The Bells of Christmas - A Holiday One-Shot

They Ring for You and Me

When Rory's book writing dreams didn't pan out the way she'd hoped, she knew she had to do something to remedy her faltering career.  Journalism no longer held her focus the way it once had, and her book was eventually published, but it wasn't enough to sustain her and a child.  She was now responsible for another human being, and this meant she needed to get her act together.

For the first couple years of Elijah's life, she'd lived off what little of the trust fund she had left, and when it started running dangerously low, she reevaluated her options.  Her dad, of all people, suggested she go back to school.  He wanted her to get her life back on track and offered to pay all expenses, including childcare and housing.  To Rory, the offer was too generous, and she seriously considered turning him down until she talked to her mom.  Lorelai had always managed to be a voice of reason, and this was no exception.

"Rory, your dad is right," Lorelai said firmly.

"What would you do?  I know you wouldn't take money from Grandma and Grandpa like this," Rory countered.

"You're right, I wouldn't take money from them," she agreed.  "There were always too many strings and expectations."

"So, I'm not taking the hand-out from Dad.  I'm going to make it on my own, just like you did," Rory replied stubbornly.

"Your dad is different.  He's trying to help and that's all.  There's no ulterior motive behind this and expects nothing in return.  No Friday night dinners, no DAR meetings at your inn, no renaming your first born after him," Lorelai explained.  "And, you're not me.  You're you."

"I know, but..." Rory's voice trailed off.  She knew her mother was right about this, and she'd be a fool to turn down the opportunity, especially in her situation.

"But what?" she asked.

"I don't want you to think less of me.  You wanted more for me, and I don't want to disappoint you," she answered.

"I promise not to think less of you, and you haven't disappointed me, Kid," she replied with a soft smile.

Even Emily was on the same page with Lorelai and Chris, which made it feel as if Rory couldn't say no to the offer.  At first, Emily was against the whole thing because she wanted to be the one to pay for everything.  Although, in the end, Chris and Emily came to an understanding where Emily bought Rory a house while Chris paid for school and a full-time nanny.  Rory despised the idea of someone else taking care of her child, but she told herself it was just a temporary thing, and ultimately, this would be good for Eli in the end.  Violet, the woman Rory hired to be his nanny, had changed her mind.  She had really hit it off with Eli as well as Rory.  It made her feel better about the decision.

The first day of school had always been an exciting occasion for Rory, and this was no exception.  As she stepped onto the Yale campus for the first time in over fifteen years, she breathed in its essence, the history and wisdom it held for her.  It felt almost as if each book was greeting her, welcoming her back to the world of learning.  It was exhilarating and nerve-wracking all at the same time.  She was beyond prepared for her graduated classes but didn't know how she'd manage to accomplish everything with a toddler.

Once she settled into the semester, she rediscovered her love of learning.  Although her focus was on literature, she took a journalism class to better round out her degree.  She actually enjoyed that class a great deal more than she thought.  Rory realized how her approach hadn't changed despite the journalistic world being turned upside down.  She also concluded that it wasn't something she wanted to be a part of anymore.  While still interesting, her other classes were of far more importance to her.