Chapter 6

"Richard, I simply don't agree with this!" Emily protested nearly an hour and a half after their arrival as Natalie rose from the kitchen table and went to the sink to rinse out her mug, more than used to the two disagreeing.

"And you have something better to purpose?"

"I certainly don't think allowing her to go through this ordeal alone is productive!"

"I won't be alone," Natalie commented as she turned off the water and turned to face them. "I'll know you'll be there. That's more than I've had in a long time," she added as she leaned against the sink and dried her hands on her pants.

"I still don't think its good enough," Emily said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"But Dad's right, Mom. We shouldn't tip out hand too soon."

"And just our presence is enough to do that?"

"They expect me to have no one to turn to. Evangeline expects it."

"And an answer. Are you ready to give her one?" Richard skillfully redirected.

Natalie shrugged and turned back to the sink. Slowly, she took the mug out of the sink and went to pour herself a cup of coffee as she answered softly: "it's easier knowing that I have somewhere to go. But it doesn't mean I trust her. She's going to do whatever she can to screw me over," she added as she returned to the table.

"Really! Such language!" Emily corrected.

"Fine. Whatever she can to undermine me," Natalie corrected as she sat back down. "And that's why you should go. If I start acting all Chilton they'll suspect something. Remember, they think that I grew up with Roxie."

"I still don't understand how you didn't correct that assumption."

"Because it never came up, at least not with them."

"They never wondered, even after meeting her?" Richard asked.

"No. They know it wasn't good with her. That she neglected Rex and I. They just never asked if DYFS intervened, although I think that John or my Uncle Bo might suspect that their might have been a case at some point."

"You said 'at least with them.' Does that mean you told someone then?"

"Yeah. I told Ben."

"Could he. . ." Richard started, only to stop at the look that crossed over Natalie's face before she could hide it. "Something happened to him."

"He died a few months ago. In a way we were lucky. He. . . um. . . he was an organ donor, and. . . well, Vickie needed a new heart and got his. . .so we only lost the one of them," she informed sadly, looking into her mug instead of at their faces.

"You cared for him very much," Emily remarked as she put a hand over one of Natalie's. "It shows that his death still affects you."

Natalie laughed hollowly at that as she looked at her, "not according to them."

"I would certainly like to get a hold of these people. Do any of them have any idea of the person that they haven't let themselves get to know?"

"Bo gets me sometimes," Natalie shrugged. "And my brother Joe tried. I just. . . well, I screwed up royally with Jess and Vickie. Kevin thinks I was just after the money. I think Asa finally changed his mind about that, though."

"So they don't know. . ."

"About the money in the trust that you two set up for me or about the money Grandma Lorelai left me? No. No one does. It didn't feel right to use it, and I try not to use the trust Asa set up for me either. I mean, I used it to buy this house, but that was because Jess and Vickie lived here too when I first got it. "

"Then how do you support yourself?" Richard asked.

"Basically, I work two jobs."

"What about school?" Emily asked. Natalie shrugged her shoulders, slightly embarrassed. "You dropped out?!??!" the older woman asked aghast. "You finished Chilton at the top of your class by correspondence no less. You had scholarships from Ivy League schools and you dropped out?!?!?!"

"I also had a 4.o at Land View University along with a fiancé who didn't believe in handouts. We could only afford for one of us to go to school on what we made and since I was better at holding down a job. . ." she explained, letting her voice trail off at the end, knowing even as she was saying it that it wasn't a good enough excuse for not doing something she had always dreamed of.

"Well that will be rectified once you return to Hartford."

"I don't know if. . . I haven't been a real student in so long. Compared to Chilton LU was easy. I didn't have to worry about actually attending classes because I had already done most of it. I missed a lot and didn't have to worry. Besides, no one had any expectations."

"And you're afraid you won't meet whose? Ours?" Richard asked.

"Yours. Mine. The school's. Anybody's. Everybody's. Expectations here were all low or bad. Hasn't taken a whole lot to meet or exceed them."

"Well, then, I suppose Lorelai could find you something at her little Inn. Oh, wait, maybe her boyfriend could have you wait tables at his restaurant, if that is all you want to do with yourself," Emily remarked.

"Emily," Richard chided.

"What?"

"It's ok. Mom has a point. I know I can be more. And I have to stop running from challenges," she admitted as the phone started to ring in the other room. "I better get that," she said as she rose.

Once she was out of the room Emily started in: "I don't know whose worse. . ." only to be cut off by Natalie's scream followed by a crash. "What in heaven's name!" she asked as pushed herself to her feet, a hand to her chest.

"Stay here," Richard ordered, already on his own feet and heading through the doorway.

"And what? Play the hapless female? Like you're any more prepared than I am to handle a burglar or worse," she retorted as she followed him into the living room. . .