Family Portrait
A/N: Alright, this story is really beginning to build up. Just a forewarning for all my Literati fans reading this, something that might happen in this chapter and chapters to come might get you a bit discouraged or upset at me. Don't flame me, just believe that I'm still all for a Lit happy ending. I just need the conflict before that happens. So, keep reading and don't worry too much.
Chapter 11 Drowning Problems.
Paris and Jamie walked into their apartment that night laughing merrily. They had had a fantastic night together and were ready to go to bed. The unusually giddy Paris stopped in her tracks when she saw Rory Gilmore, her roommate and best friend curled up on their couch with a carton of Ice Cream and A Walk to Remember playing on television. Paris frowned and slowly approached Rory, Jamie trailing behind her.
"Rory?" Paris tested. Rory looked up; her blue eyes glistened with tears. "What's wrong now Gilmore?"
"Lane and Dave are getting married," Rory told her.
"Shouldn't you be happy?" Paris wondered confused.
"I was," Rory gulped for breath, "I really, really was. Then when I was putting Liza to sleep I realized that if Lane and Dave could get married then so could Kate and Jess."
"Gilmore, you really got to let Jess go," Paris sighed, "Look what he's doing to you."
"He wants to introduce Liza to Kate," Rory informed Paris.
"She already met her," Paris pointed out.
"No, as his daughter," Rory explained, "He wants to tell her that he's a father. He loves her."
"Paris..." Jamie cut in, "I think I'm going to go to sleep."
"Okay," Paris nodded, taking a seat on the couch next to Rory. She couldn't really understand how Rory was feeling right now. Paris did love Jamie, but he had been her only boyfriend. She had never went through a break up nonetheless one as tough as Rory's.
"Can you maybe watch Liza tomorrow?" Rory asked. Paris nodded silently. "You can go to bed," Rory told her, "I don't need a babysitter."
"I know," Paris sighed. Rory then turned back to the TV screen and completely blocked Paris out. Paris sat on the couch a few more seconds and watched Rory, she wondered if she and Jamie ever broke up would she be in the same state Rory was now? Paris hoped not. Then again, hopefully, she would never have to find out.
Paris finally got up and went to bed. She didn't want to sleep alone that night, not after seeing Rory the way she was. Instead she climbed in with Jamie and snuggled close to him. Her first love, and hopefully her only. It had taken Paris long enough to find a guy who took interest in her, she didn't think she could do it again.
As soon as Paris had gone off to bed Rory turned off the movie and put away the Ice Cream. She couldn't sit on the couch any longer, or even in the apartment. Jamie and Paris were home now, if Liza woke up now they would be there to look after her. She was dressed in her sweat pants and baggy Yale sweatshirt but she didn't care. Slipping on her shoes Rory grabbed Jamie's car keys as she headed out the door. She didn't have a clue as to where she was going. But she had the whole night and following day to figure it out.
Just driving helped Rory feel a little better. No one could touch her here. There was no phone and no other person to bother her, to dampen her mood even more. She had been ecstatic that Lane and Dave were finally tying the knot. She knew Lane had been planning for this day since she and Dave had started dating. It was just the threat of being alone forever always seemed to float back no matter what great thing was happening in the world. She would never truly be alone, not with Liza in her life. But she wouldn't have Jess. She wouldn't have someone to hold her in the night. She wouldn't have someone to hug her when Liza went off to College and left her mother behind.
Feeling the tears rise in her eyes again Rory leaned over and turned on the radio, raising the volume to drown out her thoughts. The radio belted songs out at her, some songs that Rory knew and loved and others that she had never heard of. But the music washed over her mind and helped Rory block out her thoughts for the moment. And she drove. The almost empty highways a safe haven for her and the adventure looming ahead of her a comfort.
She lost track of time soon enough. Sometime along time the road it had become midnight and the radio began playing some horrid disco tunes and Rory had slipped in her stray XTC CD. It was only when she saw the Cheshire Cat Inn that Rory was able to figure out where she was. She also realized then how alike she and her mother really were. They both chose to run away from things. Rory didn't stop though. She couldn't go back to the Inn. She didn't want to pretend anymore. And going back there she could pretend. She could pretend that she had never met Jess and that she was sixteen again on a Road Trip with her mother who had just called off her wedding. But pretending would only make things worse. So she drove.
