DISCLAIMER: I own nothing...

A/N: Here is the next chapter, and I am sorry that it took so long! Enjoy...

Chapter Four:

Chris stood awkwardly in the lounge room of Lorelai's Stars Hollow house. Rory was yet to say a word that wasn't dripping with disdain, and Chris was starting to wonder whether he was asking Lorelai just a little too much by expecting her to care for Rory while she was acting the way she was.

After all, he had had her for 16 good years, and now that things were starting to get a bit rough, he was sending her off to her mother. He glanced at Lorelai Gilmore, and sensing the pleading look in her eyes, decided it was time for someone to say something.

"So," he started, unsure of what exactly he was going to say. All he had thought of was breaking the awkward silence that was engulfing the small family.

"Luke's," exclaimed Lorelai suddenly, a twinkle forming in her eye. If anything could fix a situation like this is was coffee and food.

Lorelai Hayden looked at her as though she was completely mad. Chris had to stifle a laugh at the antics of Lorelai Gilmore. Nothing could keep her from her coffee. Luckily their daughter shared the same addiction, at least there was the possibility of something they could bond over.

"Sounds good Lore," replied Chris, the only thought in his mind to get away from the toxic atmosphere that had formed. Turning his attention to the younger Lorelai he spoke again. "How does that sound kiddo?"

Lorelai the third considered what had transpired in front of her, and decided that for the time being it would be easier to go along with that was suggested.

"Sure," she replied, keeping a determined straight face, even at the look of shock that crossed both her parent's faces. They had obviously expected her to kick up more of a fuss than she did.

"Can I meet you there?" She asked, somewhat innocently. What the hell, she thought flippantly, may as well play it for all it's worth, right? "I just want to get settled a little first, you know. Unpack the main couple of things."

Chris glanced from Lorelai to their daughter, attempting, somewhat in vain, to keep the look of suspicion off his face. It was the elder Lorelai who finally answered the younger one.

"Sure, do you know how to get there?" She asked. "You should have driven past it on your way here, there's a hardware sign out front, but it is actually a diner." She chuckled at the thought of the words she had just spoken.

Lorelai the third shook her head with amazingly little astonishment. Only Stars Hollow could get away with having a hardware sign outside the town's diner.

"Yeah, I remember," she replied shortly in answer to her mother's question. Lorelai the second nodded awkwardly and after a few moments of silence, headed to the front door, along with Chris, leaving Lorelai Hayden to get herself acquainted with the place where should would be residing for the next undetermined amount of time.

She walked towards the room her mother had previously directed her too. Standing at the doorway, Lorelai Hayden once again surveyed the room that had been converted for her use. After a moment, she walked into the room in order to make a closer inspection. She had to admit, her mother did get extra points for the queen sized bed. That had been one thing she was definitely not expecting to get in Stars Hollow, especially because of the reason she was here.

Sitting on her new bed, Lorelai rifled through her handbag, searching for the packet of cigarettes she knew she had stuffed into the bottom of the bag earlier. It was definitely time for a cigarette.

As she was about to light up, Lorelai pursed her lips, considering the cigarette in her hand and her current location. After a moment's deliberation she moved to the one window in the room and pushed it open, half leaning her upper torso out of the room as she lit the cigarette and took a long puff.

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Chris glanced at Lorelai Gilmore, wondering where to start in explaining to her the events which had taken place since they had last spoken. Considering how short a time space it had been; one would think there wouldn't have been all that much to tell. Unfortunately that wasn't quite the case. He sighed.

"Lore," he started, attempting to delay the inevitable of relaying the story. "I don't know what to say any more, you know."

Lorelai looked at her high school sweetheart and the father of her child. She wanted to say something supportive. Anything. But she couldn't. Nothing would come out.

"She left last night again. Climbed down the fire escape outside her bedroom window and jumped into some awaiting car," he paused momentarily before continuing. "The worst part is, that she saw me. I went into her bedroom to speak to her after I told her about moving here, and the window was open. When I walked over to the window I saw her about to jump into the car – and she just looked up at me for a few seconds, then got into the car and drove off, as if she didn't even care that I had just caught her."

Lorelai closed her eyes and rested her head in her hands on the table they were sitting at in Luke's diner.

"Coffee," said a voice gruffly from over Lorelai's shoulder. Lorelai looked up at Luke and nodded her thanks before he turned and walked away.

"Nice guy," muttered Chris sarcastically. Lorelai laughed in response. Luke's general demeanour took a little while to get use to.

