Thankyou to the people who have so far given this a bash and to those who have let me know that they like it.

Here is the next bit!


"So you got a girlfriend, big guy?" Jess said pulling his son into his lap as Rory finished up her article.

"Do not!" Alex protested turning a bright shade of red.

"That isn't what your Grandma and Grandpa Luke said," Rory said jokingly looking up from her desk. "Heard that you even ate an apple to impress her."

"Willie is just a friend and she isn't really a girl," Alex said trying to pull away from his Dad.

"Not a girl?" Jess said intrigued.

"Nope – she doesn't know about any of the stuff girls are supposed to know about, like dance recitals and tutus and she hates pink. Well, she doesn't hate it but she doesn't wear loads of it like all the rest of the girls do."

"So what does she look like?" Rory asked.

Alex shrugged, "She's a girl – she looks like a girl really."

"Thought she wasn't really a girl?" Jess said with a smirk.

"Dad!" Alex protested.

"Why don't you ask her and Jude to come over for a play date tomorrow – if her parents don't mind that is?"

"Play date?" Alex asked, "Mom, I'm seven, I don't do play dates."

"Well just think of it as a date then," Jess said calmly.

"EWWW, Dad!"

"Don't you want to ask her over to play – I could give her mom a call if you want," Rory said.

Alex shrugged, "Do what you want, can I go read my book now?"

"Don't you do an impression of your father," Rory replied. "Do you have her mom's number?"

Alex shrugged his head, "No – but her mom is… I don't know where. She said she is staying with her Grandparents."

"Okay, do you want to ask them for me tomorrow – I can give you a letter to give to them if you want."

"I don't think you'll need that – I can ask her."


"You two again?" Willie's Grandfather said as the two boys stood at the doorway of the house.

"Can Willie come out?" Jude said.

"Yeah, my Mom's asked if we wanted to ask you if Willie can come on a play date," Alex said.

"Then why didn't she call or come over with you two?" the man asked.

Jude looked at Alex before drawing up to his full height of 3ft 10in, "Because we said we could ask – and it isn't a date. We just want to go play, if that is okay."

"Yeah, our parents will be there; our Granny and Grampy will be there too and some other people. They are going to the Dragonfly for lunch and said we can go see the horses if we wanted and we thought Willie might want to see too," Alex said at high speed.

"Lunch at the Dragonfly?" the tall man asked tentatively. "Ehmm…I, I'm not sure that would be a good idea."

"Can I go Granddad please? Can I go see the horses please?" Willow begged as she stood there listening to the boys. "I'm not stupid, I know how to be safe and I can be ready to come back for when Mom and Dad call."

"You can call there to see if we're going and our friend Davie, his mom Sookie is the cook there and she's my Mom's friend and she is making this big lunch especially for us. You can call and check if you want to?" Alex rattled off at high speed.

"Your mom's friend?" the older man said slowly. "Does your mom work up there?"

Alex shook his head. "No, but she eats there all the time because the food is really good."

He looked down at the two small boys as he knotted his brow, turning his attention to Jude. "What about you?"

"The food there is okay," Jude replied. "But I prefer cheese burgers to the fancy stuff that you get up at the Inn."

"Granddad, can I go see the horses?" a little voice said refocusing his attention.

"Willow," he said as she looked up him with big wide hazel eyes.

"Please Granddad; I'll call as soon as I get there, I'll be good, I promise, I won't touch unless a grown up is there. Can I go see the horses, please?" Willow begged.

He sighed. "I suppose, you can go see the horses, but I'll be there to pick you up in a couple of hours so don't spoil your dinner will you – your Nana wants to make your favorites."

"Thank you Granddad! You are the best," Willie said before bouncing out of the house.


"Hello again," Luke said as the three children appeared in front of the house. Causing Willow to give him a shy smile before darting behind the two boys when Rory, Lorelai and Jess came out of the house.

"It's okay – you met Jude's Mom yesterday and this is Alex's Mom and Dad, they are going up to the Inn as well." Luke said reassuringly.

Rory crouched down before the little girl, "Hello there are you coming to the inn with us?"

Willow mumbled something while staring at Rory, taking a second before nodding. "Yes ma'am, if you don't mind."

"Okay, Willow, something we have to sort out," Lorelai said with a smile. "That is Rory and I'm Lorelai, we are too young for anyone to call us ma'am."

