Disclaimer: Alas, I own nothing. Not Lorelai. Not Rory. Not Luke (wipes away a tear). Nothing.
Chapter 11- The Biggest Jerk in the World
"How'd last night turn out?" Lori asked as she and Emma walked into the bookstore.
"From what I saw it went fine, but from what I heard it was a disaster," Emma replied.
"Grandpa's not going to jail for killing anyone is he?"
"Remarkably, Dad wasn't the problem. Uncle Max was."
"Uncle Max? No way. He never gets mad. Not even that time Uncle Jess, Uncle Dean, and Dad accidentally set his lawn on fire."
"Yeah, I still don't know how they managed to do that."
"I don't either. It may be better left unknown."
"I agree. Hey, how did you manage to get out of Friday night dinner anyhow?"
"Hope and Nate were sick. Mom and Dad were required to make an appearance, so I got to dodge a bullet. Speaking of dodging bullets, I haven't seen your puppy lately."
"I don't have a puppy. Dad hates dogs."
"Not literally. I meant our infamous bag boy."
"Oh. Him."
"Yeah. Him. He's been MIA since you ran away from him in the middle of town square."
"I didn't run away from him in the middle of town square. I had to go home. But now that you mention it, I haven't seen Tyler anywhere in almost a week. Do you think he's avoiding me?"
"I don't know. Maybe. I mean, he put everything on the line and you totally bailed on him in front of the whole town. He really liked you and you turned him down in a really bad way."
"Thanks for making me feel better."
"The truth hurts."
"Was it really that bad?"
"I was hurting when I heard."
Emma sighed and turned a corner, accidentally bumping into someone. "Oh. I'm sorry."
"It's ok," the boy said. Emma immediately recognized his voice.
"Tyler."
Tyler's head shot up. "Emma," he said, stiffening. "Um. I, uh, gotta go." He put the book in his hand on the shelf and hurried out of the bookstore.
"What was that about?" Lori asked.
"I don't know," Emma replied. "I'll be back." She walked out the door and followed Tyler down the street. "Tyler!"
Tyler pretended not to hear Emma. "Please stop following me," he repeated to himself.
"Tyler! Hey! I'm talking to you! Stop right now or I'll scream and everyone will think you're hurting me!"
Tyler quickly turned around. "I can't talk right now. I have to get back to work."
"Well don't worry, this'll only take a second. I don't get it Tyler, you ask me out and then you ignore me. Is this an ego thing? I didn't accept your offer so you hate me?"
"No, it's not that…"
"Then what is it?"
Tyler just stared blankly at Emma. He took a deep breath. "I can't see you anymore."
"I'm not asking to go out with you. I thought we could at least be friends."
"We can't see each other. We can't be friends. We can't talk. I can't be seen with you."
Emma started to get angry. Soon, the anger got the best of her. She slapped Tyler."You and your ego can go straight to hell! You, Tyler Doose, are the biggest jerk in the world!"
Lori walked out of the bookstore and headed to the diner in search of Emma. She looked through the windows hoping to see Emma. Instead, there was another familiar sight to the town and the diner. There was a man standing behind the counter in a flannel shirt and baseball cap, his hands placed a good distance apart on the counter as he listened to the brown haired woman rant about her day and sipped at her coffee. But the people she was watching weren't her grandparents. It was their son and her mother's ex-boyfriend's daughter. Will even had the same look in his eye as he listened to Lena that Luke had when he listened to Lorelai. Lori walked into the diner just as Lena finished her rant and coffee.
"Urgh," Lena sighed. "I'm sorry Will. I didn't mean to bore you."
"You didn't bore me," Will said. "This was actually the highlight of my day."
Lena laughed and gave his hand a squeeze. "Thanks. You're sweet. A liar, but sweet."
Will shook his head. "Anytime. If you ever need an ear to rant into, I'm here."
"Thanks Will. I'll see you later."
Will waved to Lena as she left. "Hey Lena," Lori greeted with a smile.
"Hey Lori. I'd stay and tell you about my horrible day, but I'm supposed to help my aunt move into her new apartment."
"Completely understood. I just came by to have a word with my uncle anyway. And if I do it right and get my way, by the time I'm through he'll be in the corner crying like a little girl."
"Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you. Ok, I gotta go. I'll see you later."
"Later." Lori took a seat at the counter after Lena left. "So how long has that been going on?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. I assume- hoping really- you'll stop talking all together when I give you coffee," Will said as he wiped down the counter.
"Come on Will. I know you've been outta school for a week, but you can't be that stupid." Will glared at his niece. "Lena."
"What about her?"
"Oh come on Will. I saw the way you were looking at her before I walked in. It's the same look Grandpa gives Grandma. You like her don't you?"
Will laughed as he refilled the coffee pots. "You've lost your mind Lori. Lena and I are friends. Best friends at that."
"Grandpa and Grandma were best friends too. Why are you denying it?"
"Because it's not true."
"I think you're in denial."
"If you came here just to harass me, then you'll have to hit the pause button because I'm trying to work here."
"Actually, I came to ask if you've seen Emma."
"Nope. Try the bookstore."
"That's where she ditched me."
"Should I be concerned?" Just then, Emma burst through the diner doors and ran over to her brother, hugging him as she began to cry. "Em? What's wrong? What happened?"
"It was horrible Will," Emma cried. "What he said to me…he's a jerk!"
"Who?"
"Tyler Doose!" Will held his sister as she continued to cry. He looked over at Lori. She knew from that look that Tyler Doose was going to be sorry he ever met Emma Danes.
Luke laid in bed on his side with a smile plastered on his face as he watched Lorelai brush her hair in front of her vanity only wearing a silk robe. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. "Like what you see?" she teased.
"Oh you know I do," he grinned. "Come back to bed and I'll show you how much."
Lorelai walked over to the bed and laid beside- more like on top of- Luke, entangling her legs with his and playing with the hairs on his chest. "What? You haven't gotten enough of me in the last two and a half hours?"
"I could never get enough of you. Have you noticed that lately, the only time we can have sex is on our breaks or when the kids are at your dad's?"
"That makes me sad. Sometimes I wish we could get away from everything and just be together. You know, just take off."
"Ok. Let's do it."
"Do what?"
"Take off."
"There's nothing else for you to take off. You're already naked," Lorelai joked, but then she saw the look in Luke's eyes and sat up. "You're serious."
"Why wouldn't I be?" Luke asked as he sat up. "Let's do it babe. Let's just pack up and leave for the weekend."
"Luke! We can't leave. What about the kids? The inn? The diner?"
"We can find someone to watch the kids. Tell Sookie you won't be back today or in tomorrow. Will's watching the diner and tomorrow's my day off anyway."
"Where would we go?"
"The family cabin. The whole family's supposed to go up in a few weeks anyway. We can get the place ready."
"I can't remember the last time you were this spontaneous." Lorelai got off the bed and headed to the dresser. "Well, come on. Get up and start packing!"
Luke quickly got out of bed, pulled his boxers on, and started packing. When they were done packing, Lorelai followed Luke out to his truck as he loaded their bags back in the back.
"So when are we coming back?" Lorelai asked as she got in the truck.
"Tomorrow night or Monday morning," Luke replied.
"Let's make it Monday."
Luke smiled. "Monday it is."
Lorelai loved this side of Luke. He was always the one to think rationally. He was the one that always asked "What about the kids?", "Where are we going?", "Where are we staying?", and "How long will we be gone?" He was the one to think ahead and about work. His spontaneity turned her on and right now she was struggling not to jump him right then and there.
Will sighed as he walked up the path toward the house. It had been a long day at the diner. The lunch rush spilled into the dinner rush and Kirk was being Kirk. To add to all the madness, his father never returned from his break. There was no phone call, no email, no message, no gossip, no sky writing, nothing. He would have been mad at his dad if he hadn't been so busy and by the time it had slowed down, he had forgotten he was mad.
By the time he made it to the door, he had forgotten where he put his keys so he just rang the doorbell. He was surprised when the door opened and the person on the other side wasn't his mom or his dad, but his grandfather.
"William," Richard greeted with a smile. Will walked into the house with a confused expression on his face. "Long day at the diner?"
"Um, yeah," Will replied as he took off his jacket and followed Richard to the livingroom. "Uh, Grandpa? I don't mean to be rude, but what are you doing here?"
