A/N: Yay I'm back with an update and I gotta say I am loving your lovely reviews (so keep 'em coming, or I'll might resort to begging, and trust me, that won't be pretty!). So just a few things: I am currently trying to earn my bachelor degree in social sciences, which is a lot less fun than it sounds (and seeing as it doesn't sound fun, I'm sure you get the picture), so no promises on updates, but I have a ton of ideas, so at some point there will be an update. Also, I have apparently forgotten all about disclaimers, so here is one: I don't own anything related to Gilmore Girls. I do however own a very active imagination and a TV that sometimes shows reruns of GG. Oh, and I own a dog, but he's not named Bruce.
This story is pretty au (but I suppose they all are, but nevermind), just to clarify things, but I'm apparently feeling some aussie groove, as we're staying down under for this chapter as well
An American student in Sydney
"How did they talk us into this?" Paris couldn't have looked more out of place, even if she tried. She was wearing a one-piece bathing suit, a huge hat and a look of utter contempt on her face.
Rory wasn't exactly feeling the change in scenery either. Australia was nice, sure, but she felt uncomfortable sitting here on the beach among what felt like the rest of world. She shrugged at Paris. "I think we all needed a little break. I just didn't think this would be it."
"Hand me the sun block" Paris demanded (mostly because Paris never asked).
"Paris, you've already put it on three times today and its like factor 500. Just relax." Rory had a feeling she would enjoy this trip a little more if Paris wasn't constantly complaining.
"Well if you want to get cancer, that's your decision!"
Rory sighed. She had spotted Madeline and Louise talking to a couple of surfers down by the water. Typical, she thought.
It was senior year and she had never felt this bad before in her life. Dean had dumped her (albeit deservedly) and Jess had done what could almost be described as a magical disappearing act two weeks ago. When Madeline had told them that her father was doing some business down under and had invited them along it had sounded amazing. Now she wasn't so sure anymore. She missed her mom and felt bad for missing New Years at Stars Hollow.
"You wanna go for a swim" she asked Paris, who was lying down, reading ''The Art of War'.
"No, there are sharks out there."
Rory sighed again. The heat was driving her crazy, but on the other hand swimming with sharks didn't exactly sound alluring either. She looked at Paris. Well, maybe the sharks weren't that bad after all.
The water was nice and Rory swan around for a while, just enjoying the sea and being alone. Too late she noticed she had somehow drifted away from where the other people were swimming. She tried to get back, put it felt like an impossible task. And now her left leg was starting to cramp. Great. At this rate she would get personal with the sharks soon.
"Need a ride?"
She looked up and saw a guy on a big surfboard floating next to her. She almost gasped, he had appeared out of nowhere all of the sudden.
She gave him a look. "On that?"
"Since I haven't learned to fly yet."
She looked at the board again. "I think I'll just… um… I'll be fine."
"Yeah if you're an Iron Man. Otherwise the outlook for you is a little bleak."
"What do you mean?" She was starting to get annoyed, her leg hurt and she had a feeling it wouldn't be long before she wouldn't be able to reach the bottom anymore.
"You're getting dragged out."
Okay, the ride was starting to sound pretty good by now. "Where would I go?"
He sat up easily on the board and gave it a pat. "Here."
She raised an eyebrow. "I don't think so. Can't you just… I don't know, paddle me in?"
"I think you're the most ungrateful person I have ever tried to help." He gave her a crooked smile. "Come on, up you go. Promise I won't look."
Rory finally gave up. She didn't really feel like drowning on her second day in Australia and figured she could live the humiliation of having this guy stare at her ass for the time it took him to get them closer to shore again. He helped her up on the board and before she knew it they were within safe distance of the beach.
She clumsily got off. "So were you watching me?"
"I sure was" he said with a smile and turned to walk away. Rory suddenly noticed the word 'Lifeguard" written on his trunks.
"Thanks" she called after him, feeling rather embarrassed.
He turned, still walking, and flashed her a big smile. "No worries, I enjoyed the view!"
Rory stalked away with a furious expression on her face. She hated the beach, she decided!
"Oh my god, Rory, who was the hottie" Louise asked, completely ignoring the fact that Rory had been brought in by a lifeguard.
"A complete jerk" she answered. "And now I feel really embarrassed."
