A/N: I'm so sorry I've taken this long, school has been wearing on me and
I've been a little stuck for a while. Also this chapter isn't very long
especially considering the time I've taken, but I promise I won't make you
wait two months for the next one. :-) Thank you all so much for your
reviews, they do mean a lot to me.
¤Kari¤
Chapter 21
***********
Rory remained in the same position for a few minutes thinking about what she had started. She was convinced that she was going nuts or that she had a stalker, because every once in a while she would hear odd noises coming from the bush diagonally on the other side of the garden. Shaking it off as nerves or imagination she walked inside apprehensively.
The bush where the noises originated rustled and two people emerged, slightly scratched by the few thorns in the bush where they hid.
"Wow.", was the only thing Alex could utter.
"Well at least we know what direction we have to go and who we need to work on in our little scheme.", Lana mused.
Lana always had great ideas and such for projects and plans, but her work ethic needed some tweaking. Never once had any of her 'little schemes' gone down without a hitch, or been completed for that matter. Even with the influence of Alex, she had yet to hold her attention to an idea.
"Lana promise me that you will either stop your plan now or follow through.", Alex warned sensibly.
"Anything for you. I promise that I will go through with it, after all my dear parents' happiness is at stake.", Lana replied with a hint of sarcasm.
"So what does your plan entail?", Alex asked taking a seat with her on the previously occupied bench.
"It's quite simple really. I will, with your gracious help," she smiled hopefully and continued after he nodded in affirmation, "set up accidental meetings, like tonight. And it will undoubtedly stir up some of what we saw tonight."
"And you think it will work.", he responded skeptically.
"I don't think Alex, I know. As much as her pride wants to deny it, he is the earth and sky to her.", she said simply and smiled benevolently at her companion. She melted at the thought of being thought of similarly, although a touch of cynicism prevented her from completely indulging in such silly thoughts. Her opinion of herself was not so high as to readily see what was infront of her.
"Where have Lana and Alex gone to?", Emily said offhandedly to no one particular.
"You never know where those two 'love birds' snuck off to.", Travis snorted. He was, unfortunately, the only one within hearing distance of Emily.
"What are talking about?", Emily snapped.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know they left you out of the loop.", he replied casually.
"What loop? Get on with it?", she said impatiently. This boy was extremely taxing.
"Those two have been what you may call an 'item' for some time now. Surely you knew?", he said snidely.
Emily had heard enough. Of course she was greatly pleased that the two had finally come to their senses and, she was sure, that Alex was very capable from keeping her great-granddaughter away from the wretched person before her, but she didn't see why she was not informed.
"You would do well to check the attitude at the door young man. I will not have that tone used with me in my own house.", she warned uncivilly.
"I'll keep that in mind ma'am.", he replied, sarcasm evident in his voice. In utter disgust with him Emily retreated to find more appreciative guests.
"Rory.", Emily called. Her granddaughter jumped, thinking her to be a person she could not deal with at that moment.
"Hi Grandma.", she greeted happily at once recovering her senses. Suspicions must not be gained, the stakes were too high.
"I simply do not understand why your daughter is nice to that boy.", Emily sighed, obviously still in sorts about the whole thing.
"I'm guessing you mean Travis?", Rory laughed.
"Who else? Such an insolent, unreasonable, and... well how can you put the devil incarnate nicely?" At this Rory could only laugh.
"He has made quite an impression, hasn't he?"
"What is wrong with her? It can't be that she is in love with him, such an explanation would be expected seeing as how blindly she invited him here."
"Grandma, she is probably doing this only because she thinks it's helping Alex. Plus there is no chance she even likes Travis."
"Helping Alex? Nonsense. Alex hates him as much as I do, or more seeing his relationship with Lana.", the elder women dismissed.
"They told you about that?", Rory was surprised that her grandmother knew, since Lana and Alex had barely told her of it. Her knowledge came purely from observation. Although to a stranger their relationship wouldn't seem much changed. Thank goodness she wasn't like Tristan at that age.
"No I had to find out from...him.", she spat out the word him with malice.
"Don't take it personally Grandma, really. Those two keep to themselves. They don't really like to be in the lime light.", Rory explained, seeing that Emily wasn't happy.
