Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls, and this idea came to me after watching World Trade Center.

Never Giving Up

Lorelai blinked her eyes open, not being able to see anything apart from small fires and otherwise dark rubble surrounding her. She looked around, panicked. She couldn't move. A large piece of rock had fallen on her, trapping her under its massive weight. She was in a small compartment, it seemed. Surrounding her were downed beams, rocks, and metal, and she could see small fires in the distance coming from some of the cars that had been in the underground parking lot that she had been walking through on her way back to her car after a day of meetings.

She had gone to New York to discuss the possibility of a merger with a larger chain of hotels. Although she hadn't been previously interested in selling the Dragonfly Inn, she was finding it difficult to keep up with only the small amount of funding she had. Although they had just been in the discussion phase, she was fairly confident that she would be able to join with the hotel chain and ease the pressures on herself and Sookie.

She had been in one of the hotels within the chain meeting with the executives since early that morning. Finally, as dinner time neared she was able to duck out. All she could think of was food as she rushed down to the parking lot and over to her car. She was just about there when all of a sudden everything went black.

As she opened her eyes now, after an indeterminate time, she couldn't focus on her surroundings. She was dizzy and tired, and the pain surging through her from the large slab of concrete lying across her midsection was making breathing an issue. It also pinned her left hand under her body, crushing it. Slowly, painfully, she attempted to reach under the rock to her pocket in search of her cellular phone. She couldn't get her hand under it, however. Taking as deep a breath as she could, she screamed for help. Hearing no response she tried again and again until the weight of the rock combined with her exhaustion left her unable to scream anymore. Finally she resigned herself to her situation, expecting that it couldn't be long before someone would come to help her.

Stars Hollow

Luke was working in the diner during the dinner rush when the door opened. He looked up and caught sight of Rory, who was a rare sight in the diner as of the past several months since his break up with her mother, and her parent's subsequent marriage and divorce. He was about to offer some coffee to the younger Lorelai when he realized that something was terribly amiss.

"What's the matter?" he asked, worriedly. Rory ran up to the counter, slightly out of breath.

"There was a bombing. In New York," she said quickly. Luke's brow furrowed. He knew that there had to be more for it to upset the girl so much, he stayed silent to allow her to continue. "It was at Hotel where mom is staying," she finished, barely getting the words out before tears came flooding from her eyes. The color drained from Luke's face. He hadn't even realized that Lorelai had left.

"What? How?" Luke asked, lacking an appropriate response.

"She was there on business about the Inn. They're saying it was a car bomb in the basement. The building is really messed up. There are all kinds of people missing, and Mom hasn't called," she said, barely taking a moment to breathe before explaining. Luke acted without thinking, racing up to his apartment and grabbing his car keys before racing back down the stairs. He was halfway out the door before yelling at Caesar to take care of things. He and Rory pulled themselves into his truck as he took off, driving much faster then he would normally have, but these were extenuating circumstances.

As the drive progressed, Rory, who had been unusually silent, despite the constant stream of tears escaping her eyes, finally spoke.

"What if she's dead, Luke?" she asked, meanwhile listening to every word on the play-by-play report they were listening to on the radio. Luke swallowed deeply and sighed, blinking back a wave of emotion that threatened to escape. He reached over and placed his hand reassuringly over Rory's own. She knew then not to expect an answer. The two just looked forward out the windshield and listened to continuous reports.

"The number of missing in this most recent tragedy to hit Manhattan has continued to rise. At this point there are approximately 230 people missing, and 42 confirmed dead. Those who have survived this attack are being taken to the John Kennedy Elementary School on 23rd and 4th where they are awaiting further instructions.

This attack which occurred at 5:26 this evening has been confirmed as a series of car bombs from the underground parking center beneath the hotel. The blasts shook the building, causing much damage. Although the building has not collapsed at this point, no one is being allowed in to search for the missing, as it is extremely unstable.

Police would ask that all who are searching for their loved ones head for the Elementary School and wait for word, as it would only cause confusion for all of the families to go to the scene. They have asked for our cooperation at this time, and are handling the situation as they feel they must."

