Sorry, I did get a little distracted by my other fic, but I really just had to get some java junkie out of my system. I mean, it's fun doing the undertones and all, and it makes sense for the fic (which completely bugs me when people put things in their fic that don't make any sense and you sit there and go 'what now' and try to think of any possible reason why this person would stick such a phrase/event/character in their fic...sorry, rant over), but I just had to get it out of there, y'know? Before I did something stupid.

So, you guys have again been so wonderful in your reviews. I'm really glad that you guys are starting to come over to the AU side...the dark side if you would (sorry, just saw the new Star Wars...heh)...and read this. I know I keep saying that, but it's so true. It's hard finding an AU fic on this part of the site, and a decent one at that (no offense people, I'm just picky about my reading...I turn down a lot of professional authors, believe me, that is nothing to be offended by). And here I am at 129 reviews (that's the most I've ever gotten:happy tear:). Anways, on to the thank-yous (because I think it's important to give back, I used to go and review the people that reviewed my fics, but that's just gotten too time-consuming and well...sometimes people who aren't the best writers review your fic and you can't be a bitch about it...so you tend to point out things like: that line was kinda funny, and your idea is pretty original and so on.)

Amelia: Yes, you're Kar-a-tay (holy FRIENDS reference, batman!) does seem to be a great motivator towards updating. I hope I'm not in for an ass-kicking anytime soon. Perhaps some Ungani? (I'm sorry, if you really don't watch FRIENDS, and then you probably just think I'm mentally unstable, I'm not really, thought I might clear that up...heh..). Here's a joke for you: What's black, white, green, and red all over?

beat.

Two cows fighting over a piece of celery. (cue insane amounts of laughter and clapping). Thanks for the review.

Epona: I confess to having that school meeting planned out from the start. That's really the main reason I wanted Paris in there because I really saw Paris being the one to ask that question in particular. And yes, Alex is the same Alex from the show. I really did think that out of her line-up of guys they were probably the most likely to meet randomly in NY, and they were pretty compatible (minus the whole fishing thing), and I thought he might fit for the story. It was sorta like a Max thing, y'know? But I couldn't think of a single possible senario in which Lorelai could have met Max without Rory, so y'know. Thank-you for the reivew.

Kyizi: Glad to have that effect over you. lol. Thanks for the review. Hope you can stand this chapter! lol. (And I do know what it's like to make the little squealing noises...I have done it on some occasions, Luke and Lorelai's frist kiss for example, andthank god I was alone or else I would have never lived them down).

LLjunkie: When I first came up with the concept, my goal was to do something completely different from that you guys are used to seeing. It's my rebel child-like tendencies. And I know that Lorelai working at the Times is shakey, but I kinda figured I needed a way for Rory to automatically relate to Lorelai and having the jouralism aspect in there was sort of a way for Rory to see that they were alike and so forth. And I really do want to stick some Luke and Lorelai action in here, I really, really do, but I just don't see it working for the characters in this situation. Maybe as likea thank-you kiss at one point, but it wouldn't be anything romantic. I think I'll end up just sticking with the undertones for this one. But watch out for future fics! A hell of a lot of java junkie commin' at ya! lol. Thanks for the review. I'm glad I'm not the only one who rants!

IzzPuppy: Where do you get your quotes from? You never put down an exact place. I ended up looking all over the internet on various sites for quotes, took me forever. And I'm always looking to add more, I somehow just keep lacking that perfect quote sometimes and I have to stop everything and go and look for it. Takes forever! lol. Thanks for the reivew.

Muffin is Injured: Ha! You've returned! lol. This will sound strange, but I'm glad people are hating the parents...it was kinda what I was going for there. Just the little control-y things that were really the opposite of Lorelai's parenting style. Anyways, I tired to stay away, really, really, I did...but I just couldn't do it...I had to update...it was like there was this little monkey on my back all the time...I couldn't sleep...I couldn't eat...I just keep thinking I have to update, I have to update...(lol). Thanks for the review. You kick ass, and it's awesome to hear from ya.

Also thanks go out to: xX luke and lorelai xX, Phoebe4u, LukeNlorelaifan, ProFfeSseR (did I finally get that right:crosses fingers:), Beautifulbutterfly, Daphnetjuh, Rusty Bedsprings, Once Upon a Whim, CDJ, FoxyWombat (hilarious name by the way), Winnifred Smith, Katie, Javajunkie219, Rory Forester, Yrag, Bloomin Daisy, Rita, Sucker4soccer, pOnDeReSqUe, and Pokey. Again, if I missed your or mis-spelled your name (:hack: ProFfeSseR :hack:), I am really sorry but my typing skills and my attention span suck.

