Warning this story deals with the violent crime of rape in a graphic nature. If you may be upset by reading about it, please, please, please DO NOT read this story. Having said that, I also want to point out that this story also deals with love and support and the human spirit.

A/N: Sorry I've been so long in updating this story. I've been really busy at work and haven't had a chance. It's hard to write this, it seems emotionally draining to do it but satisfying as well. Thanks to all the reviewers. You don't know what it means to read your words. It is very uplifting. Thank you again.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but am eternally grateful to the WB and Amy Sherman-Palladino for creating such wonderful characters.

Previously

"I have some other concerns I would like to talk to you about if you're up to it." The doctor asked.

"Can I sit up a bit?" Lorelai asked the doctor and he nodded. He walked to the end of her bed and raised the top of it until she was almost in a sitting position. Lorelai carefully and slowly moved over to allow room for Rory to sit beside her. She patted the empty space and Rory cautiously joined her mother on the bed. Lorelai put her right arm around her daughter and held her close. Rory took her mother's left hand in both of her own and held it tightly. "Okay." Lorelai nodded to let the doctor know they were ready.

Chapter 4

"We need to talk about sexually transmitted diseases." He said matter-of-factly and Rory gasped. Lorelai let a tear slip down her cheek, but nodded to the doctor to let him know she wanted him to continue. "We have taken the necessary tests, a blood test and vaginal smears etc. and we should have the answers in a couple of days. We are starting you on a couple of different antibiotics as a precautionary measure. One type, of course, is to guard against infection and another broader antibiotic just incase any of the tests turn out positive. As you probably know there are a few sexually transmitted diseases that are incurable, but they are all treatable and we will cross that bridge if and when we come to it." He paused looking at the girls with tears running down their faces.

"What else?" Lorelai asked quietly, sensing that he wasn't finished yet and wanting to get it over with.

"HIV." The doctor spoke plainly, not mincing words. "HIV doesn't show up immediately after a possible infection. It can take anywhere from two weeks to six months to show itself. I want you to come back in a month and get tested, but remember, even if it is negative, you will need to get retested in six months."

Lorelai nodded and the doctor asked if either of them had any questions, but they didn't. Lorelai just wanted him to leave so that she could talk to her daughter.

"One more thing." He said before he left. "The police want to talk to you, but I'm going to tell them that they have to wait until tomorrow."

Lorelai shook her head, once again wanting to get it over with.

"No, you need your rest now. They can wait and come back tomorrow." He smiled. "Doctor's orders. Now if you think of anything you want to talk to me about, just get the nurse to page me and I'll be here as soon as I can."

"Thanks Doctor." Lorelai said and she turned and hugged her daughter tightly as the doctor walked out of the room. Again they cried into each others arms for a long time but eventually Lorelai pulled back to try to talk to her daughter.

"Rory, honey." Lorelai said gently stroking her daughter's hair. "Mommy needs to talk to you for a minute." Lorelai was afraid and nervous and she didn't know if she could do it. She was normally a very independent woman. She had to be, raising Rory all by herself and she had taught herself not to rely on anyone, but when that man had violated her so horribly, he had stolen a large part of her. He had broken her and she knew it. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know who she was anymore. She didn't know how to fix it, how to get back what he took or even what was gone, but the one thing she did know was that she was going to need help. She was going to need Rory. She had always been there for Rory and she would try her best to be there for her this time, but this time was different. This time she was going to need Rory, more than Rory needed her. This time was going to be harder than any time that had come before. She didn't know if she could do it. She didn't know if she could get through it. She didn't know anything except that she needed Rory, the one person in the world whom she would trust with her life.

She was Rory's mother. She was supposed to protect her child. She was supposed to keep Rory safe, and she hadn't done that. Sure, she knew that she had sacrificed herself to stop that man from touching her child, but she also knew that while Rory had not been physically harmed, she had still been raped just as surely as she herself had. She knew that as close as they were, what happened to one of them, happened to the other as well. Rory came first and that hadn't changed. Rory would always come first, it was just this time, Lorelai didn't know how or what to do. She always had a plan, whether it was right or wrong, or somewhere in between, in her mind, she could rationalize, and judge, and decide. This time she had no plan.

