Title: The Way To Atlantis
Chapter: One
Chapter Title: History Repeats
Rating: R
Coupling: Paris/Jess, Lane/Dave, and half Rory/Tristan.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls, it belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino, The WB, and Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions. I also do not own Freddie Mercury's "Man Made Paradise." or the book "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie."
Author's Note: To Chris, who writes the original. She's my sin.
*
I want to be beside you now/lie in the sand and kiss your brow/
I want to fly beyond the moon and do the things we do for love/
But you say no, you say no/History repeats itself/I seem to be all by myself again.
"I can't believe you're doing this again," Paris hissed, so as not to disturb the slumbering Augusta and Devon.
"You know I have to go, especially now that you're pregnant again. I have to be able to support my family," Jess argued.
"What family? You weren't at Augusta's birth, or Devon's. You'll probably miss this one too. You're never here Jess."
"I'm here now aren't I?"
"But you're leaving again tomorrow, who knows when you'll be back. You'll be gone when I wake up, and what am I supposed to tell the kids huh? You're never here to have to tell them where their daddy went," Paris blew a stray hair out of her face, "They miss you Jess, and I miss you too."
"Paris, all this stress isn't good for the baby."
"You're right. It's not. I'm going to bed," she stands up and walks to a nearby closet. She pulls some linens off the top shelf.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting you some blankets. You're sleeping out here tonight." She tosses them onto the couch then turns and walks up the stairs. "Sweet dreams."
*
Augusta clicked off the flashlight and squeezed her eyes shut as her mother's footsteps sounded on the stairs. She shoved the flashlight and book under her pillow, just in time as her door opened. After a moment it closed again. Aggie opened one eye and looked around her room, a soft glow illuminating it from the rather large nightlight across the room. It depicted a scene from a classic nursery rhyme, of a cow jumping over a bright yellow moon. She opened the other eye as she listened to her mothers footsteps echo down the hall. She pulled her hand out from under the pillow pulling along the flashlight and book. She clicked on the flashlight, and began reading "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie."
*
Paris had changed into her pajama's, pulled her hair up, and settled in under the covers. She propped her back against the headboard and picked up the phone on her nightstand. She pushed a few buttons and waited for someone to answer.
"Hello?" a groggy male voice asked.
"Hi Tristan, it's Paris. Can I talk to Rory?"
"Yeah sure. Just a sec." She heard a scuffle and Rory asking who was on the phone before Rory actually got on.
"Paris?"
"Yeah, Can we talk?"
"Yeah sure, let me just leave the room so Tristan can go back to sleep."
"Oh did I wake you?"
"No no, I was reading." Paris heard a soft click over the phone. "Okay, talk."
"Jess is leaving again."
"He is? When?"
"He'll probably be gone before I wake up in the morning."
"Gosh, I'm sorry Paris."
"I just miss him so much it hurts Rory. I mean, I miss him now and he hasn't even left."
"It will get better with time."
"Sure, you can say that. You and Tristan have a perfect marriage."
"Every marriage has it's flaws, you just have to be strong and overcome them, especially for your children."
"I guess. So, are still on for lunch tomorrow?"
"Well, I have a doctors appointment at 10, but after that I'm free."
"I have a press conference I have to be at scheduled for 11, so with any luck I can meet you at 12:30."
"As long as it's not after 2, I have an interview set up for my article, the deadline's Friday."
"Okay so how about we schedule for 12:30 at that Cafe on Jefferson St. and if the press conference isn't started promptly I will call you on your cell phone to update you."
"Sounds like a plan, you'll call me around 11 right?"
"Right."
"Alright then, I better get to bed, and so should you."
"Yeah, good night Rory."
"Night Paris, chin up."
"Cute."
Paris hung up and burrowed down into her pillows, clicking off her bedside lamp.
*
Rory sighed and looked at the phone, then at the door to her and Tristan's room. She clicked a button on the phone and held it to her ear, then pulled it down and punched in a number. She returned the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Jess."
"Rory," He sighed, he knew exactly what she wanted.
"I hear you're leaving."
"Why yes I am, in the morning."
"Why?"
"Because the boss says jump and I say how high?"
"You're hurting her Jess."
"Are you going to tell me something I don't know? Because I'm paying minutes here."
"Please, I know your cell plan includes unlimited nights and weekends and 12am definitely classifies as night," she paused. "Where are you going this time?"
"California."
"I see, well, have a safe trip."
"Thanks."
"I'll talk to you whenever."
"Sure."
"Bye Jess."
"Bye Rory."
Rory hung up and went back into her room. She placed the phone back on it's cradle next to Tristan and crawled back into bed.
"What'd she want?" Tristan asked.
"Jess is leaving tomorrow morning."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Where to?"
"California."
Tristan shakes his head, "I wish those crazy kids would just get it together."
"Me too. But let's stop talking about them." Rory curls up against his side. "I'm exhausted and I have that doctors appointment tomorrow."
"Right. Night honey."
"Night Tristan." Rory closed her eyes and allowed Tristan's warmth to lull her to sleep.
To be continued....