A/N: Hey guys! Alright now I cut this chapter a little shorter so I could
get it out more quickly. Thank you all SO much for your reviews I'm at
99!!!!! You have no idea how happy I am. I put a little of everything in
this one. I'm using this chapter as sort of a transition into what you've
been asking for (more R/T). I know this has taken me forever to get to but
I promiseit will come :-D
¤Kari¤
Chapter 23 ********
Tristan DuGrey paced around his living room, his mind running a mile a minute. He couldn't help but think, 'What the hell happened.' Today's lunch changed everything, he supposed. Not that he minded, but how the hell would deal with it? Lorelai, Paris, Lana, Luke, and every other member of Stars Hollow, would have reactions so varied none of them could be predicted.
But right now that concern was worlds away. He had to figure out what to do for dinner the next day. Not an easy task for him at the moment. The minute he thought of an idea he would instantly shoot it down for one reason or another. The few plausible ideas he had were ruined by the almost sworn secrecy of the matter. If he could only figure a way to get Lana out of.... The phone rang mid-thought, almost as an answer to his problem. Ironically it was.
"Hello.", he answered quickly.
"Hello Mr. DuGrey is Lana there?", the voice said.
"Oh hello Emma, no she isn't. May I take a message?", he replied absently.
"Well, my parents have thrown together a last minute little holiday party and I was calling to invite all of you.", Emma answered in her most polite tone. She rolled her eyes as she spoke the words little party.
"When is it?", he asked with the same socially civility Emma had practiced.
"Tomorrow night at seven. I realize it's last minute, and my parents apologize. We would really love to have you come.", her tone remained the same although sarcasm threatened to creep into it. Emma, like many in her shoes, hated the social requirements that her parent maintained, but could do nothing about them. The reason this was so 'last minute' was because she couldn't be bothered with it earlier in the week. Procrastination was her very close friend.
"Tomorrow night. I'm afraid I can't make it, but I'm sure Lana can.", he said a little too enthusiastically. Thank God. What would he do without some like Emma to provide the perfect distraction for his daughter.
"I'm so sorry you can't make it but we're always glad to have Lana. I just talked to the Griffin's and they ensured us Alex would be there.", she replied. It always felt odd to talk about a person you knew since you were in elementary school as if you had met them a week ago. There was no warmth in Hartford's elite.
"Perfect. Well have a nice day Emma.", he said brightly, ending the conversation.
"Goodbye Mr. DuGrey. I'd say have a nice day but it sounds like you've already had one.", Emma let one slip. Being polite was boring her and she was getting more than a little suspicious of her best friend's father.
"Goodbye Emma.", he shook his head and hung up the phone. Now he had a plan.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Hello!", Rory called into the nearly empty diner.
"Luke! Jess? Anyone?", she continued impatiently, as she took a seat, when no one answer.
"Ok . Stop yelling. God.", Jess emerged from upstairs.
"Sorry. So how was your day?", she smiled brightly. Jess raised his eyebrow but sat down anyway.
"Fine. Why are you so happy?", he questioned.
"What is wrong with a person being happy?", she said exasperatedly.
"Happy people depress me.", he deadpanned.
"I should really introduce you to Paris again.", she rolled her eyes.
"Ah yes man hating, ego shattering, dictator Paris.", Jess rolled his eyes. The last time he saw Paris was at Rory's wedding, when she was terrorizing the florist and other various people.
"Oh come on she's not that bad."
"Whatever you say.", Jess wasn't quite convinced. He was about to change the subject when Rory's cell rang. Although he was almost tempted to send her outside so she would leave him alone, he said nothing.
"Hello?"
'Hi there Mar.' Rory smiled but then realized Jess still remanded in the seat opposite her. She wasn't quite ready to let anyone in on her little secret.
"Uh...Paris how are you.", she thought on her feet. Tristan laughed.
'Someone's right there huh?'
"Jess and I were just talking about you.", she answered his question and smiled slightly over towards Jess who cringed slightly as she said it.
'Sure. Ok I just called to tell you about tomorrow night.'
"Oh yea. Our dinner with that advertiser.", she said to give herself an alibi for the next night. Of course her and Paris didn't really handle much of the advertising, but Jess didn't know that.
'Meet me at home around six.' He said home. Was it still her home? Little things like that sent her heart flying to her throat.
"Please tell me you're not cooking.", she said quietly.
'Of course I am.'
"Yeah that's funny...we'll talk about that later, but what about...", she trailed off.
'I've taken care of Lana and Alex. Don't worry.'
"You just think of everything huh? Okay well I'll see you tomorrow I guess."
