KAT

Paris came back inside with me. Lorelai's father took me upstairs with him and gave me a shirt to change into. For whatever reason, Paris followed.

"It's been quite a night. So if you want to change and hide out in your bedroom, I will not blame you. If you need anything, you know where I will likely be. Where the numbers are." Richard told me.

So I went back to my new bedroom at the Gilmore home. Paris followed once more.

"I don't know what you've been told about me, but I'm a straight shooter. So I'm just going to ask you. Rory kept mentioning you during her uncharacteristic day drinking and then while suffering the side effects of said activities, so what's going on? Am I fraternizing with the enemy by associating with you?"

I laughed and Paris narrowed her eyes.

"Honestly? I don't know Rory enough to make a truly informed assessment, let alone be an enemy. You know her better than me I assure."
"Alright. Then tell me why she thinks you stole her life? You don't seem like the single white female type. I also did my research, so I am assuming that while Rory is my best friend, that's not a reasonable claim on her part."
"Research? What do you know about me?" I asked looking at her squarely
"You are a Chilton girl. Unlike Rory, you didn't transfer there. Rather, like me, you went every year you were of age. My sources -"

'Your sources?"

"I have sources and they tell me you would have rivaled me in terms of academic accomplishments, extracurricular choices, and accolades. You played more sports than I did. I held more positions than you. So I would say we were different, but comparable. Despite the fact you would've been competition, I think I would've liked you."

"I am sorry to say, but your sources were wrong. I am not a Chilton girl."

"Anymore. I know. My sources told me that too. But you will be back. I am certain. My prediction is that Hanlin's days as Headmaster are numbered and he will be fired. I am rarely wrong. Ask Rory. You know Hanlin was afraid of me... I will tell you, if I scared him? He should be terrified about what is coming his way. Termination. Forced retirement maybe. Either way? The board is going to get rid of him. You'll be back."

"What else did your sources tell you about me?"
"Why you don't go to Chilton currently. You'd be almost... 20 weeks now?" Paris said in a way that sounded more like a statement than an actual question.

"I thought this dress did a rather decent job of hiding that fact, so I will assume Rory was one of your sources then?"
"You're correct about your dress. However, you know I would never comment on who a source is. Well, I suppose you don't. One of those positions I held that you didn't was Editor of the Franklin. So I suppose I really shouldn't expect you to know the ethics of keeping the anonymity of sources. A lesson further instilled into me by the Yale Daily News, of which I was also editor."

"Since you know why I left Chilton, you should know I didn't steal Rory's life."

"I never thought you did. It's just interesting she seems so insistent on that fact. Rory percolates sometimes, but not typically over something of this nature"

"Two of MY sources told me the father of one of Rory's former boyfriends dashed her dreams by stating she didn't 'have it' and she then proceeded to steal a yacht, drop out of Yale, join the DAR, quit speaking to Lorelai, and strain other relationships in the process."
"You learned quickly about sources, young grasshopper. Your point though being Rory struggling to be successful at The Times is a parallel to Huntzberger's father saying that to Rory... Both resulting in a series of non-goal oriented choices that are self-sabotaging in nature while simultaneously creating relationship casualties."

"Like trying to use a story about me to save her job. Granted she never had a relationship with me, but the obvious relationship strain being with Luke and Lorelai"
"That's actually not a bad theory. Her attempt to use your story to keep her job didn't work though since she was fired."
"How did you know that? Lorelai didn't until today."
"I didn't know, just strongly suspected. She's been putting on a show, but she's isn't exactly an actress. I also heard her on the phone with her dad giving him her landlord's information so he could pay her rent. Her losing her job would make sense of that. Your theory would make sense of tonight's events too. Hearing Emily's friends clarify they were talking about you when giving their praises likely made her feel some role reversal and as though it truly was her fault things didn't work out at The Times. Failure that she couldn't handle. She didn't steal a yacht this time at least, just puked in some bushes"

"Progress. Not perfection."

Paris laughed.

"What do you think it's like to have your family praise everything you have done?" Paris asked.
"Apparently great until it's not... Sets up unrealistic expectations for the world. I can't speak from personal experience though."
"Oh. Yes, The prep school parent syndrome. Well anyway, I am glad to hear you are not an enemy of my best friend and thus an enemy of me. I think I like you Banks."

All of a sudden there was a knock on the partially open door. It was Emily.

"Oh, Paris? I didn't realize you were still here." Emily's eyes went back to me, scanning, "Thank god you haven't changed yet. Richard thought you had. I was hoping you would be willing to sing one last song before my friends depart for the night. They thought it was such a treat."
"Of course.

"Perfect. I am going to go see if I can find that grandfather of yours. Let's meet at the bottom of the stairs."

"Make sure your friends have plenty of quarters."

Emily turned around.

"Why on earth would they need quarters?"
"Even human jukeboxes need quarters to sing Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."

"Now Katalina, I know you have been living with Lorelai for quite a long time now, but that is not an excuse for acquiring her sense of humor. Joking about singing that song is not funny."

"I'll be down shortly."

