DISCLAIMER : I don't owm anything. If I was a powerful god, then Lorelai would be mine. ALL MINE! but sadly, this isn't reality...:(

If you people havn't noticed yet, this is set on the summer following season 5.

CHAPTER4 "One thing leads to another"

Luke looked at Lorelai, silently telling her that she had all his attention. She frigitted a little, obvioustly talking about it was very difficult for her even though she needed to talk about it more than anything.

She couldn't really trust Sookie. That woman had a very big mouth. Luke. She could trust Luke. Luke never spoke and even less about personal matters.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she knew very well that she got Luke wrapped around her finger. And if he wanted to get lucky later on, he'd better keep his mouth shut.

"I just don't know how it all started. One minute we were best friends again, Rory telling me she wants us to talk like we use to before. I was happy. I was more than excited to have things like before. I though that now we were okay, she would come back home for often. And she did. And I was through the roof."

Luke smiled reassuringly, making Lorelai automatically relax and keep talking. Somehow, he only knew how to make her relax.

"Then one day, she comes back from Yale, late at night. She wakes me up. We had a late night talk. She talked about that Logan. I, about you. And how our boyfriends were great. Then, she starts talking about her sex life with Logan. I should've begged her to not tell me. She had such confidence in her eyes. Just like when she was five. When she taught I was a god and mommy could resolve all her problems. She trusted me so much. I couldn't not listen to her. But the things she says to me. It was too much. I couldn't listen to them anymore. So, taking my sleepy state, I just snapped at her. I didn't realize what I was doing. She didn't say anything, didn't yell, no complains. She just said "fine" and left my room. And since I had no coffee to make me stay awake, I slept right away."

"So this is all my fault?" asked Luke

"Yeah! Exactly honey." Lorelai smirked a little.

Luke smiled too. He loved the playful glare on his girlfriend's face.

Girlfriend? That word seemed kind of strange to him. He had never called any woman his girlfriend. Rachel and Nicole had been his girlfriend. But he never called them like that. He just….called them by their name.

Still, the word girlfriend didn't fit for Lorelai either. He knew Lorelai for so long that he felt more to her. He felt it completely natural for her to wake up next to him. After all, he had been dreaming about it for years. Lorelai was more. She was his partner, his friend, his coffee-addicted girl. His best friend. His everything.

Lorelai's voice cut off his thoughts.

"The next morning I wake up. Of course, I have an upset daughter to apologize too. Since these days, she had been so nervous that every I said, she jumped at me. I was kind of afraid that she could the habit of not coming back at home. So, I got up, prepared some coffee. Nothing better to end a war then a nice warm cup of coffee."

"And poptarts" replied Luke, out of habit.

Lorelai only nodded in agreement.

"So I knock on her door, expecting to find her crying or something. She isn't there. I look around for a note. There isn't any. That is really strange. Even though sometimes, she could be really mad at me, she stills leaves a note, even a cold and sarcastic one. Thank god her car was there or I would've had a heart attack straight."

Lorelai, pauses, taking a deep breath. The sad face returnes on her face.

"Couple of hours later, when the coffee gotten cold long time ago, she comes into the house. This huge pile of her books in her arms. I guess with all this studying at Yale she didn't have that much time to read. So she was just catching. There might've been at least 20 books out there."

"She goes to her room, drops the books on the bed. I was still watching her from the kitchen. She didn't look at me. Determined look on her face, she arranged them on some kind of order. I guess from the one the wanted to first to the last."

"I watch her a little sadly, you know. I know she was upset and didn't want to come to me. Actually, I was supposed to be with one going to her. I mean, what mother wouldn't dream of her child opening up everything in her life to her. So, pushing the stubbornness aside, I make some new, fresh coffee and pour her a cup. Then, silently, go to her room and hand it to her."

"She lifts her eyes from the books and looks at me somehow gratefully. Still, she keeps silent. I don't blame her for it. I was a despot and deserved it for it. Deciding to let her time to cool off, I take off, close her door behind me and sit on the kitchen."

"Then, as I looking through some financial papers of the inn, something crosses my mind. Where does a college student gets his money? Askes Lorelai to Luke

"How should I know?" replies Luke, completely perplexed.

"Well, you lived with Jess for a while. You must know something." Responds Lorelai.

Luke just shrugs his shoulders. He wouldn't start an argument now. Maybe later. Right now, he was more than just interested in this story. After all, Rory was like his little girl.

"Lorelai. Your story."

"Right sorry….where was I. Yeah right. So, you see, I ask myself where could Rory get all this money to books at least 500 bucks worth. But I don't say anything. Then I left for the inn, for a couple of hours at least. There was so much to be done. When I come back, it was pretty late in the afternoon. Rory's door is wide open. And she is still reading. God, doesn't this girl never gets tired of reading?"

To that, Lorela smiled briefly. It was her daughter's trademark. If someone would yell Inn, Lorelai would respond. If someone ever said books, Rory would be running towards the voice.

"So, I take a shower, puts on more comfortable clothes. When I come back to the kitchen, I look at Rory's room. She is sleeping. A book spread over her. Like an angel. I can't keep but smiling. I come close to her and sit on the bed, taking all the books and putting them somewhere else. But she had this kind of pained expression on her face. Like she was having a nightmare of something. And I hate seing her like this. So, I shake her a little, trying to wake her up. She doesn't wake up, seeming like in a trance where she screams for help."

