Previously on Anywhere But Here:
Lorelai led Cynthia to the couch.
"Lorelai I need to talk to you about something. And I need you to be serious and honest." Cynthia said.
"Okay." Lorelai replied.
"I need to talk to you about Gracie..."
x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o
"Oh. Okay." Lorelai replied.
"Well, in all due respect, Gracie just isn't turning out to be the daughter that I raised. She doesn't like to go to functions. She's a rebel. I've just found it easier to hire a nanny to take care of her." Cynthia said honestly.
Lorelai just stood there. Not really believing what Cynthia had just said. Did she really just say that she didn't want to have to deal with her daughter?
"So, you're saying that it's easier to run away from your problems then face them?" Lorelai said.
"No. I'm saying that I find it easier to get someone else to do all the dirty work." Cynthia said.
"That's the same thing." Lorelai said.
"Anyways, Gracie obviously has no respect for me."
"What? Gracie doesn't have any respect for you? You have no respect for her. She calls you ma'am. No daughter is supposed to call her daughter ma'am. It's just not healthy." Lorelai said.
"I think it's healthy. A daughter should respect her mother. And that shows that she has respect for me." Cynthia said.
"You obviously don't care about what happens to your daughter. She was in the hospital, and you didn't come. She was in a fire, and you didn't come. You didn't even talk to her. If my daughter was caught in a fire or was in the hospital I would come running from whatever I was doing. My daughter is everything to me. Obviously you're daughter isn't everything to you," Lorelai said. She was getting really aggrivated.
"You're right, my daughter doesn't mean everything to me. She means something to me. But not everything. That's not healthy." Cynthia said. Trying to make a point.
"What do you mean it's not healthy! It's not healthy to love your daughter? Well sorry!" Lorelai said.
"Oh. Don't be sorry." Cynthia said thinking that Lorelai really had apologized.
"Well, okay." Lorelai said confused.
"Why does Gracie seem really happy to see you? She's happier with you then she is with me!" Cynthia exclaimed.
"Maybe it's because I have boundaries, but I'm not strict. I know how to have a good time and I'm not a stuck up jerk." Lorelai said.
"I'm like that, too." Cynthia said.
"Ya, ya, ya." Lorelai said.
"Okay, maybe I'm not as good as I thought I was." Cynthia said.
"Maybe you're not." Lorelai said thinking that maybe Cynthia was coming to her senses.
"But at least I'm a better mother then you." Cynthia said.
"A better mother! At least I don't send my kid off to boarding school just to get rid of her and only see her when I have a "function" to go too!" Lorelai said.
"But you did get pregnant at 16!" Cynthia said.
'And the hits just keep on coming' Lorelai thought.
"Well if you don't care about her maybe I should just adopt her!" Lorelai yelled.
"Well maybe you should" Cynthia yelled even louder.
"W-What?" Lorelai said completely dumfounded.
"Well if you think you're the best mother out there maybe you should adopt her." Cynthia said.
"Really?" Lorelai asked. Wanting a hint as to see if she was kidding or not.
"Really. I'll have the papers sent over to your lawyers office tomorrow. She'll be your problem as soon as next week." Cynthia said.
Lorelai just sat there in shock. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. In her own little world, Lorelai didn't notice Cynthia walk away.
Cynthia walked over to her daughter, who was in Rory's room.
"Gracie I have some sad new to tell you." Cynthia said.
"What? What is it?" Gracie asked. Worried that she wouldn't be able to come back to Lorelai's house again.
"I've just found out that Lorelai wants to adopt you." Cynthia said as though nothing had fazed her. But the truth was, it didn't faze her.
"W-What?" Gracie said. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel. Happy, or sad. She didn't know. She felt numb. But not in a bad way.
"I'm sending the papers over to Lorelai tomorrow. You will be her daughter as soon as next week." Cynthia said. Repeating what she said to Lorelai but changing a few words.
"Really?" Gracie said. Wanting a hint to see if she was kidding. But then again, her mother never joked.
"Really. But you're going to have to go to Brantford until then." Cynthia said.
"Oh okay." Gracie said.
Cynthia walked back towards the living room where Lorelai was sitting. Not realizing that Gracie had ran back into Rory's room. Where Rory had started screaming in excitement.