SOOKIE

Some things in life make you feel a pause where you don't realize you are holding your breathe. Calls at strange times are one of those things. Want to freak someone out? Call them at 2am in the morning... or really anytime between midnight and 4am. Unless you have a kid who you gave permission to go to a party where there could be drinking... and even then you're still going to be scared. Also, I mean I am still probably 8+ years out from getting calls like that from Davey who better be calling to tell me he's drunk and needs a ride home versus him being in jail due to driving drunk. I'd rather get neither and just have my kid not drink and come home sober in bed... anyway, I went off track. When those calls are not a possibility though, because – like me – your kids aren't teenagers? Those morning calls make you go, "whoa. Something is wrong." The Inn catching on fire? The perfect example.

So I was panicked when I saw Lorelai's number pop up on my cell phone.

"Oh my god. Is the inn okay? Are you okay? Is little baby Lukey okay? Is Kat okay? Is your grandkid okay? Oh my god. Your parents' party was tonight. Please don't tell me it was a repeat of what... 10 years ago? Your dad didn't have a heart attack at the party again, right?"
"Sookie. Take a breath. Take two. The Inn is fine. I am fine. Little baby boy who we have not decided to name Luke... let alone Lukey is fine. Kat is somehow fine despite tonight as well as my future granddaughter. My parents are also okay." Lorelai said in an even cadence.

I finally let out the breath I was holding in.

"Sookie, are you okay?" Lorelai asked genuinely sounding concerned.
"Don't you dare do that to me again Lorelai Gilmore. Text first if you're going to call when I am in bed asleep at 2am."
"Then you wouldn't wake up."

"You can't use logic when my brain is half asleep. Why are you calling if everyone and everything is fine?"
"I'm on your porch."
"You have a key."
"If a phone call this early scared you, can you imagine what a person coming into your home unannounced would result in."

"I told you Lorelai, you can't use logic on me when my brain is half asleep. Use your key. Come in. Come out of the cold. I will meet you in the living room."

When I got to the living room, Lorelai was sitting on the couch by the window. She looked exhausted.

"What's going on?"
"What you don't like visits from your best friend at all hours of the night?"
"What's going on?"
"Rory is staying with me this weekend."
"I am glad she was finally able to come. I know every time you've asked she's said she's been working on a story for work. Our Rory, the busy New York City journalist."
"She was fired."
"What?"
"She was fired and didn't tell me."

It was like something hit me in the gut. This made no sense.

"What? Lorelai. I'm sure you heard that wrong."

"Sookie. It's fine. Well it isn't, but that's not why I am here. She was angry tonight. She was drunk and angry."
"That doesn't sound like Rory."

"It was bad Sookie. She accused Kat of stealing her life."
"What?"
"I am tired. I will tell you about it some other time. It's a story, I assure you. One I might need a drink to tell, so if that's the case, you're not going to be hearing that for a while." Lorelai put her hand on her protruding abdomen, " I tried to talk to Rory tonight, but she was tired and passed out. Since Paris drove Rory there, Paris is also staying with me this weekend."

"So before you came here there was a drunk Rory, Paris, and two pregnant women – one who Rory thinks stole their life – at your house? That sounds like a fun time for Luke."
"Only one pregnant woman. Kat is staying at my parents' this weekend. Her decision. Honestly probably the best decision, since hopefully I can get to the bottom of this."
"You holding up though?"

"I couldn't deal with Rory tonight. Obviously... So that's a problem for tomorrow. Right now there's another problem."
"Paris?"
"Actually no. She's staying in Kat's room and seemed oddly agreeable to it."
"Then?"
"Kat is in Hartford with nothing but a cocktail dress and heels. Somehow I forgot to tell my parents about her new meal plan and the fact she's supposed to have someone supervise her in the showers. I also forgot to tell Kat she has a doctor's appointment on Monday morning..."

"I know ya haven't exactly told me 100% what happened tonight, but it sounds like maybe you were a bit pre-occupied... so that could be why you didn't get around to telling your parents that info. The dress thing? We can fix that."

"Sookie. I can't drive to Hartford tomorrow. I need to talk to Rory. My dad said he'd loan her one of his sleep shirts to sleep in. So at least that's something. That dress hid her belly entirely Sookie. My parents are going to be really confused when she comes down to breakfast with my father's shirt sticking out due to her bump."

"Her dress hid it?"
"Oh, entirely. Unless you knew and saw her every so often place her hand there? You'd never know. Wild."
"That's absolutely wild. We can get her clothes though. Have Luke bring a bag to the diner tomorrow, I'll pick it up. I can bring it to Hartford along with some shakes. I can also tell them anything you want."
"Sookie. You don't have to do that."
"You're right. I don't. I am telling you I will though."

"I want to sleep on your couch."
"I wouldn't advise that. You know Jackson sleep walks sometimes and Martha likes to scream in the mornings on the weekends, wanting Eggos. Yes, Eggos. Courtesy of Aunt Lorelai feeding them to her. Heaven forbid she eat my waffles... She want Eggo waffles."

"She wanted waffles. I can't make waffles."

"You're married to a man who definitely knows how to make waffles."
"I wasn't married to Luke when I first gave Martha Eggos."

"That's funny though, I didn't realize Luke went into business AFTER you first watched Martha which is why you couldn't get waffles from his diner even if you weren't married to him."

"Alright. I see your point. I better go back home. I am so tired."
"It's 2am and you're pregnant. Go get some sleep. Text me tomorrow morning or after... whenever I can come get the bag."

"Thanks Sook, you really are the best."