Hey everyone! I still can't thank you guys enough for the reviews and everything. Feel free to offer suggestions and I'll see what I can do. A writer's inspiration are always other people that help them get to where they are. You all have been very loyal and here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it.

Lauren (manydreams1216)

"Mom, Dad, where are you?" I ask throughout the house. No one was in sight when I got home. Our house feels empty.

"Miss Dugrey?" Tina comes around the corner of the second story.

"Tina, where are my parents?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Dugrey went out for a walk. They told me to tell you, they would be back in about an two hours from 3:30."

I nod and then she walks away to continue her job of being in the shadows.

A walk. Since when do my parents go on walks? They have to be talking about things. A whole lot of things. There are definitely a lot of things they need to talk about.

I go into my bedroom and put on my music and I just lay on the bed, listening. Sometimes I get all these voices in my head telling me to do all these things. I can't do all of them. I can hardly deal with what's right in front of me. My eyes close and I fall into a dreamless slumber.

The only reason I know I fell asleep, is because two hours later my parents came into my room.

"Sweetheart, wake up," Mom says, quietly.

I open my eyes and see my mom sitting on the side of my bed and my dad standing right beside her.

"Hi."

"How did you sleep Mary?" Dad asks in a fatherly tone that's comforting.

I smile a little. "No nightmares."

"Good."

Mom smiled. She always looks like a little girl when she smiles. Most of them she looks so mature and refined, but it's nice to see her smile. It means that she's happy.

"So..." I say, trying to get to what they are doing standing in my room.

"We wanted to tell you something," Mom says.

"What?"

They both turn to each other and smile. Why is today so full of smiles? "Your mother and I have decided to not get a divorce," Dad announces.

"Really?" I say eagerly.

Mom places her hand on mine, "Yes."

"I'm happy for both of you."

"So are we."

I'm still puzzled as to why they are both in my room and we aren't doing this at the dinner table or something. The last time they have both been my bedroom with me is when they told me we were moving here from Geneva. Oh God, they are going to pull something life altering again. "What are you guys doing in here?" And the walls go up.

"Well, since your father and I have decided to stay together, we need to actually be together, so I'm quitting my job at the New York Times."

I interject, "That's it?"

"As you know, my job is in Washington D.C.," Dad starts. "We need to put an end to the amount of traveling I do, so we also decided that as a family, we would all move to D.C."

"No," I state.

"What do you mean 'no' Mary? This is not your decision to make." Now he's trying to have a say in my life.

I open my mouth in disbelief. "I'm not moving again."

"I thought you hated it here," Mom says.

"Well I did, but things changed," I try to explain. "I'm finally being able to find myself. Don't you understand? Hartford society may be pretty screwed up, but I'm starting to know who I am for once in my life."

Rory and Tristan look at each other. Sometimes they have these glances between each other. It's like that's all they need to understand each other. I want that. They definitely don't realize what they have. Sometimes I think they are just trapped within their own problems that have a hard time seeing the outside. Me.

I hate to sound like a neglected, ungrateful kid, but I've never exactly been number one on my parents' priority list. I was just kind of there growing up. Something that they brought to the occasional dinner party to show that they had a family and even all the problems they had they were able to pull together and keep the Dugrey name. After all, there had been no divorces in the Dugrey family since the beginning of, well, time itself I suppose. We are all good Catholics. What a bunch of hypocrites we are. I can't help but laugh at us.

"Sweetheart, we need to do this as a family. We need to start over. All of us–," Mom reasons.

Standing up, I interrupt her, "It's all the same excuse. 'We need to start over again, Mary,' 'It's for the best.' I hear it every single time you guys can't face reality. I think you're worse than me."

"Why do you want to stay? Is it Joe?" Mom, always the romantic.

I shake my head, "No it's not Joe." I'm almost laughing for some reason.

"Then what is it Mary? It has to be something. You've never fought with us before, except for this weekend," Dad says.

"You never notice me. I'm just the perfect daughter that you show off to all your friends. I mean absolutely nothing to you."

Dad's temper flares up. "You know that's not true! You mean more to us than anything," he insists.

"Really?" my voice gets louder, "Then how come you are always in D.C. Don't give me any of it's 'where my job is' crap. It's more than that. Is it because every single time you look at me, you think that I'm her?" I point at my mom. "Is that what makes everything so damn difficult? I remind you of Mom and everything you guys have been through. It has to be more than that okay? Am I just that horrible? I don't understand."

A look passes between them again. I hate when they do that. It makes me feel so damn out of everything. "Mary it's not like that," Rory says. "We love you. We'll love you more than you'll ever know. Your father and I have a hard time of showing it and we have a lot of problems. Tristan and I's marriage has not been exactly easy."

"I know okay? I know all of this. It's not like I haven't heard it before."

"What your mother is trying to say is that these past few years have been hard and we haven't been the parents we should have been. We both have noticed lately that you have not been yourself. You are out all hours of the night and we have no idea where you are. We want a fresh start for all of us. Maybe we can actually have some resemblance to a family," he laughs slightly.

