Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls... maybe once I'm rich and famous I shall be able to buy it. But until that day I will rely on my telepathic powers to make the show go the way I want it. They didn't work last season :(

A/N: I'm sooooo sorry this took soooo long to be updated but I've been busy/lazy/uninspired. I'm in the middle of several other stories and I haven't had time to devote to this story. I think everyone should check out the story "O Citadel of Love" by GQSecondAct because it's wicked awesome and the author is awesome!!! Also please note my pen name changed, this time it's for good. Alright, now that apologies are out of the way please review and enjoy!!!!

Chapter 3: The Real Lori

Lori had passed being sad about what happened to her. She was now just angry. More than angry, she was furious. Lori packed her belongings in a suitcase and let the situation stew within her. She was only allowed to call her band mates and tell them what happened, and after that she was grounded until she got to Stars Hollow. Her mom had been nice about what happened, but now Lori just felt an enormous amount of hatred towards everything and everybody. After she was done packing, she met her parents in the living room so they could head to Stars Hollow.

Jess and Rory were sitting on the couch and they could hear Metallica blasting in Lori's room. They knew she was upset about going to Stars Hollow, but they also knew it was for the best. They had barely seen her all week and Jess tried to stay out of her way as much as possible. Rory didn't let it get to her because she had to stay calm for her unborn child. They told Lori, and she was happy about having a brother or a sister, but she couldn't help but feel like they were going to abandon her for it.

Storming out of her room, Lori held her suitcase and glared at her parents. Jess raised an eyebrow as he looked at her choice of attire. A short red, leather skirt and steel toed boots with a black bra and a mesh shirt over it. It exposed Lori's bellybutton ring and the butterfly tattoo she had on her lower abdomen. Her hair was down, which was unusual because she almost always wore it up and she had failed to dye her strands blonde, instead leaving them blue. Rory rolled her eyes and tried not to let how she really felt about Lori's outfit come to the surface. She despised the way Lori dressed, but now was not the time for an argument. Walking out the door she led the way to the car. After only a couple of hours they came upon the 'Welcome to Stars Hollow' sign.

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Luke and Lorelai were excited about Lori staying with them for the summer. She hadn't done that since she was a little girl. Lorelai's son, Nate volunteered his room for Lori and he was just as ecstatic as his parents were about her coming. They hadn't gotten a chance to spend any time together in a couple of years because he was at baseball camp for training. This year, it was held earlier, so he'd be here for their visit and they'd have more than just a weekend to spend together. After what seemed like an eternity, the Mariano's arrived.

"My baby!" Lorelai yelled as Rory stepped out of the car.

"Mommy!" Rory laughed and ran into her mother's arms.

Nate stood and waited for Lori to get out. When she did, all three Dane's mouths dropped open. Lori scowled at them and stalked into the house. Rory sighed and took her mother's hand and pulled her into the house. Jess snapped Luke and Nate out of their temporary shock and all three men followed Lorelai and Rory into the living room.

"Jess and I don't know what to do with her," Rory groaned.

"What exactly happened? When you called, you said Lori wanted to spend the summer with us."

"I know, Mom. I didn't want to tell you over the phone, but this is sort of her punishment," she replied.

"What did she do?" Nate asked.

Rory told them she got drunk at a party, but purposely left out the sex part. No need to tell unneeded information. When she was done, Lorelai shook her head. She couldn't believe her granddaughter could do something like that. Rory wanted desperately to tell her she was pregnant again, but knew it wasn't a good time.

Lori sat in her room with her headphones on and pulled out Oliver Twist. She had read it over and over again, but it was still her favorite book. When she was halfway through, Luke knocked on her door. Her music was on so loud she didn't even hear him, so he cracked it open. The sight before him was like looking into the past. Lori looked just like Jess seventeen years ago, when he first arrived. They had the same angry scowl as they read. Luke stepped into her room and snapped her out of the trans she was in.

"Yes Grandpa Luke?"

"I was just seeing if you were hungry."

"Yeah, actually I am."

