Panic

Author's Note: This story took place right after Rory ran away on last night's episode (which was fabulous, by the way)
and its from Lorelai's POV. Not all of this info is correct, cuz I missed a couple of parts due to the season finale of
"Survivor" on CBS, which I had to watch. But I did as good as I can! Happy reading! And as always, don't forget to review!


"Meet you at home, Mom." were the last words she said to me today.

With an evil glare my way.

I couldn't help thinking that she hated me. She said, " I don't want any protection." and all I could talk about
was some bad experiences about Todd when I was little.

And then I started for the market. It wasn't Wednesday (which frankly, really confused me), so Rory ran off.
So then I knew. Rory wasn't over Dean. Didn't matter to me at the time. Rory'd get over it. She would, because she's that
sort of kid. She's never sad like she was this week. So melancholy and alone. And distracted. Max had even noticed.

After picking up the darn light bulbs, I headed home. Looking forward to my bed, I entered the house. Something
was wrong. I could just smell it. Rory wasn't home. It was then I realized it couldn't have taken Rory so long to go home.
She must be away somewhere...out with Lane? No, Rory would have left a note. But then again, even Responsible
Rory wouldn't be so responsible when she was furious at her mother.

So I called Sookie and Max and everyone I could think of. "Rory's missing!" I had shrieked into the phone.

"What? Rory's missing?" they had repeated, not believing me. I couldn't blame them. She's not that sort of kid.

In the next half an hour, I made hundreds of phone calls. She wasn't at Lane's, Luke's, Rachel hadn't seen her,
neither had Max or Sookie, she wasn't at the inn, nor was she in any of the supermarkets or stores or shops, wasn't in school (?)
or walking the streets. It hadn't even occured to me to call my parents in Hartford.

But that's where she was.

After my mother's phone call, I wasn't scared about where she was anymore. I wasn't scared for her well-being,
if she had been kidnapped by some deranged fugitive from the mental institution, or if she had been gunned down in the
streets (pieces of a psycho mother's worries). I was now panicked for her mental placing towards me. I was certain that in
the hell that Rory was in now- that my mother would pit her against me, make her hate me, and I would be all alone.

"Pick her up after school." my mother had commanded, just like she had commanded my whole life.

I felt very, very powerless after Mom hung up. It wasn't a good feeling. Not at all. I didn't like the fact that
Rory would be spending the entire night at the grandparents. Not that she hadn't done it before, but this time the circumstances
were different. My mother had it in her hands to make Rory hate me forever. How she would do it, I had no idea, but it was
possible, and my mother was just the opposite- impossible.

I couldn't very well drive to Hartford and snatch her away. Mom was right about that part. "Give her some time, she's
still angry with you." She probably wouldn't leave with me, after the fight we had just had.

So all I did was collaspe in Max's arms and cry my heart out. Tears that should have been cried for an average
teenager today. But they were never cried because Rory was perfect. Tears my mother most likely had cried for me.
Not that I could imagine my tough-willed, strong-hearted Mother crying, but still- it was a possibility.

~*~

I woke up the next morning with renowned hope. Still, I decided to visit Dean.

Then I found out the truth. About Dean and Rory's breakup. Then I was more panicked than ever. I mean, how
could my honest-to-goodness daughter not told me? Was it too painful?

Was our relationship really that strained? How could she have avoided that subject all together? We haven't been
that honest to each other about our love lives lately, but to not tell me why she broke up with her first boyfriend was
just- unexplainable.

Unable to bear it any longer, nor did I want to listen to my mother for the first time in my life, I drove to Hartford
to talk to Rory.

~*~

I'm glad we hugged right away. My fear of her inheriting my bad genes didn't seem to affect our relationship.
Neither did the fight.

I love Rory. Its obvious. And I was so glad to be able to talk to her like we did. Because it made me feel
new hope for Max and I. And most important- I wasn't panicked anymore.