A/N: Thanks to Samijoe for the beta!
Welcome to Wonderland Chapter 8: Off
"I can't believe you talked me into this."
Alice smiled and stuck her head out the car window. "You smell that?"
"What? Pollution?" Tristin asked, keeping his eyes on the road ahead of him.
"No!" she laughed. "The hot dogs! The coffee! The pizza!"
"The sewage," he retorted.
"That's my home town you're belittling, good sir," Alice informed him.
He raised an eyebrow. "I thought Stars Hollow was your home."
"It is. This is my other home."
"Oh?"
Alice nodded. "We lived here until I was eight. We moved when Mom got really depressed."
"Why?"
She shrugged. "Everybody thought she'd do really well in a big city, but she missed home, and my grandmother. It just got to her."
Tristin nodded. "So you guys just picked up and left?"
"Pretty much," Alice replied. "My parents had this huge blow-up, and it all just came out. The next day Dad started house hunting in Stars Hollow."
"Wow."
"What?"
"I don't know," Tristin said. "My dad would have never done that for my mom."
"Huh."
"I mean... not since the divorce."
"Oh," Alice said, crossing her arms. "I didn't know they were divorced."
Tristin shrugged. "They split up when I was ten. Don't see my mom too often. She travels a lot."
Alice frowned. "I'm sorry."
"Whatever. I've got my dad, so..."
"Well, that's good..." Alice replied. "Dads are good."
Tristin nodded. "He got me the car."
Alice nodded slowly, thinking about just how spoiled he was. "Nice..." She glanced out the window again, and smiled. "Pull over. We're here."
Tristin blinked at the small, run-down building. "This?"
"This."
"It's gross!!"
"Shut up and park."
Tristin smirked and parked the car in front of the gym. As soon as he shut off the engine, Alice hopped out and ran in, with a gym bag thrown over her shoulder.
Tristin sighed. It was going to be a long date.
Jess sighed as he sat on his cousin's couch. "Frankie okay?"
Gloria nodded as she handed him a cup of coffee. "He's getting way too friendly with the NYPD, but he's fine."
Jess nodded. "Good."
Gloria sat down across from him, her own mug in her hands.
Jess looked around. "Still can't believe how different this place is. Sofia would have a heart attack if she were still alive."
Gloria smiled and looked around the old apartment. "I like it. It has character."
"You painted the walls purple."
"Character!"
"Freak," Jess joked.
"Swear to God, Jess, I will hurt you," Gloria shook her head.
He smirked. "How's the bookstore?"
"Good," Gloria nodded. "Surprisingly lucrative these days."
Jess nodded. "Good."
"Where's Ali?"
"Gym," Jess replied. "Probably gone to harass Keith. She's got her boyfriend with her."
Gloria grinned. "Boyfriend?"
Jess glared. "Shut up."
"You remember the first time I went out with Jamie?" Gloria laughed. "Grandpa was ready to kill him."
Jess nodded. "I remember."
Gloria took a sip of her coffee. "So... while it's just the two of us... which it hardly ever is... what the hell are you doing here?"
Jess looked down at his coffee.
"Get the phone."
RING!
"You get the phone."
RING!
"I'm comfy!"
Rory grimaced from her spot on the couch next to her mother. It was a family scene; the two of them lying around watching movies. With Luke at the diner and Jess and Alice in New York for the day, they were stuck with each other, which was never a problem. "So am I."
RING!
Unless the phone rang.
Lorelai groaned and reached over and grabbed the phone. "Hello?"
"Hello, may I please speak to... uh... Lorelai?"
Lorelai blinked and sat up straighter. "Max?"
Rory glanced at her with interest.
"Lorelai." He sounded surprised.
"Uhm... what are you doing calling here?"
"It's the phone number of one of my students," he replied, still sounding shocked. "You're Alice Mariano's mother?"
"No!" Lorelai cried. "Rory is... Alice is my granddaughter."
"Oh..."
"Why?" Lorelai asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Uh... there were a couple of incidents I'd like to talk to Rory about..."
"Oh! Sure!" Lorelai nodded and handed the phone to Rory.
"Hello?"
"Rory?"
"Hi, Mr. Medina."
"Hello."
Rory sat back. "Did you need to speak to me?"
"Yes," Max said firmly. "Alice... your daughter's work is very good..."
"That's great," Rory nodded. "Glad to hear it."
"Her manners and regard for the authority of her teachers leaves something to be desired."
Rory sighed. "Yup."
"...That's it?"
"She's had problems with authority since she was little. Her elementary school and public school teachers had the same problems."