"So," started Lorelai, wanting to get back to talking about their daughter. "I'd really love you to tell me right now that she returned after about half an hour, happy and laughing because she just went and got ice-cream with a friend."

Chris raised his eyebrows and Lorelai's naïve hopefulness. Her face dropped, she knew exactly what Chris was about to tell her, but it never hurt to hope, right?

"Unfortunately, no," replied Chris in a monotone voice. "Around 8:30am the next morning, she returned. Not even bothering to sneak back in. She just waltzed through the front door as though she was coming home from school, looking completely dishevelled."

Lorelai took a sharp, deep breathe. Their daughter was truly out of control.

"Well, I have enrolled her at Chilton, so in the very least, my mother with be happy." Lorelai grimaced as she spoke of her mother. "She is enrolled under the name Rory Gilmore, so, assuming we can convince her to go along with the plan, she will be able to have a fresh start."

Chris nodded in consent. He knew the hardest part would be convincing their daughter to go along with the plan.

"And," said Lorelai, continuing, "Friday night dinners have been officially set up. I sacrificed my sanity and called both of our parents." Now it was Chris' turn to grimace.

"Ugh," was his only reply.

"You can't talk, I'm the one that had to actually call them and tell them what the plan was…"

"Wait," interrupted Chris, "you told them what the plan was, why Rory was going to be staying with you."

Lorelai Gilmore held up one hand and continued.

"and tell them the abbreviated plan…"

"Better," stated Chris, slightly more relaxed. He cringed internally when he thought of his parents and the elder Gilmores knowing exactly why their daughter was going to be taking up a more permanent residence in Stars Hollow.

"and," continued Lorelai, "I'm the one who actually had to bring up the idea of Friday night dinners. That's right, I actually had to suggest it."

Chris chuckled to himself, glad that it hadn't been him that had to call their parents.

"But," started Lorelai again, a sly look making it's way onto her face. A look of apprehension crossed Chris' features. Whatever Lorelai had done that was causing her to look at him like she was was not going to turn out to be something good.

"I made a little bit of a deal," she continued, looking more evil by the moment. Chris momentarily closed his eyes. This could only end badly. "We are going to alternate dinners."

Chris frowned slightly. Is that what Lorelai was trying to get at, because he was sure that is what they had decided on. "That sounds fine Lore," he replied, still slightly cautious.

"But you see, if I have to go to hell, you have to come with me."

"Uh uh," replied Chris vehemently. "No way, I live too far, I can't travel back weekly for a dinner with our parents – I don't have time."

"I figured that, so I came up with an alternative."

Chris too a deep breath, knowing that the chances of him liking the alternative were slim to none.

"Okay, so say week one. Rory and I have dinner with Emily and Richard. Week two. Rory and I have dinner with Francine and Straub. Week three. The entire family has dinner." Stated Lorelai. "And then that just continues to repeat itself."

"You want me to travel down for a dinner every three weeks with both of our families?" Chris asked, wondering not for the first time if Lorelai's mental state was completely stable. Lorelai just nodded in return.

"You can not be serious," Chris replied in response to Lorelai's nodding of her head.

"Oh, my friend," started Lorelai, "I am deadly serious. If I have to spend every single week with them, then you can handle spending every third week with them." Seeing the look of apprehension still of Chris' face, Lorelai continued, "It's for Rory."

Chris' resistance crumbled and he half glared at Lorelai.

"It's not fair to use the Rory card on me," he grumbled in response to clapping. With a gleeful look on her face Lorelai motioned Luke over to the table. Now that she had won that argument, it was time for more coffee.

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Lorelai 'Rory' Hayden stood on the front porch of her mother's small country home and surveyed her surroundings with a critical eye. Taking one last drag from the cigarette in her fingers, she flicked it into the bushes, sighing as she did so.

After spending ten minutes hanging out of her bedroom window while she smoked, Lorelai had decided that it would be much easier if she just walked onto the porch instead.

She looked over at her car, and her father's parked directly behind it. Neither of the two cars fitted in in the quaint country town she apparently had to call home for the next however long. In front of her Ferrari GT California was her mother's old dilapidated jeep. The contrast was beyond any explanation.

Her number plates weren't exactly inconspicuous either. 'Hayden1' was sure to get some attention, especially if she drove the car in Hartford. Her other car, one that she kept at her grandparent's, Francine and Straub Hayden's house wasn't any better. A slightly older, but just as flashy Ferrari F430, in a medium grey colour, with the number plates 'Hayden2'.

