Author's Notes:
Finally a new chapter! I hadn't intended to take so long, but I just finished with finals, and then I decided to wait until the season ended so I'd know where everything stood for the summer. This chapter is a bit longer than I expected it to be, and rather different, but still good, I hope! Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter, Angel, Sardonic, Rebecca, Evelyn, Arianna, and one anonymous reviewer who I can't thank by name, but I appreciate your comments and support.
Special thanks, as always, to Aimee for the beta help.
Enjoy!
Chapter Five
Rory awoke at three that morning, feeling slightly nauseous and noting to herself that Twizzlers and marshmallows didn't go well with filet mignon. She sat up gingerly, not wanting to hit her head on the ceiling again, then remembering that she wasn't in her bunk at Yale. She was home in her own bed, and her mother was asleep upstairs. Her stomach still felt awful, but she couldn't help smiling.
She grabbed a blanket off of her bed and tiptoed upstairs. Part of her told herself that this was ridiculous and that she was far too old to be doing something so babyish. A much larger part of her didn't care. She was home and she wasn't feeling well and all she wanted was to climb into bed with Lorelai and let her mother take care of her.
Lorelai was sprawled across the bed, snoring. Rory stifled a giggle and wished that she had a video camera. Lorelai had denied all summer that she snored, and Rory had argued that she most certainly did, and had given her many sleepless nights all across Europe. She always lost these arguments, since her mother was much better at pillow fights than she was, and it was easier to bury her head under her pillow than to be smacked with it by a sleepy, grumpy Lorelai.
Lorelai rolled over, and Rory seized the opportunity to climb into bed and settle in with her blanket. Her stomach felt a little better, and she closed her eyes. Tomorrow she would have to go back to being Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, Yale student and pride of Stars Hollow, but for tonight she was just Rory, a sleepy little girl who felt much better now that her mom was nearby again.
The first thing she heard was the incessant ringing of the alarm clock next to her ear. The first thing she felt was Lorelai's arm smacking her and she let out a little cry, instantly awake.
Lorelai was awake too. "Rory? What are you doing here?"
Rory looked down and picked at the bedspread. "My stomach hurt," she mumbled, embarrassed at how young she sounded. Now that morning had come, she was back to Rory Gilmore, Yale student who was far too old to do anything as childish as climb into bed with her mother. "I wasn't feeling well, but then you were asleep."
"Are you all right?" Lorelai asked in concern, giving Rory a hug and feeling her forehead. "You're not coming down with something, are you?"
Rory shook her head, a bit too quickly. "I think it was just too much junk food."
"Fair enough," Lorelai agreed. "But are you sure there isn't something else that's bothering you? You've been acting strangely ever since yesterday."
"I'm fine," Rory mumbled, unable to look at her mother. She could never make eye contact with Lorelai when she was lying to her. Unfortunately, her mother knew it, and wasn't that easily fooled.
"Rory." Lorelai didn't often use that tone but when she did, Rory listened. "I know something's bothering you, and we're not going anywhere until you tell me what it is."
"Mom, it's nothing!" Rory insisted. "I can handle this! I'm not a baby anymore!"
"You're so stubborn!" Lorelai exclaimed in exasperation. "You never want to talk about anything that's bothering you! Why do you insist on doing everything all by yourself?"
"Because I don't need my mother to fix things for me!" Rory shouted. She wasn't really upset with Lorelai, but it was so much easier to get irritated with her than to admit that she was homesick and hated Yale. "Just stay out of my life!"
She regretted her words the moment she saw the hurt look on her mother's face. "Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."
Lorelai didn't say anything, or even look at her. Over on the nightstand the alarm clock was still buzzing shrilly. She couldn't stand this anymore. She couldn't stay in this room any longer or else her guilt would paralyze her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, and then she fled.
She ended up at Luke's, still in her pajamas but thankfully with her coat covering most of them. Luke had spotted her as he was taking out the trash, and after catching a glimpse of the expression on her face, insisted that she come inside for coffee. She didn't have the strength or desire to continue to insist that she was fine, so she obediently followed him inside, grateful that the diner was fairly empty. The last thing she needed was to have all of Stars Hollow wanting to know what Rory Gilmore was doing wandering around the town center on a Saturday morning in her pajamas.
"Not to be rude, Rory, but you look like hell," Luke commented as he poured her a cup of coffee. "Is anything wrong?"
Rory sighed. "I fought with my mom, and I said some mean things that she totally didn't deserve, because she didn't do anything wrong."
"Look, Rory," Luke began. "I'm not that great with kids-not that you're a kid," he hastened to add. "You're all grown up now. Not a kid. Not even close to a kid."
Rory patted his hand. "It's okay, Luke. I understand what you're saying."
"My point is that I never know what to say in situations like this," he continued. "But I've known you and your mom a long time, I know she loves you a lot, and I know that the two of you will be able to work this out."