Max paused for a moment. "Okay..."
"Just... reason with her," Rory told him. "Beat her at her own game. Show her you're more intelligent than she is. Believe me, it works."
"If you insist..."
"I do," Rory smiled. "Bye, Mr. Medina. It was nice talking to you."
He sighed. "Bye, Rory."
Rory hung up the phone and went back to watching the movie.
Lorelai didn't.
Rory glanced at her mother. "What?"
"Why didn't you tell me Max was still teaching at Chilton?" Lorelai asked, sounding slightly upset.
"I didn't think it mattered," Rory replied. "It's been so long since you guys were together... and you're with Luke now."
"You should have told me," Lorelai said.
"Why does it matter?"
"I almost married the guy!"
"Twenty years ago," Rory pointed out. "Come on, Mom."
Lorelai pouted.
Rory sighed.
Tristin walked into the South Street Gym and looked around. It was smelly and dingy, and filled with people, both young and old, working out.
He sighed.
It was disgusting.
And he had no idea where Alice had run off to.
He heard a scream, and looked over to the boxing ring.
There she was, thrown over the shoulder of a guy about their age, who wasn't the tallest person in the world, but could probably wipe the floor with Tristin. He had spiky, crazy hair that was a very dull shade of orange; his brunette roots were beginning to show. He looked as if he was having the best time in the world.
Tristin walked over to the ring and looked up into it. "Hey!" he snapped. "Put her down!"
The orange-haired youth turned with a confused look plastered on his handsome face. "Who're you?" he asked in a thick New York accent.
"Keith!" Alice cried with a laugh. "This is Tristin; my... date..."
"Ya brought a date to the gym?" Keith asked.
Alice sighed. "Tristin, this is my good friend Keith."
"Good friend?" Tristin asked, raising an eyebrow.
Keith smacked Alice on the butt. "Good friend," he repeated with a grin.
"JEEZ!" Alice cried. "Put me down!"
"No!" Keith chuckled.
Alice glared, and bit him, causing him to drop her onto the mat.
"No fair, biting!" Keith cried. "No fair!"
Alice laughed and got to her feet. "That's what you get."
"Karma's a bitch, Mariano," Keith warned with a smirk.
"So's your mom, Allenton," Alice snapped.
Keith pointed at her. "Don't you talk 'bout my ma!"
Tristin sighed deeply and took a seat on a bench.
Some date...
Gloria titled her head. "You think?"
Jess nodded his head at his untouched coffee cup. "They haven't gotten back to me with the tests yet."
"It's probably nothing," Gloria said.
"Right," Jess agreed. "I know."
They sat in silence.
"You die and I'll kill you," Gloria told him.
"I'm not dying," Jess snapped. "I just... might be sick... but I'm probably not."
"You gonna tell Rory and Alice?"
He shrugged. "Not until I know for sure."
"You should at least tell Rory."
"Why worry them if it's nothing?" Jess asked. "If it turns out to be something, I'll tell her... and Alice, but why freak them out?"
Gloria rolled her eyes. "Idiot."
Jess sighed. "Yeah."
Tristin stood on the balls of his feet. "Alice? Can we go now?"
Alice threw one last punch at Keith, knocking him off his feet. "Yeah. Just gimme a minute to clean up."
"Clean up?" Tristin asked worriedly. "You mean... you're gonna shower here?"
Alice nodded as she climbed out of the ring, followed by Keith. "Yeah, why not?"
Tristin shook his head, obviously not too comfortable with the idea. "No reason..."
"He's afraid you're gonna get some disease from the shower stall," Keith grinned.
Alice smirked and kissed Tristin on the cheek. "That's so cute. I'll be right out."
Tristin nodded and watched her go.
"So..." Keith said, once Alice had disappeared into the girls' locker room. "You're the boy?"
Tristin nodded. "Pretty much... I will be soon if I'm not now."
Keith nodded back. "Uh-huh, uh-huh... right."
Tristin raised an eyebrow.
Keith smiled brightly. "If you hurt her, I'll rip off your arms and shove them up your ass."
Tristin blinked. "Is that even possible?"
"It will be when I'm through with you."
"Hey!" snapped a voice from the door. "Stop taking over my job, Keith."
He grinned. "Sorry, Uncle Jess."
Jess walked over and sighed. "We're waiting on Alice?"
Tristin nodded.
"Huh," Jess commented, glancing at Keith. "Where in hell are your parents?"
"Dora's working, and Logan is sleeping on the couch," Keith replied.
Tristin gave him a weird look. "Logan and Dora?"
"My parents," Keith replied.
