Thank you for the reviews :D I know I'm not getting as many as I am for my other story but this is still new...so give it time right? So I've finally decided to listen to your requests and I am going to make this story longer! It's going to be in the double digits I think...hope that makes you happy!

"Luke's gonna be home soon," said Lorelai. She and Rory were sat on the couch watching TV, just like old times.

"How soon?" asked Rory.

"Like ten minutes soon," she replied. She saw Rory's sharp intake of breath and felt a bit of sympathy for her. She knew she shouldn't but this was Rory, they'd always had a special relationship. "I'm sure it won't be that bad," assured Lorelai.

"You keep telling yourself that." Lorelai looked at her again before standing up.

"I'm just gonna tell Leah to wash up before dinner." She walked upstairs and found Leah in the bathroom. "What are you doing?" she asked as she stood in the doorway. Leah was stood on her footstool, the sink full with water, holding a very wet Barbie and Ken in her hands.

"Barbie wanted to go swimming," she answered innocently.

"Oh really?"

"Yep and Ken did too." Lorelai pushed away from the door and made her way into the room.

"There's water everywhere," she complained, looking at the puddles on the tiled floor.

"I'll clean it up, I promise."

"Well you'd better do it soon, grandpa's gonna be home any minute."

"Uh oh."

"Yup." Lorelai took the dolls from her and put them in the water before lifting her from the footstool.

"No, they can't swim!" she exclaimed as she watched the dolls sink under the water.

"If they can't swim then why did they wanna go swimming?"

"Ask them," she answered. Lorelai rolled her eyes and put Leah on her feet. She took some towels from the closet and put them on the floor to soak up the water.

"Don't do this again without asking first okay?"

"Okay sorry," she said ashamedly.

"Good now let's get your hands washed."

Luke walked through the door of the crap shack and called his usual 'I'm home'. He was slightly disappointed when Leah didn't run up to greet him like she normally did but he knew today was different. He walked into the living room carrying the Luke's take out bag and saw Rory stood next to the couch, Lorelai and Leah were nowhere to be seen.

"Hey Luke," she said nervously.

"Rory," he replied with a nod of his head. She hadn't changed much; the only thing he noticed was that her hair was longer. He was about to say more but Lorelai came down the stairs with Leah following close behind.

"Hey you're home," said Lorelai as she leaned in to kiss him hello.

"Good day?" he asked.

"The usual," she shrugged.

"Grandpa did you get me a muffin?" asked Leah. Luke bent down to her level.

"Yes I did, blueberry like you asked for."

"Thank you," she bounded into his arms and he lifted her up.

"Can we eat already?" moaned Lorelai. "I'm starved."

"I should have known," said Luke knowingly. The three of them walked towards the kitchen as Rory watched after them. She knew she was intruding on their lives, she didn't feel like part of the family anymore. Lorelai stopped and looked back at her.

"You coming?" she asked. "Luke's brought plenty of food." Rory nodded and joined them in the kitchen. They sat around the wooden table as Luke pulled the food from the bag.

"Okay cheeseburger for you," he gave it to Lorelai. "Turkey burger for Leah."

"Yummy," she said.

"I err...brought you a cheeseburger," he said to Rory.

"Thanks Luke." Lorelai looked between them, noticing the tension and tried to think of something to kill it.

"Luke I need coffee," she said.

"Already taken care of." He gave her a large to-go cup full of Luke's coffee.

"You're an angel," she gushed, leaning across to kiss him.

"That's yucky," complained Leah.

"What is?" asked Luke.

"You two kissing."

"You don't mind when we kiss you," Lorelai reminded.

"But you make it look gross."

"Eat your food," ordered Luke. Leah shrugged and picked up a couple of fries that Luke had put on her plate. Rory had been watching them interact, she didn't belong here anymore. Her daughter was ignoring her and her step father was shooting her death glares across the table. She knew it was only a matter of time before he said something; he was probably waiting till Leah wasn't around.

"So Leah, do you not like cheeseburgers?" asked Rory, hoping to spark up a conversation with her daughter.

"They're bad for you," she answered without looking at her.

"Oh but they taste good," she reasoned. Leah shrugged her shoulders again then took a bite of her turkey burger.

"Grandpa we made cookies," she said, pointing to the plastic container that was now on the counter.

