The 'Fear of Intimacy' Challenge

We all know the Gilmores have had a less than positive view when it comes to Rory and sex. Although Lorelai sometimes makes jokes about it, I think her freak out in season 1 indicated clearly that she was terrified of her daughter getting pregnant and making the same mistake as her. Then in season 3 we got her whispered "I got the good kid" statement when Paris was telling Rory about her experience, and Rory let it be known that she hadn't had any encounters with Jess or Dean.

Then there are Rory's grandparents, who make it evident that having sex and getting pregnant is something to be avoided like the plague. Emily's comments are countless throughout the series, with remarks like "we haven't failed until that girl comes home pregnant" showing her opinion on the subject. They assumed she was a virgin until her 21st birthday and when they found out she wasn't, they were considerably disappointed, showing their distaste of Logan, which is ironic considering he wasn't even the one who took her virginity!

With such negative viewpoints at her back, I'm surprised Rory wasn't more stressed about the subject through the series. Of course, the Gilmores were just looking out for her best interests, and that's understandable.

Rory more or less turned out fine in the show. But let's say she hadn't. Let's say that because of her need to please everyone around her, her desire to be perfect and the negative opinions from her family combine to form a Rory who's deathly afraid of sex. When the time comes to be intimate with someone, she can't do it, causing problems with her boyfriend. Not because she doesn't love the guy, or because he's pressuring her into something, but because it soon becomes clear that Rory has a real problem and she's not exactly willing to deal with it. She's terrified of being intimate and terrified of getting pregnant.

This could be set at any time after Rory's 18th birthday. It could be with anyone of her boyfriends, or a fiance. She could even be married and they haven't been able to make love yet because of Rory's discomfort with sex, which would shock those close to her when they found out. It would be nice to see the reactions of the people she confides in (namely Lorelai, Lane and Paris). Lorelai in particular might be stunned that her daughter can't be intimate with someone. Despite her feelings about certain matters, she probably does expect her daughter to have a normal sex life eventually. Remember, this is separate from the canon, so you don't have to stick to the show's timeline.

Of course, since this is an adult site, there would be sex eventually. Maybe even multiple scenes. But let's take a different approach to it. Instead of the usual smut fic where Rory is already comfortable with sex, have Rory work up to that until eventually, she can have sex with whomever she's with. I'm partial to Logan or Tristin, but it can be anyone of her four potential beaus, even Dean if he never married Lindsay in this timeline. The focus is to have a Rory who has to learn how to be intimate with someone and not be so afraid of the potential consequences, as long as they're being safe.

I've never seen a story like this before, so I think it's a refreshing change of pace. Not that I don't like the usual stories, but fanfic is about exploring all potential scenarios, not just a select few. You can take as many chapters as you need or as few.

Happy writing.