"Yeah right," Luke said causing his wife to glare at him.

Willow thought for a bit. "But that would be a bit disrespectful because I just met you and my Mom says I shouldn't be disrespectful, I should be polite."

Lorelai smiled. "It's okay kid. You can be a little 'disrespectful', we'll be sure to tell you when you've gone too far with it."

"I shouldn't," Willow said with a shake of her head. "My Mom said that while I'm here I've to be on my best behavior. So, I shouldn't be disrespectful unless the other person deserves it."

"Unless someone deserves it?" Rory asked. "And what exactly would you have to do to deserve it?"

Willow thought for a moment before she explained. "Like when my Dad is feeling icky and wants to stay asleep all day after he comes home late with my Uncles or my Grandpa."

"Okay?" Rory replied. "Your mom says it's okay to be disrespectful then?"

Willow nodded. "She turns up all the radios and tells me that I can make as much noise as I like because Daddy brought it on himself and he is old enough to know better and that is why he stays on the couch till she says so and I can be disrespectful because he has to learned his lesson. But I don't know you, so I shouldn't be because you haven't done anything to deserve that and I'm new in town."

They all looked at the little girl, Jess smiled, "Okay kid ... I'm Mr. Mariano and Rory here is Mrs. Mariano and you can ride in either car you like to."

The girl smiled, "Thank you."

"Don't you go letting that kid put ideas into your head," Luke said to Lorelai as Rory helped the children into the car.

"Ideas moi?" His wife replied.


Willow walked carefully into the rustic building following the path the others had followed. The little girl was unsure of what to do as she entered the crowded Inn.

"Hey, you okay?" Rory asked walking back to Willow after noting the child had fallen behind.

The little girl nervously swallowed before smiling shyly and nodding in the affirmative.

Rory bent down to eye level. "Why don't we order and then the boys and me can give you the tour. That wouldn't be so scary would it?"

Willow nodded taking Rory's hand to lead her to the dining room. Willow stopped for a moment. "Jude and Alex said there would be horses."

"Yes there are, there are two of them and they live in the stable outside, but we can get something to eat first and then the three of you can go to see them."

"Okay then," the little girl said confidently as Rory started to lead her onwards.


"So this is the boys' new friend?" Emily asked as Rory brought the little girl into the dining room.

"Willow, this is the boys Granny and Grampy," Lorelai said as got the little girl settled in her chair.

"Hello there Willow," Emily said to the confused little girl.

"You can call me Willie," the girl said quietly to the nicely dressed old couple.

"Really, but Willow is such a pretty name," Richard said.

"And you are such a pretty girl too," Emily said with a smile as the menus came.

"Thank you?" Willow replied a little shakily.

"You should have the fish cakes, Auntie Sookie does really good fish cakes and as she'll know their for us she'll make them extra special," Alex interjected enthusiastically distracting the conversation.

"They won't be better than my dad's burgers," Jude protested proudly causing Luke to smile.

"My Dad makes burgers too, but he can't bake," Willow mumbled as the grown ups started to talk among themselves.

"And they go to the same school?" Emily asked her daughter.

"Mom," Lorelai said in hushed tones as children figured out what to have.

Richard put down his menu. "Lorelai, she was only asking."

"Willow, there has just started at the boys school," Luke said. "Like they told you the other night."

"Oh, so this is Willie." Emily said as she watched the little girl have her order taken before getting off her chair to go explore with the boys and Rory. "She's not what I was expecting at all."


"So this is the reading room," Rory explained as Willow followed Jude and Alex into a wood paneled room with a number of large leather backed chairs. Willow looked up at the shelves with a number large books."

"If you think this is a lot you should see our living room," Alex said to Willow. "My Mom and Dad and thousands of them."

"You are getting a big collection yourself," Rory added as she ruffled her son's hair.

"No, I've seen more." Willow added.

"Where in a library?" Jude said scoffingly.

"No," Willow said as she stood back from a large man who was reading a paper. "My Grandpa's got a lot more books."

"Really?" Rory said.

"Yeah, they are everywhere; he doesn't have a lot of shelves though," Willow explained. "And I'm not allowed to touch most of them."

"Oh, that is a shame." Rory said.