Before she knew it she was parked out front of Harvard. Hours since she had left her apartment in New Haven had passed. A sudden rush of sleepiness overwhelmed Rory and she didn't know what to do anymore. She couldn't drive home again. She couldn't find a hotel or an Inn to stay at; she had no money to pay for a room. Exasperated Rory leaned her head against the steering wheel. Trying not to stray back to thoughts of Jess and being alone, trying not to pretend. She was in Boston, it was the middle of the night and she was tired, sad and desperate.
Pulling herself together Rory pressed on the gas of the car and drove away from what could've been her destiny. What she could've had. She pulled into a twenty four-hour grocery store and searched Jamie's car for change of any sort. She found enough change to afford a chocolate bar. Shutting off the engine Rory entered the grocery store. She stood in the candy aisle and looked over the sweets. Trying to decide which would be best for the moment. She snatched one up and turned quickly to leave, she stopped as she saw the coffee behind her. Grocery store. Coffee. Tristan. Tristan lived in Boston.
Rory replaced the chocolate bar on the shelf and hurried to the pay phones. It was late. Very late, and until the other day she hadn't seen Tristan in years. But she didn't know what else to do, or who else to call. She dialed 0 to reach the operator. "Operator, how can I help you?"
"I need the number for someone in the Boston area," Rory said, "The name of Tristan DuGray."
"DuGray..." the operator repeated, "Hmm...Right, would you like me to connect you?"
"Yes please," Rory nodded to herself, "Thank you."
Rory listened to the phone ring. She bit her lip hoping that Tristan would answer. He was her last hope. After four rings someone finally picked up. "Hello?" the voice was groggy and sounded as if it had just been woken up. Which it probably had been.
"Hi, is this Tristan DuGray?" Rory asked, trying best to sound normal.
"Uh-huh," Tristan grunted. Rory thought she could hear a yawn on the other end.
"Tris, this is Rory Gilmore," Rory informed him, unsure of why she had called him 'Tris'.
"Mary?" Tristan sounded confused, "Why are you calling me so late? Or calling me at all?"
"I'm kind of in Boston," Rory explained, "And I'm broke."
"Where are you?" Tristan wanted to know.
"At a pay phone in a grocery store," Rory replied.
"I think I know where you are," Tristan told her, "Is there a large rooster out front?"
"Uh…" Rory leaned over to see out the window, "Yeah."
"I'll be right there to get you," Tristan stated.
"You don't have to," Rory assured him, "I've got Jamie's car."
"I'm coming, you can get the car tomorrow," Tristan sounded firm, "Just be outside in five minutes."
"OK," Rory agreed. Then, they hung up and Rory went to wait outside. She forgot about getting a chocolate bar for now. She didn't need one anymore. Tristan's car pulled up five minutes later as promised and Tristan jumped out and rushed over to her.
"What are you doing here?" he enquired.
"I don't know," Rory shrugged, she felt more tears coming on. Tristan seemed to see that she was about to cry because he put his arm around her shoulder and led had back to his car. He opened the passenger's door and helped her in before going around and getting in himself.
"Does this have anything to do with Jess?" Tristan questioned as he turned the car back on.
"I guess," Rory sighed, "God, I feel like such an idiot."
"Why Boston?" Tristan asked.
"I didn't mean to come to Boston," Rory admitted, "I just got into the car and drove and the next thing I knew…" she motioned around the car.
"You're here," Tristan filled in, "And then you called me?"
"I remembered you lived here," Rory didn't look at him, instead she looked out her window, "I mean so does my dad. But I couldn't call him, not in the middle of the night."
"And you could call me?" Tristan joked.
"I had no one else," a tear escaped and rolled freely down Rory's cheek.
"Does anyone know you're here?" Tristan stopped at a red light and looked over to inspect Rory. Rory just shook her head. They drove the rest of the way to Tristan's apartment in silence.
The next thing she knew Rory was in Tristan's apartment. He had explained on the way up in the elevator that he had no roommates. His father and grandfather had thought it better that Tristan live alone and not be under the influence of another college student day in and day out. They figured that that way he wouldn't get into any trouble.
Rory wandered around the apartment as Tristan set up his hide-a-bed for Rory. She peeked into Tristan's room, his kitchen, and his fridge and liquor cabinet. She knelt down to have a better look at Tristan's alcohol collection. Wine, beer, vodka, tequila…Rory pushed bottles aside and reached for a small bottle. Quickly and quietly she ripped open the seal and took a swig. She made a face as the liquid went down her throat but as soon as it was gone she took another sip.
Tristan wandered in looking for her as Rory took her fifth swig from the bottle. He frowned when he saw her, leaning against the counted drinking away. He cleared his throat and Rory looked up at him shrugging innocently at him, "Come on Tris," she patted the floor next to her, "Misery needs company."