"Don't" Louise said, pointing. And just then, a struggling Paris was helped onto the beach, by a lifeguard too, but where Rory had just walked away, Paris was apparently determined to argue about the rescue while coughing up water. The poor lifeguard was trying to explain something to her, but she just kept on sputtering and yelling. Rory shook her head; Paris would always be Paris.
Madeline joined the group. "What's going on?"
"Rory and Paris both got rescued" Louise said, as Paris finally joined them.
"That man is completely incompetent. He almost drowned me!"
"What happened" Madeline asked, but her concentration was already shifting, as a hot guy walked past them.
Paris started to explain, but Rory's concentration had shifted as well, when she noticed the lifeguard who had helped her, run into the water a few yards away.
"I'm gonna report him" Paris loud voice broke Rory's reverie.
"Don't be ridiculous" Louise said. "He was doing his job, it sounds like you were about to drown." They all knew Paris has probably argued even when he tried to rescue her.
"I am a very strong swimmer" Paris argued. Madeline just rolled her eyes.
"I think we should stay on the beach the rest of the day" Rory said and sat down on her towel. She didn't want to run into that lifeguard again.
Late afternoon Paris and Rory left Louise and Madeline to their manhunt and went back to the car park. Paris had insisted they rent a car instead of taking the bus, as she believed those to be full of disease. Rory sighed audibly as she noticed someone leaning against their car. It was that annoying lifeguard from before.
"What are you doing here?"
"Now is that any way to greet someone who saved you from certain death" he asked with a grin.
Rory blushed a little. "What do you want?"
"To ask you out?"
"Like, on a date?"
"Sure why not?" He was still smiling.
Rory looked at him. He was wearing board-shorts and a t-shirt, a pair of sunglasses and yes, she had to admit it, he was pretty hot.
"I don't even know you."
"Which is why I'm asking you out."
"Would you stop smirking" Rory said, frustrated. Just the way he looked managed to get under her skin.
"If I do, will you go out with me?" He gave Paris a look. "You can bring your pitbull if it'll make you feel better."
Rory thought it over for a moment; the guy was kinda hot and she needed the distraction, but on the other hand she wasn't really adventurous or a spur-of-the-moment kind of person. "Only if you stop smirking."
"Deal. Meet me at Le Bar tonight at ten."
He pushed himself off the car and started to walk away. Rory turned around after him. "Hey, how did you know this was the right car."
"I was watching" he called over his shoulder.
"I'm not going" Rory protested, as Louise was trying to wrestle her in a dress.
"Yes you are" she growled, managing to get Rory's left arm through the right whole in the white dress.
"No" Rory growled back. She made a break for the door, but Madeline body-blocked it before she could reach it. "You're going!"
Paris chimed in: "You've been wallowing ever since Jess left and now it's time to stop. It's annoying to look at. Go, get drunk, have fun."
"I can't believe you're saying that" Rory snapped. She had hoped Paris would back her up.
"If you had to listen to you, you'd say that too" Paris said. "You're going."
"We're all going" Louise chimed in, throwing Paris a dress as well.
"No."
Anyone else would've backed down by the look on Paris' face, but not Madeline and Louise. "We're all going. And you two are sad and pathetic, you have been for months. That lifeguard was hot and he obviously wanted to get to know you. Now put on the dresses and get ready."
Rory wasn't sure exactly how it happened, but somehow Louise and Madeline had managed to force both her and Paris into dresses and out of the hotelroom. Now they were on the way to the bar the lifeguard had asked Rory to meet him at. It occurred to her that she didn't even know his name.
"Are we old enough to actually get in" Rory questioned, hoping the answer would be "no." It wasn't.
"Yeah the legal age is 18 so we're fine" Madeline said.
"Super fine" Louise added with a big smile. She handed her id to the doorman and slipped inside, the rest of them following.
"He might not even be here" Rory said, as Madeline dragged her through the bar, looking for a table.
"Sure he is" Louise said. "In fact, he's right over there. Oh I am so jealous of you!" Rory looked in the direction Louise was pointing and right she was; he was standing behind the bar, mixing a drink.
"I thought he was a lifeguard" Madeline said.
"Who cares" Louise said. "He's still hot!"
"I think this was a mistake" Rory stuttered and tried to make a break for the door, but Louise caught her and started to push her towards the bar. "You need to get laid" was the last thing she said before practically shoving Rory over the bar.
He seemed surprised to see her, but it turned into a huge smile in a matter of seconds. "Hello love."
"I thought you were a lifeguard" she asked, mimicking Madeling.
