A/N: Here's my update. I hope you guys enjoy it and please review! I also wanted to say that I did send replies to everyone who reviewed for my story. I'm very grateful! I was just wondering if anyone did not get a reply? I have never used the reply system on this site so I would like to know if it works or if I should do shout-outs? Please, contact me either by review or by e-mail if you did not get a reply. Thanks and please review!

Rory sat in the driver's seat of her little, silver Prius applying cover-up to her bruised cheek while waiting for her daughters to exit their school. Just as Rory was putting on the finishing touches the car door opened and Evelyn hopped up into the seat next to her mom. Rory quickly put away the make-up and said hi to her daughter. Evelyn had seen what her mother had been doing but knew that if she made a big deal out of it it would only cause trouble so she ignored it and looked away mumbling a soft hey back. A minute later a petite little girl crawled into the back seat.

"Hey, Baby." Rory greeted her youngest daughter.

"Hi." Bailey responded plainly.

Rory thought it odd that both of her normally bubbly children, who happened to take after Lorelai in the peppy department, remained so quiet. Rory started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. Ten minute later no conversation had yet arisen and Rory was a little dazed. Usually they would be fighting over simple, unimportant things such as how far the front seat was moved back or why one of them happened to look at the other for too long, but that was not the case of today's car ride.

"So, Evie how was your day?" Rory asked to break the thick layer of ice that seemed to have grown in the tiny car.

"Fine." Evelyn answered her mother.

"Fine? That's it?" Rory questioned to which Evelyn just nodded her curly brown-haired head.

"Okay, um, did you get any homework?" Rory inquired.

"Yeah." Evelyn replied nonchalantly.

"What'd you have?" Rory asked with a slightly less than perky attitude from being sick of her fourteen-year-old daughter's one-word answers.

"Math…Grammar…Social Studies…Is this some sort of an interrogation?" Evelyn said getting irritated with her mom's tactics of inquisition.

"Yes, as a matter-o-fact it is. I'm now working for the FBI and you are a suspect in a terrible crime." Rory said sarcastically.

Evelyn rolled her eyes and turned away from her mother. Just then Rory pulled into the driveway of the beautiful, brick mansion that they lived in. Immediately after stopping, Evelyn flew out of the car and into the house. Bailey sat in the car for a minute in total silence. Rory turned around to face Bailey.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" Rory queried.

Bailey looked up from the ground, her blue eyes filled with sadness, and stared strait at her mom. She turned away, grabbed her Cinderella book-bag, and followed the same path her sister had just taken. Rory just kept wondering what she had done. She didn't think she had been unfair or done any other act that deemed her worthy of the silent treatment recently. Rory let out a sigh and went into her house.

Bailey traveled up the spiral staircase and started walking down the hall to the left. When she reached the door with posters of Daniel Radcliffe, Max Theriot, and Jeremy Sumpter she stopped and knocked quietly. There was no answer so she knocked again, only more aggressively this time.

"Ugghhh! Mom, I don't want to talk so go…" Evelyn trailed off as she opened the door and saw Bailey standing outside her door with an innocent Bambi-after-his-mother-died like face. Evelyn sighed knowing that Bailey would guilt her into letting her inside if Evelyn didn't just give in now. Evelyn opened the door wider and Bailey walked in.

"What do you want, kid?" Evelyn questioned with teenage attitude leaking into her voice.

"What's going on?" Bailey asked her sister in a tiny voice.

Evelyn sighed and pulled her moveable black office chair up and took a seat.

"Bailey, whatever happens, whatever you see or hear, well, you can't blame dad, okay? Just know that what's happening will be fixed soon. Things will get better, okay?" Evelyn said.

Bailey shook her head.

"I don't get it. What's going on? Why did daddy hit mommy? Why were they yelling at each other? Why was mommy crying? Why was daddy so mad? Why can't daddy be blamed? He hit mommy. He made mommy cry…I love daddy, but what's going on?" Bailey inquired. "And most of all, what's going to happen to us and mommy and daddy?

Evelyn sighed. For this six-year-old, questions never seemed to end.

"Bailey dad's got a problem. You know what alcohol is right?" Bailey nodded. "Well, if people have too much of it, they start to act strange. They don't know that they are acting inappropriately though. When people drink to much alcohol they sometimes forget who they really are and act on a whim. They just do whatever they feel like it because they feel like they are on the top of the world and there are no consequences. We know that's not true though, don't we?" Bailey nodded. " Dad has a problem that is called alcoholism. He is dependant on alcohol. It's an addiction for him. Do you understand me?"

"A little bit. Do you mean that daddy is drinking all the time?" Bailey asked.

"In a way. He doesn't drink all of the time though, but when he does drink, and that is pretty often for dad, he drinks too much and ends up drunk." Evelyn explained. "We can't always blame him for his actions."

"Oh." Bailey said. "When is it gonna to be better?"

"Soon…I don't know when exactly, but mom and dad love each other. They're just going through a rough time. Rough times pass. Things will get better…eventually." Evelyn answered.

"Bailey! Evelyn! Dinner's ready!" Rory called up the stairwell.

Bailey moved her little legs to the door, out through the hall, and down the stairs. Evelyn followed her at a much slower pace.

That night, it was Evelyn's turn to help clean up the kitchen. Rory and Evelyn worked together in silence for most of the time, but, finally, Rory broke though the ice.

"Evelyn," Rory started as she set down the plate she had been drying. "What's wrong?"

"Why would you think anything was wrong mother?" Evelyn replied in a nastily sweet tone as she busied herself by drying the dishes even though her mom had stopped.

"Well, that tone of voice right there kind of blew your cover babe. Why have you been so quiet and agitated? What's going on?" Rory asked.

Evelyn stopped and looked right into her mom's eyes as if to foretell what her mom's reaction would be.

"Nothing." She said finally deciding that her mom wouldn't understand.

"No. Evelyn, I want to know what in the hell is going on here? You cannot sit here and honestly tell me that there is nothing wrong or nothing bothering you. I know you better that that Evie. Please, just tell me what's wrong." Rory persisted her inquisition.

Evelyn turned to face her mom. Her face was filled with pain and anger.

"What's wrong? What's wrong! No, mom, the question is what's right! You and dad are always fighting! You said it would get better! You promised! Well, it's not better! If anything it's worse! I saw what happened last night! Dad hit you, mom! Don't you even dare try to deny it! And do you know what's worse than that! Bailey saw it mom! She saw the whole thing! You think that she's not worried! She's six years old, mom, and she saw her dad hit her mom! What do you think she's feeling right now, huh! Cause it sure as hell ain't good! How do you think I'm feeling right now! You said that dad would never hurt you; would never hurt us! Well, what do you think he's doing! Mom, dad's a drunk! Why are you protecting him? I love him just as much as you do, mom, but he has problems! He needs help! We need help! Bailey and I can't do anything! We need you! We need you to do something…anything!" Evelyn cried and then ran up the stairs slamming her door behind her.