Cry Of Emotion Chapter Two

By Chris and Kait

*

Sleeping was obviously not the portal to another reality. The fact that Lola had woken up in the same place she had fallen asleep in, was proof of that. Despite the disappointment, she had to admit that she felt some relief. It was a little creepy to think that you could fall asleep in one reality and wake up in another, where everything was familiar, but not the same.

Lola stepped into the music room and smoothed down her dress, which wasn't very wrinkly to begin with due to that fact, she had opted to sleep in her underwear rather than ruining her only outfit.

It was the same piano her grandparents owned in her reality. It provided the smallest amount of comfort to her. She slid onto the bench. Her piano instructor had endlessly lectured her on how music transported you to another place.

She still found it to be a load of bullshit, but really what else was there for Lola to do? Her grandparents' library had always been lacking and unoriginal. She tested a few keys. Good, it was in tune.

Her fingers continued to stroke the keys, forming a tune that was old, familiar and practically timeless. It would figure that her subconscious made her play that song. Despite her disgust regarding the fact that she had unwittingly started playing 'Thunder Road', she continued on, nearly losing herself to the song in the process.

It reminded Lola that she use to be passionate about playing the piano. She use to be passionate about a lot of things.

The acoustics in the music room weren't anything compared to the great halls, but they still allowed most sound in that area to reverberate throughout the entire east side of the house. So naturally, as the piano was rarely played, and even more rarely played well it was a surprise to Dominique to hear elegant, live music coming from down the hall.

She wandered forward. No one in her household - excluding Tristan - had much of an aptitude for music. And since she also knew that Tristan had a business brunch at 10 o'clock her only estimate could be the mystery girl who Atticus Mariano had dropped off.

She watched her from the doorway. Lola DuGrey was encompassed in the music and it appeared to Dominique that she would never quit. And then abruptly her blue eyes shot up and locked with her own, her fingers pausing in mid-air.

Being caught playing passionate music on the embarrassment scale was the equivalent to being caught having sex in your parent's beds for Lola. Though she had never understood why you would want to have sex in your parent's bed. That was just gross. But she was the queen of recomposing her self in record time.

"Hey."

"Piano? Never really acquired a taste for it myself." she eyed the girl who looked like she could be her sister. If they were anything alike she could easily assume that this topic of conversation was bothering her. Wanting to get along she tried to not push it anymore. "Did you figure out how to get home yet?"

Lola wished. "No. Looks like I'll have to converse with Atticus. Again."

Dominique couldn't help but smile, "Oh Atticus. He certainly is different, isn't he?"

"I guess." He certainly wasn't her- their- mother but she recognized a lot of Uncle Jess in him too. So it wasn't like he was a complete original.

She sighed. "Well, I'm not sure if you know your way around but the kitchen is down the hall and to your far left." she paused momentarily to run her fingers through her hair. "I'm going out. Whether or not your brother calls...knowing Atticus, it's indeterminable."

Like she cared. She was going to be stuck here with or without Atticus's presence. "Lovely."

Dominique continued to eye the girl. While they looked like they may have similar motivations she could guess that they were very different. Already she could tell that Lola was more vehement than her, often giving off hostility whereas Dominique would laugh at how easy the words could be manipulated. Everything could be manipulated, but it took time for people to realize that.

"I'd invite you but the people I'm going to be with are absolutely predictable. There really isn't anyone at Chilton who isn't anymore. Here, at least."

"Everyone's predictable, darling," Lola returned. Even she was becoming predictable. It was disconcerting that it was to the point where she didn't care. So maybe everything wasn't predictable, since she would have never even guessed ending up here. But people- people would always be predictable. It was rather boring. She really should take this experience for all its worth.

"It is true." She slowly walked over to an armchair perpendicular to the piano bench. "Care to play me something?" This was not amusement, this was interest. Dominique had never met anyone, short of Atticus who had the same tweaked version of reality playing through their head. And not even Atticus could quite comprehend her actions most of the time.

"Any requests?" Lola had been playing the piano for most of her lifetime. She'd been asked to play everything from Mozart to…well, Springsteen. It didn't matter that this seemed to be a ploy of the girl, of Dominique, to see inside her soul. It was probably too black, too dusty, too dark to really get a clear version of any way. But then again, Aggie had always said that human beings weren't as complex as they liked to think. But Lola chose to ignore a lot of what Augusta Mariano said.

