Part 17: New Friends All Around
"Hey!" Rory said getting out of her car and walking towards her mom who was kneeling on the ground digging.
"Hi." Lorelai greeted, smiling at her daughter.
"What are you doing?" Rory frowned going over and looking at the ground.
"Well…I'm gardening."
"What are you doing?" Rory asked, looking at her mother in disbelief.
"I'm gardening."
"I'm sorry, what are you doing?"
Lorelai waved her over, "Why don't you come over here and see, honey, since you seem so confused?"
"Oh my god, you are gardening."
"Yeah, hello, I'm gardening." Lorelai said gesturing to the holes she'd been digging for the past half hour.
"Why?"
"Because Babette bought me a bag of bulbs." Lorelai said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world
"Why would she do that?" Rory asked, kneeling next to her mom. Everyone in Stars Hollow knew her mother didn't have a green thumb and that all the plants they'd ever kept in the house were fake and the ones outside only thrived because Babette was the one that took care of them, not them.
"She thought that cultivating new life would help distract me from my current emptiness and sense of loss." Lorelai said with a raised eyebrow, watching her daughter give a slight nod.
"Huh. Well, that's… weirdly sweet of her," she laughed.
"Yes, it was. Anyhow, I forgot about the bulbs 'til Babette brought them up this morning, so I dug them out of the garage." She said holding up the bag of what looked to be large pods that were beginning to mold.
"Ew!"
"Yeah, they've developed some sort of mold."
"This is the planet of the mold!" Rory said taking the bag and wrinkling her nose at it.
"Help me!"
"Mom, I'm no botanist, but I don't think anything's gonna grow from this piece of tar."
"Just put it in the hole and cover it up. How hard is it supposed to be?"
"Why didn't you just throw them out?" Rory asked putting the bag down and looking at her mother in amusement.
"There are eyes everywhere, my dear." Lorelai said waving her shovel in the general direction of the town.
Rory laughed as they heard the door at Babette's house open. "Hey, doll, how you doin'?!" Babette called from her porch.
"Great Babette, just tending my bulbs." Lorelai called back pointing towards the hole she'd made.
"Makes you feel better, doesn't it?"
"Absolutely, much better!" Lorelai humored.
"You need any help?"
"Oh, no, I've got Rory helping me."
"Hi, Babette." Rory called giving a small wave.
"Hi, sugar, don't worry, I'm looking out for your mom."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Oh, and just you wait 'til spring! You're gonna wake up one morning, walk out, and POW …" she said making an exploding motion with her hands. "color coming out of your yin-yang!" she turned and waved. "I'll see you girls tomorrow!"
"Hear that, I'm going to have color coming out of my yin-yang."
Rory shrugged and smiled at her mom. "Well, then maybe you'll finally get a man." Lorelai opened her mouth in shock and amusement, as Rory held up one of the bulbs. "This has got to be the grossest thing ever."
"Forget about the bulbs." Lorelai said waving her hand in dismissal. "Let's talk about something else. How's school?"
"School's fine. It's hard but good. Steph and Tristan are good, they've actually really enjoyed pottery, so Stephanie is always coming back with some new knick knack or another."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, last time it was an ash tray and when I pointed out we didn't smoke she said it was a soup bowl."
Lorelai laughed. "What about everyone else?"
"Janet and Paris are fighting because Janet gets up at 5:30 to go jogging, wakes Paris up, and then the resulting argument wakes everybody up and…" Rory trailed off feeling something crawl up her arm. "OH!" she screamed throwing the bulb and shaking out her arm.
Lorelai screamed as she felt the bulb hit her. "Oh, my god! You bulbed me! You bulbed me!"
"I was aiming over there!" Rory said pointing over her mothers shoulder.
"Oh! Oh my god!" Lorelai said holding up her hand. "It got my hand! It got my hand!"
"Shake it off!" Rory said moving a bit. "Shake it off!"
"Oh! It won't go! It won't go!" Lorelai yelled shaking her hand, before leaning over and wiping it on Rory's shirt.
Rory gasped "You wiped it on my shirt!"
Lorelai laughed. "It was a reflex?"
"To ruin my shirt?"
"I'm sorry."
"You never liked this shirt." Rory accused.
"It's not that. It's just that…"
Rory cut her off with a scream. "There's something crawling up my leg." She said standing up quickly and shaking out her pant leg.
"No no no!" Lorelai yelled hitting her daughter's leg.
"There's something crawling up my leg!" Rory cried shaking her leg out.
"I got it, I got it! Ew! It's big!" She yelled as they both fell to the ground and looked up at the sky to catch their breaths.
"Okay, so the next time that Babette gives you a bag of bulbs to plant because you're lonely, you say…" Rory prompted out of breath.
"No, thank you." Lorelai laughed.
"Class dismissed." Rory said shaking her head.
"So…" Lorelai said turning her head to look at her daughter. "Other than laundry, what are you doing here on a school day?"
Rory sat up slowly making sure, nothing moving was near her. "I'm actually not here for laundry."
"Oh?" Lorelai said sitting up with her, "Then are you here to see my beautiful face?"
"Oh, always." Rory said with a roll of her eyes and she stood up and wiped the dirt off her pants before helping her mother up as well.
"I give up." Lorelai said waving her hand towards the hole she'd been digging in the ground. "Okay other then my beautiful face, why are you here, not that I mind seeing you."
"Finn and I are having a movie night, and he decided on 50 First Dates, and I know you got it, so I came to get it."
Lorelai stopped as she watched her daughter look through the movies. "You and Finn."
"Yeah," Rory laughed looking back at her mother. "Me and Finn."
"Finn, as in the boyfriend that's across the world."
"No need to remind me." Rory laughed rolling her eyes.
"Sorry, I just…you guys are having a movie night?"
"Steph and Tristan had the same disbelief in their voice when I told them about it. It's not that hard to believe."
"You're boyfriend doesn't live here, how are you having a movie night?"
"Ha! Found it!" she said holding up the DVD.
"Sweetie, explain."
"It's not that hard, Finn and I were talking a few weeks ago, and he felt bad that he couldn't take me out on dates like in a real relationship."
"So you're in a fake relationship?" Lorelai asked with a smirk as she walked towards the kitchen.
"Ha! I said that too." Rory laughed sitting at the table as Lorelai got two bottled waters out of the fridge and handed one to Rory, before sitting down across from her. "No, he meant that if he were here, we'd be going out to dinner, or movies, and doing couple stuff, but because he's not, and we only got in like three official couple dates before he left, he thinks that it shouldn't stop us from doing things like that, so he said we should have movies nights."
"Which is what?"
"It's pretty much us locking ourselves in our room, surrounded by the same food, and pressing play on a movie at the same time." Rory said shyly as she picked the wrapper off her water bottle.
"Aww that's sweet." Lorelai cooed, teasingly.
"I thought so." Rory shrugged, taking her mother's teasing in stride, her friends had done the same thing when she'd explained. "So we had one last week, I got to pick"
"What did you choose?"
"The Notebook," Rory laughed. "I wanted to see if he'd sit all the way through it."
"Did he?" Lorelai asked, none of her past boyfriends had at willingly through girly movies. Well, she corrected herself, Christopher had.
"Yes, with a few complaints here and there, but all in all he was good, even sniffled a little at the end, even if he does deny it and this week he picked."
"50 First Dates?"
"He got a thing for Drew Barrymore." Rory said with an accepting sigh.
"Oh competition." Lorelai teased.
Rory laughed. "I told him that if he ever had a chance to be one of Drew's boy toys, I would graciously step aside."
"And who's your pick?"
"What?" Rory asked innocently.
"Who would Finn step aside for?" Lorelai clarified with a smirk
"It was a tie between Hugh Grant and Johnny Depp."
"Good picks." Lorelai nodded.
"I thought so, anyways I'm just glad he didn't pick Showgirls, though I have a feeling that one is going to come up soon, Tristan's been bugging Steph to rent it and Tristan and Finn talk, so no doubt that'll be the pick in two weeks."
"So everything all right in Fiji?" Lorelai asked.
"Yep, they were out of cell phone range this morning, so he sent an e-mail, he said he and the guys are going whitewater rafting in a few days."
"Oh wow."
"He assures me it's safe, they're going with a guide and everything but…"
"But?" Lorelai prompted.
"Knowing them, they'll probably separate from the guide and do their own thing, getting hurt in the process." Rory said with a casual shrug, though inside she was giddy with nerves at the idea of Finn being hurt. Finn hadn't been the only one to tell her stories of trips past; Colin had had quite a few. Now, every time Finn told her about some day trip they took her stomach would pitch and she found herself hoping that she wouldn't get a phone call telling her he was in the hospital.
"Well, you can't think negatively." Lorelai said. "You'll jinx it with your bad juju."
