A/N: Hi! I promised I would get the next ones out soon so here is chapter 11.Oh um, by the way someone may reappear soon, soon as in the next chapter. Well that's all I'll give you. Thanks to all me readers, please read and review it brightens up my day :-) Constructive criticism is always welcome. Anyway on with the story...

Chapter 11 *********

That morning Rory was off to the paper early, because today was the deadline for her article, the one article she had despised writing, but she did her best on. The article hit strangely close to home and finally being rid of it was a great thing.

Today's car ride to work was filled with music turned up to the highest possible volume to drown out her thoughts of the mellow drama she called a life. Loosing herself in the music was a good idea and it worked...for a while, but when you are bombarded with ten thousand songs that apply in every way to your situation it loses it's effectiveness.

"Ugh! That is the last straw.", she exclaimed in desperation when an old Jewel song began to play on the radio. Finally she reached her office and had decided that maybe throwing herself into her work was a better option.

"Where have you been?", questioned her editor.

"I'm early for once and you still ask me that.", Rory rolled her eyes.

"I need your article."

"You never change, you know that?"

"The article.", she demanded.

"Calm down Paris it's right here.", Rory said pulling her folder out of her bag. Paris snatched it out of her hand.

"Thank you."

"Do you ever wonder how we always end up working together?", Rory asked her friend. Paris glared at her and walked towards her office.

"Well I'm just working here until a good fast-food job opens up.", she quipped, still glaring.

"Yeah I was thinking of trading this job for what's behind door number two.", Rory shot back.

"So, Ror, how are you holding up?", Paris asked once in her office, letting her shield of professionalism down.

"With what?", Rory replied bewildered.

"You did hear about Tristan and his...",she trailed off when she saw no pain, or anger, but a slight hint of amusement flash across her face.

"Oh you mean his engagement?", she responded easily.

"Your okay with it?", Paris gapped.

"Well there is nothing to be okay with, he called it off.", Rory told her astonished friend, looking her straight in the eye. Her gaze unfaultering.

"What? Rory, what did you do?"

"Paris, Paris, Paris. This isn't the time to be getting into a discussion on my ex-husband's personal life, we have a paper to run.", she said all to cheerfully and left for the meeting room to a wait this weeks assignments.

"Something isn't right there.", Paris stated aloud to her empty office.



Lana felt guilty, but she was glad to be free of her mother for the day. She loved her, but the relentless comments and suggestions about her and Alex. It was unbearable, but amusing, oddly enough.

"So what shall we do today?", Lana thought aloud opening the door from her mother's apartment.

"Luke's.", she answered herself simply, hoping silently for her grandmother not to be there.

"Hey Grandpa Luke!", Lana greeted cheerfully as the bells on the door rang her entrance.

"Hey.", he grunted with a small smile.

"What no hello for me?", Jess asked walking down the stairs.

"Sorry Jess. Hello how are you today?", Lana replied sarcastically.

"Much better. Why are you so happy today little Lorelai?", Jess said caustically.

"Don't call me that, you know you are not authorized to.", she replied happily and rolled her eyes.

"Oh so she did talk to Alex.", he thought he said under his breath.

"What are you talking about?", she had heard him. * It must be about the phone call that Travis picked up. * she thought.

"Uh nothing. So what are you planning on doing today?", he cursed himself silently. Luke came by and placed a cup of tea in front of Lana.

"Thanks. Not sure. I was thinking about going to see what Alex is doing or going to Em's house.", Lana stated pouring about five packets of sugar in her tea.

If it didn't have more than three it wasn't sweet enough. Jess shook his head and began to walk away. All that sugar and Lana would be bouncing off the walls and talking more than Lorelai .

Lana gulped down her tea, ate a muffin Luke sent over, and was out the door as she saw the bus pull up. Unlike many of the people she knew, Lana loved going on the bus. There were so many different people on it and people watching was one of her favorite things to do. This would be great if Lana could write stories about them, but that wasn't her thing. So she settled on imagining where they were going and the people they would see. It was just another one of the quirks she had that not many knew about.

Finally her stop came and she wandered off the bus filled with thoughts of what she was going to tell her friend about last night. It was weird, on some level she felt like she betrayed Alex and needed his forgiveness and then another part of her thought it was none of his business and he wouldn't care.

Lana knocked on the door to the Griffin residence, her anticipation rising the door slowly crept open. It was Franklin, the butler. It was hard to believe that down to earth Alex would have a servant, but his parents insisted since they were always away on 'business'.

"Hey Franky. Is Alex home?", Lana greeted her old friend.

"Hello Lana, Come in. I'll tell Alex you are here. ", He smiled warmly leading her into the living room.

"Thanks.", she said sitting down on the couch.



"Alex?", Franklin called knocking on his door.

"Yea?", Alex answered sleepily and opened the door.

"Miss DuGrey is downstairs for you.", he replied formally, which was something Alex hated.

"You sure she's here for me and not Travis?", he said bitterly. Picturing the two together made him sick to his stomach. He wasn't in the best mood after last night and to top it off he had the weirdest dream about Lana and Travis but it was hard to remember.

"Positive. Is something wrong?", Franklin asked.

"No, I'm sorry. Tell her I'll be down in a minute.", Alex apologized retreating into his room. He was not going to let this get to him. If Lana said anything he wouldn't care, he wouldn't be phased.

"Very well.", Franklin turned on his heal and walked down the stairs to where Lana was sitting, but now she wasn't alone.

"He'll be down in a minute Lana.", informed Franklin now knowing why Alex had been upset.

