Whoever asked – A real explanation was never really offered. Nothing unitarily and stupendously bad happened to Rory, it was just a build up of things over time, some of which I've already written about. I haven't even fully gotten into that yet, and I plan to write lots of details, but so many people are asking, and I wanted to clear it up.

Hallon- I feel super honored.

My darlings! I missed you so! But I'm back, and just in time for Christmas- so here's an early present. I do hope you enjoy!

Rory perched on the marble countertop of her bathroom sink, fully dressed, made-up, and inebriated. A nearly empty tequila bottle sat beside her as she glared at it.

"You gave me a headache." She had gotten to herself to the point where talking to inanimate objects was not out of the question, as you can see. "Blech. You didn't even taste good." She poured the last few tablespoons down the drain, then turned the water on to wash away all signs of liquor. It did nothing for the throbbing in her head, or the pounding at the door.

"Rory? Marty's on the phone again- he says please just pick up. You were supposed to go to work today. Are you conscious?" Kathy frantically rapped at the bathroom door, her knuckles a painful shade of pink by now.

"Dammit," Rory cursed at no one. Flinging the empty bottle at the bathtub, she heard it smash as it disappeared over the tub's rim.

"I'm getting the keys, Rory." The worried housekeeper didn't know how long Mrs. Mariano had been in the bathroom, but it had been hours at least. Jess had gone up to a meeting in New York by now, and the kids hadn't seen their mother all day.

"Oopsies," Rory's voice came through the door a minute later, as she crashed to the floor. By the time Kathy had returned and unlocked the door, she'd fallen asleep from her position on the ground. The older woman heaved her into bed, embarrassed eyes skimming the results of Rory and Jess's night together. She made a mental note to wash those sheets as soon as possible.

Rory began muttering as she regained consciousness/awoke. Kathy was sitting beside her, wiping her brow with a cool washcloth.

"Aspirin please." Handing over the medication Rory kept in her bedside drawer at all times, Kathy looked upon the beautiful face with pity.

"Do you remember what happened?" she asked a few minutes later. It was part of her approach to therapy Rory out of drinking- make her remember as soon as possible, so she began to see that she couldn't just drink and forget.

"Yea. You might wanna wash these sheets." Rolling her eyes, Kathy stood up to leave. Rory needed to sleep this off right now- rest would be more beneficial than any medicine. As she left, she thought she heard Rory sniffle from the bed.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

It had been a week since that eventful night, and the couple was barely speaking. In seven days, they'd said exactly nine things to each other. Three had to do with Riley and Jane, two had to do with work, three dealt with passing things at the dinner table, and one had been an inquiry as to where her designer leather jacket might be found.

Six nights after he'd slept in Rory's arms, he'd made his way to Mina's room. The girl eagerly received him, asking no questions. She reminded him of himself in that way, but with an obvious difference. Mina was helplessly infatuated with Jess Mariano, while Jess was dutifully in love with Rory.

Rory sat with her kids in front of the living room TV, her eyelids drooping lower and lower as she watched the costumed characters hold hands and dance in a circle. She had been in Boston until three AM the previous day, and still had to drive home. Consequently, she'd only gotten about an hour of sleep before she roused herself to mother her children.

The ringing of her cell phone from its resting place on the couch arm jerked her back awake. Without so much as bothering to check who the caller was, she flipped it open and answered with a sleep 'hello?'

"Ma baby girl!" Lorelai's southern drawl sounded through the ear piece.

"Hi Mom."

"Are you busy tomorrow?" The drawl disappeared as the conversation commenced.

"In the morning. Why?"

"Because, sweet thing, Michel is opening a new boutique on 44th, and you have to come to the opening with me." Michel Gerard was the tenant who'd moved into the apartment Rory and her mother had once shared before they'd both married and moved out. He was one of the most rude and egotistical people both women knew, but this was the third store in the city he managed. Both Lorelai and Rory adored his clothes, and he'd gone so far as to customly design the dress Rory wore to the Golden Globes with her charming husband one year.

"Will there be food?"

"Probably not, but I'll treat you to lunch if you come play with me for the afternoon." Rory yawned as she pulled her palm pilot out of her pocket; she took it everywhere with her. She'd lost it several months ago, and nearly suffered a nervous breakdown without its guidance.

"I guess I could come up for a few hours." Lorelai squealed.

"Awesome! Come to the apartment as early as you can tomorrow, and we'll leave from there."

"Will Matti be coming with us?" Rory asked affectionately about her little brother.

"Luke's taking him. You and me haven't spent any special mother/daughter time together lately, so he wanted it to be just us."

"Can I at least see him when I get to your place? I think I can make it by one."

"Sure thing. I know he misses you."

"Cool. I'll see you tomorrow, Mom." They hung up, and Rory entered her plans for the next day into her little computer friend.

"Going somewhere tomorrow?" She whipped her head around with a start to see Jess leaning against the doorframe. His hair was wet, meaning that he'd just showered. And if he was showering in the middle of the day, it meant he'd just scored with Mina. And if he'd just scored with Mina, it meant he was in a good mood. Which was why he was talking to her.

"I didn't hear you come in."

"I'm sneaky like that." He ventured further into the room and sat down on the couch next to Jane. The little girl giggled as he plopped her into his lap, and stared raptly at the TV with him.

"I'm going shopping with my mom tomorrow." Riley was reaching for his father's watch, his eyes round at its shine. Jess used his index and middle fingers like little legs, and walked the hand with the watch over to the little boy who promptly moved forward to bite it.

