Rewriting the revival: part 2

Part One here: https://new.reddit.com/r/GilmoreGirls/comments/t0rkgv/rewriting_the_revival_because_im_procrastinating/

PART TWO:

Lane, Zach and the twins are all getting on fine. Zach is a music teacher so spends more time looking after the kids than Lane does - she’s the boss of her house and actively encourages her children to be loud, creative and expressive (everything she was not allowed to be)

Rory looks at Lane’s life, as well as Paris’, and can’t help feeling like she’s either way behind or missed the boat entirely

“Shouldn’t I be the one shouting about the state of the kitchen?” Rory asks. “I don’t even have my own kitchen”

Zach reassures her, in chill musician style, that everyone has their own path

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Back at home, Lorelai is pushing Rory to go out and do things. In typical Lorelai fashion, she’s made a list and crammed the entire day full of outings - trip to Luke’s, catch up with Babette, hit the book store - it’s all too much for Rory, who’s really beginning to feel pressure 24/7 

But she can’t seem to explain this to Lorelai

She heads to New York instead, saying she’s going to get inspired and make some notes for her next piece. It’s not an argument, but all is not well between the Gilmore Girls 

Lorelai bumps into Lane in Doose’s and asks if she knows what’s up with Rory. “I think she’s just feeling the pressure” she explains “Plus she spends most of her time with Paris or me, and we both have two kids, so maybe that’s getting to her”

Reassured, Lorelai finds it a bit funny that she and Rory are both having the ‘running out of time’ freak out almost simultaneously

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Back in New York, Rory surprises Jess and asks to take him for lunch. “You’re the freelancer, I should be taking you for lunch” he jokes 

He explains that he knows she’s not herself right now, but she doesn’t have to talk about it if she doesn’t want to

“It’s all just a lot right now. I mean I thought I’d be doing better than this” she explains 

“But you’re doing great, your piece in the Times was -”

“Yeah I know, I wish everyone would stop going on about the Times” Rory interrupts him

He can see she’s on edge. So he changes the subject a little bit, and mentions there’s a space at the moment for new women’s fiction. Not the light-hearted rom com style holiday reads. Not the deep, transformative, life-affirming autobiographies of women who were truly on the brink. But something in-between. “Think about it” he suggests, after she tells him she doesn’t write fiction, but she does start to think about it

She thanks him for lunch, and says she’s going to go back to England for a bit. No one really knows her there, and she’s sick of bumping into people in Stars Hollow reminding her of how great the Times’ piece was and asking what she’s going to write next

Jess is wary, he knows she’s going back for Logan, not because she can’t take the local pressure. Rory thinks she’s getting away to clear her head and create good work, Jess thinks she’s being a coward and running away 

Again, it’s not an argument, but their disagreement hits them both on a deeper level

​

Now back and anonymous as ever in London, Rory is feeling better. She’s staying with Logan, who welcomed her with open arms. When she speaks with Lorelai though, she says she’s staying with Louise, who lives in London now. “Hey I could shout down the phone like Emily does on international calls if that would make you feel better” Lorelai jokes, oblivious to how detached Rory is becoming from her 

Over dinner, Rory tells Logan about how the pressure is still getting to her. “No wonder you’re blocked, you’re trying to write what you think everyone wants you to write” Logan says. “Well sure, that’s what journalism is about - writing about important things that people want to read about” Rory replies, a little annoyed at how easy Logan seems to think it is

She mentions Headmaster Charleston’s offer, which Logan thinks might be a good idea. He knows how much Rory loves learning and having a study schedule to stick to. She asks why he’s being patronising. “I’m not Ace! I just know you. You’re best when you have a set schedule and a set list of things to learn. And you’re even better when there’s a test at the end of it”. He does mean well, but Rory is upset. “I shouldn’t have come” she says, and starts to leave. 