"Your mother called me. She asked if I could come and watch you children."
"Where'd she go?"
"I'm not sure. She didn't say."
"When are they coming back?"
"She didn't tell me that either. She just said was she and your father would be gone for a few days and asked if I could stay here with you and your siblings."
"Hey Will," Rory greeted as she walked into the room with a laundry basket.
"Rory?" Will asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Mom and Dad asked if I could give Grandpa a hand. I'm just here to do the laundry."
"Do you know where they went?"
"Nope. Oh, Will, Sam's downstairs waiting for you. He got in a fight with his dad and came here. You weren't home, but he said he'd wait for you. I thought he got along with his dad."
"He must have gotten into a fight with his biological dad." Rory raised a brow. "His biological dad bailed on him and his mom before he was born. He took his step-dad's last name."
"Oh. Well, um, I gotta put this away. Logan should be here soon with dinner."
"What? Mom and Pops leave and we throw a big party?"
"Mom thought Grandpa would like some help to get what they do done while they're gone."
"Huh?"
"You're so cute when you're confused." Rory pinched Will's cheek as she proceed upstairs.
Will headed downstairs to find Sam in the lounge, slouching on the couch playing video games. "What are you doing?" Will asked.
"Playing Halo 2. You wanna join?" Sam replied.
"No." Will walked over to the TV and turned it off. "I meant at my house. Dude, your dad is in town. You know, that guy you haven't seen since you were six. Don't you think you should be spending time with him?"
"You'd think that wouldn't you?"
"Will!" Logan called from the top of the stairs. "I brought home dinner!"
"I'll be right up Logan!" Will yelled back. "You can stay for dinner, but then you're gone."
"What about dessert?"
"Then you are gone." Will and Sam went upstairs to have dinner. Will was surprised to see Jess and Dean in the kitchen. "Jess, Dean, what are you guys doing here?"
"We all ran into each other at Al's," Jess replied.
"Yeah and he invited us to stay for dinner," Dean added. "Plus my daughter's here."
"I bought enough food for the whole town anyway," Logan shrugged. "Girls! Food!"
Emma, Lori, and Lena came running into the kitchen. Lena looked up at Will and Sam and smiled. "Hi guys," she greeted.
"He," Will greeted with a smile. Lori gave Will a teasing look. "Are we eating at the table?"
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Rory replied.
"Cool. Sam and I are gonna eat downstairs and play video games."
"That code for you found your dad's dirty magazines?" Dean teased.
"Ah jeez. 'Dad' and 'dirty' are two words I never wanna hear in a sentence together." Will and Sam went back downstairs.
Dinner was nearly over when the doorbell rang. Logan got up to answer it. When he opened the door, a tall, blonde man in Army formals stood on the other side, his hat tucked under his arm.
"Hi," Logan greeted. "Can I help you sir?"
"Yes. I'm here to pick up my son, Samuel Lawson," the man replied.
"Oh, you're Sam's dad. He's best friends with my brother-in-law. I'm Logan Huntzberger." Logan extended his hand to the man.
"Captain Tristin DuGrey."
"Well, come on in Captain." Logan stepped aside to let Tristin in. "You can wait in the livingroom while I get Sam if you'd like."
"Thank you. This is a nice place you have."
"Oh it's not my place. It's my in-laws'. My wife and I are just helping out around here while her folks are gone."
"Where'd they go?"
"Not sure."
Confused, Tristin followed Logan into the livingroom where he saw a few familiar faces. Everyone turned their heads to see none other than Tristin DuGrey and their smiles faded.
"Captain DuGrey, these are my good friends Dean Forrester and Jess Mariano and my wife Rory," Logan introduced. "Guys, this is Captain Tristin DuGrey. He's Sam's dad."
"Long time no see Mary," Tristin mocked.
"Actually, her name is Ror…wait, you know my wife?"
"We went to high school together for a while. And lookie who else is here, the bag boy!"
Jess jumped in Dean's path, stopping his friend from ripping Tristin apart. "Dean, cool it. Richard's upstairs and you might give him a heart attack if someone screams bloody murder."
"Wait a minute, I know you. You're the kid from the diner!"
"I'm sorry, am I missing something here?" Logan asked. "You all know him?"
