New Beginnings

Act 5 ch 2

"I should go get my bags" Rory says. "Rory, you do not touch bags" Emily scolds her.

"Oh, I thought that was just a Europe thing" Rory explains. "The driver's bringing them in" Emily insists. "We had such a trip. Rory will fill you in" she tells the group.

"Spare the more salacious aspects" Emily adds.

"Salacious aspects?" Tristan asks intrigued. "Those European men-young, old, in between-they saw us coming" Emily replies.

"They saw you coming where?" Sookie asks puzzled. "We were like magnets. Such high libidos" Emily answers. "You weren't wearing your hot and wealthy sandwich board, were you, Mom?" Lorelai asks jokingly.

"She was very popular" Rory confirms.

"Well, I should go" Emily says. "I bring you back a charming, cultured, well-mannered young lady. Don't undo it" she tells her s daughter.

" I will definitely try not to not undo it" Lorelai replies. "Well, goodbye, all" Emily says. "Bye, Grandma" Victoria leans forward to hug Emily.

"Nope. Airplane" Emily reminds her.

"Oh, I can take it" Victoria insists hugging her. "Ciao" Emily leaves.

"Come here, you" Lorelai urges Rory to join her at the kitchen table. "So, what are you guys doing home?" Rory asks confused at to why Lorelai and Sookie aren't working. "I'm making them take some space from the inn" Victoria speaks directly to her sister for the first time in months.

"And it's going through the roof. Not the inn's roof-that's solid as a rock" Sookie says.

"You know what I mean. We're booked to 90% capacity" she tells Rory. "And the restaurant-we're turning people away. Oh, you know all that" Sookie says assuming Lorelai would've already told her all of that, not realizing how limited their contact this summer really was.

"No, keep going" Rory tells her. "Well, customers agree that, despite Michel, we're their favorite Connecticut inn. That's nothing compared to the big town news" Sookie says as Lorelai's eyes widen and Victoria tries to signal Sookie to silence. "Wow. What?" Rory asks fascinated.

"Sookie" Lorelai shakes her head to silence Sookie.

"We walked past Dean's place, and Lindsay was throwing his stuff out on the street. They were really going at it" Sookie starts. "It was like Raging Bull, there's yelling and screaming" she explains.

"Sookie, you're exploding all over the poor girl" Lorelai stops her. "Oh, sorry" Sookie apologizes. "And she's probably hungry. You're hungry, right Honey?" Lorelai asks causing Rory to nod still stunned.

"Oh, I'll whip us something up" Sookie offers.

"I thought you said you had to pick Davey up?" Tristan reminds her. "Oh, right" Sookie remembers.

"Oh, ok so you do that and we'll go out, you know? We'll call you later" Lorelai says wanting to talk to Rory about everything that happened without having to explain it to Sookie. "Okay" Sookie nods. "And while they're doing that, we'll be singing our lease" Tristan grabs Victoria's hand.

"Today? Already?" Rory asks shocked.

"Yeah, we should probably go actually. We're supposed to be meeting the land lord to finalize everything" Victoria tells her. "Wow" Rory says shocked having been gone all summer not realizing that everyone else's lives were moving forward.

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As the apartment door closes and the landlord leaves Victoria leans against her new kitchen's counter.

"I feel so grown up" she says excited. "Well, you are turning twenty in less than two months" Tristan points out.

"Ew, don't remind me. That's weird to think about" Victoria replies. "You're staring your second year of college, have your name on a lease, have a job, face it you're a grown up" Tristan walks closer to her. "Ah, this is crazy" Victoria says.

"You know, we were fifteen when we met" Tristan reminds her.

"Oh my god, you're right. Where the hell did all that time go?" Victoria asks. Tristan just laughs and puts his arms around her waist pulling her closer causing her arms to land on his shoulders.

"I should probably head back to Stars Hollow soon, my mom wants a family night now that Rory's home" Victoria tells him. "You know, you're gonna have to forgive her at some point" Tristan says. "Maybe" Victoria replies.

"You're allowed to hate what she did, but it's already been done. There's nothing you can do to change that" Tristan says.

"I know" Victoria nods. "It just sucks" she adds.

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"So, finish your story" Rory says sitting on the couch.

"Everybody knows you don't mess with Hay Bale Bill" Lorelai starts from the kitchen. "So Hay Bale goes off and punches the guy, and it turned out to be the wrong guy-all over this perceived insult about his girlfriend's legs" she continues.

"Wait-which one had hairy legs-Annie the Grog Girl or Ocarina Jane, who secretly sold pot behind the brass-rubbing booth?" Victoria asks. "You mean hairiest" Lorelai corrects. "Egads" Victoria gasps.

"I'm thinking bathing-suit season at the Renaissance Faire is only enjoyed by the blind" Lorelai says.

"Hmm" Rory hums. "Hey, I should bring steak sauce, right?" Lorelai asks.

"For what?" Victoria asks confused. "Pizza" Lorelai answers. "I just got back from Italy" Rory reminds her.

"So?" Lorelai asks.

"So they'd shoot you in Italy for that" Rory explains. "But this is America, where we unapologetically bastardize other countries' cultures in a gross quest for moral and military supremacy" Victoria points out.

"I forgot. Bring on the imperialistic condiments" Rory says. "Hey, do you think Annie the Grog Girl made a pass at Luke? I'm sure he rejected her, but he was there a long time, surely she'd make a move" Victoria asks. "I hope not. I'd joust the little slսt" Lorelai replies.

"Hmm" Rory laughs.

"So, you want to talk about-" Lorelai asks walking into the living room: "Something to watch?" Rory cuts her off.

"Uh, yes. Something to watch" Lorelai says. "You pick" Rory tells her. "Will you be mad if it's Showgirls again? I got the deluxe edition with shot glasses and a drinking game" Lorelai asks her daughters.

"Let me show you one thing before Showgirls, okay?" Rory and replies.

"What?" Victoria asks curious. "Home movies from my trip with Grandma" Rory pulls out a tape.

"You have home movies?" Lorelai gasps. "She was in fine form" Rory says turning on the tv. Playing on the TV is an old movie, an elder woman and a young girl gaze out a patio window.

"Signora distinctly wrote, south rooms with a view and close together. Instead of which, she has given us north rooms without a view and a long way apart" the elder woman complains.

"She gets very British when she's abroad" Victoria comments. "Oh, yes" Rory nods.

"Hurry and get dressed, dear, or we'll miss our dinner, on top of everything else" the older woman on the tv says. "And you look very innocent and pretty" Lorelai says. "It was a great view. I don't know what she was talking about" Rory shrugs.

"...what we were led to expect. I thought we were going to see...the signora distinctly wrote, south rooms with a view..." the movie keeps going.

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I have to cough but I'm in a quiet public room and have social anxiety