'Bye Mar.', he laughed and hung up.
"So. What was that about?", Jess asked, almost suspiciously.
"Paris, she wanted to confirm our plans for tomorrow night.", she replied easily.
"Oh.", he said simply, reluctantly accepting that as the truth.
"I better go. I have a lot of work to finish for the paper.", Rory got up and headed towards the door.
"Have fun.", Jess waved as she left. He pulled out his old copy of Slaughter-House-Five and started to reread it. He found it upstairs under his old bed where he had probably lost it years ago and figured it was something to do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Looking forward to the party at Emily's cuz?", Travis asked standing in Alex's doorway.
"It's Emma you idiot and don't tell me you're going.", Alex responded agitatedly.
"Fine I won't tell you."
"She seriously invited you? You can't even remember her name."
"Must be the old Griffin charm. To bad you missed out on that one.", he retorted smugly.
"Why can't you just leave me the hell alone?", Alex glared. There was nothing good about Travis. No redeeming qualities, no human aspects, just pure evil.
"Now where's the fun in that? It's much more interesting this way."
"Goodbye Travis."
"I hope Lana comes, she can introduce me to everyone.", he tried to hit him where it hurt.
"Go to hell."
"All in due time dear cousin. All in due time.", he smirked walking away. Alex grabbed the phone off the receiver and dialed a number that had been almost burned into the phone.
'Hello?'
"Hey Lana.", he sighed.
'Alex, what's wrong?"
"Nothing I haven't dealt with before. So are you going to Emma's tomorrow?"
'My dear daddy already committed me to it and Emma is one of my best friends.', she sighed. She didn't really want to go but she didn't really have a choice.
"Well I'm stuck with Travis too. My mother obviously felt he needed 'social interaction'."
'How 'bout we skip out early. I'm sure Emma wouldn't mind.', Lana offered.
"Then movies at your house?"
'It's a date.', Lana smiled.
"Bye Lorelai."
'Goodbye Alexander.', Lana laughed hanging up the phone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N(2):Uh oh. Where does that leave Tristan's plans? Dun dun dun. haha I'm weird Iknow you don't have to mention that. The next chapter, like I said, was originally going to be combined with this one but it was taking too long. Sorry again!!! R/R...I would love suggestions about where you want this to go. Some of you have asked when and how I was going to end this and the truth is I haven't even thought that far ahead. So I do take all your ideas into consideration :-) Okay you're probably sick of me by now... until next time, Kari
¤Kari¤
Chapter 23 ********
Tristan DuGrey paced around his living room, his mind running a mile a minute. He couldn't help but think, 'What the hell happened.' Today's lunch changed everything, he supposed. Not that he minded, but how the hell would deal with it? Lorelai, Paris, Lana, Luke, and every other member of Stars Hollow, would have reactions so varied none of them could be predicted.
But right now that concern was worlds away. He had to figure out what to do for dinner the next day. Not an easy task for him at the moment. The minute he thought of an idea he would instantly shoot it down for one reason or another. The few plausible ideas he had were ruined by the almost sworn secrecy of the matter. If he could only figure a way to get Lana out of.... The phone rang mid-thought, almost as an answer to his problem. Ironically it was.
"Hello.", he answered quickly.
"Hello Mr. DuGrey is Lana there?", the voice said.
"Oh hello Emma, no she isn't. May I take a message?", he replied absently.
"Well, my parents have thrown together a last minute little holiday party and I was calling to invite all of you.", Emma answered in her most polite tone. She rolled her eyes as she spoke the words little party.
"When is it?", he asked with the same socially civility Emma had practiced.
"Tomorrow night at seven. I realize it's last minute, and my parents apologize. We would really love to have you come.", her tone remained the same although sarcasm threatened to creep into it. Emma, like many in her shoes, hated the social requirements that her parent maintained, but could do nothing about them. The reason this was so 'last minute' was because she couldn't be bothered with it earlier in the week. Procrastination was her very close friend.
"Tomorrow night. I'm afraid I can't make it, but I'm sure Lana can.", he said a little too enthusiastically. Thank God. What would he do without some like Emma to provide the perfect distraction for his daughter.
"I'm so sorry you can't make it but we're always glad to have Lana. I just talked to the Griffin's and they ensured us Alex would be there.", she replied. It always felt odd to talk about a person you knew since you were in elementary school as if you had met them a week ago. There was no warmth in Hartford's elite.
"Perfect. Well have a nice day Emma.", he said brightly, ending the conversation.
