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Lorelai woke up. She was sitting up with her back against the couch and Rory's head in her lap. Lorelai tried to ignore the pain in her back. It was easy, really. She just concentrated on the pain in her heart. Rory had cried all night and Lorelai wasn't able to figure out the missing piece to the puzzle. She, as a mother, needed to know what was wrong with her daughter. Not knowing was the equivalent of chipping golf balls at her sanity. But Lorelai couldn't help but to also be afraid of the truth, seeing as how it had drastically changed her baby and drove her to suicide. No Lorelai didn't blame herself a little for that little stunt. She knew better. Rory makes her own choices. So Lorelai blamed herself a lot. She had after all raised Rory to make the right choices, and if Rory thought suicide was the answer then she was a bad mother.

Lorelai brushed that thought aside. She couldn't fall apart too. Only one Gilmore was allowed to lose their sanity at a time otherwise it was too crazy to function. Lorelai looked down at her sleeping beauty, who was peacefully sleeping. She rubbed Rory's head as if she was petting a cat.

Lorelai just didn't know what to do right now. She could just continue to hold Rory until she woke up then start asking questions. She could wake Rory up right now and get answers. She could always get up, make coffee, and go to the much needed bathroom. She couldn't decide and the desire to use the restroom was winning out. So she grabbed a pillow from the couch and shifted her little girl's head onto it. Lorelai raced to the bathroom and relieved herself as quickly as possible not wanting to miss her daughter waking up.

When she left the room Paris was standing there looking wrecked, like she hadn't slept in awhile. Lorelai's motherly instincts kicked in and she grabbed the poor girl into a simple hug. She understood that Paris was upset over this too since Rory was Paris' best and only friend.

"She'll be okay." Lorelai comforted. Her job, as a mother, was never done. Her job, as a mother, included mothering over peoples children as well. And she didn't mind it.

"Really?" Paris whispered. It was hard for Lorelai to see the strong and independent Paris shaken up. It was hard to see Paris as needing someone.

"'Cause she just tried to kill herself. How can that be okay?" Paris was frantically searching for a logical answer. She wasn't used to empty assurance. She needed facts.

"I don't know Paris. I'm just hoping." Lorelai's sincere answer didn't seem to help soothe Paris.

"She's my only friend Lorelai, I can't lose her. I need her." Paris sobbed into Lorelai's shoulder. And what seemed like eternity neither of women moved or said anything. There was nothing more that could be said.

Eventually Lorelai nodded her head. Sure, it was because she understood Paris's pain but more so because she agreed with the words. Rory was her best friend and she couldn't imagine life without her.

"You should get back to her. You know? So she doesn't think you've left her." Paris walked into the kitchen. "I'll make some coffee." Lorelai smiled at Paris's ability to move on. But she frowned at the realization that the pain the strawberry blonde had was held inside and wouldn't get better. Lorelai looked over at her sleeping daughter and felt torn. She should really help Paris and what harm could it do since Rory was asleep. But Rory needed her, always. She couldn't forget that. She sighed wishing that those parental books were a little more helpful. She walked over to Paris and took the coffee away from her. She pulled the college student into another bear hug.

"Don't hold it in Paris." She whispered to the kid who only began to cry some more. Paris welcomed the hug and slowly moved her arms so she hugging back. It was all so new to her: feeling pain, getting comfort, comforting back.

"I don't know why but I feel I should apologize for whatever Rory said or did to you. She didn't mean it."

"No. Lorelai. First you shouldn't have to apologize for Rory's actions. Second what she said was true. She just never meant to say it to my face. And you know what? I'm glad she did. Because now I know, and nothing bad can come out of knowing the truth." Paris told her, trying to act wiser than her years. Lorelai saw through this.

"Ignorance is bliss, Paris." Lorelai's simple words were more wise than Paris would have hoped. "At least you were happier when you didn't know."

"Lorelai? Thanks so much. And whatever Rory said to you or did, I'm sorry. She didn't mean it." Paris escaped from the hug and went about making the coffee. Lorelai didn't know if Paris was being a smart ass or if she was genuinely sincere with her words. Lorelai rolled her eyes and retreated to Rory. Dealing was Paris was something those parental help books never included. And well understanding Paris was, well whoever could was certainly in the Guinness book of world records.

Lorelai hesitantly dragged her feet back to Rory. She didn't understand her hesitation to go to her daughter. Maybe it would make her feel more like a failure. As any good mother would do, Lorelai pushed aside her own doubts and resumed her previous position with Rory's head on her lap. Somewhere in the midst of the shifting Rory woke up oblivious to everything that had gone on that morning. She just looked up at her mother with her sleepy eyes and smiled.

"You stayed." The statement was simple. In any other situation Lorelai wouldn't have been hurt by the two words. But this wasn't an ordinary situation. Her daughter had been so lost that suicide seemed like the best situation. Not to mention the fact that Lorelai had disowned her daughter to her face. She had taken part in destroying her destroyed daughter.

"Of course I did." Lorelai smiled a sad smile. She leaned down and kissed her daughter's head. She wanted to apologize, she really honest to goodness wanted to say I'm sorry for disowning you. Lorelai didn't though, and she probably wouldn't. With years and years of feeling abandoned by her mother she had learned that apologies were futile.

"I'm sorry." Rory's voice was small and insecure but Lorelai didn't doubt the sincerity of her words.

"Oh really?" Lorelai paused realizing that perhaps a more serious tone would work better. "I forgive you. I was never mad, just sad sweetie."

"I'm lost without you." Lorelai whispered so quietly that she didn't know if Rory had heard her.

"Me too." Rory's two word statements had more meaning in them then Lorelai would have hoped. She was baffled about this response though. Did Rory also feel lost without her? Or did she forgive Lorelai because she was never mad but sad? Lorelai didn't know, she never would. She accepted her confusion as punishment for letting things get this far between her and Rory.

"Rory honey, what happened? I know it was more then the mugging." Lorelai pleaded with her daughter. All theories of being patient and waiting until Rory was ready flew out the door. She had waited long enough.

"It was." Rory took her time to collect herself.

"After… In the… I had a… miscarriage." Rory said between tears. If she said anything in between it wasn't clear to Lorelai or Paris who was eavesdropping from the kitchen.

"Oh honey." Lorelai cried with her daughter. She didn't need to know anything else. It all made complete sense to her. She hated herself for feeling pity towards her own daughter but she couldn't control her emotions.

So mother and daughter cried in each others arms. The story wasn't over. Their bond was severed. It would never be the same. Actions and words could not be forgotten. Instead the two tried hard to ignore the rift but it would always haunt them.

But their story would continue, separately and as one.