A/N: This being Before the Beginning's 10th chapter (yay!), I'd like to thank each and every person who has reviewed so far. You guys inspire me and I'm glad you're reading-and liking, hopefully-this story.

FF.net: karen elizabeth, awshucks, voodoo-lvr, skijump, thena, melissa larkin, ggobsessed, phrog, princessdeleon, molly22, bbwholly1981, SilverTree, carrielynn, freebird777, Nat1, selestria, rat bastard, DriftAway, angleic1, ccabello, rayann, sarah, StephieM, imaslacker, Brooke-L, Silversun, Steph, Miss-Lionesse, Rory Granger, Skittles6, Kaity, Immaginary-Immortal and dawn

Fan Forum: Alissa, Thena and Silversun, who are listed twice because they're nice times two.

Stars-Hollow.Org: aleck and mrslukedanes

See, this is why the last chapter was shorter. I had counted "Visits" as chapter 10 and added this at the top, then I took it away and...you don't care, do you? Okay, well, on with the story.

Apologies.

[Cut To: Luke's Diner, LORELAI, RORY and MISS PATTY are sitting at a table and LUKE has just served them]

Lorelai: We'll be there...with Luke.

Luke: That'll be pretty hard, seeing as I'm not going.

Lorelai: Of course you are.

Luke: (sighing)These conversations with you, they just drain me of all my energy.

Lorelai: (smiling)I love that about me.

Rory: (excited)Are you really coming with us?

Luke: No.

Rory: (sadly)Oh.

Lorelai: Hey, Duke, can I talk to you up at the counter for a minute?

Luke: Why?

Lorelai: Come on. (they walk behind the counter)What was that?

Luke: What?

Lorelai: Her father just told her last night that he didn't know she was gone-

Luke: He said that?

Lorelai: And now you can't even take an hour or two out of your life to go to some dance with us?

Luke: I didn't know.

Lorelai: She needs this, Duke. Did you see how excited she was?

Luke: (feeling bad)Yeah.

Lorelai: And you remember her last night?

Luke: (sighing)Yes. (LORELAI looks at him)Fine, I'll go.

Lorelai: Thank you. Go and tell her that. (LUKE goes back to the table and LORELAI follows)

Luke: Hey, Rory?

Rory: Yeah?

Luke: I guess I can go with you to the dance.

Rory: Really?

Luke: Sure. (RORY smiles)

Lorelai: (to LUKE, quietly)Was that so hard?

Luke: (to LORELAI, quietly)I'm not dressing up.

Lorelai: (to LUKE, quietly)That's what you think.

[Cut To: Independence Inn, room 15, LORELAI is cleaning and RORY is jumping on the bed]

Rory: And I can wear a dress! Can I wear a dress? A really pretty one like (a little quieter)the ones I used to have.

Lorelai: I don't know.

Rory: When is it?

Lorelai: I don't know, she didn't say.

Rory: Maybe it's not for a long time, so we can save up some money.

Lorelai: I don't want you to worry about money. We've got...enough.

Rory: So I can have a dress?

Lorelai: Yeah, we'll see.

Rory: Are you going to wear a dress?

Lorelai: I don't think so.

Rory: Oh. Then I won't, either.

Lorelai: Sure you will. Listen, we probably don't even need to think about it for a while.

Rory: Luke's coming with us.

Lorelai: I know.

Rory: But Daddy's not.

Lorelai: I know that, too.

Rory: Hmm.

[Cut To: Independence Inn, lobby, ALECK is behind the counter and LORELAI walks up to him while RORY sits on the couch]

Lorelai: Excuse me?

Aleck: Yes?

Lorelai: Can you tell me where Mia is?

Aleck: She's got the day off today.

Lorelai: Oh, really? She- (remembering, to herself)Monday. Oh, God. (to ALECK)Thanks. (she walks over to RORY and gets her hand)

Rory: Where are we going?

Lorelai: Home. But only for a minute.

[Cut To: Independence Inn, potting shed, LORELAI is going through their bags and RORY is sitting on the floor watching]

Rory: Are you done working?

Lorelai: No. Don't you have anything black?

Rory: Gramma doesn't like black on me.

Lorelai: And that didn't motivate me to buy a black shirt?

Rory: Uh-

Lorelai: Here (handing her a bag). Go through this and look for a dress, okay?

Rory: For the dance?

Lorelai: No, not for the dance. Just find one. And I have to find a shirt.

[Cut To: Main Street, LORELAI and RORY are walking]

Rory: So where are we going?

Lorelai: Mia's mom died.

Rory: Today?

Lorelai: No, today's just the funeral.

Rory: Funeral?

Lorelai: Funeral.

Rory: What's that?

Lorelai: It's...um...it's when people remember those they lost.

Rory: Oh.

[Cut To: Stars Hollow church, the funeral is over and LORELAI is holding RORY, they're up near MIA]

Lorelai: Hi, Mia.

Mia: Lorelai!

Lorelai: (hugging MIA)I'm so sorry.

Rory: (opening her arms for a hug)Me, too.

Mia: (hugging RORY)Thank you. What are you doing here?

Lorelai: We came as soon as we remembered. I can't believe I almost forgot.

Rory: I wore a dress. It's not black.

Mia: Well, it's very pretty.

Lorelai: Sorry about that. We didn't have any black dresses. We stick out.

Mia: No, of course not. I'm so glad that you came, though.

Lorelai: Me too. It sounds like she was a really great woman.

Mia: She really, really was.

