Author's Note:

I really hate to ask, but reviews really do help get me motivated to write. So please, let me know what you think – let me know if you hate something or if you think that I'm writing a character wrong, and also please let me know if you think I'm doing a good job. Thanks guys!

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8.04 "Scar Tissue that I Wish you Saw"

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His laughter was resonating in her ears. She looked around to the coffee shop to make sure that no one was staring. This was the second time that they'd met here for lunch this week. Having him so close was nice, except for when he acted like this. With her face turning red, she lowered her head in an effort to hide. "Rory, you are something else."

"Jess, please." Her blue eyes connected with his, pleadingly. He felt her pain on a deeper level, with an obvious look of fright in her eyes.

Jess stopped laughing. "I'm sorry, Rory. I would go, you know I would. We're having a book signing that night. It's pretty big; I have to be there." Jess's book publishing company had moved from Philadelphia to New York, in order to reach a larger audience.

Rory nodded. She understood, she really did, but she was terrified of going to this banquet. It was the uncertainty that scared her the most. She wasn't sure who would be there, and most blaringly, she didn't know if Logan would be making an appearance. Her senses told her no, that he was in California doing his thing. There was no way that he'd make the flight out for some banquet. But there was always that lingering doubt in her mind. She didn't know what he knew of her new job, if he knew at all, and she didn't know if he'd even care to see her, after everything that happened.

"Why don't you blow it off? Come to my party instead?" Jess shrugged, stating his offer.

Rory raised her eyebrows at him. "I cannot just blow off my new boss, after he personally invited me to this banquet. It would be … careless."

"I'll tell you what's careless. You even working for that man is careless. Why be prudent now?"

Rory guffawed. "I'd like to see you turn down a job with Mitchum Huntzberger's publishing company. You do that, and then we can talk."

"But you see, the difference is that Mitchum Huntzberger never said anything to me that made me go out and commit a felony."

Rory stuck out her tongue at Jess. "No, you commit felonies fine on your own."

Jess put his hands over his heart, pretending to be injured. "Ooh, that hurt."

"You think that hurts? Wait until I tell Luke that you accosted me at a party, where alcohol was being served."

"That was six years ago!"

"You think that'll matter to him, when at the mention of you climbing into my window, he was ready to commit murder?" Rory sat back in triumph. "Think about that."

"All this because I can't go to some party with you?" Rory nodded. "I'm doing you a favor, Rory. I'd probably find this Mitchum Huntzberger and challenge him to a duel, or whatever the rich folk call it these days."

"I think it's morphed into more of a 'Yeah, well I'll buy your company!' type of thing. And he could definitely buy your company. So, yeah. I guess it's best that you not go."

"Thank God, you're finally talking sense. You can still be my friend."

Rory stood from her seat, Jess following her actions. "I wasn't aware that our friendship was in jeopardy. I'll keep that in mind for next time, but that means that you must find me some handsome men to replace you in the future."

"What am I, a pimp?"

"From this day forth, you shall be known as 50 Cent," Rory returned, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Ah, jeez."

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For the third time that week, April accompanied Lorelai to the inn. It being Wednesday, everyone at the inn was beginning to get used to having a teenager running around again.

"April!" Michel squealed, uncharacteristically. There had only been three times in her life that Lorelai had witnessed that type of outpouring of emotion from Michel. One of those times, she recalled, was for Rory. Smiling at the thought, Lorelai looked to Luke's daughter.

"Alright, Kid, I've got some stuff to do. You'll be okay?"

"Of course she'll be okay," Michel answered for her. His new affinity for April grew out of the fact that she understood his post-it-note system, and had even helped him to improve upon a few things.

"Yeah, Lorelai, thanks. I'll be okay," April reassured her.

"Oh. Lorelai?" Michel asked, as an afterthought. Lorelai paused in her step and looked at him. "Your mother-"

"I know, she's been calling me."

"If you have been receiving my phone calls, then why have you not returned a single one?" Emily Gilmore emerged from the dining room.

"I don't understand what's wrong. I've suddenly grown cold and I feel like all of the happiness is being sucked out of me," Lorelai said, looking visibly sad.

April started giggling, much to the dismay of Emily. "What is wrong with you?"