"Kitten, I'll be whatever you want me to be."
Rory blushed furiously at that. She had never really been sexual with any of her boyfriends, and although there had been moments with Jess, she had never really felt the desire and no one had downright flirted with her like this before.
He seemed to notice and laughed. "I sometimes cover the bar for a friend. I work as a part-time lifeguard and I'm training to be a paramedic."
"Really?"
"Really! Don't sound so surprised."
"No no, it's just…" She blushed even more. "I think I'm a little bit nervous."
"Really?"
"Really. I don't usually just go out with people I've just met. I don't even know your name."
"Finn."
"What?"
"My name is Finn."
"Oh… I'm Rory,"
"Rory from America. What brings you down under?"
"Um my friend Madeline, her dad has some business and we just sort of tagged along, I think. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Why did you ask me out?"
"Because I'm single and you're hot" he replied honestly. "And you look just delicious when you blush like that."
Rory looked at her feet. Nineteen years old and still blushing like a thirteen-year-old girl. She felt so embarrassed. "Oh" she said, trying to fight the urge to blush even more. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear as he took a few more orders from the people standing around the bar. She felt like her heart was going to burst through her chest and her stomach felt funny, but not in a good way, more like in a vomit-inducing way.
"Sit, tell me about yourself" he said and handed her a bottle of water.
She looked at the water with furrowed brows, but sat down none the less. "Um there's not really much to tell. I'm a senior in high school and uh… I guess I'm a pretty bad swimmer?"
He laughed at that. "Trust me, I've seen worse, you just have to stay between the flags. But I have to admit; saving you was a nice surprise. Usually we spend the day hauling out fat Germans or Asians who have never been to the beach before in their life."
"Well I'm glad you enjoyed it" Rory smiled. "How old are you?"
"Twenty-three. You?"
"Nineteen."
He leaned over the bar. "So just young enough for me to feel slightly dirty but not young enough to make me go to jail. Perfect."
Rory opened and closed her mouth and looked down at that. He was obviously flirting with her, but she had no idea how to respond to something like that. She wasn't sure she had ever met anyone like him before in her life. Even Tristan hadn't been that straightforward and he had tried pretty hard to get her to go out with him. Finn seemed effortless in his flirtation and so at ease with the whole situation. It bothered her that she was so awkward and nervous. "I think uh… Maybe I should have a drink or something."
He shook his head with a smile. "Sure, what will it be?" This had to be the most innocent girl Finn had ever met. She was hot, no doubt about it, which was why he had asked her out in the first place, but she acted like she had just been released from a convent. It intrigued her, because it presented a challenge. Finn was definitely used to getting the girls; he was a good-looking guy (if he had to say so himself), he took care of his body and he had a job that made girls swoon. Rory, however, she didn't really seem to care all that much about those things.
"Um what about a Cosmopolitan, aren't they pretty popular?" Truth be told she had no idea what constituted a "good drink" seeing as she didn't drink in general, except for maybe a glass of wine at her grandparents' dinners.
"You American girls and your pink drinks" he laughed, but fixed her drink anyways.
She took a sip; it wasn't that bad. "Aren't you gonna have one?"
"Well for starters, love, I'm not a girl, so I don't drink pink drinks. Besides, I was pretty much nonstop drunk from my sixteenth birthday till I was nineteen, so I'm taking a break."
"Oh…" Rory took another sip of her drink; it was actually pretty good and she could do with a little bit of liquid courage.
"How are you liking the city?"
"It's nice. The weather's good and the beach is really amazing." Another sip. "The lifeguards are nice too."
"Was that a compliment?" He fake-gasped. "Be still my beating heart."
"Don't make fun of me."
"I wouldn't dare to make fun of a beautiful girl like you."
Okay she was definitely going to need another drink to handle his flirtation, especially if she was supposed to flirt back. Even the thought of that made her skin hot. "Do you always flirt this much?"
"Pretty much, yeah" he said. "But I have never in my life flirted with a girl who blushed so much."
"I'm not really used to guys being this…" She made a gesture towards him, "direct with me."
"I find that hard to believe."
"I think I've lived a sheltered life. There was this guy at my school who tried to bully me to go out with him. Kinda like you did."
"Ah, but I didn't bully you, I asked you nicely and you accepted. Probably because you want to sleep with me, although I can't blame you."
"I do not…" she spluttered, blushing even more, "want to… do that!"