"I know, you told me when you came to the diner," he reminded her.

"They're chocolate chip," she said.

"Really?"

"Yeah we didn't make them though; we just made them look pretty."

"I'll have to take a look after dinner," he said.

"I made one for you. I wrote 'grandpa' on it so you have to eat it."

"Why do I have to?"

"Cause if someone else eats it then they'll turn into a grandpa," she explained. Luke glanced at Lorelai and they smirked at each other.

"We wouldn't want that would we?" he asked.

"No it would be really bad." Silence fell over the group as they finished dinner. Rory remained quiet throughout the meal and focussed only on her food. When they had finished, Luke washed the dishes while Lorelai and Rory went upstairs to bathe Leah.

In the bathroom, Rory was perched on the toilet lid as Lorelai got the water to the right temperature. Rory watched Leah as she looked through her collection of water toys, choosing the ones she wanted.

"So what's your room like Leah?" asked Rory, trying once again to start a conversation.

"It's okay I guess," she replied.

"Why don't you go show her?" suggested Lorelai.

"What?" Leah asked, obviously not liking the idea.

"Go show Rory your room while I draw your bath, I'll shout when it's ready."

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly. Rory smiled her appreciation at Lorelai then followed Leah out of the room. "It's in here," said Leah as she pushed the door open. Rory followed her in and looked around the medium-sized room. She was expecting the walls to be pink but they were a pale shade of blue.

"I thought it'd be pink," said Rory.

"It used to be but I wanted to change it," she replied. "Blue is my favourite colour."

"It is? Mine too."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Cool." Leah walked over and sat on her bed, picking up Colonel Clucker and hugging him to her. Rory noticed this and smiled to herself, remembering when she asked Lorelai to give the stuffed hen to Leah. "He used to be yours didn't he?" asked Leah shyly.

"Yeah."

"How old were you when you got him?"

"Erm...four I think."

"That's one year older than me," she said proudly.

"Yeah it is, well done," praised Rory. Wow this girl is smart for her age, she thought. "Is he still called Colonel Clucker?"

"Yeah it's still the same, I didn't wanna change it." Rory smiled in return, not really sure of what to say. They heard footsteps outside before Lorelai appeared in the doorway.

"Bath's ready," she said. Leah jumped up and ran past her towards the bathroom. "Everything okay?" she asked Rory.

"Yeah, I think it is." They smiled then made their way to the bathroom together.

It was eight pm when Luke told Leah it was time for bed. She proceeded to pout, the way she always did, but Luke refused and told her firmly.

"But I wanna stay up longer," she whined.

"No, tomorrow is Sunday and you know what that means don't you?" he asked.

"We're going out," she answered. Luke nodded. "Where?"

"That's a surprise."

"Aww tell me pleeeaaaase," she begged.

"No, the sooner you go to bed, the sooner you find out."

"Fine," she huffed.

"Go on up and brush your teeth, I'll be there in a little while," said Lorelai.

"Okay." She kissed Luke's cheek. "Night grandpa." She made her way towards the stairs and began to climb them. As she got to the fifth step, she stopped and turned around, her gaze falling upon Rory. "Night Rory," she said quietly.

"Goodnight Leah," she returned. Leah smiled sheepishly then continued to climb the stairs until she was out of sight. Rory turned to look at Luke, a smile still tracing her lips. He looked at her then took his attention back to the TV, his expression hard to read. Rory frowned and slumped back into the armchair she was sat in.

"Will you guys be okay for five minutes?" asked Lorelai as she stood up from the couch.

"We'll be fine," said Luke, smiling brightly at her.

"Okay I won't be long." The two watched her go upstairs then Rory gave Luke a nervous glance. He had hardly said a word to her since he got home, only when it was necessary. She was certain he was putting on a front for Leah's benefit, but as soon as she was asleep, the interrogation would begin.

When Lorelai got upstairs, Leah was still in the bathroom. She went in to find her staring at herself in the mirror.

"Whatcha doing?" asked Lorelai.

"Do you think I'm pretty?" asked Leah, completely ignoring Lorelai's question.

"Of course you are, what's brought this on?"

"Rory's really pretty."

"I know she is."

"I wanna look like Rory."

"Honey, you do look like Rory."

"How?"

"Well because Rory's your mom and you look similar for that reason."

"But we have different hair."