 Dominique's mind searched for which song would be perfect. This was an obvious defensive tactic on the part of Lola, and if Dominique wanted to get closer...it would take careful maneuvers.

"32 Flavours." she paused, "by Ani DiFranco. Are you able to play it?"

Of course she was able to. Lola doubted that Aurora had ever taken out her Ani DiFranco CD from her stereo. "Would you like me to sing as well? Because I charge extra for that."

Laughing was not an elegant reaction, so Dominique had not allowed herself to function in that way in a long time. A small, barely recognizable laugh escaped her throat. If she didn't have such excellent posture, it would have looked like a convulsion.
"Sing if you wish, I'm not partial to either way."

She didn't wish. In fact she did very little singing unless her grandmother made her, or a rare duet with Dallie. Whatever. Her fingers began stroking the keys again, forming the song. If she couldn't find a suitable career in the field of history, maybe she could do something musically. No, that'd take up too much of her life.

Dominique knew little about music, but she knew enough to know when a song deserved silent respect, and Lola's playing definitely deserved that. She watched as her fingers traced the keys, barely touching them, it was magical.

And not so much in the way that she was a musical prodigy, just in the way that it didn't look like she would be able to play like that. She wasn't the kind of girl who was easily overtaken by things, and as far as she could tell, neither was Lola.

Lola finished, and turned around on the piano bench. "So what do the judges decide?"

"I certainly am." before Dominique was finished with replying the hollow sound of a single person clapping echoed from the other side of the room, causing both girls to look at the person standing in the large doorway.

Her father. Err, Tristan. Right, this was too weird. She may have to murder, or at least torture, Atticus for making her stay here. Never mind she had practically brought upon herself by pushing the Dominique thing. But she'd have to get over her Daddy's-girl issues and play a role. The only question was, what role should she play? There was modest, timid and docile. Then there was egomaniacal. She had a feeling shy and timid would work better. Lola had never been good at out of control anyway.

"Thank you." Demure smile. Eyes focused on the floor. It was just like being at those meetings of her Grandmother's when she had to play for them. Exactly like that.

Tristan looked puzzled, "Do I know you? Because you look oddly familiar..."

Dominique clenched her jaw, and leaned back in her chair, something very strange was happening.

Well he had spent nearly eighteen years raising her- in a different reality. So go with the obvious, "I came in with Atticus earlier."

Tristan shook off the strange feeling he was having, obviously he didn't know her from anywhere. "You're staying here?"

Dominique smiled, "Tristan, be nice. Lola is our guest."

For Lord knew how long. Lola stood up. "Who is going to be late meeting Atticus." It was a lie. But she was filled a new, sudden urgency to see her brother. Since there was a strong possibility that he wasn't going to search her out.

Dominique would have been surprised at Lola's sudden urgency to see her brother if she had not made the same contrivance countless times before. Get out.

"Are you coming back?"

Depends what Fate had in store for her. "Yes." It was unfortunate thing too.

Dominique usually left conversations when they became this sterile. "Do you need a ride to Stars Hollow?"

"If it wouldn't be an inconvenience." Lola hated relying on other people.

As much as Dominique hated having to drive other people around, it would allow her to see Atticus. Not that he didn't infuriate her, but playing with his mind was always entertainment.

"Let's go." she looked at her brother as she passed by him, reading the look on his face, "I have things to do Tristan. Good-bye."

Lola followed Dominique out. She followed somebody. Life had officially turned into something fictional.

*

If there was anything more infuriating than an alarm clock it was relentless knocking. Loud, relentless knocking. It took Atticus a good three minutes of the incessant noise before he actually stood up, got out of bed and went to answer the door.

Upon the opening of said door he was confronted by two tall, blond, blue-eyed women. As close as they appeared in body, their difference in opinions towards him were apparent from the looks they carried upon their features. Of course, Atticus wasn't complaining about his sister not liking the look of him half-naked.

"Ever hear of a gym?" Lola asked as she brushed past him and into the entrance.

"Ever hear of Prozac?" he rolled his eyes and let them walk by, into the apartment.

As Dominique walked by she stroked his stomach appreciatively. She always had to keep it physical. Nothing more than physical.

Lola would rather hang out with any of Dallie's ex-girlfriends than watch her brother and her aunt engage in foreplay. "So our mutual theory didn't work out, by the way."

"Apparently. There really is no need to point out the obvious Lo." he pulled Dominique's hands off his stomach.

"Plans for today, oh sister dearest?"

