Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with Gilmore Girls
A/N1: Okay, so I realized that I screwed up in the third chapter. I introduced Rory only as 'Rory' instead of 'Rory Gilmore' in the first chapter, and so none of the four know her last name, which means that Colin shouldn't have called Rory 'Gilmore' like I had him do in the third chapter. Sorry about that. And I realized that I've been switching from the past tense to the present tense, so I'll try and stay with one.
Previously:
Rory stood in front of her grandparents' mansion, pulling her coat tighter around her, as she gathered the courage to ring the doorbell. After a few more minutes, Rory reached her hand out and pressed the bell.
She was late, not too much, but the guests were already there, the strange cars announcing the fact. She thought that it was just going to be her grandparents, herself, and three other people tonight, but by the number of cars, there were at least eight guests. With so many people waiting for her, Rory knew that her grandmother would be upset at her tardiness, so she took one long, deep breath, readying herself for the night that was to follow.
"Good Evening Miss Rory," the maid said, as she opened the door
"Good Evening Theresa. How are you? Is your grandmother doing better?" Rory replied, handing Theresa her coat.
"I am very good Miss, and so is my grandmother. We expect to be able to bring her home soon. Well you best be getting in there, everyone is waiting for you, and I don't think Mrs. is too happy at your tardiness."
"When is she ever?" Rory commented with a roll of her eyes.
"Rory dear! You're here finally, 15 minutes after I asked you to be. Honestly, couldn't you come on time just this once? What are you doing just standing here? Come and greet out guests. They've been patiently waiting to meet you."
"I'm sorry for keeping everyone waiting grandma," Rory replied in a voice filled with mock sincerity.
"Just try and not let it happen again. Now come on."
Emily grabbed Rory's elbow and ushered her into the room filled with people.
"There's got to be over fifteen people here," Rory thought as her eyes scanned the room, taking in everyone.
"Everyone, everyone," Emily said, getting the guests' attention, "here's Rory."
All the heads turned to Rory. Shocked expressions made their way onto four of the guests' faces, along with Rory's.
"Finn! Colin! Stephanie! Logan!" Rory thought as her eyes landed on their group, standing off in a corner.
A huge smile broke out on Finn's face, and he expertly maneuvered his way around the people standing between him and Rory.
"Isn't that Finn's Rory? Paris' roommate?" Logan asked a confused expression on his face.
"Yeah, it is." Colin answered, watching as Finn greeted Rory.
"So she's a Gilmore then? Wow. I never would have thought." Steph added, her eyes also trained on the exuberantly happy Finn and the animated Rory, conversing together with Emily looking on from across the room.
"Neither would I." Logan whispered, as he watched Rory's eyes sparkle with laughter.
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"Rory love!" Finn exclaimed when he reached her and her grandmother. "I didn't know you would be here." He grinned at her and grabbed her hand, bringing it up to his lips for a kiss.
"I didn't know you'd be here either Finn," Rory replied, smiling happily at the man in front of her.
"You two know each other?" Emily demanded, extremely pleased about the new development.
"We met last week grandma, at Yale," Rory explained, smiling over at Finn.
"Well that's nice. I'll just go and let you two catch up. It was nice talking to you Finn." Emily said with what Rory and Lorelei liked to call her 'I have a plan grin'.
"You too, Emily," Finn replied, kissing her hand as well, before she left. "Well this night has definitely gotten a lot more interesting," he said as he smiled brightly at Rory. "Would you like something to drink?"
"That'd be great Finn," Rory replied, "Just a soda please."
"Aww, come on love, trust me, you'll need something alcoholic to get through this night. How about a long island ice tea, or a manhattan, or a scotch?" Finn pleaded with a pout on his face.
Rory sighed as she felt herself weaken under his gaze. "Fine," she conceded, "How about a vodka martini, dry with a twist?"
An amused smile broke out onto Finn's features. "The lady knows what she likes," he said with a laugh, "Coming right up doll." Finn winked and smiled at Rory, causing a light blush to overcome her cheeks, and then left for the bar. Rory smiled to herself as she watched him saunter over to the bar, knowing that he put the extra little swing to his hips for her viewing pleasure as he winked once again when he turned around to face her after having ordered her drink. Rory blushed as Finn smirked, embarrassment overtaking her when she realized he had caught her checking him out.
