AN: i was going to post this at like 2 in the morning last night but the log in thing wasn't working so i'm posting it now! Enjoy!

Part 14: The Hartford Mask

For the rest of dinner Rory had the urge to rub her temples to try and dim the pain that was the beginning of a major headache, one could even dub it a migraine. She picked at her food, but didn't eat anything. She wasn't hungry. Logan kept glancing at her plate as did Paris who was sitting across from her. She even got a kick from Finn who was sitting at her other side. Apparently they wanted her to eat. She wanted to eat too, but the food they were serving wasn't edible. God, what she wouldn't do for one of Luke's burgers, coffee and a slice of his apple pie. She suppressed a groan and continued to pick at her food.

What her and her mother had going on could properly be named a feud. Of course a feud was if both sides were mad. In this scenario she was mad and her mother was sad. Ha, she rhymed! She sighed and shook her head. She knew she had the right to be mad. Her mother did arrange her marriage. She had apologized profusely. Though a sorry wasn't going to make it go away and a sorry was definitely not going to get her to trust her mother. Lorelai had broken the trust bonds when she didn't tell Rory the minute this was arranged. It was going to take a long time for the trust the be regained if it ever was.

"Rory?" She looked up and saw her grandmother looking at her.

"Sorry, what?"

"Are you done with your plate?" Rory nodded and the maid took the full plate away.

"You didn't eat anything." Logan whispered.

"Nothing on the plate was edible."

"I'm guessing you don't like duck?"

"Was that what it was?" She said in mock surprise.

"Yes, that's what it was. I saw Finn kick you."

"He wanted me to eat."

"Paris sent a few glares your way."

"She's worried, that's the way she sends out concern. I also noticed you sent me a few glances."

"You kept picking at the plate, it made that clinking sound. Your grandmother kept sending stern looks our way."

"Sorry."

"No problem. It's fun seeing Emily Gilmore turn twelve shades of red." Rory smiled

"My mother's favorite pastime." Desert was served which was a strawberry swirl cheesecake. That Rory did eat. By the end of dinner they all retired back to what used to be the living room. It was now turned into a dance floor. Rory saw Morey go over to the piano and sit down, he began to play as if it were his own. Rory smiled when she saw Miss Patty and Babette, along with Kirk, go over as if a magnet were pulling them and began to sing the lyrics to the ballad. She looked over at her grandmother who didn't give it a second glance as if the impromptu concert had all been planned from the beginning. Logan led her out to the dance floor, but she stopped.

"I don't dance." She lied.

"Oh, come on Ace. We have to give them at least one dance. It'll get them off our backs for at least twenty minutes." Logan smirked. She sighed and let him lead the way. He took her out with all the other couples and led her into a waltz.

"You waltz." She laughed.

"It's a must in the Hartford society. My mother pushed me into the lessons at a young age. And so do you."

"Yeah, I had to learn for a school dance. I guess waltzing is like riding a bike. Once you learn you never forget."

"I don't think that's why I remember how to waltz, Ace."

"Oh?"

"I think the fact that I got jabbed in the back for posture with a walking stick has a great deal to do with it." Rory laughed.

"Yeah, that would do it."

"It's an heirloom, you know."

"What is?"

"The ring. It's passed down to the men in the Huntzberger clan to give to their future brides. Started with my great-grandfather, then grandfather, father and me."

"That's great."

"You don't have anything like that?"

"Oh, me and my mother have many things that we're passing down, but they're all imaginary and don't really qualify as an heirloom."

"Do I want to know?"

"Probably not." Rory said as she sent a smile his way. Logan laughed.

"It's best I don't know."

"Yep." When the song ended the walked back to the couches where Robert, Colin, Finn and Steph were gathered. Steph handed her her purse.

"You left it near your chair after dinner, it's been buzzing all night." Steph said. Rory thanked her and got out her cell just as it began buzzing again. Thank god for vibrate. She checked the caller ID and sighed.

"Excuse me." She said. Logan nodded as she went up the stairs with her cell phone. She went to her mother's old room and sat on the bed. Dean was calling again. She sighed and answered the phone.

"Hey,"

"Hey." Dean said. "I've been trying to call you all week."

"It's only Tuesday, Dean, but I know what you mean."

"You haven't called back."

"I know. I've been really busy with school and the paper."

"What about now?"

"I'm at a party at my grandmother's."

"Well, blow it off and come here."

"I can't Dean, it's sort of important that I'm here."

"Why?"

"It just is. I'm sorry."

"Well, how about tomorrow? You have morning classes, right? We can meet for lunch and spend the day together."

"Dean, I can't, I'm busy."

"With what?"

"I'm leaving."

"Leaving?"

"My grandfather pulled some strings to get me into this program at school and it's sort of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It might not come again."

