TITLE Second Star From The Right

RATING PG-13-R

SUMMERY After the fire at the Independence Inn one of the guests sues Lorelai.

DISCLAIMER I own nothing. I don't even have the cash to buy the DVDs.

PARENTAL GUIDENCE

Blinded by rage Lorelai stormed into the diner, eyes flashing in anger. She slammed the door making the glass shake, and all eyes were immediately on her.

"Did you know about this?" she demanded of Luke as soon as she spotted him. She waved around the papers that had been inside the envelope the Suit had handed her.

"Know about what?" Luke said, angry about how Lorelai was acting. "And keep your voice down. I've got customers."

"Good for you. It must be nice, your livelihood not being a burnt-out building that does nothing but mock you. I wouldn't know what that's like, though, since the Inn is ruined and I'm probably going to lose everything I have because your girlfriend convinced one of her clients to sue me!" Lorelai yelled. She was angry and hurt—more hurt than angry—and didn't care that she was making a scene. "Did you talk Nicole into it? I never thought you were the type to kick a friend when they're down but, hey, what do I know? I mean, I didn't know that I was a career fuck-up who has a harmful disregard for human life!" she ranted, loosely quoting from the documents in her hand.

"What?" Luke said, stunned. He looked around the diner and realized that half the town was watching Lorelai's meltdown and that she would be humiliated later, so he put down his pad and pen and grabbed Lorelai's hand and pulled her up to his apartment, closing the door and locking it securely.

"Did you know?" Lorelai asked, her voice soft and tearful, anger giving way to grief.

"Lorelai, I swear, I have no idea what you're talking about," Luke said gently. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, something he had wanted to do for years. "Sit down. Tell me what happened," he said, leading her over to the couch.

Lorelai took a deep breath as she curled up in the corner of the couch as far away from Luke as she could. "I… I got to the Inn and there was this guy there… he gave me an envelope and told me that I had been served. Then the cretin told me to have a nice day before peeling off in his Beemer."

"Can I see?" Luke asked. Lorelai held out the papers and Luke took them and quickly read them over. Once he was done he put them on the coffee table. "I swear I didn't know anything about this. If I did I would have tried to stop it… warned you somehow. I hate that Nicole's doing this to you."

Lorelai wanted to believe him so badly, but ever since he and Nicole started dating Luke had changed, and sometimes she wasn't sure she knew who he was anymore.

She could feel her emotions starting to get the better of her so she knew it was time to make a getaway. The last thing she needed was to break down in front of Luke. "I have to go," she said as she swiped at the tears that had managed to get through her defences.

"Lorelai," Luke protested.

"No. I have to pick Rory up from school and… I just have to get out of here," she said before rushing out of the apartment and hurrying down the stairs, rushing out to her Jeep before Luke even had time to reach the top of the stairs.

Lorelai's phone started ringing at the same time that she started the car. "That better not be you, Luke, 'cause I'm not ready to talk to you right now," she said by way of greeting.

"It's not Luke and what did he do to you?" Rory asked.

Lorelai sighed heavily. "It wasn't Luke. He was fine. It's just… been a day that would make being locked in an empty five-by-five room with a pack of rabid dogs for an indeterminate amount of time seem like a day at the beach."

"Well, considering your track record with animals, maybe you'd outlive the rabid dogs," Rory said.

"Thanks ever so much. That's really what I needed to hear right now," Lorelai said sarcastically. She really didn't want to get into the details of her day over the phone so she changed the subject. "How's the paper stuff going? You almost ready to head home?"

"That's what I'm calling about. The story that was supposed to be on the front page fell through. Apparently the reliable source wasn't. So I have to find something to fill the space before putting the issue to bed," Rory said.

"How late are we talking here?" Lorelai asked.

"I am Godot."

Lorelai took that in, trying to decide if Rory working late would make her quest easier or more difficult.

"Okay, sweets. I'm going to be in Hartford for a few hours so if you need me to make a food run or anything just give me a call," Lorelai said.

"Thanks," Rory said. She frowned. "What are you doing in Hartford?"

