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One hot morning Rory lies in bed. She's been awake for maybe five minutes and can see Jess start to stir. In those minutes she mulled over her plan, or lack thereof, and as Jess cracks his eyes open she nudges his shoulder and says, "Hey Jess."

"Mm."

"I've been thinking."

"For a change," Jess jokes sarcastically but then asks seriously, "What have you been thinking about?"

"I was thinking maybe I shouldn't go back to Yale in Fall."

That wakes Jess up. He sits up slightly and asks, "What?"

He sounds disbelieving and goes on to say, "You want to quit school?"

"Maybe - I don't know."

"You've got to go to school," Jess says incredulously. "You go to Yale, Rory."

"Who says I have to?" Rory retorts, leaning up on an elbow. "You're not in college."

"I'm not you."

"So because my mom and I planned for me to go to Harvard in Kindergarten I can't change my mind? I already did - Harvard turned to Yale."

Jess is rubbing a hand across his eyelids, looking perturbed, and frowns when Rory adds, "You always said I can do anything. Why can't I do this?"

"Why?" Jess asks after a pause. "Why do you want to leave Yale?"

"We live here like this," Rory says, gesturing around the near-empty room. "Everything's different - I can't picture just going back to school and living in a dorm."

"But you've got to finish college."

"Why?" Rory demands. "Why do I have to, and you don't? I thought you'd understand."

"You said you'd do this if it was for summer."

"So you don't want to stay together?"

"That's not what I said. I just don't want you to ditch school for me. What happened to being the next Christiane Amanpour?"

Rory shrugs, watching a sunbeam strike the bed. "Maybe I want to see what else is out there."

Jess looks at her but doesn't say anything else. The silence is starting to become awkward and finally Jess says, "You're the smartest person I know."

"Present company excluded?" Rory teases but Jess doesn't smile. He exhales and says, "You can figure out your path. But don't base it off mine, okay?"

"I thought you'd be happy."

"I am happy - Rory, I love you. I love being with you. But we can still be together in Yale."

"It's not about that," Rory snaps and, angry, she throws the covers back and storms off to the shower. When she's back Jess has made some coffee and Rory takes a cup, feeling a little bashful.

"I know it's not only that," Jess says, finishing the thought for her. "But I'm just saying - do the smart thing."

"Don't worry about that," Rory says, taking a gulp of fierce coffee. "Aren't I smartest person you know?"

The next few days pass quietly. On Saturday, Rory is flicking through a newspaper someone left at the cafe last night, when a sudden knock on the door makes her jump. Puzzled, Rory goes to the door and slowly opens it just after another knock comes impatiently. Rory's confusion turns to a shocked dismay as the door reveals Lorelai on the other side.

"Mom?"

"You remember, I'm so touched," Lorelai says. Rory gapes at her for a moment and then asks, "What are you doing here?"

"Thought I'd see where my daughter's shacking up. Didn't receive an invitation - did it get lost in the mail?"

"Because you were so enthusiastic about my new living situation."

"Well, do I get to see it?"

Rory looks at her, sighs and says, "Come on in."

"With that invite, who could refuse?"

Lorelai strides into the apartment, Rory at her heels. She stops in the centre, making Rory bump into her, and takes a look around. She stares at the room, the bed in the corner, turns back to Rory and says, "No."

"No what?"

"No, you can't live here."

"It's kind of too late."

"Rory, this place is a complete hovel! It makes the potting shed look like the freaking Ritz!"

"It's fine."

"It's not fine! It's the opposite of fine! God, the heat in here -" Rory resists making a joke about her and Jess's chemistry - Lorelai wrinkles her nose and adds, "And yet it's damp at the same time!"

And freezing at night, Rory silently adds. Her small amusement has faded as her mother slowly walks around the perimeter of the room, staring out of the window.

"Looks like you have fantastic neighbours too. They loaned you any cups of crack lately?"

"Mom, stop."

"No, you stop," Lorelai says firmly. "I don't like you living here."

"It's not up to you."

"Luke told me about fixing the pipes. Do you know how many brownies he had to bribe me with to stop me driving over?"

"Evidently not enough."

Lorelai narrows her eyes and lets out a long breath.

"Fine. You're almost twenty - I get it. You're still young enough for this to seem exciting and adventurous rather than gross and unsanitary. And I know you're moving back to Yale at the end of summer. But Rory please, this place - it's not safe. It's not healthy."

