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Chapter 7

"I feel so stupid! Why did he have to do that? Why did he have to kiss me?" Rory exclaimed as she walked along the street with Jess on the way to the bookshop.

"Maybe because he likes you." Jess said.

"Jess, I'm being serious!" Rory said.

"So am I!" He chuckled.

Rory sighed. "I just ran back into the house..."

Jess was about to joke again but then he saw Rory's face. He sighed. "Look, do you like him?" He asked.

Rory looked at him. "I don't know..." She admitted. "I mean sometimes he can be really nice and sweet but then other times he can be a real jerk. He's so infuriating!"

"Well if it makes any difference, I think he genuinely likes you." Jess said.

"How do you know that? How do you know I'm not just one of the girls on a big list for him?" She said.

"I don't." He admitted. "But you forget Tristan and I are actually friends. I've seen the way he looks at you. I've also heard things. Apparently everyone's surprised at how he's changed. Kate said that if he wasn't bothered, he would have given up ages ago." He said.

"I don't know what to do." Rory groaned.

"Rory..." A voice said from behind them.

Rory turned round and froze. "Wha...What are you doing here?" She stammered.

"Stay away from her!" Jess said protectively.

"I don't want to cause any trouble. I just wanted to see you. You know your mom removed the restraining order against me a few years ago, right?" Chris said.

"We thought you wouldn't get in touch again. It had been a couple of years and we hadn't heard from you." Rory said quietly. "Why are you back now?"

"I wanted to see you. I'm your dad." He said.

"Luke's my dad." Rory said. "I don't want to talk to you. You'll ruin everything again! I've got Luke. I don't need you."

"I know." Chris said quietly.

Rory was shocked. "What?" She said.

Chris sighed. "I was a mess back then. I was in a bad place. I want to make amends. You're still my daughter."

Rory shook her head. "You only want mom. You've only ever wanted mom! You don't care about me."

"I do, Rory. Why do you think I didn't fight the court when Luke was wanting to adopt you?" He said. "I knew deep down that he'd be a better dad to you. I'm so sorry, Rory. For everything." He said.

Rory didn't know what to think. "I can't cope with this right now. I just can't." She said and ran off.

Jess glared at Chris before running after her. "Rory wait! Wait up!" He shouted catching up with her. "Where are you going?"

"The inn." She said. "I need mom. I need to talk to her."

"I'll come with you." He said.

Rory shook her head. "Go find dad, I mean Luke, I mean dad...urghh I don't even know what to say now!"

"Just stop for a minute. Take a breath." Jess said.

Rory stopped and took a deep breath. "You need to go warn Luke that's he's back. Please." She said. "He should know. I need to talk to mom."

Jess nodded. "You going to be ok?"

"I just need to talk to mom." She said quietly.

Jess nodded understanding. "Come find me if you need me, ok?"

Rory nodded. "Thanks."

He gave her a small smile before leaving. Rory then rushed off to the inn. She ran up to the desk. "Michel, where's mom?" She asked.

"How should I know?" He replied.

"Please Michel! This is important. Where is she?" Rory asked close to tears.

Michel noticed this and was a bit taken aback. "Kitchen." He said.

Rory ran through to the kitchen. "Mom!" She said.

"Rory?" Lorelai said confused. She then noticed her tears. "Rory, what's wrong?" She asked concerned.

"He's back." Rory said. "I don't know what to do. He's saying he's sorry and he wants to make amends but I've got Luke. I don't need him!" She said in a state.

Lorelai led her out and went into an empty room. "Ok slow down. Who's back?" She asked.

"Dad, I mean Chris. See I don't even know what to call him! My mind's so messed up!"

"Ok calm down." Lorelai said sitting her down. She took a deep breath. "Your dad's back?" She asked softly, trying to hide her surprise.

"Luke's my dad." Rory said quietly.

"Ok, so Chris is back?" She asked.

Rory nodded. "I just saw him. In the street." She said. "He started saying how he wants to make amends and how he was a mess back then and that I was still his daughter and he wanted to see me." She said quietly. "Why? Why is he back now?"

"Oh hon..." Lorelai said softly.

"And Tristan kissed me! My mind was already messed up by that and then he turned up!" Rory blurted out.

"Whoa, slow down. Tristan kissed you?" Lorelai said surprised, trying to take everything in.

Rory let out a big breath. "Yeh. When we were working on that school project. I managed to avoid him yesterday at school but I don't know what to do." She said. She looked up at her mom. "Tell me what to do..." She said tearfully.

"Oh hon, come here." Lorelai said and hugged her close to her.

"I don't know what to do. I just...I don't know what to do." Rory said quietly.

"It's ok." Lorelai reassured her daughter, holding her close and comforting her.

After a few minutes, Rory calmed down a bit and she pulled away from the hug.

"Ok so let's talk this through ok?" Lorelai said.

Rory nodded.

"Firstly, with Tristan, I think you need to decide that yourself hon. Only you know if you like him that way. What I will tell you is to take your time and make sure you do what you want, not what others are telling you to do." She said.

Rory nodded slowly.

"Now your dad..." Lorelai said.

"Chris." Rory said quietly.

"Right, Chris. How do you feel about it?" She asked.

"I don't know." Rory said quietly. "He scared me when I was younger. He ripped my book and he tried to take me from the hospital."

"I know." Lorelai said softly, remembering the fear in her daughter.

"But he seemed genuine." She said quietly. "But then again he's pretty good at lying." She said.