Rory bit her lip, wanting to scream out at the woman speaking on the radio, but knew it would do no good. She again pulled out her cell phone for the seventh time in the hour that they had been driving. Again she dialed her mother's cell phone number, wishing only to hear her voice and to know that she was okay. When, again, the voicemail came on she left another pleading message, hanging up and sighing deeply.

"Where are we going to go?" she asked softly. Luke sighed deeply, readjusting his tight grip on the steering wheel.

"To the school, I guess. Maybe Lorelai is there," he said, maintaining that modicum of hope that he knew Rory was lacking at this point.

"But she would have called us if she was there," Rory reasoned. Luke felt as unoptimistic as she did, but felt that for her sake he would have to play the part of the optimist.

"Maybe she can't get to a phone," he said softly. Rory just frowned.

"She'd find a way." Luke sighed lighted and nodded. He knew she was right, and the feeling in his gut was telling him that she was right. Lorelai wasn't okay.

Lorelai heard her phone ring again, shocked that it was still working. She strained to get at it again, knowing that it had to be her daughter, her world, on the other end. Her attempts were useless, however, as the large slab of concrete blocked everything below her chest from her free hand. She tried again to reach the phone, and to push away at the offending rock. It wouldn't budge. Despite all of her straining, it was just too big and too heavy.

She relaxed back into her bed of rubble, attempting to ignore the sharp pain in her left wrist and hand and the incessant pain in her stomach that she knew had to be internal injuries. Again, she chose to scream, hearing her voice resonate through the rubble filled sarcophagus that was once the spacious underground lot. She couldn't tell, but she knew it had to have been several hours since the initial event that left her in this unfortunate situation.

Outside, unbeknownst to Lorelai, was a flurry of action. There were emergency personnel everywhere. Firefighters were manically trying to put out yet another flash fire in the building, meanwhile the police were talking with experts to try to figure out the safest way to go in and search for those who were missing. A line of military men and women were holding back a growing crowd of upset family and friends of those who had not made it out, attempting to explain that they were doing all they could given the circumstances.

Back in the destroyed parking lot, Lorelai heard a stifled call for help from several meters away.

"Hello?" Lorelai called at the soft feminine voice that she had heard.

"Help me!" came the voice again. Lorelai breathed deeply, trying to get in enough breath to continue the conversation.

"I can't, I'm stuck," Lorelai called back. She heard nothing for a moment, and then the voice came again, shakily.

"Who are you?" she asked softly. Lorelai swallowed hard.

"My name's Lorelai. Who are you?" she called back.

"Ava," came the soft response. Lorelai felt exhausted, but felt it would be wise to continue speaking, if not for herself, for the other woman.

"What's your situation over there?" she asked. The woman strained to find the right words.

"There are rocks on my leg. I think it's broken. I can't move," she called back.

"I have a giant slab of concrete on me. I think my hand is broken, and I can't move it at all," Lorelai responded.

"What the hell happened," the woman asked. Lorelai sighed deeply.

"I have no idea," she responded in a strained voice, feeling another wave of pain surge through her battered body.

"Are you okay?" Ava asked, sounding concerned. Lorelai swallowed hard.

"I don't know. It just hurts a lot," she said softly. Feeling somewhat consoled that another person was in here with her, and she wasn't by herself, Lorelai strained to continue speaking with the woman, despite the toll it took on her to project her voice across the room, all the while thinking about her daughter and those back in Stars Hollow, and worrying what they would do without her, praying they wouldn't have to.

As Rory and Luke crossed over the bridge into Manhattan they could see in the distance emergency lights and could hear sirens. While Luke attempted to keep his eyes on the road, Rory was fixated on the scene in the distance. Luke turned in the direction heading away from the scene towards the school.

"Where are you going? You're going the wrong way!" Rory said, more upset than she had hoped to come across.

"I'm going to the school. They said to wait there," he answered evenly, not wanting to let on that he, too, knew they wouldn't find Lorelai there.

"But she isn't there. She's in that building!" Rory continued. Luke sighed deeply and adjusted his cap with his left hand, "How can we be helping her if we just go and hide out at some school?!" Luke chose not to answer because he had no answer. He knew that it was senseless to go to the school, but he had to check. He had to keep the hope that Lorelai was there, safe, waiting for them.

Hey guys, I know it's a completely random un-Gilmore topic, but I hope you liked it. Let me know 