Disclaimer: See prologue page.
Chapter 1: This Clock
Lorelai Leigh "Rory" Gilmore walked off of the plane and into the airport, scanning the crowd for her sister and brother-in-law.
"Rory!" she heard Shelly's familiar voice call out.
Rory saw Shelly and ran to her sister. "Shells!"
Rory and Shelly hugged, as Jordan stood behind them, standing and waiting, as was usual when Rory came to see Shelly.
"Hey, Jordan," Rory greeted.
"Hey, Rory," he responded, giving her a hug.
"Good to see you, sis," Shelly stated, putting her arm around Rory as they began their walk to get Rory's bags.
"You, too," Rory replied, putting her arm around her sister. "Do you guys have coffee at the house, though? I've only had three cups since this morning."
Shelly looked at Rory and gasped. "Only three?"
Rory nodded solemnly. "Yeah."
Shelly giggled. "I think I've had six."
Jordan smiled as he watched the exchange, amazed at how similar the two girls were, even though Shelly was older than Rory.
"So, guess what," Shelly said.
Rory looked at her sister. "What?"
"I know how to cook," the elder said.
Rory looked at her sister in complete shock. "Without burning down the entire house?"
"Yes!" Shelly responded cheerfully.
Rory smiled and pulled her sister closer. "Mom would be so proud. She still doesn't know how to cook."
"Seriously?" Shelly asked. "I figured she would have figured it out by now."
Rory shook her head. "Nope. She's turning into Grandma, actually."
"How so?" Jordan interjected his question quickly, wanting a hand in this conversation.
They each turned to look at him as if they'd forgotten he was there. They were stopped in front of baggage claim, waiting for Rory's luggage.
Rory sighed. "She switches maids every other week; she doesn't know how to cook; she refuses to accept the fact that I want to major in journalism; the other day she even told me I had to date a 'man of society'. She treats me like I don't have a mind of my own whenever dad's around."
"Whenever dad's around?" Shelly asked.
"When dad goes on business trips, she turns into the mom she was in Stars Hollow. When he gets back, though, she starts acting like, well, Grandma," Rory responded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Shelly gave her sister a pat on the back. "Well, this summer we can talk all about how you're going to Harvard and plot how we're going to get you into their wonderful journalism program."
Rory smiled. "Thanks, Shells."
"No problem, Rory," Shelly stated, smiling back.
Two nights later, Rory listened as Shelly described afriend of theirs, Tristan DuGrey.
"He's having dinner with us tomorrow," Shelly said. "He's your age, so he'll be able to get you in good with some of the people around here."
"How do you know him exactly?" Rory asked.
"He works with Jordan," Shelly replied, smiling.
Rory nodded, knowing that this had to be some kind of set up.
Tristan DuGrey sat out on one of the fence posts that surrounded his land. He had to go to dinner tonight with his friend Jordan and Jordan's wife Shelly. He had a feeling that although they said they wanted him to meet Shelly's sister because she was new, this was a set up.
"Tristan," his mother called. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"
"I guess," Tristan replied, hopping off of the post.
His mother smiled at him. "Have fun tonight. But not too much fun."
Tristan shook his head at his mother. "No worries, mom."
"I've heard a lot of good things about this girl -- Rory," she offered.
Tristan nodded as he walked into his rather spacious house. "I know, Mom. Me, too."
"Harvard girl," she said. "Valedictorian of her class."
"That says nothing of what she's like," Tristan responded. "I don't know if she's nice, or if she's just like all the other people that live in that society."
"Tris," his mom said, sighing. "Your dad had his reasons for staying there."
"Yeah," Tristan replied. "You and I weren't good enough for his people."
His mom shook her head in exasperation. "I'm never going to get through to you."
"Doesn't seem like it," Tristan said, walking up the stairs to his room.
"Seriously, Rory," Shelly stated, throwing some flour into her mixing bowl. "This guy Tristan is really nice. He can introduce you to some of the kids your age around here."
"I believe you," Rory responded, sitting on a stool. "But, again, why do I need to meet some of the kids around here?"
"Because you're going to be here the whole summer," Shelly replied. "You don't want to hang out with your sister the entire time, do you?"
"Maybe," Rory said.
A silence followed, and Rory watched as her sister made bread.
"Need help?" Rory asked.
"Sure," Shelly said. "Come here."
Rory walked over to where her sister was standing over a bowl of what was going to be bread.
"What do I do?" Rory asked.
Shelly put some flour on Rory's hands. "Put your hands in there and mix."
Rory nodded. "Okay"
After a day of hard work, Tristan and Jordan were walking up the driveway to Jordan's house. Jordan was trying to say nothing but good about Rory.
"She's a sweet kid," Jordan said. "A lot like Shelly."
"I've heard," Tristan said. "What else?"
"She's learning how to make bread," Jordan stated.
As if on cue, screams of joy were heard from Jordan's house. The two looked up and then heard giggles following.
Jordan shook his head. "She's never cooked before. Shelly's just learned how to accomplish that task."
Tristan nodded in understanding, remembering the numerous occasions of having to use the fire extinguisher on his mother's "fine cooking".
"Ready?" Jordan asked.
"Sure," Tristan replied. "I'm ready."
Jordan smiled, knowing that Tristan was unaware just how much trouble he could find just by meeting a Gilmore Girl. Jordan had learned that lesson long ago, when he met Shelly.
Jordan smirked at Tristan. "Sure you are."
"Honey!" Rory and Shelly heard the voice echo through the house as the front door slammed shut. "Your husband's home!"
Shelly bounded out of the kitchen to where Jordan was taking off his shoes, Tristan following suit.
Jordan opened his arms as Shelly jumped into them, holding tightly to him as he picked her up.
"Hello," Shelly greeted.
"Hi," Jordan replied, smiling.
"Oh," Shelly said, releasing herself from Jordan. "Tristan DuGrey, this is Rory Gilmore."
Rory suddenly felt self-conscious as she stood in front of Tristan, covered in flour and wearing her too-tight tank top and her sister's cut-off shorts -- which were too short.
Tristan smiled as he saw her trying to make her shorts longer and trying to wipe some of the flour off of her face.
He suddenly felt like he should say something. He was nervous. Tristan DuGrey was nervous around a girl. This girl made him nervous.
He took a deep breath, and tried not to sound like a complete idiot. "Hi."
Rory smiled nervously, now fully aware that she was supposed to return a greeting of some sort. "Hi."
Hi? Is that all you can say? Tristan thought. Say something, you can't talk to yourself the whole time!
Tristan extended his hand to Rory. She smiled and shook his hand.
Nice hands, very nice hands, okay let go now, Rory, she thought, releasing it.
Shelly watched the exchange with a smile on her face. "Okay, so now that we're all acquainted, let's go have dinner."
Rory looked at her sister, happy for something to break up the moment. "Okay."
Shelly and Rory scampered off to the kitchen, leaving Jordan and Tristan alone.
Jordan smirked at Tristan. "You still sure?"
"Not quite as sure as I was," Tristan replied.
Jordan watched as Tristan tried to shake off the repercussions of his first meeting with a Gilmore. Jordan knew it would never happen. Tristan had met Rory, now he wouldn't be able to leave her alone.