Disclaimer : I don't have any right on Gilmore Girls, if I had, do you seriously think I would have kept Dean that long on the show? I also don't own Billy Joel's lullaby.
Author's Note 2004/03/15: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews I received, my head almost exploded with joy on the amount of people crying, I was happy because that was the intention and I succeed. I want to give a special thank you to Mai-Anh and Jayde for taking the time to go over the chapter.
To Remember You
Chapter 8: Gilmore girls' lullaby
Sitting on the leather chair situated in front of her working desk, Rory tries to free herself from the burden weighting down her heart by writing her feelings out. The music echoing softly around the room helps her concentrate on her work. In the previous two weeks, she spent her days writing everything coming out of her fingers; she writes about her childhood, her Chilton years, the crazy town folk of Stars Hollow, Yale, friendship and anything that passes through her mind. Five hundred pages of words describing her feelings and memories as they come to her mind. A familiar song starts to play on the radio; closing she closes her eyes to fight the tears that haven't fallen yet.
Lorelai is lying down beside her beloved daughter trying to convince her to sleep instead of asking questions that were making her head spin. Slowly, she starts to sing to her ten year old daughter.
Good night, my angel
Time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
And you should always know
Wherever you may go
No matter where you are
I never will be far away
Lorelai stops singing as she sees that her little angel is finally asleep. She pulls the cover over her and kisses her softly before going in her own bed that is just across the room. She falls asleep as she watches in amazement the miracle of nature that made her a mother.
Rory gets up still fighting her tears, whispering softly, "Come on Rory, you can do it, you can't cry now. Tristan is about to get home and you want him to be so proud when you say that today was the first day without tears."
Rory is rocking Victoria to sleep as she watches her flickering eyes slowly getting heavier. She is amazed to realise that this wonderful creature didn't exist at all last year. Tears of happiness fall down on her baby's pyjamas as she sings the song her mother used to sing to her.
Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to sleep
And still so many things I want to say
Remember all the song you sang for me
When we went sailing on an emerald bay
Victoria's eyes open to look inside her mom's eyes and as she hears her mommy sing, she smiles for the first time. Rory's voice falters with emotion as she continues to sing.
And like a boat out of the ocean
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark
And deep inside this ancient heart
You'll always be a part of me
Putting Victoria in her cradle tenderly, Rory sits back down on the rocking chair to watch her baby sleeping, amazed by the perfection she and Tristan have created.
Rory leaves the room running down the hallway as the doorbell rings, thinking it might change her mind about her sad memories. Opening the door, she sees a joyful Lorelai standing at the entrance, her arms filled with bags of food. Tears start flowing down her cheeks as she runs into her mother's arms for comfort.
Lorelai is extenuated from the moving inside HER house. At eleven years old, her daughter will finally be able to have her own room. She's so proud to be finally able to offer a roof that belongs to them that she goes to check if Rory is asleep. As she enters the kitchen, she hears muffled cries coming from her daughter's room. Pushing the door leading her inside Rory's room, she sees the shaken form of her daughter crying. Sitting on the bed, she starts rubbing Rory's back softly, "Hey hon, what's wrong?"
"I feel so lost mom."
"Why?"
Turning to lie on her back, Rory looks into her mother's eyes, "Because it's the first time in my life that you won't be sleeping close to me."
"Push aside; I'll stay until you fall asleep."
Rory moves to make room for her mother to lie down beside her as Lorelai sings the same lullaby she always sang to ease her to sleep.
Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry
And if you sing this lullabye
Then in your heart
There will always be a part of me
Instead of getting up to climb the stairs to her room, Lorelai falls asleep with Rory.
Parking his car in front of the house, Tristan is scared as he realises that all the lights are off. With fear strangling his heart, he opens the front door and enters the house. Passing in front of the living room, he sees a shadow sitting on the coach, "Rory, is everything all right?"
The shadow moves slowly and says softly, "Shuuuut!" then the shadow stands up to join him and motions him to follow.
Sitting at the kitchen counter, Tristan asks Lorelai anxiously, "Tell me what happened?"
Drinking her coffee slowly, Lorelai gives a sad smile to Tristan, "I don't know. I rang the bell and she answered the door with watery eyes. The second she saw me, she ran in my arms and started to cry. She was saying something about a lullaby and that's all I could understand."
"She didn't say anything else?"
"No, she cried and fell asleep as I sang her the lullaby I used to sing when she was little."
Rory wakes up surrounded in darkness. She sits down and rubs her eyes to fight the sleep away. Looking around her she sees Tristan asleep at the other end of the couch. As she watches him sleep, she feels the urge to be enwrapped by his strong arms. Moving to reach his end of the couch, she squeezes herself beside him. Still sleeping, Tristan moves his arms around her to hold her tight against his chest.
The morning finds them sleeping on the couch, close like they haven't been in a long time. Tristan is the first to wake up and it's with tenderness that he plays with her hair, happy to finally be able to hold her against him on her own initiative. Smiling sadly, aware of the rocky path still laying ahead of them, he tenderly kisses her forehead, waking her up at the same time.
As Rory opens her eyes, she is lost in the depth of Tristan's eyes and for the first time since she remembers, she wants to kiss him and be kissed by him. Her eyes drop to look at his lips and slowly, she gets closer to him as Tristan holds his breath, scared to break the spell. As her lips touch his, he tightens his hold on her, bringing her closer to him.
Their kiss is tender at first until Tristan decides to take command. Passing his tongue over her lips, he shifts her to make her lie on her back, his hands taking liberty over her body. As Rory opens her mouth to speak, he kisses her thoroughly. Rory lets the feelings invade her, filling her with lust and passion. For the first time in nearly two months, she feels something other than pain and sorrow. Breaking the heated kiss, her hands travelling down his back, she lifts his shirt a bit, "Make love to me Tristan." Taking his shirt off, he agrees by kissing her again.
Entangled on the couch and sleeping again, they are awakened to the doorbell sound. Tristan kisses Rory softly before standing up to get dress as Rory does the same thing, giggling, "I feel like when my mom almost caught us having sex in the shower."
Tristan smiles at her to go open the door. Lorelai is standing on the other side looking worried, "Is she all right? Why aren't you at work?"
Smirking, his eyes sparkling a little "Had a better offer on how to spend my morning."
Lorelai looks at his more than usually messy hair when she hears, "Tristan, who is it?"
"I guess your mother caught us after all."
Rory runs to the door, her cheeks burning with shyness, "Hey mom."
Lorelai looks between the two of them, "Was I disturbing something? Because I can always go have a coffee and come back later."
Tristan smiles, "No, that's all right, I have to get to work anyway." Kissing Rory on the lips, he walks up the stair lightly to go take a shower.
"Rory, I want details."
Blushing intensely and closing the door behind Lorelai, Rory says, "I don't have to tell you anything about that." Then seriously, she looks at her mother, "I need a favor mom. Will you come with me after Tristan leaves?"
"Where?"
Lorelai and Rory are sitting on the grass in front of Victoria's grave holding hands with watery eyes singing tenderly together Victoria's last lullaby,
Someday we'll all be gone
But lullaby go on and on
They never die
That's how you
And I
Will be
Author's Note: It's not finished yet… two or three more chapters left. Make me happy and review.
Siaram