"Gilmore," a voice called interrupting Rory's gaze on Finn. She turned her head to the right, watching as three people made their way over to her. From the corner of her eye she could see Finn's gaze still attached to her, watching every movement she made. (A/N2: For part of the story in this chapter to work, only Colin and Finn know Rory's last name (Finn from the movie night he and Rory had and Colin from Paris, whom he has been seeing frequently since that first night) but they don't make the connection between her and the Gilmore's whose party they are going to, because they don't think Rory is high society. So even though they both know her last name, they are surprised to see her at the party, as are Logan and Stephanie.)
"Fairview," she returned as Colin made his way to her side. "How's Paris?" She asked with a smirk on her face, remembering the events of the previous Tuesday when she had once again caught them in a very compromising position, giving her yet another peek at his tattoo.
"Uhh," Colin said, an embarrassed flush suffusing his features, "She's good. And please," he whispered to her, "don't let it slip to Logan or Steph that I have a certain part of my anatomy tattooed. I'll never live it down."
Rory smiled at his nervousness. "Don't worry Fairview, mum's the word."
A look of relief passed over his face as he smiled gratefully. "Thanks Gilmore." He said as he turned back to Logan, Stephanie and Finn, who had just returned with Rory's drink.
"So you are a Gilmore then?" Logan asked with a questioning look on his face.
"Here you go love," Finn said as he handed Rory her drink, smiling handsomely.
"Thanks Finn," she replied, taking a sip. She turned to Logan and said nonchalantly, "Yep."
"So that makes you the daughter of the infamous Lorelei Gilmore, right?" Stephanie asked with a hopeful look covering her features.
"That'd be me. My mom's one successful way in which to escape the evil clutches of high society."
Steph broke out into a smile. "She's my hero."
"Doesn't she own an Inn?" Colin inquired.
"Yeah she does," she said to Colin in a proud voice, "The Dragonfly Inn." Rory turned to Stephanie and asked with a lift of her eyebrows, "Why is she your hero?"
"She is every young person of society's hero," Finn said with a smile at Rory.
"Why?" she asked again.
"She got out," Logan said simply with a shrug of his shoulders.
"And lived to tell about it," Colin added.
"She was able to make something of herself without using her last name or a trust fund." Stephanie commented in a voice filled with awe.
"We all want what she has," Finn said. "She was brave enough to take on the world without any help and she succeeded. She broke out of her preplanned life and made her own. We all dream of doing what she did."
Rory smiled brightly at the people around her. "Well that's a first. Usually all I hear is what a disgrace she was to the Gilmore name and how my appearance wreaked the live of my mom and dad. If I hadn't liked you guys already, you'd definitely be in my good graces after those comments." She smiled again and took a sip of her martini. "You guys should come to Stars Hollow sometime and meet the 'infamous Lorelei Gilmore.' She'd love to hear about your hero worship. It'll make her already overbearing ego even more suffocating. Finn's coming to experience a real Gilmore movie night and you --"
"And to meet my future wife," Finn added smiling at Rory, remembering the joke from their movie night.
Rory laughed. "That too. You guys should come along. But if you do, be prepared for a night of so much sugar and junk food that it will be impossible for you to move for at least an hour, and watching movies from each Gilmore approved genre."
"Sounds like fun," Steph said, agreeing to come.
"How many 'Gilmore approved genres' are there?" Logan asked a little hesitant to accept the offer, as he knew that Rory barely tolerated him, if the first night of their acquaintance said anything.
"Six," Rory replied smiling devilishly.
"Six love?" Finn questioned, surprised at the amount.
"Six," Rory reiterated. "There has to be a comedy, a romance, a tragedy, a horror and, the absolute must haves, a mockable and 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'. Six. But sometimes there are those movies that fall into more than one genre, so we don't always watch six movies."
"Did you say 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'?" Colin asked in disbelief.
"Yes I did. Do you have something against the best movie of all time? It is a necessity at all Gilmore movie nights."
"It's just, I thought Finn was the only grown up person that watched that movie. I haven't seen it since I was 9."
"Oh my God. You are deprived!" Rory exclaimed.
Finn watched Rory list off all the reasons why Willy Wonka was the best movie ever with an amused and genuinely happy expression on his face. This girl is amazing! I'm so glad I found her. He thought as he watched her interact with his friends.