"True." Rory said taking a drink of water. "I have to get back to school; I'm the only one that's able to mediate between Stephanie, Paris, and Janet."
"Sounds like World War III over there."
"And I'm Switzerland." Rory said with a laugh. "I'll talk to you later?"
"Of course."
Rory kissed her mother's cheek, before leaving the house, and heading back to school.
XxxxxxX
Rory pulled her pillow closer as she heard the commotion in the common room in the form of Paris' voice.
"You could at least open a window!"
"Why?" Rory heard Janet ask.
"Because it smells like a locker room in here!"
"Tough luck!"
"Fine!" Paris yelled before coming into her and Stephanie's room and slamming the door. Rory winced as she heard Stephanie groan. Rory opened her eyes slowly and looked at her alarm clock reaching for it.
"Did the alarm go off?" she asked.
"I shut it off," Paris said pacing the floor, in the weeks that they'd been living together Stephanie, Paris and Rory had all come to a silent agreement and a pretty good friendship, when Paris wasn't acting crazy, like she was right now.
"I mean, who needs an alarm when you've got workout Barbie around? Never mind that some of us were up finishing a chem. lab 'til 2:30 in the morning! I, for one, love waking up at five a.m. to the sound of someone grunting out crunches in the common room!"
"God, shut up," Stephanie grumbled underneath her mountain of sheets and burrowed down deeper. "Some of us were actually asleep before you came in here!"
"I told you." Rory said to both of them, still reaching for their alarm clock that had been pushed further away from her arm span. "Earplugs."
"You know, she talks to herself when she stretches. 'Come on, Janet.' 'Push it, Janet.' 'Love the pain Janet.' It's pornographic."
"What time is it?" Stephanie groaned sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
"I know what she's doing." Paris continued as she continued to pace.
"When did Paris get in here?" Stephanie asked, causing Rory to shake her head and sit up too.
"It's psychological warfare. Don't let your enemy sleep. Push him 'til he cracks. Charlie tried the same tricks on our boy at the Khe Sanh, and let me tell you, if she keeps this up, I am not gonna be responsible for what happens."
Stephanie rolled her eyes as she reached for her phone and gasped. "Oh my god!"
"What?" Rory asked, giving up on the clock.
"Breakfast is over in five minutes!" Stephanie said getting out of bed as Rory followed.
"What?"
"I know," Paris said with a shake of her head. "It's Tuesday too. That's waffle bar day."
"Why didn't you wake us up?!" Rory asked grabbing an old Yale sweatshirt she'd stolen from Finn's closet as Stephanie grabbed her robe and glared at Paris.
"Oh sure, blame me. I'm the victim here, remember?"
"I don't care if you can take me." Stephanie said as she pulled on her slippers. "Turn off our alarm again and I'll start my own psychological warfare." She glared once more before following Rory out of the dorm.
"You're running." Stephanie accused as she rushed after Rory.
"I'm hungry and have class in an hour. We've got to run for waffles."
"Very true." Stephanie said as they rushed into the cafeteria and went to the food bar, groaning in unison as they saw the lunch ladies clearing the area.
"Eggs." Stephanie pointed out as they grabbed the to go boxes and piled in the last of the eggs.
"Oh, oh!" Rory said stopping the lunch lady as she walked by with the last of the waffles. "Sorry excuse me." She said grabbing the last two waffles from the tray and handing one to Stephanie.
"This sucks." Stephanie said as she looked at their pitiful breakfast. "We've got bottom of the trey eggs and the deformed waffles that no one wants."
"Damn Paris." Rory muttered as they started walking to a table.
"Oh," Stephanie said widening her eyes. "So…um…you know how you're robe disappeared after we moved in."
"Yeah it's weird I can't find it anywhere." Rory said then frowned as she looked at Stephanie. "Weird way to change the subject."
"Well see, that party that was on our floor got a bit wild, to the point where this one guy ended up passed out naked outside our door."
"Stephanie! You didn't!"
"And he's walking this way. Marty hey!"
"Hey Stephanie." Marty said timidly. "I'm surprised you remembered."
"Well I wasn't the one passed out in the hallway, so I had a better shot." Stephanie teased.
"True, very true, I'm uh…I'm sorry I haven't gotten that robe back to you yet. I didn't think giving back to robe during class was really appropriate so..."
"No, it's not a problem but this is Rory, she's the owner of said robe."
"Nice to meet you…Marty right?"
"Right." He looked down at their plates. "So, I see you guys are a little late for breakfast."
"Our alarm got shut off." Rory admitted.
"Well, I mean if you're hungry I've got food. I always take enough for ten. I blame my brother. He always took the biggest piece of chicken."
"And left you none?" Stephanie asked feeling sorry for him.
"No, there was plenty more. I just really wanted that big piece."
"Oh." Stephanie laughed. "Well…" she looked around and saw Tristan at a table alone, reading a book and his trey still loaded with food. "I actually see my boyfriend and he has food. But we'll take a rain check?"
"Yeah that's great. It was nice meeting you Rory."
"Yeah, you too Marty," Rory smiled as she followed Stephanie. "And keep the robe, as a memento of your first college party."
Marty laughed. "Thanks."
"Sorry, it just slipped my mind," Stephanie said once they were out of ear shot.
"That there was a naked guy in our hallway?" Rory asked as she set her food down across from Tristan. He looked up and smiled, kissing his girlfriend as she sat down next to him.
"Finally told her about the missing robe huh?"
"Ran into Marty." Stephanie said as she stole some waffles and gave two to Rory.
"Yes, please steal my breakfast."
"Hey, you don't have to deal with Paris early in the morning." Rory said stealing some of his sausage too as Stephanie passed her the syrup.
"Are she and Janet fighting again?"
"I swear, Paris is the only one that gets woken up. Rory and I haven't heard a peep coming out of Janet's room."
"I have, I just sleep through it," Rory stated, shoving some sausage into her mouth.
"Oh," Tristan said looking up from his girlfriend as something caught his eye on the other side of the room. "I feel a disturbance in the force."
Stephanie looked up and groaned. "Oh god, he caught sight of us."
"Who?" Rory asked turning in the direction they were looking at.
"Don't you feel the pompousness filling the air?" Stephanie asked.
"His name is Robert Bancroft; he's a friend of Colin's." Tristan laughed as he watched him walk towards the table.
"Robert…" Rory whispered. "Finn told me about him, told me to stay away from him, but I haven't met him."
"Lucky. I have to deal with the ass…" Stephanie smiled and looked up just as Robert reached the table. "Robert, lovely to see you."
"Cut the crap Steph." Robert said with a roll of his eyes. "Tristan."
"Robert." Tristan nodded. "This is…"
"Rory, yes I know, I talk to Colin too," he said turning and looking her up and down. "You're Finn's girlfriend."
"I am. I wasn't aware it was common knowledge."
"In our group it is. May I?" he asked, indicating the seat next to her.
"Um…sure." she eyed Stephanie as she silently groaned and laid her head on Tristan's shoulder. Robert smiled lightly as he sat next to her.
"So Robert, to what do we owe this pleasure?" Tristan asked.
"We're getting together at the pub, first official get together of the year."
"Everyone's here?" Stephanie asked sitting up.
Robert rolled his eyes. "Yes Stephanie, even the girls. Seth and I are starting to plan…" he looked over at Rory who raised her eyebrow. "So we decided to get together on Saturday night at the pub. Apparently Seth is actually attending all of his classes."
"Damn those engineers." Tristan smirked.
"Right, well…" he turned to Rory. "You, of course, are invited Rory."
"Oh no, its fine." Rory laughed. "Finn and I have a date planned."
Robert raised an eyebrow. "Right…" he turned back to Stephanie and Tristan. "Count you guys in?"
Stephanie turned to Tristan who nodded at Robert. "Yeah, count us in and add one more, in case Rory ends up coming with."
"Oh but-"
"Consider it done." Robert said cutting her off, "Stephanie always a pleasure."
"Likewise," she said a little too sweetly.
"Rory," he said sticking out his hand, smiling lightly. "It was nice meeting you officially."
"Thanks, nice meeting you too Robert."
"See you all Saturday."
"Ugh." Stephanie groaned letting out the breath she'd been holding. "That guy is insufferable."
"Really?" Rory asked in surprise. "He didn't seem so bad."
"You got the small dose Mary." Tristan laughed. "Robert really is an ass."
"But he's Colin's friend I mean he can't be that bad if Colin hangs out with him."
"Aww sweetie," Stephanie laughed as she patted Rory's hand. "The reason they get along is because Colin is just as much of an ass as Robert is, you just don't see it because you've seen Colin's un-ass features. Robert is an ass everyday all day."
