Title: Reality Has No Place In Our World

Author: Samantha

Summary: After too, too many horrible relationships, Rory can't handle the thought of ever seeing a boy. Ever again. Besides family members. So it's no surprise when she's thrilled to see one certain long-lost-almost family member, except to herself. And him.

Chapter Three: Making Plans

Emily watched her eldest granddaughter as she took a drink from Richard and settled onto the couch next to her mother. She laughed at something Sam said, swinging her long hair from in front of her shoulder to behind it. Emily noticed that the small promise ring was still gone from her left ring finger. The first time she'd noticed had been Thanksgiving, three weeks ago. She remembered that Rory hadn't mentioned that Andrew boy for two months before that, since September. And Rory had only mentioned one boy since then: a Max? Mike? Emily wasn't sure, but the first one seemed right.

"So, what are your plans for Christmas, Rory?" Emily asked, realizing that she'd been staring at her granddaughter for quite some time.

"Oh, I don't know. Same as always, I guess. Staying in Stars Hollow."

"Mm-hmm. And what about you four? Are you planning anything special?" Emily turned to her daughter and son-in-law.

"Oh, not really. Although, um, is your sister coming?" Lorelai turned to Luke, who grimaced and nodded.

"And her new husband," Luke added.

"You don't like him?" Richard asked, noting Luke's face.

"He's nice enough. And Liz loves him," Lorelai said, absent-mindedly placing her hand on Luke's knee.

"There's just something about him," Luke said.

Richard nodded. "I know what you mean. There was this fellow at work--a very nice fellow, I suppose...." He launched into a drawn-out story, and Emily blanked, staring at Rory again.

She wondered whether Rory still had that bridal magazine. Almost five months ago, Rory had taken Emily out for lunch, to thank her for being so nice to Andrew when she'd met him. While Rory was babbling about her latest classes, Emily had glanced a bridal magazine in the backseat that looked a little worn, and was filled with bookmarks. Emily hadn't said anything about it, but wondered if it had disappeared along with Andrew.

"Excuse me, miss," the latest maid said timidly, standing in the doorway of the sitting room. "Dinner's ready."

Dinner passed without any incidents, as did the ride back to Stars Hollow. Luke and Lorelai offered Rory coffee and dessert, but she politely declined, choosing instead to drive back to Yale that night. She kissed her mom and step-dad on the cheek, hugged her brother and sister goodbye, and ducked back into her Prius.

Almost the second she parked her car and stumbled out--she got her heel stuck inside the door--she stumbled into Max's arms.

"Reverend Max Flick!" she said a little loudly, and giggled. Max had been Drew's best friend, and he'd been hit by Drew's disappearance almost as much as Rory had. Paris had made some durogatory remarks about the fact that Max was obviously in love with Drew as Rory was, but Rory didn't believe that, mainly because of a kiss they'd shared one night while they were both tipsy.

"Whoa!" Max said, righting her and standing her on her own two feet. "Hey, how are you?"

"I'm okay." Rory giggled again as she tried to pop her trunk(dirty!), but instead locked her car. "Oops!"

"Rory, have you been drinking?"

Rory paused, thinking. She'd had two glasses of white wine at her grandmother's house...and hardly any sleep the night before. "Oh, I know," she smiled. "I had wine on three hours of sleep. Remember," she dissolved into giggles, "that time...in Providence...." She trailed off into laughter, leaning against Max.

"Are you actually slapping your knee?" he asked, watching as she did, repeatedly. He shook his head and took her keys out of her hand. "Who let you drive home?"

"Mom," she said matter-of-factly, watching as Max opened her trunk. "But I wasn't this bad with her. I just listened to...oh, what's that called? It was a really bad Britney Spears song."

"That narrows it down." Max plopped Rory's overnight bag next to her feet. "That it?" he asked. She nodded, and handed it to him.

"Carry it," she commanded. "I'm tipsy." She giggled, and started leading Max to her dorm. "So, how are you?" she asked, turning around and walking backwards. "Still acting?"

"Yup," he nodded.

"You're the best Juliet I've ever seen," she giggled.

He stopped walking, got a goofy look on his face, and said, "Oh, stop," in an obvious girly-sounding voice, throwing his hand in front of him as if to say, "I'm just a girl pretending to be humble." It was one of his most famous little bits, one he'd done within their first five minutes of meeting. She giggled again, louder this time.

"I love that!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, stop," he repeated, picking up her bag again and continuing to follow Rory.

"Hey, Max?" she asked, feeling a little more serious.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember Drew?"

"Yeah," he said, his voice a little quieter.

"You miss him?" she asked, her voice quieter too.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Yeah," she repeated, stopping in front of her room. "I loved him," she added as she unlocked the door. She opened it and gestured for Max to follow her. As he set her bag down next to her bed, she said with a finality, "If I ever see him again, I'm going to marry him."

The bag made a large thump as he dropped it. She jumped and turned to face him. His face was clouded over, but she could tell that he was desperately trying not to cry. She grabbed his face with both her hands and made him look at her. "Hey," she said softly, "he'll come back. We'll see him again. Okay?"

He nodded. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips softly. "Don't cry. My mascara's not waterproof."

He let out a laugh, and then kissed her forehead. "Sleep it off, Rory. See you tomorrow."

"Bye!" she smiled after him. "Oh, wait!" she called. "What are you doing over Christmas?"

He shrugged. "Providence with the Allens?" He'd been a foster kid, and had spent his four years of high school in Providence with Drew, so the Allens were almost like family. But since Drew had disappeared, he hadn't seen the Allens.

"Don't do that," she protested. "You'll kill yourself after a day and a half. Come home with me! My mom owns an Inn, and my brother and sister are really cute."

He laughed. "All right, but just to see your cute brother and sister."

She grinned. "We'll have so much fun!" She threw her arms around his neck.

"Just as long as you don't have too much white wine," he added, unhooking her arms and placing them back at her side. "Listen, I have to go. Sleep it off."

"See you tomorrow," she said as he closed the door behind him. She smiled and started to unpack. She was feeling better. Max was really nice and funny, and Drew was coming back, and white wine tasted good, and she really needed to sleep. She threw everything from her bed to the floor and collapsed under the covers, fully clothed.