Author: Summer

Title: Drain the Glass

Rating: PG-13, for now

Chapter Title: Lost

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: The fallout of what Normandy saw.

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. Don't own The Calling's "Lost" either. Basically, I own nothing except my mind's eye. Yes, scary thought. ;)

Dedication: To Ms. Vaughn, genevra, deeta, and LizDarcy1. You guys are some of my most faithful reviewers, and it's because of you that I continue to write, even when I probably shouldn't be.

Feedback: Is obviously appreciated. Thanks.

Reference: Rory's reference to Carly Simon is referring to her song, "You're So Vain." You've all heard it. sings You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you, don't you?

Author's Note: I'm so, so, so sorry for the utter lack of updates. I've been sick lately, and busy. I've also lost my primary beta and confidante in this story, so I'm sorry for any inconsistencies. It may be a little rough around the edges until I'm able to replace her. Plus, it seems like whenever I'm ready to update, doesn't want me to.
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There's a dark cloud over me / And I can't shake it off / I can't make a move to save myself

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"Here's your letter," Normandy said loudly, stalking back into Emilie's room with Rory's letter in hand.

Emilie jumped at her sister's tone, looking over at Normandy in curiosity. "What's wrong, Normandy?" she asked quietly.

Normandy shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it. Just... I didn't like something I read in it."

"Oh," Emilie pouted. "I'm sorry. I thought you'd like it."

Normandy forced a smile. "It's not your fault, Emilie. You were right. The writing's very good. It was the subject matter I didn't like."

Emilie giggled. "No warm and fuzzies for you?"

"'Fraid not." Normandy shifted uncomfortably before walking over to her sister's bed. "I'm going to go to bed, Emilie. You should, too."

"Okay. 'Night," Emile said, leaning forward and grabbing her big sister in a bear hug.

"Good night," Normandy said, taking a step back and turning for the door.

"Normandy?"

Normandy paused, her hand on the doorknob. "Yeah?"

"Will you make a snowman with me tomorrow?"

Normandy sighed. "Yeah, sure."

"Yay!" Emilie smiled. "I love you, Normandy."

"I love you, too."
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Rory's feet danced over the sitting room floor as she paced nervously. "What are we going to do?" she asked anxiously, "Amelie will never understand. Normandy misinterpreted..."

"Did she?" Tristan interrupted, his head bowed in defeat, "I mean, to me it seems like you set out to-"

"Don't. Don't even go there, Tristan," Rory steamed, stopping in her pacing to glare at him. "You aren't some victim, and I'm not some love struck sick seductress! I was sixteen."

"Really? Because the way I see it you deliberately set out to come between me and Amelie." Tristan's voice was oddly whiny.

Rory crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly sick to her stomach. "What? And you're innocent in all of this?"

"Well, compared to you..."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Rory shook her head. "Fine, Tristan. Whatever. If you don't want to own up to your mistakes..." Rory trailed off and began pacing again.

Tristan stood suddenly and stopped Rory, reaching out to grab her arm. "Will you stop?"

Rory froze, glancing down at his hand. She pulled her arm away quickly and glared up at him. "Don't touch me."

"Well, see, that's funny, because I'd think that's what you-"

She didn't even realized she'd slapped him until her hand began to sting. She pulled it away from his face quickly, averting her gaze.

Tristan watched her, slack jawed, before raising a hand to his cheek and massaging the reddened skin. "Ow."

Rory ground her teeth together, her eyes narrowed. "Listen. This isn't what's important. What's important is that Amelie's my friend. Your fiancée. And if she finds out what happened, it's going to kill her."

"You're probably dying to tell her. You're so screwed up you probably think that by telling her, she'll dump me, and I'll come running to you. Well, it isn't going to happen!"

Rory started to hum idly, looking away from Tristan.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Never heard of Carly Simon?"

Tristan swore under his breath. "Grow up, Rory."