Rory shrugged as she watched Robert stop and talk with another group. "He really doesn't seem that bad to me."
Tristan shrugged as Stephanie sighed. "Mary's a lost cause; she sees the good in everyone."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Okay, I've got 50 First Dates," he heard Rory's voice over the speakers as he rummaged through the kitchen.
"What about the food?" he asked, grabbing a big plastic bowl from the shelf.
"Spreading it out now."
"Now are we just eating the same foods, or did we decide to set it up in the same place as well?"
"Well, that's just a little bit crazy don't you think?"
"So that's a yes?" he laughed.
"Nutter Butters are on the top right hand corner of the bed."
"Got it." he said pouring the popcorn he'd been popping into the bowl and taking it, and the Nutter Butters to his room.
"So…"
"Spit it out love."
"Where are Logan and Colin today?"
"Out." He said simply.
"And what do they think of this?" Rory asked, looking at the food on the bed, playing with the bowls to hide her nervousness at his answer.
"I spoke with both of them, and told them, more like I told Logan, that once a week, I'd promised you a date, and since Friday evening is taken by your grandparents and Friday night and Saturday morning are with my father, it's going to be during the week." He said as he placed the food on the bed where she'd directed.
"And…"
"And, Colin understands it, as he spends an hour and a half trying to contact Lane, just to talk to her for ten minutes without her mom finding out. And Logan…is" Finn sighed as he walked back towards the kitchen, searching for the right word. "…Logan." Apparently he couldn't find one.
"So it's okay? It's not causing any…tension."
Finn shrugged as he held the phone to his ear with his shoulder, grabbing the bowls from the counter as he headed back to his room. "Nothing I can't handle."
"Finn…"
"It's fine Rory." He laughed, kicking his door open all the way, and set the small bowl of Skittles on the top right hand corner of the bed. He closed the door, and locked it, before going to his DVD player and setting the movie in.
"Fine," she sighed. "Where's the popcorn going?"
He looked over at his bed. "It's next to the pizza."
"Did you really get pizza in Fiji?"
Finn laughed. "It's not delivery it's DiGiorno."
"Cheater, but it'll do."
"Okay, so the movie's on the menu on my side, what about you? And where are Tristan and Steph this afternoon?"
Rory laughed. "I kicked them out. They've been kicking me out of the room for the last three weeks, luckily I've needed to study, but I told them that today was my day and to go somewhere else to have sex."
"Tristan's dorm?"
"I feel really bad for his roommates."
"Really?" Finn asked in surprise.
Rory laughed. "No."
Finn laughed as he settled on the bed, stretching out his legs with the remotes by his side. He looked over at his laptop and frowned. "You know this would also work if we used our webcams."
"True, if only I hadn't lent my laptop to Paris for the duration of the movie."
"Now why would you go and do that?" he heard rustling on her end of the phone signaling she was getting on the bed too.
"Because Paris can talk an Eskimo into buying ice."
"Right."
"Okay, menu's on." Rory said.
"Okay, I'll count down from three and we both press play."
"Gotcha."
"3…2…1…play."
He heard the opening credits start on his front as well as hers at the same time.
"You know, I like this," Rory said, grabbing a handful of jellybeans
"What? Adam Sandler?"
"No, you're idea for a movie night. It's nice, we usually just get in ten minutes here and e-mail there. But I like this movie idea."
"Well last week proved to work except for the technical difficulties, we can only hope we'll be able to keep it up."
"Very true." Rory laughed, the technical difficulties had come in the form of pausing. No matter how many times they counted down, or timed it, they had always ended up bout ten seconds apart from each other. "So I met a friend of yours the other morning."
"Oh?" Finn asked popping a marshmallow into his mouth. "Who?"
"Robert?"
Finn sat up. "You met Robert?"
"Well he came to talk to Stephanie and Tristan and since I was there."
"You met him," Finn finished.
"He doesn't seem that bad," Rory defended.
Finn shrugged. "He's not, but he's an ass when the mood strikes him. What was he talking to Stephanie and Tristan about?"
"I don't know, he said something about everyone finally being here, and that he and some guy Seth, I think it was, had to plan something…I don't know."
"Pub?" Finn asked.
"Huh?"
"Are they getting together at the pub, love?"
"Oh." She laughed. "Yeah, on Saturday night. Tristan and Steph are going, Robert invited me too."
"You're not going?"
Rory shrugged. "Hanging out in a pub with people I don't know. Not my idea of fun, I'd be the odd man out."
"Steph and Tristan are there." Finn pointed out, well beyond the point of caring about the movie. It was just so good to be able to hear Rory's voice.
"Yeah, meeting their friends."
"Who, if you meet them, would become you're friends."
"It's not that easy making friends."
Finn laughed. "You hung out with us easily enough."
"Well, I mean that's different."
"How so?"
"I don't know," she laughed. "It just is."
"You should go out," Finn told her, "I know the group they're meeting it's a great group of people who you'd get along with."
"It's fine." Rory laughed. "I've got papers to write, and tests to study for."
"No, you don't." he said knowingly.
"Okay one paper, and one test. But still."
"Rory I don't want you stuck in your dorm room for a year, and not meeting anyone outside of Stephanie and Tristan."
"I met Marty today."
"The naked guy?" Finn asked in confusion
"How do you know about the naked guy?" she asked in surprise. "I didn't know about him until today!"
"Tristan told me, he thought it was hilarious and Marty doesn't count, you met him through Stephanie and Tristan. You didn't meet him on your own."
"What about Robert?"
"Again Tristan and Stephanie, come on Rory, you need to get out of the dorm. You should go to the Pub."
"I don't drink," she pointed out.
"They have amazing coffee and some of the girls in that group are legitimately smart and nice."
"You sleep with any of them?" Rory teased, causing Finn to laugh.
"Thankfully no, they knew better then to get involved with me."
"And I don't?" she asked raising an eyebrow.
"You live dangerously love." He teased back with another laugh.
"Ugh, fine! You win but if I have a horrible time, I'm coming back early and yelling at you."
"Perfect," Finn nodded. "I like the sound of that."
Rory shook her head as she heard someone at the door. "Pause the movie." She said forgetting to count down and pressing pause.
"Wait wait I can't find the remote, you've already paused it haven't you?"
"Yep."
"Damn, there goes our system." Finn muttered as he paused the movie.
"I'm leaving you on the bed, there's someone at the door. I'll be right back."
"Just where I like to be." Finn teased as she shook her head and walked to the door. She opened it to find a delivery boy, holding a rather large box under his arm.
"I'm looking for Rory Gilmore?"
"That's me," Rory said as the guy handed her to box, she took it, frowning at its lightness.
"Sign here."
She signed his pad and handed it back, before closing the door. She set the box on the table and smiled when she saw Finn's name on the return address.
"You sent me a box!" She yelled towards her bedroom.
"What?"
Rolling her eyes, she went to her room and grabbed her phone before returning to the common room.
"You sent me a box."
"I did." He said causing her to roll her eyes at his tone she could hear his smirk.
"Did you pay the delivery guy off?" she asked.
"Now why would you say that?" he asked, his voice sounding innocent.
"Boxes are sent to the mailboxes, not the dorms, you should know that." She laughed looked at the box curiously.
"I paid him off." Finn admitted with a laugh. "But it was worth it, now open it."
"What's in it?" she asked, rummaging around Paris' craft corner looking for a box cutter.
"You've got to open it." Finn laughed.
"Fine, fine," she found the box cutter and carefully cut the tape, before opening the flaps. She gasped when she saw what was inside. "Shirts."
"I talked to my father."
"Oh god."
"And he said that since you've been sleeping in my room, the maid has been cleaning it, and making sure the clothes you leave are clean for the next time you come and for some reason, there has been an abnormal amount of undershirts coming from my hamper, and since I'm not there to wear them, I pieced together that you've been stealing them."
"It's not stealing if I have permission." She defended with a pout.
"And it's more than the five you stole the first time you took them."
"Are you mad?"
"Of course not, if I'm not using them, you might as well."
"But what about these, aren't you using these?"
"Was. My father said something about you wearing them, because of my smell, I don't know. I'm going to assume it's a girl thing."
"It is." She laughed as she sat on the couch.
"So I'll make you a deal."
"Oh?" she asked amused.
"I'll send you all of my dirty smelly undershirts, for you to wear, once they stop doing whatever it is you like that they do, just stuff them in hamper and they'll get washed."
"And what do I do?"
"You send me my clean ones. I only have so many undershirts to give. Just send me the ones that are already washed. So we'll switch them out."
"You have got to be the sweetest boyfriend known to man."
"So we have a deal."
"Yes, but I feel bad."
"How so?" Finn asked.
"Well you're giving me something to remember you by. And I don't have anything to give you."