"What happened to you Mar?" Tristan wondered.
"Got pregnant at eighteen," Rory took another swig from the bottle.
"You seemed the same at the grocery store in New Haven," Tristan said, grabbing a bottle of beer.
"Yeah, well then I didn't expect to run into the father of my child with a girlfriend that he loved," Rory reminded Tristan, "Did you know that he wants to tell Kate that he's got a daughter."
"Kate?" Tristan implored.
"The girlfriend," Rory informed him, "Lane and Dave are getting married."
"That's good."
"Yeah," Rory nodded, looking over her now empty bottle, "But Jess and Kate could get married."
Tristan grabbed Rory's arm as she reached for the larger bottle of tequila. Rory rolled her eyes and pulled her arm away, grabbing the bottle and settling back against the counter. "Sure that you should be drinking now?" Tristan asked.
"Who are you Tristan DuGray?" Rory slurred, obviously not able to hold her alcohol very well at all, "The Tristan I used to know would've loved to get me drunk."
"And the Mary I knew wouldn't be caught dead in my kitchen with a bottle of tequila in her hands," Tristan shot back.
"Man, military school took all the fun out of you," Rory sighed, taking a large gulp of vodka, "Lighten up Tris."
"I don't think I should," Tristan put his bottle of beer down. Rory rolled her eyes again and reached for the third and last bottle of tequila and shoved it into Tristan's hands.
"Come on!" Rory encouraged, "I mean, there's got to be something for you to drink about!"
Tristan stared at the bottle a few seconds before ripping it open and taking a large gulp, "I know I'm going to regret this."
"That's the spirit!" Rory laughed, "Forget now, Regret later!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~
(The next morning.)
Rory groaned. She felt like she had been hit in the head by a ten-pound brick over and over again. Unfamiliar smells filled her nostrils and Rory opened her eyes, she immediately closed them again. Apparently the bright light only made things worse for her headache. She rolled over onto her back and felt something cold pressing against her arm. Slowly she sat up and picked up the object. She opened her eyes slowly, her head was spinning and she tried to focus on what the object was. A bottle, an empty bottle, of tequila, that would explain her headache.
She looked around the room. Clothes, that were certainly not she own, were scattered around the unfamiliar room. Rory tried to remember what had happened, where she was. She remembered Paris and Jamie coming home from their date, she remembered getting into her car and driving, a grocery store, Tristan. Tristan, she was at his apartment. She remembered then. She had called Tristan and he had come to get her. But that was all she remembered. Everything else was just a blur. All she knew was that she was naked in someone else's bed.
Just then something next to her began to stir. Rory, startled, jumped out of bed, holding a blanket tightly against her. A head popped up from under a sheet, a head that Rory recognized very well as Tristan DuGray. "Oh, shit!" Rory cursed. Startled Tristan jumped out of the bed as well, but not remembering to take a sheet with him. Rory turned around immediately before she could see too much.
"Sorry," Tristan mumbled, grabbing a sheet off the bed.
"What's going on?" Rory shouted. Wincing as she immediately regretted speaking too loud.
"Keep it down," Tristan advised, "It's hard enough to think as it is."
"What happened?" Rory asked.
"Think I remember?" Tristan wondered, "All I know is that this is your fault!"
"Mine?" Rory questioned, "How is this my fault? I can't remember anything!"
"Well the last thing I remember is you saying 'Forget now, Regret later' as you convinced me to drink the night away with you."
"This is not happening!" Rory tried to convince herself, "This is not happening!"
"Guess I can't call you Mary anymore," Tristan smirked. And Rory glared at him.
"This isn't funny!" she insisted, "We just..."
"Had sex?" Tristan offered.
"Exactly," Rory nodded, "We shouldn't have..."
"We didn't know better," Tristan pointed out, "Look around Ror." And Rory did. There was more than just one bottle of tequila, but three of numerous sizes, two bottles of vodka and one wine bottle.
"Did you remember to use a...?" Rory asked.
"I can't remember much right now," Tristan reminded her.
"Oh god," Rory fell to the ground, tears falling once again, "I can't handle this…I can't…"
"Rory," Tristan had made his way around the bed, his arms were around her and he had drawn her in for a half-hug, "This wasn't your fault…"
"Yes, it was," Rory cried, "If I had just told Jess when I found out I was pregnant none of this would be happening. Things would be different."
