** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

Liz and Lorelai sat a few tables apart, Luke stood between them rubbing the back of his neck.

"You're just going to let her talk to me like that?" Liz asked him.

Luke looked at her, then at Lorelai.

"Uh… yeah." He nodded. "I agree with her. It's not in the best interests of Rory or Jess to come back here right now, and that'd be because of you."

"I don't believe what I'm hearing!" Said Liz in disgust.

"Get used to it, there's plenty more where that came from." Muttered Lorelai.

"You're no better than I am. If you daughter were raised properly she wouldn't go running off with guys she barely knows."

"Barely knows?" Frowned Lorelai.

"Four months. He's been here four months. If you try and tell me they already think they're soul mates, then don't be surprised if I laugh in your face." Sighed Liz.

Luke and Lorelai looked at each other. Liz didn't have a clue.

"Liz… they've known each other for over a year." Said Luke hesitantly, dreading her reaction.

"How?"

"They met online." Sighed Lorelai.

"They…" Liz shook her head and looked at Luke. "You knew about this and you didn't say anything?" She practically snarled at him.

"I didn't know until after he got here."

"And don't go getting at him. If you paid as much attention to your son as you do to your fashion accessories, you might have known about it!" Said Lorelai.

"This is… too much." Said Liz. "What it comes down to is that I trusted you with my son, and you let him run off with some girl!"

Luke closed his eyes and tried to stay calm.

"For the last time… I didn't let him. He has a mind of his own Liz. He grew up. He's not 5 years old anymore!"

"I know that! What do you think I am, an idiot?"

Lorelai had to bite her tongue to keep herself quiet.

"Liz… He's an intelligent and independent young man." Sighed Luke.

"Intelligent? How intelligent is it to do something like this?" She shouted.

"I dunno! How intelligent is it to ship your son off to stay with a relative because you can be bothered with him, and then expect him to come running home when you whistle?" Said Lorelai. "He's not a freakin' dog!"

"Luke!"

"What? I can't tell her not to talk to you like that!" He said, feeling trapped in the middle. "Even if I did, it's not likely she'll listen."

"This is ridiculous! Why are we all sitting here? We should call the police!" Said Liz.

"No. You can't do that!" Said Luke, stopping her from going over to the phone.

"Luke… my son is a run away. A missing person. I'm calling the police!"

Luke sighed and looked her in the eyes.

"If you do one thing right in your life, make it this." He said finally. "Go home. Wait. Lorelai and I will handle this." He said calmly.

"She just said she wasn't going to do anything to get them back!" Shouted Liz, pointing an accusing finger at Lorelai.

"I said I wasn't going to do anything to bring Jess back to you." Sighed Lorelai.

Liz looked at them both. She was out numbered.

"Give me one good reason why I should trust either of you. You, the man who let my only child run away. And her, the one who's daughter probably encouraged the whole thing."

Luke clenched his fists at his side hearing her blame him again. He managed to keep his reply silent.

"You should trust us because I love my daughter, and I wouldn't let anything happen to her. And she loves your son, and would never let anything happen to him." Said Lorelai sincerely.

Lorelai walked over to her and confronted her. Not as the woman her daughter had fled from, but mother to mother. Because, good one or not, at a basic level, Liz was still a mother.

"I'm going to find my daughter. And your son." She said. "Trust that."

Liz closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"I still think we should call the police." She sighed.

"If we drag them back here, they'll just run off again." Said Lorelai.

"Not if we watch them at all times."

"That's… not humanly possible." Said Lorelai. "Trust me… 3 nights of not sleeping and you go insane." She shook her head. "My point is… if they want to be together, they'll find a way."

Liz knew Lorelai was right. She didn't want to admit it.

"If anything happens to my son…" She started.

"It won't." Said Luke.

Liz nodded. It was up to Luke and Lorelai.

*****

Lorelai burst into the diner waving a piece of paper at Luke.

"Get your stuff." She shouted.

"What?" He asked, spilling coffee all over the floor.

"Get some stuff, quick hurry." She came further into the diner and stood on a chair. "Ok… uh… diner people. We're closed." She said looking at all the bewildered customers.