"Got any underwear you don't need anymore?"
Rory laughed as she leaned back on the couch, propping her feet at the end of the table. "No, I'm in need of all my…oh."
"What? I wasn't being serious Rory. I'm not that desperate."
"No, no, I just got an idea on what I could send you."
"Oh and what is that?"
"You're just going to have to wait until you get my box, now aren't you?"
"You are mean, love." She heard a slight knock from Finn's end of the phone. "That's Colin, meaning that had we not paused the movie should have been over by now."
"Probably past time." Rory sighed.
"It'll get better, love."
"So, talk to you later?" Rory asked.
"I'll be out of cell phone range for the next couple of days."
"Right, white water rafting." she said with a roll of her eyes.
"We're going to be fine. But I'll call you once we get back, all right, tell you all about it?"
"All right."
"And please, please go out. The pub will be fine, just watch out for flasks, some of the guys like to pour alcohol into the coffee, and watch the girls get progressively drunk."
"Were you one of them?" she laughed.
"And damn proud." He laughed back. "Bye love."
"Bye Finn," She said before closing the phone and setting it at her side. She looked at the box; bring it closer and taking out one of the shirts with a smile as she brought it up to her nose. Yes, purely Finn. An hour later, she was still sitting there with Finn's shirt in her hands, watching TV, when Tristan and Stephanie walked in.
"Hey, what's this?" Stephanie asked looking in the box.
"Finn sent me his old shirts." Rory said with a large smile.
"Ew," Tristan said sitting next to her. "Why would you want dirty shirts?"
"You're a boy, you wouldn't understand," Stephanie said waving her hand in dismissal and sitting on Rory's other side.
Rory bit her lip and looked at Stephanie. "I need your help with something."
"Ooo, intrigue. What can I do for you?"
"I want to send something for Finn, and I don't trust anyone else to help me with it."
"All right." Stephanie said with a frown. "What is it?"
Rory looked over at Tristan who was turned towards them listening in interest, then back at Stephanie. "I'll tell you later."
Tristan groaned and stood up. "No, I was only staying to listen to what it was, I need to go up and do some homework anyway." He leaned down and kissed Stephanie. "Babe, I'll see you later." He turned to Rory. "Mary." He had the pleasure of seeing her blush, before turning towards the door and leaving.
Stephanie waited a few minutes, knowing Tristan would probably press his ear to the door to listen. Once she knew he was gone, she turned to Rory who was still blushing. "All right, what do you want me to do?"
Rory bit her lip. "Okay, you have to realize, I've never done this before, nor have I ever wanted to?"
"Oh god, you don't want me to help you with phone sex do you, cause I love you sweetie, but that's a line that I'm not even willing to cross."
"No!" Rory said, her face glowing a tomato red. "No! Oh god."
"Oh thank god." Stephanie said releasing a breath. "Okay…so what is it?"
"I want to send Finn pictures."
"I don't do the naked ones." Stephanie said quickly.
"No." Rory laughed. "Lingerie?"
"Oh, that's even better." Stephanie said wiggling her eyebrow. "You tease the senses."
"I just…he's going through so much putting this together, so that I feel comfortable here without him, and I want to send him something to feel comfortable there without me."
"Rory, you know he doesn't care about that. The fact that you call him and stay with him during this year, putting up with Logan, that's what he cares about. He doesn't need pictures."
"I know, but I don't want him to feel like he's in the relationship, and I'm not. I want him to know I'm willing to reciprocate."
"God, you are so sweet and so innocent, and that is what is going to make these pictures perfect. Now…let's go." Stephanie said going into their room.
"Go where?"
"Rory, do you have any sexy underwear?"
"Um…"
"Boy shorts don't count…well cotton ones anyway." Stephanie laughed, than thought about it. "Strike that, boy shorts do work." She opened Rory's underwear drawer.
"Hey! Private property."
"I'm going to take semi nude photos of you, I think at this point anything's fair game."
"Stephanie you cannot tell Tristan."
"Oh…" Stephanie said weakly, pausing in her snooping.
"Stephanie!"
"But we tell each other everything!"
"Stephanie," Rory said, closing the drawer, before Stephanie had a chance to scrounge around. "If you agree to do this, you cannot tell Tristan. He would never let me live it down, and he would bring it up at the most embarrassing moments. I know him."
Stephanie bit her lip. "Fine, I won't tell him."
"Or show him or text him, or hint at it, or any other way that he would find out from you."
"What if he finds out on his own?"
"Then that's our fault for leaving the evidence, Stephanie, promise me."
Stephanie bit the inside of her cheek, before groaning and laying her head on the dresser. "Ugh! Fine! You win!"
"Thank you." Rory said taking her hand off the drawer, allowing Stephanie to open it and look through her underwear.
"Okay, you've got a lot of cotton, and I love you for it, but come on Rory."
"Well, what do you expect? I'm not really planning an evening out with my boyfriend anymore."
"Sorry, okay. So, I think a trip to Victoria's Secret is in order, oh a baby doll, Finn would die."
"Steph…"
"Fine, we'll go slow… this time."
Rory shook her head as she grabbed their purses and handed Stephanie hers before Stephanie led Rory out the door.
"Hey Steph?" Rory asked once they were in the car driving towards Hartford.
"Yeah?"
"That invitation on Saturday still open?"
Stephanie smiled, "You want to hang out with us at the pub?"
Rory shrugged. "Finn convinced me, he says the group you're hanging out with is nice."
"They are, well most of the time." Stephanie laughed.
"And he doesn't want me cooped up in the dorm all year, not meeting anyone new. Truth be told, I don't want to go back to Chilton mode, always studying and not having a social life, I want to have a little fun, that's what college is about right?"
Stephanie smiled and patted Rory's hand. "Right, and of course the invite is still open. You'll have lots of fun. The girls are great, and no, they haven't slept with Finn."
"I already asked that, but thanks." Rory laughed.
"You'll have fun."
Rory nodded. "Yeah, I will."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"So how was your date?" Logan asked with a smirk as Finn came back up stuffing his phone in his back pocket.
"Are you asking because you're interested, or are you asking because you want me to believe you are."
"I'm interested." Logan responded.
"It went fine." Finn said sitting on the couch next to him, as Colin flipped through the channels.
"Did she get your box?" Colin asked, turning towards Finn.
"You sent her a box?" Logan asked with a frown.
"Yes and yes. I sent her a bunch of used shirts."
"Why?" Logan asked
Colin laughed. "It's a girl thing apparently. Tristan said that Steph use to steal his sweatshirts all the time."
"And Rory's been stealing my undershirts, though my dad says that my old Yale sweatshirt went missing last week."
"So, you sent her shirts?" Logan asked.
"Yeah, because the ones in my room back home are almost gone, so she's sending me clean ones within the week, at least I hope."
"Is she…" Logan shook his head and turned back to the TV. "Never mind."
"Is she what?" Finn asked.
"Is she going to reciprocate the gesture?" Logan asked. "Send you anything of hers?"
Finn laughed, "Not that I know of, I was teasing her about it," Finn shrugged "But she said she had an idea of what to send me, she wouldn't tell me what it was though."
"Well, that's good." Logan said standing and going to the bar, where he leaned down and got water out of the mini fridge. He gestured for Colin and Finn who nodded. Finn looked at Colin and raised an eyebrow. Colin smirked.
"Why is that good, Logan?" Colin asked, leery of the answer.
"Well it's good that Finn isn't the only one sending things." Logan said handing each of them a water bottle. "It was be pretty fucked up if she didn't send Finn things."
Finn shrugged. "Not really. I'm the one on a year long vacation, I can send souvenirs. What is she going to send me, Yale memorabilia?" Finn asked. "As for pictures, she usually sends them to me through e-mail, but it's nice that she feels the need to send something, sure."
Logan shrugged. "I'd feel like I was the only one in the relationship, if I was the only one sending shit."
Finn rolled his eyes. "And that is why you're not in a relationship."
"So what are they up to today?" Colin asked, looking at his watch before looking back up at Finn.
"Nothing, I think, but Rory met Robert."
"Did she?" Colin laughed. "What'd she think?"
"That he's not as bad as everyone's told her."
"Thank you Rory!" Colin laughed, causing Finn and Logan to groan.
"The guy is an ass, Colin, I seriously don't see what you see in him." Logan said with a shake of his head.
"Robert is not that bad!" Colin defended. "I've known Robert for years, and I seriously don't see the ass like qualities all of you guys do."
"Only because your ass like qualities come out when you two hang out, and you don't notice it." Finn said. "Two asses, a right does not make."
"One that doesn't make sense Yoda," Colin said with a roll of his eyes. "And have you even thought that because you treat Robert like an ass, he becomes one."
"Either way you put it, the man is an ass." Logan said.