"What do you want to do?" Lorelai asked.

"I don't want to upset Luke. He's my dad. He deserves that title. There's a reason I've been calling him that since I was 10." She said.

"Hon, Luke won't be angry if you want to talk to Chris. Like it or not, he is your biological dad. If you think he's genuine..." Lorelai said.

"I don't know..." Rory said. "I don't trust him."

"As much as I hate what Chris has made you feel in the past, I can't stop you if you want to talk to him. Maybe he has changed. Maybe he does want to make amends." She said.

"He tried to get custody of me when I was younger. What if he tries that again?" Rory asked worried.

"He won't." Lorelai said. "That was my mom pushing him to do that back then."

Rory let out a breath. "I guess I need to decide don't I?"

"Whatever you want to do, I'll support you." She said.

Rory hugged her. "I love you mom."

"I love you too."

Rory walked back to the square and saw Chris standing in the gazebo. She took a deep breath and walked up to him. "Hi.." She said quietly.

"Rory.." He said surprised.

"I'll hear you out." She said.

"Thank you. I really want to..." He started.

"Not here." Rory said glancing towards the diner. "This way."

Chris followed her towards the lake and watched as Rory got down and sat on the edge of the bridge. He cautiously sat down next to her.

"Why now? Why show up now?" Rory asked.

"I'm in a better place now. I've got a good job. I'm doing well." He said. He then sighed. "I know I've got a lot of things to make up for." He said.

"Too many to count." Rory said staring out across the lake.

"I know." He said looking ashamed. "I just...I didn't want my daughter to hate me. I needed to show you that guy who ripped your book wasn't really me. I was in a..."

"A bad place. Yeh you said." Rory said shortly. "Just because you were in a bad place doesn't excuse it. Do you know what it did to mom when you were going for custody of me? She wouldn't show it infront of me but I caught her crying herself to sleep. When she thought I was already asleep, she'd let it all out."

"I should never have done that." He said.

Rory looked at him annoyed. "You keep saying that! You keep saying that you shouldn't have done it and that you're sorry but how do I know you really are? Daughters are meant to feel loved by their dads but I was scared of you!" She exclaimed angrily. "I was terrified you'd show up and take me away from mom! I was 9!"

"I'm sorry." He said quietly. "I don't know what else to say."

"Luke's my dad. He deserves that title. He loves me and I love him. I feel like I'm betraying him just talking to you but I needed to. I've been holding this in too long. You were a rubbish dad! You always let me down, you never came to visit. You made me feel unwanted. I needed you. But you were too busy travelling the world to care about me." Rory said, furiously wiping the tears that appeared in her eyes. "I don't even know why I'm crying. You don't deserve my tears." She said angrily.

Chris stared into the water.

Rory took a deep breath. "I wanted you to be there. So many days I waited for you to call but you never did." She said quietly. "I thought maybe you'd suddenly turn up but you didn't. I really wanted you."

Chris turned to look at her. "I don't know what to say." He admitted. "Everything you've said is true. I was a rubbish dad."

Rory was quiet for a moment, taking a moment to regain her composure. She could feel herself shaking. She slowly got up. "I should get home." She said quietly.

Chris stood up as well. "I'm..uh..I've got a flat in Hartford. My new job is there." He said. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket. "This is my number." He said, handing it to her. "I really am sorry, Rory. For everything. I don't want my daughter to hate me. If you feel like you might want to talk, maybe in the future, that's my cell number. It's pretty permanent." He said.

"I should go." She said, taking the piece of paper and putting it in her pocket. "Bye."

Rory arrived home to find everyone in the living room.

"You talk to him?" Lorelai asked cautiously.

Rory nodded.

"I'm going to make some lunch." Luke said and got up and left the room.

"Are you ok?" Jess asked. "He didn't upset you?"

"I'm ok." Rory said. She glanced towards the kitchen. "I'm just going to see if he needs help." She said walking through to the kitchen. She found Luke making some pancake mix.

He looked up as she walked in. "Thought we might be in need of some pancakes." He said.

"You don't need to be a the diner?" Rory asked.

"Caesar said he'd cover for me today." Luke said.

Rory just nodded. She stood there for a minute. "You know you're my dad right? Nothing's going to change that. I'm always going to see you as my dad. When I'm upset or angry or worried about something and need my dad, I'll always come to you." She said quietly.

"Rory..." He said.

She shook her head. "You're my dad." She said firmly. "Biology doesn't matter. You're always going to be my dad." She insisted. "I love you." She said quietly.

Luke looked over at her and gave her a small smile. "I love you too."

Rory wiped a tear that threatened to fall.

"Come here." Luke said holding his arms out.

Rory went over and hugged him tightly. She felt his arms go round her and one hand ruffle her hair. She knew this was right. She felt safe. She pulled away slowly. "I need to make a phone call but I'll come out and help with the pancakes in a minute." She said.

"Ok." Luke nodded.

"I won't be long." She said. She then went into her room and got out her cell phone. She reached into her pocket and pulled the piece of paper out. She looked at it for a moment before suddenly ripping it up. "I don't need you." She muttered. "Too little, too late." She threw the shreds of paper in the bin under her desk. She then went and sat on her bed and scrolled through her contacts. She took a moment before dialling a number and putting her cell up to her ear. "Tristan?" She said.

So I know I brought Chris in a bit earlier than they did in the show but I thought it fit with Rory already being confused and messed up about Tristan. Hope you liked it! Please review and let me know what you think! :)