"You thought you were doing what was best," Tristan tried to calm her.
"How do you know?" Rory snapped, "Where were you when all this was happening to me? You had been shipped off to military school for two years then! You haven't the slightest clue what I was thinking!"
"Ror..." Tristan's voice was strained as he tried to remain calm. He had too, for Rory's sake. If he flipped out about all of this, things could only get worse.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Rory announced, she was looking at Tristan now, her once child-like bright blue eyes were dark and grief stricken, her beautiful face was stained with tears. Tristan nodded and helped her to her feet, slowly leading her to the washroom, his own hangover forgotten for the moment.
They made it to the bathroom and Rory threw up, more than once. At one point Tristan got up and grabbed a face-cloth, soaking it was warm water and then as he held Rory's hair back he pressed the cloth against the back of her neck. Rory flushed and closed the lid of the toilette, and took the face cloth from Tristan. As she cleaned up Tristan left her for a moment.
He came back with Rory's clothes, her sweatpants, sweatshirt, bra and underwear. Rory smiled warily at him, her lips still quivering. Tristan left once more to allow her to change and to get his own clothes. When he returned Rory was leaning over the toilette again, another bout of morning-after sickness. Tristan rushed to her side and held her hair back, rubbing her back. When she finished, he grabbed another warm face cloth and handed it to her.
"God, I haven't been this sick since I was pregnant with Liza," Rory sighed.
"And I'm guessing you never got drunk before either," Tristan put in.
"No," Rory admitted, "I never really drank wine before up until a few nights ago at my grandparent's."
They sat in the bathroom in silence. Rory leaning back against the wall beside the toilette and Tristan in front of her. Neither of them was willing to really approach the subject of what they were going to do now, or what had happened last night. Tristan ran his hands through his blonde hair and then rubbed his chin, feeling the stubble of his beard growing back. "What now?" Rory finally asked, she sounded like a scared little kid then.
"I don't know," Tristan replied, "I don't know."
"Tristan, what happened last night..." Rory began.
"Was a mistake," Tristan finished, "I know. We were both drunk and we all know what alcohol does."
"Right," Rory nodded, "But we still have to figure this out. I mean what if..."
"Let's not think about that now," Tristan interrupted, and for the first time Rory realized how much Tristan had really changed since she had last seen him. His hair was longer, sure, but she saw a bigger difference than just appearance. It was his attitude, his demeanor. The twinkle of mischief was still there, but there was so much more besides that. She knew that she could never fall madly in love with Tristan, she knew that she loved Jess more than anyone could ever comprehend. But then she knew just how much of a friend she had found in Tristan DuGray.
"I don't know what to do," Rory cried and she hated herself just then for crying. It was all she seemed able to do since Jess had pulled away moment before they kissed to tell her he had a girlfriend. Tristan's hand was on her shoulder now.
"We'll figure something out," he assured her. Rory closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming herself. She nodded slowly and stood up.
"Do you have an Aleve or something?" she requested. Tristan nodded and opened the medicine cabinet, taking a pill himself before handing the bottle to Rory. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure," Tristan nodded.
"How come you had so much tequila?" Rory asked.
"Just so I know it's there," Tristan shrugged, "I got into some trouble a couple of years ago that I'd rather not talk about."
"Ok," Rory nodded. They were in the kitchen now, Tristan opening and closing cupboards looking for something. Awkwardly Rory sat down at the table and watched him. She glanced at the digital clock on the stove, it read 12:00. "I think I better call Paris..." Rory informed Tristan, "Just check in and make sure everything's ok."
"Phone's in the other room," Tristan told her, taking down a box from on of the cupboards. Rory nodded and headed into the other room, where the hide-a-bed was set up. She caught sight of the phone on an end table beside the bed.
She dialed the number for her and Paris' apartment. She listened to the slow insistent ringing wishing that Paris or somebody would just pick up. Finally, Paris' irritated voice replaced the ring, "What?"
"It's customary to say 'hello' when answering a phone," Rory couldn't help but laugh.
"Gilmore, where are you!" Paris snapped, "Liza wakes up crying in the middle of the night waking me up and you're not home!"
"I went for a drive," Rory explained.
"And you couldn't have left a note letting us know this?" Paris exclaimed.
"I didn't even take money," Rory sighed, "How's everything?"
"How's everything?" Paris shouted, "We're stuck in this apartment because you took the car, Liza's driving me crazy and no one knows where you are!"
"Look, I'm sorry," Rory sighed, "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Gilmore..." Paris started to say something but stopped, "Call Lorelai. I called her looking for you and she's worried."