Finn laughed. "Anyway, he came up to Tristan and Steph, I guess the whole group is back at school, and their having their first get together of the year at the pub. So, Tristan and Steph were invited and since Rory was there he invited her too. She wasn't comfortable going, but I convinced her."
"Why?" Logan asked with a frown.
"Huh?" Finn asked looking over at him.
"Why'd you convince her?" Logan asked.
"Way I see it, by this time next year, we're going to all be hanging out, Rory should go now and get together and feel out who she knows she'll get along with. I know she'll get along with Evie."
Colin laughed. "Because you get along with Evie so well."
"Evie is and always will be my dearest friend."
"That you hit on." Logan finished.
"That has been a joke for the past ten years," Finn defended.
"Does Evie know about Rory?" Logan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"She does, I e-mailed her while she was in Europe and told her I met a girl that is more than just a one night stand. She sent me a voice recording of her squealing and saying 'oh my god I can't believe you're settled' over and over again then went on a three page rant about not being able to believe it and wanting to meet her."
"Steph will make that happen." Colin pointed out.
"So you really see you and Rory together this time next year?"
Finn shrugged. "Sure, I'm thinking about inviting her to Europe for the summer."
Logan frowned. "But we were going to do something in the summer."
Finn sighed. "Logan, you know I'm going to be taking over a hotel for my dad as a trail run. Colin is going off with his dad. This year up until June is all I'm able to give. And I can tell you right now, between waking up during the summer and seeing your face or Rory's, I'd pick Rory's any day," Finn said causing Colin to laugh.
"Come on Logan, as if you're dad doesn't have something for you to do come June."
"I have until the end of August to be out of family obligations. That was my deal with my dad. I knew you were taking over the hotel, but I thought that while you were in whatever city, I'd stay there and when Colin got around to that city, we'd all hang out."
"And you're still free to do that, hell Logan, I don't even know if Rory would want to go and stay in Europe for three months without her mom. You might just be freaking out for nothing."
"I'm not freaking out."
"Uh huh," Finn said with a roll of his eyes.
Logan shook his head. "So Rory's hanging out with the LDB huh?"
"I think they'll like her."
"Sure." Logan nodded.
Colin checked his watch again, noting the time he stood up. "I'm going to go call Lane and let her know we're going to be out of call phone range of the next few days, her mom should be at her church group right now." Colin got up just as Logan did the same.
"I need to make a few calls. We leave in a half hour."
"Might as well call my dad," Finn said, pulling his phone out as both Colin and Logan made their way down the stairs.
"Half an hour Colin." Logan said.
"Jeez Logan, we came on this trip to get away from our parents," Colin remarked rolling his eyes and closing his door.
"And girls too." Logan muttered going to his own room, and pulling out his phone. Scrolling through his contacts he looked at the names. "Albert close to Finn, David, is Finn's too," his finger hovered over one name; he shook his head with a wince before going on to the others. "Isolde…is Colin's, Kaitlin is Colin's," He sighed as he sat on his bed. "Jack is Finn's…Seth…" he winced. "Close to Colin and Finn." Going around his contacts twice, he stared at the name, before giving in and dialing.
"Logan Huntzberger, where have you been hiding?" the female voice answered on the second ring.
"In Fiji, the guys and I took the year off."
"I've heard the rumblings, which still doesn't explain why you're calling me." She paused slightly before laughing. "Oh Logan, who are you looking to sabotage?"
"Why do you assume I'm looking to sabotage someone?"
"Any LDBer that calls me is looking to ruin someone's day. So what can I do for you?"
Logan sighed. "So if you've heard that we're in Fiji, I'm assuming you know that Colin and Finn have settled down."
"Small town girls, I heard, Finn doesn't surprise me, but that Colin lowered his standards that caught me off guard."
"Yeah, well." Logan sighed. "I hear the LDB is going to gather around the Pub on Saturday."
"You hear right"
"I need pictures."
"Of the gathering?" she asked. "It's just going to be a bunch of drunk LDBers…you've seen that before."
"No, I need pictures of Finn's girlfriend."
"Do you think she's going to cheat?" she laughed.
"I know she's not."
"But you want to make Finn think she is."
"I don't want Finn to think anything." Logan said. "I just want you to keep an eye out and if you see anything…weird, then take a picture. He worries about her you know."
"Then Finn would be the one calling me, you're full of shit Logan, but that's the type of people I tend to like. Now…what are you willing to do for me?"
Logan laughed. "The usual."
She 'hmm'ed' before agreeing. "Fine, send the pictures to you or Finn?"
"Finn, anonymously, of course."
"Of course and what's this girl's name?"
"You don't know?"
"I don't know everything Logan, contrary to popular belief."
"Her name's Rory."
"What about Colin's girl?"
Logan sighed. "I have no idea what to do about that yet."
"So, you are planning on breaking them up." She laughed.
"Take the pictures and send them."
"You got it boss."
Logan hung up the phone and stared at it for a minute, his actions sinking in before rolling his shoulders and leaving his room.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Okay, I got them!" Stephanie said as she ran into the room and shut the door. Rory looked up from her book, causing Stephanie to frown. "And you are not ready."
"I know, I'm going to hit up the post office before it closes and meet you guys at the pub."
"You're not going to ditch us are you? Cause I've talked you up, as has Finn and if you don't show up people are going to think Finn made you up." Stephanie teased.
Rory laughed. "No, I promise I'll make it. So you got them?"
"You are so lucky that the guys at the Foto Hut are discreet."
"Only because you give them copies of your pictures." Rory laughed, then sobered. "You didn't…" she said holding up the folder with the pictures. "Did you?"
"God no, I know you'd kill me."
"Good." Rory said as she pulled the pictures out and looked at them. "Oh wow…"
"I know how to work a camera well, don't I. The guys at the Foto Hut blushed when they handed them to me."
"Do you think…" she trailed off quietly.
"Finn will absolutely love them."
"Steph!" Tristan called out from the common room.
Rory quickly put the pictures back in their folder before stuffing them under her pillow just as Tristan came in.
"It's called knocking." Rory said putting her book on the nightstand and getting off the bed to go to the box on her desk that she had started packing for Finn.
"Eh…knocking is a lost form once you move in with three other guys."
"How is naked guy?" Stephanie teased.
"Fully clothed." Tristan said dryly before looking into the box. "What are you sending Finn?"
Rory smiled. "I had Sookie bake him some cookies"
"Oh what types?" Tristan asked.
"Different types, chocolate chips, rocky road, marshmallow..."
"I ate them." Stephanie said offhandedly as she grabbed her bag.
"Strike the marshmallow." Rory said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm also sending him shirts."
"Yours?" Tristan asked.
"His. Clean ones and some little knick knacks."
"Nice." Tristan nodded then turned to his girlfriend. "Ready?"
"Just need to change real quick." Stephanie said changing out her t-shirt for a dressier top, and leaving on her skinny jeans and boots.
"You coming?" Tristan asked looking at Rory as he grabbed Stephanie's hand
"Yep, I'm meeting you guys there."
"You know where?" Tristan asked turning to her.
"I do. I'm just going to finish packing all of this up, and send it, then I'll meet you guys at the pub."
"All right, I think the whole group is planning on taking over the pub, so we'll keep an eye out for you." Tristan told her.
Rory nodded "I'll be there."
"Great, see you there." Stephanie said with a smile as she pulled Tristan out.
Rory watched as Tristan closed the front door, before going to her bed and pulling out the pictures from under her pillow, then grabbing the black leather bound photo album she'd bought when Stephanie had dragged her lingerie shopping. Closing her door, and making sure the lock was in place, in case Paris decided to have yet another bonding experience over crafts, she put in the photos of the summer that Stephanie had also gotten developed for her, before putting in the pictures Stephanie had helped her take.
Biting her lip, she gave a small smile, before putting the rest of the pictures in the album, flipping through it quickly, she put the album carefully on top of the shirts, before grabbing paper and pen, and sitting down to write the letter she had planned for him.
XxxxxxxxxxxX
"God, Steph it's been way to long, the guys hide you." Evie said in her thick Australian accent, hugging her as she reached the table that she and Tristan had commandeered.
Stephanie stood and hugged her friend hard before sitting back down next to a laughing Tristan and Seth who was sitting next to him. "I'm a hermit. The boys never let me out anymore."
"I know! I feel like I haven't seen you in years." Evie said with a large smile, her light brown eyes scanned the bar, before settling back on Stephanie. "So…"
"So…?" Stephanie laughed.
"Where is she?"
"Who?" Stephanie asked curiously.
"The girlfriend."
Stephanie watched as Seth turned and nodded. "That's right, Robert told me he'd seen the girl where is she?"
