Disclaimer: This is an original story based upon the characters of Gilmore Girls. No profit will be made from this story and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: Thanks for taking the time to read and reply to my previous chapters. I really appreciate it. I am going out of town tomorrow and while I will try to get another chapter up before I leave, I will most likely not be updating again until next Tuesday. In case I don't get another chapter up before I leave, I hope you all have a Happy New Year.
"Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore," the policeman stopped us as we were hurrying towards our car. "I can't send policemen out to someone's house in the middle of the night simply because you have a hunch. Maybe we can go over in the morning, check the place out, ask them a few questions, but I can't disturb someone at this hour without concrete evidence," the policeman said.
"I can't believe this!" I shouted. I didn't need any more evidence. To me the answer seemed perfectly clear. Lorraine's child had died—so she had wanted mine.
"Emily, he's right—there's nothing we can do this early in the morning."
"No Richard! He's not right!" I yelled. "This woman stole her, she stole Alicia!"
"We don't know that," he said, his voice starting to rise slightly.
"I know it Richard. I know it!" I struggled to get past him.
He held tighter to me. "Emily, there is nothing we can do right now."
"Richard in a few more hours she could be gone!" I shouted, struggling against him.
"Mrs. Gilmore, I promise first thing in the morning. We will conduct a thorough search. There's nothing we can do right now."
"We don't even know where they live," Richard said, bringing me towards him and putting his arm around me.
"Come back inside" he whispered tenderly as he led me back inside the house. The policemen followed me back inside and asked me details about what I knew about Lorraine, our past together, everything that had happened at the mall that night. They left with assurances they would search for the Shetford home. Richard kissed me on the forehead and headed back upstairs. Rory turned and headed back to her room. Luke tried to get Lorelai to come with him but she shook her head. Surprisingly enough, Luke put a comforting hand on my shoulder as he headed upstairs. I reached up and patted his hand with mine. Then I was left alone with my daughter. The police cars had left leaving the room very dark.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked after it seemed like an hour of silence had passed between us.
I looked down at my hands. "I was afraid. I thought you'd blame me. I thought you'd never let me baby-sit for you again."
"So you lied?" her voice took on a bitter tone. "You were afraid of getting in trouble and you didn't tell me you lost my child?"
"Lorelai..." I countered. "They told me the story checked out. They told me that it was a woman who had taken the wrong stroller. How was I supposed to know? I saw the security tape. I thought that maybe Lorraine had something to do with it after awhile and so I went back and watched the security tape. I watched the woman come out. It wasn't Lorraine. How was I supposed to know?"
"You should have told me Mother," she said and walked up the stairs. I tried to follow her, tried to hug her again, but she walked into her bedroom and shut the door. I stood there for a few minutes and then walked into the guest bedroom and laid down next to Richard. I ran my fingers through my hair. I didn't tell her about the New York newspaper. I hadn't told her that there was another situation like mine that had happened in New York. I rationalized that there might not be a connection between the two incidents. We didn't even know if there was a connection between Alicia's mistaken stroller and what was happening now. So many questions—I was ready for some answers. I prayed the police would come back with some.
The next thing I knew, the sun was shining through the window and I heard banging on the door. "Richard!" I said and bolted out of bed, grabbing my robe and heading down the stairs. Richard was right behind me. Luke and Lorelai nearly slammed into the door together trying to get to it. I was amazed when I looked at the clock—it was ten o' clock. We must have all succumbed to the exhaustion we felt. Luke and Lorelai flung open the door and the police were there.
"Did you find her? Did you find Alicia?" Lorelai asked, her tears coming back.
"No," the policeman said, "Can I come in for a moment?"
Luke opened the door wider and the policeman walked in and sat down on the couch. We sat around him.
"Mr. and Mrs. Danes, Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore," he started, "We have been searching around Hartford countryside for hours. There is no trace of a mailbox that says Shetford. They are not listed in the phone book. We visited the county courthouses, checked all city records, we have done everything we can. We did find evidence of a George and Lorraine Shetford but the information is over thirty-five years old. I assume that's from when they lived next door from you. We have checked in Hartford records and all of the surrounding area. There is no trace of them."
I felt like I had been kicked in the middle. She had lied to me. She had lied to me that she was still in Hartford. She had been planning to take Alicia—why else would she have lied? But why? Why was this woman so desperate to have a child that she had tried to take mine for thirty seven years? Had the loss of her child really led her to this insanity?
