A/N- Thanks to all of my reviewers! I know it was a lot of birthdays, but I was on a roll with the theme. I'm surprised no one got the reference. At least not the GG fans. In the first season ep "Rory's Birthday Parties", Rory talks about how at her eighth birthday party, the cops shut them down and arrested the clown. That just sparked my imagination and ran with it.

A/N 2- Next chapter (Not this one, the one that should be posted next week) brings a new face to Stars Hollow who has been asked for. Can you wait and see? Also, some familiar faces pop up in this chapter. See if you can spot them lol.

A/N 3- Shoutz to my baby cousin and a little note to the readers of The Way We Get By, it might be a little while before it's updated again. We both have a lot of stuff going on in our lives, so bear with us if it takes a bit. Sorry! We're trying!

Disclaimer: I'm supposed to babysit in ten minutes- that's my main source of income.

Life, Family, and the World Unknown

"All in favor?" Hands shot into the air, "All opposed?" Fewer hands shot into the air, "Let the record reflect it, in favor of the motion... On to the next order of business. Ahh... yes... Now, with the first snow of the season fast approaching," Taylor began to explain.

"Jason Mansfield on Channel four said five days before snow."

"No, it's two days," Lorelai matter-of-factly corrected Andrew.

"What channel do you watch?"

"I don't. It's going to be two days."

"She dragged me out of bed at three this morning and opened all of the windows in the den. She'd better be right," Luke yawned as his wife glared at him. He quickly added, "She usually is." Rory giggled at her parents and leaned over to Ryan and Seth,

"I can smell it, too. She's right."

"As I was saying," Taylor calmed the crowd, "with the first snow of the season fast approaching, the reenactment is also coming up."

"I won't go!" An old man in the front row yelled stubbornly.

"It's not what you want, Maurice. It's what's best for the town."

"I can still do it!"

"Nonsense!"

"Anyone else feel like he should be saying 'I'm getting better!' and singing 'I feel happy'?" Lorelai whispered to anyone who'd listen. Rory giggled back,

"I almost want Taylor to say 'No, you're not. You'll be stone-dead in a moment'." Luke rolled his eyes at his wife and daughter as Sandy asked quietly,

"How do they fit Monty Python into every conversation?"

"It's a finely honed skill. Comes from seeing Holy Grail seventy-five times." They turned their attention back to the meeting. Lorelai couldn't resist,

"Get on with it, Taylor!" He nodded at her as she and Rory collapsed into fitful giggles, offset by his Python ignorance.

"Ok, so, as we all know, the reenactment's coming up, and we have one member of the reenactors who has reached an age where he would be... a hindrance... to the reenactment process." A wave of recognition spread over the crowd's faces,

"Wait, Taylor, you want to kick out Mr. Harburg?"

"I don't think I'm kicking him out. I believe I'm just... encouraging the forward movement of the reenactment."

"It's a reenactment, Taylor. It's not supposed to move forward. It's supposed to be the same thing every year."

"You watch yourself, Sandy. You've been on thin ice since your son shouted that dirty word at the council earlier."

"Which one?"

"Seth."

"Seth has a cold! He was sneezing!"

"In the words of your son..." He trailed off, his voice implying the next word.

"He said Uhh-shiii!"

"Again." Seth interjected,

"Taylor, trust me. I didn't curse. Your theory, however, is bullshi..."

"Seth Ezekiel!"

"Sorry, mom."

"Moving on from this ridiculous notion, I would like to put to a vote the motion to impeach Maurice Harburg from his place on the reenactment committee."

"What? Taylor, that's ridiculous! You can't impeach him! He's been doing the reenactment for almost seventy years!"

"Yeah, Taylor, even for you, this is pretty low," Patty added.

"It is not low. The man is eighty-two years old. He can barely walk."

"So give him your job, Taylor!" Babette suggested.

"MY job?"

"Yeah, Taylor. Isn't it your job to sit there and yell? You get a chair. You get to sit. Trade jobs with Mr. Harburg!"

"Sandy, you don't participate in the reenactment, you shouldn't be judging."

"But it's ok if I vote on kicking out Mr. Harburg? You just don't want me voting if I don't vote your way!"