Tristan laughed. "You're still speaking to Robert?"
Seth shrugged. "Sort of have to, he's been planning the event for the inductees, and I've been the one on standby for structures, he calls me every day with a ideas to see if they're possible."
"Oh any hints?" Evie asked leaning forward.
"Sorry, my lovely, I've been sworn to secrecy." Seth laughed with a wink.
"Well damn, now about Finn's girlfriend." Evie said turning her attention back to Tristan and Stephanie
"Her name is Rory." Stephanie answered, "She's very sweet and so totally in love with Finn."
"Finn talks very highly of her in all the e-mails he's sent and in all the phone calls, he seems just as in love," Evie smiled. "He sounds happy, I haven't heard Finn that happy, when drunk yes, but never when sober."
"Rory brings it out in him." Tristan admitted.
"God, I'm so glad. So where is she?" Evie asked anxiously.
"She went to the post office to send him a box. She's planning on meeting us here."
"That is sweet." Seth smirked, causing Stephanie to roll her eyes.
"It is actually. Finn has a good handle on the long distance thing; he makes it a lot easier on her." Tristan stated, "They're making this long distance thing work."
"Well now I'm just dying to meet her." Evie laughed, tossing her long curly red hair behind her shoulder.
"Well you're in luck, because she just walked in. Rory!" Stephanie called loudly waving her hand, she watched Rory turn and smile before making her way towards the table. She grabbed the free seat next to Evie, giving Steph and hug and a smile to Tristan before setting her jacket on the chair and sitting down.
"Hey, sorry I'm late, believe it or not the post office is really busy before they close."
"Well especially on a Saturday, what with them being closed Sunday and all." Stephanie laughed.
"Very true." Rory laughed along.
"So you sent it?" Stephanie asked.
"All sent, two day air, so he should be getting the box on Monday, I just hope he has enough clean shirts."
"He probably does, if not, he's not above stealing from Colin." Tristan pointed out, as Evie and Seth watched the conversation in amusement.
"He can't." Rory laughed. "Colin hid his undershirts when he heard Finn was starting to send them to me, apparently Colin's afraid they're going to get their shirts mixed up and Finn's going to end up sending me Colin's shirts, which Colin is planning on sending to Lane, I don't know it's a long big thing, either way Colin hid his undershirts, so Finn either has to go without or start reusing."
"Which is gross," Stephanie said.
Rory shrugged. "I say that for the next two days he is going to be going shirtless."
Stephanie and Tristan laughed, as Stephanie turned to Evie and Seth. "Rory, this is Seth Cranston he's a friend of the guys."
She smiled at him, Seth seemed to be around Finn's age, and wore black rimmed square glasses that covered dark brown eyes, his hair with black and sticking up in all directions, that indicated to her, that he'd been pulling at it in frustration recently."Nice to meet you I'm…"
"Rory Gilmore," Seth finished with a smile as he used the tip of his finger to push up his glasses. "Trust me, everyone in this room knows who you are."
"Oh?" she smiled back. "Is that a good thing?"
"I'd like to think so." Seth nodded he looked above Rory's head at a person behind her, and smiled giving a wave. "I'm being summoned." He said with a laugh. "Rory, pleasure meeting you, I hope to see more of you at these gatherings."
"Thanks Seth," she smiled as he got up with his drink and walked towards a group of people at the end of the bar.
"And Rory this is Evie Randell." Tristan introduced.
"Nice to meet you." Rory smiled at the girl next to her, Evie from what she could tell was a year older then her, and had long curly red hair that fell down her back, and light brown eyes that bordered on hazel. She had light freckles covering the bridge of her nose, and smile on her mouth that was aimed at her.
"I have got to say, Finn did not do you justice." Evie said quickly letting Rory catch the thick Australian accent, as Evie shook her hand.
"Finn?" Rory asked caught off guard.
"He's mentioned you in all the e-mails he's sent me, but my god, he didn't say you were this gorgeous." Evie smiled largely.
"E-mails?" Rory asked, frowning.
"Rory, this is Evie." Stephanie said.
"I know, you just introduced me."
Evie frowned and tiled her head, causing her hair to tumble over her shoulder. "Finn's never mentioned me?"
"No…are you like an ex-girlfriend?" Rory asked, looking as Stephanie and Tristan who were sharing looks.
"No," Evie laughed. "God no. Finn and I grew up together. I'm one of his best friends. I like to think I am the best friend."
Rory looked over at Stephanie who was looking confused; Stephanie looked at Tristan and Evie before turning back to Rory. "Finn's never mentioned Evie?"
Rory shook her head and smiled lightly at the red head. "I'm sorry?"
"Well, now I just feel special." Evie laughed. "He can't stop talking about you. Our families go way back you see, our grandparents grew up together, our fathers grew up together, and Finn and I are only a year apart, so we ended up growing up together. I stayed in Australia, while Finn came here with his father, but we've remained best friends. He's really never mentioned me?" Evie asked, slightly hurt that her best friend had never once mentioned her to what Finn had described as one of the most important people in his life.
"I don't remember him ever mentioning you." Rory said, thinking about the conversations they'd had when they'd first been getting to know each other, then the e-mails and phone conversations they'd had. "From the stories Finn's told me, I assumed Logan and Colin were his best friends. I mean I know he has other friends, obviously." Rory laughed waving her hand towards the bar. "But Logan and Colin are always the topic of conversation, granted he tends not to talk about his time in Australia much."
"Yeah he's still a bit bitter." Evie whispered still frowning.
"But hey." Rory smiled. "Now I know, and I bet you have great pictures of Finn when he was a kid."
"Yeah." Evie smiled back lightly, before standing, "I'm going to grab another drink, does anyone want anything? Rory?"
"Um…do they have coffee?"
"Yeah, you want it Irish?" Evie asked.
"Black is fine thanks." Evie nodded as Stephanie asked for a refill.
Rory watched as she walked away, noting that Evie was a good 5'3'' before turning to Stephanie and Tristan. "I feel like such a jerk."
"Why, sweetie?" Stephanie asked.
"I didn't know Finn had another best friend. I swear he's never mentioned Evie. God I'm so mad at him." Rory said crossing her arms.
Stephanie shrugged and patted Rory's hand. "He probably had his reasons."
"But even you and Tristan found it weird." Rory said. "I don't want her to think that I don't want to hear about Finn's life, or that I somehow didn't want to hear about her."
"She doesn't think that Rory." Tristan assured with a smile. "She's probably hell bent on killing Finn for making this so awkward, she doesn't think badly of you."
Rory bit the inside of her cheek before giving a nod. "I still can't believe Fin never mentioned her, she seems like such a huge part of his life."
"Well, now that you know, you guys can get to know each other, you'll love Evie."
Rory smiled as Evie came back, setting down the coffee in front of Rory, handing Stephanie a glass and setting down her own bottle of beer.
"What is that?" Rory asked Stephanie looking at the pink drink.
"Sex on the beach." Stephanie answered with a hum of excitement.
"Sounds yummy." Rory laughed taking a drink of her coffee.
"Ladies. Tristan." Rory looked up and smiled as Robert sat across from her and next to Stephanie. "Glad you could join us tonight, Rory."
"Finn has powers of persuasion." Rory laughed, causing Evie to laugh as well.
"That he does."
Rory gave a small smile shifting in her seat, she was about to ask Robert how he was before Evie interrupted her.
"What are you doing here Robert?" her voice annoyed.
Robert rolled his eyes, as he stood. "I came to warn you the Georgie's here, and to prepare Rory." He looked at Rory and smiled. "I apologize in advance; trust me were not all like the town whore."
Rory raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"
Robert smirked. "You'll see. Evie, we need to start planning, in all seriousness."
"Yes master." Evie said with a roll her eyes. "Have your people call my people."
"Or you and Seth can come over to the dorm tomorrow afternoon with ideas." Robert said sarcastically with an eye roll of his own. "I'll be at the bar."
Rory watched him walk away, feeling bad for him. He hadn't done anything to really deserve that behavior towards him.
"That man is an ass." Evie said, before turning to Rory. "So, Finn tells me you have a sister."
"I…" Rory frowned, "he told you that?
"You have a sister Rory?" Tristan asked. "I didn't know that."
"Uh…yeah. She's my half-sister on my dad's side." she answered. "I don't see her much though."
"Yeah, not having a parent in the pictures sucks." Evie said. "My mom is in and out of my life, you know."
"Um yeah, I do." She smiled wanly and couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Here she was sitting with two friends and a virtual stranger who apparently knew a lot about her, a lot that she had told Finn about and didn't speak about to anyone else. Her father wasn't a subject she talked about willingly; she had opened up to Finn, knowing he wouldn't tell anyone else, she was wrong.
"You must be Rory."
