Rating: Teen, for implied sexual situations including rape and situations involving the tragic disorders of anorexia nervosa and bulimia
Summary: There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart's desire. The other is to gain it. AU Trory.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for this story and any characters not recognized. All else is the property of Amy Sherman-Palladino. The quote in the summary is by George Bernard Shaw. "Rolling Home" belongs to Tyler Hilton.
Author's Note: Thanks so much for your reviews. Lorelai's home. What will happen to Rory?
Chapter 4: Rolling Home
Lorelai drove like a madman to the airport. She'd received Tristin's message after a heated argument with Christopher, who refused to believe that Tristin was telling the truth.
The plane ride home was too long, the food too salty, everything was horrible. She needed to see her baby.
She hurriedly made her way back to her car and to Madeline's house where Rory was staying. She saw Madeline standing outside, just as she had requested.
Madeline made her way over to Lorelai. "Mrs. Hayden."
Lorelai smiled. "Hello, Madeline. Is she still sleeping?"
"She's in the bathroom," Madeline responded. "She ate breakfast this morning and she's been making herself throw up. She won't come out of the bathroom."
"Where's Tristin?" Lorelai inquired.
"School," Madeline replied. "Paris, Louise and I made him go. I wanted to stay with her, but she won't come out of there."
Lorelai stormed into the house with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Rory! Rory, please come out of the bathroom. Honey, it's mom. I'm home. Please, Rory, please come out. I didn't know, Rory, I --"
The door opened and Rory looked at her mother. "You didn't care, mom."
"I care, Rory," Lorelai responded. "I really do care."
Rory shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You do not. Why are you here?"
"Tristin left me a message, your father and I had a fight," she said. "Rory, please, tell me what happened."
Rory felt her mother's hands on her own. She looked up into the eyes of the woman from whom she'd gained not only a name, but a life. She felt tears forming in her eyes as well. She fell to the floor.
"It hurt," she whimpered.
Lorelai sat on the floor with her daughter. "I know, sweetie."
"I didn't want him to," Rory said. "I begged him not to. He wouldn't stop. It was all my fault. I should have known better than to go in there."
Lorelai pulled Rory close to her. "It's not your fault, baby. It's not."
Rory began sobbing into her mother's new designer sweater, but Lorelai didn't care. She held Rory tighter.
"I want to be me again," Rory whispered.
Lorelai looked up at Madeline, who was crying as well. "You will be. It'll take time, but you will be."
Madeline sat down with Lorelai and Rory. "You will be… Mary."
Rory looked at Madeline and smiled. "Thanks, Mads."
Madeline smiled back. "No problem."
Rory hugged her mother. "I need help, Mom."
Lorelai nodded. "Okay. What do you want to do?"
"Can I live with Luke for awhile?" Rory asked. "I need to be away from here."
Lorelai looked into the sad blue eyes of her daughter. "Okay."
Lorelai stood up and took Rory's hand. Rory stood up and hugged her mother and Madeline.
"I want to be okay," Rory said.
Madeline nodded. "I understand. You will be."
Lorelai put her arm around Rory. "Let's go home."
"Okay," Rory responded.
"Ms. Lynn, care to explain your tardiness?" the teacher inquired.
Madeline smiled. "Taking care of a few things."
"Have a seat," the exasperated woman responded. "You and Mr. DuGrey must learn to work on that tardiness."
Tristin smirked. "We will. Promise."
Madeline sat down next to Tristin. "We need to talk."
Tristin looked at Madeline. "Rory?"
"It's anorexia and bulimia," Madeline stated. "Her mom came home. She's going to live with Luke."
Shock covered the features of the young man. She was leaving him. He didn't know how long she would be gone. He looked at the board and began to take notes. He'd leave as soon as this class was over.
"Tris?" Madeline asked. "Tristin."
Tristin looked at Madeline. "Is she at her house?"
Madeline nodded. "Packing. Her mom is un-enrolling her from Chilton. She's going to Stars Hollow High. She just doesn't want to deal with all of this right now."
Tristin took a deep breath. "Okay."
Madeline rested her hand on Tristin's. "She'll be okay. She wants to be."
Paris, Louise and Summer were sitting at their usual lunch table with Tristin's friends Matt Waters and Oliver Newill waiting for Madeline to tell them where Tristin was. She made her way to the table silently and they all looked to her.
"Where the hell is Tristin?" Oliver asked.
"How's Rory?" Paris inquired
"Rory is going to Stars Hollow," Madeline responded. "She's not going to be attending Chilton anymore. Tristin left. He wants to say good-bye."
The teens all looked at one another. Rory had been their ring leader. She'd always been the one to get them in trouble. She had made Tristin who he was. Without her, they knew Tristin wouldn't be the same.
Louise sighed. "When is she coming back? Is she coming back?"
Madeline shrugged. "I don't know the answer to either of those questions. All I know is she wants to be herself again, and she can't do it here."
"Shouldn't we be saying good-bye, too?" Matt asked. "She's our best friend."
Paris looked to Madeline. "Matt has a good point."
Madeline sighed. "If you guys really want to do that, then let's go. She's packing as we speak."
With those words, the entire table stood up and left. They needed to say good-bye to the girl who had always made them laugh, and with whose absence they would be incomplete.