AN1 ~ Jayde: Thank you all so so much for the reviews and replies. I love all of you. Really. I want to give each of you a big hug! I hope that you like this update, I worked quite hard on it. :p  Again, thank you.

AN2 ~ Didi: Thank you for all the reviews… I loved them and the reviewers even more.  This chapter was basically Jayde's but next one is mostly mine…  Enjoy!

Chapter 2

  Rory stared at the blinking cursor in frustration; she was supposed to be writing about the new wing that was being built at the local hospital. It had been funded by a donation from a wealthy man who had spent the last years of his life in and out of the hospital. Usually she could easily write an article about a new hospital wing, or even (as she had proved in high school) the re-paving of a parking lot. But there seemed as if there was a wall blocking the words that she knew were in her head, not allowing them to actually appear on the screen.

  Growling, she closed the program, and opened a web browser. Quickly going to her favorites, she opened the login page of NYClove.com. Typing in the information, she smiled when in her inbox, there was an e-mail from Xavier.

Lorelai,

I can't tell you how glad that I am that we've met, and although I know that we've only known each other for a little over a week, I know that you're someone special. I'm not saying that I'm in love with you or anything, yet. But I do think that we have some kind of connection. Be it friendship, or love, I know that you are an amazing person.

So, I'm not sure if I have the right to ask this, and frankly, I don't know if it's what you're supposed to do, but I'm asking you not to see anybody else. Or chat, rather. lol There it is, the obviousness that I've never had an online relationship. Because that's what I would like with you. A relationship.

Now, if you feel comfortable with that, just send me an e-mail telling me that, yes, I will be your exclusive e-mail partner (what would the term be, anyway? lol). And if you don't feel comfortable being 'exclusive' with me at this point, then tell me that. I'll wait, if you want me to.

Now, I'll stop typing, because I'm sure that if I don't, I'll make an idiot out of myself, one way or another. lol

ttyl,

X.

 Rory laughed lightly, reading the e-mail. She was sure that if she had attempted writing one, she couldn't have done much better, and she wrote professionally. Hitting the reply button with her cursor, she smiled as she started to type.

Xavier,

  First of all, let me complement you on how succinctly you put the message: Can we type to each other exclusively. lol

  I don't deny the fact that this… on-line courtship, if you will, is a rather odd way to start a relationship, but I'm sure that by now you've learned that I am a rather odd person. I feel it, too. The connection. And, I would be happy to be your 'exclusive e-mail partner', as you put it.

 I do have to tell you, that I'm going home to my mother's for the weekend, so I'll probably be incommunicado. I leave tomorrow(well, actually later today, seeing as it's almost 1am), and will be back Sunday night, so I'll probably not be able to 'talk' to you until Monday night. Sorry.

ttyl,

L.

  Rory smiled softly as she hit Send, and then frowning, she leaned forward and looked for the place to check if she wanted to stop receiving profiles from any candidates for romance. She idly wondered why she hadn't done it before, she hadn't really looked at any of them since she had started chatting with Xavier.

 Sighing, she uncurled herself from her computer chair, and stood, stretching.  Walking to her bedroom, she paused to shake a little bit of dried fish food into the tank that was placed against her living room wall. "G'night, fishies." She watched for a moment as a few fish wandered up to the surface to much on the flakes, and then walked into her bedroom, already half asleep.

*~**~*~**~*

"Mommy!!" Rory stepped inside the front door of the old semi-Victorian that she had lived in since she was a young girl, "I'm home!" Tilting her head, she frowned when she didn't hear an answering call from her mother, or the more familiar greeting of hurried footsteps sprinting down the stairs as fast as humanly possible. "Mom?" She wandered into the kitchen, and then opened the door to her room and set her bag on the end of her bed. The room hadn't been changed for years, and still mementos from her high school career, pictures, and old, old, old post-it-notes from her mother that said silly things like: Don't Study too hard, and SMILE!!, and Marshmallows!...See, I knew that would make ya' laugh, stuck on the walls.

  Walking back into the kitchen, and through to the living room, Rory frowned. Slowly walking up the steps, she passed the washroom, and then stood at the door of her mother's room, listening intently. "Mom?"

 Hearing nothing, she brought one hand to the doorknob, and the other to cover her eyes. Opening the door quickly, she stepped into the room, "I'm here!" She was met with silence, and she opened her fingers a crack, and let out a sigh of relief when she found the room empty.

  She had learned quickly to make a lot of noise when coming home, and to always knock when she wanted to move into another room. Any room with a door, anyway. She had had a run in with a very…occupied Luke and Lorelai when she had come home in the middle of her fourth year so she could study at home for a big test, and had walked distractedly into the washroom, her mind on the studying that she had in store for her, and had found her mother and Luke in the shower together.

   Thankfully, they had a very dark green shower curtain, so she didn't see anything. She could only imagine what she would have done if it had been a week earlier when her mother had had a transparent shower curtain with cheerful duckies and frogs on it. She still thank God that that hadn't been the case.

  Walking back downstairs, Rory looked around, and finally saw the note that she was seeking. It was taped to the top of the coffeepot, a place that Lorelai knew her daughter would wander over to, eventually.

Rory, (a.k.a, The fruit of my loins, Sweet Child O' Mine, my namesake)

By the time that you read this, I'll probably be done with the 'emergency' that Michel had over at the Dragonfly, and sitting at Lukes bugging the hell out of him for coffee. Oh, the perks of being 'romantically attached', as you put it, with the diner guy. I still don't get why you don't let me say that I'm 'Doin' the Diner Guy', Cause that's how I put it all the time.

Anyway, Meet me.

Mommy.

*~**~*~**~*

"Luuuuke! I need some more coffeeee! I thought it was one of the perks of sleeping with you." There was a pause. "No pun intended."