"Yes you do but your faces are exactly the same. You have the same eyes, the same nose and mouth," she listed.

"We do?"

"Yeah, you look just like Rory, you're beautiful," she said.

"Beautiful?" she asked.

"Like a princess."

"Like Cinderella?"

"Yeah if you like."

"Cool."

"Okay now did you brush your teeth?"

"Yes really goodly," she said.

"Sweetie, goodly isn't a word."

"Oh."

"Did you use the bathroom?" she asked. Leah shook her head. "You need to go before you go to bed," she warned.

"Okay but not with you in here."

"Alright I'm leaving, don't forget to flush." When Leah was finished, she went to her room to see Lorelai sat on her bed. "Finished?" she asked.

"Yeah. Can we read a story?"

"How about we just talk tonight?"

"About what?"

"How about Rory?"

"Oh," she said uncertainly. Leah climbed into bed and Lorelai tucked the covers around her.

"So how're you feeling about everything?" she asked.

"Okay I guess."

"Is that it?" Leah shrugged. "You seemed to be getting on well at bath time," she observed.

"We were talking about Colonel Clucker," she said. "Rory asked if I changed his name."

"What did you say?"

"That it's still the same and I didn't wanna change it." Leah looked up at her. "When is she leaving?"

"What?"

"When's Rory going?"

"Uh...she's not," replied Lorelai.

"Huh?"

"She's staying; she's gonna live with us now."

"Why?"

"Because she wants to get to know you." Lorelai noticed Leah didn't seem to warm to the idea. "Do you want her to leave?"

"I don't know, I thought she would go."

"Well she's not, she's gonna live here."

"Where is she gonna sleep?"

"In her room downstairs, next to the kitchen."

"Is that the room I'm not allowed in?"

"Yeah that's the one." Lorelai didn't want Leah going in that room; she didn't want anybody in that room besides Rory. She hadn't told anyone this, even Luke didn't know. "Do you think you could like Rory?"

"I think so, she seems nice."

"She is. Do you think you could call her mommy?" Leah shrugged. "You don't have to say it straight away but maybe soon you could."

"I don't know."

"Okay well get some sleep so you'll be wide awake for tomorrow."

"Night grandma." Lorelai kissed her forehead then tucked her in again.

"Love you baby," she said to a now sleepy Leah.

"Me too," she mumbled before falling into a deep slumber.

Back downstairs, Luke and Rory were sat in a very uncomfortable silence. The only sound was that from the TV. Luke took the opportunity to look at Rory; she looked deep in thought, and nervous. He sighed then opened his mouth to speak.

"Why?" he asked. Rory was brought out of her daydream and looked at Luke.

"What?"

"Why?" he repeated.

"Luke what..."

"Why did you leave?" he asked, making himself clearer.

"I...." She was stuck for words. "I just...."

"It was so unlike you Rory; I never thought you'd do something so awful, to your own flesh and blood as well. That Logan kid changed you. He took an innocent girl and he turned her into somebody she wasn't, somebody I didn't like." A few tears rolled down Rory's cheeks.

"Why?" he asked.

"I was too young," she said.

"Too....too young?" he asked incredulously.

"I've already heard it all from mom," she said.

"Well get ready to hear it from me too," he spat. "Your mother gave up everything she ever dreamed of for you. She was sixteen and she put you before everything else. You were twenty two, you were perfectly capable of taking care of a child, we told you we were gonna be here to help you but you threw it back in our faces. When you left, you betrayed your mother. Everything she ever did to make you happy, the great job she did in raising you by herself and you threw it right back at her. I'm ashamed of you Rory, Lorelai deserved so much more than that, she didn't deserve to have the burden of looking after somebody else's child hanging over her head." Luke took a deep breath as he finished his rant. He had definitely been with Lorelai too long, he had never said so much all at once in his life.

"I know what I did was wrong," she said back.

"Oh you did, well that makes it all better then. You know it was wrong, wow what an accomplishment," he spat sarcastically.

"I know I've missed out on a lot but I wanna be here for her now. I wanna see her grow up."

"So you wanna see. What are you gonna do, watch from the sidelines as we raise your child for you? She needs you; you need to be there for her."

"So doesn't wanna talk to me," she said sadly.

"Are you surprised? You've been absent the last three years and you think you can come back and everything will immediately be okay?"