Rory noticed Lorelai's hesitation. "Mommy," She said quietly looking into Lorelai's eyes. "You can tell me, you know. You can tell me anything."

"I know sweetie." Lorelai was overwhelmed by her daughter's strength and determination. She guided her daughter's hands around her waist again. She needed Rory to hold her tightly and give her the strength to talk about what had happened to her.

Rory hugged her Mother's waist with a protective embrace and laid her head underneath her mother's chin. "Talk to me." She said quietly and Lorelai did.

"You know what that man did to Mommy today." She began and Rory nodded silently. "You know that he hurt Mommy a lot."

"I know." Rory said so quietly, that Lorelai almost didn't hear it. She couldn't see her daughter's face, but she knew that it was filled with the same hurt and pain that she herself was feeling.

Well, because of what happened, Mommy's feeling all mixed up inside." The tears ran down Lorelai's face and dropped into her daughter's hair. "I lost a part of myself today and I'm not sure how to get it back. I need you to help me. I need you to be strong for me and to be my best friend and my confidant and my beautiful, smart, wonderful daughter." Rory started to speak but Lorelai stopped her. "Sshh." She said softly. "Let me finish first." And Rory nodded. "And I promise I will be there for you. I'm not sure, but I think that you might be a little mixed up inside too."

"I am." Rory nodded and Lorelai ran her hands through her daughter's hair.

"That's what I thought." She could feel the wetness from Rory's tears on her chest. "So I'll be strong for you and I'll be your best friend and your confidant and your Mother."

"My beautiful, smart, wonderful Mother." Rory interjected and Lorelai smiled.

"We have to promise that we'll tell each other how we're feeling and if we need to cry, then we'll cry and if we need a hug, then we'll ask for one and if we need to talk, then we'll talk and together we'll get through this. Together, we'll both be okay."

"Okay." Rory said, somewhat tentatively.

"What's wrong?" Lorelai asked immediately but Rory just hugged her mother tighter. "It seems like you need to talk." Lorelai echoed her words from just a few minutes ago. "So we should talk."

Rory lifted her head and looked into her Mother's eyes. "I'm scared."

"I know you are." Lorelai wiped her daughter's tears from her cheeks. "I'm scared too, but as long as we have each other we will be okay."

"But what if." She hesitated and Lorelai prodded her.

"But what if what?" She questioned.

"But what if I loose you."

"You're not going to loose me." Lorelai assured her hugging her tightly again.

"But you could be sick. The doctor said. What if…" Rory was crying too hard to continue and Lorelai held her daughter securely. She felt her body shudder and the fear rise up in her throat. She swallowed hard trying to stay calm for her daughter, but the fear wouldn't go away, so she waited and when she was finally able to speak she took a deep breath.

"But I'm not sick now." She whispered, still trying to get rid of the lump in her throat, but continuing to try to calm Rory. "And we can't think about the what ifs. If something comes up, then we will deal with it, but we will drive ourselves crazy if we worry about what could happen."

"Okay." Rory said again.

"What else?" Lorelai asked gently.

"But…" She started and stopped.

"But what?"

"Never mind." She looked down. "It's a what if."

"If it's bothering you, then you should tell me." Lorelai wanted her daughter to talk to her about anything and she was annoyed at her self for her earlier choice of words. "Even if it is a what if."

"But what if I'm not good enough, what if I say the wrong thing, what if I can't help you." Her mother had never asked for her help like this before and she was very worried. She new it was important and she didn't want to fail her.

"Awe sweetie." Lorelai took her daughter in her arms again and Rory hugged her tightly. "All you have to do is hold me like this and you will help me more than you can ever know." Lorelai looked her daughter in the eye. "You are my heart, remember. There is nothing that you could say that would be the wrong thing. I just need you to be with me. More than anything I just need you."

"You have me." Rory said looking back at her mother. "You have all of me." As mother and daughter embraced again Rory kissed her mother's cheek and spoke softly into her ear. "I love you Mom."

"I love you too Rory." Her mother replied and laid her head on her daughter's shoulder.