She sat down in the nearest chair, and looked up at him. "Well I thought I'd spend the day getting to know my recently acquired half-brother. After all, my therapist is always telling me I should connect with my mother's side of the family more."

"You have a therapist? Why doesn't that surprise me in the least." he turned to Dominique, "You staying?"

"I could. It's up to Lola I guess."

Atticus was really one to talk. He would need more than twice a year sessions with Dr. Lucas. "I don't care."

Dominique internally rolled her eyes; she should have known that would be the answer. Lola really was starting to prove her point - all people were predictable.

"Well I should be going then, things to do. And I'm sure you two are eager to share your life experiences. Have a nice afternoon."

Atticus sighed. Now he was alone with the überbitch, but at least he was rid of the other.

Good, it was better to do this with just Atticus. The last thing Lola needed was someone to think she was crazy on top of this all. "So are you going to get dressed? Because, while I enjoyed the books immensely, I have no desire to be the Cathy to your Chris."

"Never pegged you as a V.C. Andrews fan, Lo." he turned, "I'll be right back. Bye Dominique."

As Dominique wasn't usually one for farewell formalities she looked at Lola, raised her eyebrows and pivoted on her heel. After leaving the apartment she sighed, and continued on her way. She always had places to go. And every now and then, that really bothered her.

There was nothing wrong with V.C. Andrews. Left alone, Lola found a magazine on the end table and picked it up. Huh. She had read this one already. In her own reality. This was really going to make her head hurt.

Once Atticus was in his room he shut the door tight behind him. This whole situation just wasn't right. And his thought from last night had just confused him more. He pulled on a black t-shirt that was sitting on his desk and went back out into the living room.

Lola set the magazine aside as she saw Atticus reenter the room. She would have spoken except a ringing sound filled the room. A ringing sound…from her purse. Now that could not be right. She took it out of her purse. Should she answer it?

When he first heard the ringing, he almost bent down, to pick the phone off the coffee table. He then realized that no phone in his house was programmed to sound like a catcall. When he looked up again, Lola was holding a cell phone, and looking mighty freaked out.

"What the hell?" Now he was pretty sure he looked freaked out. How the hell did that work out?

Answer it. Right. "Hello…" May as well sound normal. "Darling."

"Displace your cell phone?" Came through a very familiar sounding voice.

Oh, this was rich. Really rich. It would figure that he would call while she was stuck in the middle of an alternate reality. "Mariano?"

Atticus' eyes shot up and he stared hard at his sister.


"Who the fuck is on the phone Lola?"

She waved him off as Dallie replied, "Am I interrupting anything?"

Only a defect in the universe. And, yeah, now was really the time for him to be considerate. "Nothing, Dallas."

"Right." He didn't believe her. But then again when had Dallas Mariano ever believed anything she told him. "You had said something about having that article in today."

Leave to Dallie to call her about friggin' Franklin articles while she was here, with her half-brother. Who didn't really exist. She rolled her eyes. "It'll be in."

"Fuck Lola." he said it loud enough that she had to stop ignoring him. Although Atticus doubted that rampant wild animals could grab Lola's attention.

Lola sighed, and put her hand on the receiver. "Will you just calm down for a moment, darling?"

Dallie cleared his throat. Ugh, you could tell they were both brothers by the way they were annoying her. "Do I want to know where you are?"

"No," she answered simply. "But I gotta go. Bye Cowboy." Lola shut off her cell phone. That was enough weirdness for her.

He was getting impatient, by the time she finally hung up the phone.


He decided to make a stab at being civil, "Lola, dear." okay, so that was a little too civil for Atticus, "Who was on the phone?"

Lola just looked up at him. Oh, this was going to be good. "Your brother."

Something in her tone gave her away, "You've slept with him." he smirked.

Only once. And she supposed she should at least be impressed that he figured out something that not even Aurora had. "How observant of you."

"Must be brother's intuition." he looked around the room awkwardly, and then sat on the couch across from her. "What do you think we should do?"

Not talk about Dallie was a good start. But talking about how to get back to the normal order of things was. It was time to think- What would Michael J. Fox do? "Figure out how we ended up where we are is a good place."

"Personally I'd rather not talk about my escape from the womb, but if you want to talk about how you got here, I'm sure that could be arranged."

Nice. That was real nice. "I don't know how I got here." She paused. "I know how I got from the womb, and I do mean here."

"Do you have idea how to get back?"

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

Okay, so that was a stupid question on his part. But how the hell were they going to get her back when they didn't know how she got here. Or, in Atticus' case, where she came from. He did know one thing, he was interested in what her normal life was like.