Whoo. Now that, that's all taken care of. And you thought I wrote an extra-long chapter, didn't ya? lol. Sorry to dissapoint, but it's an average sized chapter, folks.

"Here I sit, much determined ever ill-equipped to draw this curtain"
("This Grudge" by Alannis Morissette)

"So how long do you think they'll sit there?" Kirk asked quietly to Luke, Babette, and Miss Patty who had all slumped together in a little huddle next to the counter, eyes trained on Rory and her biological mother.

"Well, they got into it pretty good yesterday, I mean Rory was screaming at her and acting like I've never seen Rory act before!" Miss Patty exclaimed, "I was so shocked! But can you blame the girl?"

Babette nodded, "I almost wanna go over there and give that woman a piece of my mind, ignoring Rory like she has this past sixteen years. And then she just shows up here, what a nerve!"

"She didn't just show up here on purpose," Luke commented, "She was here to give a speech at the high school or something. And, from what I could gather from their conversation, Lorelai has tried to contact Rory over the years but never got through to her."

"Must have been Seth and Alison. They never were too keen on that girl if I remember," Miss Patty commented, "I remembered them going on about the girl they were adopting the baby from a couple of weeks before the adoption took place."

Babette nodded in agreement, "No kiddin'. I remember hearing them talking about how they didn't want Rory to know the mom and stuff. Sad thing really."

"Shame," Kirk agreed, hanging his head slightly. "But it made for good gossip, didn't it guys?" He added with a small grin and the quick whip of his head back to its normal position.

"Hell ya," Babette cheered, "And since then, there's been nothin' good happenin' around right, right Patty?"

"You're darn tootin'. Finally some entertainment," the three turned back to face the two girls in the corner, necks craned in an attempt to hear every word.

Luke just rolled his eyes, "Jeez, would ya get a life?" He mumbled to all three of them. They just held up their hands to shush him up.

Luke rolled his eyes, but all the same didn't move from their huddle. He may not vocally, or for that matter usually, condone their tactics, but this was different. This had to do with Rory.

"Favorite worst movie line?" Rory asked through her laughter. Apparently they had a lot in common.

"Nobody puts baby in a corner," Lorelai said in her mock Patrick Swayze voice, leading both girls into another round of giggles. "What about you? What's your favorite worst movie line ever?"

"Well it's pretty hard to top Dirty Dancing, unless of course it's Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights."

"Oh, but of course. I mean, the end of that movie the girl was dancing like a slut and her parents were just standing there cheering her!"

"Oh yea, they were all like 'yay! My daughter's a slut!'. And they were taping the whole thing!"

"Worst two hours of my life, well besides Steel Magnolias. I sat in the theatre screaming 'I want my life back' until they kicked me out of that one."

Rory laughed, "No, you didn't!"

"Have you not seen Steel Magnolias?"

"Good point. Alright, favorite worst movie line ever besides Dirty Dancing would have to be," she thought about it for a moment, "Oh, being in love means never having to say your sorry," she said in a mocking tone.

Lorelai started laughing, "Oh, god, that line makes no sense!"

"I know!" Rory laughed, "Sad movie, though. We probably shouldn't make fun of it," she added in a much more somber tone.

Lorelai nodded, "Yeah, but the line's just too horrible not to make fun of. I mean who were the writers on that thing?"

Rory smiled, "I say we hunt them down, and knock some sense into them."

"And if they're dead, then we'll dance on top of their grave."

"Hey, Rory! It's almost four!" Luke called from some where on the other side of the diner. "Just wrap things up, okay?"

"Sure thing, Luke!" Rory called back, not even bothering to turn around and yell it in his direction. "My shift is starting," she explained.

"Oh," Lorelai looked down at her watch, "Wow. We've been here a long time." She would be late calling Alex. Well, actually she was already late, but he would anticipate her lateness and would be expecting her to call in the next few minutes. But, strangely enough, she did not feel the urge to take out her cell phone and make that exact call at the moment.

Rory nodded, "Yeah, yeah we have," she smiled, "And it was good. Definitely good."

"Well except for the whole skipping school part of it. I probably shouldn't have condoned that, but what the hell," Lorelai laughed, "You live only once, right?"

