DISCLAIMER: Nope, still nothing owned here. Just the story line I've veered
off into.
Rory got up early the next morning. She felt like she had gotten no sleep, which wasn't far from the truth. After Lorelai had talked to Chris the night before, they had stayed up to watch the other two movies. Heckling the Brat Pack always cheered the two up, and they stumbled off to their respective beds around 2am. It was now 6am and Rory groaned as she stretched in her bed after turning off her alarm. She pulled herself out of bed and made her way to her daughter's bedroom. Lorelai had kicked off most of her covers during her sleep, but had a pillow over her head. Rory walked over and removed the pillow from her face.
Light having hit her eyelids, Lorelai took the pillow from under her head and replaced the first one. Rory laughed and sat on the bed. She tried to take this pillow, too, but Lorelai kept a tight grasp on it.
"Come on, Lor, get up," Rory coaxed.
"Call me in sick today," Lorelai requested.
"Huh-uh. No way. Come on, get up now and we'll both have time for coffee."
Lorelai relented, and let go of the pillow. Her face was scrunched up as she finally opened her eyes. Rory again laughed and tossed the pillow on the floor with the other one.
The two got ready for school and work then made their way to the café. As it was only 6:30am, Jess was shocked to see the Gilmores making such an early morning appearance. He opened at this time every morning, as coffee was very much in high demand at this time of day. The bookstore didn't officially open until 9am. He was in there at 6:30 doing inventory anyway, so he figured he might as well pour some coffee and make some money.
Rory looked around, noticing the lack of people. Jess noted the look of confusion on her face.
"What's with you?"
"Coffee, we beg you," came Lorelai's desperate plea.
"Where are all the people?"
"I just opened a few seconds ago. What are you two doing here?"
Rory pointed to Lorelai. "She has a test today, and she likes to go early to the library to cram even more material into her overly full brain. No bus this early, so here we are."
Jess nodded and handed them now filled to-go cups.
"You aren't hiding the big-gulp sized ones back there from us, are you?" Rory craned her neck to try to look behind the counter.
"Good luck on your test," he said to Lorelai, ignoring Rory's last question.
The two sipped their coffee and headed back to Rory's car. Rory put the key into the ignition but didn't turn the engine over.
"Mom, are you awake enough to drive?" Lorelai giggled.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Today's going to be a long day."
"Tell me about it. You don't have two tests and a presentation on the fascinating country of Benin with three other people that still haven't figured out what continent we're studying," Lorelai yawned. She pulled down the mirror on the sun visor and made a face at herself. "And I look gross."
"You don't look gross."
"My hair, I think I need to change my hair."
"Oh, no, we aren't going through that again."
"I promise not to let anyone perm it."
"Let's just get through today without anyone taking a pair of scissors to anyone else, shall we?"
"Fine. So, do you want to hear what Dad had to say?"
Rory took another drink of coffee, while turning down the street Chilton was located on.
"Not especially."
"He's in Chicago. He says he might stop by here soon," Lorelai explained turning a deaf ear to her mother's response.
"Why?"
"He's driving cross-country. He says he misses us."
"Bull. More like he's running from whatever is going on with him in California."
"Mom, would it be so bad to see him?"
"You're right. You should see your father. Now, have a good day at school. I'll be home by 6."
"We have dinner at 7, don't forget," Lorelai gave her mother a knowing look.
"How can I?" Rory smiled as her daughter kissed her cheek and got out of the car, heading for the massive building and disappearing into it.
Back in Stars Hollow, Rory had some time to kill before heading to work. She decided maybe some fresh air to clear her head before starting this potentially crappy day might do her some good. She walked around the town square and watched the townspeople that were decorating for the latest fall festival. She made small talk with a few people until she spotted Jess coming out of Doose's market, heading back towards the bookstore. She quickly caught up with him.
"Hey."
"Oh, hey. Do you know of any specialty health food stores near here?"
Rory gave him a look of shock and amazement. "Are you kidding me? You've seen how I eat."
