***** Here it is! I'm leaving tomorrow (For the people who don't know yet, I'm going to Germany for two weeks), so I decided to update one more chapter before I went away. I hope you enjoy it and I promise I'll update the minute I get back...... Nice one *****

Lorelai quietly opened the front door and went in. As quiet as possible she took off her coat and went into the linvingroom. She almost shrieked when she saw two people in the dark room. As she looked closer she saw it was Rory on the couch. She was asleep and had a smile on her face. In the chair sat Jess. Jess? He was sleeping and a book had fallen on the floor next to him. Lorelai smiled. She had no idea what happened here tonight, but she was glad that Rory was okay. She walked into the kitchen. She noticed the rose on the kitchen table. Or what was left of it. She wondered who gave it to Rory. She sat down on a kitchen chair. Should she wake them up, before she went to bed? She hesitated for a moment, then she decided Luke might get worried if Jess didn't come home. She walked back into the livingroom. She sat down on the end of the couch and stroke the cheek of her daughter. Rory slowly woke up and stared in the eyes of her mom. Immediately she sat straight up.

R: "Mom!"

L: "Yeah, that's me. What's he doing here?"

She pointed at Jess. Rory looked at him. He looked so cute. A smile appeared on her face.

R: "He came by to keep me company"

L: "Ah"

Rory got up from the couch and walked towards Jess. She stood still in front of him.

R: "Jess? Jess?"

Nothing happened.

R: "Jess?" she said again, a little louder this time.

It helped, Jess woke up and found himself staring in the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen.

J: "Rory!"

Just like Rory, he immediately sat straight up. Then he noticed Lorelai.

J: "Lorelai!"

L: "Yeah, I guess you could call me that, since you're sleeping here now"

Jess got up.

J: "I'm so sorry. I fell asleep"

R: "Obviously"

Jess checked his watch.

J: "I should get back to the diner."

R: "You don't have to go"

J: "Yes, I do"

R: "Okay"

Jess looked at Rory.

J: "How are you feeling?"

R: "Better"

J: "Good"

They stared in each others eyes for a second. Suddenly Rory felt something, she had never felt before when she was around him. She felt like kissing him. Her own feelings started to scare her now and she quickly looked away. Jess looked at Lorelai.

J: "I promise, I'll call next time I need a place to sleep"

L: "Oh, don't worry about it. It's not like you took my bed or something. It's just a chair....and it's just standing here, doing nothing, so....."

Jess walked to the door. He opened it.

R: "Jess...."

Jess turned around.

J: 'Yeah?"

R: "Thanks for everything. I owe you"

J: "No, you don't. Just come to the diner tomorrow so we can solve this, okay?"

She nodded. Then Jess dissapeared into the night. He closed the door behind him. Rory sat down on the couch.

L: "Okay, what was that about?"

R: "What was what about?"

L: "Well, Jess was in our chair, sleeping. That doesn't happen often.....and the thing he said about solving stuff.......not good. You're not in trouble, are you?"

Rory looked away.

R: "No......not really"

L: "Don't lie to mommy"

R: "You know what? I don't wanna talk about it right now. I'm tired and I'm going to bed"

L: "You don't wanna tell me?"

R: "No. It's nothing. Really. It's nothing we can't solve"

L: "We as in you and Jess?"

R: "Yes"

L: " Now I'm worried"

R: "Don't be. It's nothing big. Not yet anyway. If it really gets out of hand, then I'll tell you. I just wanna solve this on my own"

L: "On your own....with Jess"

R: "Something like that, yeah"

L: "And this thing you guys have to solve, does that have something to do with a certain rose on the kitchen table"

R: "Kinda"

L: "You know, I don't like it when you keep things from me"

R: "I don't like it to keep things from you either"

L: "Then don't. Just tell me what's wrong"

R: "I can't"

L: "Not can't. Won't"

R: "Okay, won't. But that's a choice I make"

L: "So you are in trouble?"

R: "Don't know"

L: "Are you in danger?"

R: "I don't think so"

L: "You never keep things from me. What's different now?"

R: "Nothing. Nothing's different. I just don't want you to worry about nothing"

L: "Well, this is obviously 'something', otherwise you would have told me and besides, I am already worried. I can't be more worried.....unless you're gonna tell me some serialkiller is after you, but otherwise there's no way I could be more worried......So, it wouldn't make a difference if you told me"

R: "Maybe not....."

Rory hesitated and looked up at her mom. Maybe she was right. What difference would it make if she told her mom? Wait, if she told her mom she knew for sure that by tomorrow morning the whole town knew and that was something she didn't want to happen. Not if she could solve it in a not violent way.

R: "Listen, I'll tell you, just not now. There's one more thing I have to do tomorrow and if that doesn't change the situation then I'll tell you. You can live with that?"

L: "If you can guarantee that you're not gonna be dead by then"

R: "Mom! Of course not. I'm not in grave danger or anything"

L: "Just checking"

R: "So, that's okay with you?"

Her mom nodded.

L: "Sure. What difference does one more day make?"

Rory smiled at her mom. Then she gave her mom a kiss on the cheek.

R: "I'm going to bed"

L: "Yeah, me too"

Rory got up from the couch. She smiled at her mom, then she left the livingroom and dissapeared into her bedroom. Lorelai sighed. What was going on? Rory never kept things from her. They were so close. She knew everything there was to know about her daughter. And now there was something Rory wasn't telling her. Lorelai had to admit, it hurt. And on top of that she was incredibly worried. Rory told her everything, except this. That could only mean one thing: it was something bad. Something big and bad and something Rory thought she couldn't handle. What was she supposed to do now? She felt like she had to do something to help her daughter. She couldn't just wait until tomorrow and Rory would tell her. She just couldn't. But did she have a choice? If Rory didn't wanna talk...... Lorelai decided there was nothing she could right now. It was late and she was tired. She got up from the couch and turned off the lights in the house, then she went upstairs.....