Rory nodded, "Yeah, yeah," she darted her eyes from her coffee back up to Lorelai sitting across from her, "So are you gonna, umm, stick around?" She tried to ask casually, but her nerves showed through like a stripper in a church.

Lorelai nodded, "Yeah. For a little while anyways. Nothing to do. And I'm gettin' pretty hungry, and I am in a diner, so," she lied. She almost amazed herself at how easily she did lie nowadays. In fact, she almost convinced herself once that she was happy with her life. Almost being the key word.

Rory shook her head, "No, I mean, are you going to be here tomorrow?"

"I could possibly stick around for a couple of days," she smiled faintly then added, "That is if you still want me to stay."

Rory nodded happily, "Yeah, yeah, I want you to stay."

"Alright then, you go get your shift started, and I'll just move up to the counter and get somethin' to eat, how does that sound?"

"Like a plan."

The girls stood up from the table, causing the rest of the diner to suddenly turn their heads in the opposite direction, Rory grabbed her backpack from besides her seat and pulled out the infamous, color-changing apron.

"Ah, the apron you were telling me about makes an appearance," Lorelai commented with a sly grin, "And smiley faces always work well with daisies," she added with a wink.

"Yeah, Luke probably thinks I've added some more crap to it, but reality was I just forgot to take it off last night. Brain fart." Rory tied the apron around her waist, and walked over to the counter and tossed it over the top.

Lorelai gave Rory another warm smile, having finally run out of things to say, then she picked up her now empty coffee cup, and then made her way over to the counter. No use taking up a two-top table when there was only one of her. And this way, she could interact with Luke a little more. It may not have been an Alex-approved activity, she was curious, and it was just an innocent conversation between two random people, and that's not against the boyfriend-girlfriend codes as far as her knowledge went.

"Hey, Luke, can I get another cup of coffee?" She asked as she sat down on one of the stools, giving another dazzling smile.

"What is that you're fifth one?"

Lorelai blinked. "Are you keeping count?"

"I tend to notice when people start drinking insane amounts of coffee. Or any other substance for that matter."

"Well then, you missed your calling and should have been a bartender."

"What?"

"Bartender. You know, keeps track of how many beers you've had and cuts you off when you're having trouble staying on the stool."

"Have you actually had this problem in the past, or is that just some kind of example?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes, "It's an example." She held out her coffee cup, "Coffee?" She asked sweetly, "Please?"

Luke gave her a look as he filled back up her glass. "Junkie."

Lorelai just smiled, happily sipping down another cup of her beloved coffee. For once content to just sit there and drink coffee as, out of the corner of her eye, she watched her daughter busy herself with work. Her daughter. She could never get over that. Sure it had been sixteen years, but now she had a face to go with the phrase. Now it just felt more real.

Rory was now busy talking up a storm with some customer, an Asian girl happily chomping on a hamburger like it was her last meal.

"Hey," Luke whispered to her, "Lorelai."

She turned back towards him, "Yea?"

"Just don't," he sighed, "Don't screw with her, okay?"

Her smile fell. He didn't have to explain. She just took another long sip of coffee, as she mulled over possible responses ranging in emotion. Then she darted her eyes back over to Rory and the mystery girl she was talking too. She looked so happy. Like when she had just first walked into the diner yesterday and hadn't seen Lorelai sitting there, just waiting to ruin her day.

"I know," she finally whispered out.

Awkward pause.

"She's a good kid," Luke supplied.

Lorelai felt another flicker of a smile come back on her face. "Then she didn't get a few of my more charming personality aspects."

Awkward pause.

"Look, I went to school with Seth and Allison. They've confided some things in me about Rory that have bothered me, yeah. But, no matter what, my loyalties will always lie with them, okay?"

"Understood."

Awkward pause.

"But, umm, I do want to," he cleared his throat, "Well what I mean to say is, that I do want to,"

Lorelai looked up at him, "Be friends?" She supplied with a slight grin on her face.

"Yeah. That's the one."

"Me too."

"Alright then. It's settled." He smiled back, locking eyes with her. It was the kind of moment that if it where in a movie would have some sort of slow-moving, romantic orchestra ballad or some old cheesy love song playing softly in the background. The kind of moment where the people in the audience are screaming 'kiss her, you idiot!'.

It was, put into the simplest terms, a moment.

But, like all good moments, this one was shattered by a bell and the sounding of, "Hey Luke!" as some guy walked into the diner.