"I know, I know." It was a rather good portrait of the two, so Emily conceded that her not knowing was a result of shyness. Yes. That was a satisfactory explanation. . Not much later, after Lana and Alex had reappeared, Rory announced that she had to leave. That also meant the rest of the Stars Hollow guest must leave as well, and so the party dissolved and each retreated to his or her own thoughts.
Lana and Rory drove on in silence, one plotting and the other berating herself for stupidity, although the latter couldn't suppress a grin every so often. This did not go unnoticed, not at all. The younger saw this as encouragement, attributing it to only one thing , and started in on her plans.
"What are you so happy about, aren't you supposed to be fuming?", Lana teased.
"Oh Lana you underestimate me, right now I am thinking of your punishment. If only the hadn't gotten rid of the stocks."
"Mother."
"Seriously, those people had a good process. Mortify criminals so they won't commit any more crimes. Seems just to me. Or maybe even cut off a limb. A little harsh for some things, but I think it's fitting here.", she ranted.
"Can you really say you weren't happy to see him?", asked Lana innocently.
"Look Lana, it's far to complicated for you to understand.", she brushed her off.
"Not from where I'm sitting."
"Really? Pray tell, what insight has my sixteen year-old daughter have for me?"
"You're afraid. I'm serious. Your head won't allow you to do what you want to, because you have this fear of being hurt.", Lana rephrased her speech from the garden. It was a little too much for Rory to take. Was she that see through? Did her emotions show so much?
"You're way off base.", she shook her head, suppressing the urge to make a comment on him being Satan. After all this was his daughter. Lana smiled, thinking at least it was progress.
To him Rory Gilmore had been one of the most confusing people in the world, as well as one of the most confused. Since the day they met it had been back and forth both in her witty banter and in their stance. She was the first to completely deflate his ego, which was a shock to his system, and it never stopped there. He could see whenever he was around her she was at odds with herself and it drove him completely nuts.
Twenty some years and a daughter later things hadn't changed. It was always two steps forward and one step back. As fun as their game of cat and mouse could be, it was wearing on him. Tonight he had gained more progress than over the last week or so. Maybe it was his imagination and he was reading too much into it, but did she admit she was falling for him again? One could only hope, although she said it as if it were a bad thing. Of course he didn't expect her to run back to him at a whim, after all he had been a complete jackass in the past.
¤Kari¤
Chapter 21
***********
Rory remained in the same position for a few minutes thinking about what she had started. She was convinced that she was going nuts or that she had a stalker, because every once in a while she would hear odd noises coming from the bush diagonally on the other side of the garden. Shaking it off as nerves or imagination she walked inside apprehensively.
The bush where the noises originated rustled and two people emerged, slightly scratched by the few thorns in the bush where they hid.
"Wow.", was the only thing Alex could utter.
"Well at least we know what direction we have to go and who we need to work on in our little scheme.", Lana mused.
Lana always had great ideas and such for projects and plans, but her work ethic needed some tweaking. Never once had any of her 'little schemes' gone down without a hitch, or been completed for that matter. Even with the influence of Alex, she had yet to hold her attention to an idea.
"Lana promise me that you will either stop your plan now or follow through.", Alex warned sensibly.
"Anything for you. I promise that I will go through with it, after all my dear parents' happiness is at stake.", Lana replied with a hint of sarcasm.
"So what does your plan entail?", Alex asked taking a seat with her on the previously occupied bench.
"It's quite simple really. I will, with your gracious help," she smiled hopefully and continued after he nodded in affirmation, "set up accidental meetings, like tonight. And it will undoubtedly stir up some of what we saw tonight."
"And you think it will work.", he responded skeptically.
"I don't think Alex, I know. As much as her pride wants to deny it, he is the earth and sky to her.", she said simply and smiled benevolently at her companion. She melted at the thought of being thought of similarly, although a touch of cynicism prevented her from completely indulging in such silly thoughts. Her opinion of herself was not so high as to readily see what was infront of her.
"Where have Lana and Alex gone to?", Emily said offhandedly to no one particular.
"You never know where those two 'love birds' snuck off to.", Travis snorted. He was, unfortunately, the only one within hearing distance of Emily.
"What are talking about?", Emily snapped.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know they left you out of the loop.", he replied casually.
"What loop? Get on with it?", she said impatiently. This boy was extremely taxing.
