Chapter 6: He's back

"Rory please ... I can explain," started Christopher.

"NO! You can't! I don't want to hear anything that you have to say I just want you to leave," shouted Rory, making both her grandparents jump. They had never seen her like that before.

"Please."

"Just go! Walk out the door and don't come back. I don't care what you have to say. Nothing can make up for abandoning me when I was 3 years old. You haven't phoned once to see how I'm doing. You don't know anything about me and you never will."

"We can make up the time," said Christopher. "I want to get to know you, that's why I'm here."

"Well I don't want to get to know you. You don't care about me. You're not my family."

"Rory, I'm your dad."

"No! A dad is someone who cares about you and is a part of your life."

"What can I do to show you that I care about you?" he asked.

"Care about me? How can you when you haven't seen me in nearly 20 years? The last time you saw me I was 3, you know nothing about me."

"I know you graduated from Yale last summer and you were the Editor of the Yale Daily News." Rory glared at her grandparents.

"Christopher I think you should leave," said Richard, moving round the table. "We told you this wasn't a good idea and it's time for you to go. Rory doesn't want you here."

"You can't keep me from her."

"No one is keeping you from her except you," pointed out Emily. "We told you that you could visit when she first came to live with us. We gave you ample chances and tried to arrange times with you but you never showed. We sent you pictures but you never sent so much as a birthday card. You've had more than enough chances. We agreed to give you one more tonight ... after you refused to leave mind you, but now you need to go."

"I was young ... I couldn't handle it," argued Christopher.

"Young? I was 3!" shouted Rory. "You didn't have to take in me full time but you could have visited! I can't handle this." She walked through to the living room and poured herself a drink.

"Christopher, leave," ordered Richard.

"Rory please let me just talk to you."

"Just go!"

Christopher looked between the three of them and eventually turned and walked out of the front door. Richard followed and waited until Christopher's car had disappeared off the driveway before returning to the living room. Emily was sat with Rory who was crying.

"Why has he come now?" she asked, looking up at them both.

"I don't know," said Richard. He fixed himself and Emily a drink.

"He just turned up and demanded to see you. We said you were out but he refused to leave. In the end we had no choice but to let him wait."

"I hate him," said Rory. "You're my family, I don't need him."

"Rory, whatever you say or feel ... he is still your father. That is never going to change," said Richard.

"But why now?"

"We have no idea," admitted Emily.

"I need to get some air," Rory said after a while.

She left the main house and numbly walked into the pool house. She saw her phone light up indicating a new message.

Great to see you again earlier, how did your grandparents take the news of your new job offer?

She realised that she hadn't had a chance to tell them yet.

I can't make tomorrow – something's come up. Sorry.

Nothing serious I hope? If you need to talk I'll be sat by the phone.

Christopher Hayden, aka dad, has made an appearance after 20 years.

Minutes after sending the text, her phone rang.

"Rory? Are you ok?" asked Logan as soon as she picked up.

"Yes ... no ... I don't know."

"Do you want me to come over? Take your mind off it? We could watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory if you want."

"I'm not very good company at the moment."

"So? We'll stick the film on and I won't notice. I don't like thinking of you alone."

"Thanks Logan. But why are you being so nice? You hardly really know me."

"But we've already established that we have a connection. I'll be over soon ok?"

"Thanks."

Whilst waiting for Logan to arrive, Rory refreshed her make up, brushed her hair and went back into the main house.

"Can we get you anything?" asked Emily, concerned about her granddaughter.

"We've cancelled our dinner plans for tonight so we thought we could all eat together," explained Richard. He and Emily had been planning on going to a function raising money for underprivileged children.

"You should still go," said Rory. "Logan's going to come over and we'll eat while watching a film."

"Logan? Logan Huntzberger?" asked Emily keenly.

"Yes. We had lunch earlier and then were meant to meet up tomorrow but I text him saying I couldn't and now he's on his way over to keep me company," Rory explained.

"Well, that is nice of him," smiled Richard, looking at his wife.

"I just came in to say ... I got a job with Huntzberger Publishing Group. I was going to tell you earlier but ..."

"Rory that's wonderful," Richard stood up and hugged his granddaughter.

"Is it at the Hartford Gazette?" asked Emily.

"No. Actually it's for the New York Times. HPG bought it a couple of weeks ago."

"New York?" gasped Emily.

"Yes. So ... I guess I'll need help finding someplace to live."

"Of course. I remember Caroline from the DAR saying that her son moved to New York last year and they found a lovely apartment for him. I'll call and get the name of the realtor they used and then we'll need to go shopping for furniture and find a decorator," Emily immediately began planning.

"Mitchum must have been very impressed with you," beamed Richard.

"I guess so," nodded Rory.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for you. Your mother would have been proud."

"Thanks grandpa. I don't want to stop you going out tonight ... I'll be fine."

"Well if you're sure."

"I'll have to call Constance and get her to put us back on the list," said Emily, disappearing from the room.

Rory left them to it, returning to the pool house.

"Did you hear what she said Richard? She had lunch with Logan," Rory heard her grandmother say, phone in hand and dialling a number.

"I heard," Richard replied.

"And they'll be in New York together."

"Seems so."

"Their kids would be beautiful."

"Emily, they have only just met."

"So? I'm not going to let Christopher ruin this," Emily added. Rory had stopped walking and was listening to the conversation. "Rory doesn't need him."

"Legally we can't stop him. Rory can make her own mind."

"Constance? It's Emily Gilmore again, I'm going to need you to put our names back on the guest list."