"You call them by their first names?" Tristin asked.
"Well, I could call them Mr. and Mrs. Allenton, but that'd be weird, wouldn't it?" Keith sighed. "I'm going out for a smoke." He turned to Jess. "You wanna come?"
Jess shook his head. "Cutting back."
Keith smirked. "You always say that."
At that moment, Alice walked back out in a nicer outfit, her hair wet. "Hey, Dad."
Jess nodded. "Hi."
Alice nodded back. She turned to Tristin. "You all set?"
"Like you wouldn't believe," Tristin replied.
Jess snickered a little and turned fully to Alice. "Okay. Have fun tonight. Be safe, be legal, and don't forget that you promised Joey you'd help him and Molly baby-sit Kira."
Alice nodded. "You got it."
Jess walked forward and kissed the top of her head. "See you at home." With that, he turned and walked out.
Tristin sighed. "So, where to now?"
"Dinner, I guess," Alice muttered. She turned to Keith. "Did he seem off to you?"
Keith blinked. "He's always off."
"More off."
Keith shrugged. "I don't know."
Tristin sighed. "I'm sure he's fine... can we go?"
Alice nodded. "Yeah..."
"My God," Luke said as he walked into Rory and Jess's house that evening. "Have you two been sitting here all day?"
Lorelai and Rory were, in fact, still sitting on the couch, staring at the television. "Ssshhh!" they both ordered.
Luke sighed. "Jess back yet?"
"Do you see a Jess sitting here, mocking us?" Lorelai asked.
"He should be back any minute," Rory muttered.
"Good," Luke snapped. "I'm gonna go start dinner."
"Food?" Lorelai asked, looking up at him hopefully.
Luke nodded and sighed deeply.
Tristin pulled over to the curb in front of a house on Peach Street. "Whose house is this?"
"The Gleasons," Alice replied. "We're babysitting tonight."
"How old are they?"
"She."
Tristin blinked. "There's only one?"
"Yup."
"Why does she need three sitters?"
Alice smiled. "She doesn't. It's just more fun that way." She moved to kiss him on the cheek, but he moved his face to catch her lips.
He smiled when they parted. "Call me?"
"Yeah right," she scoffed playfully. "You call me."
He laughed. "Okay."
She smiled at him and got out.
"TAG! You're it!"
"Noooooo!" Joey cried overdramatically, falling to his knees. "I've been tagged!"
Kira giggled and ran off, slamming right into Molly. "Hi!"
Molly smirked. "Hi, there. Who's it?"
Kira pointed to Joey.
"Oh, no!" Molly cried, and ran off.
The door opened and Alice peeked in with a smile. "Tag?"
"Joey's it!" Kira cried excitedly.
Joey got to his feet with a grin. "That's right!" He bum-rushed Alice and knocked her off her feet. "TAG!"
"AH!" Alice cried. "You jerk!"
Joey grinned. "How was the ball, Cinderella?"
"Sweaty."
"Wow, I didn't know you were easy," Joey commented.
She shoved him off of her. "We went to the gym!"
Joey laughed and lie on the floor. "That's what they all say."
Alice growled, got up, and kicked him hard in the side.
"OW!" Joey cried, cringing. "Dammit!"
"Bad Joey!" Kira cried rushing in from the other room with Molly tailing her. "No cursing!"
"Yeah," Molly giggled. "No cursing."
Kira sat on Joey, who let out a grunt.
"I'm gonna get you, Mols," Joey warned.
"Try getting through my two fathers first," Molly snickered.
"Hey!" Joey cried. "Uncle Zach and Uncle Brian are very understanding. If I can sit them down rationally and explain why you need to be gotten, they'd let me!"
Alice smirked and looked around a little. "Why isn't Emma here, again?"
"She and Mike are having bonding time," Joey replied.
"Yeah, cause that's a good idea," Molly said dryly.
Joey sighed. "Mike's better."
"Yeah, right," Molly muttered.
"I want ice cream!" Kira cried, oblivious to their conversation.
The three teens glanced at each other.
Emma sighed as she followed her older brother into the foggy club in New York. "I'm not supposed to be here, am I?"
"Relax," Mike replied. "I've got you covered." He waltzed up to the bar, and ordered two drinks. He held one out to her. "Here."
Emma crossed her arms, obviously uncomfortable.
"Oh, come on, Em," Mike smiled. "Loosen up! You're young! Live it up!"
She slowly took the glass and took a sip. She wrinkled her nose. "What is this?"
"A highball," Mike told her.
"What's that?"
He smiled. "Don't worry about it."
