Aki- Thank you all for your condolences and your reviews. The only worry I have now is that so many reviewers are commenting on how much they hate Rory at the moment. I don't hate her in the story. I find her as a character that made a big mistake that she needs to rectify. I think Amber is going to end up being more forgiving of Rory than some of you readers are.

Chapter 12

Jess twirled the envelope in his fingers anxiously. He didn't know why he was here. It was unnecessary, yet he knew he had to be, he had to say it, tell her, personally.

So he just stood their, leaning against the wall of the building, shrugging his shoulders against the cold 'til finally she cam out.

"Rory," he said, rushing up to her getting her attention.

"Jess?" she half greeted, half questioned. Honestly, Rory hadn't thought she would see Jess again anytime soon, let alone him finding her, by herself.

"She knows," said Jess bluntly.

"What?" asked Rory, utterly confused at this comment and Jess' sudden appearance.

"Amber knows," Jess clarified, "That you're her mother."

"What- how?"

"I didn't tell her," Jess interrupted, "She figured it out, she over heard us on Christmas.

"Oh my god," muttered Rory t herself, not believing it, not wanting to.

"Here," said Jess, not giving Rory time to compose herself, shoving the envelope he held to her.

She took it, "What's this?"

"It's from Amber, a letter I assume. I didn't read it; she made me promise not to.

"Oh," Rory mumbled, staring intently at the plain envelope in her hands.

"She doesn't know I'm here," continued Jess in an unprovoked explanation, "She's at a friend's. Amber asked me to address it and mail it, but I thought delivery in person was more appropriate." Jess paused as to let Rory ask why, but it did not come, because she was still entranced with the unopened prospect of the letter.

"Because I needed to tell you something," said Jess loudly, getting Rory to look up at him in the eye.

"What?" asked Rory.

"I needed to tell you that you better respect whatever it says in that note," said Jess harshly, "Because if Amber says that she wants nothing to do with you, you better not come barging into our life like you have some motherly right…you gave that up a long time ago."

And with that Jess turned on his heel and stalked off to his car, putting himself in a rage that was unnecessary.

"Jess," Rory called out to him as he left, finally getting her sense about her, wanting to question him, but he was to far off to hear, or maybe he just ignored her.

Rory looked back at the unblemished envelope. She wanted to read what was inside, but she was also scared too, to see what was in it. So instead of doing anything, Rory just stood their, internally battling: to open or not to open, that was the question. Of course she had to open it, that part was sure, but when and how. Part of her wanted to open it now, while another part wanted to delay it as long as possible. She compromised with herself. She would wait until she got home.

Lorelai noticed Rory's car in the driveway as she pulled up at home.

"Rory, you here?" called Lorelai as she entered the house, though her keys on the coffee table and taking off her coat. There was no answer, but Lorelai definitely heard something in Rory's room.

The door was open and inside Rory was on her bed, crying almost noiselessly into her arms.

"Ror, are you okay?"

No answer.

Lorelai yet dared to venture deeper, "Is it Jess?"

Silence then, "Yes…no."

"Which is it?"

"Yes, partially, No, not completely," Rory clarified, head still buried in her arms.

Lorelai took a breath deep and wondered if she should ask the next thing she was going to ask, if she could, "Is it…Amber?"

Rory at last looked up at her mother, old tears still wetting her face, "You know don't you?"

"Yes," answered Lorelai, no further explanation needed for either to understand.

Rory blinked, "How?"

Lorelai half shrugged, "Figured it out."

"Oh," said Rory, her voice becoming shaky, "So did she," Rory said, holding the note out to Lorelai, tears renewed.

Lorelai took it from her outstretched arm. It was notebook paper with fine creases in it from folding and tears stains that were most likely Rory's. It read:

Rory-

I know you're my mother. Dad didn't fink you out or anything, I'm just not stupid, and have killer eavesdropping skills. Anyway, I'm not going to pretend that I'm not furious at you for leaving me and leaving Dad. It's inexcusable. I can't fathom one reason why someone, anyone, would do something like that, especially you, growing with a single parent who was only sixteen when she had you.

Now that I have given you that guilt trip, I have to say that I will also not pretend that I don't want a mom. It has always been such a foreign concept to me. Most kids that have single parent, it's a mom and not a dad, with me it's the other way around. Just note that you didn't hurt just me when you left, you hurt Dad, you hurt yourself, and you hurt your family that you've been lying to. That's a lot of hurt to go around. You have a chance to fix that but you are going to have to deal with the consequences.

So I'm going to give you an ultimatum, you are either all in or your all out. That means I want you in my life, a lot, soon, or I never want to see you again. I know it seems harsh, but you're lucky you get even that chance. I just don't want a parent that pops in and out of my life, 'cause you know that hurts even more that not having one.

Sincerely, Amber Mariano

"Wow," whispered Lorelai as she finished the letter.

"Yeah, I know," replied Rory, who had watched her mother read the letter the whole time.

"I say it again, wow," Lorelai was silent for a moment in thought, "So what are you going to do?"

"Huh?"

"What are you going to do? Are you going to go?"

"I- I haven't thought about it yet," stuttered Rory.

"Well you have to, you have an ultimatum," said Lorelai over ardently, pointing at the paper, "So…are you going?"

Rory's face was blank for a moment before she answered, "Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, I'm going," said Rory jumping off her bed, all sign of tears gone.

"When?" asked Lorelai earnestly, as Rory began scurrying around her room and grabbing stuff.

"Now," said Rory digging a duffel bag out of the closet, "Help me pack."

"Okay," agreed Lorelai, "What are we packing?"
"Clothes," said Rory.

"What kind?"

"All kinds."

"Got it," said Lorelai, pulling out the desk drawers and selecting clothing items, "Hw long are you going for?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I'm being spontaneous here." The mother and daughter packed in a hurried silence for a while, it did not last long as the packing finished.

"Any books?" questioned Lorelai, as she finished up with the clothing.

"No time for books, Mom." Lorelai raised her eyebrows skeptically.

"Okay, maybe just two," Rory gave in and grabbed two books off the shelf seemingly randomly and stuff them in one of her bags. The two carried Rory's bags to her car and put them in the trunk.

Before Rory could get in and Lorelai embraced her suddenly and kissed her forehead, "Good luck," she whispered.

"Thanks mom," replied Rory.

Lorelai glanced up at the sky and grinned, "It's snowing."

"It is," Rory smiled.

Amber had just finished watching a movie at her friend Cassie's house. Cassie went to put the movie away. But Amber just sat their chin in her hand, lost in thought.

"Are you okay," asked Cassie worriedly.

"Oh, um, yeah, just a little tired."

"Whatever," said Cassie, knowing she was lying.

Amber got up from the floor and went over the curtain. Pulling it back, looked out the window.

"It's snowing," she commented.

"Yeah, its winter, it snows."

"No," Amber whispered to herself, "Good things happen when it snows."

Sorry it took so long to get up, but fanfciction was being evil yesterday and wouldn't upload my document. R/R.