Aki- Okay, the whole issue of Rory leaving is brought up again in this chapter. Please, give Rory a break, give Amber a break (She's a teenager, she has hormones), and give me the benefit of the doubt. Oh, you will learn why Amber and Brendan broke up later in the story, trust me.

Destroyed

Jess sat uneasily on the couch as he watched his wife pace back and forth across the living room floor glancing at the wall clock every few seconds.

"Where is she?" Rory said anxious, talking to herself more than her husband.

"She'll be here," said Jess, trying to calm Rory down, though worried himself.

"But its past her curfew and she didn't pick up her cell phone when I called… She could be hurt."

"Rory," said Jess, standing up and taking Rory's shoulders in either hand to pause her, "You need to stop worrying. You wearing a hole in the floor isn't going to help any."

"This isn't an appropriate time for jokes," growled Rory.

"Well you know me," shrugged Jess, "I'm not good at knowing when the appropriate time for anything is…"

Rory glared at him.

Jess backed off. "Okay, pace," and then he made to sit down, but neither got to pace nor sit down because it was at that moment the door opened a crack letting in the sound of laughing and goodbyes, before Amber fully entered, smiling.

The smile disappeared when she saw her two parents, looking none too happy, standing their waiting for her.

"Do you know what time it is," asked Rory tersely, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Eleven-something…," answered Amber unsure.

"Eleven fifteen," snapped Rory in correction.

"So I'm a little late," Amber tried to rationalize.

"Forty-five minutes late is not a little late," replied Rory, trying to calm down.

"I'm sorry, but this is the first time I've been late," said Amber in a not too sorry way.

"Sorry that you are late or sorry that you are getting scolded for it."

Amber looked at her mother with some skepticism wondering when she had gotten so mom-ish. Neither Rory nor Lorelai were conventional parents. Jess remained silent.

"Whatever that means," said Amber almost stupidly.

"Look," said Rory, trying the rational approach, steeping forward and putting a hand on Amber's shoulder. "This isn't like you. Staying out late without calling. Breaking the rules…I just want you to be safe and I don't feel like this guy is safe. I don't like him," finished Rory genuinely.

Amber gave Rory a look, "Well, if I remember correctly, your mom didn't like Dad in the beginning either."

"That was differ-,"

"No, it's not different," snapped Amber. "You are just judging him and you don't even know him."

"I care about you, Amber. I want you to be safe. He doesn't seem like your type," said Rory in a tone practically pleading for Amber to understand her reasoning.

"My type! How would you know what my type is," said Amber angrily, stepping away from her mother's touch, "How much did you care about me the first nine years of my life?"

Amber took another step back towards the hallway, but not able to take her eyes off of Rory's expression. She hadn't really meant it, or at least meant it to sound so harsh. Her temper had been on the edge lately.

The look on her mother's face scared Amber. It was almost blank. Her color had suddenly disappeared. She wasn't staring at Amber, but more through her. Amber left and rushed into her room.

Rory stood there in the same place even after Amber left. The hand that had rested on Amber's shoulder hung limply by her side.

"Rory," whispered Jess, standing next to her.

But Rory didn't respond to him, but put her hands to her forehead then pulled then back to her back to her head. "I just need to get a shower," she said weakly.

Jess waited her as she walked off to their bedroom's personal bath. Never had she looked so destroyed before.

Next chapter- Jess talks to Amber