Title: When She Cries

Book: II
Chapter: Twenty-Three
Chapter Title: Shades of Shame

Rating: R.

Disclaimer: Aye, captain. I hold no deeds to Gilmore Girls. And I don’t own matchbox twenty’s Back To Good.
One Year Ago Today: Lola and Dallie walking down the streets of Stars Hollow, baby ;)

Author’s Note: My baby’s one year old today. That’s right, folks one year ago today I introduced you into the world of cupidity that the children of Tristan, Rory, Jess, Paris, Madeline and Brad live in. Thanks for sticking with me for so long, and its not even half over.

 

*

 

And I couldn't tell if anyone here was feelin the way I do/
But I'm lonely now/
And I don't know how to get it back to good.

 

            Lobster Creole. Who actually ate Lobster Creole on Thanksgiving? The DuGreys, that’s who. However Thanksgiving, and the fact that it was her eighteenth birthday, wasn’t exactly the most prominent thing on Lola DuGrey’s mind. The fact that this was the first thing she had eaten that had once upon a time been alive since her stint with food poisoning last month was. As it was she was still hesitant about whether or not she actually wanted to eat it. Lola stifled a sigh; Grandmother would call her rude if she didn’t eat anything. Or send her to a clinic for teens suffering from anorexia nervosa. There was a forty-sixty chance of either.

 

            “Lorelai Emily,” Katrina DuGrey began. It was always ‘Lorelai Emily’ to her Grandmother. Never Lorelai, and never ever Lola. “What universities have you been applying to?”

            She had been asked that question so many times that she was quite bored with answering it. Lola swallowed before answering- never talk with your mouth full. It was rude. “Yale.” Where Aurora was attending. “Columbia.” Where Meggie was attending. “Harvard.” She’d bet her entire trust fund that’s where Dallie was going. “But my first choice is Princeton.”

 

            “Excellent choice,” Peter DuGrey spoke up. He would think so. Her great-great-grandfather had attended Princeton. “My Grandfather went there.” Like she didn’t know that already.

            Somebody was in an internally snarky mood tonight.

 

            “Lovely school,” No one was allowed to talk more than Katrina DuGrey. “Now, dear, are you going to the Lennox’s Christmas Ball next week? It’s in New Haven.” Yes, that would be where they lived. Except for, unfortunately, Brigitte.

Oh, and if Aurora had anything to say about it, Lola was definitely attending. “Yes, Grandmother.”

 

Her Grandmother smiled. “Very well then.” Katrina sighed, oh; here came the pleasant portion of the evening. “It’s so nice to see you socializing within your

Social circle. I had heard you were at the Hanes’s birthday party.” She shook her head in disgust. “New money. And that horrible display by that girl the Mariano-” Though her Grandmother pronounced it ‘Mah-reen-oh’, she had never bothered to pronounce it right. “Boy brought with him.” Katrina took a deep, shuddering breath. “It just makes me so sick that they allow people like that in society.”

 

            It made Lola sick too, thinking about how Ashley Leese was allowed to flutter in and out of their circle. But, she was involved with Devon Mariano- so what could she do?

 

            Lola was saved from having to talk to her grandmother any further because Katrina’s attention turned towards Tristan. “You and Paris Gellar are perfect examples of why you should not marry below your class. Just think how much more Paris could have had if she had just married Nathaniel Dashwood instead of that…that…” Katrina didn’t finish that sentence. Just shuddered, that’s how horrifying Jess Mariano was to her. “And you. If you had married Priya Van Ziegler like we had wanted you to, just think of how…married you’d still be.” Nothing excused divorce in Katrina DuGrey’s eyes.

 

            Tristan thought of the lush-half Indian heiress that had occupied his bed freshman year of college, before he and Rory had started dating. Well, marrying Priya would have made his life a lot less complex. “Hindsight it always twenty-twenty, Mother.” He felt his daughter’s startled gaze on him. Shit, he hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

 

            However that comment had rather pleased his mother, for she always loved it when she was told that she was right. “Now, now, Tristan let’s not dwell on regrets. But since we are on the subject of prospects, perhaps we can move the subject onto swains?” Attention was turned back onto to Lola. Normally his daughter reveled in being in the spotlight, but ever since she had been sick, she sort of toned it down. Allowing the spot light to dance across other people and not letting everyone know she was there. If she hadn’t had the food poisoning as an excuse, he would have been worried about her. “Who are you seeing right now, Lorelai Emily?”

 

            Lola shifted the lobster on her plate with her fork. “Ryan Davis.”

 

            “Oh,” Katrina’s face just lit up. “I know his mother, she’s involved in several charities with me. Lovely woman.” And even more importantly… “Lovely family.”

