Author: Summer

Title: Drain the Glass

Rating: PG-13, for now

Chapter Title: Empathy

Summary: When Rory Gilmore's broke, she's desperate enough to do anything- even be the nanny to the family of her roommate. But it's the blonde boy she runs into there that makes the story interesting…

Chapter Summary: A sense of empathy… conversations… sisterly bonding

Disclaimer: Don't own Gilmore Girls, obviously. Um, own Jordan and the rest of the Danvers, as well as Sinclair, Amelie, Corina, and Julianna. Also don't own Procol Harum's One Eye on the Future, One Eye on the Past. Nor do I own Shelter's Empathy. Basically, I own nothing except my mind's eye. Yes, scary thought. ;)

Author's Note: To Joan.

Feedback is always appreciated. You guys know me well enough to know I'd never hold back a chapter over it… err, with the exception of Loz and Joan, lol, but it does make an author more enthused. Plus, I'm the kind of person who will comment on good feedback in an author's note, maybe pimp a fic.

Emphatize can I look through your eyes / I'll find different paradigms / And different minds never two of kind

It was chilly. The black material clung to her thin frame the same way her hair clung to her face. Rory tucked a strand of her straggly hair behind her ear as she leaned against Tristan's side, watching the black limousine pull away.


After a long moment, Tristan cleared his throat. "Are you ready to go?" His voice was surprisingly gentle.

"Yes," Rory said, biting her bottom lip and looking down at her hands childishly.

Tristan started to walk toward his car, but paused when he noticed Rory hadn't followed. He glanced back and found her standing in the same spot, staring at the newly covered plot. Sighing, he walked back to her and placed a hand on the small of her back. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," she said again, her voice hollow.

Still she didn't move. Pushing his hand against the small of her back, he added, "If you want to stay here a little longer…"

"No." Rory took a hesitant step, allowing Tristan to guide her to the car.

Tristan glanced at Rory as he drove. She hadn't said a word, just staring out the window as he drove. He didn't think Rory had known Mrs. Gellar very well.

She seemed to read his thoughts. "I only met her twice," she said quietly, still facing away from him.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "And you're still so…"

"Involved?" Rory shrugged her shoulders heavily. "Paris and I are good friends. Do you know anyone well enough that when they're hurt or in a bad place emotionally… you are too? That's how it is with me. I'm that way with most of my friends."

Amelie. The girl definitely had a way of making him feel guilty. He'd almost forgotten about his fiancée. "Yeah."

Rory finally met his gaze, her tear rimmed eyes meeting his guilt-ridden ones. They lapsed back into silence.

"How's your weekend been?"

The cheery question simply added to Tristan's guilt. "Okay."

"Just okay?" Amelie sighed. "I feel bad now. I've had so much fun and I left you behind with the nanny and your sisters. I shouldn't have done that."

"Don't feel bad, Amelie. You deserve the break. What have you done?"

"Rebecca and I went to a book store, and guess who was there, holding a signing!"

Tristan smiled at the excitement in her voice. "I don't know."

"Lola Winslow. She was holding a signing for her newest novel."

"The flower one, right?"

"Wildflowers, silly," Amelie responded, laughing. "Daddy's company published it, but I didn't think I'd ever be able to speak with an author as well known as her."

"Did she know who you were?" Stupid question. Everyone knew who Amelie Rousseau was.

"Not until I gave her my name to sign the book. She kind of paused, so I told her that Paul was my dad, and she got all excited. It was so cool." She paused, seeming to sober from her excitement. "Where were you today? I called earlier."

"At a funeral."

Amelie gasped. "Oh no. Who died, Tristan? Was it someone close-"

"No, no, no," he said quickly, trying to calm down Amelie. "It was Paris Gellar's mother. It turns out Rory's friends with Paris, too, so…" He trailed off, not sure if he should tell Amelie that he and Rory had known each other beforehand.

"Did you tell Paris that we're both sorry for her loss? She seemed like such a nice girl that time I met her."