Lola should really be more helpful. "Should I start off what I was doing? Because I do remember I was at my-our- mother's."

"That's helpful." he paused, "Your parents don't live together?"

Well that's usually what happened when people got divorced. That wasn't bitter. And he didn't know this. "Tristan and Rory divorced when I was seven."

"Oh." well at least she didn't have the perfect life.  Atticus couldn't hate her for that. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, "Who's Jess married to?"

She wondered if he'd know who this was, "Paris Gellar."

"You're joking, right? That girl is more paranoid then a senator. Actually, I think she is a senator. I'm not quite up on my school gossip as you can tell."

"Not joking, and yes I know how Paris is." Did she ever know how Paris was.

"Wow. Are her kids slutty over there too?"

Lola snorted. "No."

"Just checking, although I guess technically I'm related to them, so I should probably be tame. Although, they obviously fuck around a little bit. I have a hard time believing that someone would 'save themselves' just for you." Was he being harsh? Yes. Was he intentionally being harsh? No. He was actually interested, he just...wasn't used to being...what was the word? Nice.

She would have smacked Dallie if he had saved himself for her. Seriously. Though she wasn't too keen on the fact that he had lost it to a good friend of hers. Whatever. "Okay. There are three of them. Augusta is the oldest. She's very…psychoanalytical. Like everything relates back to it. We allow this because obviously she's the most fucked up of three since Jess wasn't there for most her life, either. Then there's Devon." She was sure that Atticus would love to know he's related to someone like Devon. "He falls in love with pretty much once a week. He's affable, he's sweet, oh, and a jock." Now onto the youngest. "Then there's Dallie. Everybody likes Dallie. He's nice, in the way that's actually sincere. It's very annoying. He also has a bit of rectitude in him, but most people overlook it. They really shouldn't."

"Dallie? That's the one who called you, right?" Who the fuck names their kids after random cities. This whole 'dimension' of Lola's was screwed up, and he knew that as delusional as he could be, there was no way his head was making up this fantasy.

She nodded. "That'd be him. The only reason they're named after cities is because Paris was mighty pissed at Jess during the time of birth. Her rage sort of seeped out onto the birth certificate."

He nodded, "Makes sense. Although I'm sure she couldn't have been much more pissed than Rory was after I was born. " Or maybe depressed was more the word.

"I've never really seen Rory pissed." She'd heard the arguments, but her mother was very careful not to show that frustration outside of the closed walls of the rooms in which her and Tristan fought in. "When did Jess leave?"

He sighed, hoping that Lola would see him opening up to her as a sign of trust, not weakness. "About fifteen minutes after I was delivered." he laughed bitterly, "I never really learned much about him. Luke eventually filled me in after hours of begging. Apparently he ..." Atticus drifted off momentarily. This was not the right time to be emotional, "He held me once. And then he left. Rory knew right away that he was gone for good."

"He hadn't been there for any of the three births in my world," Lola commented, resting her hand in her chin. That was enough of the Jess topic; it'd freak her out if Atticus started crying. More than being in an alternate universe did. "You know Rory wanted my nickname to Emily?"

He laughed, "I think Lola's perfect. And no, I wasn't going to cry."

"I hope not." Then she grinned. "Yes, very perfect. I've been told numerous times I live up to my name."

"I wouldn't doubt it. So, do you live with Rory?"

"God, no," just the idea of living in Stars Hollows was enough to make her shudder. "I live with Tristan in Hartford."

"I guess that would make sense." This girl was enough to make him laugh. A week ago, had you told him he was related to someone like this, he would have better believed that he could be celibate for the rest of his life.

"It does," see the reasons were completely justified. "They let me choose. I went for all reasons of practicality. Plus the bigger bedroom."

"Why doesn't that surprise me in the least?" He sighed. "I used to live in Hartford. Too many Chiltonites running around for my taste though. Before I moved there I never knew there could be so many kids with Porches."

"I own a Mercury Mercedes," Lola said out loud. "Porches are too cliché."

"See Lola, you're becoming predictable, even for me. And Dominique always says that I'm the most clueless person she knows."

"I am predictable," she agreed. "Alas, no one else sees it." Except Dallie. "Do you have anything to eat?"

"I suppose." He stood and pointed the way to the kitchen, allowing her to take the lead. "So you actually eat? Not many girls here do that."

"I don't clog my arteries," she returned. "But I do consume food, and not spit it back out."

