Coming Clean

After some searching I find a black maternity dress I can wear with a blue cardigan over, hoping it will tone down my stomach a bit, talk about mission impossible and decide to let my hair hang loose, to wear my necklace with the wedding ring on underneath the cardigan and to put on a couple of silver earrings . Last but not least I squeeze my poor swollen feet into my shoes. Upon entering our common room I see that Tristan also has changed into more formal clothes now wearing a black suit with a light blue shirt, looking as handsome as ever. My first instinct is to jump him but I settle for standing in the doorway staring at him. Almost as he feels my eyes on him he turns around.

"Hi gorgeous", he greets me.

"Not looking too shabby yourself."

"That hot huh?"

"Nice to see some things never change, like your self-confidence."

"Ah you know you love me", he says smiling the smile of his that melts me every time.

"God help me but I do", I answer, giving him a peck on his lips before heading out.

"Hey that's all I get!" he screams at my retreating back.

"For now yeah", I scream back at him swaying my hips at bit for the extra effect.

"Tease!", he answers but never the less he follows me out.

We are greeted at the door of the Gilmore mansion by the latest maid that after she has taken care of our coats, is about to show us to the rest of the party but when grandma enters the hallway she beats her to it.

"It's about time you show…" grandma chokes on her own words when she lays her eyes on me in all my glory.

"Hi grandma", I say as nonchalant I can trying my hardest to swallow back the tears, which is threatening to fall after seeing the look of disappointment in her eyes.

"Emily, was that Rory who came?" grandpa comes out asking caring his usual martini glass and I'm not kidding you when I say you could literally see the colour drain from his face.

"Dad did you just say Rory?" mom enters the room wondering closely followed by, to my surprise, my dad.

Dad's eyes go wide at the sight of me while mom all of the sudden finds the floor very fascinating.

"Are you hiding anyone more in there?" I joke in an attempt to lighten up the mood, but those words have barely left my mouth before yet another two persons emerge from the dinning room, unknown to me but from the way Tristan tenses up I know they aren't to him.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"Well dad it's pretty simple actually I'm pregnant."

"I can see that! I was referring more to the how, when why and what is he doing here?" dad angrily points at Tristan. "Lor did you know about this?"

"About the pregnancy yes but I figured it was Rory's place to tell you guys but I had no idea it would take her as long as it did because you're like what six months along by now."

"Seven."

"But I don't know what he is doing here though", mom continues referring to my present company.

"I'll like to know the answer to that myself", the man I don't recognize speaks up for the first time.

"And a big hello to you too dad", Tristan answers him coldly.

"Oh no they are your parents", I whisper to him but he chooses to ignore me.

However I take his hand in mine anyway giving it a reassuring squeeze in order to show him my support.

"I'm still waiting for an answer and for your sake I hope it is a good one, like you just happened to show up here at the same time because quite honestly after your ill made decision to quit Stanford I don't think our family's reputation can take much more. Especially not you being friends with her! Following mommy's footsteps are we Miss Gilmore? Getting knocked up at 19, talk about being weak!" Mr Dugrey spits out.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that! She is so much better than you and if you think coming here tonight telling everyone about the baby was easy you got another thing coming. It takes a very strong person to do that something Rory is otherwise she wouldn't have come as far as she has. Not only is she the strongest person I know but also the most beautiful one inside out unlike you."

"I'm still dying to know what you are doing here Tristan because coming here after last time takes some nerve", dad is at it again.

"He is here because I asked him to be, ok?"

"So this is just your latest conquest, trying to earn brownie points son? And to be honest I thought you could chose anyone you wanted so why this morally corrupt thing…not only did her mother have her outside marriage disgracing her family, now she is standing here herself knocked up and not even having the decency to keep away while the newest bastard of Hartford is cooking. And no father to be seen, spreading her legs to anyone just like her mother, really Tristan…I expected more from you", Mr Dugrey spit out with contemt.

"IF YOU THINK RORY IS MORALLY CORRUPTING HARTFORD BY BRINGING IT INTO THE 21st CENTURY YOU CAN COUNT ME IN TOO BECAUSE I'M THE FATHER", Tristan screams.

"WHAT?" Mr Dugrey chokes out.

"I said I'm the father," he repeats calmly.

"Do you have any proof of that or are you just taking this tramp's word for it?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP BEFORE I DO SOMETHING I MIGHT REGRET LIKE SMASHING YOUR SKULL IN, WHICH QUITE HONESTLY IS LOOKING VERY APPEALING RIGHT ABOUT NOW", Tristan continues screaming at his dad.