Rory looked up and saw a slim blond standing behind Tristan her hands on his tense shoulders, while Stephanie and Evie glared at her. She was wearing a denim mini skirt and a tight tank top that ended just above her midriff. Her hair was long and blonde, falling straight down her back, and her eyes were green and a bit calculating. Her lips were in a saccharine smile, that Rory knew was fake; she'd been to enough Hartford events to know the difference.
"Yeah," Rory said with a smile of her own.
"I'm Georgina, Georgina Sheppard. I'm a friend of the boys."
"Boys?" Rory asked as she watched her hands trail over Tristan's back with a smirk to Stephanie before sitting in Robert's previous seat.
"Logan, Colin and Finn."
"Oh, Colin and Finn never mentioned you."
"Oh, I bet Logan talks about me nonstop."
Rory laughed, causing Georgina to raise an eyebrow. "Fortunately I don't talk to Logan long enough to know, and the guys don't tell me about their sex lives, thank god, because I've heard some horror stories. Stephanie, didn't one involve a girl, a lamp shade and whipped cream, god, I think her name started with a 'g' didn't it."
Georgina forced a smile. "Logan didn't tell me about your wit."
"He probably assumed it's something you have to experience."
"Apparently," Georgina said dryly. "So how's the sex?"
"Excuse me?" Rory asked.
"With Finn, I've heard rumors that he's amazing in bed. Are they true?"
"Georgie, enough." Evie said. "It's none of our business and you know it," she turned to Rory. "I'm sorry for Georgie, she was raised by wolves, and she's still learning socialization."
"It's fine." Rory said smiling tightly. She looked at her empty coffee cup. "Well, will you look at that empty, I'm going to go get some more." She got up from the table grabbing her mug, not being able to help it she turned with a smirk. "It's earth-shattering by the way."
They all looked at her, but Georgina frowned. "What is?"
"The sex. It's earth-shattering. You don't know what you're missing." Rory turned and felt the blood rise up on her cheeks; she could feel Stephanie and Tristan's smirks and Evie and Georgina's look of disbelief as she walked away.
She leaned up against the bar and released the breath she'd been holding. The bartender came up to her asking her what she wanted.
"Coffee, lots and lots of coffee."
"You looked uncomfortable."
She turned to her left and smiled lightly at Robert who was sitting at the bar nursing a scotch. "Very."
"It's the reason I went over there. When one of us gets serious about someone, it's everyone's business; it's why everyone knows your name. Georgie is well…" Robert waved his hand in the air looking for the word. "Well, a whore," he laughed looking at her. "She loves getting under peoples skin, it's why I wanted to tell you about her, or at least have Evie and Steph talk to you about her, but it doesn't look like they did."
"No, they didn't." she said, smiling gratefully at the bartender, looking back at the table, where Evie seemed more relaxed now that Rory wasn't sitting there, Georgina had left, and Tristan and Stephanie were laughing with Evie. Biting her lip she looked at the empty stool next to Robert.
"Can I sit?"
"Please," Robert said motioning for the stool.
"You know everyone I've run into, that knows you, says you're an ass." She saw him tense and look over at her, his eyes guarded and his jaw ticking.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"And what do you think?"
Rory shrugged. "Personally I don't see it." she watched him smirk and she couldn't help but smirk back and give a nonchalant shrug. "Then again, I don't know you well enough, you could be the biggest ass in the world. But I like to form my own opinions."
Robert laughed and nodded as he looked back down at his drink. "No wonder Colin's fond of you."
"I have my moments."
Robert nodded. "I'm sorry if Georgie said anything to you to make you uncomfortable. We're so use to her that it's easy for us to shrug her off, but newcomers…"
"I think I held my own." Rory smiled sipping on her coffee. "So what are you to Colin?"
"Huh?" Robert asked turning to look at her.
"Are you friend, family, lover?" she teased, feeling utterly comfortable with this guy that everyone had warned her about.
Robert laughed. "I'm the first two. I'm still working on the third, Colin will crack one of these days."
Rory laughed. "Friend and family huh?"
Robert nodded looking over at her, before turning in his seat to look at her fully, she matched his position turning to face him. "How much do you know about Colin's family?"
"Not much, I know his dad remarries a lot. That's about it."
"Well, my mother tends to remarry a lot as well. When I was about five my mother married Colin's father. They stayed married for about three years before calling it quits. Colin and I became close. We both deal with the same bullshit, so even if our parents weren't together anymore, at least we had someone to bitch too about the same shit."
"You guys kept in touch?"
Robert nodded. "Letters, phone calls, our parents thought it was good so they didn't stop it, they attribute our talking to them getting married a second time when we were sixteen. That one lasted until we were eighteen."
"So you and Colin are the same age?"
Robert nodded. "yep."
"So you're a junior?"
Robert shook his head. "Sophomore, I took a year off before my freshmen year. What Colin, Finn and Logan are doing now, I did after graduating high school."
"Where did you go?"
Robert shrugged, "Europe mostly, I've got family there that I can tolerate. I have an older brother I'm not too fond of and two sisters who are whores, so you can see why I ended up with Colin as a best friend."
"I highly doubt your sisters are whores."
Robert raised his eyebrow. "You've met my sisters?"
"No."
"Then how do you know they're not whores?"
"How do I know they are?"
"Touché." Robert grinned. "My entire goal in life is to outlive my brother, and with the way he drinks it's completely possible, put my sisters on the street and live as frivolously as possible, have numerous wives, thousands of illegitimate children and die completely alone and leave every cent to a parrot named Polly."
"That is your life's goal?"
"Except for the name of the parrot, I stick to everything I just said." He sighed. "And out of my three sisters I'd let one live with me, only cause she's actually the nice one."
"You're a fascinating specimen Robert."
"Thank you." He grinned. "So how did you end up meeting the guys?"
Rory shrugged sipping her coffee. "My grandparents kidnapped me and took me to Martha's Vineyard for the summer, the guys were playing Frisbee on the beach where I was reading, one of them overshot and Tristan fell on me trying to catch it. The rest as they say is history."
"You've known Tristan a while, right?"
"Since high school, but we lost touch after he got in trouble, it isn't until this past summer that we really became friends."
"That's good," Robert nodded.
Rory shook her head. "I really don't see it."
"See what?"
"The ass they all talk about. I really don't see it."
Robert laughed. "I'm not really like that. Colin and I, after we started living together again during our teen years, we developed a reputation of being stuck up, and I'll admit we are a bit stuck up and look down at people, but we've cooled down on it a bit, but the reputation stuck. Apparently when we hang out together its worse, I don't see it."
Rory laughed. "I get the impression that everyone treats you like an ass which makes you act like one, but I think when you're not being treated as one, you're a nice guy, hell you've proved it. You've been nothing but nice to me for the past twenty minutes."
Robert stared at her as she ordered another coffee. "I like you, Rory Gilmore."
"I like you too, Robert Bancroft." Rory laughed as the bartender brought her another coffee. "Now I'm assuming all those in the room are privileged."
"You assume right."
"What are you privileged for?"
Robert laughed. "Have you heard of Bancroft Airlines?"
"That's you?"
"My father," He corrected. "But yes, me too."
XxxxxxxxxxX
"What is that noise?" Evie said looking around for the buzzing noise that was coming from around their table.
Stephanie strained her ears, before nodding towards Rory's purse. "It's Rory's cell. Can you…"
"Yeah." Evie took the purse and handed it to Stephanie; she dug through the bag until she found the phone. Stephanie looked at the caller id and frowned at the long distance number
"Rory's phone." Stephanie answered.
"Steph?"
"Finn?"
"Yeah."
"Oh boy, do you have some women pissed off at you."
"What?" Finn asked confusion lacing his voice before backtracking. "Look Steph, where's Rory?"
"She's right…" Stephanie looked around the bar. "She was sitting with us a few minutes ago."
"Two hours ago," Tristan corrected.
"What?" Stephanie asked in confusion.
"That right, she left for coffee," Evie looked at her watch and nodded. "About two hours ago."
"You lost Rory?" Finn asked incredulously.
"No…" Stephanie said looking around the bar; knowing Rory wouldn't actually leave the bar without her cell phone or jacket, which was still on the chair next to Evie. "She's here in the bar. She's…oh." Stephanie's eyes widened as she saw Rory laughing at the bar, while Robert was leaning in close telling her something.
"Stephanie, Rory?" Finn asked.
"Right, she's at the bar, talking to Robert."
Tristan and Evie both turned to the bar wand watched as Rory slapped Roberts arm laughing causing him to lean back and laugh as well.
"Robert?" Finn asked quietly.
"Uh yeah, she's laughing at something. I did not know Robert was that funny." Stephanie said absently. "Do you want me to go get her?"