Lorelai was now sitting on the couch. She was in shock. Standing up didn't seem to be a good idea at the moment. Cynthia walking in brought her back to reality.
"Now I think we have to settle a few things." Cynthia said.
"Oh okay." Lorelai said.
"Gracie will go to Brantford Prep. until you come and get her when all of the appropriate papers have been filled out."
"Wait. Gracie is only going to be your daughter for about a week more. And you don't want to spend the time with her?" Lorelai questioned.
"Why would I want to? I've spent enough time with her already. And it's not like I want to. She's been a pain in the ass since that day she was born." Cynthia said.
"How dare you talk about Gracie that way!" Lorelai exclaimed.
"It's not like I'm lying" Cynthia said.
"Gracie is an amazing, wonderful girl! And all you can say is that she's a pain in the ass! No wonder you don't care if I adopt her! You don't really care. You don't love her. Gracie deserves a lot better then you! I'm not saying that by me adopting her she's getting everything she deserves but at least it's more then you were giving her! You sent her to boarding school just to get rid of her! What kind of mother would do that! I would NEVER be able to do that. Never! In my life. I would die before I would do that to my daughter and soon to be daughters." Lorelai exclaimed. Almost yelling by the time her speech was over.
"Well I'm not you am I." Cynthia said calmly. Nothing Lorelai had said fazed her. She didn't care.
"I have to go run a few errands. I will be back in an hour or two to come pick up Kenzie." Cynthia said. And with that she was gone.
Lorelai sat down on the couch. Had nothing she said got through to this woman? No wonder Gracie talked about her mom like she did. She was a jerk.
xoxo
What neither Lorelai nor Cynthia knew was that Gracie was standing in the kitchen listening to their conversation.
Gracie stood in the kitchen. Tears threatening to escape from her eyes. She was about to explode. She couldn't keep it in anymore. She ran outside and closed the door quietly behind her.
She put her back against the door and slid down. She sat down on Lorelai's deck. She put her face in her hands and started to sob. She couldn't hold it in anymore. She put her face in her lap. Wanting to make sure that her sobs were muffled as much as possible.
Her mother really didn't care. But she should probably stop calling her her mother. Because she wasn't really her mom anymore. Lorelai was. Gracie felt a warm feeling come over her as she thought of that. Lorelai was her mom now.
xoxo
Lorelai heard sobs coming from outside. She knew those sobs. She'd heard them before. She got outside as quick as possible. She opened the door and almost ran into Gracie. She was in a ball position. Her face in her lap, crying.
Lorelai sat down next to her and held her.
"She didn't care," Gracie said.
"Shh. It's okay. It'll all be okay." Lorelai said. She couldn't deny what Gracie had said. Because it was true. As much as she didn't want to believe it. It was true.
"But, you're my mom now." Gracie said as the tears subsided, "So it's all good."
"Ya, it's all good." Lorelai said. Happy that Gracie was starting to stop crying. She hated seeing her like that.
Gracie stopped crying and stood up suddenly.
"You're my mom now." Gracie said. Finally letting the news sink in.
Lorelai and Gracie celebrated on the deck. With laughing, screaming, hugging, and all of that kind of stuff. Rory heard all of the commotion and came to join them.
Finally, all of the celebrating subsided and they went inside to talk.
"Where am I going to sleep?" Gracie asked.
"Oh, wow. I haven't thought of that." Lorelai said.
"You could sleep with me until we figure that out." Rory said.
"Ya. And we have the guest room upstairs that I could change into Gracie's room." Lorelai said.
"But you use the guest room to sew" Gracie argued.
"That's okay. I can sew wherever I want to." Lorelai said.
"Okay, as long as I'm not putting you out." Gracie said.
"Of course you're not putting me out! I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't want you to use it!" Lorelai said.
"Well okay then." Gracie said.
"You can sleep with me until the room is ready." Rory said. Wanting her idea to be worked in too.
"Yes." Lorelai said.
"How are we going to tell the town?" Lorelai said.
Gracie and Rory didn't answer. They didn't know.
An hour and a half later Cynthia pulled into the driveway.