"Oh I think you do" he teased. "I think you saw me running around the beach, all tanned and half-naked and you got in trouble on purpose just so I would have to come and rescue you."
"I need another drink" Rory stuttered.
The rest of the night was kind of a haze for Rory. She remembered laughing at something Hot Lifeguard (she had forgotten his name) had said, dancing with Madeline and Louise and drinking more of the delicious pink drinks. Now she was debating whether or not to open her eyes. She was hungry, but that would mean she would need to open her eyes in order to find something and honestly, opening her eyes seemed like a really bad idea right now.
"How are you feeling?"
"Ow" Rory whined. Paris' voice was like nails on a chalkboard right now.
"Figured. Take these with this and you'll be fine."
"What happened?" Rory felt like a nuclear bomb had went off in her head.
"You got drunk. In fact, I think you might have been the drunkest person in Australia yesterday."
"Oh no…" Rory pulled the cover over her head. "Did I do something embarrassing?"
"Too many things to count."
A hand emerged from the cover, taking the pills Paris had laid out for her. "Will I want to die if you tell me?"
"Maybe." Paris sat down on the bed. "But that lifeguard must really like you."
"Oh god, I forgot about him. What happened?"
"Well after you got more drunk than Amy Winehouse on a Monday, you dirty-danced with Louise and than you passed out at out table. Your lifeguard helped us get you home."
"He's not my lifeguard" Rory muttered.
"Well whatever he is, you should definitely thank him. We were about to leave you behind. You're really heavy!"
"Paris!" Rory groaned and fumbled after the water bottle Paris had brought along with the pills. "What did he do?"
"He pretty much carried you from the bar and down the street until we managed to get a cab. And then he paid for the cab."
"Oh god." Rory finally opened one eye and peeked out from under the cover. "I am never drinking again. Ever!"
"Sounds like a good plan."
"Where are Madeline and Louise."
"Louise met some Brazilian surfer last night, so they're out having fun with him and his friends."
"What time is it."
"Time to get up. I promised we'd meet them at the beach in half and hour."
"Paris no! I am never going back there. I can't face him after last night."
"The close your eyes. Because we're going."
There was no arguing with Paris, who seemed determined to drag Rory down to the beach. After somehow surviving a quick shower (Paris had been forced to help her wash her hair – an incident they both immediately agreed to never talk about ever again) and a light breakfast consisting of pizza from the day before, they were ready to go.
"What am I going to do if I see him again? I am so embarrassed."
Paris rolled her eyes. "For someone who claims to be a shy loner, you really seem to have guys following you everywhere. I'm sure he doesn't care."
"But…"
"No buts… You have been sad and pathetic for two months and I am sick of having to listening to you whine about everything that is wrong in your life. "Do I want Jess, do I want Dean?" Who cares? Forget about them and stop whining. It's annoying. Understood?"
"Understood" Rory agreed meekly.
"Good" Paris almost growled.
They spotted Louse and Madeline easily on the beach, as they were sitting on the shoulders of two huge guys, who were playing volleyball in the water. Paris sighed and sat down.
"Paris, are you okay?"
"Things between me and Jamie just aren't going so great and…" Paris shrugged a little. "I feel isolated."
"Oh Paris you're not isolated."
"I am. My parents are off avoiding paying taxes god knows where and… I don't know, I just feel like I'm missing out on something."
"Is that why you wanted us to go on this trip?"
"Yeah. It just wants us to be normal, just for a little while. And things at home…"
Rory sighed and nodded. "Thins at home aren't great, I know. It was a good idea, I'm glad we came."
Paris huffed. "Look at those two." She gestured towards Madeline and Louise, who was drinking beer with their Brazilian beefheads now.
"Ugh I am so not jealous. Alcohol is bad."
"Now ain't that just the truth" someone said from behind. Rory almost screamed in surprise when she saw Finn crouching behind them. He was wearing a shirt saying 'lifeguard' and sunglasses. "How are you feeling today, love?"
"Embarrassed" she replied honestly.
He smiled. "My mates once had to carry my home on a door they stole from a shed in someone's backyard, because I was so drunk I passed out. I had to go to the hospital after that."
"What are you trying to tell me?"
He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "That it wasn't that bad last night. Although maybe lay off the pink drinks for a while, yeah?" He stood up again. "And for our next date, I think we should go out to dinner instead."
Who says there's gonna be a next date" Rory asked, looking up at him. He was keeping his eyes on the water, yet still laughing at her.
