Disclaimer: I own the lovely green down vest I am wearing because here in Wisconsin it is cold, but I do not own the Gilmore Girls.

AN: I know I said you would see a lunch and an appearance but I got this written and it seemed to work. Besides I like the suspenseful way I left Emily. Once again I would love some feedback on this, I am starting to get an ego about it because nothing negative is said. I am really that good? Sorry for any spelling mistakes, I am a chronic bad speller. Nobody got the obsure, but not really if you were young in the eighties to early nineties, movie references! Come on people! If nobody gets them by time I put up Chapter 5 I will put what they are there. Thanks again to everyone that reviewed before, you make my day. Please review again! Let's see if I can break 10!

Chapter 4: I Don't Know Just What's For Real Anymore

Emily arrived at the Dragonfly promptly at 1 pm. She was rarely late, if ever, for meetings of any kind. She parked her car, but paused before getting out. As she sat in her car, bracing herself for what she would see once she stepped inside the Dragonfly, Emily thought back on the conversation she had with Richard before leaving Hartford.

"Are you going to go meet Lorelai?" Richard asked curiously.

"Yes, did you want to come as well?" responded Emily.

"No, that may be a little too much right now. She did just agree to have lunch with you, let's not push it."

"Do you think she will talk to me?"

"She did say she would have lunch with you, so obviously she expects talking. I just hope this will lead to something good for all parties. I still cannot believe that what she said about Mitchum and his family was true. I nearly punched that man at the benefit when he said Rory was not good enough for his son if she had a career and he was just "covering all angles and that I would understand". As if I would understand telling a girl she was basically worthless. That job completely changed Rory and not for the better. She isn't acting like herself, Emily. She refuses to talk about returning to Yale ever, she snaps at anyone that mentions Lorelai, journalism, or school. She is acting like a spoiled brat who doesn't get her way and the only one I can think of who can stop it is Lorelai."

"Luke says that the rift between them is killing her."

"Well go and see. Apologize and tell her that we now understand that she was completely right. Also, could you please give her this for me?" asked Richard while handing Emily a sealed envelope with Lorelai's name on it.

"What is it?"

"Just a note for my daughter. Now go before you arrive late and we all know that Emily Gilmore never arrives tardy to anything."

"Oh hush. I will be back later. Try and keep an eye on that maid. She has shifty eyes."

Emily, concerned about her daughter and wanting to see if Luke's words were true and not 'Lorelai Barrymore,' hurried out of the car and up the steps of the Dragonfly. At the sight of the check–in desk she froze, her hand flying up to her throat. The woman standing at the desk could not be her daughter. The fashionable business suit, rather than clinging to her form, hung off her like something one would get at Goodwill. Dark circles surrounded her eyes and her love of life was missing. That much was apparent from the way she was talking to Michel. No joking was taking place; there was no torment on either side. Lorelai was calming and quietly talking to Michel about something and Michel was nodding but the oddest thing was the way he was looking at her. Rather than the typical mock disdain in his eyes, there was concern and fear. That perhaps was the scariest thing she saw.

Meanwhile back in Hartford

Rory slipped back into the pool house after attempting to sneak into the main house for some books and food. Instead she found her grandparents talking quietly in the foyer.

"She isn't acting like herself, Emily. She refuses to talk about returning to Yale ever, she snaps at anyone that mentions Lorelai, journalism, or school. She is acting like a spoiled brat who doesn't get her way and the only one I can think of who can stop it is Lorelai."

She kicked her shoes off into a corner and plopped down on the couch. She couldn't believe the conversation that she just overheard. She had run out after her grandfather called her a brat. If she hadn't heard it she would have never believed it. After all, she was the nearly perfect grandchild; she was the debutante, Chilton graduate, DAR member, studious girl that they basically worshipped. That was until she stole the yacht.

'I am not a brat. I am just confused. I am angry at my mother for not allowing me to make my own choices and for keeping her secrets from me. I will not let anyone influence my decisions to return to Yale. I will not be a journalist.'

Rory repeated this over and over to herself while willing the tears not to flow. She thought back to her brief conversation with Luke nearly two weeks before.

'I was in the right there. He had no right to try and guilt me to talk to Mom. She has her life and she doesn't want me to be a part of it, so I won't be. Nobody understands it, not even Logan. Out of anyone I thought he would, considering what his parents do to him,' thought Rory while thinking back to the conversation that she had with Logan after she kicked Luke out.

"Who was that?" asked Logan sitting in bed as she walked back to the bedroom.

"Just Luke. He tried to guilt me into talking to my mother," responded Rory climbing back into bed with him.

"Well, maybe you should. She is making an effort to reach out."

"She should have thought about that before she kicked me out and kept secrets from me. Besides, she would just give me grief to go back to school and dump you. She hates you because you made me into a 'bad' girl'."

"Rory, she has been trying to get in touch with you for months! Luke just said it was killing her. Why won't you talk to her?"

"I don't want to talk about this. Unless she can respect the choices I make, then she has no part in my life. She is no better then Emily was to her. I am done with it all. I am not going back to school to become a journalist, I don't care what anyone says," ranted Rory. "Now I am going to sleep. Unlike some people, I have trash to pick tomorrow."

"Fine Rory. I just hope you know what you are doing. You and your mother were never, ever like she and Emily were, or even what my parents are to me. If you think that she is just trying to manipulate you rather than apologize and help you then fine. I am going back to Yale. I have a paper due tomorrow and I need to finish it."

"You could finish it here."

"Honestly, I don't want to see you right now," and with that he walked out the pool-house doors to his car and drove back to Yale.

Rory was positive that she was right about this. Her mother wouldn't give in to unless she got what she wanted. Rory got her stubbornness from someone and all signs pointed to Lorelai.

Rory looked around at the pool house and her eyes landed on the pile of presents for her birthday. For the first time since she could remember her birthdaywas being celebratedby with only a small gathering of the LDBanddinner tonight with her grandparents. Her eyes sought out the present wrapped in Hello! Kitty gift wrap. She knew it was from her mother but she had no desire to open it. To open it would be opening all the buried thoughts and feelings that she has had for the last few months and she wasn't ready to deal with that. She was still sure that she was right in her decision, what anyone else thought be damned. Rory looked away from the present and saw the time. Logan was coming to take her tolunch to meet Colin's new love interest now that the milkmaid wised up and went back to wherever it was she came from and was going to be her any minute. The thoughts of her mother could wait. As Scarlett O'Hara once said, "After all, tomorrow is another day."

AN2: I will attempt to get Chapter 5 up this weekend at some point. Lunch will be there and also perhaps and appearence by our favorite hoodlum. Oh yeah, does no one know the song title and lyrics that I am using as chapter and story titles?