I do not own GG. I own this story though.
Coughing I Love You-One Shot
Apparently snow storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes weren't enough reason to miss the Gilmore's annual Christmas party, which was two weeks before the actual holiday. It was only snowing and Lorelai Gilmore was just embellishing. She really would do anything to get out of holidays with her parents.
"But mom, it's snowing pretty hard and if it doesn't stop soon Rory and I won't be able to get home" Lorelai complained to her mother over the phone. She cringed right afterwards knowing that she was trapped.
"Well then you two can stay here for the night." Emily offered up her house for her daughter and granddaughter just as Lorelai expected her to. Emily's tone was void of comfort and welcome, though.
"My God Lorelai is it really so bad to have to stay the night with your family?" Emily nagged with her sharp annoyed tone. It was sad that all Emily wanted for Christmas since Lorelai left was for her and Rory to come back. But she just didn't know how to act around her daughter anymore. She had no control or power over her daughter, sometimes she didn't even think she had her daughter's respect. Even now after years without Lorelai she'd sit outside at night and wonder what she had done wrong. She has seen Lorelai with Rory and every time she is consumed with jealousy.
"No mom, I wasn't…" She cut herself off, sighed and put on a fake smile even though her mother couldn't see her.
"I'll pack some overnight stuff just in case. I have to go and get ready now." She attempted to hang up the phone. Talking to her mother was worse than pulling teeth, falling down stairs, a hang over from hell, a sugar coma, etc. The list just goes on and on.
"A thank you would be nice." Lorelai winced then straightened her posture, shoulders back, head up high, nose in the air, etc.
"Thank you mom." She threw the phone on her bed and glared at it. She growled and flipped it off with her middle finger.
Lorelai stepped into her closet and began the desperate search for something nice to wear. More specifically something her mother hadn't seen her in. She had come to anticipate Emily's criticism and avoided it whenever possible. After minutes and minutes of searching and tossing clothes deemed unworthy on her bed she finally found what she was looking for. She raised it up in the air and cheered. Thirty minutes later she was almost done when she heard the distinctive cough of her daughter. She put down her curling iron and headed for the stairs.
"You okay Hun?" She shouted from upstairs, or the middle of the stairs. She heard more coughing. She looked over at the clock on the VCR, it was too late to cancel. Even the sick excuse didn't work with her Nazi mother.
When Lorelai found her daughter curled up on her bed covered in acceptable dresses looking pale with a tint of green she didn't know whether to laugh or to get the camera. But then her daughter coughed again. She rushed over to her side.
"Rory? You alright?" She asked her daughter. She placed her hand on her daughters forehead only to have it slapped away. Lorelai was confused and her face clearly portrayed that. She attempted to pull Rory into a hug and then sneak the hand on the forehead. But once again Rory struggled.
"I know you don't like being sick babe, but I got to do this." She told her daughter. She was getting a little annoyed.
"I'm not." Rory croaked out. Her throat was sore and the coughing had drained her energy. She was lying when she said she wasn't sick. She felt like crap. But if she admitted to feeling under the weather her mom would cancel on her grandma. She actually wanted to see her grandparents. She wasn't like her mother in that regard. She actually enjoyed spending time with her grandparents, that is until her grandma and mom started to fight.
"Fine. You have twenty minutes to get ready." Lorelai walked out of the room and into the kitchen. She sat at the table and started flipping through last months edition of Time magazine. She hated the magazine, but Rory loved it. Well actually Rory loved saying she loved the magazine and to sit at the park bench reading it even though she didn't understand most of it. Lorelai laughed a little. Then without warning a clap of thunder interrupted her thoughts which was followed closely by a hoarse yelp in the direction on Rory's room.
Lorelai didn't get up. Rory was clearly at a stage where she didn't want her mom to come and rescue her from the storm or to make her feel better when she was sick. A few minutes later a flash of lighting scared her out of her gaze. She jumped a little and looked up to see Rory standing right across from her.
"When did you get there?"
"Like five minutes ago, you wouldn't snap out of it." Rory whispered. She was probably saving her voice for her grandparents.
"Kay, let's go." Lorelai grabbed her wool coat as well as Rory's. She tossed Rory's to her and opened the door. A gust of wind and snow flew at her.
"Hurry up Rory." Rory stepped out of the house and into the cold she shivered.
