By Stew Pid
Rating: Should be okay.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the Stew Pid stuff.
A/N: Always warmest thanks to my readers and reviewers. Hope you like this one. It was also a hard one.
(Lorelai and Rory are driving to the Hartford Gilmore Residence in silence.)
Rory: Are you ever going to tell me what's up with you today or am I going to have to look for one of those gossiping little birds?
Lorelai: Hey, I'm fine.
Rory: You've never been so quiet in your entire life.
Lorelai: There was a secret year you don't know about when I became a hermit and took a vow of silence. Silence is good. Silence is golden.
Rory: Silence is unusual for you.
Lorelai: Sometimes, during the day, I like to stop and listen to the sounds of silence.
Rory: Good song, but it's not working for you here.
Lorelai: Fine. Okay. Quite frankly the Santa Claus gig isn't going to work for you here either.
Rory: It doesn't have to work. Grandma and Grandpa are already nice to me. Grandma might have been nicer to you if you hadn't avoided them for most of the time I was gone.
Lorelai: I can't face them without you. You're my buffer. My Buffy.
Rory: Grandma and Grandpa aren't vampires. Occasionally, if you walk up to them carefully, you can even touch them…
Lorelai: I tried.
Rory: and they get very happy…
Lorelai: Ha.
Rory: and they lick your hand…
Lorelai: Try, bite it off.
Rory: and wag their tales…
Lorelai: Okay, picturing my parents as dogs is not helping.
Rory: All I'm saying is that they can be very gentle and lovable.
Lorelai: That's because you were picturing a beagle while I was thinking more in terms of a pit bull.
Rory: Just be nice.
Lorelai: I'm always nice.
Rory: Act like you enjoy coming here.
Lorelai: Who do I look like, Catherine Hepburn?
Rory: Oh, Ms. Hepburn! I'm a big fan! I've seen all your movies. Can I get your autograph?
(Outside the car, walking to the house.)
Maid: Can I help you?
Lorelai: Do you have any sedatives?
Maid: Excuse me?
Rory: Emily Gilmore, please. She's expecting us.
Maid: One moment, please.
(The maid disappears. Lorelai looks at Rory.)
Rory: She seemed nice. I think she might be the one.
Lorelai: Twenty bucks she'll be fired before the end of tonight.
Rory: Deal.
(Maid returns with Emily.)
Emily: Florence, how could you leave my daughter and granddaughter outside like that, as if they were vacuum salesmen. Come in Rory. Lorelai. Really, Florence, this just won't do. You needn't come back tomorrow.
Lorelai: Pay up, kid. (Rory gives Lorelai a twenty.)
Emily: What in God's name are you two doing?
Lorelai: Hello, mom.
Emily: Hello, Lorelai. (She looks at Rory and smiles.) Welcome back. (She hugs Rory.) How was it?
Rory: Great.
Emily: Well you'll tell us all about it at dinner. (looking to Florence.) I guess I'll have to get Richard myself.
(Emily leaves and the maid breaks into tears and runs off.)
Lorelai: Now I feel guilty making money off of that. Here. (She hands Rory back her twenty.) Still seeing that beagle?
Rory: Well, it's sort of still a beagle, only bigger, ears not so floppy, eyes not so big and cute, meaner. Fine, it's a pit bull, but I promise the beagle will come back.
Lorelai: You want to put twenty bucks on that?
Rory: Uh, no.
(Later.)
Emily: Oh Rory, everything is lovely. You really shouldn't have.
Richard: Well, we have something for you too. I'll get it now. (He leaves.)
Emily: These are great pictures. Did you take them all?
Rory: No. My friend Paris took a lot of them.
Emily: How about this one, is it yours?
Rory: That would be mine.
Emily: It's beautiful. (Richard returns with a book.) Richard, look at this picture. Rory took this one.
Richard: Amazing. Are you the photographer for the Franklin?
Rory: Well, I'm debuting with these in the next Franklin, but it'll probably be my last photography gig.