"Yeah, go Dad!" Ryan called from his seat between his mother and brother.

"Power to the people, son."

"Hang tight."

"All right."

"Can we please leave this bizarre transgression behind?" Taylor interrupted the amusing exchange between father and son; the rest of the town seemed to be enjoying it.

"Fine, Taylor. Put it to a vote."

"All in favor of enhancing the reenactment?" Three hands were visible in the air, "All opposed to progress?"

"Oh, c'mon, Taylor! I hate this stupid reenactment and I still don't think that's fair," Luke protested from his seat; Lorelai had convinced him to go with her while he was still hazy with sleep. He instantly regretted the choice, but never went back on his word.

"Luke, you know, you're a legacy. Your father was a reenactor. You could very easily get the open spot in the reenactment."

"Taylor, have you ever seen me mention or consider or even enjoy the reenactment at all? Even as a child?"

"No, but I thought that your wife's apparent enthusiasm for town events would rub off on you."

"My wife is my wife. If I let everything she did rub off on me, I'd be a coffee-addicted, movie-obsessed, junk food-eating maniac."

"But at least you'd sleep in the bedroom rather than on the couch," Lorelai muttered under her breath.

"I meant it in the most adoring way possible."

"Yeah, right."

"I love you."

"I'm sorry. Who are you? That nice man who sleeps in my den?" He leaned over and kissed her cheek, "Slowly but surely making your way back in."

"Well, what do you say, Luke?"

"He can't," Lorelai stated simply.

"The reason being?"

"We have my parents' annual Christmas party on Saturday night."

"It's not supposed to snow until Monday or Tuesday."

"The nose knows. Mark my words- Saturday morning at..."

"Around midnight," Rory projected.

"Between midnight and one. You're still young. You have time to hone your skills... In any case, he's accompanying me to Hartford for the Christmas party."

"Fine... all those in favor of allowing Mr. Harburg to stay?" Dozens of hands flooded the air above their heads. Taylor sighed audibly, "Let the record show that the nays have it, thanks to the unprogressive, uneducated masses. Meeting adjourned."

"Mom, I'm going outside with Seth and Ryan, ok?"

"Ok, sweets. Just don't wander away." As the three nine-year-olds made their way out the door of Miss Patty's dance studio, Lorelai and Kirsten became immersed in conversation, and Sandy teased Luke,

"Party at the in-laws? You'd better have a Tylenol in your pocket and a flask in your coat."

"Yeah, well, if I'm not mistaken, you'll be coming with me."

"What?"

"See them talking over there?" He motioned to Kirsten and Lorelai, chattering excitedly in the corner, "Lorelai is telling Kirsten how much Rory would enjoy having the boys come with her. Now, Kirsten is telling Lorelai that it's a good idea. Lorelai's asking Kirsten what you're doing Saturday night, and since you spend most Saturday nights with us, I assume the answer is 'nothing'. Lorelai now invites Kirsten to tag along on Saturday to keep her company. Kirsten accepts and you are dragged down into the Hartford party scene right alongside me, pal." At that exact moment, Kirsten and Lorelai returned to their husbands,

"Honey, we're going to go to Lorelai's parents' thing on Saturday." Incredulously, Sandy glanced at a smugly-grinning Luke, defeated.

"Ok. Let's go find the kids."

They wandered outside and scanned the yard for two brunette heads and one blonde head. Upon discovering their children situated near the stairs, they glanced over next to them to find a gray head nodding encouragingly at them.

"TAYLOR!" Taylor looked up, shocked,

"Luke, there's no need to scream."

"Taylor, get the hell away from my kid!"

"Luke, you should be proud of Rory." Rory met his eyes and gave him a questioning glance.

"Did you say no to Taylor?" Rory nodded, "Then I am. Expect a present."

"Honestly, Luke. I was just asking the children if they'd like to be the narrators in the reenactment."

"No kid of mine is going to be involved in the reenactment."

"Her grandfather was."

"Her grandfather was a great man, but he was a head case." Sensing that this wasn't going to end anywhere pleasant, Rory interjected with a fake yawn,

"Dad, can we go home? I have school in the morning."