"Those two have been what you may call an 'item' for some time now. Surely you knew?", he said snidely.
Emily had heard enough. Of course she was greatly pleased that the two had finally come to their senses and, she was sure, that Alex was very capable from keeping her great-granddaughter away from the wretched person before her, but she didn't see why she was not informed.
"You would do well to check the attitude at the door young man. I will not have that tone used with me in my own house.", she warned uncivilly.
"I'll keep that in mind ma'am.", he replied, sarcasm evident in his voice. In utter disgust with him Emily retreated to find more appreciative guests.
"Rory.", Emily called. Her granddaughter jumped, thinking her to be a person she could not deal with at that moment.
"Hi Grandma.", she greeted happily at once recovering her senses. Suspicions must not be gained, the stakes were too high.
"I simply do not understand why your daughter is nice to that boy.", Emily sighed, obviously still in sorts about the whole thing.
"I'm guessing you mean Travis?", Rory laughed.
"Who else? Such an insolent, unreasonable, and... well how can you put the devil incarnate nicely?" At this Rory could only laugh.
"He has made quite an impression, hasn't he?"
"What is wrong with her? It can't be that she is in love with him, such an explanation would be expected seeing as how blindly she invited him here."
"Grandma, she is probably doing this only because she thinks it's helping Alex. Plus there is no chance she even likes Travis."
"Helping Alex? Nonsense. Alex hates him as much as I do, or more seeing his relationship with Lana.", the elder women dismissed.
"They told you about that?", Rory was surprised that her grandmother knew, since Lana and Alex had barely told her of it. Her knowledge came purely from observation. Although to a stranger their relationship wouldn't seem much changed. Thank goodness she wasn't like Tristan at that age.
"No I had to find out from...him.", she spat out the word him with malice.
"Don't take it personally Grandma, really. Those two keep to themselves. They don't really like to be in the lime light.", Rory explained, seeing that Emily wasn't happy.
"I know, I know." It was a rather good portrait of the two, so Emily conceded that her not knowing was a result of shyness. Yes. That was a satisfactory explanation. . Not much later, after Lana and Alex had reappeared, Rory announced that she had to leave. That also meant the rest of the Stars Hollow guest must leave as well, and so the party dissolved and each retreated to his or her own thoughts.
Lana and Rory drove on in silence, one plotting and the other berating herself for stupidity, although the latter couldn't suppress a grin every so often. This did not go unnoticed, not at all. The younger saw this as encouragement, attributing it to only one thing , and started in on her plans.
"What are you so happy about, aren't you supposed to be fuming?", Lana teased.
"Oh Lana you underestimate me, right now I am thinking of your punishment. If only the hadn't gotten rid of the stocks."
"Mother."
"Seriously, those people had a good process. Mortify criminals so they won't commit any more crimes. Seems just to me. Or maybe even cut off a limb. A little harsh for some things, but I think it's fitting here.", she ranted.
"Can you really say you weren't happy to see him?", asked Lana innocently.
"Look Lana, it's far to complicated for you to understand.", she brushed her off.
"Not from where I'm sitting."
"Really? Pray tell, what insight has my sixteen year-old daughter have for me?"
"You're afraid. I'm serious. Your head won't allow you to do what you want to, because you have this fear of being hurt.", Lana rephrased her speech from the garden. It was a little too much for Rory to take. Was she that see through? Did her emotions show so much?
"You're way off base.", she shook her head, suppressing the urge to make a comment on him being Satan. After all this was his daughter. Lana smiled, thinking at least it was progress.
To him Rory Gilmore had been one of the most confusing people in the world, as well as one of the most confused. Since the day they met it had been back and forth both in her witty banter and in their stance. She was the first to completely deflate his ego, which was a shock to his system, and it never stopped there. He could see whenever he was around her she was at odds with herself and it drove him completely nuts.
Twenty some years and a daughter later things hadn't changed. It was always two steps forward and one step back. As fun as their game of cat and mouse could be, it was wearing on him. Tonight he had gained more progress than over the last week or so. Maybe it was his imagination and he was reading too much into it, but did she admit she was falling for him again? One could only hope, although she said it as if it were a bad thing. Of course he didn't expect her to run back to him at a whim, after all he had been a complete jackass in the past.