"Right. I'll look in a phone book."
"Not so fast. Why do you need a specialty health food store? Not getting enough bran? I'm sure you could just gnaw on some tree bark," she joked.
"It's not for me. My nephew is coming to stay with me, and he's one of those health food nuts."
"You don't say. I've never met one in person," Rory mused.
"You could say he's rebelling. His mom's a pothead and his dad, not that Luke's met him, is a hot dog king."
"Wow. I'm going to let the hot dog king comment go due to the look on your face. So you're telling me he's rebelling by eating lettuce?"
"I just don't want the kid to starve."
"How noble of you."
"I try."
"So, how long is he staying with you?"
"Indefinitely. My weird-ass sister and her 'boyfriend' are going to travel with some Renaissance fair circuit, so the kid's staying with the most stable family they have left."
"Wow. You're the most stable person in your family?"
"I am now."
"Wow."
"Stop saying that."
"Sorry."
"Why are you following me again?"
Rory shook her empty coffee cup at him and smiled.
"No."
"Jess, please!"
He smiled, walking ahead of her as she trailed behind him in her high heels, all the way to the bookstore. He went upstairs to drop off his groceries in his apartment, and turned around to see her standing in the doorway of the apartment.
"What are you doing?"
"Just looking. I don't think I've ever been up here before."
"Home sweet home."
"It's tiny."
"It's a one room apartment."
"Again, it's tiny. Where is this kid going to sleep, downstairs in the shop?"
"I'm having a bed delivered. He doesn't get here 'til Sunday."
Rory made a face indicated she didn't believe Jess, and continued to look around the apartment. It was loaded with bookcases and CD towers. All of them full. She wanted to browse more up here than downstairs, but figured that would probably just make Jess crazy. Not that making him crazy wasn't an appealing option, but she needed to get to work.
"Why are you still standing in the doorway?"
"I'm waiting for you to get my coffee."
"Geez. You know, I hire people to do just that in my absence."
"It tastes better when you pour it," she smiled, tilting her head to the side.
"Unbelievable," he muttered, having finished putting his groceries away he grabbed her cup from her and walked down the stairs. Satisfied with herself, she followed him down to the café to retrieve her coffee so she could head off to another day of work.
That evening, Rory was getting dressed when she heard Lorelai come in. It was 6:15, and she'd been wondering where she was for the last hour. She pulled on her shoes and ran down to see Lorelai.
"Hey, kid, just getting home form school?"
"Oh, well, sort of."
"Sort of?"
"I was leaving school, and Tristan came up to me to talk about this test we'd had, the one in econ."
"Uh-huh," Rory smiled.
"Anyway, he was all freaked out about how he did, and asked me to get coffee with him to go over the test, you know, rehash it," Lorelai explained.
"Isn't this Tristan, the one that tried to make you life miserable when you first got there?"
"The one and the same."
"And you had coffee with this loser?"
"He's had a change of attitude. I think I intrigued him when he didn't faze me in the beginning of the year. I did take his ego down a few notches, after all."
"Well, you are unshakable."
Lorelai gave a devilish smile. "I know. So I let him take me out for coffee."
"Aren't you going on a date tomorrow?"
"Yep. This was sort of a pre-date date. And let me tell you, tomorrow is going to be wonderful," Lorelai said with a dreamy look on her face.
"Why do I get the urge to chain you up in the basement?"
"We don't have a basement," Lorelai pointed out.
"Hmm. Maybe I should have one built," Rory mused. "Come on, hurry up. We need to leave to get to Hartford, now."
"Just one second," came the muffled voice from inside the bureau. Lorelai pulled off her uniform and slid on a dress. She finished pulling her hair up as she walked out of the room and down the hall.
"Wow. I don't think you've ever said one second then done it before. A new Gilmore record."
Shaking her head at her mother, Lorelai bounded out of the front door towards the car. Letting out a deep sigh, Rory opened the door and stepped out on the porch. She locked the door and uttered to no one in particular, "Here we go again."