"Not really," Willow replied. "Most have words I don't understand and are really really grown up books. My Grandpa and Uncle have to spend hours and hours trying to find things out of them."

"Really grown up books?" Jude asked confused.

Willow grinned. "Not like that silly, those ones Ben hides in my Uncle Dean's car when his Mom cleans out his room."

"Excuse me?" Rory asked.

"Oh," Willow blushed. "I only know about them because Ben hid them in the trunk and Uncle was looking for something that he borrowed from my Dad and they fell out when I was playing in the yard and everyone got all embarrassed and told me to go inside. But they were definitely Ben's."

"Right," Rory said slowly. "And how old is Ben?"

"He used to babysit me, but he's at college now," Willow replied.

"Is he now?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, Ben wasn't so sure if he wanted to go, but my Uncle made him. He drove over to pick him up at his mom's and took him to the campus and everything," Willow said before she looked at the carpet.

"So you don't see Ben now?"

"Not so much," Willow admitted as she became confused by Rory's questioning. "It's okay though, I didn't see what was in Ben's books, but Grandma said they were really really grownup picture books that I shouldn't look at and that is good enough for me. But my Dad said that I'm now not allowed near my Uncle's car without a grown up doing a full check first."

"That sounds like a good idea." Rory said with a cough.

"Why would grown up books mean you're not allowed to go near a car?" Alex asked.

"Let's not talk about that," Rory replied curtly turning her attention to the little girl. "So Willow, your Grandpa has a book collection?"

Willow nodded as the boys looked confused. "Yep, lots of them, lots are really old and are from all over the world."

"Like France?" Alex asked to which Willow shrugged.

"I don't know but I know some of them are in lots of different languages."

"Really?" Alex asked curiously before looking up at his mother. "Do you think that they'll be books by the man who you named me for?"

"I don't know." Rory replied as Willow looked at Alex waiting for an explanation.

"He got named for a French Dude who wrote lots of books," Jude said cockily as he looked through the shelves.

"Yeah and you got named after a song," Alex retorted.

"Well that is better than someone who wrote about lots of men who were sucky fighters years ago."

"Okay, the musketeers should have just arrested Richelieu instead of doing everything they did."

"Was he the bossy evil one in the dress?" Jude asked to which Alex nodded.

Jude turned to his half sister. "Yeah they should have done that."

Rory smiled turning back to Willow. "Before Alex was born I was reading a lot of books all written by the same man so we named Alex after him. And as for Jude, he got named after a song my mom really liked."

"Oh," Willow said. "I'm not named because of the witch."

"Excuse me?" Alex asked.

"There was a witch in a TV show and I'm not named after her," Willow said firmly. "Let's get that straight."

"I remember that show." Rory said with a grin causing Willow to glare. "Fine, I'll let everyone know."

"Good, because everybody asks my Dad that and I'm not; he said so." Willow said knotting her brow in a way that seemed familiar to Rory.

"So who are you named for?" Alex asked.

"No-one on TV, not the witch or the Flintstone either," Willow replied.

"Well that clears that up," Rory said glancing over in the direction of the dining room. "Kids, I think that the food is here."


"Mom, is it me or does Willow remind you of someone?" Rory asked as the children were sent to the kitchen so Sookie could find them dessert.

Lorelai shook her head, "Not that I can think of. Seems a little, well overwhelmed, but she seems okay."

Rory shook her head, "No, that isn't what I meant – it's her eyes, her eyes remind me of someone."

Lorelai shrugged. "I don't know."

"Maybe she reminds you of her family," Richard reasoned.

"Her surname is Harvelle," Luke said. "I don't know it, Rory you sure it doesn't ring any bells?"

"No, but she is staying with her grandparents not her Mom and Dad."

"Really?" Emily asked. "I wonder."

"Mom, it isn't our business," Lorelai replied.

"Lorelai, it is probable that if the child seems familiar to Rory somehow, but she doesn't recognize the girl's surname then she may have been acquainted with only one of the child's parents and that maybe from a number of years ago," Emily said calmly.

Lorelai bit her lip. "I suppose."

"And the easiest way to resolve the matter is to politely ask the child about her family so putting an end to the matter," Emily reasoned as the children came back with their cakes.

"Hey Willow," Rory said as the little girl put down the plate. "I was wondering if I can ask you a question about your mom and dad."