"Just aftermath of the fire," Lorelai said, hating that she was keeping things from her kid. She's got enough to worry about right now. We'll talk when we get home, Lorelai rationalized. "I've got it under control"

Rory was silent for a moment before speaking again. "Mom, is everything okay?"

Lorelai sped up as she left Stars Hollow. "It will be," she said, firmly believing what she was saying.

The last time it had been her first instinct to run to her parents for help Lorelai had been four and the neighbour's Pekinese had somehow gotten into the house and had given birth to a litter of puppies on her brand new duvet. Emily had blamed Lorelai for bringing the 'filthy creature' into the house and Richard had announced that he was going to Prague for a week before turning around and going to pack for his trip. From that day forward Lorelai hadn't turned to her parents for anything without running out of alternatives first.

But there wasn't even a moment of hesitation this time around.

Last Friday night dinner Richard had mentioned that he would be working from home for at least a week while his office building underwent some kind of overhaul, a fact that normally would have gone in one ear and out the other but had somehow stuck in Lorelai's memory which, any other time would have driven her crazy but this time helped her because she knew both her parents would be home and talk to them at the same time would make her life a lot simpler.

After parking her Jeep in front of the house Lorelai jumped out of the car and walked to the door.

The maid opened the door. "Can I help you?" she asked flatly.

"I'm Lorelai, Emily and Richard's daughter. Are they home?"

"Yes, they are. Please, come in. I'll get them to meet you in the living room," the maid said.

"Thank you," Lorelai said, smiling softly at the maid who she was almost certain wouldn't be there come the next Friday Night Dinner. She went into the living room and debated about whether or not to make herself a drink but decided against it and opted for neurotic pacing in front of the unlit fireplace.

"Lorelai, this is a pleasant surprise," Richard said as he came in from his study. Normally he wouldn't be happy about being interrupted while working but a spontaneous visit from his only daughter when he was having a particularly bad day was more than welcome.

Lorelai smiled weakly. "Well, it's a surprise," she said. Then, before her father could ask her what she meant, she said, "How's it going, dad? The working from home, I mean."

"I am counting the seconds until I can get back into my office," Richard confessed with a smile. Lorelai grinned back. "How is Rory?"

"Working like a busy little blue-plaid bee. Things at the Franklin are crazy right now, but you'll never hear her complain," Lorelai said.

"She is a Gilmore," Richard said, smiling proudly at the thought of his granddaughter. Lorelai had a fleeting pang of guilt that she had never brought that smile to her father's face, but she pushed it aside. All in all she was happy with her life and she wouldn't change a thing. Except for maybe all of the Post-Rory hook-ups she'd had with Christopher.

"I've never found cause to dispute that," Lorelai agreed. She looked around nervously. She wanted this over with. "Where's mom?"

Richard shrugged. "In the garden, I'd imagine."

"Garden. Right. 'Cause it's a nice day and flowers are blooming and you've gotta cut them at just the right time or you'll end up with lacklustre arrangements. Plus you've gotta cut certain flowers just the right way or you'll end up killing the plant entirely," Lorelai rambled, wondering how she knew anything about gardening when she could barely keep a cactus alive for any length of time.

"Maybe I should get you a drink," Richard said. He had never been good at deciphering his daughter's rants.

Leave it to her decidedly WASP-y father to solve emotional breakdowns with alcohol. There was nothing a whiskey sour or a good bourbon couldn't cure for Richard Gilmore. "No, I think sobriety is my best course of action at the moment, dad, but thanks," Lorelai said. She really wanted to get this over with—to swallow her pride and tell her parents that she needed help and was once again turning to them even though her hit single of 'Independent Lorelai' was constantly playing in the background like the theme song for a cheesy Sixties superhero.

The patio doors opened and Emily came in, straw hat perched on her head and casual clothing—slacks from last season and a light blouse—adorning her body.

"Lorelai, this is a surprise," Emily said as she carried her basket of flowers into the living room. "Is Rory with you?"

"Nope, just me today," Lorelai said.

