Chapter 1: Out of the Equation

Luke Danes was running through Stars Hollow in blind panic. He had left his Diner just moments ago with the realization that April, the daughter he had only just begun to know, was gone. Run away. Not knowing where else to go, he bounded onto the Gilmore front porch and banged on the door until his ex-girlfriend, Lorelai, answered.

"Luke? What's going...?"

"April's run away." And Luke held up the note, his chest heaving with every breath. Lorelai stared, but slowly took the letter so she could read it herself. She was surprised to find that it was addressed not to Luke, but to her:

Dear Lorelai,

I'm sorry I ruined your life and your relationship with my Daddy. I can clearly see the misery my arrival has wrought on both of you. My presence has thrown your relationship and this entire town out of equilibrium. So, the only way to restore equilibrium is to take myself out of the equation. Take care of Dad. Please make him happy.

Sincerely,

April

At 'take myself out of the equation,' Lorelai's blood ran cold and she sprang off the porch. "We've got to find her!"

She and Luke took off through the town, calling the name of his little girl. "April?... APRIL!..."


On a bench at the outskirts of Stars Hollow, April violently shivered without a coat on. Human instinct went against her master plan as she curled herself up into the fetal position. The bench was cold and hard with frost, but... it wouldn't be the most terrible place to freeze to death...

As she began to slip into unconsciousness, April thought she heard voices calling her name, steadily growing more sure. "April?... April! APRIL!"

April felt warm hands grasp her, scoop her up off the bench.

"She's ice cold," a woman's voice gasped.

And then everything went black.


As the figure began to come into focus, April first thought it was her mother she was looking at. At least the lady that she was now seeing had the same jet-black hair. But, no, it was Lorelai staring down at her with a mixture of relief, sadness, and...

Love?

"April..." a familiar paternal voice soothed.

April coughed. "Dad?"

"Oh, thank goodness..." Luke breathed. He now came into April's line of vision and grasped her shoulders from where she was curled up in an easy chair, blanket upon blanket covering her. "Why did you run off like that?" he demanded, even though he knew why from her note.

"I knew my leaving would force you to choose," April said. "And if I made myself not an option, you would choose Lorelai." Her eyes filled with tears and she suddenly began to sob. "I want you to be happy... please don't be mad..."

She waited for one of them, or both of them, to yell. But Lorelai instead just smoothed April's hair back. "Oh, sweetie..."

"We're not mad," Luke assured her. "Just glad you're safe."

Lorelai smiled tenderly at April and scooted closer. "I don't know why you felt you had to run off and freeze to death. Odd strategy for playing matchmaker, kid. But..." and she beamed. "I think it shows you're very selfless. Like your Daddy."

April gulped. "You're a really nice lady, Lorelai. I wouldn't mind it if you were my stepmother."

Lorelai grinned. "Well, I would really want to be your stepmother, too."