Lorelai: She normally cuts heads off with pictures.
Rory: It's true. I've beheaded more people than the guillotine.
Emily: Well you're probably more of a landscape photographer. I mean, look at this.
Rory: The whole place was beautiful. It would have been impossible not to take a beautiful picture.
Richard: Well, take a look at the pictures in this.
Lorelai: Finally, a book with pictures. That's my kind of book.
Richard: Lorelai, I was being sarcastic.
Lorelai: Right back at you, dad.
Richard: Ah.
Rory: A critical edition of Anna Karenina. Thank you so much! (She hugs Richard, then Emily.)
Richard: I think you'll find Dostoevsky's essay amusing.
Rory: Like putting him and Tolstoy in the same room. Thanks again.
Emily: You must be relieved to have Rory back, Lorelai.
Lorelai: Oh yeah. Especially right now. Rory, did you tell your grandfather about Paris?
Richard: Ah yes, how is she? Did she enjoy the trip also?
Rory: She really did. It opened up a whole new side of her. She's thinking she might want to make her living there, in some political journal or something.
Richard: The Washington scene is tough, though I don't doubt she could handle it. Still, I would have rather seen her business. She really impressed me with that project and I still think your group should have won.
Rory: The experience was in itself a prize. But I think Paris will eventually do it all. Cancer research, politics, business, who knows, maybe even acting.
Lorelai: Boy would I run to get tickets to a Paris Gellar movie.
Richard: Well I'm glad you both had such a great time.
Emily: How about you, Lorelai? How did you manage? Though I'm sure you didn't even have time to miss Rory, you were so busy.
Lorelia: Mom, I thought we settled this already. I explained, I apologized, you found another subject to torture me with.
Emily: How am I torturing you? I'm just trying to find out what's going on in your life. Heaven forbid I should want to know. I'm only your mother.
Rory: Grandma, those are beautiful flowers. Are they from the garden?
Emily: Yes. They grew in last week, but I had to make room for the peonies.
Richard: If you ask me, pretty soon we're going to have more flowers in the house than in the garden. You're always making room for something else. The next week, you'll move the something else in the house to make room for another thing.
Emily: Well, you have your golf and your tennis. I have my gardening. It relaxes me. It's nice to be able to watch your seeds grow and take care of them.
Lorelai: Then cut them up, leave them in water, and throw them out weeks later.
Rory: Excuse me, what room are Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in?
Richard: In my den. Why don't you and I go say hello?
Rory: Right behind you.
Lorelai: Rory, come on. Don't you have more stories to tell? What about Phil?
Rory: I'm not allowed to talk about that. I promised Paris.
Lorelai: You told me about it.
Rory: She knew I would anyway. Bye mom. (Richard and Rory leave.)
Emily: Well, you certainly know how to empty a room.
Lorelai: Well it's not completely empty.
Emily: I'm leaving.
Lorelai: Mom, no. Wait. I just…what are you getting at?
Emily: I don't know what you're talking about?
Lorelai: The questions, the comments, they're going somewhere. Where?
Emily: I just want to know about your life. You are my daughter and I am concerned.
Lorelai: Concerned about what?
Emily: Concerned in general. Oh it doesn't matter. Are you finished with that?
Lorelai: Yeah. (Emily takes the dishes and leaves. Rory peeps in and signals to Richard. They both return.)
Rory: Well, that was an exciting room.
Lorelai: Didn't miss any action here. (Emily returns.)
Richard: So Rory, how's that boyfriend of yours?
Rory: He's okay, but he's not my boyfriend anymore.
Richard: Oh, what happened?
Rory: Nothing. We, um, just decided it was time. Mom, don't you want to tell grandma about Sookie?
Emily: Oh I've heard enough about Sookie.
Richard: When did this happen?
Rory: Yesterday. How about that movie you saw, mom?
Lorelai: Wonderful cartoon movie. Hey mom, you want to take a peek at the room Dad and Rory went to? Why should they have all the fun?
