that. I dunno." Luke shrugged.
"What, so all of your rags just mysteriously turned pink overnight?" asked Lorelai, narrowing her eyes.
"Yup. What can I get you?"
"Luke, that's impossible. What were you trying to do, dye your hair?"
"Coffee, is that what you want? Here, take the pot," Luke said, thrusting it at her, along with two mugs. "What else do you want, donuts?"
"And fries and bacon."
"Good. Now go and sit down, and someone will bring your heart disease to you on a plate."
Lorelai was about to turn around, but stopped. "Someone?"
"Uh, yeah." Luke said, handing her a plate with two donuts. "There you go."
"Luke, did you hire some help?" Lorelai asked, aghast.
"Well, with Jess gone and Caesar getting married..."
"What? Who is it? Is it Kirk?"
Luke snorted. "Do you think I'd let Kirk near my stove?"
"Good point. Who is it?"
"The sooner you sit down, the sooner you'll find out" Luke monotoned. "There. Your offspring is waiting for you."
"Fine, fine..." Lorelai took the coffee and donuts to the table. "I come bearing gifts, oh child of my loins."
"Do you not want me to eat my donut?" asked Rory, wrinkling her nose.
"Guess what!" Lorelai said, ignoring Rory. "Luke hired help."
"What? Who?"
"I dunno, he wouldn't say!" Lorelai said as she poured herself a cup of coffee and chose a donut from the plate. As Rory and Lorelai munched on their donuts and deliberated who it could be, a willowy blond girl with highlights around her face carrying a plate of fries and a side of bacon emerged from the back.
"Hi!" she said brightly. "Here's the fries and bacon you ordered!"
Lorelai and Rory exchanged side-glances.
"Oh, by the way, my name's Gabrielle! But you can call me Gab, Gabby or Gabs."
"Uh, thanks Gabs. Are you new around here?" asked Lorelai, slightly perturbed by this new inhabitant of Stars Hollow.
"Yeah. I just moved here this morning!"
"Oh really? Where?" asked Rory, her interest piqued. She was starting to like this Gabrielle character already.
"Oh, I don't know the address yet," Gabs paused to giggle, "but I do know that I moved in next to the Gilmore's. Do you know them?"
"We are the Gilmore's!" Rory said, smiling up at Gab.
"Wow! Neato!" Gabby said, and extended her hand to Rory. "You must be Rory. And you must be Lorelai!"
"Spoken to Patty, have you?" asked Lorelai, not surprised.
"Yes, actually I did. She's great, isn't she? Anyway, I have to get back to work, so, I'll see you at school Rory?"
"Actually, I go to Chilton in Hartford."
"Oh yeah? Me too! That's so great! Do you happen to know Louise? She's my cousin."
"Wow. No wonder you look so familiar."
"Yeah! Well, I have to go now, but I'll see you around, okay?"
"Bye!" Rory called to her retreating back. "Wow, she was.... Mom?"
"She was...perky..."
"Oh come on, Gabs wasn't that bad!"
"Rory!" Lorelai said sharply, "what's gotten into you? Since when do you call people you don't even know Gabs?"
Rory shook her head, trying to clear it. "I...I don't know. I don't know what got into me! That was really...strange..."
"I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Things like this happen in most badly written stories, and some good ones too!"
"I know, but that was so...so...creepy!" Rory said, taking a French fry from the plate. "Do you think I'll see her at Chilton?"
"I doubt it."
"I hope you're right..."
---
Lorelai was watching TV that night when she suddenly remembered that she hadn't told Rory that Tristan had seen Dean kissing her. Lorelai switched off the television and knocked lightly on Rory's door before opening it.
"Rory? I have something to tell...Rory?" Lorelai looked around the room. "Rory?" That's when she saw the open windows and the billowing white curtains. It didn't take more than a moment for Lorelai to realize that her only child had been kidnapped.
---