"No, no, not if she's having a good time I'd rather not worry her."
"Worry? Why would she worry? Finn what's wrong? Who's hurt?"
"We're fine." Finn laughed. "We just had a little accident."
Stephanie frowned as she heard a doctor being paged to the ER "You're in the ER!"
"No, not me!" Finn quickly corrected. "Colin is."
"Colin is in the ER. My cousin is in the ER?"
"Tell her I'm fine Finn! I can hear her from here!"
Finn laughed. "He's fine, just a few broken bones."
"Finn!" Colin warned.
"What?!" Stephanie yelled into the phone.
Finn laughed. "Kidding kidding, jeez, no one can take a joke, he broke his arm."
"How?"
"He fell off the raft, the idiot, he hit bottom, twisted his arm the wrong way and it snapped, he's all doped up on medicine so he's not in any pain and he's got a neat looking cast. He's fine."
"Thank god."
"I was just calling Rory to tell her that we were in the hospital, and that we're going to be staying here for a few days, he's got a few bruises the doctors want to keep an eye on."
"But he's fine?"
"He's fine. We're all fine."
"Do you want me to go get Rory? I know she'd love to talk to you."
"No, its fine, I'll call her back tomorrow in the afternoon. Make sure you pass the information to Rory to pass to Lane will you? I don't have her number and getting the number out of Colin would be near impossible right now."
"I will."
Finn sighed. "All right, I'm going to go."
"Finn let me get Rory."
"No, Steph it's fine, don't worry about it; damn it Colin leave the damn button alone, we can't get kicked out of this hospital!" Finn sighed. "Steph, I have to go."
"Sure, I'll go let Rory know."
"Thanks." Finn said absently before hanging up the phone. Stephanie stared at the phone for a minute before putting it back in Rory's purse.
"Hey, everything okay?" Evie asked.
"Apparently." Stephanie rolled her eyes. "You know the guys, Colin broke his arm, so they're making the hospital staff crazy."
"He broke his arm?" Tristan asked. "How'd he do that?"
"Fell off the raft apparently." Stephanie shook her head, now that the shock of hearing that her cousin was in the hospital, amusement was setting in.
"Well as long as they're all okay." Evie said.
"They're fine." Stephanie said. "From the sound of it, Colin's high off the drugs and was making a mess of things, Logan's nowhere to be seen and Finn's being the responsible one, everything's right on schedule if you ask me."
Evie laughed. "Well I was just telling Tristan that I'm off. It's getting late, and I have to go to breakfast with my sister. She will not be happy if I show up worse for wear and be the embarrassment of the country club."
Stephanie laughed. "I think we're done for the night too."
Evie looked over at the bar at Rory who was still talking to Robert. "I feel like I should say bye, but if I do, it would be awkward and weird."
"We can tell her you said bye."
"I just…don't want to seem rude but the situation is awkward, isn't it? I mean, it's not just me, right?"
"Not just you," Tristan assured.
"I just don't want her to think Finn and I have a past, cause we don't."
"We know sweetie, you don't have to explain anything to us."
Evie sighed and shook her head. "Tell Rory bye."
"She'll understand." Tristan laughed, hugging the redhead.
"I hope so. Steph." Evie smiled as she hugged the blonde. "We're getting together."
"Of course."
"Before the initiation event."
"How about Wednesday, I don't have an afternoon class."
"Perfect! I do!" Evie said with fake enthusiasm.
Stephanie laughed. "I'll call you and we'll figure something out."
"Sounds great. Bye." Evie said with a wave before bundling into her coat and leaving the pub. Stephanie and Tristan gathered their own things, Stephanie grabbing Rory's jacket and purse, before making their way towards the bar.
"No way!" Rory laughed.
"Dead serious, he was painted five different colors of pink, to say he was pissed is an understatement and our parents thought it was hilarious."
Rory shook her head, smiling when she saw Tristan and Stephanie heading their way. "Hey."
"Hey, we were wondering where you were."
Rory smiled and tilted her head towards Robert. "Robert and I just started talking and couldn't stop."
"What about?" Tristan asked with an amused smirk.
"Colin's teen years mostly." Robert smirked back.
"Oh, god, I remember those and your constant prank wars." Stephanie said with a groan.
Rory laughed. "Robert was just telling me about Colin's pink phase."
"That one was great. He couldn't get that dye off for a month." Stephanie laughed.
"Are you guys leaving?" Rory asked, taking a drink of her coffee.
"Yeah, it's getting late, uh here." Stephanie said handing Rory her purse and jacket, "You left it at the table."
"Oh thanks Steph."
"Finn called." Tristan said.
"He did?" Rory asked digging through her purse. "Is he back in cell phone reception?"
"Hospital." Stephanie said nonchalantly.
Rory and Robert straighten and stared at Stephanie as she straitened her coat. "He's at the hospital?"
"Finn's fine sweetie, it's Colin that's in the hospital bed."
Rory watched as Robert started reaching for his phone, showing her how much he cared for his friend, she put a hand on his arm stopping him, before turning to Stephanie. "That's not any better Steph, what happened?"
Stephanie frowned at Rory's gesture, before answering. "They're all fine." She assured. "From what Finn told me, Colin fell of the raft the wrong way, and broke his arm."
Rory watched as Robert relaxed, she patted his arm, smiling at Stephanie, whose back was turned to Robert, she was about to point it out but saw Robert shake his head.
"So, they're fine?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, they're all fine." Stephanie assured. "Finn says they're staying in the hospital for a few days, Colin has a few bruises that the doctors want to keep their eye on. But other then that's it's all good. He just wanted you to know what happened and if you could pass along the message to Lane."
"I'll call her now…" Rory looked at the time and winced. "Or in the morning." She laughed.
"Well we're going to get going." Tristan said, putting his arm around Stephanie.
"Yeah, you coming, Rory?"
Rory smiled, knowing that Stephanie felt that she was giving Rory an out of her conversation with Robert. She looked at Robert who was staring at his glass. "Well if Robert doesn't mind the company I'd actually like to stay."
Robert looked up and smirked, then turned to Stephanie. "Don't worry McCrea, I'll walk her home."
"Better be all you're doing." Stephanie muttered, before turning to Rory. "You sure?"
"Come on Steph." Tristan laughed. "Mary's a big girl. She stood up to Georgie all by herself I think she can handle Robert."
"Yeah, listen to Tristan."
"Fine." Stephanie sighed. "See you back home."
Rory nodded. "I'll be another hour, hour an a half."
"All right. Bye." She took Tristan's hand and let him lead her out, with one last look at Rory and Robert.
"It's innocent, babe." Tristan assured as they walked back towards Yale.
"I don't know." Stephanie said. "It's Robert."
"Wow, just the way you say that." Tristan said shaking his head with a laugh.
"What?"
"Just full of disgust."
"I do not say it that way…do I?"
"What do you have against, Robert? I mean sure he can be a stick in the mud, but all in all he's a good guy, as much as I hate to admit it."
"I know, it's just, Rory holds this sort of innocence."
"Yes I know." Tristan smirked causing Stephanie to smack his chest with a laugh.
"I just don't want to see her taken advantage of."
"Robert is a lot of things Steph, but he'd never take advantage of a girl, and he would never take advantage of Finn's girlfriend, knowing that Finn and Colin would kick his ass. He'd never betray Colin that way, you know that."
Stephanie sighed, it was true. Robert was in fact a lot of things, but he was loyal and loved Colin like a brother, and he wouldn't do anything to betray Colin. Colin had a very high opinion of Rory, and if Colin was fond of Rory, Robert was fond of Rory by default.
Stephanie gave a suffering sigh as she snuggled further into Tristan's side. "I really hate it when you're right."
"Yeah, I know."
XxxxxxX
A.N.: First I would like to put in some disclaimers before I forget, all episode quotes come from the episode transcripts, I had many from 'The Fundamental Things Apply' as well as from 'Pulp Friction'. Also because I never do it and I should, all clothes I describe in detail, are usually taken from Nordstroms or Bluefly.
Okay, now that that's out of the way. This chapter was originally about eight chapters and counting, because of the fact that I wasn't planning on splitting it, but then it also gets to the point, where I know you guys don't want to read an 100 page chapter either. This chapter and the next are probably a HUGE turning point in the story, with setting up a lot of future events. As I've said a few times before.
The next chapter is almost done; I think I have about 15 more pages to go to finish it. As always I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I can't wait to see what you all thought.
I want to give a special thanks to Emily for betaing this for me, and for writing me notes, they helped more then you can believe :D.
Remember to check out my website for updates on the picture gallery.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Kassandra
P.S. If you have a twitter I'm under PDLDRogan, I do post when I update as well as random day to day things. And if you look closely I do unwittingly put in fic spoilers lol.