Emily: No, Lorelai. I want to hear this too. Are you okay, Rory?
Rory: I'm fine.
Richard: Did he break up with you or did you break up with him?
Rory: It was sort of mutual.
Richard: Well then. It's just as well. I always said you were too good for him. (Rory drops her head on the table.)
Emily: Richard, not now.
(Later. Luke's.)
Rory: I can't believe you didn't save me from that. You were supposed ot be Catherine Hepburn and you morphed into Joan Crawford.
Lorelai: Did you save me from my mother?
Rory: Vindictiveness is not a good quality in a mother.
Lorelai: Who says? I got it from mine.
Rory: So you admit grandma is a good mother.
Lorelai: I never said she was a bad mother.
Rory: You called her a pit bull.
Lorelai: You called her a beagle.
Rory: Pit bull mothers pick their children up by their necks with their teeth.
Lorelai: You think beagle mothers don't?
Rory: Their legs are too short.
Lorelai: Now you just said your grandma has short legs.
Rory: It's a metaphor.
(Luke walks over.)
Luke: What are you having?
Lorelai: Something vaguely in the range of an intellectual debate, wouldn't you say?
Rory: That sounds about right to me.
Luke: Two coffees?
Lorelai: Four. We need the intellectual stimulation.
Rory: No, I'll just have one coffee.
Lorelai: Who said any of them were for you?
Luke: Five coffees?
Lorelai: Four.
Rory: You are a good mother.
Lorelai: Don't speak too soon. I might get you out of here by my teeth.
(Jess comes in.)
Luke: So you finally decided to show up. How'd you do?
Jess: I'm fine, thank you. How do you do?
Luke: Are you getting left back?
Jess: No.
Luke: Do you have that in writing? (Jess sighs, pulls out his grade report and hands it to Luke.) That's good. I mean, that's great. You did good. You should call your mom. She'd be really proud.
Jess: Right.
Rory: Can I see? Can I see? (Luke gives her the paper.) Jess, wow! Congratulations. See, I knew you could do it.
Mom, look. (Lorelai quickly glances at the paper.)
Lorelai: (without looking at him.) That's, uh, great, Jess. Congratulations.
Jess: (to Luke) Well, I'm getting out of here before you decide you want to pin that up on the fridge.
Luke: No. You've been out all day doing God knows what. Now you're going to work.
Lorelai: Give him a break, Luke. He just came back with a great report card. Let him live a little.
Luke: All right. But be back in a half-hour for closing.
Lorelai: That's a lot of living. (Jess leaves. Rory is still holding on to his grade report.)
Rory: So that's what it is?
Lorelai: What?
Rory: It's Jess.
Lorelai: What's Jess?
Rory: The reason you've been acting so weird today. What happened?
Lorelai: What are you talking about? I don't have a problem with Jess. Didn't you see how I finessed Luke for him?
Rory: To get him out of here.
Lorelai: What can I say, I have a knack for emptying a room. I can get Luke out of here right now if you want.
Rory: Fine. Whatever you say.
(Later. Gilmore Residence. The phone rings. Rory picks up.)
Rory: Hello.
Lane: Rory.
Rory: Hey, Lane. Are you still grounded?
Lane: Yeah. I still have three more days.
Rory: Ugh. That's too bad. What am I going to do for three days?
Lane: You know what you're going to do. Smooch with Dean 'til you both go dry.
Rory: Does the news not make it into your prison walls?
Lane: What do you mean?
Rory: Dean and I broke up.
Lane: What! What happened?
Rory: Nothing. We just broke up.
Lane: For no reason?
Rory: We were growing apart.
Lane: Are you kidding me? I mean, I know you were away from each other for six weeks but that's because you were in Washington. Otherwise you guys were practically inseparable.
Rory: But we just weren't together. I thought we should break up as friends, without burning any bridges.
Lane: So you broke up with him?
