Family Portrait

A/N: I made some changes to the first chapter. Added things here and there just so you know and don't get confused because I forgot to mention a few things in the last chapter so I fixed that up if you wanted to go back and check it out. It's only two little things. Also, sorry it took me so long to get this written. I just had a little trouble lately and wasn't able to write. I hope this next chapter is as well received as the other one. Thank you all who reviewed.

Chapter 2: Grocery Store Meetings.

Rory Gilmore lay sound asleep in her bed. Darkness shrouded her room except for a crack of light sneaking in from the hall light that was on every night. The small crack widened until it reached the bed and lighted Rory's sleeping face. A small girl with bouncy dark brown hair walked further into the room approaching the bed. Rubbing her eyes she climbed in and curled up close to Rory. "Liza," Rory groaned opening her eyes "Couldn't sleep again?"

"Momma I have bad dreams," Liza whined.

"Okay, curl up close," Rory ordered lifting up the covers. Liza's little body slipped right in next to her mother. Rory kissed the top of her head and smiled reaching over for the telephone on the bed-side table. She picked it up and dialled some very familiar numbers.

"Hello?" Luke's gruff voice answered on the other end. Lorelai's giggles could be heard in the background.

"Luke, can I talk to my mom?" Rory wondered.

"Right on time!" Lorelai exclaimed. Luke's protests could be heard now.

"Mom, did you grab the phone from Luke?" Rory asked, scolding.

"Yeah, but I think Lucas is up anyway," Lorelai sighed, "And I'm guessing so is Liza?"

"Yup, just crawled into bed with me," Rory smiled down at her daughter, "Sometimes I think she's just lying about those bad dreams so she can sleep with mommy."

"Then she's a true Gilmore," Lorelai responded, "I remember a certain daughter of mine doing the same thing."

"How are the twins doing?" Rory asked, "Didn't you have an appointment yesterday?"

"Well, they're fraternal," Lorelai replied, "And it's a boy and a girl."

"Whoa, I remember a certain dream going something like this," Rory laughed.

"I know I had a real Bill Murray moment this morning when Luke came down," Lorelai sighed, "He kissed my stomach and everything."

"Weird," Rory stated.

"Well babes, Lucas want his mother," Lorelai groaned, "Love you."

"Love you too," Rory saluted and hung up the phone before turning back to go to sleep. Almost every Friday night Liza had a bad dream and came to sleep with Rory. When she did so, Rory would call Lorelai and chat a while about how the twins were doing, or Lucas or about anything else either Gilmore girls could think of. Soon after they hung up Rory fell sound asleep once again.

"Rory!" Paris Gellar exclaimed passing by Rory's room the next morning. Paris glanced in the room to find, as she expected, both Rory and Liza curled up in bed. Jamie appeared next to Paris and slipped his arms around her.

"Peaceful aren't they?" he whispered.

"Ask me six years ago whether Rory and I would be friends I would've said no," Paris sighed, "I hated Rory. Now, look at me. I'm living with her and her four year old daughter."

"Closer than you thought you'd get huh?" Jamie inquired.

"Yeah," Paris nodded, "Although then I would've also thought I'd be going to Harvard and still single."

"Well, you never can predict the future," Jamie smiled. Rory began to stir in her sleep, slowly rising. Liza on the other hand snapped awake in less than two second rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"G'morning," she greeted sleepily.

"Good morning Liza," Jamie greeted.

"What time is it?" Rory's groaned her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Nine so get up and get dressed," Paris commanded. Another groan could be heard. Liza was already up on her feel prancing around the room towards the two adults standing in the doorway.

"I want breakfast," Liza muttered. Jamie took Liza's little hand and led her to the kitchen to give her some food. Paris remained in the door as Rory buried her head farther into her pillow.

"Grocery day," Paris commented, "Get up. The quicker we get it over with the quicker we can head down to Stars Hollow."

"Not our weekend remember?" Rory yawned sitting up.