 

            “His Grandfather was the best dam-” Peter automatically corrected himself. It was inappropriate to use anathemas in the company of women. “Darn lawyer in Connecticut in his day.” He searched for something appropriate to say. “Very well done, Lorelai Emily.”

 

            Oh yeah, she had caught her self a good one. “Thank you Grandfather.”

 

            The servants came then to take their plates away, when they had gone, her grandmother stood up. “Now, let’s retire to the sitting room, where we can have some tea and cakes to celebrate Lorelai Emily’s birthday.” She turned on her heel and left, Peter trailing behind her.

 

            Her father stayed behind, and instinctively knew that meant that she too, was expected to stay.

 

Tristan hugged her and kissed her forehead, “I love you, and you know that right?”

Lola nodded, “I love you too.” She knew it, and it had never been in question. But she was really starting to wish her parents would get it straight. There were only so many years she could be in therapy before she started developing some real issues.

 

 

*

 

            So maybe wearing ring thongs during winter wasn’t exactly the best idea Lola had ever had, but the light pink color was the only thing she could find to match her dress. And white was out, since it was after Labor Day. Stupid fashion rules that she abided by. Not that it mattered, in point-seventy-two seconds she’d be inside her mother’s house. Or less, since the door swung open to reveal her Aunt Georgia there.

 

            “Happy Birthday, kid,” Aunt Georgia was a mere ten years older than her, but still called her ‘kid’. It had to be a youngest child thing. Lola would ask Augusta about it later.

 

            “Happy Thanksgiving,” Lola returned. She hated it when her birthday fell on this holiday. Not only because it detracted attention away from her, but it also created situations where you had to spend even more time with relatives on a single day.

 

            Georgia stepped back to allow her in, and she was greeted by the cries of Happy Birthday from her maternal family. Oh, it was her birthday? She hadn’t remembered.

 

            “Happy Thanksgiving,” She returned weakly. Lola suddenly hated the smell of turkey. And all once living things. Was being a vegetarian in? Because it should be.

 

            Lola waited until her Grandpapa had hugged her before asking Georgia, “I thought you were spending Thanksgiving with your mother.”

 

            Georgia rolled her eyes. “I was, but then she had to reschedule Thanksgiving, because it conflicted.”

 

            And ever since the divorce Sherry had become even more anal about keeping her schedule.

 

            “I’m sure Grandpapa appreciates it,” Lola commented before taking off her jacket and going into the living room where her Grams and mother were. They automatically pulled her down between them on the sofa.

 

            “Happy Birthday,” her mother greeted her as she reached out to tuck a piece of Lola’s hair behind her ear.

 

            “And Happy Thanksgiving,” Lorelai added, setting a present on Lola’s lap as Chris and Georgia entered the room and took their seats.

 

            “So, how does eighteen feel?” Rory asked.

 

            Like seventeen. “Fine.”

 

            “Then you’re not doing eighteen right,” her Grams smacked her lightly on the arm before reaching over and picking up her coffee mug off the end table.

 

            That’s because she had been too busy doing twenty-one right the past few years.

 

            “I don’t think Grandmother and Grandfather would have appreciated it that much.”

 

            Rory forced a smile, she remembered the routine all too well from when she was married to Tristan. When Lola’s birthday fell on Thanksgiving, she’d go wake her daughter up at 6:57AM, the time she had been born. She’d set one present on Lola’s lap, because if there was at least one thing she had inherited from the Gilmores, besides her name, was that Lorelai Emily Gilmore-DuGrey was not a morning person. The gift would usually improve Lola’s mood enough to get her out of bed and dressed for brunch at the DuGreys. After that, they’d take the trip over to Stars Hollow and put in appearances at the Kim’s (until Dave and Lane moved to Seattle), and then go to Luke’s for dessert with the Mariano’s. Now it was Lunch at the DuGreys (brunch was now for the middle class), Supper at her house, and then dessert at Luke’s. Rory wondered what her daughter did for her birthday in the morning. She wondered if Lola missed the old routine. She stole a glance at her daughter, in her pink floral dress, ring thongs and crimped hair as she talked to Lorelai about what was a weirder dish to eat on Thanksgiving- Tofurkey or Lobster Creole; Rory bet Lola hardly remembered it. She quickly banished the thought, no need to extend her own regrets and bitterness to her daughter.

 

            Lola tapped her fingernails against the wrapped present. The atmosphere at her mother’s was warm, loving and welcoming. She just wondered why she had felt more comfortable at her paternal grandparents.

 

 

 

To Be Continued…