"Ok," Rory sighed, "Bye." After she hung up with Paris she picked up the phone and dialed her mother's number.
"Hello you've reached Lorelai and Luke's house of Love," the answering machine recited Lorelai's outgoing message.
"Lorelai!" Luke's voice shouted in the background.
"We're not home right now or we doing the naughty..."
"Lorelai!" Luke shouted again, his voice closer.
"Don't mind Luke, he's just cranky because we're not in the bedroom right now…"
"Lorelai!" Luke voice was now clear, "Would you…" the message cut off then by a loud, obnoxious beep and Rory hung up without leaving a message and dialed the diner instead. It was lunch and she knew her mother never missed out a chance at torturing her beloved husband.
"Hello?" a voice that belonged neither to Luke or Lorelai picked up. Rory tensed up, it was Jess. "Hello?"
"Jess..." Rory finally managed.
"Rory..." Jess returned.
"Is my mom there?" Rory asked. Then there was a commotion in the background and Lorelai's chirpy voice sounded on the telephone.
"Rory, my darling daughter, the love of my life!" Lorelai exclaimed, "Can you please tell me why Paris called me this morning demanding to know why you weren't there."
"I went for a drive," Rory told her.
"An all night drive?" Lorelai wondered, "Where?"
"Boston," Rory mumbled, waiting to here the irony in her mother's voice.
"Boston?" Lorelai repeated, "Why?"
"I don't know, I just got in the car and drove," Rory replied.
"Without a map?" Lorelai sounded appalled.
"Without any money either," Rory added, "I did have a good CD though."
"Well, at least you learned something from our last Road Trip," Lorelai sounded as if she had no idea what to say.
"I learnt something on this one too," Rory wanted to tell her mother everything, she really did. But here she was standing in Tristan's apartment while her mother was miles away at Luke's totally oblivious to anything that had happed with her the night before with none other than Jess likely standing a few feet away serving customers.
"And what might that be?" Lorelai asked, curiosity evident in her tone.
"That I really need to carry a purse," Rory replied. It was true. If Rory had taken a purse with her wallet she wouldn't have had to worry about where to stay. She would've booked a room at a hotel and never have called Tristan and ended up in his apartment talking to her mother in the middle of the day.
"Where did you stay?" Lorelai wondered.
"A friend's house," Rory answered.
"You have friends in Boston?" Lorelai sounded confused now.
"Just one," Rory confirmed.
"Does this friend have a name?" Lorelai wanted to know.
"Tristan."
"What?" Lorelai shouted, more surprised than angry, "Bible boy? You're at Bible boy's?"
"Yes," Rory acknowledged, "Look, I'll stop by on my way home and tell you everything."
"You better!" Lorelai stated.
Rory hung up the phone and contemplated leaving the apartment right then without saying anything. But she remembered that her car was parked at a grocery store that she had no idea how to get back to. Sighing Rory headed back into the kitchen. The luscious scent of pancakes filled the air and Rory grinned. She was starving. "I didn't know you could cook."
"I could do a lot more than that," Tristan winked and Rory rolled her eyes. At least things seemed normal enough now. Tristan placed a tall plate of blueberry pancakes at the center of the table and handed Rory a plate and a utensils
Rory helped herself to a pancake as Tristan retrieved chocolate sauce, whipped cream and maple syrup from the fridge. As soon as he placed them on the table Rory scooped up the whip cream and the chocolate sauce and began dressing her pancake. "If I knew you were a whip cream girl I'd have gotten that out earlier," Tristan joked.
"I'm starting to hate you again," Rory told him.
"I never knew you liked me," Tristan smirked, "Then again I'm not to surprised, not after you jumped me last night."
"You don't even know what happened," Rory pointed out.
"I don't," Tristan admitted, "But I'm betting you jumped me."
"Get over yourself," Rory advised, "Remember why I was here in the first place." They dug into their pancakes, savoring every bite.
Once they were done Tristan gathered up the empty plates and set them down in the sink. Rory watched his every move. From the colossal mistake of the previous night Rory had gained a friend. She had a feeling that if she hadn't drove all the way to Boston last night, yesterday morning likely would've been the last time Rory saw Tristan for a while. Rory knew that this was just the beginning. There was a whole string of problems waiting for her down the road. But maybe, just maybe, friends like Tristan, Paris, Lane, Dave and Jamie could help save her in the end.
It was going to be a bumpy ride, she just hoped that she could hold on.