  Rory smiled as she opened the diner door and heard her mothers mournful wail, with a bit of wit mixed in. A true Gilmore trait.

"No."

"Pleeeeease?" Begging, another Gilmore trait. Hearing the bell above the door chime as Rory walked in, Lorelai spun around, "Baby!!" She jumped off the high stool that she was sitting at the counter on, and opened her arms.

"Mommy!" Smiling at their familiar greeting, Rory grinned as she launched herself at her mother, hugging her vigorously. Although they had daily conversations via the telephone, Rory missed Lorelai fiercely. One tends to get attached to their mother. Stepping back, she grinned over her mothers shoulder at Luke. "Can I have some coffee, please?"

  Almost instantly, a large cup of coffee was placed in front of the stool that Rory was starting to sit down –or rather, up, because it was waist high– on.

  Lorelai's mouth dropped open, "Why does she get coffee, and I don't?! I'm prettier!!"

Yep, Rory thought with an inner sigh of bliss as she took the first sip of her coffee, She was definitely home.

*~**~*~**~*

  Tristan smiled again as he was introduced to yet another important person that were in attendance at the party that he was attending. His jaw ached from smiling, and his hand had been blessedly numb since and hour into the night. Shaking hands with people so much had almost cut-off the blood supply to his appendage after about the fiftieth enthusiastic pump. He still had to make it though the full dinner, and speeches. God help him. It was for a good cause, true… but it was hell on his patience level, not very high to begin with.

  Smiling still he excused himself, and strolled over to the bar, "Scotch, On the Rocks." Glancing over the crowd again, he sighed, "Better make that a double." He slid a bill over the polished wood, even though he knew that the drinks were free. Looking over at the bartender, a Korean woman who was in a red velvet tunic that, along with black slacks served as the uniform for the waiters, she however had paired them with chunky red and black earrings, and bracelets that added a little bit of fare to the boring attire. "You, my dear, are a life saver." He tipped his glass at her, and took a sip, the alcohol calming his frazzled nerves.

"And you, Sir, are a very good tipper."

  Tristan grinned, and nodded again, "Back to the wolves." With his drink in hand, he blended back in to the crowd.

  Lane watched him go, a small frown marring her features. She knew him from somewhere, she knew it, but she couldn't think of where. Shaking her head, she tucked the crisp twenty into one of the many hidden pockets that were hidden in her shirt.

"I'm back, Boss. Sorry, there was a long line for the washroom."

  Lane looked over her shoulder and smiled at the man behind her, "It wasn't any problem Jordan, bathroom breaks are allowed occasionally."

  Jordan flushed, and re-took his place at the bar as an older couple strolled over. Lane walked away, leaving him expertly mixing the drinks. Walking over to the almost hidden doors, she walked into the bustling kitchen, and quickly grabbed a canapé off of one of her employees' trays as he walked by.

 Smiling, she bit into the mini-spring roll, and walked over to where the champagne was being poured into tall flutes, "Dannie, I got it. You go to the washroom; it looks like you're going to burst. And grab a plate of something off Sheila. You haven't eaten yet."

  Danny, smiled gratefully, and handed her the bottle of expensive wine. "Thanks, Boss."

  She shook her head, "Why does everybody insist on calling me that?" She wondered aloud.

"Because we love you, Boss." Sheila, the thirty-something chef smiled at Lane, and loaded some cheeses onto another serving tray.

"Well, I love you, too. And they don't call you 'Boss', and you own twenty-eight percent of the company!"

"True. But I only cook. Have you notice that they call me 'Chef'? You do everything else, and then pitch in with the cooking. 'Boss' fits."

"Oh, go away." Lane laughed as she continued to pour wine, and then set the empty bottle under the table with the others. Grabbing another spring roll from a plate of extras that she made sure was always available for her staff, she spotted Jamie, another waitress, and snapped her fingers at her, rather than trying to talk around the food in her mouth. She motioned to the tray of champagne, and smiled when Jamie hurried over and took the champagne out to the party.

"And you wonder why they call you 'Boss'."

 Lane looked over at Sheila, swallowed hurriedly, and then laughed.

  An hour later, Lane groaned as she watched the fish course being wheeled away to the diners in the auditorium. "Why did I agree to do this for free?"

"It's for the Inner City Orphanage."

"Screw the orphans. My feet hurt."

  Sheila laughed, "You don't mean that."

Shaking her head, Lane sighed, "I know." She leaned against the counter, and took off her shoes, looking at them sadly. "They look pretty, but they're hell on the toes."

"That's why I only wear small heels. Repeat it with me: Small."

  "I hate you."

  "So, who is in attendance? You got to actually see some of the action in the ballroom. Tell me."

  Lane shrugged, "The usual suspects. The mayor. A few high power CEOs. Donald Trump."

Sheila sighed, "Anyone dishy?"

"'Dishy'?" Laughing, she shook her head, "Didn't that word go out with the fifties? Anyway, you're married."

"So? It doesn't hurt to look. I wouldn't be human if I didn't. Again, Tell me."

"I guess. I didn't look, really. I was too busy… There was one guy, though…" She trailed off.

"Ohhh… Do I have to tell Dave to watch out?" Sheila teased,

  Lane shook her head, chuckling, "No, it's just that… I'd swear that I met him before. I don't know, he just looks really familiar."

"Well, you could have seen him in the paper, or something. It wouldn't be impossible."

"That's probably it." She turned around, "Let's start plating that dessert. Your cheesecake looks absolutely sinful."

*~**~*~**~*

End AN1 ~ Jayde: So, what did you all think of the whole Tristan/Lane interaction? I hope you enjoyed.

 J.

End AN2 ~ Didi: Hope you liked it… Next chapter is coming soon!