Rory got up early the next morning. She felt like she had gotten no sleep, which wasn't far from the truth. After Lorelai had talked to Chris the night before, they had stayed up to watch the other two movies. Heckling the Brat Pack always cheered the two up, and they stumbled off to their respective beds around 2am. It was now 6am and Rory groaned as she stretched in her bed after turning off her alarm. She pulled herself out of bed and made her way to her daughter's bedroom. Lorelai had kicked off most of her covers during her sleep, but had a pillow over her head. Rory walked over and removed the pillow from her face.
Light having hit her eyelids, Lorelai took the pillow from under her head and replaced the first one. Rory laughed and sat on the bed. She tried to take this pillow, too, but Lorelai kept a tight grasp on it.
"Come on, Lor, get up," Rory coaxed.
"Call me in sick today," Lorelai requested.
"Huh-uh. No way. Come on, get up now and we'll both have time for coffee."
Lorelai relented, and let go of the pillow. Her face was scrunched up as she finally opened her eyes. Rory again laughed and tossed the pillow on the floor with the other one.
The two got ready for school and work then made their way to the café. As it was only 6:30am, Jess was shocked to see the Gilmores making such an early morning appearance. He opened at this time every morning, as coffee was very much in high demand at this time of day. The bookstore didn't officially open until 9am. He was in there at 6:30 doing inventory anyway, so he figured he might as well pour some coffee and make some money.
Rory looked around, noticing the lack of people. Jess noted the look of confusion on her face.
"What's with you?"
"Coffee, we beg you," came Lorelai's desperate plea.
"Where are all the people?"
"I just opened a few seconds ago. What are you two doing here?"
Rory pointed to Lorelai. "She has a test today, and she likes to go early to the library to cram even more material into her overly full brain. No bus this early, so here we are."
Jess nodded and handed them now filled to-go cups.
"You aren't hiding the big-gulp sized ones back there from us, are you?" Rory craned her neck to try to look behind the counter.
"Good luck on your test," he said to Lorelai, ignoring Rory's last question.
The two sipped their coffee and headed back to Rory's car. Rory put the key into the ignition but didn't turn the engine over.
"Mom, are you awake enough to drive?" Lorelai giggled.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Today's going to be a long day."
"Tell me about it. You don't have two tests and a presentation on the fascinating country of Benin with three other people that still haven't figured out what continent we're studying," Lorelai yawned. She pulled down the mirror on the sun visor and made a face at herself. "And I look gross."
"You don't look gross."
"My hair, I think I need to change my hair."
"Oh, no, we aren't going through that again."
"I promise not to let anyone perm it."
"Let's just get through today without anyone taking a pair of scissors to anyone else, shall we?"
"Fine. So, do you want to hear what Dad had to say?"
Rory took another drink of coffee, while turning down the street Chilton was located on.
"Not especially."
"He's in Chicago. He says he might stop by here soon," Lorelai explained turning a deaf ear to her mother's response.
"Why?"
"He's driving cross-country. He says he misses us."
"Bull. More like he's running from whatever is going on with him in California."
"Mom, would it be so bad to see him?"
"You're right. You should see your father. Now, have a good day at school. I'll be home by 6."
"We have dinner at 7, don't forget," Lorelai gave her mother a knowing look.
"How can I?" Rory smiled as her daughter kissed her cheek and got out of the car, heading for the massive building and disappearing into it.
Back in Stars Hollow, Rory had some time to kill before heading to work. She decided maybe some fresh air to clear her head before starting this potentially crappy day might do her some good. She walked around the town square and watched the townspeople that were decorating for the latest fall festival. She made small talk with a few people until she spotted Jess coming out of Doose's market, heading back towards the bookstore. She quickly caught up with him.
"Hey."
"Oh, hey. Do you know of any specialty health food stores near here?"
Rory gave him a look of shock and amazement. "Are you kidding me? You've seen how I eat."
"Right. I'll look in a phone book."
