Author: Summer
Title: Drain the Glass
Rating: PG-13, for now
Chapter Title: Playing With Fire
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: Thanksgiving and gifts
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. Basically, I own nothing except my mind's eye. Yes, scary thought. ;) And the song is Don Harley's "My Thanksgiving."
Author's Note: To Mary Kate, because I know how freaked out she is. Also, I've been having trouble with this site and separating sections. This is why the last few chapters may have seemed strangely inconsistent. For now, sections will be separated with '
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.
SPECIAL NOTE: I'd like to thank all the readers who have followed this story through it's slow development. I'm very sorry for the delay between chapters. By mid-June, however, I can promise chapters will be much more speedy- maybe even 2 or 3 a week sometimes.
And I don't mind saying that I still love it all / I wallowed in the springtime / Now I'm welcoming the fall / For every moment of joy
It was going to be a cold winter. Even with the heat all the way up in her Prius, Rory was still shivering, and it was only November. She was parked outside of Chilton Elementary, waiting for Normandy and Emilie to be released for Thanksgiving break.
They were to be released at noon. Rory glanced at the digital clock. 11:56. Four more minutes of the cold. She picked up her cell phone, dialing her mother's phone number.
"Hey!" Lorelai answered breathlessly on the eighth ring.
Rory smiled at her mother's voice. "Where was the phone? Under the couch?"
"No, in a cabinet. Hey, Rory."
"Hi, Mom. What's going on?"
"Luke's coming over tonight with the turkey, and he's going to show me how to cook it. Are you still coming tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I think so." Rory paused as the bell rang and children started filtering out of Chilton Elementary. "I probably won't be there until later, though."
"That's fine, Ror. I'm just happy you can make it."
"I wouldn't miss it. I can't wait to see you."
"I can't wait to see you either. There's tons of food and since Luke's helping, it will actually be edible. I promise you're going to lo-"
There was a knock on the car window and Rory's gasp interrupted Lorelai.
"Everything okay, Rory?"
Rory looked out the window to see Normandy standing outside impatiently, Emilie right behind her. "Yeah, yeah, it was just Normandy." Twisting in her seat, she unlocked the back door for the girls.
"Who are you talking to?" Emilie asked as she climbed in.
"My mom. You want to say hi?" Rory held out the phone to the small blonde.
"Hi," Emilie said, taking the phone and twirling a strand of her hair.
Rory watched her as Emilie listened to Lorelai's response. "Yes. I can't wait! My mommy's staying home tomorrow… Nooooo. Here's Rory." Emilie handed the phone back to Rory.
"Mom, I have to go. See you tomorrow."
'
"So what does your family usually do for Thanksgiving?" Rory asked as she drove the girls home.
Normandy sighed loudly. "Our mother makes a huge deal out of having a home-cooked meal. Then she calls the caterer and has Corina work with the caterers. There's ridiculously fancy turkey that's basted in, well, I don't know what. This ridiculously sweet stuff that probably has a GI of about 80."
Emilie pouted. "Normandy's never happy. The food's really good, Rory. Are you sure you don't want to stay?"
Rory smiled. "I'm going to go home and visit my mom. I'll be right back afterwards though."
Emilie leaned forward and tugged at Rory's right arm. "Pinky swear?"
Rory smiled, extending her hand and grasping Emilie's little finger with her own. "Pinky swear."
Emilie grinned.
'
"My sister, Allison, is coming down tonight, with her boyfriend, Max. You'll be able to meet them before you go home, right?"
Rory nodded to Amelie. "Yeah, I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning."
Amelie settled back against Rory's headboard, drawing her knees to her chest. "It's great to have a friend here. This house gets so lonely when Tristan's not home. So… cold, you know?"
Rory nodded. "As a family, they can be pretty distant. I've noticed."
"My family was never so… disconnected. My sisters and I were always together." Amelie smiled. "Fighting, most of the time, but close."
"My mom and I have always been really close. She's like a sister to me."
"Who's like a sister to you?"
Both women turned toward the door. Tristan was leaning against the doorframe, his hands resting behind his back.
"My mother," Rory responded.
Tristan nodded and turned to Amelie. "Your sister's on the phone. Something about being lost."
"Oh no." Amelie got up quickly, brushing past Tristan as she exited the room.
Rory looked up at Tristan to find his gaze already on her. "What?"
"Nothing," Tristan shook his head, taking a step into the room. "When are you leaving?"
"I want to surprise my mom and leave tonight. If that's okay with your family."
"Yeah, sure, no problem." Tristan took another step toward her.
Rory frowned. "Is that all?"
He shook his head slowly. "No. My dad has this tradition that everyone makes something for someone on Thanksgiving- nothing store bought, you know, but something you make. To show the people around you you care."
"That's sweet."
Tristan ran a hand through his hair, and Rory thought he seemed nervous for a second. "So I made you something, too. It's no big deal or anything but…" He extended his hand toward her, holding out a wooden box.
Rory took it gingerly, a bit surprised. "Thanks." She started to open it, but Tristan laid his hand on top of hers quickly. "No, that's the other part of the tradition. If you open it in front of me, you'll feel obligated to say something. Thanksgiving's supposed to be about giving."
"Um, okay?" Rory glanced down at his hand, still resting on top of hers.
"Right," he said, pulling his hand away suddenly. "So I'll see you in a few days."
Rory watched in confusion as Tristan disappeared from the room, then set the box down with her luggage.