"I think I deserve a second date after carrying you around last night. And paying for your ride home."
Rory smiled a little at that. He was persistent, if nothing else. "When and where?"
"Seeing as I now know where you live, how about I pick you up tonight at seven?"
"Okay I suppose I'll see you then." He just smiled and walked away.
"How come you meet a hot lifeguard and I just get a sunburn on my nose" Paris asked irritated. "And where is Madeline and Louise?"
"They were right there" Rory pointed but couldn't spot them either.
"They're probably still hanging out with the Brazilians. Louise actually asked if I wanted to go out with their cousin Lucianno."
"And what did you say?"
"That I would push her off the cliffs if she asked me again." Rory laughed at that and turned her attention to her book.
Rory was nervously waiting around in the lounge area at their (rather nice) hotel, waiting for Finn to show up. On one hand she was anxious to see him, simply because she had never really met anyone quite like him before, and on the other a little part of her was hoping he wouldn't show simply because it would make life easier for her.
She had tried to figure out what about him made her tick, but she couldn't pin it down; everything about Finn somehow managed to get under her skin. She had never met anyone who seemed so carefree; even her own mother wasn't as carefree and relaxed as him and it was just hard for her to resist him, even when he was outright flirting with her.
She spotted him walking through the lounge and took a deep breath. Because Sydney was so warm he was wearing a dark shirt with rolled up sleeves and a pair of dark trousers, which made him look both causal and dressed up at the same time. She envied that.
"So where are we going?"
"Just around the city. You're American, so you like burgers, right?"
Finn had taken her for a walk in Sydney and as promised they had burgers on the road, which, in Rory's opinion, was much better than going for some fancy dinner. Now they were sitting in a park talking and having icecream.
"Have you always lived in Sydney?"
"No my parents live in Melbourne and I actually spent a few years in the States when I was younger. We moved back when I was ten, and I spent most of my teens in Europe in boarding schools" he said, dipping his spoon into her icecream.
"Hey" she protested. "So why Sydney?"
"Awesome waves" he said with a smile. "What about you, American girl?"
"This is the first time outside USA for me."
"Yeah? How come."
She shrugged. "My mom is not exactly rich and I've been busy with school. Have you travelled a lot."
"Yeah, blew through my trustfund when I was eighteen, chasing waves."
"You have a trustfund?"
"I had a trustfund" he corrected with a smile. "Now I have a job."
"So what happened?"
"Nothing. I had a few amazingly drunk months on Bali and Hawaii where I surfed and had fun. And then when there was no money left, I came home and started training to become a lifeguard."
"Why?"
"Because it's a great job and I like being near the water."
"But there are sharks" Rory pointed out.
"It's been ages since anyone was attacked and there are risks in any job. As a reporter you could get kidnapped if you worked from dangerous places around the world, shot even, for speaking your opinion or, god forbid, you could break both your hands and never be able to write again."
"That's not funny, it's like my worst nightmare" she said seriously, but cracked a smile at his adorable expression.
"Can I ask you something?" She nodded. "Why do you blush all the time? Not that it isn't adorable, because it really is, but…"
Rory felt the blood rush to her head. "I don't really know, I guess I'm just not used to guys being so forward with me."
"Oh come on love, surely…" He stopped when he noticed her facial expression. He furrowed his brows and seemed to think that one over. "You're not wearing one of those promise rings, are you?"
"No, I just… It's just never felt like it was right."
"Right…"
"I take it that you…"
"Yeah I'm pretty much a slut" he said with a nod.
Silence fell between them as they ate their ice. Dean had been a virgin, of that Rory was pretty sure. Jess, on the other hand, hadn't talked about it, but she had a feeling he probably hadn't been. And now Finn, who was very open about those things. Rory felt like her head was spinning from all the thoughts going through her head.
"Feel free to take advantage of me, though" Finn said, breaking the silence with a smile.
Rory spent the next two days with Finn. He had taken her sightseeing, making fun of her whenever she took too many pictures of something and kissed her until her legs felt like jelly up against the door of her hotel room. Madeline and Louise had moved on to a pair of Spanish twins that couldn't put two words together in English (much to Madeline's and Louise's delight), while Paris was pouring over homework they hadn't been given yet. Rory felt like she was on cloud number nine and all bad thoughts about Dean and Jess and home had been vanquished by Finn's easygoing smile and carefree attitude. She had thought about calling her mother, but decided not to, as she didn't want to ruin whatever thing she had with Finn with outside comments. She was quite content in her own little lovesick bubble.