Rory: I sort of initiated the discussion, but I think it was a mutual thing. I mean, he agreed it was for the best.
Lane: Are you okay?
Rory: (Rory fights the urge to cry.) Yeah, I'm fine.
Lane: (hearing the cracking in Rory's voice.) Okay, go get something sweet, come back here, and let it all out.
Mrs. Kim: Lane! Time's up.
Lane: Oh Rory. I'm sorry.
Rory: It's okay. Go before you're grounded for another week.
Lane: We'll finish this tomorrow.
Rory: Okay. See you soon, hopefully. (hangs up)
(Next Monday. Independence Inn.)
Lorelai: (on the phone) That's right…Four boxes…Yes…That'd be perfect…Oh I want to marry you…Thank you so much…That's great. (hangs up)
Young Girl: Hello, I need a room.
Lorelai: Okay.
Young Girl: But I don't have all the money for it right now.
Lorelai: Now that's a bit of a problem.
Young Girl: I know but please hear me out. I'm eighteen and I just had a baby and my boyfriend left me and I have nowhere to go. I don't have much money, and I need to feed my child, but I already got a job at Al's and I will make the money and I will pay you every cent.
Lorelai: I believe you, but don't you have family you can go to?
Young Girl: No.
Lorelai: What about your parents?
Young Girl: (about to cry) I can't.
Lorelai: I understand. (She reaches over and takes the girls shoulders.) Listen to me. I've been there. Right where you're at now. I was sixteen. If you need someone to talk to, I'm always somewhere around here. (She goes over and takes a key.) Room 213, for as long as you need it.
Young Girl: Thank you so much. My name is Ella, by the way.
Lorelai: Lorelai.
Ella: And this is Sam.
Lorelai: Aw. He's beautiful.
Ella: Thanks. But he needs a diaper change so I'll go to my room. Thanks again, so much.
Lorelai: No problem.
(Rory approaching Dean's house. She knocks on the door. Clara opens.)
Clara: He's not going to get back with you again.
Rory: Well now, that's good to know. Is he around though?
Clara: Hold up. Dean! (Dean comes over.)
Dean: Hey, Rory. Clara, could you give us a second? (Clara leaves.)
Rory: Hey.
Dean: Hi. How are you?
Rory: Good, good. How are you?
Dean: Not so good. It feels weird.
Rory: It does feel weird. I lied before.
Dean: Yeah, it didn't sound like a truthful "good."
Rory: I came to give you back the car.
Dean: What? Why?
Rory: Because it wouldn't be right to keep it. You made it. It's yours. It's too big for me to keep. And here's the bracelet.
Dean: This feels even more weird. I don't want the car or the bracelet back. I made them for you.
Rory: You made them for your girlfriend and I am no longer your girlfriend. I can't keep it.
Dean: What about your dad? He fixed the car up for you. You can't give it back. Consider it his gift now. And I made the bracelet for you. You can keep it. Anyway, who knows if you might be my girlfriend again? You said time apart might help us come back together.
Rory: Yeah. Maybe. Who knows?
Dean: So what are you doing today?
Rory: I don't know. Lane's grounded for another three days and my mom's working. I'll probably catch up on my reading.
Dean: I know you're not behind in your reading.
Rory: Catch up on my laundry.
Dean: You're terribly behind in your laundry.
Rory: I am. So what are you doing today?
Dean: Well, I'm taking Clara to the park, and I may catch a game of basketball with my friends while I'm there.
Rory: Sounds like fun.
Dean: Not to you. You hate basketballs.
Rory: That's right. I do. They're big and orange and…I'm sorry.
Dean: Me too.
Rory: I have to go now. (She turns and walks quickly away.)
(Independence Inn. The phone rings.)
Michel: Independence Inn. How can I help you?
Emily: Lorelai Gilmore, please.
Michel: One moment. (hands the phone to Lorelai.) Mommie dearest.
Lorelai: Hello, mom.
Emily: Lorelai, hello. Listen, I was wondering if you were free for lunch today.
