Disclaimer:...Really, do you think it's any different from the other chapters?... I wish...
Chapter 15
-- Friday Night --
"I hate her," Rory muttered grumpily, her eyes searching the rearview mirror for any sign of her mom's car.
She and Dean had been sitting in front of the Gilmore Mansion for over fifteen minutes, and Lorelai and Luke were still a no show. After hearing the news Tuesday that they would be forced to sit through an evening of Friday Night Dinner at the Gilmore Mansion, Rory, Dean, and Luke were about ready to let Lorelai fend off the wolves on her own. Their run-ins with Emily and Richard hadn't brought to mind any pleasantries. In fact, Dean cringed when he found out Lorelai had officially named him Rory's secret guest.
"Why?" he had managed to croak out. He was pale and stricken in the face, as though he'd seen a ghost.
"Well, I figured that Friday would be the perfect time to inform them that you and Rory are back together, and that Rory's having a baby," Lorelai had stated rather cautiously.
If it was at all possible, Dean Forrester had died right then. As did Rory. They both knew, as well as Luke and Lorelai, that Emily and Richard did not like Dean. And they most certainly would not be happy to hear that Rory had gotten herself pregnant so early in her life and career, much less by Dean. In fact, Luke had found some sort of common ground with Dean after the announcement of Friday Night Easter Dinner. But there was no talking their way out of it. Lorelai had explained her struggle to keep Emily away, but figured it was best that she and Richard found out about Rory, Dean, and the baby at their house in Hartford, rather than in Stars Hollow, so as to not cause another scandal in the town.
Lorelai had also saw it best that Rory and Dean take a separate car. She wasn't sure how cruel her mother could be tonight. She knew how cold-hearted Emily could be to her, but not to Rory and Dean. And not when a baby was involved. So if things got too ugly, Rory and Dean would have a getaway car.
"She'll be here," Dean said, taking a sip of the coffee he'd stopped to buy for him and Rory.
Rory had also made Lorelai promise not to leave her and Dean to do the dirty work on their own. But Lorelai and Luke had been running a few minutes late because of the diner. And yet still, after driving in the slow lane, stopping for coffee, and circling the block three times, Rory and Dean were the only ones sitting in a car outside the Gilmore Mansion. Luke and Lorelai were fifteen minutes late.
"She promised," Rory mumbled, reaching down to grab her own cup of coffee. It was decaf, for the baby, but it was still coffee. Seeing how her nerves were causing her hands to shake from fear alone, she put the cup back without a sip, though. It would only make her more jumpy, and then her grandparents could complain that Dean was giving her drugs or something. She snorted in amusement at the thought.
"What's so funny?" Dean asked.
"I already know how this is going to end," Rory stated, though the humor was replaced by a pinch of sadness laced in with audacity. "I should just march in there and tell them that I love you, I'm having your baby, and I don't care what they think."
"You'd by lying, though, Rory."
"No, I wouldn't."
Dean sent her a skeptical look and sighed. "Look, I know you want to be all defiant and rebellious against your grandparents tonight, but the truth is you do care what they think about you… about us."
"How can you say that?" she asked incredulously. "You hate my grandparents! I would've thought that you'd be a little more enthusiastic about the whole idea of me tossing my grandparents out of our lives forever!"
"I don't hate them, Rory, I just don't agree with them," Dean sighed again. "But can you really blame me? Look at everything they've done to try and keep us apart."
"And what makes you think they'll welcome you with open arms tonight?"
"They won't," Dean relented.
"Which is why I don't want them in our lives," Rory cut in. "I love you, and if they can't accept that, than…"
"That's great," Dean said sincerely. "I love you, too. But don't let them cause another rift between us. Let them say their piece about family, money, and different worlds, and then move on. Let them make the decision about whether they want to be in our lives or not. Don't make the decision for them."
"I won't."
Dean smiled sadly and reached over and grabbed her hand in his. Giving it a squeeze, he said, "And promise me that when they do make that decision, you won't get upset and let it plague you."
She looked at him in the dim light from the windows. He looked a little anxious and reliant, yet serious at the same time. And she saw it in his eyes - that look of dread knowing the inevitable that faced them, which is what he feared. She nodded slowly and sincerely, squeezing his hand back and saying, "I promise."
The headlights of an arriving car flashed into the rearview mirror, lighting up the Prius. Rory smiled and jumped out, running into her mother's arms gratefully. "You're here," she exclaimed happily.
"No thanks to diner boy over there," Lorelai motioned over to Luke. "He forgot he waxed the floors, and as he's rushing down the stairs and onto the tile, he slips, does a complete aerial for the crowd inside Doose's Ice Cream parlor, and lands flat on his back."
Rory and Lorelai let out laughs, as did Dean who came up to Luke and patted him genially on the shoulder. Luke simply rolled his eyes and offered the three a sheepish grin.
"Anyway, what'd we miss?" Lorelai asked.
"Nothing much," Rory replied, "We haven't gone in yet."
Lorelai smiled proudly and chirped, "My daughter ladies and gentlemen."
The four made their way to the door of the Gilmore Mansion, astounded that Emily hadn't noticed either car drive up. They debated for a good ten minutes whether or not to just book it, taking the claim that either no one was home when they arrived, or they'd arrived at the wrong house. At least, that's the alibi Luke and Dean tried to convince Lorelai and Rory to roll with. But both women knew that it was inevitable.
And just as Lorelai reached up to knock on the door, glowering down at her chicken daughter, her chicken daughter's chicken boyfriend, and her chicken fiancee, the door swung open to reveal Emily Gilmore, busy as a bee barking orders to the maids.
"How do you always do that?" Lorelai asked, reeling from the shock of her mother's apparent telekinetic powers.
"Do what, Lorelai?" Emily asked, finally turning to look at them. Since she'd grown accustom to the idea of Luke being a part of the family, and she was used to seeing Rory and Lorelai over the last several years, the only face that stuck out to Emily was Dean. "Oh, hello," she stated in that falsely cheery voice, yet there wasn't a smile on her face. "Come in."
They ushered themselves in, eager to get the evening over with. After placing their coats on the coat rack, they headed for the sitting room. Lorelai was the last, and she took a chance to glance back at her mother, who did not look amused or pleased at the sight of their extra guest. Lorelai sighed and followed Emily after the others, muttering, "Start your engines ladies and gentlemen," and rolling her eyes at the ceiling in a tired fashion.
AN: Okay, I wrote this part last week (along with the next chapter), and it was all sorta spur of the moment, like I couldn't stop writing even though I was dead tired. I would've posted this last week, but I left to spend Easter Sunday with my brother's family, and I was the permanent babysitter to my 1 yr-old niece for three days. I got home yesterday, but was too tired to actually reread what I'd written and revise whatever I wanted to be revised. And this chapter is just mostly filler for the next chapter, but don't worry :) I'm posting it right after this one. Read&Review!