"Steph you have to make sure he comes, better yet I'll get Paris to "convince" you. She'll be able to do it better than-" Finn heard Rory say, as an elderly couple made their way over to them, unnoticed by Rory as her back was to them.
"Lorelei!" A voice cut in. Finn noticed Rory blanch and her expression turn to stone. He watched as she stiffened her posture and turned slowly around to face the couple.
"It is you," Finn heard the man say to Rory, a smile gracing his thin lips. He looked deathly ill to Finn. "I didn't expect to see you here, Lorelei."
"I could say the same for you. I'm surprised that Grandma and Grandpa let you in here after last time. And it's Rory."
"About the dear, we both want to apologize. Our actions and words were uncalled for and we are very sorry we said such terrible things." The woman said with a look of sincerity on her face.
"It's a little late for apologies Francine. Four years too late in fact."
Finn listened to the cold tone of Rory's voice and wondered who these people were that affected her so.
"We know that it has taken a very long time for our apology, and that is just one more thing we are sorry for, dear, but I hope that someday you will be able to forgive us."
Rory looked at the pleading woman before her, along with the sickly man, and something in her broke. Her expression softened, and she said slowly, "Maybe someday."
The lady and man both broke out into smiles. "You don't know how much that means to us, Lorelei." The man said.
"Do you think we could get together for lunch at the club sometime? To help smooth things out?" The lady asked a hopeful look on her face.
A small, sad smile made its way onto Rory's lips. "Sure. Grandma and Grandpa have my numbers. They can give them to you. Call sometime and we can set it up."
"Thank you dear. We have to go now. Strobe's not supposed to be out too much. Have a good night dear." And they walked away, smiling brightly at Rory.
Rory closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She turned back around and was met by four expectant faces.
"Francine and Strobe? As in Hayden?" Logan asked clearly surprised by the whole conversation.
"Francine and Strobe as in my grandparents, and yes, as in Hayden."
"You're a Gilmore and a Hayden?" Colin said quite struck with this new development.
"So I'm told," Rory replied indifferently, taking a drink of her martini. When she looked up from her glass she saw four sets of wide, surprised eyes staring at her. "What!" she cried, dismayed at the unwanted attention.
"We're just surprised is all," Stephanie said, "You're more blue-blooded than Colin, hell, even Logan."
Rory blushed, Colin glared, and Logan just continued staring at Rory, after Steph spoke out. Finn on the other hand, wrapped his arm around Rory's shoulders, and whispered into her ear. "It means nothing to me, love. A name's a name. You'll always just be Rory to me." He pulled back and gave her a smile. Rory smiled back at him, grateful for his words. "At least you do know my name," she teased, "I thought I'd be forever called 'love' or 'doll' or 'kitten'."
"Don't get used to it, doll," He said with a smile and a wink, "I like my terms of affection, and I'm not about to give them up."
Rory laughed softly, "Didn't think you would."
"Rory dear, come with me, there are some people I would like you to meet," Emily said, as she came up from behind Rory, hooking her arm through Rory's. Rory placed a strained smile on her face and set her drink on a nearby table. "Yes Grandma," she replied as Emily pulled her out from under Finn's arm. Rory gave a regretful look to Finn, and then turned back to Emily who was going on about the Huntzbergers.
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"Rory love! You're back, and in one piece too!" Finn exclaimed when he saw Rory finally make her way back to him and Steph, Colin and Logan being at the bar.
"I swear if I had to spend one more minute talking to those people, I'd have killed myself. No offense," She added when she remembered that it was their parents she was talking to.
"None taken," Steph replied, "We all feel the same way when we are at these kind of gatherings. At least with parties there are enough people so that we can sneak off and form a sub party without anyone noticing."
Rory smiled, "That's right, the sub parties. I've heard all about those from my mother."
"The Queen of all Sub-Parties. According to everyone she threw the best, most notorious sub-parties, rivaled by none. What I wouldn't give to attend one of Lorelei Gilmore's parties," Finn said with a dramatic sigh and a pointed look at Rory.
