Author's Note: For the Gilmore Girls Improv.

*

Lorelai was never quite sure how she found herself sitting in a park with Chris and Gwen and Rory and Paris the next weekend. She wasn't displeased. She just wasn't sure how it happened.

It was a beautiful day: the sun was beaming down, fluffy white clouds floated lazily in the Crayola sky, invisible birds chirped sweetly. Lorelai wasn't in the mood for any of it.

Rory and Paris were sitting together under a tree, shaded by its giant boughs, the sun snaking through the leaves to dapple the grass. Rory was carefully plucking the petals from a daisy. They made a pretty picture. Lorelai was trying not to stare.

Chris was sprawled beside her, playing with Gwen's fingers and toes. Gwen wasn't really old enough to be played with yet, but he was trying.

He wasn't doing anything interesting enough to hold her attention for long, and her attention drifted back to the couple under the tree.

It might have taken her a few seconds to realise he'd said something. "Hmm?"

"My parents are arriving on Friday."

"What?"

"I told you they were coming."

Lorelai blinked at him. "You did no such thing."

"You need to listen to what I'm saying more often."

"Maybe you need to say more things worth listening to. And anyway, you did not say this."

"Maybe I need to keep my mouth shut around you."

"I tell people that all the time. Friday?"

"Yeah. I won't have Gwen, so they're talking about going to see Sherry."

"Do they want to see Rory?"

He went back to Gwen's toes. "I don't know. They should."

"That means no, right?"

"Yes. But they should see her. I want them to."

"That's really not a good idea."

"You don't know that."

"You don't know what the last time was like. Your parents make my parents look like the Camdens."

He paused. "I can't figure out who you're insulting."

"I'm equal opportunity." Her fingers brushed his. She realised she'd dropped to an elbow and grabbed a toe too, stared blankly for a moment, then pulled her hand away. "She's not going to see them."

"Why don't we let her decide that?"

Anger building from unhappiness, she sat up, glared at nothing. "Especially not with—"

Chris' trousers brushed her bare arm as he stood. "You can't even say it."

His fists were clenched. She concentrated on his knuckles, showing white. "She hasn't even told my parents yet."

"You can't even say it. You're in no position to decide who she should tell."

He walked away, towards Rory, leaving her with Gwen. Old habits, hard to break, but not something she felt like cutting slack over. If Gwen were her daughter, maybe nothing at all would have changed. She wasn't sure what had. All certainty gone, Lorelai looked to the baby for commiseration. Gwen kicked the air decisively, and gurgled happily, pleased with her achievement.

Laughter rang out. Under the tree, Rory was gazing at her father in delight as he dropped down beside her. His mouth was moving, but Lorelai couldn't hear any sound. She could see Rory's smile widen.

On the first summer's day, Lorelai wished for rain, so she wouldn't have to watch.

*

Nobody was there when Lorelai arrived, and she hadn't thought to bring Rory's key, so she had to wait on the front steps.

The time should have cooled her down, but by the time Chris got home she was even more furious. She'd descended the steps and was at his car before he'd opened the door, yelling before he could hear her. "I told you! I knew this was a bad idea, Chris, and you never listen to me and it was a disaster, ship meet ice-cap, and what were you thinking?"

Lorelai hadn't been invited to the dinner, so it was almost a surprise to see him without Gwen. It was a relief: she hadn't been thinking, didn't know what she'd do if he had her. But it didn't matter now.

"There was no way I could have known—"

"Yes, you could! I told you. You just ignored me, and you let them hurt Rory, Chris—"

"They're my parents, all right? I love them. I don't expect them to do things like that. Just because you're estranged from your parents and have completely demonised them doesn't give you—"

"That's unfair. That's so unfair."

"It's true. You may not like it, and you may not like them, but it's the truth. You think you're doing it for Rory's benefit, and maybe you are, but it's not right and it's not working, and now you're doing it to me. And you know, you are right, Lorelai. It's not fair."

He took two steps past her before she grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"You have no right to tell me what's fair! You have no idea, Chris, none! You haven't been here, you haven't had to look after Rory and protect her, and had to shield her from things like that every damn day of her life. You—"

"I know, Lor. I know that. But I did it tonight. I did everything I could tonight, and you have to accept that. I'm sorry if it wasn't good enough, and I'm sorry if Rory's upset, and I'm sorry I've upset you by coming back, but you're going to have to accept it. I can't fix whatever you think I've broken, I can only work with what's left. If I've hurt you again I'm sorry about that too, but there's nothing I can do about it now, and even if you won't give me the chance to change things between us, I'm doing that with Rory, and it's time for you to move on, Lorelai. You can't keep beating up on me over things that happened years ago, and you're just hurting yourself by holding onto it."

He shook his head, backed away. He didn't stop until he'd gotten the front door open. "I love you, you know? I never thought you'd be this bitter."

And that was unfair too. Lorelai wanted to protest, but her voice was frozen in her open mouth, no possibility of saying anything, no attempt. Because he loved her, and she'd always loved him, always. She couldn't disagree with him, and she couldn't tell him it didn't matter. She couldn't say a word, so she just let him go.