Author's Note: I had hoped to finish this story before season 6 started, but then I realized that using time constraints would have a negative impact on it so I decided to stick to telling the story I set out to write. I promise I won't let season 6 and my fictional season 6 overlap for too much longer. As always, thanks for the reviews.

Chapter 19
"A Change in the Weather"

As days passed Lorelai thought about what Luke had told her of his visit with Rory. At first she was irritated with him as she thought his actions were out of line. However, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Luke was only trying to help mend the rift with Rory. He had meant no harm and it seemed, from Luke's recollection anyway, that Rory had been open to the idea of seeing him and talking to him. It was better someone from Stars Hollow was able to have contact with Rory if Lorelai couldn't.

A week had passed since Luke's visit to Rory at her community service job. In that time Lorelai had received no call from Rory or her mother. She was grateful for the lack of contact with her mother, but the lack of contact with Rory was beginning to weigh on her. Lorelai glanced at her watch and noticed that she had been able to sneak out of work a bit early. She quickly made a right turn and traveled down a road she was not expecting—the road to the expressway to Hartford.

Lorelai drove quickly and with purpose. She had mentally resolved to pay her daughter a visit. It was Tuesday and according to Luke Tuesday meant that Rory would be in Manning Park. Lorelai traveled down the familiar roads until she pulled through the gate to the park. She noticed a group of workers with orange vests and she took a deep breath. It was now or never. She was Rory's mother. She was the adult in the situation and it was time that she took control. Lorelai climbed out of the Jeep and closed the door more forcefully than she'd intended. She walked over to the group of orange-vested workers.

"Hi," Lorelai said trying to sound less nervous than she felt. "I'm looking for Rory Gilmore. Do you know where I can find her?"

"Are you her parole officer?" a younger girl cracked.

"In a sense," Lorelai tried to joke. "I'm her mother."

The girl scoffed and nodded her head to the left. Lorelai followed her nod and noticed Rory over by a row of picnic tables. "Thanks," Lorelai replied as she left the girl and made her way over to Rory.

"Hi," Lorelai said ash she approached Rory from behind.

Rory was startled and she jumped a little as she turned around to face her mother. "What are you doing here?" Rory asked casually.

"Luke mentioned that you were out here on Tuesday and Thursdays," Lorelai replied.

"So you thought you'd come by for a visit?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, I thought I'd come by to see you," Lorelai said a little more forcefully. "We haven't talked in a while."

"Well I've been busy with working and community service," Rory said.

"I figured," Lorelai said. "But you've been at this a week already. You must be making a dent, right?"

Rory gave her mother a look. "If you mean I have about 20 hours down and 480 to go then I guess you could say I've made a dent."

Lorelai picked up on Rory's tone and sighed inwardly. She didn't want this conversation to go as the others had. She wanted to start to get their relationship on the right track so she ignored the tone and pressed on.

"Well, way to be like the Monty Pythons—always looking on the bright side of life," she joked feebly. "So you're here two days a week and then helping at an after school program?"

"Why are you acting like you care now?" Rory asked suddenly. "You weren't even at my hearing."

"You never told me when it was," Lorelai defended herself.

"Grandma said she told you about it."

"She did and I had a meeting I couldn't move."

"It's good to know I'm so unimportant."

"Hey, wait a minute," Lorelai said sternly. "You are not unimportant. How was I supposed to know you wanted me there? You didn't even tell me about it."

"Grandma did," Rory insisted.

"Yeah, she did. She told me a few days before the hearing. You didn't tell me at all. I figured you didn't want me there."

"You're my mother," Rory said. "I guess I thought you knew me better than that."

"I used to," Lorelai mumbled.

"Why is it you're here?" Rory asked snidely.

"I came to see you," Lorelai said. "I know you probably won't believe me, but I miss you okay? The house seems empty because you're supposed to be there and you're not. I miss talking to you."

"You were the one who told me—"

"You couldn't come home," Lorelai finished for her. "I know. I think it would have slightly more impact of my parents hadn't been so accommodating. But, I guess Casa Gilmore is like the Ritz Carlton to you."

"At least they're supporting my decision," Rory reminded Lorelai, as if she had forgotten.

"Rory, you never gave me a chance to support you," Lorelai protested. "You made a rash decision because you were upset. The thing is, I know you better than they do and I know that you don't make snap decisions and when you do they don't turn out well. I wanted you to have a little time to think and gain some perspective on things."

"I have perspective on things and I haven't changed my mind," Rory insisted.

"And that's okay," Lorelai interjected. "I just want to understand this. You love school. You've always loved school and you were happy at Yale. I'm just trying to understand how criticism from one man could make you lose that."

"It wasn't just Mitchum," Rory said. "You just don't understand the pressure. I had to drop that class last semester and my articles for the paper were never that good. Paris wrote better articles than I did and she's pre-med."

