AN. Hi everyone. Chapter 16 is in the works. Its a long chapter and hopefully will be done by the time I get back. I'm going away for 2 weeks where I'll have no computer access, but I'm gonna do my best to write-I'll have nothing else to do. 

enjoy and please review

Chapter Fifteen

Lorelai was thoroughly engrossed in reading when the phone rang. She fumbled for it without tearing her eyes from her reading and picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, mom."

"Rory. Do you know what "criadillas de toro" are?"

"No."

"Bull's testicles."

"Gross!" Rory judged, making a face.

"You eat them."

"I think I'd remember if I'd ever eaten bull's testicles."

"No. Not you _per se_, but people eat them. In Spain," Lorelai explained.

"They have a strange relationship with bulls in that country."

"So are we sure we want to go there?"

"More than ever."

"Yeah, I was thinking we should bump it up on the list. Maybe before France instead of after?" the elder Gilmore suggested eagerly.

"That works."

"Cool. So where are you?"

"Outside."

"Yes, I know. Could you narrow down the vicinity?" Lorelai prodded.

"Um, approximately two feet from the front door."

"Okay. Why don't you come inside?"

"I wanted to make sure we were okay first."

"Ah. That's right. Are we?"

"I was going to ask you," Rory murmured.

"Well, I don't know. That was pretty bad."

"It was."

A moment's uncomfortable silence.

"I'm sorry, mom," Rory finally whispered.

"Me too. I'm not sorry for caring about you and worrying for you, but I'm still sorry."

"Understood."

"So, we're good?"

"We will be."

"Good."

"Goodnight, mom."

They hung up, and the next minute the door was opened and Rory appeared quietly inside. Lorelai walked over and they hugged. "Hey," Lorelai welcomed.

"I missed you."

"Me too. Want some hot chocolate?"

"Ooh. Yeah. I'm just gonna go change."

Rory went to her room while Lorelai prepared the hot chocolate in the kitchen. By the time Rory came out in her pajamas and socks, two mugs were on the table. They sat and breathed in the warm chocolate-y essence.

"Frosted Flakes?" Lorelai offered.

"Mm hmm." Rory took the box and dumped some into the chocolate. The two ate the mush in contented silence.

After a while, Rory set her spoon down. "I'm not sure I'm ready for this," she confessed. "You know, going away, leaving."

Lorelai smiled reassuringly. "You will be."

"What about you? Are you ready for this?"

Lorelai sighed. "I think I need more marshmallows."

******************************'

Jess and Bree worked diligently in the apartment. Jess stenciled on the wall, occasionally looking over at the map to make sure he was doing a good job. He carefully guided the charcoal tip along the wall, brushing away the residual grains with his finger, sometimes blowing off the smudge. His left eyebrow was arched with meticulous scrutiny. Bree painted a few feet away, sweeping the brush over the stenciled lines, leaving behind trails of red and black and yellow paint. Occasionally they grabbed a few fries and took some sips of their drinks. Jess reached for a ruler to straighten out his lines before darkening the charcoal imprints. Bree dabbed at Jess's lines before erasing them under rivulets of color. She used another cloth, a damp one hanging from her pocket, to wipe away the excess paint that strayed from the charted course.

As they worked deep into the early morning, the scratch of the charcoal on the wall, the drone of the brush and the occasional sigh, were the only sounds to be heard.

After a while, Bree went over to the other side of the apartment, and opened the windows wider. She took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth. Jess came over to her and flicked his lighter to light it. Setting his back against the wall as she had, he took the cigarette from her mouth as Bree casually blew out the smoke she'd inhaled, the pair of them sliding down the wall all the while. Their eyes were glued to the space in front of them that they had been working on all night. Sitting there, resting their arms on their bent knees and passing the cigarette, they stared at the wall they had just painted, assessing the work accomplished.

"Not bad," Jess said, breaking the silence.

"Not bad at all."

Next Time.....

"You have a curfew" Bree teased in a song-song voice

Jess grunted "shut up"

"Man, the sucks"

****************

Kirk woke up from his trance, "Oh, did you say something? Excuse me. I was just processing rejection."
"She must have been brutal," Lorelai assessed.
Kirk, standing up, nodded, "He's a good guy, but he can just be rigid and close-minded sometimes."
******************

"I don't deserve to be ignored.  I don't deserve to be at best an after-thought, when you run into me, for you to remember, 'hey, I know this girl.  I should say 'hi' or something.'  I don't deserve to sit there asking Luke every day where you are, when you're coming back, when can I talk to you.  I don't deserve to have everyone looking at me like some pathetic idiot doting after when you don't even give me a second glance when you're with Bree.  I don't dote, okay?"