Rory jerked in her sleep, suddenly grabbing the sheets like they were her life saver.

"No! No! Don't do this to me. Don't. Please…..please…" she whines pitifully.

Lorelai shakes her, trying to get her to wake up.

"Rory? Rory? Come on, wake up hun. You've got to wake up. It's just a nightmare. RORY!" Lorelai tries her best to wake her up. After some efforts, Rory seems to be opening her eyes.

She looks at Lorelai, scared like a little girl. Lorelai's heart is about to break. She just picks Rory up and hold her to her chest. She puts her arms around her and rocks her back and forth.

Rory doesn't cry. She just grabs her mother so tightly. Only a little bit oftears comes out of her eyes. After what seemed like a very long time, Lorelai lets go enough of Rory to look into her eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asks softly

Rory only nodes her head timidly. They stare at each other for a couple of minutes, both biting their lips.

"I'm sorry!" Lorelai and Rory say at the same time.

This makes Lorelai smile broadly, followed by Rory. They nod, then Rory leans forwards and hugs Lorelai again.

They sit on the bed for a long time, listening only to each other's breathing.

"Was it a nightmare?"

"Yeah" comes Rory's muffled voice

"Was it scary?"

"Very" But this time, Lorelai can feel that Rory is crying. She plants a soft kiss on her cheek. Not giving her any other chance to cry.

After a long while, Rory let go. Lorelai was about to leave the room when Rory grabs her hand and makes her come back in the bed.

Lorelai lies next to her daughter.

"After that, things seemed a little better. We were both fine with each other. Then, one day I come back and there was Rory's cell phone on the kitchen table. I just assumed she's forget it there. She goes that all the time. So I take the phone, ready to call het at Lane's when I see her voicemail is full. You know, I was just curious. I didn't mean to pry on her private business."

"I know" Luke knew Lorelai wasn't mean but sometime, she just couldn't stop herself putting her nose places where she really shouldn't.

"Rory, it's your grandma. Well, I just wanted to call you to let you know the second bank account is ready. It should be available tomorrow. Oh! And your grandpa got a hold of a nice car he wants you to see. It would be wonderful if we could see you tonight for dinner. Don't tell your mother, you know how she reacts to these things."

"I taught it was some kind of a joke. Then I realised it wasn't. It got me so mad. What does it mean don't tell your mother? Since when did my daughter and mother plot things behind my back."

"Naturally, you know me, Lorelai, always ready to confront people."

"I know." Said Luke

"So when she came back, smiling at her, I gave her the cell phone and asked what was the message from her grandma."

"What's that Rory?"

"What's what?"

"That message your grandma left you? What's she talking about? What bank account?"

"After much nagging, Rory finally tells me that her grandparents, my lovely mother and father, had opened a bank account for Rory. She could've do anything she wanted with it. And let me tell you, there was a lot of money in it."

"They did what?"

"A bank account"

"What for?"

"Well, when grandma heard that I was dating Logan. She told he was a high society member and expected everything to be like him. So she said that since you didn't have that much money because you just opened your own inn, that she should probably open up this bank account if maybe I needed a dress or something for a party."

"Oh! Ok! I see. If you needed a new dress or maybe to parade around high society males like a toasted fish to see if they like you."

"Mom" Rory groaned, her expression tired.

"What?" Lorelai yelled angrily

"Don'tlook inrothings that aren't even true."

"Since when Rory? Since when do you have that account?" Lorelai was really pissed. She hated her daughter keeping secrets from her.

"It doesn't matter" Rory looked a little scared. If she told her mother the truth, the woman would go crazy.

"RORY!"

"2 moths ago…" replied Rory

"GREAT! That's really nice to keep your stupid but lovely mother informed. That's real nice Rory. You have no idea how happy I am. God! I can't believe this. My owm daughter plotting in my back."

"Then you got really mad" Luke replied. He was sitting on the bed, really interested in the story.

"Yeah. Something like that. I mean, we grew up so close and only 2 years at Yale and we were slowly becoming strangers to each other. I really hated. And the fact that not she didn't depend on me. She didn't need me anymore. And suddenly my mother's words rang into my head."

It's terrible not to be needed, you'll see.

"And this time, the words really stuck into me. My mother was somehow right. I was slowly loosing Rory. What would she bother come back home? She had everything she needed. Her dorm furnished with a nice 25 000 dollars furniture, an open account at the bank with god knows how much money in it. A car. A powerful rich boyfriend. Why would she need her poor old Stars Hollow mother?"

"Then why are you coming back here? You've got everything you need. And the last thing you need is your old mother" said Lorelai sarcastically.

Somehow, it was a challenge for Rory.

"I do have everything I need. A boyfriend. My grandparents. The money. Why should I come back? You're right mom. Or should I call you Lorelai from now on?" Rory yelled venomously.

It was too much for Lorelai. This was not her daughter. This was a satan. Not knowing how she did it, Lorelai suddenly hitted Rory forcefully on her face It came out totally wrong since she regretted it right away.

Rory didn't say anything. She took her keys and left the house.