Hidden Past

Read this first! This is a response to a challenge posted on Illusive. It's the A Past Life challenge by Holly. The challenge is as follows:

Rory is in her junior year at yale, she never stole the boat. She and logan are broken up but since she is livng with Finn and Colin they have agreed to friends.Even though they both still have feelings for each other. Rory has a secret past that she never told any of her friends about. When lorelai had her and her twin brother at 16 Rory and her brother grew up with christopher until they were 15. They are veryclose. At 15 rory and her brother were tired of their dad never being there for them so rory moved in with her mom and her brother went to boarding school. Rory and her brother spent every summer with their dad and grandparents on their dads side they are very close with their hayden grandparents but though they spend the summer with their dad aren't very friendly with him. What will happen when the death of grandma hayden brings all of the people from rory's other lifecametogether at hartford for the funeral, and logan will see a whole new side of rory through all of her friends, relatives and ex boyfriends that show up to support rory.

Chapter 1

Lorelai Leigh Gilmore- Hayden walked to her dorm with her books weighing down her arms. She had spent most of the day at the library studying for a History exam. Why she decided it would be interesting to take a course geared specifically towards an in-depth analysis of the changing roles of women in the 1920's she could not remember. All she knew was that it didn't seem quite as interesting now that she was actually taking it.

Ever since she and Logan broke up she had thrown herself into her schoolwork. His father had told her she wouldn't be a good journalist. That got her confidence down. She considered doing something wild and crazy, but in the end, her common sense won out. They stayed together for a few more weeks, but he was being pressured to dump her. The pressure evidently got to him, because he told her being a boyfriend just wasn't working out for him. If he and his family didn't find her good enough, then fine. She was a Gilmore and a Hayden, damn it! She didn't need to prove herself to anyone.

She barely got her door open without dropping every one of the books. She kicked the door shut and went to her room, dropping the books and various papers on her bed with a sigh.

"Ror?" The familiar voice called out from behind her.

She jumped. "Oh my God, Jake, get a bell or something! Make some noise!"

Jake Pittman looked at her shaking his head. "I was sitting on the couch when you came in."

"Sorry, my arms were full." She replied, looking at him in confusion. "Why are you here?"

He took a deep breath, looking her strait in the eye. "Ror, maybe you should sit down." The tall, sandy haired boy with green eyes told her. He had a muscular build, which was from days he spent playing football.

She stared at him, no amusement left in her voice. "What's wrong?"

He quickly crossed over to her, wrapping his arms around her. She allowed herself to sink into the familiar embrace, worrying washing her.

"It's your grandma Francine. She… there was… she didn't make it, Ror." He told her softly, holding her tightly to support her.

"No…" She whispered, giving in to sobs as they wracked her body and she leaned completely into him, allowing him to be there for her as he so often was.

Every time anything major in her life happened that she was unable to turn to her twin brother, Joshua, she always turned to Jake. They dated for two years, until he broke up with her when she was fifteen. He knew she wanted to leave Boston, and move away from her dad, but never would if they were still together. So even though it broke his heart, he told her to leave. He told her it would never work out between them. They both knew it was a lie. But they agreed never to verbally acknowledge the truth.

Josh decided to go away to boarding school, not wanting anything to do with the mother who abandoned them so long ago, while Rory decided to go and meet the Gilmore's.

Although they were apart, she and Josh continued to be very close. They spent every summer together in Boston with the Hayden's, visiting their friends.

Rory continued to cry, remembering all the wonderful things about her wonderful grandmother. The grandmother who never criticized her or made her feel bad about anything. Rory talked to Francine several times a week, and was closer to her than she was to Lorelai. While Rory and Lorelai were close, Rory would never fully forgive her for abandoning her and Josh. Now her wonderful grandmother was gone… a heart attack, if she heard Jake right. It just didn't seem right. None of it did.

-GG-

Several hours later Rory and Jake made it back to Boston. They walked into her father's mansion with her still clinging to him. He would support her; he always did.

Joshua Michael Gilmore- Hayden looked up as he heard his sister and his best friend approaching.

"Ror" He said, standing and wrapping her in his arms. They stood there, hugging in the sitting room of their father's mansion until they heard their father enter the room.

Josh quickly wiped at his eyes before his father noticed the tears, and Rory straitened. According to their father, a Hayden was to be strong, even in the worst of circumstances.

"Josh, Rory." He nodded, addressing them both.

"Father." They both replied at the same time, their expressions blank, not telling truth to the deep grief they felt.

"We will be holding a dinner here in two days time. There will be between twenty and thirty people attending. Each day until the funeral there will be a…"

Christopher paused, searching for the correct word. In truth, the dinners and teas and such were all just wonderful business ploys. Many of his friends did the same when their parents died. Have a family member hold several "memorials" for the departed. The men would obviously begin to talk business- leaving the ones left behind by the dearly departed to be in a strong point for making business contacts. He remembered when his father did the same over his grandparent's deaths.

"There will be memorials for your grandmother. On Friday there will be an event… just a meet and greet with appetizers and such. Saturday, Rory, you will host a tea here while Josh, you go will go golfing with myself and some busin- some other guests. The wake is Sunday, the funeral Monday, and of course there will be dinner here for many of the attendees after. Of course, you will also be expected to go to several other functions in her honor. The local DAR is hosting a memorial, along with several other organizations. It's your duty."

Josh and Rory shook their heads.

"Father, don't you think it's disrespectful for-" Rory began to say, trying to keep the tears glistening in her eyes at bay.

Her father's gaze became steely. "Lorelai Leigh, you know how things in society are. You were raised in society. Over the past few years, your mother" He practically spat the word, "Has told you how awful it is, but you know what you were born to do. Don't forget, you're a Hayden. You were not raised a Gilmore. You were raised a Hayden. Act like it." With that, he left the room, slamming the door shut as he entered his study.

Josh hugged his sister. His blue eyes met her identical blue eyes.

"It'll be ok. It always is." He assured her. And he was right, it always was okay.

-GG-

Logan groaned as he picked up the phone, glancing at the caller id on his cell which read Satan.

"Hello father." He said into the phone, rolling his eyes.

"Logan, you need to go to Boston." His father immediately told him.

"Why?"

"Francine Hayden has just past away. There will be several memorial functions in her honor. Your mother will be there, along with Honor. You should also." His father informed him, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"What? WHY? I didn't even know her!" Logan exclaimed, annoyed at the idea of his week being ruined.

His father sighed. "Logan, the Hayden heir and heiress will be there. They are twins, and the girl is your age. It would be a good match."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Of course, what better way for me to meet a wife than at a funeral?"

"Just be there. I do believe Colin and Finn are also being summoned by their parents, along with Stephanie."

"Fine." Logan finally relented, grateful that at least his friends would be tortured with him. Off to the Hayden funeral and match making in Boston he was.

AN: Ok, I know the whole "tons of memorials" thing is really overkill, but I needed a way to keep Logan and them around Rory's other life. Besides, Francine Hayden is a very important woman of society. Of course several organizations would want to do memorials for her. Anyways, this is the first time I've ever responded to a challenge, so please let me know what you think!