Lori swung her legs onto the floor and stood up. Luke and Lori headed to the diner where the rest of the family was already waiting. Once they were there, Lori ignored her parents, but she did talk to Nate some. They caught up, and she was disappointed to find out Nate was a lot like her mom. Granted she loved her mom, but the only thing good about being stuck in Stars Hollow was the fact that her mom wouldn't be there.

"Mom, Luke. Jess and I have something to tell you," Rory said.

"Ooo let me guess!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Um... Jess is going into space!"

Lori rolled her eyes at her grandmother and mentally counted how many more days she'd have to spend in small town hell. Her mother just laughed and then told the joyous news. Lorelai screamed and cried at the news. Lori watched as Luke placed a burger and fries in front of her, and she wanted to gag. There was no way she could eat that! She was on a diet, even though she was skinnier than her mother was at her age. Lori knew that since she was a performer she had to stay thin. Watching the elder generations hug and cry, Lori felt herself getting angry. She was pissed at everyone and everything.

Luke saw her stare at her plate, but never saw her touch her food. That alarmed him. Lori and him had always been close; ever since she was a little girl and he would let her help out in the diner whenever she visited. Lori loved to eat as much as Rory and Lorelai did, and the fact that she didn't touch her food worried him. He knew all three of the girls were always skinny, but Lori had lost weight since her last visit. Rory probably couldn't tell since she saw Lori everyday, but Luke could see her ribs through her see-through top. After a few minutes of eyeing her, he saw Lori push her chair back and stalked out of the diner.

Rory sighed, "She's so mad at me. I feel bad about leaving her here, but it's for the best."

"She'll get used to it, honey. In the meantime, you can enjoy yourself and get ready for my second grandchild!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm just being paranoid. Lori will be fine."

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The week went by quickly and it was time for Rory and Jess to leave and go home. Lori refused to leave her room and say goodbye, and Rory was very upset about it. Finally, she gave up on trying to coax her out and told Luke, Lorelai, and Nate that they'd be back at the end of the summer to pick her up and in the meantime they would call daily. With one last hug between mother and daughter, Rory climbed into the car and Jess drove them back to New York away from Lori.

All week Luke felt his suspicions about Lori were being proved correct. She pushed her food around her plate, and hardly ate anything at all. She was really thin, and Lori skipped meals as often as she could. Luke could hardly believe Lori was the same little girl he used to read stories to. This Lori was angry, and mean to everyone. He didn't like it, and he wanted her to go back to being his baby girl. Since Rory and Jess left, she had to start work in the diner today.

"Lori, come on. It's time to go to work," Luke called and knocked on her door.

She pulled the door open and pushed by him and stormed to the diner. By the time he reached made it inside Lori was already cleaning tables. Miss Patty and Babette were whispering about her clothing and attitude and how much she had changed. The problem was they never whispered quietly enough. Luke could tell she heard every word they said just by watching Lori. He sighed and took orders for people. When it was time for lunch, Luke gave Lori a burger and onion rings and then tried not to be obvious as he watched her eat.

Lori swore in her head and realized Luke caught on to her not eating. Riley was monitoring her in New York, but he couldn't stop her. She had other ways to get around eating. She picked up the greasy, fattening burger and ate it. That surprised Luke, and Lori was glad this could by her some time before he would let on to her other trick. After she ate half her onion rings, too, she said she was full. Luke took her plat and breathed a sigh of relief. He had just read too much into her skipping meals. It had to be that she was just upset about being sent to Stars Hollow. Lori yelled that she was going on break and jogged to the Gilmore-Danes house. Bolting into the bathroom, she locked the door and stuck her finger down her throat. Bending over the toilet the burger and fries wouldn't give her body any more calories.

Lori flushed the toilet and closed the lid. Dizziness overwhelmed her, so she put her head on the toilet. The next thing she knew she had to throw up again. It was like her stomach couldn't hold the food in. She kept throwing up until there was nothing left to throw up anymore. Flushing the toilet once more, she stood up and brushed her teeth then walked back to the diner hoping her splitting headache would go away.