Rory felt awful, she hadn't been able to sleep after she went to bed. The whole Dan-thing kept haunting her. She was really worried about all this and she felt bad about not telling her mom. She always told her mom everything and now.... She took one last look into the mirror, then she left her bedroom. Her mom wasn't awake yet. Or maybe she was....Rory noticed the mug on the kitchen table. It was empty.

R: "Mom?"

Lorelai walked into the kitchen.

L: "Goodmorning, honey. You want some coffee?"

R: "Sure"

Lorelai took a mug out of a cupboard and filled it with coffee. Rory sat down at the kitchen table. Her mom handed her the mug.

L: "Here. Some homemade coffee. I'm sure it will make you feel better"

Rory took a sip from the coffee. She made a face.

R: "This is old?"

L: "It is?"

R: "Yes, when did you make this?"

L: "When I woke up"

R: "And when was that?"

L: "A few hours ago"

R: "Okay, that explains why the coffee is old. I do wanna know why you got up so early though. That's nothing like you. You like sleeping. You remember dad calling you Sleeping Beauty? He called you that because you always sleep"

L: "And because I'm beautiful"

R: "That too of course"

L: "I just didn't feel like sleeping anymore......that's not that weird is it?"

R: "It is, when you're name is Lorelai Gilmore"

L: "Fine. I couldn't sleep...Happy now?"

R: "Oh my God. You were worried. You were worried about last night.....That's why you couldn't sleep. Now I feel so guilty....You like sleeping and now because of me you couldn't. Please forgive me!"

L: "Are you kidding? It's not your fault. I just couldn't sleep. There could be a million reasons why I couldn't sleep....."

R: "Like what?"

L: "Well................I don't wanna talk about it. Look, let me make this up to you. Come with me to Luke's and I'll buy you coffee....and breakfast"

R: "Buy?"

L: "Figuratively speaking"

R: "Of course"

L: "Let's go"

R: "Coming!"

A few minutes later they entered Luke's. The diner was pretty much empty. Only a few customers.

L: "You wanna sit at a table? Or at the counter?"

R: "Counter is fine"

L: "Then counter it is!"

R: "Why are you so cheery? You should be cranky and mad....at me."

L: "I can do a night without sleep."

R: "No, you can't. I mean, normal people can, but you can't. I know you"

L: "So I'm not normal? Is that what you're saying? Now I have to admit that I'm getting a bit cranky"

They sat down at the counter. Luke came downstairs. He went into the kitchen and came back out with two plates.

Luke: "I'll be right with you"

L: "I could get my own coffee...."

Luke: "Do not touch my stuff"

Luke put the plates down on a table near the window. Then he walked back to the counter.

L: "Why can't I touch your stuff? I never broke any of your stuff"

Luke: "And I would like to keep it that way"

Luke poured them two coffee and handed it to them.

R: "Thanks"

L: "You do realize I'm touching your stuff right now, right?"

Luke: "Can I get you anything else?

L: "Yes, take your pen and a blank sheet of paper, cos I'm gonna order like I've never ordered before. What do you want Rory?"

R: "I'm not that hungry"

L: "You're not.....Well....you have to be hungry otherwise it wouldn't be the order I had in mind"

Rory ignored her mom.

R: "Luke? Do you know where Jess is?"

Luke: "Upstairs. Doing his hair. So that means you shouldn't expect him very soon"

R: "Oh"

L: "Honey, I'm still waiting for you to order"

R: ".....I don't want anything. I'm perfectly happy with my coffee"

L: "How can you be perfectly happy with coffee? I mean, coffee is great, I won't deny that, but food with the coffee..........that's even better. You're my daughter, you should know things like that. Haven't I taught you that? Food is good, coffee is even better, but food with coffee is.......perfect"

R: "Well, then you order your food and coffee"

L: "I'm sorry. Are you my daughter? You look like her, you dress like her, you have the same voice like her, but the words that are coming out of your mouth are so not like her. What did you do with her?"

R: "I'm still here mom. Don't worry. You know I'll never leave you.......I'm just nog hungry right now"

L: "But you're Rory.....you're always hungry"

R: "Just not right now"

Luke: "Are you still gonna order?"

L: "Of course I'm still gonna order....."

Rory turned around when she heard the door opening behind her. It was him. It was Dan. He came walking towards the counter with a huge smile on his face. Rory felt her heart beating. She was really scared of him. Even in the diner, with her mom and Luke nearby, she was still scared. Suddenly she forgot everything that was happening around her, the only she saw was Dan. She turned around.

R: "Mom"

L: "Wait a minute, honey. I'm still not sure if I should order pancakes or.....noodles"

Luke: "Noodles for breakfast?"

L: "I like noodles"

R: "Mom....."

L: "What's wrong?"

R: "I have to talk to someone"

L: "Go ahead, don't let my major breakfast dilemma stop you"

R: "Why don't you take both?"

L: "Both, huh?"

Rory left her mom at the counter and got up. She turned around and saw Dan sitting at a table in the middle of the diner. He smiled at her. She tried to smile back, but she didn't think it really worked. She really wanted Jess to be downstairs right now. He was the only one who knew what was going on. She took a deep breath, then she walked towards Dan.