"Me?" Rory laughed harshly. "Okay, I'll go do the 'grown up' thing," she muttered, turning her back on Tristan and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To my room. I'm packing up and getting out of here."
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Normandy had really hoped not to run into Amelie this morning. She wasn't ready to deal with any of the consequences of the previous night. Catching a glimpse of the woman in the dining room, she tried to tiptoe past the door, but it was too late.

"Normandy! You're up early."

Normandy turned around slowly. "I didn't really sleep."

Amelie smiled. "You're starting to sound like your brother. It's not a good habit to get into."

Tristan. Normandy had never hated someone as much as she hated Tristan right now. "I'm nothing like him," she muttered as she walked into the dining room.

"Why's that?" Amelie asked, confused by Normandy's tone.

Normandy bit her lip and sank down into the chair next to Amelie. "I'm just not. I don't want to talk about it."

Amelie frowned, but picked up an orange slice and held it out to Normandy. "Have one. You must be hungry."

"Thanks." Normandy popped it into her mouth.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Amelie asked sweetly.

Normandy swallowed, avoiding her brother's fiancée's gaze. It would've been so much easier if Amelie was like the girls Tristan used to date, if she wasn't so nice. It was a lot harder to even look at Amelie, so unaware and kind.

"My sisters tell me I'm a great listener," Amelie added, offering Normandy a small smile.

Normandy frowned. "Just ask my brother why I'm upset. He'll know," she said, jumping from her seat and leaving the room as calmly as she could.
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"I'll go check on Normandy," Rory told Amelie later that day, "She hasn't come out of her room in hours. I'll bring her lunch."

Amelie nodded. "Can you see if I did something wrong? She got pretty upset when I was talking to her earlier."

Rory smiled tightly and offered a terse little nod. "I'm sure you didn't-"

"I didn't do anything on purpose, but little kids don't think the same way we do," Amelie shrugged. "Something's going on with her."

"I'll bet," Rory said, excusing herself from the sitting room.

She reached Normandy's room in less than a minute. Creaking the door open, she peeked in to see Normandy sitting cross-legged on her bed, scribbling notes in the margins of a book. "Can we talk?"

Normandy jumped at the sound of Rory's voice before nodding slowly.

Rory entered the room hesitantly, not taking her eyes off the young girl. "You shouldn't have seen that, Normandy."

Normandy raised an eyebrow. "That wouldn't have made it okay."

Rory nodded. "I know. I'm sorry."

Normandy sighed, bringing the pencil to rest behind her ear. "I respected you, Rory. I thought you were intelligent and levelheaded and loyal."

Rory winced. "I know. And this is going to sound... trite, but I mean it. I don't want to hurt Amelie. She's my friend."

"Interesting way of treating your friends," Normandy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Listen, I know you're upset," Rory continued, ignoring Normandy's comment, "but I don't want Amelie to know about this. There wasn't anything behind it. It was just a stupid tradition. It was midnight."

"Rory..."

"I mean it, Normandy. That letter... it was a long time ago. I was only a junior in high school. I was stupid, and I wasn't happy with my boyfriend. Tristan... there's nothing there anymore. I swear."

Normandy was quiet for a moment as she studied Rory. "I don't believe you. But Amelie doesn't deserve to get hurt. I won't say anything right now."

Rory let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Thank you."

Normandy shook her head. "But if I see you and Tristan acting too friendly in any way, it's off. Even if it's just a hug, or a weird look. I don't like lying to Amelie. She's never been anything but nice to you."

Rory bit her lip, her stomach dropping. "I know," she said sadly, realizing just how true that was.

Normandy raised an eyebrow, looking at Rory in silence for a moment. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked suddenly, her tone a bit softer.

Rory blinked slowly and nodded. "Yeah..."

"That letter... I mean, I thought you thought Tristan was a jerk in high school."

Rory crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself tightly. "I did. It's complicated, Normandy. Sometimes what you think and what you feel aren't the same."

"So what do you feel now?"

"Now?" Rory smiled tightly. "My thoughts and my feeling's are the same. And they don't involve Tristan at all."

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Thoughts keep spinning through my head / All the times that we never did what we wanted to, yeah / But right before I hit the ground / It's just like a dream
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