"Thank you, Luke." She smiled at him, and on impulse, quickly stood up and kissed his cheek. His eyes widened, his face turned red, and Rory suddenly understood her mother's delight in making him blush. "You're an old softie under all that flannel, aren't you?"
Now he stared at her in a mixture of shock and horror. "You're not Rory. Lorelai has possessed you, hasn't she?"
Rory laughed. "Like mother, like daughter, I guess." Her laughter faded when she remembered how she'd left things with Lorelai. "Thanks for the coffee, Luke, but I have some apologizing to do."
"You two will be fine," Luke assured her. "Go talk to her. And no more flannel jokes from you! It's creepy!"
She laughed once more, took a final gulp of coffee, and headed home. The house was quiet when she got in, and she had the unpleasant thought that Lorelai had gone out, and she would have to sit around feeling wretched until her mother came back and she could apologize. She'd been looking forward to coming home all week, and this wasn't how she'd wanted to spend her time here.
"Hello?" she called. "Mom?"
No reply, but she heard a faint noise from the upstairs bedroom. When she got up there, she found Lorelai curled up under a pile of blankets, looking as wretched as Rory felt.
"Mom, I'm so sorry," Rory apologized, sitting down on the bed next to her mother. "I had no right to say that. I don't like my roommate and I hate Yale and I'm afraid that I made a mistake with going to school there, but none of that is your fault and I'm sorry I took it out on you."
"Oh, Rory," Lorelai sighed, sitting up in bed. "I wish you could talk to me about these things. All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy."
"I know," Rory whimpered. "And you've been so wonderful and amazing and I'm so lucky that you're my mother. I just hate feeling that I'm letting everyone down after we've worked so hard to get me to Yale."
"Rory, listen to me," Lorelai insisted. "You could never let me down. I love you so much and I'm so proud of you and all that matters is that you're happy. I know how hard it must be for you to be away at a new school, and you can always come home if you want, but I know you, and you've never been one to take the easy way. You made it through Chilton and you're going to make it through Yale and I'll always be here if you need me."
Rory hugged her mother. "I love you, Mom."
Lorelai smoothed her hair. "I love you too, Rory."
It was funny, Rory thought, how things could go so quickly from terrible to wonderful. How often she always resisted talking to Lorelai about what was troubling her, and how when she finally did confide in her, things always seemed so much brighter.
"You hungry?" Lorelai asked.
"Starving," Rory answered.
"Luke's?"
"Perfect."
It was going to be a great weekend.
Finally a new chapter! I hadn't intended to take so long, but I just finished with finals, and then I decided to wait until the season ended so I'd know where everything stood for the summer. This chapter is a bit longer than I expected it to be, and rather different, but still good, I hope! Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter, Angel, Sardonic, Rebecca, Evelyn, Arianna, and one anonymous reviewer who I can't thank by name, but I appreciate your comments and support.
Special thanks, as always, to Aimee for the beta help.
Enjoy!
Chapter Five
Rory awoke at three that morning, feeling slightly nauseous and noting to herself that Twizzlers and marshmallows didn't go well with filet mignon. She sat up gingerly, not wanting to hit her head on the ceiling again, then remembering that she wasn't in her bunk at Yale. She was home in her own bed, and her mother was asleep upstairs. Her stomach still felt awful, but she couldn't help smiling.
She grabbed a blanket off of her bed and tiptoed upstairs. Part of her told herself that this was ridiculous and that she was far too old to be doing something so babyish. A much larger part of her didn't care. She was home and she wasn't feeling well and all she wanted was to climb into bed with Lorelai and let her mother take care of her.
Lorelai was sprawled across the bed, snoring. Rory stifled a giggle and wished that she had a video camera. Lorelai had denied all summer that she snored, and Rory had argued that she most certainly did, and had given her many sleepless nights all across Europe. She always lost these arguments, since her mother was much better at pillow fights than she was, and it was easier to bury her head under her pillow than to be smacked with it by a sleepy, grumpy Lorelai.
Lorelai rolled over, and Rory seized the opportunity to climb into bed and settle in with her blanket. Her stomach felt a little better, and she closed her eyes. Tomorrow she would have to go back to being Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, Yale student and pride of Stars Hollow, but for tonight she was just Rory, a sleepy little girl who felt much better now that her mom was nearby again.
The first thing she heard was the incessant ringing of the alarm clock next to her ear. The first thing she felt was Lorelai's arm smacking her and she let out a little cry, instantly awake.
Lorelai was awake too. "Rory? What are you doing here?"
Rory looked down and picked at the bedspread. "My stomach hurt," she mumbled, embarrassed at how young she sounded. Now that morning had come, she was back to Rory Gilmore, Yale student who was far too old to do anything as childish as climb into bed with her mother. "I wasn't feeling well, but then you were asleep."
"Are you all right?" Lorelai asked in concern, giving Rory a hug and feeling her forehead. "You're not coming down with something, are you?"