"What? Ok... Yeah, let's go."

"Children, think about what I asked you!" A little perturbed, Sandy leaned over to Seth,

"What did he ask you?"

"If we could enunciate."

"Are you serious?"

"The year," Seth started.

"Seventeen Seventy-Nine," Ryan and Rory said together.

"The location."

"Stars Hollow."

"I'll give you guys five bucks each if you never do that again. It's creepy and very nineteen-fifties horror movie."

"Deal." He pulled out his wallet and three five dollar bills and handed them to the kids, two of whom ran ahead.

"Mom, can we sleep at Rory's tomorrow night?" Ryan asked, folding the five-dollar bill and placing it haphazardly in his pocket.

"If it's ok with Luke and Lorelai, sure."

"Of course it is."

"Thank you. Hey, Seth! Rory! They said yes!" He excitedly sprinted towards them as Luke asked,

"How are they not sick of each other yet?"

"Ryan and Seth? They're brothers. They have to live with each other forever. They can't afford to get sick of each other."

"Sandy, you're a laugh riot."

"They're best friends," Kirsten mused.

"And boyfriend and girlfriend," Lorelai giggled.

"WHAT?"

"Please, Luke. Don't be blind."

"Ryan and Rory sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"Lorelai, you're being childish."

"And realistic."

By the time they got home, it was close to 9 o'clock, and Rory retired to her room to read before going to sleep, bidding her parents a goodnight. Luke laid down on the couch and Lorelai laid down with him, cuddling into his flannel shirt. He kissed her hair and rubbed her arm as they watched something inane on NBC's Must-See TV Thursday. At 10:00, they decided to shut the downstairs TV and go watch in their bedroom.

"They lied," Lorelai grunted as they stretched, helping each other off the couch.

"Who did?"

"The NBC people. That was not must-see. The only must-see is Friends, and even that's not really a must-see because I missed it tonight and I'm still alive. There was no necessity to it."

"You need sleep."

"You switched my coffee today."

"And you didn't notice."

"I did. I was just too tired to argue."

"I'm going to go check on Rory. I'll be up in a minute."

He entered Rory's room to find her reading light perched next to her bed shining somewhat brightly, Rory nestled comfortably under the covers, her eyes closed, her breathing steady, a copy of Anne of Green Gables sitting loosely in her grip. He grinned to himself; she loved to fall asleep while reading. Quietly tip-toeing over to her bed, he gently tugged at the book, taking it out of her hands and placing a bookmark where she had been. Leaning over to shut her light, he gently placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Dad?" She asked in her sleep.

"Yeah, princess. Go back to sleep."

"Ok. Night, daddy."

"Night, princess."

"Love you."

"You too."

Two days later, Luke sat, fully dressed for the party on the couch in the den. He peeled his eyes away from the TV and glanced out the window at the fresh blanket of snow on the ground outside. At 12:52 am, he had been awoken by Lorelai shaking his shoulder.

"It's snowing."

"It's what?"

"It's snowing. Get your shoes on. Let's go outside."

"Lorelai!"

"Luke!"

"You want me to go outside at one in the morning in the middle of December because you think it's snowing, even though you can't even see out the window."

"Yes."

"What makes you think I want to go outside?"

"You love me and I gave you a daughter you love more than yourself."

"What have you done for me lately?"

"Fine. Don't come. Rory and I will go outside by ourselves, then maybe we'll get kidnapped and you will have no wife and no daughter and all because you didn't want to come outside to be with us." Luke groaned audibly,

"Don't think guilt is going to work every time."

"I could never think that." She pulled him out of bed and down the stairs, where she found Rory, Seth, and Ryan piling, bundled in coats and mittens, out of her room, Rory looking excited and Seth and Ryan looking grumpy.

"First snow!" Lorelai giggled to her daughter, throwing her arm over her shoulder.

"You smelled it too?" She snaked her arm around her mother's waist and hugged her tightly.

"Hello, the nose." They led each other out the door, Luke and the boys lingering behind.

"Rory woke us up." Ryan glared at Luke.

"You really need to discipline that girl." Seth finished.

"Yeah, well, she's her mother's daughter. Lorelai woke me up, too."

