Author: Scarlettmarch
Title: A Realization
Disclaimer: I don't own the WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here, or anything else regarding Gilmore Girls. The chapter title isn't mine either; it's the title of a song by Dashboard Confessional.
The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most
The sun began to peek through the clouds, and Rory stretched, yawning, and began to open her eyes. She grabbed the wooden planks of the bridge, unsure of where she was. She acknowledged the pain in her neck from sleeping on the hard surface of the bridge, and realized she had slept the entire night out here.
Wondering to what degree Lorelai had panicked, on a scale of zero, equaling being late for a Friday night dinner to ten, equaling her and Dean falling asleep and staying out the entire night. As she ran home, her soaking wet clothes adding extra weight and slowing her pace, Rory decided that her mom's panic was probably around a 9.75.
Rory finally reached the front door of her house, and noticed the small piece of Hello Kitty stationery taped above the handle. In Lorelai's loopy handwriting it said,
Meet me at the diner. Be prepared with an excellent excuse.
Rory slowed her pace and walked semi-leisurely towards the diner; there was no police search out looking for her as far as she could see, so her mom couldn't have freaked out that badly.
As she neared Luke's, her heart started pounding like a jackhammer, and Rory was surprised it hadn't sliced through her ribcage. Trying to peer through the windows outside of the diner, she didn't see Jess at the counter, so she entered, but cautiously. It would be doubly terrible telling her mom what had happened if Jess was in the same vicinity.
Rory made her way to the counter and plopped down onto the seat next to her mother. Her wet pants squished audibly against the rubbery seat covering.
Lorelai turned her head towards her daughter and narrowed her eyes, saying, "Do you even know how worried I was about you?"
"Mom, I know, but," Rory tried to explain, but Lorelai cut off her words.
"First, you disappear from the diner. Then, the storm hits, and you don't come home the entire night. Now, you're soaking wet, and…"
Lorelai hugged Rory, glad to have her daughter back. "And now I'm drenched too, so you better have an amazing story."
Suddenly, before Rory even had a chance to start her explanation, Jess popped up in front of their faces. He had been trying to find a plate on a shelf under the counter.
"Aha!" he yelled as he found the plate, and he literally jumped into the air. When he realized he was vis-à-vis with Rory, he dropped the plate, and for the second time in two days, heard the shattering of glass.
"Shit," Jess muttered, and walked away quickly to find a broom.
Lorelai continued to laugh until she took a glance at her daughter's face, which was steadily deepening in color. Confused, Lorelai decided to help out her daughter and change the subject back to where Rory was last night. Little did she know that that wouldn't help at all.
"Um… Dean broke up with me."
Lorelai, in a split second, was hugging her daughter again, ushering her out of the diner. Having forgotten that she was supposed to be upset with Rory, Lorelai's full attention was turned to comforting and consoling her daughter, whom she was sure was grieving.
"How did it happen, sweetie?" Lorelai questioned gently, trying not to make her daughter even more upset.
"Well…" Rory started. Then, looking up, she saw Jess and the blonde leaning against the door of the diner, making out for the entire world. She began to cry again, nestling her head into the crook of Lorelai's neck.
Lorelai, sensitive to her daughter's needs, let her lean on her as they walked home, quickly explaining about the break up to everyone who stopped them in their tracks. Babette promised to bring over chocolate chip muffins later, and Miss Patty promised to regale them both with stories of her horrible, messy break ups when Rory was up to it. Lorelai thanked them, and mother and daughter continued on their way.
As she was tucking Rory into bed, Lorelai promised her that she wouldn't have to go out to Doose's or Luke's for fear of seeing the dreaded ex-boyfriend. Realizing that her mother had just handed her a way of avoiding Jess on a silver platter, she gave Lorelai a half-smile and snuggled back under the covers. Thankfully, Rory was saved from any more tears from the deep, dreamless sleep that overtook her the minute her head hit her pillow.
*Hoped you all liked this chapter! Please REVIEW!!! and I'll try to get up the next chapter as soon as possible.