Notes and Disclaimers: I still own nothing at all and thats all the notes I think I am currently. Going to be fixing Chapter one a bit- finally getting a feel for the personality I want for Katharine and thinking Chapter one doesn't quite reach it the way it should/could.

Chapter 3

"Come on mom, there is nobody here. Just once. I promise I'll get off at the other end."

"Remember last year?"

Katharine looks up at her mother with a determined and anxious grin, "Yeah, you let me."

"Yes I did. And you went and I waved at you and was tempted to join you but-" Holding a hand against her chest in a proud manner, "I didn't." Lorelai leans forward and unceremoniously pulls at a brightly green fabric suitcase on the luggage carousel. Both her and Katharine watch as it lingers on the edge before being pushed off by a large and traditionally black suitcase. The echo causes heads to turn, but Lorelai continues her earlier thought as if nothing has occurred and no pause has been entered, "And Emily saw you. And Emily flipped out at me all month long."

"Wasn't the whole time." Pointing, "Shoes are rounding the corner."

"Was so the whole time." Moving slightly to prepare a careful removal of the shoe bag, "Help me with this."

Together the two females grab the ends of the heavy red suitcase. Groaning as she sets her end down, Katharine pushes pieces of dirty blond hair out of her face, "Its heavier this year and we packed two less pairs of shoes-" Staring at her mother, "You packed your boots in the plastic container, didn't you?"

"They're Jimmy Choo shoes sweetie."

"I know and they can't mingle with the rift-raft, but I told you to put them in a separate bag so the plastic bin didn't imprint on my Gucci ones. If my boots have an imprint- I get new ones. Those green ones with the blue stripes, that were going to cost my college tuition."

"Yes, yes. Get your bag, so we can get out of here."

"Why? Its warm in here." Watching another couple of bags moving around the corner, "That's yours."

"Get mommy's bag will ya, while I try to locate the, uh, phone."

"Fine." Katie moves forward and leans her knees upon the edge of the luggage carrier while she waits for the bag to resurface near her. Pulling at the brown bag, she pulls it down onto the floor as she jumps back to keep it from falling on her toes. "And it wasn't the whole time because you got caught in the rain after the car ran out of gas- like Luke said it would- and you ran through the middle of Grandma's Christmas party shouting, "Caution- slippery when wet". I remember Grandma's look and I do believe that's when the rest of the lecturing came in."

Lorelai leans over to pick up her purse and duffle bag, "Oh yeah, I now remember that's what she was droning on and on about. Come on now." Helping Katharine get her bags situated on her shoulder, "And Luke didn't say anything."

"Yes he did."

She starts to pull her suitcase away from the people, "No he didn't." Stopping and turning, "You weren't even there!"

Pushing her mother, "Get moving. You told me."

Beginning to walk again, "Mommy lies."

"Usually yes-" The young girl pauses as she hesitates in an attempt to fix the falling suitcase. "But when you- ah- hate this thing." Pulling hard the wheels finally begin to move, "But not when you rant. Rants are truths that you later try to redefine and redirect."

"Redefine and redirect? Stop talking to Rory. I want one stupid daughter that talks like her age and will be around to make mommy feel better."

Pushing her elbow lightly, "Well, like, when you go off on this total rant of yours… well you like, try like to um… well like take it all back or something like after you like- well like have said it- obviously."

"Obviously." Rolling her eyes, she watches Katharine step in front of her and begin out the revolving door, "Kids really don't talk that way at your age-" Hesitating, "Do they?"

"Yep. We do."

"Wow- they are starting them so young these days." Moving first out of the doors, Lorelai stops abruptly, causing Katharine to crash into her mother's suitcase, as she attempts to get out of the path of the door.

Katharine watches her mother, "What's that about?"

"No Emily?"

Moving slightly around her mother, "No grandma? But she's always-"

"Right here. Well right there. Every year. At the curb, by the car, waiting. Without fail."

"Uh-hu, talking about how inconsistent airports are."

"And how its our fault we got delayed along the way."

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"Exactly," Katharine allows her backpack to slide down her arm and to the ground, "Who knew Grandma could mess up her schedule? Hmm, so what do we do? Call?"

"Or wait?" Lorelai steps to the side, putting her suitcase up against the wall and leaning over to push Katie's next to hers, "I always seem to forget just how cold it can get up here. And how good the cold, crisp, snowy dirt smells like."

Leaning against the cold stone wall, "I smell cars."

"No imagination this one."

"There is no snow."

Lorelai looks around at the bustle of the people, suitcases, and cars, "Are we early?"

"No- late actually."

"Perhaps she got fed up and left. Had the time right because she asked nine billion times."

"True- but she wouldn't just le- -"

"Lorelai! Katie!"

Both females look around desperately for the man with the familiar voice, "Wow- its Luke. Right there."

"Why is Luke here?" Katie looks up at her mother, "Grandma wouldn't call him- would she?"

"I dunno- I guess we ask." Pulling their suitcases with them, they make their way through the crowd of people and cars and hugs to finally meet up with Luke.

Reaching out, Luke immediately takes Katie's backpack and moves to take two of the suitcases, "My truck is right there- I'll get these."

Katharine moves towards the truck with her backpack and duffle, as Lorelai follows close begin Luke, "Why are you here?"

"And Merry Christmas to you too."

"Yeah, and Season's Greetings and all that- but why are you here?" She watches him pick up the green suitcase and begin to move it towards the back of his truck, "Did my mother call you? That alone seems impossible but she isn't here and she had the plane schedule and you are here and you didn't have the plane schedule-" Moving again with him as he picks up another suitcase, "So why are you here and why isn't my mother and-"

"Lorelai-" Pausing and watching her closely to make sure that she has stopped, "Breath and let me get the rest of the bags in my truck so we can get out of this mess."

She nods her head and helps Luke place the shoe bag in the truck and watches as he pulls the cloth cover over the bags before moving around and stepping up into the truck next to Katharine. Once the truck pulls out into the light flow of traffic, Lorelai begins again, "So why are you here?"

"I wanted to make sure you had a ride."

"Why wouldn't we?"

"Well, did you?"

Katie turns to her mother, "He has a point mom."

"Okay, didn't seem like it. So how did you know that we didn't have a ride?"

"Because your mother went out of town."

"Went where?"

Rolling her eyes at her mother, "You should listen when you ask questions, she went out of town."

"Where out of town?"

"I dunno."

"Went on vacation?"

"I dunno."

Lorelai sighs dramatically, "So what do you know?"

"That your mother came into the diner last week, ordered tea, said nothing and as she left mentioned that she was going away and wouldn't be back til Christmas Eve."

"And…"

"And what? That's it."

"So why did you come?"

"Because I knew you were coming in today and today is not Christmas Eve."

Lorelai nods, "Good that you know the date. What else?"

"Lorelai, what do you want from me? Your mother let me know that she wasn't going to be here today. And I figured that must mean something. So I came to pick you up."

Lorelai's voice drops a few ones as she asks slowly, "So she really went out of town?"

"I dunno. I just know that she wasn't there to pick you up."

"Oh- well- wow- okay. Thanks."

Katie nods to nobody in particular, "Yeah thanks. Couldn't have stayed there much longer listening to mom talk about snow."

"I like snow."