"I haven't finished my Ham on Wry." Said Kirk.

"Take it with you!" She said, getting down and pulling Kirk out of his chair. "Come on, we have to close."

"Lorelai…" Started Luke, watching her pushing all his customers out of the door.

"Have a nice night, enjoy that coffee! Keep the cup! See ya!" She called, shutting the door.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"I called the bank. Rory took her purse. Her ATM card, and the emergency ATM and Credit cards I gave her." She said breathlessly. "So I called the bank and I yelled at a whole lot of people. And eventually they told me that she used the emergency debit card today."

"Where?" Asked Luke, as they hurried upstairs.

"Elkridge. It's in Maryland. I looked it up, it's like… right off of the interstate." She said, almost giddy.

"But… they could be anywhere by now." He sighed, putting some clothes in a bag.

"Yeah, but we're not going to find them by sitting here! We have to get moving." She said, stuffing his clothes into the bag faster and carrying in out of the apartment.

"Lorelai… I don't think you thought this through…" He started.

"I did. I thought… My daughter ran away, I know where she was and I'm going there!" She said. "Now, be a good boy and have Caesar lock up. I'll be waiting in the Jeep." She said.

Luke did as he was told, and was out in the Jeep with Lorelai a few minutes later.

"So… the plan is?" He asked, pulling his seat belt on.

"To find Rory and Jess." She said as she started driving.

"By…?"

"Following them." She shrugged. "Don't rain on my parade Luke. I got good news, I have hope. I'm finding these kids!"

Luke shook his head and looked over at Lorelai. If anyone else had said that, he wouldn't have believed them. But Lorelai… he knew not to underestimate her.

*****

Rory rolled over in bed. She groaned as another lump in the mattress made her uncomfortable.

"Stupid, pathetic, no good mattress." She mumbled, sitting up.

She looked around the crumby motel room and sighed. Then she realized Jess wasn't there. A wave of panic ran through her.

"Jess?" She called out. He didn't reply.

She got up and ran over to the window, peering out. Tears sprung to her eyes when she saw that the pick-up truck was gone.

"Oh my god…" She spun around and looked at the room. Her eyes fell on the piece of paper on his pillow.

She didn't know if she wanted to open it. She was scared he'd changed his mind, had gone on without her so she could go home.

She picked it up. Her hands were shaking. She opened it.

Gone for breakfast, back soon.

Love, Jess

She let out a long shaky breath and let the tears fall as she laughed.

"Morning."

Rory turned at the sound of his voice.

"Don't ever do that again!" She said, running over and hugging him tightly.

"Rory, I have really hot coffee in my hand!" He laughed and she let go.

He set the coffee and some boxes on the table and hugged her again.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"You! I woke up and you were gone, and the truck was gone and…"

"You thought I left you?" He frowned. "I put a note…"

"I didn't see it!" She laughed, relieved to have him back.

"I'm sorry." He smiled, hugging her more. "I just saw a diner back down the road last night, so I went and got us coffee and breakfast."

Rory's face lit up when she was the boxes of food.

"All is forgiven." She smiled, grabbing one of the cups of coffee and one of the boxes and sitting on the bed.

*****

"What are you doing." Giggled Rory as Jess led her across a gravel parking lot, his hands over her eyes.

"Just… wanted to show you something." He smiled.

"Is it pretty?" She asked playfully.

"It's very pretty."

"I like pretty things."

"I know you do." He laughed slightly.

They stopped and he sat her on a bench.

"Ok, you can open your eyes." He said, taking his hand away.

Rory opened her eyes and blinked a few times. Jess had brought her to the beach. It was still early, and the sun had only just come up. She smiled softly and rested against him.

"What made you bring me here?" She asked.

"Thought you'd appreciate a small break before we get back in the truck again." He smiled and she nodded.

"I do. I really and truly do." She looked out at the water and let out a long sigh. "Where are we?"

"Wilmington." He said.

"Wilmington… North Carolina?" She frowned.

"Yeah."

"I think that's where they film that Dawson's Creek show." She laughed softly.

"Oh. How very WB of me." He smiled, kissing her forehead.

"This is nice." She said contently.

"Yeah." He agreed quietly, holding her close.