Daughters and Mothers and Grandmothers slash Great Aunts

Another tense week and a half passed. Rory and Amber were barely on speaking terms, not because they were mad at each other, but because neither knew what to say. In fact there was barely any speaking in the household, all busying themselves with work or school as a way to avoid the awkwardness. Sometimes late at night Jess would comfort Rory as she lay in bed silently, when there was nothing else for her to think about. The couples' fight and seemed to be temporarily forgotten in the heat of these other problems.

But when life gets too much Rory always knew where to turn.

"Mom," said Rory in almost a whisper over the phone.

"Rory, what's wrong?" asked Lorelai worriedly, easily detecting something was wrong by her daughter's voice.

"…Amber and me are still not talking."

"Oh…is it that bad."

"Both of us want to say something…I can tell she wants to, but it's like neither of us know what to say."

"You two have to talk eventually, putting it off won't help."

"I know," said Rory exasperatedly. "It's just…"

"Just?"

"Just that I've never been in such big of a mother-daughter fight on the mother side before…and it's a little scary."

"I understand you completely, Rory," said Lorelai confidently, yet still in a comforting way, "But, unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to make this better. Both you and Amber are afraid to say anything else, but sometimes it's your responsibility as mom to make the first contact, to talk even if Amber doesn't like what she has to hear."

"I know, it's just…"

"Scary?"

"Yeah."

…

"Um, Mom."

Rory looked up, it was after school and Amber was standing in the doorway, pulling at the hem of her shirt nervously.

"Yes?"

"I'm going to go out tonight, if that's okay with you," asked Amber timidly.

After a moments consideration Rory asked, "With Devon?"

"Yes," replied Amber, tensing slightly.

Rory sighed inwardly, "Amber, I know you don't want to hear it, but I'm your mother and I care about you. Maybe I don't know Devon enough to judge, but I just have a really bad feeling about him. I don't trust him and I don't feel that you are safe with him-,"

"Mom," interrupted Amber, but Rory put up her hand to cut her off.

"I'm not forbidding you from going out; just think about it first, please. It's a mother's intuition, you'll understand one day. Be careful, I don't think he is a good guy."

Amber looked her mother in the eye for a moment, something they hadn't done since their big fight. "I hear you, Mom," she said with almost fake confidence, "But you're wrong."

…

Rory was watching the clock on the wall as the second hand slowly ticked around. Amber was cutting it close to her curfew again.

Five minutes.

Four minutes.

Three minutes.

Two minutes.

One minute.

The second hand ticked past the six, leaving only a half of a minute. It was though Rory was suspecting Amber to burst through the door at the last second, out of breath or something.

"She's late," Rory announced out loud for the benefit for her husband who was trying to ignore her strange clock watching habits.

"Give her five minutes," replied Jess, not even looking up from his book.

"Whatever," Rory muttered to herself.

Five minutes came and past, but Amber didn't show.

…

Knock, knock, knock.

Lorelai shuffled agitatedly to the front door, swearing to destroy whoever it was. But when she opened it, she was surprised to find-

"Amber?" asked Lorelai, shocked. She looked a little worse for the wear. Her hair was disheveled and her clothes were slightly damp from the drizzle of rain that had began not long ago. She was holding her jacket closed tight and was carrying her high healed shoes in her hands. "What's wrong?"

Amber sniffed and then said in a wavering voice, "Can I stay here tonight?"

Lorelai stared at her granddaughter, something was wrong. "Sure, what are favorite grandmothers slash great aunts for."

Amber left out a watery, half-hearted chuckle.

"Come on," said Lorelai, wrapping her arm over Amber's shoulders and leading her to the kitchen. "I'll make Luke make us some hot chocolate."

Next chapter- What's up with Amber