"You haven't spent any time with me and Tom gave me tomorrow and Thursday off." Rory sighed. It was time she told him.

"Look, why don't you meet me at Yale Thursday night? I should be back by then, I really don't know. If not, I'll find a way to call, okay? I really need to tell you something."

"Well, tell me now."

"It's not really phone news, it's more face to face news."

"Is it good?"

"For some." Rory heard the door open and she turned to face her mother. "Look, I've got to go. I'll see you Thursday night?"

"Yeah, where?"

"Uhm, the parking lot of my dorm."

"Okay, see you then."

"Bye Dean."

"Bye Ror." Rory hung up and turned to her mother.

"What do you want?" Rory asked harshly swinging her legs to the side of the bed and standing up.

"We need to talk."

"No, we don't."

"Yeah, we do. Now I'm your mother and I'm pulling out the mom card so sit down and listen."

"I don't have to. I'm twenty years old, mom. I'm my own person."

"Cut the crap, Rory. You came out of me, so you're mine whether you like it or not. Now sit down!" Rory glared at her, but sat down on the bed. Lorelai sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I know you hate me."

"That's an understatement." Lorelai sent her a look that warned her to stay quiet.

"And I know you're mad, no, more than mad. Words don't even describe how pissed off you really are. I know cause I was that mad at my mom."

"Highly doubt it."

"Look, I'm sorry, Rory. I really am. You don't know how much it killed me to make that agreement, but that school… you deserved to be in that school. I wanted the best for you. And I know that arranging your marriage was the lowest thing I could have done. And I messed up, kid, and I'm sorry. I know that's not going to make up for anything and I know that a lot of the trust that was there is gone, but I want to make it up to you. I'm sorry." The room was silent and Rory looked at her mother, tears gleaming in her eyes.

"You're wrong." She said wiping the tears away.

"What?" Lorelai asked. Hopefully, there was a bit of forgiveness coming her way.

"Not a lot of the trust is gone."

"Rory." Lorelai was about to go over to her, but Rory stopped her.

"All of it is."

"Oh Ror."

"No, don't 'Oh Ror' me! God mom, you arranged my marriage! You can't say sorry and expect all my anger towards you and Grandma to vanish! Jeez, you're the one that agreed to this stupid thing and I'm the one that has to pay for your stupid mistakes! Did you know that I've been hiding this from Dean? I have to tell him that I can't be with him because I have to marry a guy I barely know! I want to have a career, mom, and children and a home, but with the guy of my choice! Grandma and Grandpa wanted you to marry dad after you got pregnant, but you had a choice in saying yes or no and now you're marrying the guy of your dreams! I have the guy of my dreams and I have to marry someone else! Jeez, mom, think about it from my point of view!"

"You really think that if this hadn't happened you'd still be with Dean? That you'd still love him?"

"This isn't about Dean or what ifs! This is about now! I could have gotten into Yale or Harvard if I had stayed at Stars Hollow High! I could have done what I'm doing now! God, mom, you should have thought about this before you went and signed me away!"

"I was going to have a plan! I was going to get you out of this somehow!"

"But you didn't, mom!"

"I didn't know she was going to tell you that way! How the hell was I supposed to know that she was going to bring your betrothed to the house for Friday dinner! Jeez, you never know with my mother! I swear I didn't want this to tear us apart, Rory."

"Well, it sure as hell didn't bring us together!"

"Rory, please, just think about maybe having lunch with me. Luke can be there to play mediator." Rory shook her head.

"I can't."

"Rory, please. I want you at my wedding, I need you, babe. You're my other third."

"Luke being the other." Rory whispered. Lorelai smiled.

"You have the bigger piece." Rory shook her head.

"I'm leaving for a few days. Uhm, grandpa, he called some friends and got me into this, uhm, thing. I'm leaving tomorrow and I don't know when I'll be back."

"Will you call me when you do?"

"We'll see." She said.

"That's a start. I'll tell Luke to start sending you coffee again." Rory gave a small smile.

"We can't have what we had. A lot's happened, mom."

"I know, babe."

"I'm still mad. I'm just too tired to summon up the anger." Lorelai nodded.

"We should probably head back down."

"Yeah." Lorelai opened the door and they saw Finn looking around in all the rooms. "Finn?"

"Ah, there you are, love." He said grabbing her arm and leading them down the hall. "Logan sent me up here to look for you. Said they were giving presents now." Rory sighed.

"You guys wouldn't happen to have a very big aspirin on you, would you?"

"Sorry, love, mine is for later." Finn said with a smile as he led her downstairs.

"Sorry babe." Rory sighed.

"I should have learned never face the lions unprepared." She said as she entered the living room with a fake smile and sat next to Logan. Lorelai watched her. She was getting good at wearing the Hartford mask. She would have to be. Lorelai shook her head and went to stand next to Luke and watched them open presents.