Rory shifts slightly and Lorelai adds, "I know, I'm being a mom and freaking out but Rory I am your mom, and it might not too much longer but -"

"It's not that," Rory says quietly and Lorelai frowns. "What?"

Rory stays silent and then jumps as her mother grabs her shoulders.

"Tell me you're not pregnant. Rory, I swear, if -"

"Mom, relax. I'm not pregnant."

Lorelai releases Rory's shoulders with a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

"It's just..."

Lorelai shifts back into alert mode. "Just what?"

"Mom, I was thinking," Rory says, trying to keep her tone even. "Maybe I won't go back to Yale."

Her mother stares at her mutely and then lets out a bark of laughter. "I'm sorry. I thought I just heard my Ivy League daughter tell me she's dropping out of Yale, which she's worked for her whole life. Maybe there's asbestos in here. I wish I was kidding on the last part."

"Mom, I'm serious. Maybe just for a semester -"

"No," Lorelai says. Her voice is firm and serious and she goes on, "No, Rory. No way."

"It's not up to you."

"Goddammit Rory! You told me this was for summer! Even that is long enough, but at least you had school to go back to! Now what? You're going to live like this forever? This place is your longterm plan? You plan everything through and now you're going to drop it for some guy?"

"It's not for him!"

"Then who is it for?"

"Me! I want to do something new!"

"Great, you have a plan?"

"I don't need a plan! Mom, everything's different," Rory says earnestly. "I work, I live here and it's a total new world. You know. You left Grandma's world."

"I had to."

"I feel like I have to do this too."

"Rory, you're not even twenty," Lorelai says. She's staring into Rory's eyes as she says desperately, "You're barely an adult. This - living like this - it's a fun adventure, but it can't be your whole life. Yale is more important. It's your education! You could do anything, be anything, and you're going to throw it away to work in a cafe and sleep with your high school boyfriend?"

"I knew you wouldn't understand," Rory says, her throat hot with tears and Lorelai snaps, "You're damn right I don't understand. We had this plan since Kindergarten."

"Right, I bet a five-year-old came up with it!"

"It was all you," Lorelai says, her voice wobbling. "You always loved books, learning. You were so smart - you are so smart! Or I thought you were. What happened to learning and travelling the world?"

"And you think I can only learn and accomplish things by going to college? You didn't go to college! We were okay in the potting shed, we were good, and then we got a house and you took over from Mia at work. And now you're running your own inn!"

"And you think that was easy?" Lorelai shouts. "I would have killed to go to college! I lost my whole young adulthood, Rory - I stopped being a kid the second I got pregnant with you! And I regret it so much!"

Rory sucks in a cold breath, feeling like she's been slapped. Lorelai gasps too and then she's grabbing Rory's shoulders again.

"I don't regret you," she says fiercely. "That's not what I meant - you know you're everything to me. I've loved my life with you."

"You just said you regretted it!"

"No - Rory, I regret losing the chance to go to college, to be a dumb kid for a while. And I regret having the time to figure out the next step. I'm sorry I lost that time. I wouldn't do it over - you have to know that - but I want more for you. When I was eighteen I had to work as a maid when everyone else my age was going to parties and heading to college. It was so hard, Rory, you can't imagine how hard it was. I want you to have everything I didn't! Kid, I love you so much. You're my best friend!"

"I thought a best friend would understand more."

"A best friend gives advice as well. And you're also my daughter. Rory, you should be doing all the things I couldn't!"

"So what, I'm your do-over?" Rory demands, voice shaking. "I don't get to decide things because I should be doing what you didn't?"

"That's not what I said," Lorelai says but Rory shakes her head.

"You always decide what I should do. You sound like Grandma."

"That's not fair."

"Yes it us. You think I have to be perfect all the time. Like I'm the kid Richard and Emily should have had. Well, I'm not."

"No," Lorelai says quietly. "You're not."

They stare at each other for a minute and finally Lorelai sighs. She takes a breath and, sounding like she's holding back tears, says, "Fine, you know what, it is your life. And you can screw it up any way you want. Just don't come crying to me when you're pregnant, waitressing and everyone else you know is getting ready to graduate and starting dream jobs."

"I'm not you!" Rory says furiously. "So who says I'll be getting knocked up? I'm smart, right?"

"I thought you were. Now I don't know what to say to you."

"I don't want to talk to you," Rory says viciously. "Don't worry about that."

"Glad to hear it," Lorelai snaps. She slams the door, leaving the plaster to flake off the wall, and Rory releases her heavy breaths, feeling the ruins of the fight fall down.