Gilmore Girls
Wu Feng Qi Lang
A/N: Hey all. I hope you all had Happy Holidays and got everything you wanted. Part of this chapter is in French. I don't speak French at all so I used a translator. Hopefully it is correct. The English is right next to it in italics. Sorry for the lack of updates. Work was crazy right up until Christmas and it still will be for a few weeks what with the sales and people returning gifts. I had three days off in three weeks plus we moved at the same time. I do not recommend moving the week before Christmas. Happy reading! Gen. xx
A/N2: I have decided that Rory isn't going to work for L'Oreal anymore because that was just dumb. She's going to work for a fictional magazine because then I can create my own rules and people. Lol. I just realised how close to Lorelai that L'Oreal is.
Summary: Rory doesn't want to do this anymore. (Creating Waves Without Wind.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls nor am I affiliated with it in anyway. I have taken the title from 'Falling Leaves' by Adeline Yen Mah.
Chapter Eight: The Flower Lady
"I have a little sister," Rory blurted into the phone.
"You have a what?" Logan asked.
"I have a little sister. Or a little brother. I'm not quite sure but I think that the blankets in the pram were pink and I know my mum likes to do things differently but I'm pretty sure she would subject a little boy to pink blankets and a lacy headband plus I'm pretty sure Dad wouldn't let her," Rory said in one breath.
"Hang on. You found your mum?" Logan asked, slowly making sense of it all.
"Yes."
"And you have a baby brother or sister?" he asked.
"Yes."
"How? I mean, where? Where did you find her?"
"We've been trying out different cafes in the morning to see where we fit the best and we were at this one today and Faye looks across the street and practically drops her coffee and she tells me to look and then I look and I see my mother pushing one of those old-fashioned prams that I think are called perambulators and there's a baby in it and she was holding a little girl, whom I assume is Gigi, by the hand and they are walking and there were all these people stopping them on the street and kissing Mum on the cheek and hugging Gigi and cooing at the baby. It was… weird," Rory explained.
"Did you talk to her?" Logan asked. (How he wanted her to say yes so she could come home. Come home. The words meant nothing now. No longer prayers and pleas, just words that fell on deaf ears).
"No," Rory admitted. "I was going to but then I just couldn't. Lorelai and Chris came here for a reason. Maybe they don't want to be found."
"Rory, three months ago I would've said you were right but you've been there looking for them for so long that you deserve to see them," Logan interrupted. "I don't know if it's going to help or if it's going to make it worse but I still think you should say something the next time you see her."
"Okay," Rory said. "I guess I will."
-
"Rory, look over there," Faye said. She motioned gently with her head and Rory's eyes followed the line. Rory had had a hunch that Lorelai took the same route every morning while presumably walking Gigi to school so she had called the girls and asked them to meet her at the same café the next morning. Gina, as per usual, was running late, but Faye and Rory had been exchanging useless gossip and drinking lattes while casually looking around for Lorelai.
"What did I miss?" Gina asked, dropping her Kelly bag (a gift from an ex-lover) on the seat before plopping into the only empty chair. Faye quickly shushed her and motioned over to Lorelai. Rory stood up and breathed heavily in. She took a step and then froze. She stood and watched her mother walk closer and closer with Gigi in tow. There was no baby today but Lorelai didn't look any less happy. Faye reached over and gently pried Rory's hands off the back of the wrought iron chair. (She hadn't even realised she was holding it).
"Sweetie, it's okay. You don't have to go over today. We will come back every day until you decide to do it," Faye said sweetly. Gina nodded and then pretended to feign an interest in the menu. Faye held Rory's gaze and then followed Gina's cue and suddenly became fascinated with her pastry. (Rory hated to be watched).
"She's gone," Gina said softly. She and Faye then lifted their heads and watched as Rory strolled purposefully to the curb. She looked both ways and then, inhaling deeply as her foot lifted off the curb and hit the road, crossed the road quickly. She made her way to the lady who sold the flowers and busied herself looking at the flowers.
Lorelai approached and slowed down. Rory heard the cheery 'bonjour' and heard the kisses on the cheek. She slowly turned around and took a step away from the flowers so she was standing ahead but to the left of her mother. Gigi bounced up to Rory and greeted her.
