Chapter 1

'God could this day get any shittier' Rory though as she walked towards the elevators of the Statesman office in downtown Austin, Texas. Loreali Leigh Gilmore once again fired from yet another job. 'Fuck'em if they don't want me then they can all go to hell. It's not like it's the New York Times.' Yes it wasn't the Times but it's not like that mattered anyways seeing as how she quit there before they could fire her as well but that's beside the point. She would be damned if she was going to give that pompous idiot Editor-in-chief the satisfaction of firing her, she just could not understand, they were all adults right? It just escaped her how so many people now a days made it out of grade school let alone college and into a career that didn't require the need to upsell to large fries with their order. As she walked out of the building with her lone box of crap she was immediately hit with the stifling Austin heat of late August at first it was so hard to get used to but after three years she was well aware and used to the heat and even loved it due to the fact that it was almost a complete 180 from the weather of Hartford/Stars Hollow.

Heading towards the parking garage along South Congress you could just feel that unique vibe that the downtown area gave off. It wasn't all that big of a changed or distraction but it was just enough as far as she was concerned no matter how many times you saw it and in spite of his passing she'd always remember Leslie and well just about every other person that walked around 6th street and all over downtown. The political antics/activism, movies, music and oh the food…the food was something else. She still maintained a greens would only get you so far and junk food was king rule as she decided to make a trip to Lammes Candies. A single trip could turn her whole day around and all of the mom and pop restaurants were to die for it was great. Finally making her way out of the garage and jumping on I-35 the only plus side was that she would miss out on most of the 5 o'clock traffic for the day and that was definitely not something to mess with. While on the way out of Austin she realized just in the nick of time where she was in order to get off on the exit that would take her to the second best store around. Lammes candies and all its deliciousness was not something to be messed with as she pulled up to the store that in the last couple of years had ended up seeing so much of her paycheck, maybe it was a little ridiculous but who cared. She would be eternally grateful for the genes that gave her the killer metabolism that all the crap she ate wouldn't, hopefully, result in her being 400lbs.

Entering the store she was immediately recognized, "Hey Loreali, what happened to giving your teeth a rest?" the elderly women Mrs. Roberts asked. "Mrs. Roberts it's always so sweet that you think I could go a whole week without my required chocolate consumption." She smirked as she made her way to her section of the store, everything that she ever bought was always right there and she didn't venture out to anything else in the store, that was the case with a lot of things in her life.

"Sweetheart I swear I just want to bottle up whatever it is that keeps you so skinny and stunning 'cause I know god forbid you go running or anything. Like it's some kind of family handbook regulation or something." Mrs. Roberts said laughing as she rang the mound of candy. Family handbook knocked Rory back a step there were still things after all this time that made her falter from her cool and collected self. To avoid getting teary or just plain pissed she politely grabbed her bag and bid farewell, "If I knew Mrs. Roberts I'd give if over to you and only you in a heartbeat." Rory said with complete honesty, there weren't to many people in her life that didn't drive her absolutely bat shit crazy and Mrs. Roberts was one of them another would have to be her newest closest friend in the world Nicole and her husband Chris with their two little girls. When Rory had made it to Austin two years ago after a year-year and a half bender she was kinda broke in spite of the trust-fund and inheritance that was supposedly all in her name but somehow they thought that she still needed to have to structured and restricted. For fucks sake she was 28 years old she didn't need someone to hold her hand now they sure as hell didn't seem to want to hold it when she really needed it but she wouldn't let that further piss her off. She was heading over to Nicole and Chris' to hang out with the kids while mommy and daddy went out on a date, she wasn't supermom or anything remotely close but these girls were just something else. Pulling into the family's apartment complex she wondered what the plan was for the night and if Savannah was still going to be into her Spiderman stunts faze. They were good friends but still kept at a distance friends and she didn't see them all too often, being the hermit that she had become. Only getting a single knock in before the door flew open she was almost tackled by the sweetest 8 years old. "Aunt Loreali you're here you're here!" Sage squealed as she hugged her around the waste with as much force as she could get out. "Hey sweetie so I take it you're happy to see me," She asked knowing what the automatic answer would be from the little girl. "Oh well I guess its okay your kinda awesome I guess," Sage said giggling. While some of the things the little girls said were so smart and a little smartass some of her favorite lines had to be ones where you'd question if something was wrong with her. One of the early on ice breakers for her to get used to the kids was the age old mother telling the embarrassing stories about her children. Her absolute favorite would still have to be the one about the regular trip to Wal-Mart waiting in line as she was told Nicole and Chris where talking about how sweet and sadly ditzy Sage was and Chris apparently said "God such a blonde" which led to the whip around of an indignant Sage stating "No I'm not I can see perfectly fine." After hearing that and all the others she soon developed a kindred spirit in the little girl, well both little girls. Even little Miss Savannah with her rough and tough attitude at all of 3 years old was the sweetest, smartest little hell raiser that she'd ever known. "Loreali hey I didn't even here a second knock. Someone trying to squeal and say how mean mom and dad are to her and how she never gets anything?" Nicole said as she walked over for a hug hello. "Yesss! How she never gets enough chocolate and she and Savannah needs more crayons and movie time." Rory replied laughing.

