They kept driving, and it was getting darker and darker. The car was silent, Rory had figured out what Chris was doing and was too scared to speak to him. All she wanted was to be home, in her nice cozy bed, with Lorelai.

"Do you want to stop and get something to eat?" Chris asked. Rory shook her head. Her stomach felt weak. "Well, we're stopping," Chris replied. "I need something."

"They stopped at a Knight-and-day restaurant, where Chris ordered dinner. Rory was still quiet, until she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Why are you doing this? All I want is to go home. You can't kidnap me, Dad, at least tell me why." Rory was on the verge of tears. Worry and sickness as well.

After all the things I've missed, Rory. You getting your application to Yale, your graduation, even your special bond with your mom. And I think this is a good chance to get away from it all."

Rory felt like spitting on him. "Luke has been more of a father to me than you have." Chris roughly grabbed her arm, left some money on the table, and dragged Rory to the car. "You be quiet now, or I'll have to force you to be quiet. You don't want that, do you?" Rory sat sullenly in the drivers seat and wondered how much more this would last.

Lorelai sat on the rugged couch that she and Rory owned, her fingers interwined with Luke's. Lorelai's face was pale, Lane's was tearstained, Luke's and Sookie's were still stunned. Chris.. why Chris? Luke absintmindley turned on the television, and saw a news report.

"Rumor has it that Rory Gilmore, granddaughter of Emily and Richard Gilmore, daughter of Lorelai Gilmore, has been kidnapped by her own father. If anyone has seen her, please phone this number.. her family is very worried." Lane bit her finger and looked worridly at Lorelai. Sure enough, she ran out of the room, crying. She was on and off in her crying spasms. Sookie gently went into Lorelai's room and sat down on the bed with her.

"What if we don't find her, Sookie? What if she..what if she's dead?" Lorelai managed to get those last two words out before collapsing on her bed again. Sookie rubbed Lorelai's back. "Chris wouldn't kill her, at least, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't. Lor, look at me." Lorelai reluctantly faced her. "Listen, we are going to get her back okay? No matter how hard it is, how many pictures we have to put around town, she is going to be back with us. I promise you." Lorelai hugged Sookie tightly. "We'd better, she's my everything, Sook. She's why I'm alive."

In the car, Rory was getting more and more antagonated. "Where are you taking me?" "Somewhere where no-one will find you," Chris casually replied, as he pulled into an abonded warehouse practically in the middle of nowhere. He shoved her in. "I'll be back in the morning. Remember, Rory, no crying. Crying is for babies." "Go away," Rory said. She was too tired, to weak, to argue with her father. Where was she? Was she really far away from home?

She closed her eyes, and immediately recalled the birthday morning her mom crept into her room. "Happy Birthday, little girl."

Rory smiled as she remembered her mom snuggling in bed with her.

"I can't believe how fast you're growing up."

Rory recalled saying, "It doesn't seem that fast"

"You know what I think? I think you're a great, cool kid, and the best friend a girl could have."

Rory felt tears slide down her cheeks as she thought of her best friend, her mom, sitting on her bed, probably crying her eyes out, worrying about her.

Another memory came to her head. Later that day, at Rory's birthday dinner, Lorelai had proposed a toast to her.

"I would like to propose a toast to the one thing in my life that is always good, always sweet, and whom I would have no reason to get up in the morning. My pal Rory."

Rory longed to have her mom's arms around her, hugging her, telling her everything was going to be alright. She wanted the warmth of her mother, and as all the stress of her day unfolded, she sobbed herself to sleep.

Lorelai walked Sookie and Lane to the door. She hugged them both goodbye, and whispered in Lane's ear: "She'll be alright, sweetie. We'll find her." Lane nodded as they both promised they would come back to her house in the morning.
Luke lingered in the house for a bit. Lorelai got a bit weepy again as she hugged Luke tightly. "See you tomorrow, Luke, thanks for everything." "Lor? You know we'll find her, right?" "Yeah, yeah, I know." Lorelai softly replied.

Climbing into her bed, Lorelai cried to herself, never thinking about anything else aside of Rory. After an hour, she still couldn't sleep, so she walked into Rory's bed and tried to sleep then.