"No."

"You need to let her warm up to you, give her space and let her do it in her own time. She said goodnight to you didn't she? What more can you expect after one day?"

"Luke stop yelling."

"No I won't because for three years, we have been taking care of your child. We've altered our daily routines, our lifestyles, we even extended the damned house to make room for her and to make her feel wanted. Do you know what that's been like for me, for us?"

"So Leah's just a burden to you?" asked Rory.

"Don't turn this around on me Rory; I've been here the past three years."

"But you didn't want to be, isn't that what you're saying?"

"When Leah was a baby and I was stood in the kitchen at two in the morning warming a bottle while she cried in my arms, I admit I wondered what the hell I was doing. I love Leah, more than my life, but I find myself thinking, that should have been my kid." There was a hint of sadness in Luke's voice now. "I always thought that when I'd be doing all that diaper changing, it'd be for my own child, my first born but it didn't work out that way."

"I'm sorry Luke," whispered Rory.

"I don't regret taking care of her the past three years, she's a great kid and I like to think of her as my own grandchild but you should have been here. Grandparents aren't supposed to get up every night to change the sheets because their grandchild had an accident; you are supposed to do that."

"I know," she said weakly.

"Lorelai and I have been married for more than four years; I thought we'd have at least one child together by now."

"It's my fault."

"You know what? I'm not gonna disagree because you're right, it is. We had talked about kids before Leah was born, we were gonna wait a bit longer before we started a family, you know, enjoy just being together. When you left that baby with us, the last thing on our minds was kids because we'd just been left with somebody else's responsibility."

"I know you had to put your life on hold for her," she said quietly.

"I'm almost forty four; I'm too old to have kids now."

"No you're not, you can still have one, I know mom would go for it," she tried to convince him. This was the Rory he knew, the caring young woman who tried her best to help people. He realised the conversation was getting a bit uncomfortable, especially after so long apart from each other.

"So is that the only reason you left? You were too young?" he asked, his sharp tone seeping back in.

"I had that job offer, I couldn't ignore it."

"Did you think about her at all?"

"Every day," she admitted.

"Why didn't you come back?"

"I couldn't," she choked.

"That's not an answer, why?"

"Because I....I..I just know okay? Yes I know it was wrong and now I'm here I don't know what came over me."

"Rory you used to be such a sweet kid, you wouldn't hurt a fly. Something must have happened to keep you away for so long." Rory looked at her hands clasped in her lap, unable to meet his eyes. "Rory," he pushed.

"I don't wanna talk about it, leave me alone," she shouted. She stood up and stormed to her room, slamming the door shut behind her. Lorelai came down the stairs, slightly shocked to see Rory running off to her bedroom.

"What happened?" she asked. "Did you talk to her?"

"Yeah, there's something she's not telling us," he said. He was a little worried about finding out what it was; it could have been something really awful.

"What about?"

"About why she stayed away."

"She told me it was too hard to come back; she went to stay with Logan for a while."

"That punk?" he asked, getting angry.

"Luke calm down."

"So she's been running around with that asshole while we've been here raising her kid for her?" Something dawned on Luke then. "You don't think he...." he trailed off.

"What? Luke what's going on?" she asked demandingly.

"When I asked her what happened to make her stay away for so long, she bit my head off. She told me to leave her alone and that she didn't wanna talk about it. That's when she ran to her room. You don't think he....hurt her do you?" he asked hesitantly.

"What?" asked Lorelai, not quite believing it could be true.

"He might have done something," he said quietly.

"No," whispered Lorelai. "No she'd come home and tell us if something serious happened."

"Maybe she was scared," he said.

"I don't wanna think like that, let's not assume things. We need to know the truth." Lorelai was upset just thinking about something terrible like that happening to Rory, she didn't want it to be true. If Logan did do something, why would she run away to Jess? Why not her? Millions of thoughts were running through her head, most of them she didn't want to believe. She closed her eyes and wished this could all be one big dream, one big terrible dream that she would wake up from any second now.

So what happened to Rory.....and what about Jess? All will be revealed in due time :D I know Luke's reaction wasn't as harsh as it could have been but to be honest I'm a little tired of all the angst. So before you go, leave a comment, in other words REVIEW! I want to know what you're thinking. I'm not good with drama so I wanna know if I'm doing it okay.

Emily.