1One Less Mistake

Summary: What if Lorelai hadn't gotten pregnant until she was 20? What if she had agreed to marry Christopher when she did? AU.

Pairings: Rory/Dean, Lor/Luke/Chris

Disclaimer: All of these characters belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB

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Chris banged his head against the wall. He was such an idiot. How could he not have felt Lorelai slipping away? Now he knew that she was. He wanted to snap his fingers and make everything better again. He wanted her to be laughing at his side again. He wanted to be speeding along in the expensive cars his parents bought him with her, laughing when they almost crashed. Cringing when they did. Looking for UFOs and naked people on the balcony of her old room. He knew they couldn't do that anymore. They had a daughter who was leaving for college in ten months. Rory. If he completely lost Lorelai, would he lose Rory too? They were so close. It wasn't that he didn't love Topher. He did. He loved both his children equally. And both of them more than his limbs. He'd rather be in a wheelchair, no arms, no legs, and in constant pain than lose even one of his children. He was scared of them growing up, and growing away from him, the way he and Lor had grown away from their parents. What could he do?

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Lorelai laughed hysterically at whatever Luke was saying. She wasn't quite sure what it was. They'd moved on from coffee to beer an hour before. She didn't see the heartbroken look on her son's face. Luke was too focused on Lorelai to notice Topher pull a cell phone out of his pocket. He turned away as Lorelai walked behind the counter, and ran out of the diner, and dialed.

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Rory and Dean were sitting in the back seat of his truck, so that he could hold her, comfort her. Her whole life was falling apart, except for him. What would happen if she lost him, too? She couldn't trust her mother, but she couldn't side with her father against her, either. Her best friends, Madeline and Louise were no help. Topher would just help Chris, whatever it took. Dean was her rock, her safety net. The one person she could love enough, trust enough to make it through.

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"Pick up, damn it, Rory!" Topher hissed at his phone. Why wasn't she answering? Didn't she care that their very drunk mother was standing about three feet away from a very drunk man she was obviously interested in? Or was it going to be like every other Haden conflict, where Topher and Chris were on one side, and Rory and Lorelai were on the other? Regardless of the conflict, that was how the tables always turned. Even if Lorelai was clearly in the wrong, why should this time be any different? It was time for him to take matters into his own hands. He marched back into the diner with a fury he didn't know he possessed. "Mom!" he yelled. Lorelai jumped back from Luke in shock.

"Topher?"

"We're going. Give me your keys."

"Excuse me?"

"You're drunk. Your husband is waiting for you at home," he said, stressing the word 'husband,' "and we need to get home."

"Honey, you're fifteen."

"I know how to drive. And I'm driving you home. Now. Throw me the keys."

Lorelai obeyed meekly.

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Rory didn't stop crying until midnight. After they had managed to get back into the front seat, Rory had announced that she was hungry, so they bought burgers and fries at Wendy's. She was laughing again, trying to make him agree to catch a fry in his mouth. He smiled at her happiness. All he wanted was for her to be happy like this, laugh like this all the time. They were still talking and laughing when he dropped her off, kissing her lightly. "See you tomorrow," he whispered.

"Yeah. Tomorrow," she breathed, slipping out of the car, and watched as he drove away. Once he was gone, she slipped inside the house, and flipped on the light. Five bags were waiting, neatly stacked, at the bottom of the stairs.