"What are we going to do ?" Rory asked sorrowfully.

"I don't know." Lorelai replied almost apologizing.

"We have to do something." Rory stated.

"I don't know what to do." Lorelai looked around nervously. "I have no idea where we are. I have no clue how to get back to Joe's... I... I just don't know." Lorelai sat down on a bench. Rory came up and sat down beside her.

"Then we have to figure it out." Rory said placing her hand on her mother's shoulder. "We have to figure out where we are. How we're going to find our way back. We have to find out where Luke is. We can't just sit here, doing nothing..." Rory tried to be strong, but she was scared, and suddenly became nauseous.

Lorelai breathed deeply. "Okay." She began. "I'll call the cops back in Connecticut. I'll ask them if they've found Matthew yet."

"What good does that do?" Rory asked confused.

"Well, it'll tell us if Matthew is still roaming around. If there's a chance he could be here." Lorelai answered confidentially. Lorelai pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number. "Hi, yes, this is Lorelai Gilmore... I was wondering if you have any new information about the Matthew McCoy search? Yes, I'll hold." A long pause full of suspense. "Oh..." Lorelai's voice broke. "Okay... Thank you." Lorelai disconnected from the conversation.

Rory studied her mother's face carefully, clearly there was something wrong. "What did they say?" Rory finally brought herself to ask.

"They went to Matthew's house." Lorelai swallowed heavily. "He had already left. They've tried tracking him, but they can't figure out where he is." Tears streamed down Lorelai's face.

"Mom..." Rory said softly. "Please... don't." she begged.

"Rory..." She inhaled deeply, letting out a sob. "He's here." Lorelai affirmed.

"No.." Rory objected. "No... you don't know that. Don't say that." Rory too was beginning to let tears escape from her precious blue eyes.

"It's true... God... he's always one step ahead." Lorelai shook her head in disbelief.

"Then we have to go the police station... Right now." Rory insisted. "We have to tell them! We have to let them know!"

"He has Luke." Lorelai sputtered under her breath.

"What?" Rory asked dismayed.

"He has Luke." Lorelai repeated, this time more boldly. "We have to find a police station. Now." Lorelai hailed the nearest cab and ordered the driver to the police headquarters.

(New York Police Department)

"Look, just call the Hartford police, they'll confirm all of this." Lorelai argued.

"Miss, we'll do what we can." the officer replied guiding her out of the office.

"You're not taking me seriously." Lorelai shot back. "No one in this whole city takes serious situations, seriously."

"Just stay calm. We'll call the Hartford police, alright? But until then, there's nothing we can do. Please, relax, have a cup of coffee, we'll back with you in a little while."

Lorelai sat down relentlessly in one of the cold leather chairs. Rory sat down beside her.

"It's okay." Rory said grimily. "Luke can take care of himself." Rory replied optimistically. "In fact if Matthew did find him, Luke probably kicked his butt."

Lorelai looked over at her daughter. "Rory..." She began. "I'm going to call Mom and Dad."

Rory's eyes wondered back and forth quickly, not sure she had comprehended what her mother had just said. "Wh-why?"

"I'm going to have them pick you up." Her breathing was becoming deeper. "You'll be safe there."

"No.." Rory said coldly. "I'm not leaving you." She fought back tears.

"Sweetie..."

"No!" Rory repeated louder. This time she caught attention of the people standing around them in the department.

Lorelai exhaled, and paused for a moment. "I'm calling them." she repeated. "And you're going."

"Mom..." Rory replied as her heart broke in two. "I would rather be with you and be in danger than be safe with grandma and grandpa."

"I know you would." Lorelai agreed. "But for once, it's time to think about Rory, instead of Lorelai."

Lorelai pulled out her phone, and prepared to dial the number of the elder Gilmore's, before her call was sent, another call came through. The light flashed "Matthew" as the ring tone sounded.

"Oh God." Lorelai mouthed. "Hello?" she answered with a trembling voice.

"Do you realize how much danger you're in now?" Matthew asked.

"Yes." Lorelai replied shortly.

"See what happens when you make the wrong people angry?" Matthew sounded cheery, and self satisfied. "You have to pay the price."

"Where's Luke?" Lorelai asked calmly.

"Oh, you mean he's not with you?" Matthew asked sarcastically, then he chuckled wickedly "Your knight in shining armor has left your side... what a pity."

Rory's eyes widened as she realized who her mother was speaking with. She became very silent, and still as if she was being watched and listened.

"What did you do to him?" Lorelai demanded. "The police are after you... you're going to pay for all of this." she grunted.

"I haven't seen your precious Luke, Lorelai." Matthew replied smoothly. "If he left you, then it's most likely because he wised up." He sighed. "And as for the police, they're on the wrong track... I can tell you that much. So as you can imagine, I'm not very worried... So tell me, how's Rory?"

"I'm not talking to you anymore." Lorelai replied.

"Aw, come on now." Matthew's voice lightened. "I took the trouble and the time to call you, the least you could do is update me on things."

"I'm hanging up." she retorted.

"Ah ah..." Matthew replied quickly. "I wouldn't do that if I was you."

"Well, you're not me."

"You hang up on me Lorelai, and sweet little Rory gets a bullet right between the eyes."

Lorelai's heart thumped. "You're bluffing." she replied cooly.

"You think so?" Matthew asked cunningly. "Well, then I'll have to prove myself. That's quite a nice suite you're wearing. Black looks great on you. Doesn't really go that well with the whole police headquarters' scene, but you could definitely pull that off in a court room. It would be a shame to get fresh warm blood on it... the stain would be just a devil to get out." Matthew laughed lightly.

Lorelai began to shake, and her breathing becoming irregular.

"Mom?" Rory asked in a low voice.

Lorelai kept her attention on Matthew "What do you want?" Lorelai asked, losing her confidence.

"I want you to leave the headquarters. You and Rory." Matthew replied. "Come outside... we'll take it from there."

"Okay." Lorelai replied.

"Don't hang up the phone, Lorelai." Matthew added quickly.

"I'm not."

Lorelai lifted Rory up by the arm and pulled her close. She kept the cell phone placed to her ear.

"Good..." Matthew commented. "You don't look nervous at all. Calmly and slowly exit."

Rory suddenly became dizzy and stumbled on her feet.

"What is she doing?" Matthew asked frantically.

"I don't ... I don't know." Lorelai replied honestly. "I think she's sick."

"What do you mean, sick?" Matthew asked hatefully. "Tell her to straighten up!"

"Rory, sweetie, are you okay?" Lorelai asked nervously.

Rory spoke nothing, but shook her head no.

"What's going on?" Matthew asked impatiently.

"She's starting to shiver." Lorelai answered quickly.

A police officer noticed Rory's actions and came over beside the Gilmore girls, standing directly in front of Matthew's view.

"Is something wrong?" The officer asked.

"Tell him to move, Lorelai!" Matthew yelled across the phone.

Lorelai stood still, not moving, or speaking.

"Ma'am?" The officer began again. "Ma'am, are you okay?"

Rory collapsed onto the floor and Lorelai immediately fell to the ground with her.

"Lorelai, tell him to move!"

Lorelai dropped the cell phone and it skidded across the floor.

"Lorelai!"

"Rory..." Lorelai whispered as she cradled her daughter. "Some body call an ambulance!" Lorelai shouted.