A/N: Wow! So many reviews! Thanks guys! This story is just flying off my fingertips.
Charmedchic72: Thanks so much for reviewing so many of my stories!
To my anonymous reviewer, Brandy: Yes, we have to have all the Rory. Sorry, but I'm not sending her to Italy. I made the ring his second choice because him using it is so overdone. I still wanted him to use it, but make my story different from all the others out there.
Winnifred Smith: Thanks for the love! I love you too!
Previously on 'Everything's Falling Apart':
"Well… while we're discussing big, important things, I have something to tell you."
"Go ahead."
"I'm… dropping out of Yale."
"What?"
"I said I'm-"
"Rory Gilmore, what the hell are you thinking? Why would you drop out of Yale?"
"I'm… not going to be a journalist."
"What? Gilmore, I've known you for five years, and the one thing you've wanted most was to be a journalist."
"Well, I changed my mind."
"Why?"
"I'm not allowed to change my mind?"
"Normally, one doesn't change one's mind at the drop of a hat after five-plus years."
"Well… you know I had that internship in Stanford."
"Yes."
"Well… Mitchum Huntzberger talked to me."
"And…?"
"He said I didn't have it."
"Have what?"
"The 'drive to put myself out there'."
"Who the hell does he think he is? Rory, you're the best damn writer on the newspaper. We would be absolutely nothing without you."
"This is Mitchum Huntzberger, Paris! The most important man in newspaper. I think he knows what he's talking about."
"Rory Gilmore, you came to my house after I sat in bed, crying for weeks after being rejected by Harvard. You made me get off my ass and go somewhere else; do something with my life. Now, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here. I'd probably still be sitting in bed, addicted to than stupid soap opera. You taught me that when dreams go wrong, maybe it's for the better. I didn't go to Harvard, but I'm happy now. Come back to Yale and do something with your life. Don't just waste it away."
"I'll… I'll think about it."
"Don't expect me to give up."
"I won't."
"Good. Sleep on it. Take all summer if you need to. But I expect to see you back at Yale in the fall."
Rory paused, then smiled. "I'll be there."
"What're friends for?"
The next morning, Rory flipped open her cell phone. She pressed 1 and listened as her phone dialed the number she memorized ten years ago. Her breathless mother answered.
"Hello?" Lorelai panted into the phone.
"What happened to you?"
"Rory?"
"Of course."
"Well, I was upstairs, and, see, the phone is downstairs. So I ran down the stairs, managed to trip on the last step and fall on my face before making it here."
"Wow."
"Yes, it's quite a story, isn't it?"
"I suppose it is. Anyhow, I have news for you."
"Yeah?"
"Well… I think I'm going back to Yale next year after all."
Lorelai grinned. "Really?"
Rory nodded before realizing she was on the phone. "Really."
Lorelai paused. "Does this mean you're coming home?"
"I think it does."
"You know you'll have to tell grandma about this, right?"
"I can't just leave a note?"
"Nope. See, that's what I did when I left. You want to avoid making them think about that at all costs."
"Got it." Rory sighed. "I guess I'll go tell her."
"Have fun!"
"Mom!"
"What? I can't enjoy this just the tiniest bit?"
"I'm going now."
"Bye! Ooh, and see if you can snap a picture! I want this moment documented!"
"Bye, mom."
Rory entered the dining room of the elder Gilmore home to see her grandparents eating their breakfast. The only sound in the room was the rustling of Richard's newspaper. Emily looked up. "Rory!"
"Hi, grandma." Rory replied with as real a smile as she could muster.
"Sit down. Do you want me to get Chelsea to whip something up for you?"
"No, thank you. And Chelsea? I thought it was Davida."
"No. I fired her days ago. Very frightened woman, Davida. Couldn't even answer a simple question without shaking like a leaf."
Rory stifled her laughter.
"So why are you here, Rory? It's apparently not for breakfast."
"Well, I have some news for you."
"Yes?"
"I'm going back to Yale after all."
Emily smiled. "That's wonderful, Rory."
"I'm glad you think so." Rory took a deep breath, dreading what she had to say next.
"Is there anything else?"
"Well, yes. I'm moving back in with mom."
Her smile quickly faded. "Very well."
After a minute of silence, Rory spoke. "I'll… let you get back to your breakfast, then." And she quickly rushed out of the room.
Well, I realized after some research on the WB site that I had been butchering the name Huntzberger all along. So, it's fixed in this chapter and it will be in all the ones to come!
Smile and review! Saturday is coming up in the next chapter! Stay tuned!