I Think You Broke Him – Chapter6 – Showoffs
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Not mine, just amusing myself. I promise to put them back when I'm done.
A/N: Thanks to my betas. Kylie, for being ever so patient and instructive about Austrailian things. And for all the chatting back and forth. My Aussies would sound like Americans if it weren't for her. And to Steph for her encouragement and brave face in the face of her wisdom teeth removal. Feel better and take the drugs. And don't be afraid to ask for more. To the rest of you reviewers, thank you ever so. It's nice to have an escape these days. My office is just east of the 17th street canal in New Orleans. We did not take on water, miraculously,and we are now back in business, so to speak. However, I now work inside the dead zone. As much as you enjoy the story? I need to amuse myself by telling it. But you know the saddest thing today? I was at the store and the first Hubig's pie I have seen since August 26th was a lemon. Lemon? Not chocolate. Not apple. Lemon. That's just crap, I tell ya.On with the story.
Oh. My. God. Maxine, you have the scrapbooks subdivided. This is. Amazing." Rory said in awe.
"School, sports, vacations, holidays and Other."
"There's some pretty good stuff in Other!" Marsha shouted from the kitchen.
"I don't know. Finn has some pretty funny stuff in every category," Meg said as she and Celia joined them.
"Make sure you see the vacation picture from that year all of the cousins came down," Meg began.
"And page 5 of Other," Celia interrupted.
"Page 5?" Meg asked. Celia looked at her sister and wiggled her eyebrows.
"Oh, yes! Look at page 5 first!" Meg caught on.
Rory giggled as Maxine slapped her daughters' hands away from the much peered through scrapbook.
"Girls! I think we'll start with his school pictures," she said with a wink and a slightly wicked smile.
Her daughters grinned. Their mom was indeed the master. Start with the adorable, then move to the embarrassing.
"Oh!" Rory gasped in adoration. "Knee socks!" she cooed.
Meg and Celia giggled.
"He was in knee socks and shorts in Kindergarten and Year 1. He cried when he had to wear long trousers the first day of Year 2."
Maxine proudly flipped through the scrapbook spending equal amounts of time on the adorable and embarrassing, and some that were a little bit of both. There were keepsakes glued alongside formal photos and casual snapshots. Maxine had kept everything from every year of school. She had crafts from art classes and articles from the school paper. If it could be flattened and attached to a page, it was in the book.
"And here we have the famous, or infamous rather, page 5."
Rory cooed and then collapsed in a fit of giggles along with the Stevenson women. At that point, Finn ambled into the room and rolled his eyes at the women. He peered over Celia's shoulder.
"Good God. That's what is so amusing? Everyone has a naked baby picture in a scrapbook. If you please, mum?"
His mom handed the heavy volume over to her son with a curious look.
"I happen to think this is a lot more original," he suggested, handing the scrapbook back to Rory.
"What is this?" she asked, a huge grin spreading over her face.
"My rugby team," he said as he waggled his eyebrows.
"Show offs", Meg scoffed.
"I think we had a lot to be proud of that season," Finn defended.
It was a typical team photo with the whole team lined up, with one minor exception.
"I just have one question," Rory said between giggles.
"Yes, love?"
"Did you guys ever think of doing a calendar?" she managed before collapsing back into the couch with another fit of laughter.
"Very funny," he said as he snatched the scrapbook back from her. He examined the team photo more closely as his father walked up behind him
"Was that the year you went undefeated?" his father asked.
"Almost. We only lost one game all season. We were undefeated the next year."
His father squinted at the picture again. "Was it cold that day, son"
The girls roared with laughter as Marshall grinned widely.
An indignant Finn placed the still open scrapbook on the table and lifted Rory to her feet.
"Come on, beautiful. I'll show you the rest of the house.
As the rest of the family moved to take care of other things, Mrs. Barrett came in to gather up empty coffee cups and straighten up. She picked up the scrapbook to return it to its place with the girls'. As she did she glanced down at the current page before shutting it. She clucked her tongue in a disapproving manner.
"Not a stitch of clothes on a single one of 'em." she muttered to herself as she chuckled lightly.
Finn showed Rory the rest of his boyhood home. The basement that was outfitted with a huge entertainment center with several large couches and comfy chairs was first. He promised they would return later to plan a movie night. Satisfied he led her on to the library where she again got distracted.
"Come on, Gilmore. I still need to show you our room and it's almost dinner," he said.
"Dinner? Why didn't you say so?"
He chuckled as he dragged her up the stairs. "You were so involved in smelling the philosophy section I didn't want to disturb you," he teased.
"Sorry, can't help myself. Which one is ours?" she asked as they reached the top of the staircase.
"This way," he led her down the hallway.
At the end of the hall Finn paused. "Love, I just want you to know how happy I am that you came here with me, to see my home and meet my family."
Rory reached up and traced her finger along his jaw line. She leaned towards him and as their lips met she said softly, "Happy to be here."
"Aww," Celia said, and Meg teased the couple, "So sweet."
Rory giggled as Finn rolled his eyes as they broke apart.
"Rory, we cleared out drawer and closet space in Finn's room, but let us know if you need more space or anything else."
"Okay, thanks," Rory smiled at the girls.
"Dinner in 30!" Celia told them as Finn pulled a smiling Rory into his room.
He picked her up, kicked the door closed, and tossed her onto the bed.
"Finn, we're supposed to be getting ready for dinner!" she laughingly protested.
"We are!" he told her as he began kissing a favorite spot on her neck. "After all that pie, we need to work up an appetite. Besides, you're doing me a favor here"
"Favor?" she managed. She really liked that spot. It was one of her favorites, too.
"Mmm, hmm. Helping me to fulfill one of my fantasies. Woman of my dreams in my old bedroom…"
"Oh, really?" she purred. "In that case, thirty minutes is plenty of time."
"Oh, and, love?"
"Yes?"
"Try not to scream as loud as usual? These walls are not soundproofed."
"Finn!" she gasped at him. "I do not scream," she said with a hint of indignation.
"Call it whatever," he said with a grin. "You, woman, are loud," he said with a smile.
"Well, fine. But if I can't be loud you can't do that thing you do that makes me loud."
"What thing?" he asked innocently as he moved to do just that.
"Gah! You know what. Ooh. Oh, I give up."
The two carried on as they were wont to do. Amazingly they had enough time to, er, fully, enjoy themselves and get ready for dinner.. They were indeed happy to have done something to work up an appetite for dinner. Mrs. Barrett and Maxine had gone all out for Finn's homecoming dinner. All his favorites and then some. As they sat down at the table they eyed the waiting meal with anticipation and waited for the others to take their seats.