DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gilmore Girls nor do I own any of the characters, if I did, I'd have better things to do with my time than write fan fiction... like write actual scripts!

Okay a new one...

A little warning, there is a lot of dialogue, and I'm not very good at that, but this was a necessary part of the story line. And I know some of the actions we see with Rory and Richard might not be what you'd normally expect from them, but sorry! That's just how it is. It's also pretty long, I think it's the longest one I've written so far. And only the ending is sad. The other parts aren't happy, they just aren't sad. Hope everyone likes it, and review it for me you guys! I need some feedback. By the way, thank you to the ONE review from last time. I will try my hardest to work some pieces of Luke in for you.

-Visits Long Awaited-

There she stood. After all the time, after all the distance. After all the pain, the fear, the anger. There she stood. After every second spent avoiding contact, ignoring calls, and not opening letters. After denying any sort of relationship. Finally, there she stood.

Rory smiled sheepishly as the heavy wooden door swung open, revealing a timid maid cowering behind the frame.

"Hi... I'm here for Richard and Emily," she laughed awkwardly and shrugged her shoulders, "Who else would I be here for?" The maid remained unresponsive. "Um... anyway... I'm..."

"Maria? Who is it?" Emily shouted from the sitting room, unknowingly interrupting her granddaughter.

Maria eyed Rory, scanning her from head to toe before hesitantly calling back. "I, I don't know Mrs. Gilmore."

"You don't know?" Emily scoffed. "You don't know? How can you not know Maria, did you not open the door? Can you not see? Because when we hired you I was not aware that you were blind."

"I... I..."

The voice drew closer as Emily made her way into the hall. "Maria, when you open the door, it is customary for one to..." she stopped as her eyes fixed on Rory.

"Hey Grandma."

"Rory?"

Rory nodded nervously, "Yeah. It's me."

"Rory." she said again, allowing the thought to register in her brain.

"Yeah," Rory repeated, a little unsure of how to respond.

"Are you all right?" At the full realization of her presence Emily was sure something was wrong, that something had happened. It wasn't every day Rory came just to say hi, no, it wasn't any day.

"Yes Grandma, I'm fine. I just thought, I'd, you know... stop by." The words rang sharply in her ears. They had once had a strong relationship, a respectable one, that was somehow reduced to shreds. Now, as much as it pained her, she was coming to the realization that she had lost Rory, just as she had Lorelai.

"Well. Come in, come sit down." She stepped aside, ushering for Rory to walk ahead.

Needless to say, things have changed.

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Rory was sure she would soon suffocate if she wasn't released from her grandmother's hardened stare. Each heavy breath she took was polluted with the tension hovering in the room, and she could feel the pressure building in her lungs. Even the steady ticking of the clock seemed smothered by the strain of the situation.

"How's the D.A.R.?" She asked, hoping to divert at least some of Emily's attention away from her.

"Fine. As usual."

"Good, good. And Grandpa? How's he?"

"He's fine. Busy, but fine. He should be home soon."

"Oh. Okay."

"And you, how have you been all these months?" Emily's words were dripping with disdain.

"I've uh, you know, taken a break from things for a little while. Moved around a bit, but it felt like now was a good time to come back and visit."

"Haven't you already been?"

"Excuse me?" Rory clenched her teeth, tightening her jaw. Nothing good could arise from this piece of knowledge.

"Well I heard you had come to Stars Hollow. How far away is that now?" Emily asked, cocking her head slightly to the side, obviously imitating a form of innocence.

"Last I checked it's still 30 minutes."

"30 minutes? My, that's awfully far away. It's quite understandable that you didn't visit then. It makes perfect sense."

"I'm sorry Grandma."

"Well, you've come now, so it's fine. I don't mind secondhand visits. I'm only your grandmother."

"I said I was sorry." she said through slightly gritted teeth.

"And I said it was fine." Rory sighed, wishing not for the first time, that she was invisible to her grandmother's eyes. It was always like this, she had seen it with her mother, with Luke, with Christopher, with herself. She had seen it with Jess and with Dean. There was always fighting. The combative stance never ended, and just this once Rory had hoped that Emily would be sympathetic, be caring and loose. For just once, she wished Emily was more like Lorelai.

I want to touch you, but you're so far away.

I reach out, but there's nothing there.

Rory had always appreciated the differences between Emily and Lorelai. Understood their characters, their reactions, their mind. She had always viewed them as different, almost complimenting each other, pulling in different parts to complete the puzzle. She had respected the fact that Emily was strict, and that while just as stubborn, her mother was less domineering. Rory needed them that way. She needed them both, both of their influences and inputs. She needed the structure, but the knowledge that she could return to that carefree environment But now, with Lorelai gone, the atmosphere was harsh and bitter. There was no more freedom, no more casual attitude. Lorelai had taken that with her, destroying the balance that Rory had once known.

I can see you, but all I feel is cold air.

Can't it go back, to the way we were?

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"Emily?" Richard called as he handed his heavy winter coat to the newest maid. This time he was almost certain her name was Hilda. Or maybe it was Beatrice. The more he looked at her face he wasn't even sure she was the same maid from that morning. "Thank you."

"We're in here Richard."

"We're? Who's here Emily? I wasn't aware we were expecting guests."

"We weren't Richard."

"Then who is it?"

"Why don't you come in here and find out for yourself."

"Already done," he said, walking into the sitting room.

Rory slowly turned her head to face her grandfather, "Hey Grandpa."