Luke cleared his throat, and looked up and away from Lorelai, "Oh, hey Seth." He said rather uncomfortably. This would be the moment in the movie where the audience would be screaming 'run away you idiot!' at the top of their lungs.

"Sorry, was I interrupting something?" He asked, motioning to Lorelai.

Luke shook his head, "No, no, you're fine. Just—ummm—well, Rory's over there talking to Lane!" Luke directed, pointing across the diner.

"Hey Dad!" Rory smiled, "Whatcha doin' here?"

"Actually, funny thing happened today," he sort of chuckled, "I got this phone call from the school saying that you left school after first hour with the speaker or something? I told them it was a load of crap, but y'know, I still have to check."

Rory lowered her head a little, "Dad, I mean, me missing school isn't that big of a deal, y'know. I'm already so ahead, it just,"

"Wait a second," he interrupted, "You're telling me it's true?"

Rory nodded slowly, "I'm sorry, I just,"

"It's my fault," Lorelai interrupted this time, "It's not Rory's fault, Mr. Grayson." She felt weird addressing him so formally. But she couldn't very well disobey Miss Manners so openly. Somehow, someway Emily Gilmore would find out. Using her weird, physic-like abilities, she'd know. And Lorelai would never live it down.

He turned to face her, "And who might you be? And why are you taking my daughter out of school without my permission?"

Lorelai forced a chuckle, "Well you see, it's kinda funny and ironic once you think about it. You do know me, from way, way back, except when you knew it I had these like gigantic ankles and I was like," she held her hand out as far away from her stomach as possible, "Way out here, so y'know, I guess I could understand why you don't remember me and stuff."

"Wait. Lorelai Gilmore?"

She nodded hesitantly, "Hey, you remembered!"

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"You see, that's the funny part. If you think irony is funny, I guess. You see, I work for the New York Times, and my boss likes sending me out to all these high schools to talk to teens about the future and stuff and I just so happened to turn up at Rory's school," she forced another laugh, "You see, it's funny?" She nudged Luke, "Right Luke, just really, gosh darn funny."

He forced an even faker laugh, "Yeah, Seth, real funny stuff. When they told me that I just couldn't stop laughing it was that funny."

"Wait a second Luke, she came here instead of going to school? And you didn't send her back?" Seth, apparently still trying to grasp on to the situation.

"Look, Dad, it wasn't Luke's fault, okay?" Rory stood up from her chair and walked over to the three adults, "In all actuality it was my fault. It was my idea to leave school."

"Rory, just stay out of this okay," Seth said shortly, "I'll talk to you when we get home."

"Dad," she tried again.

"Rory!"

"It wasn't their faults," she mumbled quietly.

"Listen, Seth, let's talk about this upstairs, alright?" Luke offered, "All of us," he looked over at Lorelai, the biggest flight risk at the moment.

"Fine," Lorelai threw her hands up in the air, "Whatever works best for you two."

"It's probably for the best," Seth agreed. He turned back around to face Rory, "And don't think that you're off the hook yet, Ror."

"Yes, sir," Rory responded flatly. Lorelai shot her a sympathetic look and mouthed a small 'I'm sorry', hoping that Seth wouldn't see. Apparently he wasn't a fan.

"Alright then, upstairs!" Seth turned back around and headed up the stairs, leaving Luke and Lorelai to follow on their own.

Luke gave Lorelai a sympathetic look, "Look, if you want to run I understand," he offered. "I wouldn't want to go up there if I was you."

Lorelai shook her head, "No," she responded simply, then added for a touch of her classic flair, "I've always been stubborn as hell anyways."

His face brightened a little at this, "Okay then, I'll see you up there, then." She gave a small nod just before he turned, lifted up the curtain, and disappeared up the same flight of stairs that Seth had gone up earlier.

"I'm sorry," Rory started.

Lorelai cut Rory off with a shake of her head, "Don't be."

"Encouraging," she offered with a weak smile.

"Well, it's all I got at the moment, give me a couple of minutes and I might be able to do better," Lorelai offered back the same weak smile. "And whatever he has to dish out, it was worth it. You are worth it."

Rory's fake smile grew into a genuine one, "I guess I'm not sorry, then. I wouldn't want to take it back."

Lorelai smiled, giving her daughter one more encouraging nod of her head, before she turned and walked up the same flight of stairs. Things had suddenly just gotten a bit more complicated. And here she thought things couldn't get more messed up then they already were.

Silly her.

Updates up as soon as I can manage.
Please Review. Let's brake 200, shall we? lol.

(I really am normal, I promise!)