"I don't understand her sometimes."

"Yeah, well, you'll never understand women. Especially not my daughter. Gotta get used to it."

"We don't want to get used to it."

"We want to go back to sleep."

"Do you two always finish each others' thoughts?"

"Yes," They said simultaneously.

"Brother thing?"

"Brother thing."

Stepping out into the snow, they watched Rory and Lorelai dancing through the powder in the front yard. Lorelai skipped happily to Luke and pulled him out into the yard.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Me or the snow?"

"The snow, of course." He grinned at her,

"I love you, too." They leaned into each other and kissed sweetly. Soon, they were interrupted by a loud,

"Ewww!" They looked up and found Rory, her eyes covered by Seth and Ryan, who were glaring at the couple.

"Your child is right here!"

"How much is your mother going to kill me if you two get sick?" Lorelai asked.

"The words 'Machine Gun' and 'Poison' come to mind."

"Kids, inside."

"But, mom!"

"Rory, the snow will be here tomorrow. Inside."

"Fine."

The next day, Lorelai and Rory had gone for their annual first-snow-of-the-year and were now running later than expected.

Luke's head shot towards the bathroom door and he saw his daughter, dressed in a black spaghetti-strap dress decorated with jewels at the neck and hem, walking towards him. He smiled at her as she approached- a smile which evaporated when her face came into clearer view.

"Rory?"

"Yeah, dad?"

"What's on your face?"

"Makeup."

"How much?"

"Not much."

"Not true." She was covered in bright blue eyeshadow that seemed painted on, bright pink circles for cheeks, and bright red lips (and the area surrounding them).

"Daddy, you don't like my makeup?"

"LORELAI!" Lorelai came running down the stairs in a panic,

"What? What? What's going on?"

"Look at Rory's face."

"What's... Oh, sweets, were you playing with my makeup?"

"I was not playing. I was putting it on for tonight."

"Rory, come upstairs to daddy and my bathroom."

Fifteen minutes later, Rory's face was clean as she pouted at her mother,

"Why won't dad let me wear makeup?"

"Sweets, he's just trying to protect you, like he always does."

"I don't need to be so protected. I'm nine."

"Exactly. To you, you're nine. You're almost a preteen. You're a big kid. But to daddy, you're still that little girl," She told her, motioning to the picture of Luke and Rory on the dresser, "When daddy looks at you, he still sees the little four-year-old who danced on his shoes at our wedding. Daddy loves you so much, kiddo. You know that, right?"

"Yeah."

"Now, let's be honest here. Who's your best friend?"

"You."

"And then?"

"Ryan, Seth, and Lane."

"But are you more of a momma's girl or a daddy's girl?"

"I guess... a daddy's girl..."

"Exactly. You and I are best friends. But he's your daddy. And NOBODY loves you the way he does. He just wants to make sure you still have your childhood. Don't try and grow up too fast. It makes daddy nervous because you're still his little girl. Keep it slow, ok?" Rory stared at the floor, carefully avoiding her mother's gaze,

"Ok, mom."

An hour later, the Danes and Cohen families pulled up to the massive house in Hartford. Ryan shuddered as he took in the impressive sight in front of him.

"Ry, honey, are you ok?" Kirsten asked, concerned about his unusual nervous state.

"What? Yeah, mom. I'm fine." Ryan shook his head, attempting to shake the unfamiliar feeling of unease and nervousness.

"You feel alright? You look a little pale."

"Mom, I'm fine."

"C'mere. Let me feel your forehead."

"DAD!"

"Kirsten, leave him alone. If he says he's fine, he's fine."

"Thanks, dad," He shot his father an appreciative smile and ran off to meet Rory, who was now sliding out of her parents' car.

"Sandy, I don't like the way he's acting."

"Meaning?"

"This is very similar to the Newport scene. What if it reminds him of his grandmother and he can't sleep tonight?"

"Sweetheart, he was five. He's nine now. Odds are, he doesn't even remember much before we moved to Stars Hollow. Who's to say he'll remember that parties like this remind him of his grandma?"

"It's subconscious, Sandy. I just don't want him hurt."

"He'll be fine."

"And if he's not?"