"I'm not going to help you support this bastard of a child that some slut you slept with claims are yours"

"Don't you dare speak to my daughter like that", mom pipes up to my defence.

Mr Dugrey, however, takes no notice of her interruption as he continues staring at Tristan, who at this point is taking deep breaths trying to will himself not to punch his dad's brains out.

"Before opening your mouth father dearest, you should have your facts straight. One this child isn't a bastard because we are married, two and most important is that I trust Rory with my whole heart and there is not even a shadow of a doubt in my mind that this baby is mine."

"This is even worse than I thought. I will help you out if this mess but it's the last time, so get your coat we're leaving and that goes for you too Francine."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh yes you're."

"NO"

"Tristan, if you don't come with us this instant so help me God but I have no longer a son."

"I already told you I'm not going anywhere."

"Have it you way, consider yourself disowned. Francine, will you hurry up!"

With a huff they both disappear.

"Now that went well."

"I'm so sorry Tris, so sorry. I know what it feels like."

I give him a hug stroking his back trying to comfort him while tears are streaming down my cheeks because of the damn hormones.

"This is very touching and all but I agree with the Dugreys, what the hell kind of mess have you gotten yourself into?" grandpa half screams.

"Round two," I whisper to Tristan as we turn around with a sign facing the Gilmore's.

"Rory, you of all people should be more careful."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It's suppose to mean that your own origin isn't exactly something to be proud of and one would think you want to redeem yourself for it by setting a good example, but what do you do? You go and get yourself in basically the same mess"

"You know what grandpa I'm sick and tired of always having to make up for mom's mistake not to mention the notion that I myself is one. Guess what I'm not her, I'm me and you need to start accepting that.

"Could have fooled me."

"How? I admit this isn't what I planned but news flash I'm not perfect I made a mistake, not mom but ME. And the only similarity between my situation and hers is that she was and I will be a teen when giving birth, but it ends there. My baby's father actually wants to take a part of his child's life on the contrary to some other people I know."

"That I assume was meant for me, but Rory honey being who I'm I know what's going on in a boy's head at that age and let me tell you something if you think for a second he is going to stay, you got another thing coming.

"You ought to know running is your speciality."

"Furthermore I understand sex and all this is new to you and that you were seduced by the notion of it all not to mention from Tristan over there but don't be so damn naive. You need to prepare yourself for life as a single mom and from where I'm standing you haven't."

"Dad, Tristan did not seduce me or anything else of that nature if anything I took advantage of him. You see the first time we slept together was on a party he got dumped at, on the top of a piano three years ago, so don't go calling me naive or this is all so new to me because guess what it is not."

"Back up here a second, I'm really interested in the married part. How did all that happen?" mom asks.

"As you might have figured out already, Tristan was the one I spent the summer with and our last stop was in Las Vegas. Since both of us were really nervous about seeing our families again we got wasted and woke up the next morning with matching rings. Apparently also with a baby on the way cuz that's the only time we practiced unsafe sex."

"Have you planned for this baby at all? Like where to live? How to earn a living? Or how to get an education?"

"We haven't figured everything out yet but..."

"What a surprise! I guess I yet again have to come to the rescue, so kids this is what's going to happen, first of all you will get married."

"Grandpa are you listening to me? We already are married."

"A sleazy Vegas wedding doesn't count, Tristan you will come and work with me at the firm and…"

"With all due respect Mr Gilmore you can't go around dictating our lives, I don't want to work in your business please respect that."

"Want and want. You have a baby on the way, there is no question about what you want anymore you have to start acting responsible."

"Like getting my daughter knocked up is responsible."

"Look at your own track record before opening your big mouth dad."

"I'm not an idiot. I know I have to make something out of myself but right now I don't know what that is and if I wanted someone else to decide I would have stayed at Stanford. I'm willing to take whatever job I can get like waiting tables, being a sales clerk or cleaning hotel rooms whatever it takes to get Rory through college and the baby well taken care off."

"And you think that is enough? A baby costs money," grandma adds.

At this point I'm seething not only did Tristan have to take his own parents blow out but now he is also the one taking all the blame from the Gilmore's.

"Will you stop talking like I'm not even here! It isn't like I'm an innocent bystander in all this. If I were I wouldn't have been sleeping with him on regular bases during high school cheating on all my boyfriends in the process. I liked it a lot ok. I loved being able to be myself for once and I still do. He understood me like no one else; he didn't have all this expectations on what I should do or how I should act. Tristan has been really good at answering your questions so far but enough is enough!" I explode.

"Finish?" he smiles winking at me.

"O yeah let's get out of this joint."

We storm out leaving a very confused lot behind us.

TBC