"Oh shoot, I forgot our overnight bag." Lorelai exclaimed. She ran back into the house. On the doorstep she turned to look at Rory, who wasn't following her.
"You coming back inside kid?" She saw Rory shake her head. Lorelai stomped over to her stubborn daughter and pulled her to the door. Rory didn't make much effort to resist.
It took Lorelai ten minutes to pack her and Rory's overnight bag which consisted of pajamas, tomorrows clothes, colonel clucker, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a hair brush. She hoped she wasn't forgetting anything.
"Come on kid." She dragged Rory out of the nice warm house and back into the cold blizzard.
"You okay?" She asked Rory. Her daughter, although not as social as she was, was being unusually quiet. She didn't hear anything but assumed Rory was nodding.
"Are we almost there?" Rory broke the silence twenty minutes into the drive.
"Yeah, about. It's real bad weather we're having."
"Uh huh."
"Alright Rory I've had enough of this. If you're feeling sick I need to know. And stop with this 'I can take care of myself attitude.' I am your mother and sorry to say but you can't change that." It took all of her willpower not to scream at Rory who at this point was looking down. She couldn't tell for sure but she would bet her new house that Rory was crying.
"I didn't want you to worry." It was the most pathetic, quiet, whisper she had ever heard. She sighed. It was times like these where her method of raising Rory got her into trouble. She clearly needed to draw the line of mother and daughter.
"You're not. I'll always. Why. Errg." She was having problems communicating now. She didn't know why her mouth and brain weren't working right.
"Rory, I love you and I'll always worry." She stopped the car in the Gilmore driveway away from the many others. She didn't want to block anybody in, especially since she wasn't planning on leaving tonight. She looked over at Rory.
"I got dizzy while I was picking out clothes." Rory whispered. She didn't know why she told her mom that but she figured that now since they were at the Gilmore mansion her mom wouldn't turn the car around. Lorelai watched as Rory unbuckled her seatbelt and walked to the big Gilmore doorstep.
"Oh." Was all Lorelai could say when she stood next to Rory. She rang the doorbell. She pulled Rory into an impromptu hug. She heard Rory giggle slightly. The door opened and she put on her best smile.
"You're late." Emily Gilmore accused then walked away without giving Lorelai a chance to explain.
"Yeah traffic was bad. I'm fine though and so is Rory, although she is a bit sick and should probably have stayed home, we came anyway." She rambled off like her mom was still there.
"Don't mind her, she's just… busy." Lorelai felt the need to explain to her impressionable daughter and felt that insulting her mom would be wrong. She had to wait until Rory was old enough to understand the situation that caused the rift between her and her mother.
The dinner table was cold as always. The questions the guests asked were the same as the guests' the year before. Her father talked about the business as always while her mother chatted about the DAR and other shindigs she had gone to.
"So Rory how old are you?" Mr. Peterson asked for the third time that night. Lorelai rolled her eyes and reframed from answering the question herself with some colorful language she picked up in the Hollow. Emily just smiled at Rory and Richard was well on his way to slapping the man for not listening to his granddaughter the first time the question was asked.
"Um ten." Rory said quietly. Her throat was still hurting.
"Speak up child, an old man like me can't hear." Mr. Peterson joked, he was probably thirty maybe thirty five. Rory didn't laugh. She just looked down at her plate.
"She's ten." Lorelai told the man. She gave him a look to remember it or he'll have to deal with her.
"Mom." Rory whispered to her clearly trying to avoid all attention. It was dessert so the guests were talking about their summer plans. However the table quieted when they heard her speak.
"Never mind." Rory looked down at her cheesecake. She was well aware that the spotlight was on her. She hated attention. Besides what she wanted to say was private between her and her mom.
"Rory don't be shy. It's rude to be shy, especially with guests around." Emily told her granddaughter in an uptight voice that was bordering angry.
"Hey, excuse me." Lorelai jumped up from her chair and shouted at her mother while pointing her finger at her in anger.
"Lorelai, lower you're voice." Nag, nag, nag that was all Emily Gilmore was good for.
"I will not. Mom, what is wrong with you? She's ten. And more then that she's sick." She paused to take a deep breath since she was speaking rapidly.
"She's supposed to be shy. She's only a little girl. My God, have you no heart?" Lorelai was losing ammo and a lot faster then she thought she would. She realized all eyes were on her and although she usually had no problems about attention it bothered her. She would openly admit, to anyone but her mother, that she was acting like a child.