Rory shook her head, a bit too quickly. "I think it was just too much junk food."
"Fair enough," Lorelai agreed. "But are you sure there isn't something else that's bothering you? You've been acting strangely ever since yesterday."
"I'm fine," Rory mumbled, unable to look at her mother. She could never make eye contact with Lorelai when she was lying to her. Unfortunately, her mother knew it, and wasn't that easily fooled.
"Rory." Lorelai didn't often use that tone but when she did, Rory listened. "I know something's bothering you, and we're not going anywhere until you tell me what it is."
"Mom, it's nothing!" Rory insisted. "I can handle this! I'm not a baby anymore!"
"You're so stubborn!" Lorelai exclaimed in exasperation. "You never want to talk about anything that's bothering you! Why do you insist on doing everything all by yourself?"
"Because I don't need my mother to fix things for me!" Rory shouted. She wasn't really upset with Lorelai, but it was so much easier to get irritated with her than to admit that she was homesick and hated Yale. "Just stay out of my life!"
She regretted her words the moment she saw the hurt look on her mother's face. "Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."
Lorelai didn't say anything, or even look at her. Over on the nightstand the alarm clock was still buzzing shrilly. She couldn't stand this anymore. She couldn't stay in this room any longer or else her guilt would paralyze her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, and then she fled.
She ended up at Luke's, still in her pajamas but thankfully with her coat covering most of them. Luke had spotted her as he was taking out the trash, and after catching a glimpse of the expression on her face, insisted that she come inside for coffee. She didn't have the strength or desire to continue to insist that she was fine, so she obediently followed him inside, grateful that the diner was fairly empty. The last thing she needed was to have all of Stars Hollow wanting to know what Rory Gilmore was doing wandering around the town center on a Saturday morning in her pajamas.
"Not to be rude, Rory, but you look like hell," Luke commented as he poured her a cup of coffee. "Is anything wrong?"
Rory sighed. "I fought with my mom, and I said some mean things that she totally didn't deserve, because she didn't do anything wrong."
"Look, Rory," Luke began. "I'm not that great with kids-not that you're a kid," he hastened to add. "You're all grown up now. Not a kid. Not even close to a kid."
Rory patted his hand. "It's okay, Luke. I understand what you're saying."
"My point is that I never know what to say in situations like this," he continued. "But I've known you and your mom a long time, I know she loves you a lot, and I know that the two of you will be able to work this out."
"Thank you, Luke." She smiled at him, and on impulse, quickly stood up and kissed his cheek. His eyes widened, his face turned red, and Rory suddenly understood her mother's delight in making him blush. "You're an old softie under all that flannel, aren't you?"
Now he stared at her in a mixture of shock and horror. "You're not Rory. Lorelai has possessed you, hasn't she?"
Rory laughed. "Like mother, like daughter, I guess." Her laughter faded when she remembered how she'd left things with Lorelai. "Thanks for the coffee, Luke, but I have some apologizing to do."
"You two will be fine," Luke assured her. "Go talk to her. And no more flannel jokes from you! It's creepy!"
She laughed once more, took a final gulp of coffee, and headed home. The house was quiet when she got in, and she had the unpleasant thought that Lorelai had gone out, and she would have to sit around feeling wretched until her mother came back and she could apologize. She'd been looking forward to coming home all week, and this wasn't how she'd wanted to spend her time here.
"Hello?" she called. "Mom?"
No reply, but she heard a faint noise from the upstairs bedroom. When she got up there, she found Lorelai curled up under a pile of blankets, looking as wretched as Rory felt.
"Mom, I'm so sorry," Rory apologized, sitting down on the bed next to her mother. "I had no right to say that. I don't like my roommate and I hate Yale and I'm afraid that I made a mistake with going to school there, but none of that is your fault and I'm sorry I took it out on you."
"Oh, Rory," Lorelai sighed, sitting up in bed. "I wish you could talk to me about these things. All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy."
"I know," Rory whimpered. "And you've been so wonderful and amazing and I'm so lucky that you're my mother. I just hate feeling that I'm letting everyone down after we've worked so hard to get me to Yale."
"Rory, listen to me," Lorelai insisted. "You could never let me down. I love you so much and I'm so proud of you and all that matters is that you're happy. I know how hard it must be for you to be away at a new school, and you can always come home if you want, but I know you, and you've never been one to take the easy way. You made it through Chilton and you're going to make it through Yale and I'll always be here if you need me."
Rory hugged her mother. "I love you, Mom."
Lorelai smoothed her hair. "I love you too, Rory."
It was funny, Rory thought, how things could go so quickly from terrible to wonderful. How often she always resisted talking to Lorelai about what was troubling her, and how when she finally did confide in her, things always seemed so much brighter.
"You hungry?" Lorelai asked.
"Starving," Rory answered.
"Luke's?"
"Perfect."
It was going to be a great weekend.