"Then we'll stay up with him all night." He wrapped his arms around his wife and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek. Smiling, they moved towards the rest of the "Kelly Road Posse", as Seth had, in one of his overtired splendors, named them.

"You ready to meet the Gilmores?" Lorelai questioned Kirsten and Sandy, taking a hold of Luke and Rory's hands.

"Ah, Lorelai, you forget. We lived in Newport for almost five years. We've been to these kind of parties."

"Of course. How could I forget?" Lorelai joked as they approached the front door. They inhaled collectively before Luke reached out and rang the doorbell, then placing his hand protectively on Rory's shoulder. They heard the scurry of footsteps before the door opened slowly. Emily greeted them,

"Lorelai, Rory, hello!" Her tone slightly colder, she turned to Luke, "Hello, Luke."

"Emily," He nodded in greeting, instinctively pulling Rory towards himself and Lorelai. For the first time, she noticed a family standing quietly behind her daughter and her family. She decided that the group- a blonde woman who looked to be a few years older than Lorelai, a brunette man who seemed to be in his early thirties, his curly hair flying in all directions, and two children, about Rory's age, one blonde, the other with hair like his father's- must have been friends of Lorelai's.

"I don't believe we've met before."

"Oh, mom, these are the Cohens. This is Sandy, Kirsten, Seth, and Ryan. They're our neighbors. We spend practically every weekend together."

"How nice. You know, Lorelai, it's rude to bring extra guests unannounced."

"You don't have enough surprises in your life. We thought we'd make you sweat a bit."

"Come in."

They entered the party to find it swarming with people Lorelai either knew and couldn't remember, or didn't know (though they'd certainly remember her).

"There's a children's room up in your old playroom, Lorelai. The children can go there." Lorelai nodded and met Rory's eye.

"You remember where that is, sweets?" Rory nodded. Lorelai winked at her daughter, "Ok, if you need anything, just yell for dad, Kirsten, Sandy, or me. Just remember that you're not banished to there. You can come out and be with us if you want."

"Mom, I'll be fine. I have your blood in me, after all. You survived for sixteen years, why shouldn't I?"

"That's my cynical girl." Rory laughed and led the boys upstairs, taking them each by the hand.

"So this is a Hartford party?" Sandy asked, making his way to the bar.

"This is a Hartford party," She eyed a little girl wearing a frilly pink dress and high heels that she couldn't move in, "I swear, I had that exact dress."

"Me too," Kirsten interjected.

"Did your mother make you sit down like 'a proper young lady' and sip tea?"

"No, my father did. My mother used to sneak me cookies and let me wear jeans underneath the dresses." Lorelai laughed, noticing that Luke hadn't said anything,

"Luke, are you okay?"

"I just hate these things..."

"Just remember it's getting you out of the reenactment."

"And it's annoying the hell out of Taylor," Sandy added.

"That's what's sustaining me."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Upstairs in the play area, the three best friends were glancing around skeptically,

"You know, when I first met you, I remember thinking, Rory will never lead us to a bad playroom. She knows too much about how to have fun," Seth told her sarcastically.

"But, obviously, you did not get your fun gene from your grandparents. These toys suck," Ryan contributed, eyeing the Legos, a broken Ms. Pac Man machine, teddy bears, and seven Furbies lying on the ground, all mumbling something about "Doo-Waah!", with one dancing to the music in his own mind, "Do do DOO, Do do DOO!".

"Your mother would kill you if she heard you say that."

"My mother's downstairs."

"True," Rory stated thoughtlessly, scanning the room before making her way over to a pile of Pogs located in the corner.

They sat down and began to play the game to the best of their abilities, making up their own rules along the way. When a shadow overcame their game, though, they were interrupted.

"Can I help you?" Seth asked, mildly annoyed at the interruption in the game.

"My friends and I just wanted to know if you'd like to join us in a game," The boy, who appeared to be one of the leaders, asked. Seth, Ryan, and Rory took in the group. It consisted of three girls their age and four boys their age. Two of the boys were blonde, and almost looked as though they could be brothers. One of the boys was darker, and another- a shorter boy- looked as though he was the tagalong in the group. Of the girls, two were blonde- one naturally and one dyed. One of the blonde girls stood there, looking bored, the other looking angry. The third girl had brunette curls cascading towards her shoulders; she stood there staring stupidly at Seth, Ryan, and Rory.