Lorelai: Not really. Why?
Emily: I just thought we could catch up. You seemed preoccupied the other night.
Lorelai: I'm fine, mom. I've just been busy.
Emily: That's right. You're very busy. Well, I'll leave you to your work then. Good bye. (hangs up. Lorelai stares at the phone in her hand.)
Lorelai: Bye.
(Gilmore Residence. Rory is putting newly washed clothes into her dresser and closet. Her books are scattered all over the place. The doorbell rings.)
Rory: I'm coming. (She goes and gets money from her wallet. Then she gets the door.) Jess.
Jess: (holding a pizza) Hey.
Rory: You're not the pizza guy.
Jess: I do a little moonlighting. I met him at the door, and I gave him his money. You owe me fifteen dollars.
Rory: What are you doing here?
Jess: School's over and Luke gave me the day off. I thought I'd see if you were up to anything.
Rory: I am. Why?
Jess: I'm bored.
Rory: Read a book.
Jess: I get the feeling I'm not welcome here.
Rory: You're not. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come out like that, but Dean and I just broke up and if word leaks that I had you over at my house, it wouldn't be good.
Jess: But you didn't have me over. I'm intruding. No one saw me. Come on. I'll help you.
Rory: Help me what?
Jess: Eat this pizza?
Rory: No. That's all mine, buddy.
Jess: Well I'll help you do whatever it was you were doing before.
Rory: You'll help me watch a movie?
Jess: You were not watching a movie.
Rory: How'd you know?
Jess: You have this industrious look on your face.
Rory: I do not.
Jess: Then you tell me how I knew.
Rory: I have this industrious look on my face?
Jess: That might be it.
Rory: Fine, you can come in, but only for a little bit.
Jess: (coming in and following Rory) Can I get some pizza?
Rory: No.
Jess: One slice.
Rory: No.
Jess: A half a slice.
Rory: No.
Jess: A bite.
Rory: No.
(Later. Luke's. Lorelai busts in.)
Luke: (on the phone.) Hey Liz, it's me. This is my third message. Just give Jess a call. Ask him how summer school went. Congratulate him. It would only take two minutes. (Hangs up. To Lorelai) So what happened?
Lorelai: I don't know. It's just…this girl stopped by the inn today and she was in exactly the same situation I was in when I first came to the inn, a single teen mother running away from her parents. It was so freaky.
Luke: So what did you do?
Lorelai: What Mia did for me. I gave her a room. She's working at Al's and she'll pay it off eventually and then get on her feet. What?
Luke: Nothing.
Lorelai: No, you look like you want to say something.
Luke: It's none of my business.
Lorelai: I didn't ask if it was.
Luke: Hey, I just nod and serve the coffee.
Lorelai: So serve the coffee. (Luke nods and serves.)
Luke: I just think a parent has the right to know what's going on with their kid. If they decide they don't care, that's up to them, but they should at least know.
Lorelai: I thought you just nod and serve.
Luke: That's right. (He nods.) You want another cup.
Lorelai: I will.
(Later. Gilmore Residence. Rory's room)
Jess: You can't organize by literary movement.
Rory: Why not?
Jess: What are you going to do with say Emily Dickinson?
Rory: Hmm. Tough one. Arranging by nationality is too broad.
Jess: Alphabetically is too boring.
Rory: Why don't we color coordinate them?
Jess: Many-colored covers.
Rory: No. I have colored labels. We put the labels on the books, randomly, and then we make an index. See, let's take this bunch of books. We put green labels on them, and then we write down in the index under green all the titles.
Jess: Okay, but let's say you lose this precious index and you're looking for your copy of Walden or something but you don't remember which color it's under.
Rory: Then I'd have to search through all these books to find it. But I wouldn't lose the precious index.
Jess: Maybe not, but you never know when some thief might come along by night and take it.
Rory: I'd guard it with my life.
Jess: Okay, then. Have it your way.
Rory: Where is it?