"Nice visual." he scanned the shelves, "What exactly do you like?"

"Nothing greasy," Lola thought on it for a moment. "You have any fruit?"

"Yes, probably. It takes me going shopping with Rory, but occasionally there is decent food here. It was easier when I was living by myself."

"Then toss me an apple, Dodger." Like she knew her way around a kitchen.

He shrugged, and then tossed her an apple. Praying all the while that she hadn't inherited Rory's athletic abilities.

Lola caught it gracefully. "Thank you."

He smiled. "Nice to see you aren't too much like your mother." he was sure she would enjoy that comment.

Ass. "What do you do for amusement down in Stars Hollow, Connecticut, by the way?"

"Not much. Like I said, I haven't been here for too long. And a large percentage of the time I have spent in bed." he stopped there. He didn't think his sister really needed to know the various reasons why he spent so much time in bed. Or whose beds they were.

They really didn't need to go there. "What's Luke's like? Or Luke, for that matter?"

"We could go see him if you're interested. I would guess that it's about the same. I don't really think Luke would change much, no matter the dimension. Let's go" He started out of the kitchen when another thought occurred to him, "Is Luke married?"

She shook her head. "No. Never has been, at least not that I know of."

He could do nothing but laugh. "So no twins then, huh?"

"Uh, no." Atticus really needed to stop the confusion.

"Sorry. I keep forgetting the whole, 'other dimension situation.'" Finally after minutes of denial something else clicked in, he looked at Lola incredulously, "Did you say that I have a jock for a brother?"

Lola laughed. She had been waiting for that. "Oh yeah. Played high school football and everything."

He snorted. "Seriously? God. Some world you live in. Although Tobey - my best friend - use to play too. He gave it up a few years ago though. Not that you care about any of this, right?"

Actually, she was interested. It was weird. "Why'd he give it up?"

"I don't know." he was suddenly puzzled by what should have been a simple answer, "He said that he was sick of being his parents puppet and that he was going to live his life the way he wanted. But...there was more to it than that. He just never really told me."

"Oh," Lola took a bite of her apple. "He probably doesn't have it as bad as my friend Aurora."

"And what are her parents forcing her into?" he was intrigued, for some reason Lola was actually 'sharing' with him.

What weren't they forcing her into? "Okay, so I met Aura in kindergarten. She walks in with a list of pre-approved friends that her father says she may mingle with. But that was only the beginning. Since Aurora is the sole heiress to the Thomas fortune, and since she is not male, there is this stipulation in her inheritance. It states that she must be married by twenty-six, to a husband from her father's list- I've seen the list; it's insane- and have an heir by thirty. I think it was thirty, I don't remember."

"Thank god we don't have crack that strong here or I would definitely want some. That's pretty fucked up. Doesn't she care?"

"Of course she cares, darling," Lola tossed the apple core into the garbage. "But there's nothing she can do about it outside silent rebellion. But the ending's still the same."

"So she has found no one on the list to be tolerable? At least for five years and a pregnancy? Most of the residents of Hartford only marry for the money anyway."

"Well I know most of them. However, my favorite would be Kenzie Ambrose," Lola sighed. "However she objects because he's twelve years older than us and twice divorced. And the only other one I haven't met is Bartholomew Lennox IV. Which she has, and hates."

"So we're going to Luke's?" he asked her impatiently. He didn't know why he suddenly had the urge to pee, but the bathroom was beckoning him.

"Sure," Lola paused as a thought entered her mind. "Are we walking?"

He nodded, "Yea, sure. Just give me a sec, I need to go to the bathroom."

"Fine." She sighed, she hated walking in heels.

Atticus smiled and went down the hall towards the bathroom. He entered it, closed the door behind his and all went black.

*

Lola tapped her perfectly manicured nails against the table. What could possibly take him so long? Five more seconds she was going to have to go after him. Ten minutes was more than enough time. If only she knew where the bathroom was. It couldn't be too hard to find, the place wasn't much bigger than her walk-in closet. Not that door or that one. So that one? She knocked.

"Atticus?" Damn, was her voice tentative? "Did you suffer an apoplexy or what?" No answer. Great.

She gently pushed the door open. No need to see more than she ever wanted. Or anything that would possibly blind and scar her for life. But there was nothing. Nothing was there. And this was most definitely a bathroom.

Fuck. That could only mean one thing. Things had just gotten weirder. And she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her brother. Because he was screwed.

To Be Continued…