Chapter 1
"Mom! Are you home?" Rory set her laundry bag down by the front door. Walking into the kitchen she spotted her mother sitting at the table reading a fashion magazine. Hearing her daughter come in, she looked up.
"Hey, sweetie! How's school? I didn't expect you home until tonight at your grandparent's house."
"I know. But I was walking to my dorm when I passed by Paris and Professor Flemming. They weren't doing anything, but it was a total ick factor!"
Lorelai could feel goosebumps running down her spine , "Ugh! I don't even want to think about that. He's old enough to be Paris's grandfather. There's just something totally wrong about that."
Something totally wrong. Lorelai didn't want to think about Paris or Asher or whatever it is that they are up too. Although, ever since Rory told her about Paris and Asher, she couldn't think about anything else. It was killing her. Why? She couldn't put her finger on it. Lorelai shuddered again, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Mom? Mom! Are you ok?"
"Oh, yeah, honey. Just that little bit of Paris and the Professor just grossed me out. It's nothing." Lorelai looks around the room and at the clock on the microwave. "Oh, god! The time! I told Sookie I'd meet her at her house. Just a little meeting about the Inn.
Standing up and grabbing her purse, Lorelai made her way towards the back door. After giving Rory a quick peck on the cheek, she ran out the door without another word. Rory stared at the open back door shaking her head.
"That was weird." Looking out the door, Rory watched her mother taking off down the driveway. She knew that something was wrong. Her mother has been quiet lately, not so much that anyone would be alarmed. Though Lorelai was being quiet enough.
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The wind is stinging Lorelai's face as she is walking towards the town square. She didn't have a meeting with Sookie, just the sudden need to run from the house. She's been having that need a lot lately. The need to run. The center of town was busy. Smiling neighbors and laughing kids playing by the gazebo. Lorelai stood watching them before entering Luke's. Her face clouding over.
Taking a seat at the counter, she quickly composed herself.
"Hey, Luke! Coffee?"
"No. I'm sure you've had enough today. Don't you have dinner at your parents tonight?"
"Yeah. But it's not for another three hours. I'm in no rush." Lorelai holds her cup in the air. "Coffee!"
Taking the cup and filling it up, Luke glances down at her. "You look a bit stressed."
"I'm not."
"Opening the DragonFly is making you nervous?"
"Uh, yeah. That's it. This whole Inn thing is a lot of work. Fun, but work." Lorelai looks around the diner. "Where's Nicole?"
"Working."
"Oh. Um, hey, can I get this to go. I really should start getting ready for dinner."
Confusion took over Luke's face. "Oh, ok. Sure."
Watching him walk away, Lorelai was feeling torn. She knew she wasn't being fair to Luke. Ever since this whole Nicole thing started, Luke has been grumpy and needing someone to talk to. She just wanted to get out the diner. Nothing personal, she couldn't sit still. Her mind was screaming. She just wanted out, just wanted to run from everything familiar.
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A few hours later, Lorelai was walking through her front door. Rory heard her mom coming in and ran to the door.
"Mom! We're going to be late for dinner"
"I'm sorry, hon. The meeting ran a little longer than I thought. I just need to change real quick and I'll be right down."
Running quickly up to her room, Lorelai shut the door and collapsed onto her bed. Lying on her bed, she let her eyes close.
"Mom! Are you ready yet?" Rory was getting impatient.
Groaning, Lorelai rolled off her bed. Ten minutes later she was ready. Walking down the steps in a black skirt that rested just above her knees, a tight black turtleneck and black boots, she was feeling pretty good about herself. 'Maybe tonight won't be so bad. It will certainly keep my mind off things.'
"Mom! Are you home?" Rory set her laundry bag down by the front door. Walking into the kitchen she spotted her mother sitting at the table reading a fashion magazine. Hearing her daughter come in, she looked up.
"Hey, sweetie! How's school? I didn't expect you home until tonight at your grandparent's house."
"I know. But I was walking to my dorm when I passed by Paris and Professor Flemming. They weren't doing anything, but it was a total ick factor!"
Lorelai could feel goosebumps running down her spine , "Ugh! I don't even want to think about that. He's old enough to be Paris's grandfather. There's just something totally wrong about that."
Something totally wrong. Lorelai didn't want to think about Paris or Asher or whatever it is that they are up too. Although, ever since Rory told her about Paris and Asher, she couldn't think about anything else. It was killing her. Why? She couldn't put her finger on it. Lorelai shuddered again, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Mom? Mom! Are you ok?"
"Oh, yeah, honey. Just that little bit of Paris and the Professor just grossed me out. It's nothing." Lorelai looks around the room and at the clock on the microwave. "Oh, god! The time! I told Sookie I'd meet her at her house. Just a little meeting about the Inn.
Standing up and grabbing her purse, Lorelai made her way towards the back door. After giving Rory a quick peck on the cheek, she ran out the door without another word. Rory stared at the open back door shaking her head.
"That was weird." Looking out the door, Rory watched her mother taking off down the driveway. She knew that something was wrong. Her mother has been quiet lately, not so much that anyone would be alarmed. Though Lorelai was being quiet enough.
------------------------------------------------------
The wind is stinging Lorelai's face as she is walking towards the town square. She didn't have a meeting with Sookie, just the sudden need to run from the house. She's been having that need a lot lately. The need to run. The center of town was busy. Smiling neighbors and laughing kids playing by the gazebo. Lorelai stood watching them before entering Luke's. Her face clouding over.
Taking a seat at the counter, she quickly composed herself.
"Hey, Luke! Coffee?"
"No. I'm sure you've had enough today. Don't you have dinner at your parents tonight?"
"Yeah. But it's not for another three hours. I'm in no rush." Lorelai holds her cup in the air. "Coffee!"
Taking the cup and filling it up, Luke glances down at her. "You look a bit stressed."
"I'm not."
"Opening the DragonFly is making you nervous?"
"Uh, yeah. That's it. This whole Inn thing is a lot of work. Fun, but work." Lorelai looks around the diner. "Where's Nicole?"
"Working."
"Oh. Um, hey, can I get this to go. I really should start getting ready for dinner."
Confusion took over Luke's face. "Oh, ok. Sure."
Watching him walk away, Lorelai was feeling torn. She knew she wasn't being fair to Luke. Ever since this whole Nicole thing started, Luke has been grumpy and needing someone to talk to. She just wanted to get out the diner. Nothing personal, she couldn't sit still. Her mind was screaming. She just wanted out, just wanted to run from everything familiar.
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A few hours later, Lorelai was walking through her front door. Rory heard her mom coming in and ran to the door.
"Mom! We're going to be late for dinner"
"I'm sorry, hon. The meeting ran a little longer than I thought. I just need to change real quick and I'll be right down."
Running quickly up to her room, Lorelai shut the door and collapsed onto her bed. Lying on her bed, she let her eyes close.
"Mom! Are you ready yet?" Rory was getting impatient.
Groaning, Lorelai rolled off her bed. Ten minutes later she was ready. Walking down the steps in a black skirt that rested just above her knees, a tight black turtleneck and black boots, she was feeling pretty good about herself. 'Maybe tonight won't be so bad. It will certainly keep my mind off things.'