The day before New Years Eve, which the girls where planning to celebrate out on the streets with thousands of other people, Louise and Madeline managed to persuade Rory and Paris for another trip down to the beach. Rory had readily agreed, just so she could ogle Finn as he worked, while Paris thought it to be a waste of time, but agreed when Rory had begged her. Paris had given up on meeting anyone "down under" as no one seemed to meet her standards and she felt the accent was stupid, but she could see that Rory had loosened up a lot after meeting Finn and decided to just go along with it, so at least Rory would have a good time.
"Weather's nice" Rory commented, as she and Paris was lying on the beach, tanning.
"The weather is always nice here" Paris said, turning around. "Any sign of your boyfriend?"
"He's not my boyfriend. And no."
Paris yawned; it was easy to adopt a lazy attitude in the sun. "Where are Louise and Madeline? They should be here by now."
"Probably having fun with the Spanish twins" Rory said with a smile.
"Those two take 'man-crazy' to a whole new level" Paris said with a shake of her head. "We should probably find them before they decides to run off with them."
Rory laughed at that, but willingly obliged and she and Paris started to walk down the beach, looking for their airhead-friends. They found Louise after a little time, looking out over the water.
"Where's Madeline" Paris asked.
"I don't know, she was swimming around with Enrique just out there and now I can't see her" Louise explained.
"I'm sure she's fine "Rory said, looking out over the water as well. No sign of Madeline, but that didn't mean anything was wrong; knowing Madeline it was easy to believe she and her latest flirt had simply skipped down the beach to have fun or left to have more private fun at the hotel. Either scenario was possible.
Paris furrowed her brows suddenly. "Look."
Louise and Rory both turned their heads and noticed to lifeguards rushing down towards the surf, where a third was bringing in someone.
"Oh god" Louise gasped, as Paris grabbed both of them so they wouldn't get in the way, as a lifeless Madeline was rushed out of the water.
Rory and Paris watched in horror as one of the lifeguards checked for breath and pulse, while Louise had turned around, still holding on to Paris. "Is she alive?"
"Um" Rory said, still staring at Madeline, who had a faint blue tinge on her skin. "I don't…. Uh." She looked at Paris, who was certainly more calm and collected in situations with panic, but even Paris looked unsure and scared. She had a firm grip on Rory's hand. "I don't know" she said in a low tone.
Everything around them happened so fast that it almost felt like a blur. Rory noticed one of the lifeguards was Finn, but before she could process the thought, paramedics appeared with a gurney and Louise had squeezed her hand hard, when Madeline suddenly opened her eyes, coughing violently.
"Oh thank god" Louise whispered, hugging Rory.
"Madeline" Finn called. "Madeline, can you hear me?" Madeline tried to nod, but a lifeguard was holding her head in place. "You remember who I am?"
"Rory's hot lifeguard" Madeline coughed, spitting out more water.
"That's right." He smiled with relief. "Paramedics are here to take you to the hospital, you've swallowed a lot of water and we need to make sure you okay."
"Okay." Madeline sounded just as scared as Rory, Louise and Paris felt.
"Okay" Finn said and she was easily rolled onto the gurney, although she still looked scared.
"Can we go with her in the ambulance" Paris asked.
"Just one of you" one of the paramedics said.
They agreed on Paris, as she was the best in these situations, while Rory and Louise would call Madeline's parents and get some of her stuff at the hotel.
The lifeguards started packing up as Madeline was carried to the ambulance and Paris following close behind. "That was really scary" Rory muttered, while Louise tried to get in contact with Madeline's father.
"I know, love" Finn said, drying off with a towel. "But she'll be okay. I'll swing by the hospital later to see you, yeah?"
Rory nodded and then decided to give him a kiss. Just because she felt like it.
"Hey, how are you feeling" Rory inquired, as she sat down next to Madeline's hospital bed.
"Pretty shaken up" Madeline replied honestly. "And stupid. I was drinking, even though you aren't supposed to."
"Your dad will be here soon" Louise said, sitting down on the bed. "Don't ever scare us like that again!"
"I'm sorry" Madeline said, wiping away a tear.
"I talked to the doctor and you'll be fine, they just need to make sure you didn't swallow to much water" Paris said.
The girls talked for a few hours, all trying to cheer up Madeline, who had been on the receiving end of a huge tell-off by her father, and was now forced to spend New Years Eve in the hospital.