"She's talking about the dementors in Harry Potter," April explained. "We kind of had a marathon."

"The dementors?"

"Never mind, Mom. What's up?"

"What's up?" Emily echoed. "I came to find out if you were dead. And who is this?" she asked, gesturing towards April.

"That's April, Luke's daughter." April gave a meek wave, looking a bit scared and intimidated by Emily Gilmore.

Emily's frown broke as she smiled at April and introduced herself. Then, she refocused on Lorelai. "I have been trying to get a hold of you for a week."

Lorelai smiled. "I didn't know that four days constitutes a week. I've been busy, Mom." Lorelai guided her mother back into the dining room. "Now, let's have some lunch and talk."

"Oh, who can eat at a time like this?" Emily asked, falling into a seat at a table. Exasperated, she put her hand to her forehead.

"Mom, I'm okay. I'm fine. I'm right here."

Lorelai was bumbling to explain her absence when Emily waved her hand. "For goodness sake, Lorelai. It's not like you haven't disappeared before. That, I'm used to. It's your father." Lorelai's heart jumped into her throat, tears preemptively formed. "I think he's having an affair."

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Lorelai sat on the porch, cell phone to her ear. "So she comes in and says she thinks Grandpa is having an affair."

"No!" Rory's voice was full of disbelief.

"But get this. She thinks he's been having affair because he's been going to church, every Sunday," Lorelai explained, her voice full of laughter.

"So Grandpa's having affair with God?"

"Or the priest!"

Rory's face scrunched in disgust. "I'd rather say it's God. Is Grandma okay?"

Lorelai waved her hand, as if Rory could see her. "She'll be fine. I talked her down from the ledge and we had lunch." Luke appeared outside, bringing her a cup of coffee and delivering a kiss. Lorelai gave him a thankful smile before he went back inside. "Speaking of dinner, what's going on with this banquet tomorrow?"

"Oh God, don't remind me. I don't have a date, I don't know what to wear, and I don't think I'll know anyone there, aside from the Huntzbergers themselves, and I don't think that I'm at the top of the their list of people they want to talk to. It's going to be a disaster."

Lorelai's heart ached for her daughter. "I'm sorry, Kid. But, you know, things like these have a way of working themselves out. Maybe you'll meet a dashing young man, or at least just a warm body for the night." After her last statement, Lorelai looked around to make sure that April hadn't overheard her.

"Mom!"

"Okay, fine, tell me how your first week went." Lorelai smiled to herself, as she stared at the third page of the New York Bulletin and spied her daughter's name in a byline.

"Oh my god. The coffee here is excellent. Some of the best I've ever had. And the people, they take a little getting used to, but they're really nice. I suspect it may be because Mitchum personally showed me around the first day, but in any event, it's a good thing."

"Are you happy?" Lorelai asked, hoping to get a positive response.

"I think it's too soon to tell, but I'm not regretting anything. Yet. Ask me after tomorrow's banquet."

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"Does anyone want to play Monopoly?" Lorelai asked, emerging with the board game in hand. "I would suggest Bop-It, but your dad tends to get a little wacky when it comes to that. It's not pretty."

"Dad?" April asked, obviously wanting to hear the story.

"One time! Lorelai, it was one time!"

Lorelai sat down at the kitchen table next to Luke and April. Turning to April, she whispered, "He almost knocked out a guy, half his age over the game."

"Dad!" April exclaimed in surprise and amusement. Luke, on the other hand, did not look amused at all.

As Lorelai gave everyone the right amount of money, she smiled at the picture before her. "So, what do you want to do tomorrow, on your last day? Better make it special!" Lorelai winked.

"I was thinking about that," April started, "Can we go see Rory?"

Lorelai smiled broadly. "We can definitely go see Rory. She has a banquet at 8 tomorrow night, but we'll be home by then." Luke and her eyes locked, both happier than they'd been in a long time.

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Driving home from a big day in New York, April lay in the backseat, using Luke's jacket as a pillow. Lorelai had bought April some new clothes for school, clothes that no one in New Mexico would be wearing. "Did you have fun, April?" Lorelai asked, half turned in her seat, holding a cup of coffee.