“Come on Rory, be honest with yourself. You like a schedule and a test because then you get to meet someone’s expectations. You like making people happy. It’s not a bad thing” he’s not malicious, and weirdly that’s the thing that upsets her more. He’s just telling her the truth. “So I’m just a people-pleaser who can’t think for herself?” People are starting to look now, but neither of them care “You enjoy making people happy, you want to do well, and you like having things laid out so you can get a pat on the back at the end of each list. That’s fine, but be honest with yourself Ace. How are you supposed to write, to freelance, if you’re better when you have someone laying out the guidelines for you? Why not go back to school? Maybe it would be better for you”

And she’s gone. She doesn’t want to hear it. He didn’t disagree with his father all those years ago and he’s telling her almost exactly the same thing now 

​

Logan catches up with her. He has to at least let her in the house so she can get her stuff. Not quite the storm out she’d wanted, but needs must. In the cab home, the tension settles a little. He explains he’s not saying any of this to hurt her. He’s saying it because he wants the best for her, and always has 

“That’s why I was glad you didn’t marry me Ace”. She’s shocked. For a second she doesn’t say anything. “Because for the first time since I’d known you, you didn’t think about what anyone else wanted. You didn’t do it because you had a deadline, or because your grandmother wanted it, or because your mother didn’t want it. You chose to do exactly what you wanted. And you were right”

She softens, but she still doesn’t speak. “You need to focus on what you want now Ace. Not what someone else wants, or what you think you should want. Just you” 

​

When they get home, Rory tells him she’s going upstairs, but not to pack her things. “I’m going to write” and off she goes. Typing furiously at her laptop, Logan brings her coffee and snacks every so often, but never interrupts 

She emerges the next morning in the kitchen and spots a note from Logan. ‘Had to go to work, but I got you the essentials’. Coffee and donuts are sitting on the counter. Smiling, she grabs them and heads back upstairs 

Logan arrives home that evening, and if you didn’t know them, you’d think it was a husband arriving home to his wife after a busy day at the office. Without meaning to, they’ve fallen back into that comfortable connection they had back at Yale. He asks about her writing, and she says she’s finished. It needs a few tweaks, but it’s practically done. Handing over her laptop, she watches a little nervously as he starts reading

Her piece is for her. Sure, there are others that will read it and love it. But it is primarily written for her. She’s turned the pressure into an important and engrossing read about the intense, continual pressure unplanned children feel. It’s like you constantly have to prove that you were worth it, that you weren’t a mistake. And especially as the daughter of a women who got pregnant when she was 16, it’s about proving you didn’t ruin everything

Logan is proud of her, and insists he’s always proud of her. He may be proud, but he is slightly annoyed when she wakes him up at 2am to tell him the Times want to publish it, and are interested in a follow-up piece if it does well 

“I guess you’re heading back to New York then” he laughs, and goes back to sleep

​

Rory is over the moon about her piece getting picked up, and shares it with Jess. “This is exactly what you needed to write. We could turn this into a book you know” he offers again, but she tells him to relax a little. “It’s one article, I’m not sure I have a whole book in me” she explains, but Jess laughs and disagrees. “I guess you can go home then. No more pressure, for the time being”. For the first time in a while, Rory really is excited about going home

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Back in the Hollow, she tells Lane all the news, before noticing the vast difference between Steve and Kwan. Lane is all about supporting her kids’ freedom and self-expression, but Kwan isn’t really getting into it. He’s subdued, and would rather read a book than rock out on the drums 

Lane is disappointed, and pushes him to be louder, wilder, but he’s reluctant. Rory thinks about how the twins were accidental, and wonders if they feel the same pressure she’s felt. “I guess we can’t always be what our parents want” she tells Lane, who realises she is pushing her kid to do something he doesn’t want to do, in the same way her mother did

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At Luke’s, Rory tells Lorelai all about her article and how it’s aimed at the unplanned children who feel intense pressure to be amazing, and to be worthy of all their parents’ sacrifices. Rory’s fired up about the piece, and finally getting that feeling of pressure out of her head and onto the page, but she unintentionally hurts Lorelai, who wonders if she was the one who put all that pressure on Rory

Rory reassures her that she didn’t, it was just a natural byproduct, but Lorelai is still upset. An accidental rift forms, and although Lorelai isn’t upset with Rory specifically, she’s just upset at the situation, she starts to spiral and wonders what she should have done differently