Three heads turned, when someone knocked on the door and entered. "Thought I'd swing by and say hi" Finn said, as he walked over to the bed and handed Madeline a bouquet of flowers. "How're you feeling?"
"Okay. Thanks for saving me."
He smiled. "I get paid for it, so no thanks needed. Glad you feeling better."
"Yeah, but why are they keeping mere here during New Years? That's not fair" she asked and looked at Paris.
"Because you got drunk and nearly drowned" Paris answered honestly. "But I'll stay with you, okay?"
"Yeah me too" Louise and Rory agreed (although Paris had to elbow Louise in the side to actually get her to say the words).
"No, I want you guys to have fun. Especially you, Rory. You should reward Finn for his effort" Madeline said with a wink that made Rory blush yet again.
"Okay Paris can stay, she doesn't like fun anyways" Louise readily offered on Paris' behalf.
"Yeah I kinda agree with her" Finn said.
"No I should stay too" Rory said, but Madeline just shook her head.
"I think it's quite obvious your lifeguard has made plans for you both, so I'll just stay and keep Madeline company" Paris said with an eyeroll. "And Louise, try not to get too many vd's."
Rory went home with Finn after they left the hospital. She didn't feel like sitting around the hotelroom with Louise and she didn't feel like being alone either. And Finn had offered. He shared a small apartment with a friend near the beach, but he had assured her that the friend was visiting his girlfriend in New Zealand.
Rory took a tentative step inside the apartment and looked around. It really wasn't big, but on the other hand, the two guys didn't really need a lot of space, as they didn't spend very much time at home. The floorplan was open and up against a wall three surfboards were standing. "It's nice" Rory commented.
"It's something" Finn said with a laugh. "Just let me get changed, we can go out to dinner or something. Make yourself at home."
Rory walked around aimlessly in the apartment while Finn changed. She noticed a few pictures with who she supposed was Finn's roommate and his family, but none of Finn with what could be family. There was a montage of pictures in the hall, many of them was from the beach and stared Finn and/or the roommate and other people.
"Ready to go, love?"
"Why are there no pictures of your family?"
He shrugged. "Don't talk to my parents anymore, haven't for a couple of years."
"Why not?"
"It's hazardous to my health." When Rory didn't seem to be satisfied by that explanation, he sighed a little. "My dad is a complete control freak who wanted to run my life and we didn't really see eye to eye on anything. When I came back home from my surftrip around the world, I moved in with a friend and started a new life that didn't involve them. And that suits me pretty well." He noticed her expression. "There's really no need for the sad puppy dog eyes, I am fine. I have amazing friends and I don't miss my family."
"But what about your mother?"
"My mother is an alcoholic suburbian housewife who refuses to stand up for her children."
"You have siblings?"
"Yeah, two brothers and a sister."
"And you don't talk with them, ever" Rory inquired.
"I get a mail from my brother, Killian, on my birthdays, but they've chosen to stay in their life and I've chosen this. That's just how it is."
"Okay, if you say so" she said, still feeling a little sad for Finn.
"Now, how about pizza?"
Rory spent two more amazing days in Australia with Finn. She had moved most of her things from her hotelroom to his apartment, even sleeping there at nights. She had decided that instead of thinking about every little thing, overanalysing and worrying, she would just go with it. She was going home January the second and until then she would just have fun and enjoy her time with Finn.
They spent New Years Eve with some of his friends out in the streets and even though Rory decided to stay of the alcohol (having truly learned her lesson from the evil pink drinks), she had a great time and when she and Finn returned to his apartment, she decided that maybe it was time for her to stop being a blushing nineteen year old girl and become an adult, with all that entailed. Finn wasn't Dean, her first love, or Jess, the obligatory bad boy, but he was something special and she cherished that. She didn't leave any contact information behind, just like he hadn't offered any. And she was okay with that.
"You're home" Lorelai squeled, as she greeted her daughter in the airport.
"Yay" Rory agreed and gave her mother a big hug.
"So, tell me all about it!"
"Um well, Australia is nice" Rory said vaguely, as they got in the car and started to drive back to Stars Hollow. "Amazing beaches."
"No, Rory, come on. I want to hear the dirt. Did you meet someone?"
"Acutally, I kinda did."
"No way? Seriously? Tell me!"
"His name was Finn and he actually rescued me on the first day there."