"Okay," Lorelai said thinking. "Then maybe journalism isn't for you. Maybe you should just think about another major."

"That's not what I need right now."

"But you feel like you need to waste your time and potential clerking in a stuffy law office?"

"You don't' understand. You've always had this dream to own an inn and it happened for you. You never had to deal with the doubts I have right now."

"Oh no, you're right, I was always confident and I knew I would succeed in business," Lorelai said sarcastically. "Rory, I was a maid who lived in a potting shed. I had to support both of us on a maid's salary and I never even ran a lemonade stand let alone an inn."

"Yeah, but look at you now, you didn't let that stop you," Rory reminded her.

"No I didn't. If I had let the criticism I received stop me I wouldn't be where I am today," Lorelai said. "But that didn't mean that I wasn't terrified. Just because the Dragonfly is up and running it doesn't mean that I'm not terrified about the challenges that face me every day. Nothing in this world is certain. Dealing with challenges makes us who we are."

"And I'm dealing with it," Rory said.

"And you're happy?" Lorelai asked. "This is what you want."

"It's what I want," Rory affirmed.

"And what about Yale? Are you ever planning on going back?"

"Why does it matter?"

"It matters because I want more for you than nightly community college after you're worked a 10-hour day," Lorelai said sincerely. "I don't want you to waste this opportunity."

"I'll be fine," Rory insisted. "I haven't decided what I'm doing just yet. The only thing I know for sure is that I need to complete my community service by November. I'm focused on that right now."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded. "Well, I guess if you need anything you know where to find me."

"I do," Rory said.

"Okay. Well I'm gonna go back home then."

"Fine."

Lorelai bit her lower lip. She felt no better about the situation than before she came. Although it was slightly encouraging that this visit hadn't ended in a shouting match and tears. Lorelai would have to make due.

"Okay," Lorelai repeated again. "Well Stars Hollow's Salute to Peaches is next weekend if you're around town for anything."

"Oh," Rory said.

"Yep, Taylor has quite an elaborate parade planned this year. There's even a rumor about Kirk dressing up as the Peach Queen after his successful turn as Town Whore in the reenactment."

"That could be interesting," Rory said.

"Well, just thought you might like to know about it," Lorelai said. "I'll see you around."

"Bye."

Rory watched Lorelai walk to her car and pull out of the park. She was encouraged by her visit and although nothing was resolved she felt better about the current status of her relationship with her mother.

"So you didn't abandon me after all," Rory said as Marty walked into the Hartford Community Center. Marty had missed his usual Monday volunteer day and Rory wondered if he had switched his normal day to avoid her. As happy as she was to have a friendly face to work with she wondered if it was awkward for Marty.

"Nope, I thought about it, being as though today is macaroni picture day, but I decided I couldn't leave you with all those sticky glue fingers," Marty replied.

"I appreciate that," Rory said. "I need the assistance of a true professional when it comes to sticky glue fingers."

"Look no farther," Marty said.

"So you weren't here Monday," Rory said as a statement rather than a question. She wondered where Marty was, but she didn't want to pry. She just wasn't sure how close they were anymore.

"Very good observational skills. Are you sure you're not going to be an investigative journalist?" he joked. Marty noticed that Rory flinched slightly at his comment and quickly apologized. "Sorry, I thought we might be to the jovial stage of the decision to leave school. I didn't mean anything by it."

"I know. It's okay," Rory said waving him off.

"No, that was really insensitive of me," he insisted. "I really am sorry Rory."

"It's okay, really. You must be thinking about school starting up anyway. Are you staying on campus again this year?"

"Yeah," Marty said as he began to ready the tables for the craft project. "My financial aid covers part of the dorm so it's cheaper. I guess I've got school in my mind because of this class I'm signed up for. It's a literature class that's based in history and we're required to read five novels over the summer."

"Not going well?"

"There's this one that's about Alexander Hamilton and I just cannot get through it," Marty said.

"By Ron Chernow?" Rory asked as she opened the box of elbow macaroni.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I've read it," Rory said. "I thought it was pretty good. It gets a little boring in spots, but it was a page-turner compared to the Benjamin Franklin one."

"I have to read that too," Marty said. "Hey, I have an idea. Since you've read two of the books anyway why don't you go to class for me?"

"Well that could work except for the fact that you're a guy and I'm a girl."

"Nah, I'll just let you borrow one of my t-shirts and you can wear a baseball cap."

"Thanks a lot!" Rory said pretending to be angry.

"Well rumor has it that Phillip Bedford is slightly blind so it might work," Marty joked.

"I doubt it," Rory said.

"So, aren't you going to miss going to class?" Marty asked hesitantly. In the few days they'd worked together Marty had found out all about Rory's internship and the ordeal with the yacht, but he still felt uncomfortable broaching the subject of school with Rory.

