Everything's Not Lost
- Guinevere –
A/N: So thanks for the reviews, and all that. I hope you like it, and please, tell me if you don't.
Disclaimer: As if.
~*~
Ch 4: Sparks
Rory awoke the next morning to The Starting Line blasting in her ear from her clock radio. She must have forgotten to take it out last night. Ah, last night, she thought to herself. She and Tristan had talked about everything under the sun, and had stayed in the diner until way past midnight. It was there that she told him about her boyfriend/roommate and he hadn't seemed fettered in the least.
"So I think I should mention that I do have a boyfriend. He's my roommate, actually; I'm just so used to speaking of him as such, I forget to mention that he's also my boyfriend sometimes." Rory had awkwardly glanced away as she said this, as if feeling guilty.
"Hey, that's totally cool," Tristan replied calmly, then leaned toward her, "I'm not trying to date you this time Mary."
"Well that's a relief," Rory had sighed, then changed the subject.
But even now, she couldn't shake the feeling that he had only been putting up a front. No matter though, the aforementioned boyfriend was due back this afternoon and then Tristan would see just how much they loved each other.
Wouldn't he?
~*~
"Hi babe, I got your message," Lorelai half-screeched in Rory's ear. "Very creative."
"Well, you know I try. So Mom, where were you last night?"
"A lady never kisses and tells," Lorelai cooed.
"Ew, gross, shut up. Really, I do not need to hear such things."
"Who else am I going to tell? Sookie's not exactly just down the road anymore, and she's got three little monsters to herd around."
"Just spare me the details. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I went out with Tristan last night."
"As in date? Wow, what does mister-man think about all this?"
"It wasn't a date, it was a friend thing. Anyway, I told him about everything, and he was totally cool."
"Those are the ones you've got to look out for. Homewreckers, those ones."
"Mom, come on. But I know where you're coming from – I'm starting to feel a little bit like Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink, except I'm in love with Duckie and Andrew McCarthy is mercilessly chasing after me."
"You know, Duckie was always the one I cheered for, but both of them were a bit on the ugly side, even to fourteen-year-old eye."
"I was using a metaphor, not being serious."
"I realize that, but every movie has to end somewhere, always with the implication that the heroine has chosen one or the other for eternity, even if she divorces him and leaves him to raise three kids a year down the line."
"Mom, stop. I am not about to choose Tristan over the past five years of my life."
"Whatever you say. So is your man coming home today?"
"Yeah, I'm supposed to meet him around four, but I'm thinking more like two."
"Bring him over afterward, we want to see him. And his birthday party is all set up, we only need you to bring the guest of honor down here Saturday night at around six, okay?"
"Yeah, but he won't want to stay all night like last year – he's got to leave Monday morning for Mt.Washington, and he'll still have to submit his Philippines article."
"How do you do it? I can barely stand it when Lukey goes overnight to Stars Hollow to check on Caesar."
"We have what's commonly referred to as a 'spiritual connection,' not just a physical one, Mother."
" Mumbo-jumbo, if you ask me. So I've got to go check on Luke in the kitchen. It's been pretty busy so far. Come down after you go to the airport."
"I will. Talk to you later."
"Bye hun."
Rory glanced at her watch and saw that it read 1:15, which was when she had decided to leave. She grabbed a sweatshirt, her keys and purse and slammed the door behind her. Not twenty-five minutes later, she found herself outside Gate 4A awaiting the arrival of flight 985.
She had brought a book with her, and turned to the dog-eared page of On The Beach where she had left off. Not much later, the voice announcing the arrival of the very flight she had been awaiting could be heard throughout the terminal. Rory looked up to watch as the passengers departed, really only interested in one in particular. She caught a glimpse of short, spiked light brown hair and started to get up, but then saw the face and realized it wasn't him.
The last of the passengers were scurrying off toward their waiting families and Rory was just about to start worrying when she saw the Yankees hat duck through the doorway. She checked the t-shirt, his familiar 'Colorblind' navy one, and was certain. She rose and half-walked, half-jogged to meet him. He stopped and waited, but they both simultaneously realized how Hollywood they looked, and each walked slowly toward the other.
"Hey," he called as they neared each other.
"Your early," she said.
"I know, but you're here."
"Well, yeah. Someone had to be."
"I was expecting my other girlfriend, you know, the red-head?"
"Haha, you are just too cute." Rory removed the hat the seemed out of place and messed up his ever-lightening hat-head-hair.
"I know, and that's why you love me."
"You do know that we are quite sickening, don't you?"
"Yeah, I am aware of that fact," he slipped an arm around her waist and lead her toward the baggage claim.
"Which one did you take this time?" Rory asked, indicating the various duffel bags lying around.
"The green one. My 'board is sticking out of it." The two scanned the pile, and finally he located it. He pulled Rory by the hand, picked up the bag and threw it over his shoulder. "So where are we going?" he asked as the stood waiting for the train.
"I thought we'd go to Luke's; they both want to see you. You've been gone for almost two weeks, and I don't think they saw you before you left for Scotland, either."
"Yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you about all this traveling."
Rory looked him in the eye now. "What about it?"
"I'm thinking of giving it up for a while. You know, maybe staying in the City, seeing what fun I can dredge up on my own 'turf."
The two stepped on the crowded subway and took the handrails above them. "That might be fun, but won't you miss jetting off at the drop of a hat?"
"Not if you won't. I miss you, and it seems like I'm always everywhere but where I want to be."
"Do you know that you are just too sweet?"
"Don't get used to it; I'm really tired right now, having been awake for the past thirty-six hours and all. But seriously Ror, I've almost finished my book, and I want a break."
"Whatever you want to do is fine by me, I'm just worried you'll get bored not having a half-pipe or raging rapids in your backyard."
"I can find things to do. I'll got to Mt.Washington, and then decide, how's that?"
"Sounds good to me. Now, we've got a little something planned for Saturday night for the big two-seven."
"Another rip-roaring party at William's Hardware?"
"Is there any other?"
"Of course not. Hell, I wait all year for one of your mother's parties. She is the supreme goddess of getting down and dirty."
"I'm going to pretend that didn't come out the way it sounded." Rory laughed and leaned into him as the train lurched to their stop. "Come on strong man, heave," Rory giggled as he struggled with is duffle and backpack.
"You could help, you know, instead of heckling on the sidelines," he said tossing her the backpack.
"I'm not heckling, young sir, I'm merely stating a fact. You know, I think you should dye your hair."
He looked to her with disbelief. "Why on earth would I dye my hair?"
"I don't know, it just looks to me like you're going to be blond when you get home next time. You're outdoors too much."
"Really, Ror, you need to get out more. You think about the strangest things sometimes. Stop worrying about my hair and go in already," they had reached the doorway to Luke and Lorelai's experiment, their baby.
Rory flung open the door and announced herself to the sparse afternoon crowd. "Mother, we have arrived," she called.
"Is that my child?" Lorelai exclaimed coming out of the kitchen with Luke in tow. "Why yes, it is, and she's brought some strange young man with her. Luke, find out who he is while I speak with my offspring."
The four headed for a booth in the back where they wouldn't disturb any of the diners. Rory slid in while he dropped his bags on the floor and moved to hug both Luke and Lorelai.
"It's good to see you," Luke said.
"Move over," Lorelai nudged Luke, "Let me have a turn." Lorelai punched his outstretched arm. "How's it going, Jess?"
"Pretty good, Lorelai, pretty good," he replied, taking a seat next to Rory.
"That's good," Lorelai said sitting down. And the four settled in to a comfortable conversation, something they always did whenever Jess came home from one of his adventures.
~*~ To Be Continued ~*~