"Ummm... no thanks. We're happy just playing Pogs."

"What are you, scared?"

"No, just content."

"Who are you, anyway?" Rory was taken aback by the two blonde boys' gall; they were taking turns insinuating her and her friends.

"I'm Rory Gilmore-Danes. My grandparents are the ones holding this party. This is Seth and Ryan Cohen. They're my best friends, so you'd better watch yourself with them."

"Well, Princess Rory..."

"Only her dad calls her that," Ryan interrupted, quieting down after receiving a death glare from Rory.

"Well, Mary," One of the blonde boys attempted to start again.

"It's Rory."

"It sounds like 'Mary'. I've heard the name 'Mary'. I'm calling you 'Mary'. I'm Tristan."

"And I'm Logan. This is Finn," He pointed to the darker boy, "Colin," the tagalong, "Madeline," The stupid brunette, "Louise," The bored blonde, "And..." He was cut off by the other girl,

"Paris. Geller. I don't need you to introduce me, Logan."

"Get over it, Paris." Ryan, Seth, and Rory glanced at each other. This was going to be a long night.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Downstairs, the adults were huddled in the corner, whispering to each other and mocking the people around them.

"Look at that guy over there, with the gray hair. Thinks he's so high and mighty. Bet twenty bucks that he doesn't actually like that guy he's talking to. He's just making pleasant conversation." Kirsten eyed the guy, and the blonde man he was talking to, while talking to Sandy; the blonde looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place him. Taking a sip of her drink as the man turned around, she almost choked on the burning liquid sliding down her throat, "DAD!" The man turned around and smiled at his daughter,

"Kiki! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't know you knew the Gilmores!" He hugged Kirsten in what he considered to be a warm embrace.

"I don't, dad. I'm good friends with their daughter and her family."

"You know Rory?" The blonde man asked; he couldn't help overhearing.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm Christopher. I'm sure you've heard a lot about me."

"Oh... definitely." She glanced at Sandy; he knew what she was saying Go find Lorelai and Luke and warn them. He moved to go find their friends, who had wandered to refresh their drinks, but before he could, he found them walking towards him.

"Christopher," Lorelai breathed, stopping dead in her tracks.

"You have to be kidding me. Could this night get worse?" They heard Kirsten call the gray man in front of her "Dad" and Lorelai sighed,

"Yes."

xxxxxxxxxx

In the playroom, Ryan and one of the blonde boys- he couldn't which was which- were standing nose-to-nose,

"Take it back."

"No."

"Take it back!"

"No."

"You're not going to be happy if you don't."

"Then let me be miserable."

xxxxxxxxxx

Luke and Christopher stood defensively; they had only seen each other occasionally over the past five years and none of the incidences had been pleasant. Lorelai held Luke's arm in a bland attempt at calming him. Kirsten leaned into Sandy while speaking to her father, begging Sandy to protect her with her body. He held his arms strongly around her, occasionally playing with her hair.

"So, Dad, how's Hailey?" It was as neutral a topic as any. She didn't want to go into the fact that her father hadn't called in nearly six months, or that every time she called him, he was busy and promised to call her back. Or the fact that for the boys' birthday, he had sent ten dollars to each of them in a card purchased by his secretary (She could tell because Caleb had a vague idea of his grandsons' age; the cards had been addressed "To Brian" on a card that read "Happy fourth birthday, grandson" and "To Beth" on a card that read "World's greatest granddaughter". Seth had actually found it amusing and hung it up on the door to his bedroom.). Or the fact that he no longer bothered to call on birthdays and holidays.

"Hailey's just fine, Kiki. She's working in Jamaica as a Jenny Craig instructor." Kirsten nodded; she knew it wasn't true, but her father was blind enough to accept the excuse. She waited a beat before telling him,

"The boys are fine, too. They're in fourth grade now. Straight-A students, both of them. Not that you care."

"Of course I care. They're my grandsons. I think very highly of them."