April nodded, sleepily. "Rory's going to make a great big sister," she responded.

Luke and Lorelai shared a moment before Lorelai patted April's leg. "You'd better rest, you've got a big flight in the morning," she told the girl in the back of the Jeep.

"Dad?" April asked, sitting up and wiping the sleep out of her eyes. Luke nodded to show that he was paying attention. "Lorelai?" Lorelai turned around in response. "I've had a really great time with you guys," she started. "New Mexico is nice, but Mom is really busy with Grandma, and it's so dry and just … completely different from the East coast."

"Well, everything takes a little getting used to," Lorelai tried to be encouraging. "Pretty soon, you'll forget that you ever called this home."

"But I don't want to forget. Dad, Lorelai, can I … would it be okay if I live here with you?"

Luke and Lorelai looked shocked. "Honey, I think you'd better pull over," Lorelai instructed him.

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With her hair pulled up in a French twist, Rory stood in front of her mirror. She wore a strapless floor-length black dress, keeping it simple. The company had arranged to have a car take her to the banquet. Rory felt out of place. Normally, she had someone to help her survive these types of functions. Smiling at the memory of sub-parties at her grandparent's house, Rory straightened her posture, grabbed her clutch, and went downstairs to meet her car.

"Miss Gilmore," the man greeted her, opening the door.

"Frank?" Rory asked, surprised by the appearance of the man who she'd borrowed from Logan so many years ago.

"You remember me!" he exclaimed, smiling.

"Of course I remember you, it's not everyday that I have a knight in shining armor rescue me." Rory sat in the car and waited for him to get in front. "You'll have to excuse me, I don't have a sandwich this time."

The two talked as one might have expected old friends to talk. Frank was now employed by Mitchum, on call for thing such as these, ever since Logan had moved to California. After seeing her name on the list of people receiving a car, Frank volunteered to pick her up. "I hope that you have a wonderful evening, Miss Gilmore. I'll be just around the corner, ready for whenever you are ready to leave."

"Thank you so much, Frank. I promise that I won't be too long." Frank laughed, as Rory left to enter the party.

With her heart beating a million miles a minute, she felt unsteady on her feet. From somewhere within her, she gathered enough pseudo confidence to last her until she could get some liquid courage. "Rory!" she heard her name. With her heart caught in her throat, she turned to look for the source. Relieved to see a coworker, Rory made her way over to Linda. "It's been incredibly boring. Here, have a glass of champagne," she encouraged, plucking a flute from a passing tray.

"How has the night been so far?"

"Incredibly boring. Mr. Huntzberger has yet to arrive. As soon as he does, I'm out of here. I'm only here to kiss ass."

With a bit of champagne in her, Rory felt a bit more relaxed. "Same here," she told her. Linda had been with the Bulletin for a little over a year and had been kind enough to show her the ropes.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Linda told her, almost accusingly. "I hate you skinny bitches."

Rory looked a bit taken aback, but decided that it was a compliment and smiled. "You look great, Linda. Should we find our table?"

Linda shook her head. "I want to be right here in case Huntzberger comes in. Front and center, so he sees my smiling face." To emphasize her point, Linda plastered a fake smile on her face.

The two co-workers, bonding on the sole reason that they knew no one else there, shared anecdote after anecdote in an effort to pass the time. "Oh thank God," Linda said finally. "Here comes Huntzberger. It's our cue to greet and leave." Linda began her walk to the greeting line, but Rory stood frozen.

She saw his blonde hair first, then his arm attached to a leggy blonde. Feeling a pain in her heart unlike anything she'd ever felt before, Rory's hand flew to her chest in an effort to stop the sobs from bubbling up. Looking for an exit, her eyes darted around the room quickly. The only exit was the same place where Logan stood. Rory grabbed another flute of champagne, downed it, and gathered all the strength in her to walk steadily out of the banquet.

Making it to the front doors, she foolishly looked back to make sure she'd been undetected. Her mistake lay in that final move, as his eyes met hers. Throwing caution to the wind, Rory began to run down the steps to where Frank's car was, the sound of her name following her the entire way.

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Up next: Will Logan catch Rory? What happens with April? Can you handle the suspense!?!