"No, but since this weekend your mom can't come up we can go down," Paris put in, "I'm sure both she and Luke would be happy to see you. Plus isn't it Lane's weekend in Stars Hollow?" This got Rory out of bed quickly.

"I'm up!" she exclaimed, "I'm up. I'm getting dressed and I'm calling my mom."

"Good," Paris nodded moving away, "I'm going to make sure Jamie doesn't let Liza get away with picking out her own breakfast."

"Oh god, please! Quickly!" Rory panicked, "I don't want another chocolate cake with ice cream incident!" Last time Jamie gave Liza she chose chocolate cake with ice cream. The rest of the day Liza had a stomach ache, and threw it all up in the middle of a store.

As soon as Paris left the room Rory pounced on the phone and dialled in her mother's number. "Hey this is Lorelai. Obviously I'm not home and neither is my hubby the ice man. So, leave a message if you're someone I know!"

"Mom?" Rory tested, "Hey, either you are actually out or you just can't find the phone anywhere. Did you under the couch this time? Anyway, Paris had this idea that we could come up and see you since you can't make it. So, see you later Gilmore. Love you!"

(Meanwhile at the Gilmore/Danes residence)

"NO! NO! NO!" Lorelai shouted at the answering machine jumping up and down with the newly retrieved phone.

"Who was on the phone?" Luke came down the stairs holding Lucas in his arms.

"No one," Lorelai lied, pressing the delete button on the machine.

"Lorelai, you lost the phone again didn't you?" Luke interrogated.

"No, no its right here see!" Lorelai held out the phone in front of her. Luke shook his head putting Lucas down on the couch.

"Look, I've got to go get dressed and open the diner," Luke sighed, "Thank god Jess is coming down to help me out for a while."

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded slowly. She couldn't tell Luke that Rory had just decided to come.

"Lorelai, remember you promised not to bite his head off," Luke warned.

"I won't," Lorelai made a face. She wished she could. "I know that when he found out that things were hard for you because of Lucas and me pregnant he offered to come down for a while. I know he's taking some time off school to help. I appreciate that he's trying to take some of the stress off. It's just that he got my baby pregnant!"

"Yes, but remember he doesn't know he did," Luke pointed out, "So, there shall be no mention of Liza remember? We all promised Rory."

"Fine," Lorelai gave in plopping down on the couch, arms crossed.

(Back at Paris and Rory's apartment.)

Rory emerged from her room combing her hair back into a pony tail. Liza was sitting on her knees on a chair at the table playing with her cereal. Jamie was cooking toast and Paris was reading the newspaper. "Hey," Rory greeted, "I called my mom but I got the answering machine. We'll just have to stop by and surprise them if they didn't get the message."

"Alright," Paris nodded.

"So, we're all headed to Stars Hollow then?" Jamie wondered.

"Well, you guys don't have to come," Rory mentioned, "Lane and Dave will be there if mom and Luke get too much for me."

"We're coming," Paris assured Rory, "I haven't been there in a while. It's better than other plans I could've had this weekend."

"Alright," Rory nodded. Their glances all moved over to where Liza sat. She had been awfully quiet, and that usually meant she was causing trouble. Rory rushed over to her just as she began to tip her bowl onto the floor. "Come on honey, time to clean up."

"Okay," Liza nodded eagerly getting up to follow her mother.

The group was ready a half hour later. Rory sat Liza in the back of the car in her car seat before getting in the passengers seat. Jamie stood at the window of the driver's door where Paris sat. "I don't see why we need to get groceries if we're not going to be here all weekend," he commented.

"If we don't get the groceries today then when we come back they'll be no food and we won't have time to shop because we're at school," Paris pointed out.

"I could do this during the week," Jamie offered.

"You say that every week," Paris sighed, "And every week is the same answer. No, you have other things to do."

"Then, just let me take care of Liza," Jamie tried.