Lorelai sighed, knowing that she couldn't exactly drive up to Chilton in either of the cars and park them in the student lot, especially if she was going to attempt to remain anonymous. She knew her parent's had enrolled her as Rory Gilmore, and she knew they had done this to try and give her a fresh start, away from the prying eyes of society, and those who know of Lorelai Hayden, the somewhat notorious party girl.

She would have to give extra thought to the cars, because there was no way she was going to be catching the bus. Pulling herself out of the porch chair she had flopped into a few minutes ago, Lorelai started to devise a plan on how to react what her parents told her of their plan for her to have a fresh start.

She knew it made sense, and in all honesty, she did want to give a fresh start a go. This entire party girl image that she had acquired had been completely accidental, and then everything had gotten out of hand. But she didn't want to make it easy for either of her parents. It wasn't as though she could just accept what they were going to tell her. No, she had to act out, be upset and annoyed, but eventually agree to the idea, while still being sullen and slightly angry about it.

Satisfied that she had enough of a negative reaction planned, Lorelai walked down the steps of the porch and in the direction that she thought she remembered Luke's to be in.

After walking around for a little while, Lorelai Hayden started to wish she had listened to her mother when she was giving her those inane directions, and chattering on about something to do with a hardware store. If only she could remember what she had been saying about the hardware store.

She looked to the store which was on her right as she was walking along the footpath, and decided to go in and ask for directions. As small as this town was, she got the feeling if she didn't ask someone where to find Luke's she could well end up walking around in circles for the rest of the afternoon.

Pausing at the door and taking a deep breath, Lorelai walked into the store which the outside sign indicated was called 'Dooses'. Willing herself to have strength, and to not laugh at the people in the store, Lorelai walked up to the counter and stood in front of a rather tall boy, waiting for him to turn his attention to her.

After a moment she cleared her throat. He looked up at her suddenly, and flushed a delicate shade of pink. How pathetically sweet, she thought to herself.

"I need directions," Lorelai stated abruptly.

"Well hello to you as well," began the boy behind the counter. "I'm Dean. Did you just move here?"

Lorelai looked at the boy, raising her eyebrows. Idle chit chat was not what she had walked into the store for.

"Luke's diner," she prompted ignoring Dean's earlier question. "I'm meant to be meeting my mother there, but I can't find it." She added the end bit, hoping it would encourage this 'Dean' character to answer her promptly.

"I know who you are." He said suddenly. Lorelai raised her eyebrows again. She was not going to enjoy this town at all. "You're Lorelai Gilmore's daughter, aren't you?"

"Yes," sighed Lorelai, knowing she wasn't going to get directions out of this boy until she answered his questions.

"So, do you have a name?" The boy asked again. Lorelai scowled internally. Stupid people who asked too many questions. Inane questions too. Idiots.

"I'm Lor…" Lorelai stopped herself short. If she was going to actually start this whole fresh start thing her parent's seemed so keen on she might as well do it now. "I'm Rory Gilmore."

"Well, Rory Gilmore, it was very nice to meet you. Hopefully we'll see each other around," replied Dean.

Lorelai smiled slightly, not wanting to encourage the boy anymore.

"If you walk back out the front door, then turn right, and walk along the footpath until you see a sign for a hardware store. That's Luke's, he just never took down the sign."

Lorelai gritted her teeth. She had seen the damn place at least three times in her search for Luke's, but because of the bloody hardware sign, had promptly ignored it. Great, the directions from the floppy haired idiot could have been avoided.

As she was about to turn and leave, a magazine cover caught Lorelai's eye. "Hayden Heiress: At Rehab?". Lorelai felt her eye's widen and her heart skip a beat. Great. Now the entire world was going to think she was spending time in rehab, especially when she didn't return to the city.

"I'll just take this as well," said Lorelai quietly as she pulled the magazine from the rack. Dean took it from her and glanced at the cover before swiping the barcode.

"That Lorelai Hayden, I tell you," started Dean. "Those rich kids think they can get away with everything. I mean, don't you think this one is pathetic," he continued, motioning to the picture of a drunken Lorelai on the front of the magazine. Now more than ever Lorelai was glad there were no good, clear pictures of her face being published.

Lorelai just raised her eyebrows again.

"Goodbye Dean," she said in her society voice, "and thank you for the directions, it was very kind of you."

