Title: Her Second Chance
Summary: Never in a million years did he expect to find her on his doorstep. Her, of all people. And truth be told, she never expected that it would be him she was running to.
Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. Credit for that mess goes to AS-P and The WB.
Notes: Alright, this is now. As in, the part in the prologue hasn't happened yet. I hope you like.
Chapter One: The Wrong Him
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She collapsed on the lawn as the uncontrollable sobs wracked her body. Images of minutes before flew through her mind.
"He was cheating, Rory. He was cheating, and you were cheating with him. There's no other way to spin that, kid."
No. It wasn't cheating. Not in that sense. This was not just some meaningless fling. Dean cared about her. Dean loved her.
"This is your first time. It's just not the way your first time was supposed to be. "
But it....it was...it was fine, it was with someone who cares about her. It was...it just was, and it was fine.
"I didn't raise you to be like this. I didn't raise you to be the kind of girl who sleeps with someone else's husband."
She didn't just sleep with someone else's husband. It was Dean. Dean, her Dean, the Dean who built her a car, who tolerated her rambling, who made her a bracelet.
"I just don't want you to get hurt, Rory. What if he doesn't leave her? Now you're all emotionally involved."
What if he...he'll leave her. He has to. Things aren't working out. They aren't right for each other. He wouldn't have slept with her if he wasn't going to leave.
"Well, obviously, you weren't ready for this step. The very fact that you chose another girl's guy to sleep with proves that! "
She was ready. She was so ready. She may not have been in a 'relationship' with him, but they would be. She wanted that, right?
"But you dumped him! You rejected him! You picked someone else!"
She did pick someone else.
Someone else...
"Hello?"
It hit her all at once. She answered the phone. She. There was a she. Not Rory, but a different she. Dean's wife she. She answered the phone for Christ's sake.
Oblivious.
Unknowing.
"Hello?"
He was cheating. And her first time wasn't suppose to be 'fine'. It should have been amazing and perfect. Lorelai didn't raise her to be like this! She wasn't ready! She picked someone else over Dean...someone she....
What was she thinking? Why had she...
She was lonely.
She missed him.
She loved him.
...she loved him?
Yes, she loved him, but now?
He loves Lindsay.
She loves...
...not Dean.
She slept with the wrong him.
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Lorelai watched helplessly as the realization of what she'd done hit her daughter full force.
She stood there, on the porch, while her baby began to understand the consequence of her actions.
"My first time was with someone sweet and kind who loves me."
Someone who uses you to cheat on his wife can't be that sweet and kind. And he sure as hell can't love you.
"You slept with dad when he was with Sherry. He was engaged, and she was pregnant."
Chris said they were broken up. He said that it was over. The engagement was off. He was going to stay. He didn't know she was pregnant. Rory knew Dean was married.
"You're just mad because I didn't come running to you to discuss whether or not I was ready for this step. I decided it on my own."
She had been worried about Jess. This was going to happen with Jess, not Dean. Jess is the one that bothered her. Jess is the one who made her wait up by the window until he brought Rory home, hopefully in one piece. Jess is the one she didn't want her daughter alone with. Jess, the evil boyfriend. The one that hurt her baby. Not Dean.
"He was my boyfriend first!"
Was she really that diluded? Did she really believe that made a difference? "Finders keepers" my ass. That doesn't apply.
"I hate you for ruining this for me!"
Doesn't she realize that the situation ruined itself?
Her daughter...
...Married man.
Did she even love him?
She stood, frozen, as her daughter's small frame continued shaking with the never ending tidal wave of tears.
And she couldn't move.
She couldn't comfort her.
She didn't want to.
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Lorelai finally willed her legs to move. One foot in front of the other. Hand on the railing, one step at a time. Now down the path. One, two, three, four steps. Four steps away from the porch. Four was an incredibly large number.
"Rory? Rory, I..." She honestly had no idea how to continue. What do you say in a situation like this?
Rory sat up, wiping at her face, gaining her composure rather quickly.
"Don't you need to get back to the inn?" Her voice was quiet. Small. Microscopically small. Just like she felt.
"Kirk will live. I can-"
"No. Go."
"No, Rory. I'll stay. I'll call Sookie and-"
"It's your big day. Go back. I need to be alone for a while anyway."
She stood and smoothed her dress the best she could. Lorelai looked at her face, trying to read her. Did she really want her to go? Should she be left alone? Would she be alright? Rory turned to meet her scrutinizing gaze, but Lorelai had to shift her vision. She couldn't even look her own daughter in the eyes.
Rory noticed this, and continued.
"I'm fine. Really."
Unconvincing, but Lorelai decided to go nonetheless. She needs to deal with this on her own. She needs to at least try to deal with this on her own.
"Only if you're sure," she offered. Rory nodded and headed for the house. Lorelai turned to watch her go. No 'good bye'. No 'I'll see you'. No 'call me if you need me'. She desperately wanted to say those things.
She almost did.
But the door was already closed.
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Notes: I hope the POV switches weren't confusing. Please review. Any thought whatsoever would be so appreciated. I'm almost done with chapter two, so it should be up soon.