For all potential purposes, we all know that that's not exactly likely.

"Didn't Grandma just die? Don't we have to stay here for all that stuff?"

"We do. That will take about two weeks and after that we are going to D.C." Mom stated. It almost sounded like a business engagement that they had to finish out in order for them to move on with their lives. It's like Grandma Gilmore doesn't really matter.

"That's it? I get no say in this whatsoever."

"No, you don't," Dad replied firmly.

"I hate you." I walked out of my bedroom.

Somehow I get to the backyard. It's not exactly a backyard, it's more or less a national park. I've always found a light solace in green places filled with trees and flowers.

When we were in living in New York City, I was about seven I think, my parents were fighting again. It wasn't really anything new. I didn't know what it was about, but I still think it had to do with the distrust of their relationship. My sneaking around habits began at this point. There was always a doorman that was stationed outside of the building we lived at in New York.

I couldn't stand to stay in my bedroom, so I snuck out of the penthouse apartment we lived in and went down the stairs, knowing the elevator might be the place where one of the attendants would be and force me to go back to my parents. I went around the doorman who was busy speaking to one of the other floor occupants.

As a seven year old, I walked around New York City all by myself. I've never really found it be a scary place. You would think that a seven year old girl might be frightened by the hustle and bustle of the big apple, but I wasn't. It was comforting to know that there were other people in the world who had other lives and other problems that were in no way connected to the neglect and unhappiness I felt. I wandered and somehow I found myself at Washington Square Park in the Village.

There was this bench and I just sat there watching everyone walk by and go about their daily lives. It was comforting. I must have sat there for hours gazing and trying to understand everything. Finally after about four hours, I realized I couldn't. There was actually nothing to really understand. At seven, I had that epiphany.

Somehow, I found my way back to the apartment. I don't really think my parents even noticed I was gone. I got back and I guess they retreated into their corners and the fighting had subsided. The next morning I was informed we were moving to Switzerland. Kind of funny how things like that happened.

"Mary are you out here?" my mother's voice snaps me out of my memories.

"Yeah, I'm right here," I call out from my position underneath the big oak tree that's off the right and in the back of our pool.

She follows my voice and she finds me sitting at the base of the big tree. Almost childlike she sits beside me and crosses her legs. I can't really remember a time when she's ever been so casual with me.

"Mary, do you honestly think that Tristan and I don't love you?"

I turn away from her. Softly a tear falls out my eye, I wipe it away. "I don't know."

"We do Mary. We love you more than you'll ever know."

I face her. "Then why don't you ever show it?"

Her eyes avert toward the green grass and she picks a blade and rolls it through her fingers. "It's hard. I know I should tell you I love you more often and we should spend more time together, but..." she trails off. After a second she composes herself. "You remember how you said that you remind Tristan of me?" I nod. "Well you remind me of Tristan." She looks at me.

"Isn't that a good thing though? You love him. You're married to him."

"Of course it's a good thing. It's hard."

I scoff a little. "Mom you can't use that excuse for everything. Just because it's hard doesn't mean you should walk away from it." Under my breath I mutter, "Wow I'm starting to sound like Alex."

"What?"

"Nothing just something someone told me earlier today."

"Who?"

"This guy. It's not important."

"Oh," she gives up.

"Wait, it is important." I take a deep breath, "Alex told me that."

"Alex who?"

"Alex Ryderstan."

She nods a little. Then the name hits her. "Ryderstan?" I nod. "Wow. Talk about playing with fire."

"That doesn't even begin to describe what it is. It's more like playing with hell and being damned for all eternity. It's something out of Dante's Inferno." Both of us understand what the Ryderstan name means to the Dugrey family. Mom's never really been one to conform with the Dugrey family particulars but there are definitely lines that you don't cross with them and associating with a Ryderstan is one of them.

"So you're not with Joe Wexler, is it?"

I shake my head, "No. We broke up last night."

"Huh. So the perfect boyfriend didn't work out for you?"

I laugh, "Nope, not exactly. But what is perfect really? It's boring isn't it?"

"That's why I married your father. Lord knows he's far from perfect, but he definitely gives meaning to my life," she states sincerely. She looks at me. "Mary I've been in my fair share of forbidden relationships and let me tell you, it's not easy and if you love him, which you're too young for, but if you do, then you need to make sure he's worth it."

"Like Logan?" I ask.

She breaths a little. I guess I shocked her by bringing up his name, "You know about that?"

"Mom, as you very well know, the Hartford gossip mill isn't exactly quiet."

"Yeah you're right." She stares at me, seeing if I'm capable of understanding what she's about to tell me. "You have to know that I never stopped loving your father. It's just that he," she pauses, "Well Logan was the first man I ever had a casual and exciting relationship. There was this other guy Jess before, but Logan wasn't serious about everything. The world wasn't going to end tomorrow and there were no restrictions. He could do whatever he wanted to do and there would hardly be any consequences. At first, I was hesitant because of you and Tristan. I loved you both so much, but then when your great-grandfather, Janlan died, your dad became very withdrawn and he hardly talked to me. We weren't what we were like before. There was no longer any happiness there.