"Oh ya right we are just over her running a labor camp for the damned. She has to sweat and toil for bread and water."

"Speaking of little miss nana where is the demon?" Rory asked with an affectionate tone.

"She's in her room playing with all of Sage's skylanders that have yet to be put up after the 3rd time being asked," came the voice of Nicole's husband Chris. "All of the Skylanders that I'm pretty sure that Sage wants us to throw away…" he continued.

"Ugh Chris such as spoil sport you don't just easily interrupt a Skylanders meeting there's certain things that need to happen or it all just goes to hell and back." Nicole told her husband laughing at his annoyed expression. "Ya, Ya you ready to go," he asked "Thanks picking up demon detail for us."

"Ah it's no big deal I am their lord and they are my minions." Rory replied "What are you guys going to see anyways?"

"World War Z"

"Oh cool, looks pretty cool and you know Brad Pitt is always a plus."

"Yes, yes he is," Nicole agreed with a happy grin on her face.

"We'll have fun because I know we will…I stopped at Lammes on the way over here." Rory said with a happy grin.

"Ha the movie doesn't start until 8 and we are just leaving now to go out to eat so if you want hell beast all night by all means," Chris said with obvious love for his girls.

"That's cool we'll just plot to take over the world."

"I know which ones Pinky," Nicole said laughing.

All of the adults got a laugh at the while Sage just looked around like they were all nuts. As Chris and Nicole left after hugs and kisses to the kids Rory locked the door and headed to the girls bedroom.

"Ori, Ori," came the sweet tones of miss nana.

"Nanny Nanny, did you Miss Aunt Ori sweet pea?"

"Gives a moochie," Savannah 'asked' of her and who could turn down those little ringlets.

"What! Gives a moochie already, you did miss me didn't you." she stated as she the sweet little girl kisses all over.

A few hours of playing toys with any number of kids under the age of 10 would drain the best and she was drained. "Alright guys who wants to watch something on Netflix?"

"Winky Onka, Winky Onka!" Savannah shouted.

"Winky Onka it is then I'll order some pizza that way when your daddy gets back Sage you can tell him that we had a pizza party while HE was gone," Rory said knowing that Sage would love that, her daddy teases like any daddy would so any time Nicole or she or even the both were able to give the girl a one up they took it.

A half hour later the delivery guy for Papa Johns, mainstream pizza but pizza none the less, arrived and while giving her the pizzas even tried to hit on her.

"Two larges for a little ole you," he asked trying to worm inside.

"Nope for me my kids 4 cats and two snakes," she replied while shutting the door. What a douchebag she knew that her actions would probably result in any other pizzas getting delivered over her having god knows what in them but gah what a dirty old man. He had to be at least 60 plus and while she wasn't a stickler for age it was really just a number but when they turned out to be dirty pervs that was a different story. Placing the pizzas down on the counter and grabbing plates and cups she could feel the two 'starving' children behind her.

"What kind did you get? Pepperoni right, me and sister like pepperoni best." asked Sage.

"What? Oh shoot I got black olives and peppers with anchovies and jalapenos. I'm sorry Sagey."

"What eeww no we only like pepperonis"

"Of course I got pepperoni you goof!" she laughed at the little girl.

"Chummies, Chummies!" Savannah bellowed behind them.

"Yes sister we got you some chummies," Sage told her sister while giving her a kiss on the cheek that was very much protested but the younger sibling. Having siblings was something she longed but she wasn't going to go there being here with the gigglers was something else and she was going to just enjoy it. They all sat down as she started up the movie and ooo'd and aahh'd over the opening credits of the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Enjoying one of the few comforts that she maintained from Stars Hollow Rory Gilmore sat and sang pretty much every word the Oompa Loompa songs and every quick wit remark from Willy Wonka when she realized that both girls were passed out cold. There was no way she was going to be able to lift Sage up onto her top bunk bed she woke the girl walked her into the bathroom helped her with brushing her teeth as she was half asleep and made sure she didn't fall off trying to get to bed.

"Night Sage,"

"Night...Love you," she replied already half back to sleep. There weren't many people that she told and let tell her that she loved them but Sage and Savannah were one of the few. Turning off the light and shutting the door she made her way back into the living room for the little kicker, as she picked her up and walked her back into her parent's room as she was a lite sleeper she kissed the little girl as well and turned out the lights leaving the door cracked a little.

'Well what now' Rory thought to herself as she walked into the kitchen to clean up the pizza mess and tidy up a little after their dinner. "Movie it is I guess." Hitting play and sitting back down trying to get comfortable again didn't last that long as the phone rang scaring the crap out of her for some reason. Getting up to see if it was Chris or Nicole she found that it was, "Hey how is dinner going?"

Nicole came back in a panic, "It's not, Chris is dead,"