"We'll just have to see how you do at the movie night, then we'll discuss the possibility of you attending a Gilmore bash. Trust me when I say it's like nothing you've ever been to. But anyway, I must be on my way. I've got Bogart waiting for me at my dorm. Oh and you guys are allowed to leave as well. It was nice to meet you again Steph. Tell Logan and Colin bye for me." Rory said as she made her way to the foyer.
"Stop right there Gilmore," Finn said as he made his to Rory who was putting her coat on.
"You didn't say goodbye to me," he pouted when he finally got in front of her.
Rory smiled at his expression. "Well that's because I was kind of hoping that you would like to forgo a night at the pub to come back with me and watch some Bogart," she said with wide eyes and pleading look on her face.
"Love!" Finn exclaimed, "Don't look at me like that, I won't be able to say no."
"Then don't," she replied simply, with a sweet smile on her lips.
"Alright, alright! I give in. A night of Bogart it is. Just let me tell the guys and get my coat."
"Okay, I'll be waiting outside," Rory said as she opened the door.
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"Logan, son, I'd like to speak with you before you take off," Mitchum Huntzberger said when he saw Logan, Colin, Stephanie, and Finn all heading to the door.
Logan sighed deeply and said, "I'll meet you guys at the pub."
"Actually I'm not going there tonight. Rory invited me over to watch some movies," Finn explained to his friends.
"Okay then. See you tomorrow," Logan replied and then turned to face his father after everyone left.
"How well do you know the Gilmore-Hayden girl?" Mitchum asked immediately after Logan turned to him.
"Not too well," Logan said, confused as to where the conversation was headed, "She doesn't like me that much." He said honestly, thinking back to the night at the pub.
"Well get in her good graces. I want you two together."
"What!" Logan exclaimed, not trusting his ears.
"Think about it Logan. If you two get married, you'll be the most powerful family in society. The Huntzberger's merge with the Gilmore's and Hayden's. It'll be the best thing for this family. So start winning her over. I want you two together or else."
"But she's with Finn," Logan cried desperately, not wanting to go through with his father's plan.
Mitchum scoffed and replied, "Take him out of the picture. Do this Logan, or you're cut off. It's as simple as that."
Logan knew that there was no arguing with his father when he was like this so he docilely agreed.
"Good, now go and start winning this girl over."
"Yes father," came the meek reply, and then Logan walked out of the house.
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"So this is it," Rory said as she opened the door to her dorm.
"Nice. Is it just you and Paris?" Finn asked as he walked to the couch.
"Yeah. Last year we had two other suitemates, but Paris didn't really get along too well with them," Rory said as she took off her coat. "I'm going to go change, there are drinks in the fridge and snacks in the cupboards, help yourself to whatever you want."
"Thanks doll," Finn replied as he shrugged off his coat and placed it on the back of the couch. He went and grabbed some cokes from the fridge along with some snacks and placed them on the table. "What movies do you have for our viewing pleasure this evening?" he asked Rory, his voice carrying through to her bedroom.
"First we have 'Conflict', then 'Virginia City', and of course 'Casablanca'," Finn heard Rory's muffled reply.
"Good selection," he said, turning his head when he heard her door open. Rory emerged clad in the Yale sweats courtesy of Finn. She hadn't had the opportunity to return them yet.
"You look great in my clothes," Finn teased as Rory made her way to the couch.
"They're comfy," Rory said defensively, "Plus you didn't ask for them back, so I thought I might as well make use of them while I've got them."
"You can keep them. They look a whole lot better on you than they ever did on me. Plus I like thinking of you wearing my clothes," he replied with a wink and smile.
Rory laughed softly, "Thanks. So what would you like to watch first?"
"'Conflict' most definitely, then 'Casablanca' followed by 'Virginia City'."
"Sounds doable," Rory commented as she got up and put in the movie.
An hour and a half later found Rory curled up beside Finn with her head resting on his chest, her breath even as she let herself sleep. The credits rolled on the screen, but Finn dared not get up, as his movements had the chance of waking up the slumbering angel on his chest. Finn pulled the blanket that was draped on the back of the couch over himself and Rory, tightening his arm around her and kissing her forehead. "Good night love," he whispered as he closed his eyes, pleased with the sleeping arrangements.
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I'm stopping there for today. I know I already have two author notes in this chapter, but I just wanted to add thanks to everyone that has been reviewing my story. I hope that you all will continue to enjoy reading this story.
Ashely