"Bonjour, madam," she grinned. (Rory's heart nearly gave out).
"Bonjour," Rory replied. Her step-sister didn't recognize her. That meant there were no pictures of her anywhere.
"Gigi, don't bother the lady," Lorelai called out in English. She was looking through her handbag as she apologised to Rory. "Je suis désolé. Elle ne sait pas pour ne pas tracasser des personnes encore. Et juste vous essayez de lui dire de ne pas parler aux étrangers." (I'm sorry. She doesn't know not to bother people yet. And just you try to tell her not to talk to strangers).
"Mais je ne suis pas un étranger, maman," Rory replied. She clenched her teeth and focused her eyes on her mother. (But I'm not a stranger, Mum).
"Lorelai, why did she just called you Maman?" Gigi asked in accented English.
"It's call," Lorelai corrected as her eyes traveled from her handbag to Rory. "'Why did she just call me Maman.'"
"That's what I'm asking you," Gigi sighed, gregariously. "Lorelai, am I going to be late for school?"
"Non, cheri. You wont be late," Lorelai answered. "Why don't you go and talk to Claudette for a moment? I can see her up there with Charles. I just have to talk to the nice lady. I'll see you in a minute."
"Okay, Lor," Gigi said, beckoning Lorelai down to her level. She licked Lorelai across the cheek then ran off towards her friend and her friend's pet dog, giggling.
"Rory, what are you doing here?" Lorelai asked. (Rory's heart fell. Fell on the cobblestone path and broke).
"I came to look for you," she offered with a shrug. "Je me suis ennuyé de vous. J'ai voulu vous trouver. J'ai voulu savoir pourquoi vous êtes parti." (I missed you. I wanted to find you. I wanted to know why you left.)
"Speak in English. Margot understands French not English," Lorelai said.
"Right. Because you don't want the flower lady to know that you abandoned your only daughter and left her alone in another country," Rory snapped. (Enough was enough). "C'est exact. Elle m'a laissé. Elle m'a abandonné. Maintenant vous savez que Mme Lorelai n'est pas aussi parfaite. Elle s'inquiète davantage de ce que vous, la dame de fleur elle passe à chaque matin, pense à elle puis ce que sa seulement fille pense. Mais attente, vous ne savez pas que j'existe. Vous pensez qu'elle a deux filles. Bien, elle doesnt. Elle a trois et l'un d'entre eux est moi. Tellement maintenant vous savez. Que pensez-vous au ce, maman?" (That's right. She left me. She abandoned me. Now you know Madam Lorelai isn't so perfect. She cares more about what you, the flower lady she passes every morning, thinks about her then what her only daughter thinks. But wait, you don't know I exist. You think she has two daughters. Well, she doesn't. She has three and one of them is me. So now you know. What do you think of that, Mum?)
"I can just tell her you're crazy," Lorelai shrugged. Rory was furious and the only thing that stopped her from completely letting loose at her mother was the sheen of tears that covered her mother's eyes.
"I speak French too. I'll just tell her I'm not," Rory said. (She had one last chance to get out of this with some dignity. Just a little. That was all she needed). "Look, I work at 'Pour Les Femmes'. I'm the deputy editor there. If you decide you want to get in contact with me, I'll take your call even though I shouldn't. You don't deserve that. You don't deserve me coming here or tracking you down but I did it anyway. If you don't get into contact with me, I'll understand but I thought that unlike you did to me, I'd give you the chance."
She leant closer to her mother and kissed her once on both cheeks and hugged her mother briefly.
"Rory…" Lorelai said, before trailing off.
"Au revoir, maman. Je t'aime." (Good bye, Mum. I love you).
She calmly smiled at her mother and then turned on her heel and walked slowly (as if wading through jelly or oatmeal) back towards the curb. She looked both ways again and crossed. She didn't turn around to see if Lorelai was watching her go. (She didn't know if she could take it either way). When she reached the café, picked up her bag and let Faye and Gina escort her quickly away.
"You're a better person than she is," Gina whispered. (For Gina to say it, meant something).
"I don't feel much better," Rory admitted, with a slight whimper. "I said some awful things."
(Even if it was all true).