"That's it!" Lorelai roared. "I can't take this any longer, Rory." Lorelai pulled the car over to the curb. "I refuse to be treated this way." Lorelai's anger was at a boiling point and nothing could cool it. "I don't deserve this attitude and resentment you have for me!"
Rory's eyes immediately began to tear up. Rory hated being yelled at; it tore her apart when someone raised their voice to her.
"I don't have an attitude." Rory said stubbornly, as she wiped at her tears.
"Yes, you do!" Lorelai debated. "You think that Sheila is God. Do you even care about Jesus or God, Rory? Or are you just going to church and doing all of these things for Sheena and Sheila?"
"Of course I care." Rory defended.
"I have tried talking this out with you over and over. You don't listen! You've let Sheila gain this power over you. Like she has you brainwashed." Lorelai was beginning to acknowledge just how much she truly despised this woman. "I forbid you to see her." Lorelai finally declared. "I want you to stay away from her. Understand?"
Rory's eyebrows narrowed. "I wont stay away!"
"I'm your mother, and you'll do as I say."
"You're a horrible mother!" Rory screeched. "You're trying to keep me out of church and away from people who care about me! I won't do it! I won't stop seeing them!" Rory's voice began to crack and break through her intense crying.
Before thinking twice, Lorelai reared back her hand. Rory had never been struck in her life, but at that moment Lorelai had an uncontrollable urge to slap her daughter across the face. Rory threw up her hands in protection. Lorelai's breathing became heavy as she lowered her hand and turned away from her daughter, leaving her untouched. She desperately tried to regain control of herself before she did something she would regret.
"I'm taking you to your Grandmother's." Lorelai calmly replied. "You're staying there till I figure out a way to deal with this.
Afraid to disagree with her mother, Rory kept her mouth shut. She sat silently in the seat sniffling every so often. Lorelai drove off in the direction of her parent's house which was only a few minutes away.
(The Gilmore Mansion)
"Don't worry." Richard replied. "We'll take good care of her."
"I don't know what to do." Lorelai said as she sank into the couch. "I've never seen her like this."
"It's a phase." Emily answered. "God knows we went through it with you."
Usually Lorelai would find this comment offensive, but at the moment she had more important things to worry about. "Rory isn't me." Lorelai replied. "She's not a bad kid."
"We know that." Richard added. "She'll be fine. Perhaps some space and time apart will do you both good."
"I've never spent more than one night away from her." Lorelai cupped her hands in her lap. "She would stay with Lane sometimes, but even then I would have to come pick her up in the middle of the night."
"She can stay as long as she wants." Emily said as she handed Lorelai a glass of water.
"Thank you." Lorelai replied. "I'll bring her stuff over this evening."
"That's quite alright, no need in making an extra trip to Hartford, I'll have the driver come by and get it." Emily suggested.
Lorelai shook her head. "Yeah, maybe that would be better. Well, I guess I'll leave now." Lorelai stood and slowly walked towards the door. "Call if you need me."
"We will." Richard assured.
"I'll probably be up late, so don't worry about the time." Lorelai continued.
"We won't." Emily replied.
Lorelai slowly opened the door and paused. "If you get a chance, check on her tonight. She usually kicks off her covers in her sleep. She'll freeze if you don't cover her up again."
"Everything will be fine." Richard repeated. "Go along."
Lorelai closed the door and walked out into the jeep. Before pulling out of the driveway she broke down into a silent cry. After a few minutes of drowning her sorrows in her shirt sleeves, she left for Stars Hollow.
(Luke's Diner)
"You're just going to leave her there?" Luke asked astonished.
"I don't know what else to do."
Luke shook his head to the left and right. "They'll keep her locked up." He replied. "You know how they treated you. She'd have more freedom in a prison."
"I know." Lorelai admitted. "I think that would be for the best right now."
Luke sighed. "I don't see how it came to this." He repositioned his hat on his head. "I thought you were going to talk to her? Did you try talking about God with her? Did you suggest going to a new church?"
"I didn't get the chance." Lorelai shamefully retorted. "She told me I was a horrible mother." Lorelai's eyes began to water. "I almost slapped her." Lorelai murmured. "I've never hit Rory in my life, and I came so close today."
Luke came around to Lorelai's side of the counter and wrapped his arms around her. "You're not a horrible mother." He said soothingly.
"I must be." Lorelai said as she rested her head on Luke's chest. "Why else is this happening to me?"