"Don't think very highly of them, dad. Call them. Let them know that you care about them. Send birthday cards to them, not Beth and Brian. Their names are Seth and Ryan, in case you've forgotten since the last time you spoke to them."

"Kirsten, you know I care about the boys."

"Then show it."

Next to them, a similar exchange was occurring.

"So how's my daughter?" Chris asked; he was almost asking for controversy.

"Well, Luke and I went to parents' day at school last week. Rory made Luke a plaque that said 'World's Best Dad'," Lorelai pointedly told Christopher.

"You know I'm still her father," Chris added, a mix of nonchalance and threat evident in his voice.

"Not legally and not emotionally," Lorelai told him. Luke was decidedly glaring at the man. He was about to tell him off when he heard his daughter's distressed cries,

"DADDY!"

xxxxxxxxxxx

An hour later, they were in the hospital. Emily had sent off the guests and Caleb had said a hasty goodbye before rushing off to his next meeting. Luke and Lorelai had ridden in the ambulance with Rory, Sandy, Kirsten, Seth, and Ryan trailing them. Christopher had attempted to ride along but had been sent away by a concerned Richard, who had been much more of a presence in Lorelai's life since the wedding. He had monthly lunches with her at the inn where she worked and spent days with Rory. Though Chris protested, Richard towered over him and told him in a no-nonsense way that there was no way he was going to hurt Rory any more that night.

Luke and Lorelai had disappeared into Rory's room and Sandy had gone off to find coffee for himself and his friends. Seth and Ryan sat, visibly shaken, in the corner. Kirsten rubbed their backs, attempting to console them.

"Rory was CRYING, mom," Ryan finally blurted out.

"Rory never cries," Seth finished.

"There was that one time when she lost the encklace that her dad gave her."

"Her locket?" Kirsten asked; this was the first she'd heard of the story. Rory cherished that locket more than anything; she must've been a mess.

"Is that the one with the picture?"

"Yes."

"Then that's the one."

"That was the only time she cried, though."

"Not even when she fell off her bike."

"Into the sticker bushes."

"And rolled onto the concrete."

"What exactly happened tonight, boys?"

"One of those kids..."

"Tristan or Logan or... Colin or... Finn... their parents need new last letters," Ryan mumbled.

"So, one of them- one of the blonde boys- started to make fun of Rory."

"And I told them to leave her alone, so he started to make fun of me."

"Then I went in and told everybody to relax."

"And then, he called Seth a loser, mom, and he pushed him and I couldn't take people doing that to my brother or my best friend, so I hit him."

"And that was when Rory jumped in. She got pushed and she fell and hit her arm and there was this really loud crack," Seth winced at the memory and his mother tenderly kissed his forehead.

"Rory's gonna be ok, right, mom?"

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll be fine."

Luke and Lorelai reentered the room; Luke, though still worried, appeared more relaxed. Lorelai rested comfortably in the crook of his arm, which was wrapped protectively around her.

"How is she?" Kirsten asked anxiously.

"She'll be fine," Lorelai breathed.

"Minor hairline fracture in her right arm. It'll take a few weeks and a cast, but she'll be good as new," Luke visibly inhaled, possibly for the first time comfortably in hours.

"Good, that's wonderful news. Isn't that great, boys?" The boys both nodded, their eyes glued to the floor.

"Luke? Lorelai?" Ryan asked sheepishly.

"Yeah, Ryan?"

"I'm sorry."

"Me, too," projected Seth.

"For what, boys?"

"We got into the fight."

"We made Rory get hurt. We're really sorry."

"We'll never fight again."

"Boys, you didn't hurt Rory. You were trying to protect her and then she tried to protect you. It's what friends do. Rory will be fine. Don't worry," Lorelai told them, adding, "You're her best friends. She'd be lost without you guys."

"Us too."

That night, Lorelai and Luke lay in Rory's room, falling asleep, despite her protests against it.

"Well, tonight was interesting," Lorelai whispered, glancing at Rory's bright pink cast sitting lazily on top of her comforter.

"You can say that again."

"Well, tonight was..."

"It's a figure of speech."

"Hey, Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad we have good friends."

"Me, too."

"I love you."

"You too."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."