Jess: Where's what?
Rory: The notebook. The index notebook.
Jess: I don't know.
Rory: Look, you've proven your point. I won't do the index plan. Now could you give me back my notebook?
Jess: I don't know where it is. You're going to have to find it.
Rory: Jess!
Jess: It may be right behind me, but I have this crick in my neck, so I can't really look.
Rory: Jess, give me my notebook.
Jess: You could reach behind me.
Rory: Jess.
Jess: Either that or rub my neck. Then I could move it and check behind me.
Rory: Jess. My notebook. Now.
Jess: It's really funny when you get all worked up.
Rory: I refuse to entertain you. Keep the notebook.
Jess: What's that on your lap? (Rory looks down and sees the notebook.)
Rory: How do you do that?
Jess: Do what?
Rory: What you just did.
Jess: What did I just do?
Rory: With the notebook.
Jess: What notebook?
Rory: I'm entertaining you again, aren't I?
Jess: Very much.
Rory: The books. How to arrange them?
Jess: I'm afraid we've missed the obvious.
Rory: What?
Jess: By era.
Rory: Isn't chronologically as boring as alphabetically?
Jess: No. Whether the author's last name begins with an A or G has no bearing on the book. Era always matters.
Rory: Should we do era and nationality? Because 19th century England is different from 19th century Russia.
Jess: True.
Rory: Although the problem would arise with contemporary compatriots that do not get along.
Jess: Tolstoy and Dostoevsky should never be on the same shelf.
Rory: I've actually been in the same room with them and it's quite amusing.
Jess: Is this going to be a long story?
Rory: Quite long.
Jess: Save it for next time?
Rory: Next time?
Jess: Well if I'm helping you organize your books you have to help me organize my CDs.
Rory: Hmm. Sounds like fun.
(Lorelai comes in.)
Lorelai: So there you are? Didn't you…Jess.
Jess: Miss Gilmore.
Lorelai: What are you doing here?
Rory: He was helping me to organize my books.
Lorelai: Well if this is your idea of organization never organize my room.
Rory: Well, we haven't done the organizing yet. We're still on the strategizing.
Jess: Yeah, but I have to get going. I have to work.
Rory: I thought Luke gave you the day off.
Jess: I lied.
Rory: Okay. Well, thanks for the strategy. (Jess nods and leaves without looking at Lorelai.)
Lorelai: What was he doing here? Are you going out with Jess now?
Rory: No, I'm not going out with Jess. He was bored so he came over and offered to help me with my books.
Lorelai: What if Miss Patty or Babette would have seen him?
Rory: Mom, I know. And I told him that. But he said no one saw him, and what was I supposed to do? Slam the door in his face?
Lorelai: Well…
Rory: Mom, it was nothing. Just friends hanging out. No one saw. Nothing's going to happen.
Lorelai: Rory, you know I love you.
Rory: Yes I do. I love you, too.
Lorelai: And I have always tried to take care of you and protect you.
Rory: And you've been very successful.
Lorelai: At the same time, I have tried to respect your opinion and trust you in everything you do and support every decision you make.
Rory: Yes, all true.
Lorelai: But…
Rory: I figured a but was coming.
Lorelai: But you knew that I did not like Jess. You seem to see something in him no one else sees, especially not me, and I tried to respect that and trust you in that.
Rory: Sometimes admirably so.
Lorelai: Right. And I have waited for a long time to finally see this thing you see, but I can't see it. Even now when he seems to be changing, I still don't see it. The truth is he hasn't changed. He's the same kid I didn't like, and I've tried to trust you, but now I need you to trust me. Jess is not who you think he is, and I want you to stay away from him.
Rory: What? I can't believe you're saying this.
Lorelai: Rory. I gave you your chance. Now you have to give me my chance. Please, Rory. I'm not trying to be your enemy here.
Rory: What happened between you two?
Lorelai: Nothing. You just have to trust me on this one.
