Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews. I appreciate them all.

Chapter 15
"It Takes a Village…"

Rory stood in the hallway of the court room nervously wringing her hands. It was as if the last hour had been a horrible nightmare and she waiting impatiently to wake. She had arrived early to the hearing with Emily and Richard in tow. She hadn't told Lorelai about it and she somewhat surprised that Emily hadn't spilled the beans, but since Lorelai was nowhere to be found she figured her secret was safe.

Rory's lawyer had gone over her statement and told her what to expect. Being as though this was a first offense he didn't expect her to punishment to be severe. He figured they might give her a few hours of community service and be charged a fee from the marina for having to send out their police boat. He assumed they'd be in and out in a matter of minutes, a half hour tops. He couldn't have been more wrong.

"Are you okay Rory?" Richard asked placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm, I don't know," Rory stammered honestly.

"We're going to fight this Rory," Richard assured her. "That damn judge had no right to do this."

"Maybe he's right," Rory said still in shock.

"Right?" Richard asked aghast. "The man said he almost sentenced you to jail time. You're going to have to perform 500 hours of community service and pay restitution to the marina, the yacht owner and the county. That's ridiculous. Armed robbers get more lenient sentences."

"Richard, Joseph would like to speak to you," Emily said breaking up the conversation. Richard took his leave quickly and Emily swooped in next to Rory. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just kind of numb I guess," Rory replied slowly. "I wasn't expecting this."

"Joseph should have prepared us for this. He should have told us that this was a possibility."

Emily didn't know what to say or how to proceed. Rory looked devastated as well she should. Emily suddenly wondered if Rory taking a semester off wasn't a good plan now. Completing 500 hours of community service with a full class schedule seemed like it would be impossible. Although the judge did comment that Rory's college status had come into play in his decision. He felt that with no classes Rory would have ample downtime and that helping the community might help her fill her free time. Emily sighed and glanced around the hall of the court. She had told Lorelai she should have been there and once again Lorelai ignored her.

"Rory, I'll be back in a moment," Emily said suddenly. "Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine Grandma," Rory answered quietly.

Emily reached into her purse and dug for her cell phone even before she turned the corner. She dialed Lorelai's number and waited.

"Hello?" Lorelai said.

"Lorelai," Emily said. "Where the hell were you?"

"Excuse me?" Lorelai asked agitated. She was in the middle of a meeting at the Dragonfly and against her better judgment she had excused herself to answer the phone thinking it might have been Rory.

"Your daughter's hearing just ended," Emily explained. "I didn't think I could have been much plainer in my request for you to come today."

"And I told you that I had a meeting with several important people that I couldn't cancel," Lorelai shot back.

"Well you seem to have no trouble talking on the phone during your very important meeting. You should have been here."

"What happened?" Lorelai sucked it up and asked.

"Rory was sentenced to 500 hours of community service, she has to pay restitution to half the state of Connecticut and she has a permanent criminal record. You should have been here. How do you think it looks to a judge when the defendant's own mother isn't at her hearing?"

"Mom, slow down," Lorelai said. "I thought you told me Dad's lawyer was the best in the county? How did this happen?"

"I don't know," Emily said. "All I know is that you put yourself before your daughter and now she's paying the price."

"Wait a minute," Lorelai snapped. "I always put Rory before me. She is my number one priority. She's paying the price for what she did. My absence today has nothing to do with this."

"I hope that thought comforts you," Emily said indignantly. "I, on the other hand, have to go comfort my granddaughter. Excuse me."

"Mom," Lorelai yelled into the phone, but it was too late. Emily quickly snapped her phone shut and dropped it angrily into her purse. She made her way back to Rory and Richard.

"The appeal might take a few weeks," Emily hear Richard explain. "It's probably best for you to start the community service as a show of good faith. At the very least we're hoping to get your record expunged."

"Okay," Rory said.

"I think we should get home," Emily suggested sensing Rory's discomfort. "Did the bailiff give you the community service guidelines?"

"Yes, I have them here," Rory said holding up a large manila envelope.

"Good," Emily said. "For now I think we should get home, have a nice meal and forget about all of this until tomorrow. Richard, you can handle the lawyers. Rory, you and I can take a look at all that information tomorrow morning. For tonight let's just try to forget about it."

The three exited the courthouse and Rory held her arms close to her as if she were bracing her arms from the cold. The thing was, it was a beautiful spring day and the cold that Rory felt wasn't external, it was in her heart.

By the time dinner was over Rory was just ready to return to the pool house and go to sleep in an attempt to put this day behind her. Just as she was getting ready to excuse herself the doorbell rang and Lorelai entered the dining room.

"Hi," Lorelai said. "I thought I would drop by to see Rory and since she wasn't in the pool house I figured she was over here."

"Lorelai," Emily said. "We've all had a long day. Can this wait?"

"No, it can't," Lorelai said looking directly at Rory the entire time. "Can we talk?"

"Okay," Rory said surprising herself and everyone else in the room.

"Lorelai she's had a hard day. This can wait," Emily protested again.

"Well since she wants to talk to me I don't see why it should wait Mom," Lorelai snapped. "Shall we?" Lorelai asked Rory and two quickly exited the dining room.

"You were a lot of help," Emily said rather snidely to Richard.

"Lorelai wanted to speak to her daughter Emily," Richard sighed. "Who are we to stop them?"

"Sometimes I just don't understand you," Emily replied simply.

Lorelai led Rory outside and over to the pool house. She didn't fancy having another conversation with her out on the patio. It felt something like bad karma after their fight the last time she was there.

"So," Lorelai said as Rory closed the door to the pool house behind them. "My mother told me you had quite a day."