"Anyway, that's when I started with Logan. For six months, we had a relationship behind your father's back. I regret it. It ruined things with Tristan and I. We've never been the same since. Sometimes I wonder if I just stayed and never did anything with Logan if things would be different. I guess I'll never really know."

I look into my memory of any Janlan Dugrey dying and it's not there. "I don't remember Great-Grandpa dying."

She took my hand, "I imagine you wouldn't. That was the one time I've seen your father cry. It was scary. Janlan was the one person in Tristan's life that allowed him to be himself. Ever since Tristan was born, he's been destined to take over the Dugrey empire. Essentially he was taught that was his life's purpose. He's never really been able to get over that.

"Mary you have to realize that life isn't simple for us. There are so many factors that influence what we do. Nothing's black and white."

"I'm starting to figure that out."

"Is Alex the reason why you don't want to leave?"

For once I'm honest with her, "Yes."

"Let me talk to your father. I won't mention the Ryderstan kid or anything, but I'll tell him that you and I are going to stay here. Is that okay?"

"Thanks Mom," I hug her.

"Your welcome. If that's all it takes to get you to give me a hug, we should do this more often."

We both smile at each other. "We should."

"I love you Mary."

"I love you too Mom. I'm sorry about saying that I hated you early," I apologize.

"Water under the bridge sweetheart."

"Good."

"Good. Let's go inside and join your father for dinner." She holds her hand out for me and I take it and we walk inside the house. Maybe for once it might be home.

Dinner was nice. There were no fights like the night before. We had good, casual conversation that didn't seem fake. It was real. It was nice.

After dinner we all sat down and watched a movie. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Mom declared it her favorite. I looked at Dad and he just rolled her eyes and mouthed "crazy" to me. I laughed. It's nice seeing us like this. I understand that just yesterday we were all at each other's throats and most likely we couldn't stand to be in the same room with each other, but it wasn't like that tonight. I can't really get over it.

The next morning, my cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey Mary it's Alex." I smile. His voice is just comforting.

"What are you doing today?"

"Nothing, why?"

"Do you want to hang out? No one's at my house." He just adds that in there. Classic. He says it likes it no big deal.

Nonchalantly I reply, "Sure."

"Great. See you in an hour."

"Yep."

I take a shower and then change into jeans and a white t-shirt.

Before I leave, I check with Mom if it's all right. Not surprisingly, she's in the library. Before this revitalization in our relationship, we would classify time spent together reading in the library not saying a word to each other.

"Mom?"

It takes her a second to get out of her haze. "What's up?"

"Is it okay if I go and hang out a friend's house?"

With a sly smile on her face she asks, "Would this friend happen to have a name that begins with an 'A'?"

"Do you want me to lie?"

"No."

"Okay then yes, this friend's name does begin with an 'A'," I reply.

"Go. Have fun. Just be back before dinner time."

"Okay," I leave the house.

I can't help but feel that Mom and I have connected on some weird level and have created this odd alliance that consists of her actually encouraging a relationship with a guy that in no way would be considered okay in the eyes of our family.

I drive to Alex's house. I knock on the door and he opens the door. He looks so good in just jeans and a polo shirt. I don't know anyone that can pull off the "I'm casual look" in designer clothes and make it look so natural. Only him.

"Hey," he greets.

Smiling I respond, "Hey. How are you?"

"Good now that you're here." Alex leans forward and kisses me lightly. "Come in." As we walk upstairs to his room he asks, "How was your night last night?"

"Good. Mom, Dad, and I all watched a movie together. It was nice."

He turns around and gives me an odd look with those dark black eyes that make me melt. "For some reason, I can't really picture Tristan Dugrey and Rory Gilmore watching a movie with their daughter."

"I couldn't either, before last night. I think that we've finally connected on some level. The past few days have been extremely rough with all the yelling and divorce threats going on. Mom and Dad talked out their problems and they decided to finally notice me for once in my life."

We reach his room. "I'm happy for you Mary."

"Thanks." I walk into the room that I have gotten to know all too well. It's an odd feeling being in a place that you no longer have to hide yourself in.

"So, what do you want to do?" I ask, feigning innocence.

He smirks. "Well, I was wondering if I could take my girlfriend out on a date."

I laugh, "Is that what I am now? Your girlfriend?"

"That is if you want to be."

"I want to."

"Good." He comes towards me and kisses me. Our first kiss as a couple was deep and meaningful. He still does it, make me burst from all parts of my body. He just makes me have this feeling of content and stability, but there's still excitement.

He pulls away from me and announces, "I"m going to take you to the movies and hold your hand in front of everyone and I don't care if anyone sees us."

I just smile at him. Everything is just right.