'
It was 6:30 when Allison and Max arrived. Amelie greeted them eagerly, throwing her arms around both of them. Rory and Tristan stood off to the side, watching the sisters reconnect.
"You'd think they haven't seen each other in years," Tristan commented.
"Two weeks is the same thing when it's someone you're close to."
"Yeah, I guess so."
They both quieted as Allison spoke up. "Max, you haven't met Amelie's fiancé yet. Here, we have to introduce you two. I'm sure you'll get along."
Tristan smirked at Rory. "I do believe I'm being summoned."
Rory laughed quietly as Tristan walked away. As Amelie introduced the two, Allison came over to Rory. "Who are you?"
"I'm Rory, the girls' nanny… governess."
"Oh, right! Amelie's mentioned you. I guess you two have become friends? I'm Allison."
"I know. It's nice to meet you."
"That's Max," Allison added, gesturing over to her boyfriend. "Isn't he the cutest?"
Rory laughed. "He's cute," she allowed.
"Come on, you should come, like, rejoin the group!" Allison grabbed Rory's hand and pulled her toward the others. "Max, Max! This is Rory. Even she thinks you're cute."
Tristan raised an eyebrow at Rory and she laughed uncomfortably, bending her head to try to hide her reddening cheeks. "Hi."
Max laughed. "Hey."
"I'm, uh, Rory Gilmore. I watch Tristan's sisters."
"And she's my friend," Amelie added, bumping her shoulder against Rory's. "Right?"
"Uh, yeah." Rory looked at Amelie. "I should probably go now. I want to get to my mom's before 8:00."
Amelie nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Okay. Just say bye to the girls first, or they'll never forgive you."
Rory smiled. "Thanks for the tip."
'
Rory stood outside her childhood home in Stars Hollow anxiously, waiting for her mother to come to the door. She was starting to take after her mother. She'd packed too much to carry, so she'd had to set her luggage down next to her. She knocked again.
"Coming," she heard from inside the house, and a moment later heard her mother unlocking the door.
Lorelai froze, a huge smile breaking out across her face. "Rory!" She enveloped Rory in a hug. "I thought you weren't coming home until tomorrow."
"I wanted to surprise you."
"Well, uh, yeah, you did." Lorelai smiled. "It's so great to have you home. Here, come in."
As Rory grabbed her suitcases, she was surprised by a voice upstairs. "Lorelai, who's here?"
Rory's eyes widened. "Is that Luke?" she asked her mother quietly.
Lorelai nodded as Luke came down the stairs. Rory's eyes widened as she looked between Luke and her mother. Luke's shirt was buttoned wrong. Her mother's hair was a mess, and half of her T-shirt was tucked into her sweatpants. "Well, um, I think I might be the most surprised."
'
When Rory woke up the next morning, the kitchen was full of townies. Babette was trying to take over Luke's cooking, Morey was eating pie, Miss Patty was hitting on a teenager, and Kirk and a very pregnant Lulu were making out in a corner.
Rory scanned the room for her mother and found her arguing with Taylor by the door. "Mom?"
"Oh, Rory, thank god. Can you tell Taylor there isn't an 11 o'clock sound violation?"
Very seriously, Rory responded, "Taylor, there isn't an 11 o'clock sound violation."
"Thanks, Hon. What's going on?"
"Um, that's what I wanted to ask you."
"Oh, well, Babette came over, and when she saw that we hadn't started the turkey, she called in the emergency crew."
"The turkey had been started," Luke complained from across the room. Babette took the chance to steal a spatula, which Luke tugged from her hand. "I work at a diner, Babette. I know how to cook."
Rory raised an eyebrow. "Um, since everything's all set, I'll be right back. I just want to call the girls and wish them a Happy Thanksgiving."
'
Rory tapped her fingernails impatiently against the desk as the phone rang. Finally, someone picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Oh, hey, Tristan. It's Rory. I just wanted to call to wish the girls a Happy Thanksgiving."
"Oh, that's nice. I'll get them for you in just a second."
"Thanks." She could hear him getting up.
"So, have you opened my gift yet?"
She'd forgotten all about it. "No. I haven't had a chance. I'll open it after I say hi to the girls. How's your day so far?"
"My mother's freaking out because the caterers are late."
Rory laughed.
Tristan cleared his throat and Rory heard him say something to the girls. "Here, Rory. I'm going to give the phone to Normandy now."
Rory waited a minute. "Hey, Normandy."
"Hello."
"Are you having fun?"
"My mom's making people think she's a manic-depressive, Tristan seems like he found a secret stash of some kind of drug, and Allison is possibly the loudest person I've ever met. I'm having a blast."
Rory laughed. "Well, I hope your day gets better. Happy Thanksgiving."
"Thanks." Normandy paused. "Do you want to talk to Emilie?"
"Yeah, sure."
'
She didn't open Tristan's gift until she'd tucked herself away in her room, away from the noise and the bustling activity of the day.
Sitting cross-legged on her old bed, she opened the box and looked inside. A thin blue bow held together a rolled up piece of parchment paper. She picked up the roll and slid the bow off carefully.
Rory unrolled the paper on her bed, stunned by what she saw. He'd painted her.
It was a gorgeous 11x16 oil painting. There was amazing detail in her face, from her sculpted cheekbones to her midnight blue eyes.
She ran her finger over her painted cheekbones, a soft smile creeping to her face.
Every hour of fear / For every winding road that brought me here / For every breath, for every day of living / This is my Thanksgiving