Rory: But I can't trust you on this one because you don't know Jess.
Lorelai: If you don't want to trust me, you still have to obey me. Just stay away from him. That's all I'm asking. You don't need him. You have other friends.
Rory: Fine. (Silence) Could you please go now?
Lorelai: Fine. (leaves. Rory picks up the phone.)
Mrs. Kim: Hello.
Rory: Hey, Mrs. Kim. It's me, Rory. Can I speak to Lane?
Mrs. Kim: No. Tomorrow you can see her and talk to her.
Rory: But could I please talk to her today. Just for a few minutes.
Mrs. Kim: For a few minutes.
Lane: Hello.
Rory: Hey.
Lane: Sorry I couldn't call you. My mom suspended my phone privileges until the day of my release. How are you holding up?
Rory: Not so good.
Lane: What happened?
Rory: My mom flipped out at me.
Lane: Your mom?
Rory: She doesn't do it a lot but when she does it's pretty bad.
Lane: What'd she say?
Rory: She said I couldn't be friends with Jess anymore.
Lane: Oh. How did that come about?
Rory: He was over at the house today, and I don't know but I think something happened between them before that she won't tell me about, but she hates him now and doesn't want me hanging out with him.
Lane: To be honest, Rory, I don't think that's so bad. I mean, I was in class with him when he showed and he's not so great a person.
Rory: You don't know him.
Lane: No I don't. But how are you sure you know him? Your mom is not one to flip out, so if he got her to that point he must have done something pretty bad.
Rory: Maybe it was just a misunderstanding.
Lane: Could be. The only way you're going to find out is if you talk to one of them.
Rory: (sighs) So what are we doing tomorrow?
(Next day. Independence Inn. Ella is trying to flee unnoticed. Lorelai see her though, and runs up to her.)
Lorelai: Hey. How are you?
Ella: Uh. Okay.
Lorelai: Going out for a morning walk?
Ella: Yeah.
Lorelai: Hmm. Well, why don't you leave some of these bags here? I promise no one will take them.
Ella: Uh, I can't.
Lorelai: Huh. I take it you're splitting.
Ella: Yeah.
Lorelai: Aren't you forgetting something?
Ella: No.
Lorelai: Your baby?
Ella: I can't bring him. I left him in the room with the money I owe you. Someone will take care of him. I can't. I'm no good. He's better off with someone else. I don't mind living on the streets, but I don't want him to.
Lorelai: Ella, hon, you have options. Better ones than leaving your child in a strange town. You don't want to live with the knowledge that you abandoned your child.
Ella: I don't have a choice. I lost my job. I can't do this. I can't be responsible for raising him. I can't do it on my own.
Lorelai: You don't have to do it on your own.
Woman: Ella!
Ella: Mom. What are you doing here? How did you find me?
Woman: We heard Tim threw you out. I was so worried. I didn't know where you had gone or anything. I just followed wherever people said you headed to.
Ella: I'm sorry mom. I'm sorry about everything.
Woman: I'm sorry you felt you couldn't come to me. Now, where's my grandson?
Ella: I'll get him. (to Lorelai) Thank you for all your help.
Lorelai: (smiles) You take care of yourself and that kid.
(Later. Lorelai pulls up at the Hartford Gilmore Residence. Her mother is gardening.)
Lorelai: I cleared time in my schedule for lunch.
Emily: How nice. I'll get Florence to prepare something.
Lorelai: Florence is still here?
Emily: I decided to give her a second chance. I suppose everyone deserves a second chance. (Emily leaves to get Florence. Lorelai sits among the flowers in the garden.)
(Lane and Rory in the music store.)
Lane: Early Elton John or Contemporary Elton John?
Rory: That's a tough one. But I'll go with early Elton John.
Lane: Did we ever figure out what Nikita was about?
Rory: I don't think we did, no.
Lane: Yet I still love that song.
Rory: Interesting, isn't it?
Lane: So can I keep some of the Washington pictures?