"Goodbye Mr. DuGrey. I'd say have a nice day but it sounds like you've already had one.", Emma let one slip. Being polite was boring her and she was getting more than a little suspicious of her best friend's father.
"Goodbye Emma.", he shook his head and hung up the phone. Now he had a plan.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Hello!", Rory called into the nearly empty diner.
"Luke! Jess? Anyone?", she continued impatiently, as she took a seat, when no one answer.
"Ok . Stop yelling. God.", Jess emerged from upstairs.
"Sorry. So how was your day?", she smiled brightly. Jess raised his eyebrow but sat down anyway.
"Fine. Why are you so happy?", he questioned.
"What is wrong with a person being happy?", she said exasperatedly.
"Happy people depress me.", he deadpanned.
"I should really introduce you to Paris again.", she rolled her eyes.
"Ah yes man hating, ego shattering, dictator Paris.", Jess rolled his eyes. The last time he saw Paris was at Rory's wedding, when she was terrorizing the florist and other various people.
"Oh come on she's not that bad."
"Whatever you say.", Jess wasn't quite convinced. He was about to change the subject when Rory's cell rang. Although he was almost tempted to send her outside so she would leave him alone, he said nothing.
"Hello?"
'Hi there Mar.' Rory smiled but then realized Jess still remanded in the seat opposite her. She wasn't quite ready to let anyone in on her little secret.
"Uh...Paris how are you.", she thought on her feet. Tristan laughed.
'Someone's right there huh?'
"Jess and I were just talking about you.", she answered his question and smiled slightly over towards Jess who cringed slightly as she said it.
'Sure. Ok I just called to tell you about tomorrow night.'
"Oh yea. Our dinner with that advertiser.", she said to give herself an alibi for the next night. Of course her and Paris didn't really handle much of the advertising, but Jess didn't know that.
'Meet me at home around six.' He said home. Was it still her home? Little things like that sent her heart flying to her throat.
"Please tell me you're not cooking.", she said quietly.
'Of course I am.'
"Yeah that's funny...we'll talk about that later, but what about...", she trailed off.
'I've taken care of Lana and Alex. Don't worry.'
"You just think of everything huh? Okay well I'll see you tomorrow I guess."
'Bye Mar.', he laughed and hung up.
"So. What was that about?", Jess asked, almost suspiciously.
"Paris, she wanted to confirm our plans for tomorrow night.", she replied easily.
"Oh.", he said simply, reluctantly accepting that as the truth.
"I better go. I have a lot of work to finish for the paper.", Rory got up and headed towards the door.
"Have fun.", Jess waved as she left. He pulled out his old copy of Slaughter-House-Five and started to reread it. He found it upstairs under his old bed where he had probably lost it years ago and figured it was something to do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Looking forward to the party at Emily's cuz?", Travis asked standing in Alex's doorway.
"It's Emma you idiot and don't tell me you're going.", Alex responded agitatedly.
"Fine I won't tell you."
"She seriously invited you? You can't even remember her name."
"Must be the old Griffin charm. To bad you missed out on that one.", he retorted smugly.
"Why can't you just leave me the hell alone?", Alex glared. There was nothing good about Travis. No redeeming qualities, no human aspects, just pure evil.
"Now where's the fun in that? It's much more interesting this way."
"Goodbye Travis."
"I hope Lana comes, she can introduce me to everyone.", he tried to hit him where it hurt.
"Go to hell."
"All in due time dear cousin. All in due time.", he smirked walking away. Alex grabbed the phone off the receiver and dialed a number that had been almost burned into the phone.
'Hello?'
"Hey Lana.", he sighed.
'Alex, what's wrong?"
"Nothing I haven't dealt with before. So are you going to Emma's tomorrow?"
'My dear daddy already committed me to it and Emma is one of my best friends.', she sighed. She didn't really want to go but she didn't really have a choice.
"Well I'm stuck with Travis too. My mother obviously felt he needed 'social interaction'."
'How 'bout we skip out early. I'm sure Emma wouldn't mind.', Lana offered.
"Then movies at your house?"
'It's a date.', Lana smiled.
"Bye Lorelai."
'Goodbye Alexander.', Lana laughed hanging up the phone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N(2):Uh oh. Where does that leave Tristan's plans? Dun dun dun. haha I'm weird Iknow you don't have to mention that. The next chapter, like I said, was originally going to be combined with this one but it was taking too long. Sorry again!!! R/R...I would love suggestions about where you want this to go. Some of you have asked when and how I was going to end this and the truth is I haven't even thought that far ahead. So I do take all your ideas into consideration :-) Okay you're probably sick of me by now... until next time, Kari