"Oh Uh thanks.", Lana replied not knowing what to do now that Travis had weaseled his way down here.

"I should go.", Travis said abruptly. It was strange for him, but he didn't want to get into an argument right now.

"Yeah I think so.", Lana said harshly.

* That was out of nowhere. *, thought Travis as he walked away. He was losing this battle for Lana and that couldn't happen. Travis Griffin didn't lose.

A few minutes later Alex walked down the stairs and sat down next to Lana.

"Hey.", she said softly.

"Hi.", he replied shortly. Lana was a little taken back by his attitude, but continued with the conversation.

"So what do you want to do today?", Lana asked nervously.

"I don't know I haven't thought about it I just woke up." He wasn't making this easy for her.

"I was thinking about seeing what Em was up to.", she stated uneasily. Lana was definitely not on solid ground.

"You did that not to long ago didn't you?", Alex deadpanned.

"Look I'm sorry about last night.", Lana said guiltily searching for the words inside her head.

"What do you have to be sorry about? It's not like you have a reason to feel guilty. You went out with Travis, so? It doesn't matter to me. Should it Lana?", he said seeming to understand, but Lana wasn't expecting that.

"Alex...", she began.

"No Lana. I know everything that happened; I know you two kissed, and although it seriously makes me doubt your judge of character, it doesn't matter to me. You could marry him for all I care.", he said calmly but laced with a venomous edge.

Lana couldn't stand it. He just told her that he didn't care about her. Talk about adding insult to injury.

"Last night was a mistake, but now I think now I think coming here was a bigger one. Why am I even justifying myself to you?", she replied defensively, getting up to leave.

"Lana wait.", he sighed realizing that his passive aggressive plan back fired.

"Sorry, but I'm off to marry Travis.", Lana retorted sarcastically and turned on her heal to leave. Okay so maybe she was making this bigger than it really was, but Lana always did tend to over dramatize things.

"That's a new record Griffin. Not even five minutes and you marry her off.", he said to himself mockingly.

Lana had to think on her feet. Alex was bound to come looking for her. Emma's house was out because she mentioned going there. Her mother was working at the paper, her grandma was at her inn, Alex would check Stars Hollow first thing, and all of her other friends would go all Dr. Phil on her if she explained everything.

There was only one other option was to go see Grams. Well actually it was her great-grandmother, but the name never was to her liking. Grams was never a step behind in her gossip, sadly she still had a knack for prying into others lives. Hopefully she had avoided all subjects pertaining Lana and her parents. Hopefully, but not likely.



"Hello...Yes may I speak to Mrs. Gilmore?...Thank you Greta...Grams?...Actually I was hoping I could stop in for a visit....About ten minutes?...Goodbye Grams."

She walked, or ran, to her house and jumped into her car.

"To Grandmother's house we go.", Lana said aloud sitting in her car still in her father's driveway.

"Mind if I join you?", asked a voice opening the unlocked passengers side door.

"Well it seems you give me no choice, but hurry up I'm trying to make a get away.", Lana replied a bit on the agitated side, but right now it was easier to just give in and not put up a fight.

"Okay then. Let's go." With those words Lana speed off to see Grammy Gilmore.

"So what happened in there?"

"I don't want to talk about him, okay? Can you do that one thing for me?", she pleaded.

"Sure."



"Travis you are about to meet my great-grandmother, Mrs. Emily Gilmore. She is not the sweet old lady type, even though she is past her prime she prides herself on her knowledge of the Hartford elite. If you have something to hide, beware Emily Gilmore will be your undoing.", intimidated Lana.

"She would be happy you think so highly of her abilities.", Travis replied unshaken.

"It isn't anything she hasn't heard before. Anyway be the polite and charming person the people over in Europe tried to make you and you will go far. Also be ready for probing questions about any and all areas of your life.", Lana smiled in warning.

"Got it. I have just one question. Why the warnings?"

"Because they are needed. You should consider yourself lucky, I don't usually give away information like this to people. My grandmother and I love to watch people suffer."

"So why they exception?", asked Travis with a smirk as they walked up to Grams' door.

"You would rather I let you suffer?", Lana questioned and rang the door bell.

"If it made for good entertainment." , he replied just as her great- grandmother opened the door.

"Lana! It's great to see you!", exclaimed Emily Gilmore.

"Hello Grams.", Lana greeted politely.

"Oh I see you've brought a friend.", Emily smiled.

"Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Gilmore, I'm Travis Griffin.", Travis said correctly, but with an air of patronizing arrogance. Instantly offended she replied shortly:

"Nice to meet you as well.", she paused coldly to assess the boy standing in her doorway and was flooded with memories of the warnings given about him.

"Grams?", Lana said waving a hand in front of her face.

"Oh! Come in, come in. How silly of me. Please, sit. Would you like anything to eat or drink?", Emily said shaken out of her trance.



"Hello?", Tristan DuGrey answered the phone groggily.

"I'm sorry.", replied an almost sincere voice, but pleading voice.

"What?"

"I said, 'I'm sorry.'", the person said replied impatiently waiting to be forgiven.

"Nicole it is too early in the morning to deal with this.", he sighed.

"But I...I have to explain!", Nicole exclaimed a little frantic.

"What is there to explain? You hate my kid and my ex-wife for no possible reason."

"No reason! I mean Tristan, please meet me at Cafe Roma at noon. Okay?", she begged.

"If I must, but make it quick.", he agreed out of fatigue.

"Thank you. Love you, bye."

"Sure, bye.", he rolled his eyes and hung up the phone.

Today was going to be a long day.