"Rory." She smiled, genuinely happy to see her grandfather's face. They had always had a special bond, an unspoken respect for one another. Whenever things seemed to be falling apart she knew that Richard would always be there to pick up the pieces, to help her stand, and to restore the balance. He was the most reliable thing in her life, the sturdiest, and the most comforting. He was the father figure she always needed, and she was the daughter that he had lost.

"Yeah."

"What's wrong?" he asked, a look of worry washing over his features. The same fears Emily had held in her heart were presenting themselves in his.

"Nothing Grandpa, I just came to say hi."

Richard swiveled on his heel, catching the maid as she shuffled past the door. "Hilda?"

"Maria," she whimpered.

"Maria. Can you please bring me my check book? It's in the study." She nodded, hurrying off in the opposite direction.

"What's that for?" Rory questioned, her suspicion rising.

"Well you need money, don't you?" It was shocking how fast the whole situation was spiraling out of control.

"No. I don't need money."

"Well why else would you be here?" It hurt Rory that her grandfather had asked her those words. She would have expected it from Emily, or for Lorelai to receive that question, but never her. Not his Rory.

"I told you. I just came by to say hi."

"Oh," he said, taking the checkbook from Maria's hands as she returned to the room and flipping to a blank page.

"Grandpa, I don't need money." Rory stated, her voice slightly rising.

"Exactly what your mother said when you first started Chilton. Just tell me how much."

"I don't need money, I promise. I'm doing fine." That wasn't completely true, she was running a little dry, but she hadn't planned on asking them for anything. She had made it this far without them, there was no reason to beg for help now.

"Look it's no problem, just tell me how much." Richard pressed.

"I don't need the money!" she yelled, hoping that he would finally comprehend what she was saying.

"Rory! Do not raise your voice at your grandfather," Emily hissed from across the room.

Rory frowned, sitting there for a moment before hastily gathering her belongings, trying to keep the tears from spilling from her eyes. "Look, I didn't come here to ask you guys for anything, and I'm not leaving any differently. Maybe I shouldn't have come," she whispered before walking towards the front door.

"Wait." Emily pleaded, but Rory only shook her head and continued to walk.

I love you still, for that, I'm sure.

The fights don't count, don't mean a thing.

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"Richard!" Emily screeched as she heard the front door forcefully slam shut. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" he questioned calmly.

"Oh you know what you did. You drove her away, she was finally here!"

"Yes Emily, she was finally here, after pretending we didn't even exist for months, she just showed up. It wasn't fair. How did you expect me to react?"

"Better than that!"

"Well I'm sorry Emily, but what's done is done."

The truth was it was killing Richard to watch Rory walk away again, with every step she took towards the door he felt his heart wrench. But it had to be done. She couldn't have stayed there. Not happily at least, and he knew that. He knew it would tear her apart, that she would feel smothered and trapped. Lorelai had felt that way, and Rory was more like her mother then she could ever know.

Lets just forget it, get back in swing.

It can't be too late, I see it all.

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Rory sighed, laying her head exhaustedly against the seat of her car. It wasn't supposed to go that way. She wasn't supposed to fight, they weren't supposed to be mad. She had expected a warm welcome, full of hugs, tears, and offers for whatever dinner her heart desired. But she hadn't even made it to dinner. She hadn't even made it to drinks.

Shaking herself back into reality, she sniffled, wondering where she had put her keys. "Dammit." She knew exactly where they were; in the house. Silently cursing herself, she opened the door of her car and climbed out, wishing she wasn't so forgetful.

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Her eyes shifted nervously as they hurriedly grazed every visible surface. The floor, the couch, the table. The table again. She may not have found her keys, but her eyes had focused on something just as intriguing. There, sitting boldly against the table's smooth lines laid the checkbook. And more importantly, inside of the checkbook, sat a blank check graced by Richard Gilmore's masculine signature.

Her mind raced. She could take it. She could use it. But what would she do? What if she was caught? There were so many things that could go wrong, so many problems that could surface, not to mention the fact it was illegal. But now, she didn't care anymore. She just needed to escape. She needed to go far away, to start over, to live her life. It seemed so easy, to just slip a small piece of paper into her pocket, and then walk out. So she did it, she took the check and slid it carefully into her coat, laughing harshly at herself as she felt the cold metal keys resting in the same place. And it was done. She didn't know where she was going, only that she was. All she had left was just one more stop.

Can't you see it too, as you watch me fall?

I've messed up big, now my hearts all deranged.

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Her fingers glided across the smooth marbled stone as she read the small name engraved delicately in a feminine cursive print. Letting out a shaky breath, her lip slightly trembled as she felt the hot tears forming in her eyes.

"So," she whispered, "it's been a while, hasn't it?" It had been a while. It had been forever, and she had no excuse. She had no reason as to why she'd been so neglectful, no explanation for staying so far away. "I, I just wanted to tell you... that I'm sorry mom." She paused, "I'm so, so sorry." The flow of tears steadily grew as they ran along her cheeks and hovered before dripping from her jaw. But she wiped away at them, determined to finish what she'd come for. "And. And that I'm leaving."

Needless to say, things have changed.

EL FIN

Hope you enjoyed, and the next one will have a little more action. Well, maybe not. Since I'm thinking of taking a look at Luke's situation again, or possibly getting into Emily's mind, with only little bursts of follow ups about Rory. But don't worry, I know where she's going, and it'll be good