"Have fun." Seeing that the kids were obviously in good hands, she lifted herself from the couch, and headed for the stairs. She was going up to her room as Mina sauntered down the hall from the other end of the house, grinning from ear to ear. Her hair was also wet.

"Hi Mrs. Mariano! Where are your children?"

"In the living room with their father." Mina's face lit up even more, if it was possible. Rolling her eyes in disgust, Rory finished climbing the stairs, and slammed her door. Pulling a small glass bottle from one of her many hiding places around the room, she proceeded to drain it, and collapse onto her bed without taking off her clothes, or upsetting the sheets.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Hey there Matti, where's Mom?" She stood at her mother's doorway facing her four-year-old brother, who had just opened the door. The boy looked confused. "Mommy? Where is she Matti?" Blank look. Sighing, Rory peaked her head around the front door to see Lorelai crouching next to her son. "You get a kick out of that, don't you?" Picking up Matti so she could move inside, Rory kicked off her flats as she turned to face her mother.

"It's a show stopper."

"Letting a four-year-old child open the door to God knows what on the other side? Not really a super idea."

"But I look through the peephole first. If I know the person, I open the door and hide so it looks like he did it."

"Did you used to do this with me?" Rory asked as she placed her little brother in his high-chair.

"If I said no, would you believe me?" Instead of answering, Rory rummaged through her bag to find the treat she'd brought with her. Matti clapped as she withdrew the lollipop.

"Tank you, Rory!" She unwrapped it before handing it over, and then rushed into her mother's awaiting hug.

"Mmm, it's been forever."

"It's only been a couple weeks, Mom."

"Yea, but I miss my eldest."

"I'm sorry, but I'm so busy lately."

"I don't care how busy you get, young lady. You still find time to hang with your mother."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't made me open the door to strangers when I was a child, I'd find it in my heart to make that happen."

"Mean."

They left Matti with Rory's beloved step-father, and headed for the elevator. A very enthusiastic Babette Dell was already on her way down, and she eagerly joined Rory and Lorelai all the way to a street corner a few blocks away from the Starrshallau.

"Well, dolls, I'm gonna let you go now. Have fun at that French bastard's store; I might check it out myself sometime."

"Great talking to you, Babette." Rory hailed a cab as Lorelai waved goodbye, and the two women climbed in together. They gave directions to the cabbie as Lorelai related all the latest building gossip back to her daughter, and by the time they arrived, Rory was swept up in nostalgia.

"No way. Taylor and Patty?"

"It's just a rumor, so don't go spreading it around. But…" she trailed off suggestively.

"You WILL keep me posted on this."

"Oh, absolutely. Lookie, we're here."

Michel's store was full of paparazzi, fashion hounds, and a few lesser-known celebrities. Everyone's excitement mounted as Rory Gilmore herself walked in, and headed for the elegant store owner with a woman by her side.

"Rory! Lorelai! How good of you to make it!" He pulled Rory's hands towards him in a symbol of friendship and smiled at the cameras. Grinning at her mom, Rory allowed him to kiss both of her cheeks.

"Michel! Dear friend, been digging through any garbages lately?" He huffed and dropped her hands, regardless of the photo op.

"Some imbecile had thrown away my pinkie ring! You know that!" Laughing, Rory and Lorelai linked arms as they went off to wander around the store.

Forty minutes later, Rory was still attracting a good deal of attention, and both her and her Mom had an armful of purchases.

"What shall we lunch on?" Lorelai asked her as they were heading back out to the street.

"I don't know. I'm having a fruit salad craving." Lorelai stopped walked and stared at her.

"Today's Sunday."

"I think I knew that."

"Sunday is your splurge day. Why do you want something healthy on Sunday?" Rory shrugged.

"I don't normally eat fruit, even during the week when I'm following my diet. For some reason, I want some now." Lorelai started walking again, but regarded Rory very closely. "For God's sake, stop acting like my eating fruit is the end of the world!" Shrugging, her mother dropped the subject.

They reached a cute little café with cornucopias drawn on the windows. Sitting down at a two-person table and depositing their bags at their feet, both women skimmed the menu thoughtfully. Until Rory happened to look up from hers, and see that her mother was staring at her over the top of her own menu.

"Stop that!"

"It's weird. Do you think it's weird?"

"What's weird?"

"The fruit thing!"

"No way you're still on that. Mom, you're like the queen of weird cravings. Remember the Pringles dipped in Magic Shell?"

"Those were surprisingly not bad. But you NEVER eat fruit…unless you've got a bun in the oven."

"Excuse me?" Their conversation was put on hold as a cheery waitress took their drink orders, and then Rory furiously started in on Lorelai. "Repeat that last line?"

"Both times you were pregnant, Bunny, you ate baskets and baskets of fruit. Remember the peaches?"

"I'm not pregnant, Mom."

"Five peaches. I came back, and all five were gone."

"I'm not pregnant, Mom!" Lorelai stopped her semi-serious teasing at Rory's tone of voice.

"Would that be bad?"

"Yea. Yea, now is…not a good time."

"Why? What's wrong? Did Jess do something?" Something in Rory snapped, and she pushed her chair back as she stood up.

"Why would you automatically assume it was Jess? Why can't I be the one who did something wrong?"

"Rory, you know I love Jess, I didn't mean to imply-"

"Why can't he be the good husband, and I be the one that has a problem?" She suddenly stopped talking, and her eyes went wide. "Oh my God. Fruit." She picked her bags up from the floor, and ran towards the door. Throwing an apology over her shoulder to the cashier, Lorelai followed her out.

"Rory! Wait! Where are you going?"

"To get a pregnancy test!" She ducked inside the first drugstore she came upon, and Lorelai followed anxiously.