Dean was beaming as Lorelai walked form the store, he had obviously not caught on to the icy hostility in Lorelai's last words, and had instead taken them at face value.

Once outside the store Lorelai quickly shoved the magazine into her handbag and walked along the sidewalk to Luke's diner.

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Chris and Lorelai were sitting inside, debating the amount of coffee that Lorelai drank on a daily basis when the door bell jangled, indicating the arrival of a new patron into the diner.

Lorelai Gilmore looked over to her daughter, standing in the doorway and sighed. She was standing there, her designer handbag slung carelessly over her forearm, resting at her elbow, and was slowing pulling her Gucci sunglasses from her face, positioning them instead so that they held back her hair.

As the younger Lorelai walked towards their table, Lorelai and Chris both caught a faint whiff of cigarette smoke. Chris grimaced, and frowned slightly at their daughter.

"Lorelai. What have I told you about smoking?" he asked in a stern voice.

"Not to do it," replied Lorelai Hayden, looking bored. "How do you get a cup of coffee around here?" She asked.

Lorelai Gilmore sighed and motioned for Luke to come over to their table.

"Who's this?" he asked gruffly, indicating that he meant Lorelai Hayden with his hands.

"This is my daughter," started Lorelai carefully. She was about to introduce her to Luke as Rory, and Lorelai was hoping that Rory had too many manners to kick up a fuss in a crowded diner. "Rory Gilmore. Rory, this is Luke Danes, he owns the diner here."

Lorelai Hayden looked at her mother with raised eyebrows, wanting her to know that she had caught onto the way she had introduced her, and that she had not gotten away with it. Then she turned to Luke and smiled up at him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Danes," she replied in a sweet innocent voice. Chris raised his eyebrows slightly as well. He knew this side of his daughter, the polite, society bred side.

"It's Luke," he answered. "What can I get you?"

"Coffee please," replied Rory.

Luke nodded and headed back to the counter to fetch a cup of coffee for Rory. After he had returned and placed the steaming beverage in front of Rory, he walked away, leaving Rory to turn her full attention back to her parents. She just sat their and stared at them, waiting for one of them to make the first move. She was not going to make this easy for them.

"Lori," started Chris, his voice hesitant.

"I thought it was Rory now," replied Lorelai Hayden, her voice dry. Chris sighed, but continued anyway.

"Lori, your Mom has enrolled you at Chilton, in Hartford. You have been enrolled under the name Rory Gilmore. Honey, we want you to be able to have a fresh start here. Now you can make this as hard for us all as you want to, but when it comes down to it, you aren't going to be coming back to Boston any time soon if you continue to act the way you have been. If you on the other hand decide to take the fresh start we are offering you and make the most of it, you will be able to come back to Boston to do your senior year if that is what you choose."

Chris paused after saying all of this and waited to gauge his daughter's reaction.

"Rory it is then," she replied, the tone of her voice still bored. Lorelai Gilmore felt relief flood over her as their daughter agreed to what they had seen as their main hurdle. "I'm going to go back to Mom's house now then, if that is all," she continued.

"It's our house now Rory," began Lorelai. "I want you to be able to think about it as your house as well."

Rory looked at both of her parents with a look of disdain plastered across her face. She had agreed to the Rory thing quite easily, so there was no way she was going to go along with this one as well.

"I'm going back to Mom's house now," reiterated Rory, stressing the word Mom. Rory lifted her coffee mug, draining the rest of the hot beverage before standing and walking to the door, not once looking back at her parents, who were still sitting at the same table, with looks of defeat on their faces.

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A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoyed that chapter! I actually wasn't planning on bringing Dean into the story at all, because I am not a fan of Dean, and pathetic Dean annoys me as well, so... I'm not quite sure what I am going to do with him now that he has wormed his way into the story.

Jess will be appearing int he next chapter, but there will be no romantic feelings between Jess and Rory. They will be strictly friends.

Tristan will also be making another appearance in the next couple of chapters, but this next appearance is not what I am talking about when I have said to some people in review replies that when Tristan and Rory meet it will not be how anyone expects, that will be the appearance after this next one (which will NOT happen at Chilton!)

(P.S. Remember to check my LiveJournal account - link on my profile page - for updates, pictures and what not....)

Okay, so I'm going to stop giving things away now - remember to review if you want a sneak peek (or if you just want to make me really really happy!!)

Have a really great Christmas for all of you who celebrate it!!

Avery xoxo