"See you next week guys!" Gracie said as she ran to the limo.
"See ya!" Lorelai and Rory both said as Gracie got in the limo.
"Rory!" Lorelai said as she grabbed Rory's arm as she started to walk inside.
"I haven't cleared this with you yet." Lorelai said seriously.
"Cleared what with me?" Rory asked.
"About me adopting Gracie. I know that it's a life changing thing." Lorelai said.
"No it's fine! I really want her to be my sister! You look happy." Rory said.
"I am kid." Lorelai said. With that they both walked inside.
xoxox
Lorelai and Rory walked into Luke's later that day.
"Hey Luke," Lorelai said.
"Hey Lorelai." Luke said from over the counter.
"I have something to tell you." Lorelai said seriously.
"What is it?" Luke asked worriedly.
"Can we talk about it in your apartment?" Lorelai asked.
"Sure." Luke said.
"Luke," Rory said as Luke started to walk upstairs.
"Ya?" Luke asked.
"It's a good thing. Stop worrying." Rory said.
"Thanks Rory." Luke said and followed Lorelai upstairs.
Luke closed the door behind them.
"Lorelai what is it?" Luke asked.
"I'm adopting Gracie" Lorelai blurted out.
"What?" Luke asked.
"Ya. Cynthia came in and said how Gracie was a problem and a pain in her ass. And she obviously didn't care about her at all. She was being a jerk. Then I was like 'well maybe I should just adopt her'. And then she said that I should. So I am." Lorelai said.
"Really" Luke said.
"Really." Lorelai said.
"That's great!" Luke exclaimed. He never really liked Cynthia anyways.
Luke gently kissed Lorelai on the lips.
"We should probably get downstairs." Lorelai said.
"Ya proabably."
"People might get suspicious." Lorelai said.
Lorelai followed Luke out of the apartment and closed the door behind her.
One week later:
Cynthia flew Gracie home so she could pack all of her stuff. Gracie lived 5 hours away if you drove the speed limit. But shorter if you sped. Gracie packed all of her things. Said goodbye to her mom and dad. Then the limo driver drove her to the airport.
3 hours later:
Lorelai and Rory were waiting at the Hartford airport. They had been there a half an hour early. They wanted to make sure that they weren't late.
Finally, a blue-eyed, brown-haired 13 year old came out of the airport termanil.
"Mom!" Gracie yelled as she ran towards Lorelai.
"Gracie!" Lorelai said as she opened her arms waiting for Gracie.
Gracie ran up and hugged Lorelai.
"I missed you!" Gracie said.
"I missed you too!" Lorelai said.
"Rory!" Gracie exclaimed as she let go of Lorelai and embraced Rory.
"Hey, sis." Rory said.
"I missed you" Gracie said.
"I missed you too!" Rory said.
"I'm just going to go get my bags." Gracie said.
"Do you need any help?" Lorelai asked.
"Not right now. But after I will bringing them all to the car." Gracie said.
"We'll be right over." Lorelai said.
"Okay." Gracie said. Running over the the baggage claim area.
"You're daughter's very pretty." A women said who was standing beside them. She looked to be about 40-ish. Give or take a few years.
Lorelai looked over at Gracie who was struggling to pull one of her suitcases off of the tram. Lorelai smiled. Gracie was now her daughter.
"Thank you!" Lorelai exclaimed.
Lorelai and Rory walked over to Gracie who had 3 bags next to her.
"Is this all of your stuff?" Lorelai asked.
"Ya. I "accidentaly" left a few bags at home." Gracie said. "I didn't really like the clothes that were in them anyways."
Lorelai and Rory helped Gracie being the bags to their jeep.
xoxo
Gracie, Lorelai and Rory talked and giggled all the way home. Halfway home Rory stopped talking and just watched the reaction between her mom and her new sister.
Rory figured it out. It was right there. The thing that made Gracie different then Lorelai and herself. The one that she could never quite figure out. It was gone now. She could tell. It was... lonliness. Gracie wouldn't want to be ... anywhere but here... together as a family.
x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o
A/N Well that's the story. I hope you enjoyed reading it! I enjoyed writing it! I would like to know what you think of a sequal! Thanks!
caitymonkey123