She reached into her purse and wrapped her fingers around the envelope she had stuffed the papers back into. "I… I need some help," Lorelai said as she handed everything to her father who frowned as he took the papers out and read the cover page. Richard's head popped up. "I know," Lorelai said. "That's why I'm here. The only lawyer I know is Nicole and, obviously, we're not that close. I thought maybe a friend or something of yours could help… help make this go away."

Richard nodded. "I'll call around. When did you get this?"

"About two hours ago," Lorelai said. She noticed her mother glowing with happiness. "Some kid handed me those when I got to the Inn after lunch. I called Mia and she told me to find a lawyer and bill the Inn… I hated even calling her, though. She's been sick lately and I don't want to give her anything more to worry about."

"Richard, go make your calls," Emily said. Richard left and Emily gently led Lorelai over to the couch. "Mia's been sick?" she asked.

Lorelai nodded. "She was playing at the beach with her grandkids and the cold she was fighting turned to pneumonia. She's been in the hospital for a week."

"I'm sorry, Lorelai. I know how important Mia is to you and Rory," Emily said earnestly.

"Thanks," Lorelai said softly. Her head fell forward and she buried her face in her hands. She couldn't believe it was only a few days ago that Sookie was holding two coffee filters behind her head in hopes of convincing the stray she had christened Papaya that the crazy human was her mother because that was the only way Sookie could think of to get the cat to eat something. Now she had no Inn, fighting with Luke, facing a law suit, and turning to her parents for help. And, to top things off, she was sitting on a couch that cost more than her car listening to her mother spouting platitudes for a sick woman that meant the world to Lorelai.

Composing herself, Lorelai sat upright, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Can I use your phone? I'm waiting for Rory to call and I need to get in touch with Michel and Tobin."

"Who are they?" Emily asked.

"Michel you know. He's the concierge at the Inn," Lorelai said as Emily got up. "And Tobin is the night manager. I just want to make sure that they haven't gotten anything from Nicole."

Emily frowned as she brought an ornate rotary phone over and placed it in front of Lorelai. "You keep referring to this woman, this lawyer, Nicole, by her first name," she commented.

"Lorelai picked up the phone and started dialling Michel's number. "Nicole Lehey's firm represents Taylor Doose, the Town Selectman. I've dealt with her on some standard matters for the Inn—mostly construction applications that Taylor wants to be checked over more thoroughly than normal," she lied. She didn't want to drag Luke into this mess unless she had to.

After speaking with Michel and Tobin, and finding out that neither one had received notification but would contact her if that should happen, Lorelai sat back against the back of the couch, exhausted.

More than anything at that moment she wanted Rory by her side. Everything was easier to deal with when she had her little angel with her. But Rory had her own work to do and Lorelai knew she needed to start getting used to dealing with big life stuff without Rory. Soon she would be alone. Rory would be moving to Yale at the end of the summer. And, while New Haven was closer to Stars Hollow than Boston, it wasn't like Lorelai would just be able to go downstairs and find her kid with her nose in a Kafka or Tolstoy or some equally heavy book. E-mail, phone calls, and weekend visits would be the extent of their contact, and it hurt Lorelai to know that there was nothing she could to do keep her daughter from growing up and leaving the nest.

"Why don't you go upstairs and lie down?" Emily suggested. "You look like you haven't slept in days."

Normally Lorelai would have taken offence to a comment like that coming from her mother but the truth of the matter was that she couldn't remember the last time she had slept through the night. Even before the fire she had been battling insomnia and dreams that she assumed were strange and disturbing because, even though she couldn't remember them after she woke up, they left her feeling uneasy and jumpy throughout the day.

"Okay. But only for a little while," Lorelai said. She grabbed her purse and went over to the staircase. "Thank you, mom. It really means a lot to know that you and dad are always going to be here for me and Rory," she said before going upstairs and making her way to her old bedroom.

She closed the door and pulled the heavy curtains shut before flopping down on the bed and curling up under a hand-made quilt that her favourite aunt, her mother's sister, Marina, had made for her when she was ten, only six months before passing away.

Within moments she was asleep.

Okay, so not the longest of chapters, but there's more on it's way soon.

What did you think?

Mel