"Lorelai you're acting like a child." Her mother quietly spoke. She was pissed that Lorelai would cause such a scene. But she knew if someone was criticizing her daughter she'd react as well.
Lorelai shook her head in efforts to save face then sat down in her chair. She stared at her empty plate.
"Is there any…"
"Mom, do you and Grandma fight because of me?" Lorelai looked stunned at her daughter. Her jaw open wide, her eyebrows knitting together, her eyes staring confused at her intuitive daughter's questions. Rory was too young to know, to know it was the truth.
"No. Your mother and I fight because we have many differences. You are not one of them." Emily answered for her speechless daughter. It took her awhile to get over Rory's innocent question.
"You're lying." Rory whispered to herself. Lorelai heard her but was sure no one did.
"I'm going to take Rory to bed now. It's way past her bedtime." Well that was a lie. Rory didn't have a bedtime. It was just an excuse to talk to Rory. Plus the sick little girl should probably get some rest.
Everyone nodded their head and let the younger Gilmore's leave. Lorelai wrapped her arms around Rory's shoulders and helped her daughter upstairs to her old bedroom. She realized halfway up the stair that she forgot the overnight bag in the car. She didn't change course though. She'd grab all that after she and Rory had a talk. At the top of the stairs Lorelai put her hands on Rory's shoulders guiding her to the room. They opened the door and Lorelai picked Rory up at the waist and ran into the room. Rory giggled and laughed and screamed to be put down.
Downstairs everyone smiled. To Mr. Peterson, who was in child services, it was refreshing. He wasn't entirely sure if the girl was happy. But hearing the young girl upstairs laughing and playfully screaming was like music to his ears. Emily was jealous once again, but felt that the little girl needed to have some fun. Richard was almost asleep when the ruckus from upstairs woke him. It had been awhile since a little kid was in the house and it made him feel young once again.
Lorelai threw Rory onto the queen bed and then fell on top of her. She went for all the tickle spots. After several shouts of "Stop!" Lorelai finished. She rolled over and laughed herself. Sometimes she felt more like a big sister than a mother.
"So obi wan? Where'd that question come from?" She switched gears into mother mode and smirked when Rory groaned.
"Just stating the truth." She coughed. But it was a fake cough. A leave me alone cough.
"Uh huh. Elaborate will ya?"
"Elaba-what?" Rory's eyes lit up, she loved learning new words.
"Go into more detail." It was like an automatic response to define words in front of Rory now. She hated doing so too.
"Oh." Rory nodded her head. Lorelai raised her eyebrows reminding Rory to answer the question.
"Why don't you elaborate, right, on why I'm wrong." Lorelai gaped at her brainy daughter.
"What the fuc…Duck?" She nearly swore. It was never an issue of swearing but a few weeks ago she got a call from Rory's teacher saying that Rory was using inappropriate language, swearing. She tried to explain it was all apart of the learning process but then it turned into a fight where Lorelai was deemed a bad influence.
Rory giggled. She was amused. Ever since the issue with her teacher her mom had started the soap in mouth punishment. Rory only thought it was fair that it worked two ways seeing as how her mom was the bad influence.
"Anyway, and I didn't say it young lady, your grandmother and I fight because of me, and my flaws and my behavior growing up. And I have many excuses but we'll save those for another year."
"Elaborate." Lorelai hated when Rory got a new word, it would be like this until Rory had found a new words or got crabby.
"Well, I guess the major one was me getting pregnant at sixteen. Then I suppose running away with you was a big one too."
"See. Me."
"I am seeing you." Lorelai joked. She hated serious conversations with her ten year old daughter. She usually loses.
"No silly. I'm the factor in those." Factor was last weeks new word. Lorelai cringed. Why'd she get the smart daughter?
"Plus I always thought it was the stork." Rory joked back. Her timing wasn't perfect but Lorelai could work with that. Rory knew all about the birds and bees. Lorelai was not shy in telling her.
"Rory. Your grandparents were disappointed in me. Me. It was never an option for me to not have you. And when you were born they adored you. But I was feeling closed in, controlled so I bolted and took you with me. You had no say in that, Rory. Wait no, you did say gaga goo goo." Rory lightly smacked her mom on the shoulder.
"They love you, I love you, the rest of the Barney song. You get it. Grandma's really just upset that I took you away from her."