"Unfortunately," Rory said. She got up and headed to the lounge.
"Where you going Mary?" Tristin asked.
"Away from you." Logan stopped Rory, asking her what was going on with her eyes. "I'm going to get Sam." Logan let her go.
Rory walked out of the room and to the lounge. "Sam," she called. "Your dad's here."
"Can you tell him I'm not here?" Sam asked, half-joking.
"Sam, your father is here," Rory repeated. Sam didn't exactly pick up on the agitation in Rory's voice, but Will knew it all too well. It was a look that also meant there was about to be trouble.
"Uh, Sam, I think it might be time to go," Will said.
Sam sighed and followed the siblings upstairs. Half way up the stairs, they heard yelling. When they walked through the door, they found Dean and Jess holding back a very angry Logan.
"Let me go! I'm gonna kill him!" Logan yelled as he struggled against his friends.
"That's exactly why we're not letting you go!" Dean shouted.
"He's a military officer Logan!" Jess stated. "You hit him and you can be sent to jail."
"Dad? Is something wrong?" Lori asked as she, Emma, and Lena appeared on the stairs.
"Get back upstairs!" Will ordered. The girls hurried up the stairs, but stayed in ear shot. "Logan, stop! Come on. The neighbors are gonna call the police!"
"These are the kind of people my son is around?" Tristin asked angrily. He turned to Sam. "I don't want you hanging out with this kid anymore!"
"What?" Sam and Will yelled at the same time.
"Now wait a minute!" Rory interjected. "My brother and my family are great people. Maybe the problem here is you. Captain DuGrey, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"Excuse me?" Tristin asked, taking a step toward Rory.
Will protectively stood between his sister and a man that could probably beat him within an inch of his life. "Sir, I believe my sister asked you to leave," Will said calmly. "If you do not do so on your own, I'll be forced to call the police."
"You wouldn't dare."
"What's going on down here?" Richard asked as he walked downstairs. He surveyed what he saw and crossed his arms over his chest. "Tristin DuGrey."
"Mr. Gilmore," Tristin said innocently, moving toward Richard.
Richard raised his hand, stopping Tristin. "Save your breath young man. I know all about you. You walked out on that dear girl when she was pregnant with your child and then you ignored the boy for years. I don't care for your type. Your grandfather, rest his soul, was a good man and you are not fit to carry the DuGrey name. I believe you were asked to leave. I suggest you do so or I will call the authorities. And my son-in-law is a very powerful man in this town so I would think very hard about what I am going to do."
Tristin looked around the room full of angry faces. "Sam, it's time to leave," he finally said. Sam sighed and nodded. He followed his father out the door.
"Now, would someone like to tell me what's going on?" Richard asked.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Logan, Dean, and Jess said at the same time. They began to disperse, looking anywhere but at Richard or Rory.
No one but Logan, Jess, Dean, and Tristin knew what had started the fight. And it would probably stay that way. The words exchanged between the three friends and the Army captain would stay between the three friends and the Army captain. There was one thing for sure- they hadn't seen the last of Tristin DuGrey.
Next time on "Breakaway": Will angrily confronts Tyler about Emma and Tyler turns the tables on Will. Rory finds out life altering news, but Logan isn't the one by her side when she finds out- Jess is. Lorelai tells Luke she knows his secret.
A/N: So...Tristin. What do you think? I personally never really liked him. Arrogant bastard. Lol. But yeah, expect him to stir up more tension with Logan and Rory. For those who probably feel I've crushed the Tyler/Emma relationship possibility, don't worry. I haven't. I need the tension to entice Will to do something...well, stupid. There's going to be alot of surprises down that road so hold on for the ride because it's gonna get bumpy. For those that are worrying about Luke, well you might have a reason to worry soon. And finally, I will close this author's note in saying- I have a new fic. Lol. You're all probably wondering, "What the hell is she talking about? She hasn't posted a new fic here!" That's because it's not here. It's one of my board's exclusives. It's called "Regret" and deals with the idea of an on going estrangement between Lorelai and Rory. I know it's been done millions of times more, but this seriously is different. If you'd like to read it, please go to my board and leave a feedback. I only update if I get feedback. The link to my site is in my profile. Ok. I'll get back to working on my smutty The Broken Road update.