The drive back to Hartford was long, about six days. Rory was exhausted from being behind the wheel for that long, but none the less, she made it home, and was currently in a small town about thirty minutes away from her house. The town she had stopped in was small, and understatement of the century. It was cute, some place she could see herself living in.
"Stars Hollow" She said slowly, reading the sign. The name of the town made her feel like she was in a fairy tale. Careful not to wake up Aidan, she moved him from the carseat to the stroller, so that she could go inside the small diner she had parked across the street from. The diner was so cute, and had that feeling of home to me.
"Just take a seat anywhere!" a girl said from behind the count when she quickly glanced back at Rory.
Doing what the girl said, Rory moved to the table in the corner closest to the window.
"Hi!, my name is Lane, what can I get you?" the girl said. Rory looked up startled.
"Oh uhh...Coffee for now, lots of coffee", Rory said, looking at the menu, "Oh and how about a double cheeseburger? Extra bacon" Lane stood there with a little disbelief. Such a tiny girl with such a big appetite.
"You know, you remind me of the boss' girlfriend" Lane said, scribbling down the order on her pad.
"Oh?" Rory said.
"Yeah, she comes in here and orders five cups of coffee, and a burger, hold the lettuce, extra meat, such a nice lady too, she runs the Inn in town" Lane exclaimed.
"Theres an inn in this town, can you tell me where it is, I just drove here from California and I'm heading to Hartford and I'm exhausted" Rory said.
"California ehh? Quite a far drive, sure, it's down on third street, take a left onto peach street, and keep going straight, there should be a sign that says the dragonfly inn." Lane said. Rory wrote that down, and then Lane left to put the food order in. Aidan took this time to wake up and look around sleepily.
"Ma, where are we?" he said in a quiet, sleepy voice. Rory smoothed his hair.
"Connecticut baby" She said softly. She looked around the diner for Lane, needing to order something for her son.
"Hey Lane?" she shouted, seeing the Asian girl. Lane looked up from the counter.
"Any way I could get another cheeseburger?" she asked politely. Lane smiled and nodded, putting the order in. Just then the door burst open revealing a woman whose face she could not see.
"Hell lovely diner goers, I am here to grace you with my presence once again, LUKE!" she yelled.
"that voice..." Rory whispered, trying to see the woman's face. The woman sat down at the counter.
"Lorelai!, I was just talking about you" Lane said, pouring a cup of coffee for the energetic woman.
"Really? Well I'm flattered Lane, but you know I don't go that way" the woman said. Rory froze, feeling all of the blood drain from her face. That voice, the name, it couldn't be.
"No, no..This girl, she just came in from California, and she's looking for a room for the night, said she's heading up to Hartford but she's dead tired" Lane said. Lorelai made a face.
"Hartford, what could she possibly want there, whatever, where is she?" The older woman asked. Lane gestured to the table where Rory sat frozen. Lorelai was all smiles until she saw who it was.
"Oh my god...Rory..." she whispered. Rory raised a hand and waved a brief hello. Lorelai couldn't see straight.
"Oh my..." she whispered falling backwards. Rory sat in shock. Her mother had just fainted in front of her, and more importantly...
Her mother was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans!
"Who are you?" Lane asked Rory, shocked that Lorelai had just fainted in front of the entire diner.
Rory looked up startled at lanes voice.
"I-"
"What the hell is going on here?" A gruff man said, coming out from behind a curtain. Rory looked up, now even more flustered.
"I uhm?" Rory said, brushing her hair from her face. Luke looked from her to Lane to his Girlfriend.
"Who are you?" Lane asked again. Rory looked up and sighed..
"My name is Lorelai Gilmore-Hayden...I'm her daughter..." Rory said softly, gesturing to the fainted Lorelai. Lane looked from Luke to Lorelai to Rory.
"What do you mean daughter?" Luke said angrily. Rory looked panicked.
"I- About four years ago, my parents sent me away to Paris, but instead I went to California... They seemed like such a society couple when I left...What happened?" Rory said/asked herself. Lorelai began to wake up slowly, until finally she opened her eyes. She saw Rory and gasped.
"I can't believe you're here! Why? How?" she asked. Rory looked from her to Luke, who did not look happy.
"I think the better question is mom...Why are you here?" The Younger Lorelai asked, looking confused and scared as ever. Lorelai looked at her and sighed.
"Well this is going to be a long story," She said, looking at all the people in the diner, "And I think its best talked about in private?" Rory nodded, picking up Aidan. Lorelai looked at her shocked.
"And this is-"
"The abomination formerly known as your grandson" Rory spat. Lorelai winced. Rory glared at her so called mother as they were ushered upstairs by Luke.
What a homecoming this was.