Luke: (walking up)Mia.

Mia: Lucas. (they hug)

Luke: How are you?

Mia: Alright.

Luke: Do you want to come over to the diner?

Mia: Oh, I'm meeting Luke and Carrie.

Luke: You can all come, if you'd like.

Mia: Okay, well, we'll meet you there?

Luke: Yeah. (to LORELAI)You can come, too.

Lorelai: Oh, no, we shouldn't.

Mia: Please?

Lorelai: Actually I really need to get back to work.

Luke: Right, of course. Then I'll see you later?

Lorelai: Yeah.

Luke: Okay. (to MIA)I'll see you in a little while.

Lorelai: (to MIA)And I'll see you tomorrow.

Mia: Goodbye.

Rory: Bye!

Lorelai: Bye. Bye, Duke.

[Cut To: Main Street, LORELAI and RORY are walking home]

Rory: Why was I sorry?

Lorelai: What?

Rory: I said I was sorry but I don't know why.

Lorelai: Then why would you say it?

Rory: Because you did.

Lorelai: Well I said it because I felt bad about what happened.

Rory: Well I did, too.

Lorelai: Okay.

Rory: When are we calling Gramma and Granpa?

Lorelai: Wednesday.

Rory: What's today?

Lorelai: Monday.

Rory: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Two days.

Lorelai: That's right. Two days.

[Cut To: Independence Inn, room 17, LORELAI is cleaning and RORY is sitting on the bed]

Rory: Are you going to die?

Lorelai: What?

Rory: Mia's mom died.

Lorelai: Have you been thinking about this? Is that why you've been so quiet?

Rory: Are you?

Lorelai: Not soon.

Rory: Where will I go?

Lorelai: I'm not going to die any time in the near future.

Rory: I'll have to live all by myself! And I'll have to get a job and work all day and I can never go to school.

Lorelai: No, you won't. Because I'm not going to die now.

Rory: What if you did?

Lorelai: Then you'd go live with Gramma and Granpa, or Daddy-

Rory: Not with Daddy. Never, ever with Daddy.

Lorelai: Honey-

Rory: No!

Lorelai: Well don't worry about it because I'm not dying.

Rory: I'm never even going to talk to Daddy. I'm not calling him.

Lorelai: You don't have to.

Rory: Only Gramma and Granpa. Only them.

Lorelai: Okay. You don't have to call anyone else.

Rory: Because we hate him, right?

Lorelai: (uncomfortably)Uh...you shouldn't hate people.

Rory: But-

Lorelai: Why don't you go back to your book? I need to hurry up.

[Cut To: Luke's Diner, night, LORELAI is knocking on the door]

Luke: (opening the door)What are you doing here? Are you okay?

Lorelai: (coming in)Did you just come from upstairs? What's up there?

Luke: I live there.

Lorelai: No!

Luke: Yes.

Lorelai: Cool.

Luke: Yeah, it's awesome. What did you say you were doing here?

Lorelai: I didn't wake you up, did I? I'm sorry.

Luke: No, it's fine. I wasn't asleep.

Lorelai: Well, good.

Luke: So?

Lorelai: Uh, well...(to RORY)Go sit down, babe. I'll only be a sec. (to LUKE)Can I talk to you?

Luke: Yeah, sit down. (they sit at the counter)

Lorelai: I just wanted to apologize.

Luke: For what?

Lorelai: Asking you to come to the dance. It was so, so, inappropriate. You're not responsible for Rory being happy.

Luke: No, it's-

Lorelai: Let me finish. It was wrong to try to guilt you into coming. So, I'm sorry and you don't have to come.

Luke: No, of course I'll come.

Lorelai: You don't have to.

Luke: Yeah, I know. But I saw how she looked when I said yes.

Lorelai: (smiling)Aww, Mr. Sensitivity, huh?

Luke: Ah, Jeez.

Lorelai: I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

Luke: So, she's been...okay? Better?

Lorelai: (touched that he cares)Yeah, better.

Luke: And you?

Lorelai: (dismissively)Oh, Dukey.

Luke: You okay?

Lorelai: I'm just...seeing Chris again was hard. But it always is, right?

Luke: Kind of extenuating circumstances, though.

Lorelai: Me running away? Or him being the father of my kid?

Luke: Both?

Lorelai: Yeah, I guess it's a special situation. After last night, you know, I thought I was over him. No feelings, none at all. But Rory asked today whether we hated him, and I couldn't bring myself to say we did.

Luke: Were you guys together for a long time?

Lorelai: Oh, yeah.

Luke: How long?

Lorelai: God, um, (after trying to count the years)our whole lives.

Luke: What?

Lorelai: We grew up together, you know? I've known him since forever. My parents-they actually like him better than they do me.

Luke: I doubt it.

Lorelai: Don't. (seeing the clock)I better go.

Luke: Okay. (LORELAI walks over to RORY and picks her up, they walk towards the door)Hey, Lorelai?

Lorelai: Yeah?

Luke: Why'd you come here?

Lorelai: To apologize.

Luke: I haven't known you for long, but you don't seem the type to come over at night, after closing, to say sorry for something so small. So why'd you really come?

Lorelai: Cheap therapy? (LUKE looks at her)I don't know. I just knew that if I came, you'd listen.

Luke: Oh, okay.

Lorelai: And I would to come to just say sorry. I'm a nice person.

Luke: I know you are.

Lorelai: Bye, Duke.

Luke: Bye Lorelai. Bye Rory.

Rory: Goodnight.