"Yeah," Rory replied.

"Are you okay?" Lorelai asked.

"I'm fine," Rory lied. She was struggling to stay mad at Lorelai, but after the day she had her resolve was crumbling.

"500 hours of community service and a criminal record?" Lorelai asked. "That doesn't sound like fine to me."

"It's being worked out," Rory said. "Grandpa and the lawyer are going to appeal."

"And if that doesn't work?" Lorelai asked.

"It will."

"But, if it doesn't do you have a plan?"

"I'll figure it out."

"Like you have so far?" Lorelai asked with a little more hostility than she'd intended. "I'm sorry I don't want to fight with you about this. I want…I want us to talk again."

"I know," Rory replied quietly.

"You do? Then can we talk? Can we be normal with each other?"

"I don't know," Rory said honestly. "Are you and Luke getting married?"

"What?" Lorelai asked puzzled.

"You want us to talk and be normal, but what is normal? I overheard Grandma and Grandpa talking and they were saying that you and Luke were getting married. If you don't tell me things how can you expect me to tell you things?"

"Okay, Luke told me you came to see him, but you're still dwelling on this?" Lorelai asked. "You like Luke. Why would it matter if we got married? I was going to marry Max and that was okay with you."

"I know. It wouldn't bother me, but I'd want to know before you actually got married."

"Where is this coming from?"

"How can we talk normally if you're not telling me things?" Rory asked.

"Rory, I have. I told you I didn't like the idea of you leaving school and look what happened? You ran away from me. You didn't even run away to join the circus like a normal kid. You ran away to join the Stepford Wives remake starring Emily and Richard Gilmore. I don't really have a clue what Luke has to do with any of this."

"He doesn't have anything to do with this," Rory said. "It's just an example."

"Okay, well I've got a few examples for you," Lorelai started. "You didn't tell me how the internship was going. You didn't tell me about what Mitchum Huntzberger said to you. You made all these rash decisions without me."

"So you were getting back at me by not telling me about Luke?" Rory asked irritated.

"No! Luke and I are not engaged. I do have some news about Luke though. He's moving in."

"Moving into our house?" Rory asked aghast.

"Moving into my house, but yes."

"And you didn't even think to ask me?" Rory asked. She began a frantic pace back and forth behind the couch.

"You moved out hon," Lorelai said. "I kind of thought you'd be okay with Luke moving in since you left."

"Well I'm not."

"Why? Why aren't you okay with it? How does Luke moving in with me affect you? You live here now remember?"

"What if I wanted to come back?"

"Do you?"

"No."

"Then why ask? Do you want to come back home?"

"What if I did?"

"Would you be going to school?" Lorelai asked after a moment.

"No," Rory replied. "I told you I'm still trying to decide if school is right for me."

"It's right for you," Lorelai insisted. "It's practically what you were born to do."

"I'm being serious," Rory said.

"So am I," Lorelai said taking a seat on the couch. "Tell my why it's so important for you to leave Yale, and if the last name Huntzberger comes up anywhere in your explanation this conversation is over."

Rory sighed. She didn't know where to begin. "School has been challenging," Rory started. "I had to drop that class year and I just feel like my articles for the paper aren't anything great."

"I disagree with you about the articles, but if that's the way you feel then you have to know that you can't be the best at everything," Lorelai offered.

"I know, but shouldn't I be good at the thing I'm majoring in?" Rory asked. "Paris seems to have an easier time on the paper and she's pre-med."

"So what you're saying is that you're not sure journalism is right for you," Lorelai said. "I know that's hard for you sweets, but there have got to be a hundred other subjects you can study at Yale."

"I don't want to study another subject," Rory protested.

"You're not making sense," Lorelai informed her. "You say you're not good at journalism, which couldn't be farther from the truth, but you don't want to study anything else, so you're dropping out anyway. You're never going to get better if you drop out Rory."

"I know! I'm just confused," Rory said. "Logan thinks this might be good for me and I agree with him. I just need some time to figure things out."

"Oh well if Logan says so it must be true," Lorelai replied bitterly. "Wake up Rory, Logan Huntzberger and his whole family have caused you nothing but grief. Since you've been with him you've come home drunk on more than one occasion and you've turned into someone else."

"Oh I forgot you were the model teenager," Rory spat at her mother. The tension was escalating again and Rory just knew that harsh words would again be said.

"No, I wasn't," Lorelai replied. "So I think I know when you're going down the wrong path. And by the way, I was a teenager. You're twenty now Rory, you're getting a little old for the defiant kid routine."

Lorelai stood up and picked her purse. "Maybe I was a bad mother. Maybe I kept you too sheltered or something, but right now you're not the daughter I raised. The Rory I know wouldn't back down from a challenge and she certainly wouldn't care this much about what her boyfriend said about her education."

"Why did you come here?" Rory shouted.

"I came to see how you were doing, but apparently you don't need me. You've got Grandma and Grandpa and Logan and the whole Huntzberger clan to do your thinking for you."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Rory yelled fighting back tears. "Why don't you get back home and make sure Luke gets everything unpacked."

"I will," Lorelai shouted back. "Why don't you give me a call when you've thought about things?"

"Don't hold your breath," Rory muttered as Lorelai stormed out.

Lorelai took a deep breath and sucked on the night air. She walked to her car and put her key in the ignition, but before she turned the key she buried her head in her hands and began to cry.

Rory turned the lock to the pool house angrily and kicked the door with her foot before her eyes gazed outside to see her mother's silhouette disappear into the night. She tried to fight back the tears, but her eyes betrayed her and allowed the salty water to cascade down her cheeks.

TBC