Disclaimer: Nada but the OC's be mine, oh, and half the plot.

ooooo

"I need help!" Rory burst dramatically into her house and flopped backwards on the couch, arm over her eyes.

"And apparently we need a fainting couch," Lorelai commented, Rory lifting her arm just enough to glare at her. "Whatever seems to be the problem Mini-Me?"

"I need a costume for a Halloween party."

"Hmm," Lorelai sat down on the chair and stared thoughtfully at Rory who groaned as she sat up, knowing she was going to regret this. "A pumpkin!" Lorelai cried triumphantly, Rory burying her face in a cushion to muffle the scream.

"It's the Brigade Masque, they have very standards Mom. And it's themed," Rory made a face, showing her opinion of the concept.

"Ooh, a theme party, what's the theme?" Lorelai asked, grabbing a pad of paper and pen to take notes.

"Secret Identities."

"Like Batman and Superman? That seems a little pedestrian for your new buddies, especially the Aussie," Lorelai commented, surprised.

"It can be anyone who has at least two real, separate personas, which includes someone like Sybil," Rory clarified.

"Shepard?" Lorelai quipped, Rory rolling her eyes.

"No, the movie Mother. Sally Field played her."

"Ah, yes," Lorelai nodded, looking her daughter over critically. "I guess I could throw together a 50's style housewife outfit for you."

"I said it could be someone like her, not necessarily her," Rory corrected. "I did the 50's housewife thing, didn't like it, don't want to repeat it anytime soon."

"Ah, I'd almost forgotten that first-time foray into role-playing. Next time, try the naughty nurse or French maid, and why are you so red?" Lorelai asked, Rory hiding her beet colored face again.

"What about school girl?" she mumbled, Lorelai blinking and yanking the cushion away and gazing in awe at her daughter.

"You didn't!" she gasped, scandalized and proud.

"Not yet, just got lap dance lessons," Rory bit her lip; nervous of how she'd react.

"Where? When? Why?" Lorelai demanded eagerly. "Wait, this needs junk food and coffee!"

"You think everything needs coffee," Rory snorted, sitting up.

"Was there a point to that statement? You wouldn't be suggesting that there is ever a time where coffee isn't needed," Lorelai looked horror stricken at the possibility.

"No, I'd never dare to imply anything of the sort. Let's go, you get coffee, I'll grab junk food from Doose's," Rory stood, then frowned at her mother. "Actually, switch that around, or we'll never have time to talk."

"My darling daughter, are you saying I'd fail in my coffee mission?"

"No, you'll just take too long, flirting with Luke, and I have to get back to Yale before tomorrow morning," Rory pushed Lorelai out the door impatiently.

"Fine, but you're mean," she pouted, Rory rolling her eyes and prodding her mother along, ignoring her.

ooooo

"So you are now officially schooled in the art of lap dances by a 16-year-old who is dating a 21-year-old? Why does that have icky all over it?" Lorelai grimaced.

"How much older than you is Luke?" Rory pointed out.

"But I'm not underage," Lorelai protested.

"And from everything I've seen and heard, they're not having sex, I doubt that Cat or Finn would stand for it," Rory assured, Lorelai relaxing.

"That's true, the Aussie does seem more than a little protective of his woman, and that most likely applies to her sister," she nodded. "Still, I'd have loved to have seen you practicing your pole dance. Is it hotter than mine yet?"

"I'll never tell," Rory laughed, Lorelai sticking her tongue out.

"Fine, be a meanie to your giver of life. I will expect plenty of details of the upcoming lap dances of Limo and Bible Boys," she ordered firmly.

"Duh, like I didn't expect that! Okay, now that I've spilled all concerning my trip to the Upper East Side and encounter with the icky creep Bass, what am I going to wear as a costume?" Rory asked, stuffing a Red Vine in her mouth.

"Hold up! Bass? Not Bart Bass," Lorelai gasped, Rory frowning.

"No, his name was Chuck, and he was about 16, so I doubt you know him."

"I might know his father, real slime bucket. Man whore and temper like you wouldn't believe when drunk, which was most of the time. Christopher knew him, they hated each other's guts, mainly because Chris wasn't a total asshole, and I was able to convince a friend of mine to not date him. I wonder what ever happened to Lily? Last I heard, she was dating this cute rocker rebel and blew off her cotillion to be with him, much to her mother's annoyance. I should look her up," Lorelai mused. She didn't regret breaking contact with most of her childhood friends but Lily had been cool, didn't stop talking to her after she got pregnant despite her mother's attempts at separating the girls.

"Okay," Rory blinked, not sure what to say. Lorelai never talked about her past or the people she knew when she was still living at Casa Gilmore. There was a pregnant pause and then Lorelai shook her head, returning to the present with a sigh.

"Enough of that. Costume, secret identity, hmm," she frowned, eyes scanning over Rory critically. "We can go pedestrian, funky or obscure. What's your flavor?"

"Obscure? As is nobody will have a clue who I am?"

"The Bronte sisters, originally published as men, did they not?" Lorelai asked, Rory nodding with a grin.

"That is a good idea. But then I'll be stuck in a Victorian ball down all night, and that's not the most comfortable way to spend time," Rory grimaced.

"So obscure is out. I think funky it is then, because I can't see you as Wonder Woman, that's too, well, not you," Lorelai paused, and then shook her head. "Nope, definitely not you."

"I agree, so what's funky?" Rory asked hesitantly, a little leery of some of the places her mother's mind could go. Plus her definition of funky differed slightly from Lorelai's.

"You my darling daughter are going as Jerrica Benton, AKA Jem, lead singer of the Holograms!" Lorelai shouted triumphantly, jumping to her feet, arms in the air.

"You want me to have pink hair?" Rory blinked.

"Well, you could go as Jerrica and have blonde hair," Lorelai offered. "But that wouldn't be nearly as much fun."

"You want me to have pink hair," Rory repeated slowly.

"Why do you keep saying that? You can wear a wig, it's not like I'm dying and cutting your hair, unless," Lorelai paused and reached out to lift a hank of Rory's hair, only to get her hand slapped as Rory scuttled backwards, wide-eyed.

"No! You are not dying my hair pink!" she gasped, Lorelai pouting.

"Fine, be that way! You know you can be a real party-pooper," she informed Rory sagely as she sat down on the couch, curling her feet underneath her and grabbing a pad of paper and pencil.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked suspiciously from a safe distance.

"Sketching a design out. Here, that'll be pink, that will be silver and blue, with fringe, and you can wear silver or blue fishnets and my pink heels," Lorelai held up the quick rough drawing, Rory giving it a prolonged stare before melting into a smile.

"That'll be great!" she dropped down.

"Looks like we have a winner. Funky it is! Now that we have the gossip and costume business all sorted out, do you have time for a movie before you abandon your beloved Mommy?"

"Breakfast Club?" Rory held up the one closest to her hand, Lorelai grinning.

"As if you needed to ask!" the two laughed and curled up together to watch the movie, happily shouting out lines and plowing their way through the remainder of the junk food.