Tristan wasn't listening to her words. If he told her, she may get worried, not trust him. She might not believe he hadn't recognized Rory on sight. But if he didn't tell her, and she found out from Rory or someone else, she'd be upset. She'd think he was purposely holding back on her. There was no reason for him to do that, he tried to assure himself. He failed miserably.

"Rory went to my high school," he blurted out.

"Oh." Amelie's voice wasn't upset, or overjoyed. She sounded normal enough.

"I didn't know before I ran into Louise Grant the other day, I swear. I-"

"I believe you. It doesn't change anything, Tristan. It doesn't matter. Well, I suppose it does. She's a Chilton student. You should probably pay her better."

Tristan smiled in relief. It was times like these when he was reminded of why he loved Amelie so much.

Emilie entered the sitting room to find Normandy sitting on the couch, watching television. "What are you watching?" she asked, sitting down next to her older sister.

Normandy didn't take her gaze off of the television. "The weather."

Emilie nodded. "That's all you ever watch. You don't even watch the news."

"I read the news." Normandy paused. "Emilie, haven't you noticed that everything's dramatized for television. Including the news. It's quite disreputable. Earthquakes, fires, tornados… they're all bad enough without being inflated upon."

"What's that mean? Dis…"

"Disreputable, lacking respectability, dishonorable," Normandy answered patiently, scooting over to give Emilie more room.

"Oh." Emilie watched the weather silently for a moment, before turning to Normandy. "Can we watch something else?"

"What would you like to watch?"

"I don't know. Lizzie McGuire or something. What's on?"

Normandy quickly flipped to the Disney Channel. "Even Stevens," she said, wrinkling her nose.

Emilie bit her lip. "Can we watch it?"

Normandy nodded, standing up. "Go ahead."

"Normandy, watch it with me," Emilie pouted. "You never do anything with me anymore."

Normandy sighed, glancing at the television screen. "Fine."

Nine o'clock. She should probably put the girls to bed now. They had school tomorrow. Rory sighed, standing up slowly from her chair and dog-earing the page she was on in her novel.

The two were still in the sitting room, Emilie leaning against Normandy's shoulder. "Girls, it's nine o-"

"Shh!" Normandy held a finger to her lips, gesturing to Emilie. "She's asleep."

Rory's eyes widened as she took in the two girls more closely. She hadn't thought Normandy would be so sisterly; she acted much too mature to put up with Emilie's childishness. "Oh." She stood there awkwardly in the door, not sure if she should move the sleeping child.

Normandy solved the problem for her. Standing up, she tapped Emilie on the shoulder. "Bedtime," she said simply, and taking Emilie's hand, helped her to her feet. She turned to Rory and said in explanation, "Emilie's neck hurts when she sleeps in odd positions."

"Oh." Rory watched silently as Normandy led Emilie to her room.

"Still as erudite as ever, I see."

Rory glanced up to find Tristan DuGrey leaning against the doorframe to her room, smiling.

She cleared her throat uncomfortably, putting her book down on the bed. "I still read," she answered carefully, watching him. She'd been trying to avoid him as much as possible, but it was more difficult since her mini-breakdown at the funeral.

"Still reading Raspberry Rain?"

Rory crinkled her nose and shook her head. "Nope. It was a short read." Holding up Wildflowers, she added, "This is much longer."

Tristan nodded. "Amelie just read that. She actually met the author today. Apparently Miss Winslow had a signing today."

Rory nodded. "I heard about that."

"Oh, okay." He turned to leave, seeing the conversation was clearly over.

"Hey, Tristan?"

"Yeah?" He turned back around.

"I just had a question. Um. So you're obviously my age. So, are you going to college or anything? I'm just curious because you always seem to be busy and-" She rambled on.

Tristan shook his head. "No. I'm taking the year off."

"Oh." Rory paused. "Why? Unless you don't want to answer which I'd completely understand…"

Tristan smiled sadly. "Sometimes, not everything goes according to plan, Rory. Sometimes you need to let life lead you, veer from your plans a bit," he answered vaguely.

"Oh. Right."

And it'll bring me back down to size again / I live in a world where I'm the center of it / And everyone else seem so small