"Mr. and Mrs. Danes, at this point Mrs. Shetford is our only lead. We will continue to be in contact with the Paris police to talk about any connections between Alicia and Mrs. Danes kidnapping. We will continue to search the area for the Ms. Shetford."
Lorelai nodded slowly. "Alright," Luke reached over and grabbed her hand.
"At this point we don't know what we are dealing with," he turned back to Richard and I. "Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore, it is obvious that there is some connection between your daughters kidnapping and your granddaughter's. Someone for some reason has something against your family. I would like you both to stay here until further notice and not return to your house. I would like your daughter Mrs. Danes to stay here as well," he said, turning Lorelai. She nodded. "We are going to leave a policeman here at all times for at least awhile. We will continue to keep in contact as we receive more information."
We all nodded bleakly and the policeman let himself out. We all sat there in silence for a few minutes. Then Lorelai turned towards me. I could have seen this coming a mile away. Before she even spoke I tried to steel myself against her words—she's upset, this was me a long time ago. She's just upset.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked again. "Why didn't you tell me that you had lost my child!" she yelled.
"Mom, calm down," Rory intervened.
"Lorelai—I didn't know. She was my friend. I had just run into my old friend. I didn't know."
"How could you have lost her Mom? How could you have let go of her? How could you not tell me that?"
Luke made a move towards her and put his hands on her shoulder.
"Lorelai, you're right—I should have told you. I was afraid." I pleaded with her.
"It's your fault!" she yelled.
"What?" I asked.
"This psycho woman has some sort of vendetta against you and she's taking it out on me! She tried to take Rory and she's taken Alicia and we don't even know where she is!"
"Lorelai—how many times do I have to tell you? I didn't know! How was I supposed to know?"
"Mom..." she started to counter and suddenly I lost it.
"I didn't even know you were kidnapped until two days ago!" I yelled. At that she did what I was afraid she would do. She turned towards her father.
"You—you knew all along. Why didn't you tell anyone that there was a threat to the family?"
He just stared at her. He was totally defeated. He didn't need Lorelai to blame him—he already blamed himself. He had since that day in the park. He had for thirty-seven years. His shoulders slumped and he walked upstairs quietly. Now—she had made me mad. Now, I didn't particularly care what she was going through. Her father had been going through it for a lot longer.
"How could you say that to him?" I said sharply. "Do you have any concept of what he's been through?"
Rory and Luke slowly walked out of the living room.
"Mom, I don't want to fight with you," she sat down sulkingly. "You were wrong not to tell me and he was wrong not to tell you. This could have all been prevented if we were honest."
"Lorelai I want you to go up to your father and apologize to him." I said.
"Excuse me?" she said.
"You heard me," I said. "Apologize right now,"
"You want to tell me what to do you can get out of my house," she said her voice rising.
"What?" I said matching her voice.
"You heard me," she mocked back.
"Lorelai, this isn't the time for us to be fighting," I said.
"You lied to me Mom!" she yelled. "You lied to me and so did Dad!"
"It's always about you isn't it!" I yelled. "You're the only one that matters here!"
"Get out!" she yelled.
I turned and walked up the stairs. I went into the room and slammed the door.
"We're leaving!" I yelled to Richard.
"We can't. They don't want us to go home," he replied.
"I don't care. We'll stay somewhere in town. We're not wanted here." I said changing my clothes.
Richard picked up the clothes, to tired and worried to argue with me. We headed down the stairs, and I fully expected to see Lorelai waiting there at the open door. Instead the house was dark again, the only light coming through the window, casting shadows on the dark hair of our daughter who was lying on the couch finally giving herself to the anguish she felt, sobbing as if her heart would break. I dropped my clothes and went to her, putting my arms around her.
"I'm sorry," I whispered in her ear.
"Me too," she sobbed, as she held on to me for strength. "Please don't go," she whispered.
"I'm right here," I said, putting my head against hers. "I'm not going anywhere."
We just held each other for a minute and then the phone rang. Lorelai jumped up and ran to answer it.
"Hello?" she said. "Yes, this is Mrs. Danes," she turned to us and from the expression on her face my heart stopped once again. "Yes, we'll be right there," she said and hung up the phone.
"What?" we all cried out.
"It was the police station calling. They want us to come down. They've arrested a woman named April Kelly."