"Rescued you?"
"He was a lifeguard and apparently I am a horrible swimmer."
"I need pictures, stat!"
Rory rolled her eyes at her mother's antics but pulled out her phone and showed her mother a picture of Finn she had taken on the beach.
"It's no fun when they're not wearing red shorts" Lorelai pouted. "But he does look hot. Did he have an accent?"
"Yes. And mom?"
"Yeah?"
"I really liked him."
"Well good for you, honey."
"No, I… I really liked him and…" Rory shrugged a little. "I slept with him."
Lorelai almost swerved of the road at that, but managed to keep them both alive. "Okay um… Wow… Were you safe?"
"Yes."
"Okay…" Lorelai frowned. "I'm not sure what the appropriate response is here."
"Maybe you coukd just be happy for me" Rory suggested, avoiding looking at her mother. This was a really awkward conversation, but she had never not shared anything with her mother and this was a big deal. "It was with a guy I liked and it felt right."
"Okay" Lorelai nodded, pursing her lips a little. "I'm glad you told me and I'm glad it was safe. I think I'll just need a little time to digest this, okay?"
"Okay."
"So…"
"So…"
They were silent for a while. "I promised your grandmother we would stop by tonight for dinner, as it is Friday."
"Really? But I just got home."
"Yeah, well even the Nazis would be afraid of Emily Gilmore, so I had to agree. Just don't mention you had sex with an Australian lifeguard, we'll never be able to leave then!"
"Mom!"
"Rory, so lovely to see you" Emily greeted later that evening. She gave her granddaughter a hug. "I missed you during the holidays. Hello Lorelai."
"Hello mom" Lorelai said with a fake smile, as she handed her coat to the newest in a long line of maids.
"How was your trip? We would have given you some ideas of places to go, had your mother actually informed us that you were going" Emily said, as they sat down at the dinner table.
"It was kind of a spur of the moment thing" Rory excused. "But I had a great time."
"That's good, but I still wished we would have known. My friend Isobel had the most beautiful home in Melbourne, she would have loved to show you the garden."
"Um that's okay, grandma" Rory said with a smile, while Lorelai snickered into her napkin.
"How do you know someone in Australia" Rory inquired politely.
"Isobel lived in America when she was younger, that's how she met her husband, James and how we met. He's in realestate" Emily explained, as if Rory and Lorelai actually cared about those kind of things.
"James and Isobel Morgan, are they the ones with the missing son or the ones with a lesbian daughter?"
"The missing son" Emily said.
"That's awful, what happened" Lorelai asked.
"He was apparently always a bit of a wild child" Emily said in a gossipy-tone. "They were forced to send him to five different boarding schools in Europe and in the end he had to come home, because he kept getting expelled. It was awful for Isobel. Then, just before he turned eighteen, he stole her car in some kind of drunken escapade and crashed it."
Rory stared at her plate in concentration; she was afraid of where this story was going. Lorelai looked truly concerned. "Is he okay?"
"No, they were forced to send him to rehab, but when he turned eighteen he left and emptied his bank accountant. They haven't heard from him since."
"Teenage runaway, sound like anyone you know" Lorelai whispered to Rory, who was still staring at her plate. She felt a little sick, all of the sudden.
"Poor Isobel, it's so terribly when your child does something like that" Emily said with a pointed look in Lorelai's direction. "They don't even know if he's okay."
"He is" Rory said in a small voice.
"Excuse me?" Lorelai gave her a concerned look.
"His name is Finn right?"
"Yes, how did you know that" Emily asked.
"I met him. He's fine. He lives in Sydney now." Rory ignored her mother's look. "He works as a lifeguard and is training to become a paramedic."
"Rory, are you okay" Lorelai whispered, as Richard and Emily started to discus this new information and what to do with it.
Rory avoided her look. She felt betrayed that Finn had chosen not to be honest about his past, even though she had asked him. She could understand if he was embarrassed, but he didn't seem like the type of person who would be embarrassed by something like that. He had even told her about the boarding schools and all the trouble he got into in Europe and that he used to drink a lot when he was younger. So she supposed it was only fair to let his parents know he was still alive and doing well. "Yeah" she told her mother. "Just really tired."
A/N: So that ended on a bit of a sour note, huh? Oh well... I kinda liked Finn the Lifeguard, so I might do some kind of continuation of this at some point. As always, leave a review and make my day (I need the cheer-ups, I'm buried in schoolwork!)