"So I wouldn't be controlled?" Lorelai laughed.
"No baby. I wasn't thinking about you when I ran off."
"Oh." Rory replied. She was getting really sleepy.
"Mommy I'm tired." Rory yawned. She made a pull at the covers of the bed and Lorelai pulled her into a massive bear hug where she discreetly put her hand on Rory's forehead.
"Hey!" The ten year old croaked out.
"You feel warm baby." Lorelai stated as there wasn't much else to say. "Let me go to the car and get our overnight bag. Be ready to brush your teeth, kiddo." Lorelai got up from the comfy bed and headed for the stairs. She shivered at the thought of going out in the cold to get their pajamas. But it was nothing compared to the sharp electric tingles she felt when she thought of spending the night in the big mansion where it always seemed empty and unforgiving. If a house could be unforgiving it would be the Gilmore manor. At the front door she met Mr. Peterson and her mother. She bid farewell to the creepy man who didn't listen to her daughter without any sarcastic comments, which was almost impossible. She followed him out and walked over to her car. He stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. As expected she jumped basketball player distances in the air.
"Holy fuck! You trying to give me a heart attack?" Explained a rather unnerved Lorelai.
"Sorry about that. I thought you could hear me." He apologized.
"What do you want? I have a sick kid to get back to."
"I work in social services"
"So?" He looked at her quizzically. She elaborated. "Should I give you a round of applause, or do a cheer? Should I call the national guard to salute you on a job well done." Peterson laughed slightly not fully comprehending.
"I want to talk about your daughter." He assumed that getting to the point was the best way.
"Uh huh? You should schedule an appointment with my secretary because it's past business hours." He opened his mouth to say something but she didn't give him a chance.
"Besides, what makes you think you know anything about me and my daughter? Who do you think you are, anyway? Some kind of god who can dictate who's a good parent and who's a good kid? You and your kind"
"My kind?" He interrupted. He did not like where this conversation was going.
"Yes you're kind. All of you snotty shit holes who think that because you have money you're more important than the rest of us." She briefly paused to take a deep breath.
"Ms. Gilmore, please"
"What? Please what? Lower my voice, reframe from using insults, stating the truth, the painful and pathetic truth that you and your kind don't care about the working class even though they are the backbone of America. Even though they are the people who made you rich, somewhere down the inbreeded elite line, old money or not you stepped on someone else to get it."
"Ms. Gilmore!" He shouted to get her attention. She looked at him with her eyebrow raised ready to attack anything he says. He tried in vain to match her look.
"Never mind." He receded to his car. Lorelai stood and watched him until he drove off. She would never admit it, but the fact that social services wanted to talk about her daughter scared her shitless. She was always good at hiding her fear. She did grow up with Emily Gilmore, the bear, who could smell fear from miles away.
After gathering the bag from the backseat of the car she bounded up the stairs to see Rory, who she thought would be sleeping peacefully. She entered her old bedroom to the odor of vomit and a choking kid. She dropped the bag at her feet and ran towards Rory.
"Honey, what happened?" She asked even though she could guess what happened. It would take a certified moron to not know what had happened. And that was what Lorelai Gilmore felt like.
She placed her hand on Rory's back and started to rub it and gently pat it to help the air go into her lungs. It took away until Rory was calm and could breath without making a fuss. Lorelai took of Rory's dress and threw it across the room towards the bathroom. She helped Rory out of the bed and started to take off the now discolored sheets. She threw them in a heap by her door. Lorelai grabbed Rory's hand and almost dragged her to the bathroom. She turned on the shower.
"Hey can you take it from here?" Rory nodded and removed her tights and underwear. Rory cautiously held out her hand under the water afraid it would either burn or freeze her fingers.
"So there is a towel out here and I'll set your pj's on the toilet. I'm going to go find some new sheets and get you some medicine." Lorelai shouted to Rory who was in the steaming hot shower.
On her way out of the bathroom Lorelai grabbed the dress and threw it on top of the sheets. She put Rory's sleep gear on the toilet and proceeded to head downstairs toward the laundry room. It was unfortunate that she ran into Emily on her way down.
"What's wrong with those sheets?" Emily snarled thinking Lorelai thought they were too bad or, more likely, that they were too good for her.