The little girl bit her lip, looking around her. "I … my Nana and Granddad are looking after me right now."

"And I'm sure they are doing a fine job while your parents are elsewhere," Richard said.

"Elsewhere?" a confused little girl asked.

"You know, somewhere where they aren't looking after you," Rory explained.

Will shook her head. "But they aren't somewhere else, they are at home, but Daddy said I was to stay here until they came to get me but I don't know when that is."

"Oh really?" Richard questioned.

"Richard, there is a number of reasons she is here at the moment, such as business commitments," Emily said before turning to the child, "What is it your father does for a living?"

"Why?" Willow asked nervously. "Why do you want to know."

"It's okay," Jess said squatting down to the girl's eye level. "We are just curious that is all."

The girl bit her lip before physically steeling herself. "And what do you do?"

Jess let out a little laugh.

"Kid's got you there, only fair," Luke said, amused as much as everyone else in the party.

"Well as you know Luke there runs the diner, Lorelai runs this place, Richard and Emily are retired," Jess explained.

"Retired?" Willow asked.

"I play a lot of golf. Do you know what golf is?" Richard said to which Willow shook her head. "It is a game with sticks and little balls."

"Like pool?" Willow asked.

"Like pool," Lorelai replied with a snigger.

"In a way, as you try and hit the balls into holes," Richard explained trying hard not to cast a look in his daughter's direction. "But you play golf out side."

Willow thought for a second. "You mean with the sticks they call clubs?"

"Why yes," Emilly said with a smile as Willow looked up with confusion at Richard.

"You tell people you play it?" Willow asked the older man. "No-one says anything?"

"Yes," Richard replied.

"But my Uncles have to sneak out and play that game," Willow said.

"Sneak out?" Emily asked.

Willow nodded emphatically. "Of course, 'cause they have to 'cause Uncle Sam says it's a cissy game and they don't like it when he makes fun of them but Grandma says that if it helps Uncle Cas get whats what and keeps people on the straight and narrow my Uncles can go hit all the little balls on the grass they like."

"Straight and narrow?" Rory asked.

"You got to stay on the straight and narrow, don't you?" Willow said. "But sometimes you need help to do it - that's what's family for."

"I guess that's right," Luke said, smirking in Jess' direction to which he tutted causing him to gain the little gir's attention.

"And what do you do?"

"I write stories," Jess quickly explained. "Just like Rory here does, but she writes for newspapers and I write for books."

"You rite stories?" Willow asked. "Do you make them up in your head or does someone put them there?"

Jess laughed. "I...well I make them up."

"That is good then, better that way," Willow replied firmly.

"Yeah, I suppose it is," Jess said with a smile. "So what does your mommy and daddy do?"

"Dad has a shop, he makes stuff and he helps out my Grandpa when he needs it and he looks after me; when Mommy has to go away to work," Willow explained.

"Really?" Emily said. "And what does your mother do?"

"She helps my Grandma at the bar and stays home when Dad goes away."

"When your Dad goes away?" Rory asked to which Willow nodded.

"Grandma said they used to go away together before the big one went down, before they had me. Then they decided that one would stay home with me when they had a gig," Willow explained. "But that means it is mostly Dad as he says Mommy is much better at the job than he is. Not that he minds as long as Mommy comes home."

"A gig?" Lorelai said. "Are your parents musicians? Do they play in a band?"

"No, they don't," Willow said.

"Then what do they do when they are away from home?" Emily asked. "And if they don't go away at the same time why are you staying with your grandparents?"

Willie's lip quivered.

"Well, don't you know young lady? What is it your parents do?" Richard asked causing Willow to burst into tears before running off.

"Great Dad!" Lorelai said as they watched the child run away.

"I only asked her a question," Richard said as Alex tugged on his father's sleeve before whispering in his ear.

"Okay – do you want to see if she is okay?" Jess said to the boys.

As the boys left Jess glowered at Richard.

"Alex says she's staying with grandparents right now because her dad's been hurt in a work accident and her mom is pregnant and the doctors have told her to stay in bed."

"Oh that is just great!" Luke said.

"How were we supposed to know?" Emily protested as Lorelai got up to find the children.


Willow was curled up crying in the back of the stables with both Jude and Alex looking at her as Lorelai found them, she quietly told the boys to go play and she would make sure that Willow was okay.