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Rory and Jess arrived in New York and trudged up the stairs. Rory wanted to cry for so many reasons. Leaving Stars Hollow. Leaving Lori. Leaving Lori in Stars Hollow. Deep down she knew it was for the best, though. Lori had to learn, and with the baby on the way she didn't have the energy or patience to do it. Jess wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her into their apartment. It seemed empty. Vacant. Lori was missing, and it broke her heart.

Rory followed Jess into their bedroom and he pulled out an old copy of Oliver Twist and began reading it to her. She smiled and snuggled against his chest as he read. Her smile turned into a grin as she remembered a particular afternoon on their bridge when she was pregnant with Lori. Jess read to her, and Lori kicked. It was the most wonderful feeling she'd ever experienced. Rory wished she had told Lori about that day. Trying to push Lori out of her thoughts was impossible because she was so worried about her.

"Jess?" she interrupted.

"Yeah," He replied and marked the place they were in the book.

"Do you think Lori's alright? I feel like we don't even know our own daughter."

Jess sighed. He wanted to reassure his wife, but after "the incident," he felt the same way Rory did. What was going on with Lori? When did she get drunk and then arrested! Luckily it would be off her permanent record since she was a juvenile, but it still irked him. He also had the feeling she was still hiding something, but he couldn't place a finger on what it was.

"Jess?" Rory said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be fine. How much trouble could she get into in Stars Hollow?"

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Lori finished work at the diner and she knew she had to get out of the hellhole she was in. She started to formulate a plan, and hoped she could pull it off. Later that night, Lori waited until everyone in the house was asleep and she called Logan on her cell phone. She would have called Riley, but he still lived with his parents and they wouldn't appreciate being woken up at three in the morning. After only two rings she heard a voice pick up.

"Hey there!' Logan greeted.

"Logan!" Lori whispered. "It's Lori."

"Beautiful!" he exclaimed. "Why exactly are you calling at this hour?"

"My grandparents are asleep now, and I need your help to get out of here."

"Ooo an escape plan! Tell me!" Logan prodded.

Lori told him her entire plan and he asked the appropriate questions. After twenty minutes, they had the whole thing set up, so they would be able to play at their gig on Saturday. That was only two days away, but their plan was flawless. They bid each other farewell, and Lori climbed into bed and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Before drifting into an unsatisfactory sleep, she thought about how her energy level had decreased.

Nate stood outside her door in shock by what Lori was planning to do. He shook his head and knew he had to talk to her about changing her mind, but in the end it was her decision. There was no way he would rat her out to his parents. He loved them dearly, but Lori kind of scared him a little bit. She was decisive and very confident about herself and everything. He didn't know it was a mask, though. Behind everything, she was insecure about her body and she starved herself to stay skinny. Her eating problem started when she met Josh... he only liked skinny girls.

Lori was at a party and she saw a really hot guy staring at her. Walking over to him, she introduced herself and they hit it off. Both were into music, and they had a pleasant debate over their favorite bands, but they still liked the same type of music and they both liked several of the same bands. Exchanging numbers Lori couldn't wait for him to call her.

Soon they were going out, and he casually mentioned something about her jeans getting tighter. That planted a seed in her mind and she went on a diet. She lost a couple of pounds, but Josh didn't think it was enough. He still made the comments on how much skinnier his old girlfriends were. Normally, Lori wouldn't take that shit from anybody, but she loved Josh. That night was the first time she made herself throw up. Afterwards, she could almost hear Josh telling her how beautiful she was. Only, he never did. It never was enough for him.

A/N: Sooo sooooooo sorry that took so long, but I haven't felt the muse in a long time! ugh. sorry again. I hope you like it. This is actually taking on a different turn than I had originally planned, but I say go wherever it takes you! I'd like to thank by beta, GQSecondAct because she is an absolute sweetheart and helped me sooooooo much with how to make this chapter how I wanted it!!! Please Read and Review!!!