"Maybe at first," Rory said after contemplating the question for a moment. "But it'll be nice to have less stress for a while."

"I guess," Marty nodded.

"What?"

"Nothing," Marty said trying to play of his skepticism.

"No really, what?" Rory insisted.

"It's nothing," Marty sighed. "I just, I don't want you to get mad at me."

"I won't get mad at you," Rory replied.

"Well I sort of wondered why you decided to drop out of school instead of just look into another major."

"I've wanted to be a journalist my entire life," Rory said.

"Right," Marty placated her. "But, now that you're not going to be, why not look into something else?"

Rory didn't really have a satisfactory answer for him. For some reason she could lie to her grandparents and her mother. She could even lie to herself about the true reason she dropped out of Yale, but for some reason as she looked into Marty's sincere brown eyes her lie didn't seem acceptable enough.

"I don't know," Rory said finally.

"Really?" he asked shocked.

"I guess I feel like journalism is always been what I wanted to do and I've always excelled at it," Rory said slowly. "If I can't do what I'm best at then how can I expect to be good at anything else?"

Her answer lingered in the air for a moment before Marty replied. "Rory, you're the smartest person that I know and I'm not just saying that. You're intelligent and resourceful and amazing at almost everything I've seen you try. If you can't succeed at anything then what hope do I have of being good at anything?"

Rory was taken aback by his response and just as she was about to reply the kids entered the room and attacked the macaroni table. Marty immediately got to work and Rory took a moment to stand agape before she turned her attention to the task at hand.

The hours seemed to drone on and Rory had kept trying to respond to Marty's final comment on her decision to drop out of school but she kept getting interrupted. She hoped that they might have some time after the craft to talk again.

"Hey, would you mind if I cut out a little early today?" Marty asked Rory while the kids were finishing their projects. "My car is in the shop so I had to ask for a ride."

"I could have given you a ride," Rory said.

"Nah, I love out of your way, especially if you're staying at your Grandparents," Marty replied. "I've got a ride and everything it's just that I need to leave a little earlier than usual. I don't want you to think I'm sticking you with clean-up duty."

"Yet that's exactly what you're doing," Rory laughed lightly. "It's no problem. As long as you don't abandon me on finger paint day then we're good."

"Okay, thanks," Marty smiled back.

There was a comfortable moment of silent between them and just as Rory prepared herself to try to get Marty to elaborate on his earlier comments she heard a voice from behind them.

"Hey, you ready?" a tall brunette asked as she approached Marty. Rory noticed how she reached out her hand to him and smiled when he turned. She also noticed how Marty seemed to relax and grin in her general direction as well.

"Hey," Marty replied happily. "I am ready. I hope the traffic wasn't too horrible to get here." Rory noted that Marty had moved his hand to the girl's upper back.

"No worse than usual," the brunette replied. Rory noticed that she was a few inches taller than herself with piercing green eyes.

"Oh, Rory," Marty said. "This is my girlfriend Kim. Kim, this is Rory. Rory and I used to go to Yale together."

Kim extended her hand to Rory. "Nice to meet you," she said pleasantly. "Did you graduate already?"

"What?" Rory replied.

"Marty said you used to go to school together. Are you finished already? I'm getting ready for my sophomore year at Harvard and it feels like it'll never end already."

"You go to Harvard?" Rory asked. She suddenly felt like the walls were caving in on her. It was also too much to process. Marty had a girlfriend. Marty had a girlfriend who went to Harvard. Marty introduced Rory as a former classmate. The realization that she was no longer a student had finally hit her like a ton of bricks square in the chest.

"Yeah," Kim replied. "So did you transfer somewhere else or did you graduate?"

"Uh," Rory stammered. "I'm actually taking a little time off."

"Oh, well that's fun," Kim said. "I took a half semester off before I started college. It was really good for me. I was able to figure out what I wanted to do with my life."

"That's nice," Rory forced a smile. She had just come to the realization that she wasn't going back to school. She certainly didn't need Marty's girlfriend telling her how great it was to be unencumbered by it.

"Well it was a good experience for me. You ready?" Kim asked Marty. "I have to be at work by six."

"Yeah," Marty replied. "You okay with the clean up Rory?"

"Sure," she said dazed.

"Great, thanks. See you on Friday."

"It was nice to meet you Rory," Kim said as she walked out.

Rory watched as Marty walked out of the room with his arm around Kim. She gazed around the room and it seemed as if nothing was real anymore. It was the first time that her decision to leave Yale seemed real. Summer was progressing and it wouldn't be long before everyone was back in school. Her chest felt tighter than usual and she thought for a moment she might start to panic as her breathing became more labored. She focused on the few children who were left and forced herself to get through the next half hour. As she packed away the crafts and macaroni she thought about things a little more clearly and she wondered if maybe Lorelai hadn't been right after all.

TBC