"Hey you okay? Anything I can get you?" Lorelai said as she crouched down to face the girl who promptly threw her arms around her.

"I want my Mom," Willow said between sobs.

"Okay, I guessed that," Lorelai said comforting the child.

"She said I had to be strong and big and that I'd go home soon. But I want to go home now, can I go home now?" Willow asked.

Lorelai took a breath, "I don't know honey."

"Grandma said she couldn't take care of me too. Not with Mom needing to stay in bed because of the baby and Dad being hurt and she had the bar to run and my Dad's shop while he can't work, so I had to come here. But I've been here ages, My Mom's got to be all bed rested now, can't I go home now."

"I suppose they are going to come for you when everybody's better."

"But why here? I don't know my Nana and Granddad here. I could stay with my Grandpa Bobby, I wouldn't play in the yard if he tells me not too, I promise. Or my Aunt Lisa, I know she's really busy with the new shop stuff, but I wouldn't get in the way. If not, can't I stay with Uncle Dee while he's on the road? He wouldn't lose me in a poker game or be a bad, bad influence on me and if Uncle Sammy acts wiggy at all again, I'll call Uncle Castiel straight away, he'll come. I know he would!" Willow said. "Can't I go be with them or go home? Can't you tell Nana and Granddad I'm not happy and I want to go home?"

The girl sobbed as she held onto Lorelai who didn't know what to say to that.

"You just cry it out Willow, you'll feel better after that," Lorelai said as the child continued to cry until she cried herself to sleep.

"Lorelai, her grandfather's here to pick her up," Luke said as he found his wife cradling the sleeping girl in her arms.

"Okay," Lorelai said as Luke went to pick Willow up.


Randy stood there uncomfortable in the entrance way hands in his pockets as Rory didn't know what to say to him. The frosty silence seemed to hang over the room as Luke came in to hand the child over.

"Randy Forester?" Lorelai asked confused at first why he was there. "You're Willow's grandfather."

"Yeah, I am and thank you for looking after her," Randy said, "I understand she was upset."

Lorelai looked over at her daughter who was looking sheepishly at the floor before turning her focus to the man and the child in the doorway. "That is okay. She was homesick that is all. Missing her Mom and Dad."

Randy nodded, "I know."

He shifted the sleeping child's weight to get her more comfortable.

"How's Dean?" Rory asked hestiantly. "Willow...she said her Dad was hurt. Is he alright?"

"He's doing okay now." Randy said firmly.

Rory swallowed. "She's a lovely little girl."

"Yes, she is," Randy replied.

"She has Dean's eyes," Rory said causing Randy to prickle further for a moment.

"The boys really like her," Luke said trying to ease the tense situation. "Thanks for letting her come up."

"Well…I wasn't sure that the boys were yours when they asked to come up here," Randy replied, he rubbed the sleeping child's back as she murmured a little. "But she just wanted to see the horses."

"That is understandable," Lorelai interjecting. "Little girls and horses, one of those universal constants. Up there with the tides and gravity."

"How much do I owe you for her lunch?" Randy asked Lorelai.

"We told you it is on us," Jess replied to which Randy looked at him uncomfortably.

"Sure it is," Randy said.

"Definitely, considering the service your granddaughter did our boys at school," Emily said in a helpful tone.

"What service?"

"Granny, you aren't supposed to tell about the fighting!" Jude said firmly not liking the atmosphere that had descended.

Randy clenched his jaw for a moment. "Then thank you for her lunch, though I would appreciate it if in the future you kept your boys away from her."

"Excuse me?" Richard said.

"You heard me," Randy said walking out the door.

"How rude!" Emily said as he left, "Telling us to keep the boys away from her."

"Emily, can it will you!" Jess said taking hold of Rory's hand.

"Mom?" Alex said looking up at his mother, "Does that mean I can't talk to Willie any more?"

"I think so," Rory said.

"Why?" Jude asked the adults.

"Just for a little while," Luke said.

"Why?" Alex asked.

"It's a long story kid," Jess said.

"But why?" Jude asked as Alex moved closer towards his mother.

"I…well." Rory started to say.

"What do you say that you stay over with us tonight," Lorelai said to Alex as she noted the look on her daughter's face.

"Thanks," Jess replied.