"Rory threw up." Lorelai was in no mood for her mothers condescending attitude. She just told her the truth. She watched as Emily processed the little piece of information in her brain. She hid her smirk. Her mother obviously was at a loss of words. Lorelai made a mental note to do a little dance later.
"If she was that sick you should have stayed home." Emily criticized. She didn't know why she did though. She really just wanted to have a civil conversation with her daughter. It was suddenly like she was incapable of being a friend to her child.
"She really wanted to come see you guys." Lorelai was compelled once again to be honest. She saw her mother smirk at that statement and waited for the come back. It never came.
"We like seeing her too." Lorelai nodded then went down the stairs to the laundry room.
"And you." Emily quietly added as she watched her daughter retreat down the stairs in responsible mother mode. She was amazed at how responsible her irresponsible daughter had grown into.
Emily walked into Lorelai's old bedroom and sat down on the sheet less bed. Maybe she could finally have that conversation with Lorelai. She just had to leave her pride behind. Lorelai walked in a minute later, surprised to see her mother sitting on the bed.
"Hi. I wasn't expecting you here, was I?" Lorelai asked to be sure she wasn't not listening. She really didn't need to get an ear full right night. Lorelai placed the new sheets on the chair by her dresser.
"No, you weren't. I wanted to know if Rory was okay."
"Um, she's got a fever, probably the flu. I'm going to take her to the doctors tomorrow. Right now though I'd say she feels like crap."
"I heard that." The little voice of Rory came out loud and clear even though she was in the shower.
"It's not a bad word." Lorelai shouted back annoyed at her daughter for calling her on it.
"It is too." Rory shouted back.
"Oh well, you're delirious. Your making it up anyway."
"Am not." The ten year old bickered back. "I know what I heard."
"Nobody else does so let it go." Lorelai hit her kid with a confusing phrase, hoping that Rory would let it go.
"Grandma heard it too." Emily groaned. She didn't want to be pulled into this fight. She thought it was incredibly cute though. Lorelai was a good mother. She just didn't know how to tell her that. But by being placed in the middle she had to chose between her daughter and her granddaughter. Rory was telling the truth. But if she chose Rory's side she would just bury her relationship with Lorelai even more then it already was.
"I agree with your mother, it's not a bad word." Emily said. Lorelai beamed at her. And her choice was became a good one. She didn't hear Rory say anything. She didn't put much thought into it.
"She's pouting." Lorelai whispered to her mom. She was surprised that her mom took her side. People can be surprising.
"How do you know?"
"I just do." Lorelai looked at her mom. "Help me make the bed or get up?" Emily got off the mattress and went to the bathroom door. She knocked.
The door opened and Rory was standing there in pink satin pajamas. Her hair was sopping wet and it looked like, judging from the mess in the bathroom, that Rory was looking for something. Probably a hair dryer.
"Let's go dry your hair, okay." Emily offered out her hand. Rory just stood her ground. The elder Gilmore girl was regretting her decision to support Lorelai in their fight.
"I can do it myself." Rory crossed her arms. Emily revoked her extended hand and sighed. Rory was just as stubborn as Lorelai.
"Don't mind her she's just in a little rebellious stage. She thinks she can do anything. Humor her."
Emily did as Lorelai suggested and took Rory into her room where the hairdryer was. She plugged it in before placing it in the small kid's hand. She watched as Rory attempted to dry her hair. In the end Emily just took over with no fuss from her granddaughter.
When they came back into the bedroom twenty minutes later Lorelai was lying under the covers all ready for bed. Rory dropped her grandmothers hand and jumped onto her mother. Lorelai grabbed the kid into a hug then pulled down a corner of the blanket so Rory could get it. Lorelai looked at her mother with an 'I told you so' look. Emily refused to give up her pride and admit it was the truth. She just nodded her head and turned around.
"Mommy I love you." The sleepy voice of Rory made Emily turn around.
"Aw. I love you too." Lorelai kissed Rory on the forehead.
"Grammy I love you too." Rory coughed half way through but continued anyway. Emily smiled. Lorelai smiled.
"Me too." Lorelai fake coughed. Emily felt like her heart melted.
"I love you two." Whether Lorelai understand the context or not, it was said.
"Hit the lights, will ya?" Lorelai asked in fake rude voice. So much for that moment. Emily shook her head in disbelief before leaving, making sure she turned off the lights.
If you liked it, let me know by reviewing. I might be persuaded to continue this story.