A/N: Okay, so I couldn't get this chapter up faster because of my stupid computer, it didn't want to upload the document, so you guys had to wait a little longer.

Anyway, here's another chapter.

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Milk and Cookies.

When was the last time she wanted milk and cookies? Maybe as an eleven year old, in a sleepover. But she guessed that it was being back at her mother's house that made her crave for the sweetness of the cookies, and try to dip the whole cookie in the milk without it falling into the cup.

She looked around in the darkness of her mother's room. Her mother's shadowy body lay beside her, clutching a pillow. She bit her lip as she crawled out of her mother's reach and stood up from the bed. She sighed, walking out into the lonely hallway. It was so empty and dark that she barely recognized it for what it used to be. Full of light and colors, it made you smile.

Not letting her thoughts wonder too far, she poked her head into her old room when she reached the downstairs area. The baby was sleeping soundly, the muffled sound of his breathing was all she could hear.

But she smiled and turned to the kitchen. Her fingers flicked on the light switch and sat down on the table, looking at her hands.

"Hey, you okay?"

She looked up, recognizing Luke's voice. "Hey." Her voice felt small.

"Why are you down here?" He took a step towards the wooden kitchen table and pulled out a chair for him to sit on. "Couldn't sleep?"

Rory shrugged. "I guess."

"Are you alright?"

"Um—yeah." She suddenly realizes something. "Aren't you supposed to be in your apartment?"

"Your mom asked me to stay over tonight, and keep a look out to see if they came back." He paused. "It's mainly to keep you guys safe. I'm sure you don't feel like it right now, but you are—safe, I mean."

"Hm," She barely made a noise.

Luke fidgeted with his hands, "You want something?"

"I was thinking of milk and cookies."

Before she could even say another word, he was already up and getting her late night craving prepared. Glad he wasn't looking at her anymore, she put her face into her hands and sighed. Why was this so hard? She tapped her foot against the kitchen floor, but it didn't help her anxiety.

When she finally looked out of her hands, she saw a tall glass of milk and two chocolate-chip cookies sitting beside it. She looked at Luke and gave him a nod. "Thanks," She took a sip of the milk. "Are you sleeping well? On the couch, I mean. Because that couch can be as hard as a rock. I know it well."

"No. It's fine."

Rory's apetite suddenly left and her stomach was turned into an uncomfortable knot.

He noticed this, but didn't comment. "Um, Rory, I should tell you something. And I know it's a bit late, considering the situation and all, but it's something you should know."

She inhaled deeply, "Shoot."

"When Jess first came to Stars Hollow, it was hard at first to get everything settled in with you. But he was surprisingly patient, and he didn't push it. He didn't go back to his old ways, and it was all fine," He said in a montone voice. "I was suspiscious. I asked him why he was so different. What was motivating him to be this way?" Silence. "He told me."

Rory looked at him, very interested in what he had to say now.

Luke sighed. "He was running. It was all about getting a place to stay—you know, so nobody could find him. And since Stars Hollow was so low key, he would be okay for a while. And also surprisingly, the people he was running from didn't find him for a while. He was getting the hang of things, and being this new father figure was wonderful. A wonderful distraction. Nobody would recognize him, strolling with a girl like you, or playing with his baby."

"No," She whispered to herself.

He hated the look on her face. Maybe, maybe he was breaking her hope. "And, well, the trouble he was in—he was in too deep. He knew they would find him, and the moment they did, he would fleet Stars Hollow and find somewhere else."

Tears stung behind her eyes, but her anger seemed to keep them back. "He played me?"

"Rory, after a while, I'm sure it wasn't all a lie. He loves his son, he does. And he's glad that everything worked out. All the feelings he had, they couldn't all be fake, could they? You guys were together for a while. Those feelings were not fake."

Rory didn't focus on those details anymore. "What was he running from? What kind of trouble?"

"He said he just messed up. And maybe his dealings--"

"Dealings?" She mumbled. "For god's sake, dealings."

Luke seemed nervous all of a sudden. Had he done the right thing? Maybe he hadn't. He searched her eyes to make sure she was okay. "Rory--"

"No, Luke, it's okay." She couldn't even think of putting a fake smile on her face. She simply stood up and pursed her lips together. "Goodnight. I should get some sleep."

She trotted up the stairs and into the bathroom. If she didn't start hyperventelating soon, she knew it was coming. She put one hand on each side of the sink and bowed her head down. The nausea circling her stomach made it impossible for her to move. And the unbearable headache was the topping of the cake.

She opened the faucet and splashed cold water on her face, which helped some, but not entirely. Rory simply let herself drown in the cold water and forget about liars. Oh, what a liar.

"Dammit!" She yelled out.

How can all of her life be filled with lies? Everything that had happened be filled with just things he told her so he can keep on running. If she ever felt an ounce of love towards him, it was gone at this moment. And she knew that this time, there was nothing that could bring him back. She could hate him forever and it wouldn't tug at her heart like it always did. She could hate him forever, and he wouldn't even care. Maybe the thought scared her.

He played her. He played her good. How could he look at their baby and lie to him too?

It was sure, never again would she see him. It won't matter.

"Honey!" She heard knocking on the door. "Baby, open the door!"

Her mother's voice sounded too excited for anything she needed right now. Rory turned off the water and shakily opened the door. Her mother was on the phone, a big smile plastered on her face as if it were Christmas. "Babe, they found him."

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The cold plastic chair against her made her feel cold. It made her feel cold and even more hatred filled her heart as she watched the news closely. The news of the TV in the middle of a police station.

"And we are here in front of a house in the outskirts of New York where we have found the three men who had taken small town man, Jess Mariano, hostage."

She winced. Yup, small town man.

"The police had been searching for him for days and they had not found a lead, until they tracked the fingerprints from Mr. Mariano's apartment in Connecticut to a local bar in New York City. The bartender knew these men very well and pointed to the direction where the men lived."

"Now, this has been an interesting story, Shirley. We still have no idea the reason behind these men's irrational behaviour?"

"They are now being taken downtown to be questioned."

Both, the woman and the man had smiles on their faces.

"We are glad to have this troubling crime solved. In other news…"

Lorelai placed a hand over Rory's arm, her face filled with excitement. "Aren't you happy? I knew that this was just some misunderstanding that could be solved."

"Mmm," She nodded emptily.

Then, she could see lights outside of the police station, and she recognized a police car pulling up to the driveway. The lights flickered down and soon, Officer Henry – the man who had been helping them with the case – stepped out of the car. Her eyes were attent to see who was next to step out of the car.

But, it was simply another Officer to step towards the building.

Officer Henry had a frown on his face as he approached Rory. "Um, Ma'am, we are deeply sorry, but Mr. Mariano could not come back with us. We gave him the option, but he preferred to be on his way. I'm sorry."

Rory's throat was dry at this point. "What happened to him?"

"He was pretty beaten up, and he wasn't in good conditions at all. But we were most surprised to find that the men who had taken him hostage ran so quickly, we could barely see them when we stepped into the house. Mr. Mariano was gagged and tied, he was in bad condition so we sent the ambulence to help him out. After he got fixed up, he said he would be on his own now."

Was she supposed to be happy as he laid down these news? Was she supposed to be screaming for joy as her mother held her tightly? She never wanted to see him again, so why was she sobbing into her mom's pajamas? Why was she scared for him? Why did she care?

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A/N: I really want to hear your feelings about this chapter. There's been a lot of new things, and I know it's still a bit confusing. Everything will play out in the next chapters, and you will understand everything much better. (Oh, and sorry for any spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes, I didn't have the chance to look it over.)