Rory: Yeah, but not yet. I have to meet with Paris so we can decide which ones we'll use for the Franklin. If we choose any of the ones you wanted, I'll just make copies with the negatives.
Lane: What's wrong with you?
Rory: What did I do?
Lane: You're way too serious.
Rory: I'm often serious. Especially on a Tuesday. In fact, after reading Tuesdays with Morrie I'm always serious on Tuesdays.
Lane: Did you talk to your mom?
Rory: I always talk to my mom. I said "Good morning" to her this morning. I asked her if it was all right for me to hang out with you today since she's monitoring my friends now.
Lane: You're no fun when you're arguing with your mom.
Rory: Arguing with my mom is no fun.
(Lorelai and Emily)
Emily: Well after that I decided that they could handle the DAR cocktail without me, so I came home to put in the peonies.
Lorelai: Good for you. Now what are you going to do when the cocktail flops and they come crawling back to you on hands and knees begging.
Emily: Oh well, I wouldn't force them to beg.
Lorelai: A little groveling would teach them a lesson.
Emily: I'll think about it. So did anything interesting happen in your day?
Lorelai: Uh, yeah. A girl came to the inn. She was eighteen with a baby and she needed a place to stay but she didn't have the money.
Emily: What about her parents?
Lorelai: She didn't want to go to them.
Emily: I hope you sent her to her parents.
Lorelai: No I didn't. I gave her a room.
Emily: Lorelai, you should tell her to call her mother.
Lorelai: I don't have to. Her mother came looking for her. The poor kid was about to leave and abandon her child, she was so afraid she couldn't do it on her own. I thought about what Mia did for me, and I was about to offer my help when in comes her mother. It was…I don't know.
Emily: Are you insinuating why I didn't come looking for you?
Lorelai: No. It's not that. I just realized that I never gave you the chance. I didn't feel I could come to you.
Emily: I'm sorry you felt that way.
Lorelai: I'm sorry too.
Emily: It's no easy job raising a daughter. All you want to do is protect her. You don't know that such a thing as overprotecting exists. You try so hard to keep her safe and close, and you just end up pushing her further and further away. Until you lose her.
Lorelai: You haven't lost me, mom.
Emily: But I did. (They both look out at the flowers in the garden.)
(Lorelai and Rory are walking into Luke's)
Rory: So they kept Florence after all.
Lorelai: The beagle returns.
Rory: I'm glad you and grandma made up.
Lorelai: How about us? Are we okay?
Rory: We're going to have to be. Lane and I decided that arguing with you is no good for me. It ruins my complexion.
Lorelai: And it messes up my hair.
Rory: Are you still upholding what you said? If you still are, I will obey.
Lorelai: Well, you don't have to stay away from him forever, but just give it a while.
Rory: Fair enough.
Luke: (on the phone.) Hey Liz, it's me again. I'm a little tired of talking to your machine…Liz. I've been trying to call you since the weekend. I left I don't know how many messages…Fine, I just called because Jess finished summer school and he did well and I thought you should know. Maybe you want to congratulate him…Liz, wait. He's right upstairs. I can get him down now. Jess! Jess, get down here! (to Liz) Just wait one second…Liz, he's your son. Just wait one… (Jess comes downstairs) second. (Luke hangs up.)
Jess: What is it?
Luke: That was your mom. She called to see how you did in summer school and she wanted to congratulate you.
Jess: Funny, I didn't hear the phone ring.
Luke: Well it only rang once before I picked it up.
Jess: Right.
Luke: She'll probably call back in a bit to speak to you herself.
Jess: Tell her I'm out. Be back before closing. (Jess leaves.)
Lorelai: (to Rory) Go.
Rory: What?
Lorelai: Your while's up. Go.
Rory: Thanks, mom. (Rory hugs her mom and leaves. Lorelai is pensive for a moment, then smiles a commiserating smile as Luke comes over.)
Lorelai: We try our best. (Luke nods and serves the coffee.)
The End
