Aki- Okay guys this is the last chapter I update for a while because I'm going on a trip (to England, cool!). Hope you like it.

Runaways

"What happened?" asked Luke in an urgent whisper to Lorelai as they stood just outside the kitchen where Amber sat.

"I don't know. I haven't had time to ask," replied Lorelai.

"Well ask!"

Lorelai glared at Luke. "I will, I'm just giving her time to calm down a bit first…you wouldn't understand. Go away, it's girl talk time."

Luke put up his hands defensively, "Okay, going."

"Hey, how you doing?" asked Lorelai as she entered the kitchen.

Amber shrugged taking a sip of hot chocolate from her mug before setting it back down on the table.

"Amber," said Lorelai, sitting down next to her granddaughter and stroked her hair. "Are you okay? ... Well, of course you're not okay, you showed up at my doorstep, rained on, disheveled, and practically in tears," rambled Lorelai, getting Amber to smile a little smile, before the grandmother became earnest, "What happened? Why are you here instead of at home?"

Amber sighed a shaky sigh before answering slowly and sadly. "I just," she paused to shake her head upsettedly, "Couldn't face 'I told you so's' right now."

Lorelai nodded, though she did not fully understand.

"Rory told me about the fight."

"Oh," said Amber. In disappointment. In shame.

"So is that why you are here. Your fight with Rory."

"No," answered Amber.

Lorelai gave her a look.

Amber sighed, "Partially."

"And partially…what else? Asked Lorelai.

Amber sighed again, though this time, angrily. "Devon."

"The new boyfriend guy?" questioned Lorelai curiously.

"The ex-boyfriend guy," Amber corrected with venom in her tone.

"Oh," said Lorelai in comprehension. "What happened."

Amber's jaw tightened. "He made a move…He made lots of moves."

Lorelai's eyebrows raised, but she said nothing.

Amber wrapped her arms across her chest and continued with a little less spunk, "It took him a while to figure out that I didn't want to sleep with in his car, or anywhere."

"That jerk," Lorelai said with spite.

Amber closed her eyes and nodded, her spirit leaving her. "I knew," she said just above a whisper, "I knew. He acted all charming at first. I saw right through him. I've always been good at judging people, yet despite it…"

"Then why did you date him?" asked Lorelai, but not as an accusation. "To make your mom mad?"

"No," answered Amber simply, with a slight shake of her head, "Brendan."

"Ah."

"He got so angry when Devon showed up at school, when he saw us together, when I talked about Devon in front of him. I talked Devon up…to mom, to my friends, especially when Brendan was around. But we never even had that much fun, our dates were mediocre at best." Amber paused to shake her head, "Pathetic, aren't I?"

"No," protested Lorelai, "Not at all." Amber gave her a look. "Okay, a little," Lorelai conceded. "But girls are allowed to get all pathetic over guys once in a while, It's a rite of passage. Rory has. God knows I have… um, by the way, does Rory know you are here?"

"Um, no," answered Amber shyly.

"I have got to call her," declared Lorelai, standing up from the table.

"No!" Amber said in protest. "She'll be mad at me."

"She and your father are probably worried sick about you. I know I was when Rory ran away."

"Mom ran away?" asked Amber in amazed curiosity.

"Story for after I call your mother."

Amber huffed, "Fine."

Walking into the living room, Lorelai picked up the portable phone a dialed a familiar number.

"Hello?" answered Rory's urgent voice.

"Hey, Ror, it's me."

"Oh, Mom. I was hoping it was Amber, she's-,"

"She's here," interrupted Lorelai.

"What?"

"Amber's here, at my house. She's fine."

"I'll come pick her up," Rory said swiftly.

"No," said Lorelai calmly.

"What?"

"No. Amber is really shaken up right know and needs to cool down. That's why she came here."

"But Mom-," Rory tried to reason.

"Remember what it was like when you ran away?" Lorelai reminded her daughter.

"But I ran away to Grandma's," Rory retorted.

"And Amber ran away to her grandmother's."

Lorelai could almost sense Rory struggling with herself on the other side of the line.

Finally she conceded and said with a sigh, "Slash great aunt's."

Lorelai smiled, "Slash great aunt's."

Next chapter- Rory and Amber (with a pinch of Lorelai)

Some things to look forward to- Why Amber and Brendan originally broke up. Amber and Rory working out their problems. Why Rory reacted so violently over her and Jess's fights and disagreements. Another episode with the grandparents and the title (A walk in the park) is tied in.