"Not so fast. Why do you need a specialty health food store? Not getting enough bran? I'm sure you could just gnaw on some tree bark," she joked.
"It's not for me. My nephew is coming to stay with me, and he's one of those health food nuts."
"You don't say. I've never met one in person," Rory mused.
"You could say he's rebelling. His mom's a pothead and his dad, not that Luke's met him, is a hot dog king."
"Wow. I'm going to let the hot dog king comment go due to the look on your face. So you're telling me he's rebelling by eating lettuce?"
"I just don't want the kid to starve."
"How noble of you."
"I try."
"So, how long is he staying with you?"
"Indefinitely. My weird-ass sister and her 'boyfriend' are going to travel with some Renaissance fair circuit, so the kid's staying with the most stable family they have left."
"Wow. You're the most stable person in your family?"
"I am now."
"Wow."
"Stop saying that."
"Sorry."
"Why are you following me again?"
Rory shook her empty coffee cup at him and smiled.
"No."
"Jess, please!"
He smiled, walking ahead of her as she trailed behind him in her high heels, all the way to the bookstore. He went upstairs to drop off his groceries in his apartment, and turned around to see her standing in the doorway of the apartment.
"What are you doing?"
"Just looking. I don't think I've ever been up here before."
"Home sweet home."
"It's tiny."
"It's a one room apartment."
"Again, it's tiny. Where is this kid going to sleep, downstairs in the shop?"
"I'm having a bed delivered. He doesn't get here 'til Sunday."
Rory made a face indicated she didn't believe Jess, and continued to look around the apartment. It was loaded with bookcases and CD towers. All of them full. She wanted to browse more up here than downstairs, but figured that would probably just make Jess crazy. Not that making him crazy wasn't an appealing option, but she needed to get to work.
"Why are you still standing in the doorway?"
"I'm waiting for you to get my coffee."
"Geez. You know, I hire people to do just that in my absence."
"It tastes better when you pour it," she smiled, tilting her head to the side.
"Unbelievable," he muttered, having finished putting his groceries away he grabbed her cup from her and walked down the stairs. Satisfied with herself, she followed him down to the café to retrieve her coffee so she could head off to another day of work.
That evening, Rory was getting dressed when she heard Lorelai come in. It was 6:15, and she'd been wondering where she was for the last hour. She pulled on her shoes and ran down to see Lorelai.
"Hey, kid, just getting home form school?"
"Oh, well, sort of."
"Sort of?"
"I was leaving school, and Tristan came up to me to talk about this test we'd had, the one in econ."
"Uh-huh," Rory smiled.
"Anyway, he was all freaked out about how he did, and asked me to get coffee with him to go over the test, you know, rehash it," Lorelai explained.
"Isn't this Tristan, the one that tried to make you life miserable when you first got there?"
"The one and the same."
"And you had coffee with this loser?"
"He's had a change of attitude. I think I intrigued him when he didn't faze me in the beginning of the year. I did take his ego down a few notches, after all."
"Well, you are unshakable."
Lorelai gave a devilish smile. "I know. So I let him take me out for coffee."
"Aren't you going on a date tomorrow?"
"Yep. This was sort of a pre-date date. And let me tell you, tomorrow is going to be wonderful," Lorelai said with a dreamy look on her face.
"Why do I get the urge to chain you up in the basement?"
"We don't have a basement," Lorelai pointed out.
"Hmm. Maybe I should have one built," Rory mused. "Come on, hurry up. We need to leave to get to Hartford, now."
"Just one second," came the muffled voice from inside the bureau. Lorelai pulled off her uniform and slid on a dress. She finished pulling her hair up as she walked out of the room and down the hall.
"Wow. I don't think you've ever said one second then done it before. A new Gilmore record."
Shaking her head at her mother, Lorelai bounded out of the front door towards the car. Letting out a deep sigh, Rory opened the door and stepped out on the porch. She locked the door and uttered to no one in particular, "Here we go again."