"No," Rory interjected, "Grocery shopping, or shopping of any kind is a Gilmore tradition. Together we shop."

"Okay," Jamie caved backing away from the car, "See you later."

The three of them pulled out of the driveway and headed in the direction of the shopping center. When they arrived Paris grabbed a carriage while Rory unbuckled Liza. Every second week the three of them would come out and do this. Paris always had a list and Rory shopped on impulse. At the end they had a bunch of foods from all the major food groups, and the more. "I need more cereal," Liza pulled on her mother's shirt. She had long ago refused to sit in the carriage while they shopped.

"I'll take her," Paris took Liza's hand, "I need something down there anyway." Rory nodded and moved to the coffee aisle.

"Ok, which one shall I take," she muttered to herself not noticing the man that came to stand behind her. When she chose her coffee, she reached over to take it, but the man grabbed her hand. Startled Rory looked up and rolled her eyes. He had blonde hair and blue eyes that twinkled with mischief.

"Well, well we meet again Mary," he chuckled, "It's been a long time."

"Not long enough, obviously," Rory groaned, "Still don't know my name Tristan?"

"What no ring?" Tristan still held her hand. Rory pulled away. "I though you would've been engaged by now."

"Well, I'm not," Rory said quickly, after a while.

"Boyfriend?" he wondered.

"What are you doing in New Haven anyway?" Rory dodged the question.

"I'll take that as a no," Tristan grinned, "I'm visiting a friend. He's shopping around for junk for this party he wants to have."

"Well, I better get going then," Rory grabbed a tin of coffee and began to walk away.

"So, you going to Yale?" he chased her.

"Tristan, I really don't have time for this," Rory sighed, "I've got to finish this off and get home."

"And where is this home of yours?" Tristan smirked suggestively.

"MOMMY!" Liza ran gleefully towards Rory who scooped her up. Tristan looked curiously at the two.

"Where's Paris honey?" Rory asked, ignoring Tristan.

"Coming," Liza replied, "She chose yucky cereal."

"Liza, Rory!" Paris approached them pushing the carriage along, "God she just- Tristan?"

"Well, I'll be damned," Tristan shook his head, "I come here and fine Mary and Paris shopping together."

"We share an apartment together," Rory explained.

"And this little one?" Tristan motioned towards Liza.

"This is my daughter Lorelai Elizabeth Gilmore," Rory introduced, "Honey this is Tristan. Mommy went to school with him."

"Where's her father?" Tristan asked. When Rory shrugged he muttered, "Idiot."

"No, he doesn't know about Liza here," Rory told him, "I never told him."

"It's not bag boy is it?" Tristan seemed to grimace at the mention of Dean.

"No, we broke up and I got together with this other guy," Rory sighed. She couldn't understand why she was telling Tristan all this. She had hated him so much when she had known him in school, although she had always had a little crush on him. She hadn't dated much after Liza was born. She was still in love with Jess, despite all that happened.

"Rory, we got to go," Paris interrupted, "Jamie will be waiting for us and we've got to drive down to Stars Hollow this afternoon."

"Right," Rory nodded, "Well nice catching up with you Tristan."

"Wait, how long will you be in Stars Hollow?" he asked.

"Two days," Rory answered, "We should be back Sunday."

"Here's my number," he handed her a piece of paper; "I'll be gone by then, but maybe we could get together some other time."

"Maybe," Rory took the paper and delicately placed it in her purse before walking off.

"Mommy, is he your Jamie?" Liza wondered. Rory smiled slightly knowing exactly what Liza meant my 'her Jamie'. Paris and Jamie were in love, Lane and Dave were in love, and her mother and Luke were in love. Liza had grown up with all these people in love. She wasn't quite sure whether Tristan was 'her Jamie'. She knew though that even though she had always had a crush on Tristan no guy could replace how she felt about Jess. She knew she wouldn't be seeing Jess for a long time though.

She was wrong about that.