Mitchum paced around his study as he waited for Christopher and Emily to arrive. The day had started off so promising with the surprise baby shower but now it was ending like a train wreck. His PI that had been following Lorelai had informed him that she had met with a reporter for a paper that he didn't own (he had to give the women credit for knowing no Huntzberger paper would publish gossip about Logan) and had told him about Logan and Rory's affair and how Rory was pregnant with his child. Thankfully, she didn't say anything about the meeting in New York where they had confronted Odette and Shira about their part in keeping the pregnancy a secret, but that news wouldn't help paint her story about the affair and the bastard grandchild. Her version was that Odette had found out about the pregnancy and that was what had caused her to seek comfort with another man and she had called off the engagement not being able to stand the shame Logan's actions had caused her. Who knows what Odette would do when this story broke, she had disappeared to Greece after the engagement ended and she was pushed slightly out of society, no one wanted to get involved in the drama, but with this news… Once this broke, she could turn everything around and try to play the victim, yes, he had the tape, he had the pictures, but this could turn into a blame game and drag everyone through the mud. Mitchum had to reluctantly give her credit, the story was good and designed to paint both Logan and Rory in a horrible light and he couldn't believe that the woman would try and destroy her own daughter like this. She had to know the gossip this story would cause would be devastating to both of the kid's reputations. He had underestimated her; he had never thought that this woman would stoop so low as to destroy her own daughter this way and it just made him wonder what else this woman had done; he just hoped the Emily had those answers. He stopped pacing when he heard a knock on the door and bellowed a come in and Christopher entered. Both men stood in uncomfortable silence, not wanting to start discussions until Emily arrived. Thankfully they didn't have to wait long and as soon as Emily walked into the door and shut it behind her she played the tape. Mitchum and Chris listened, both disgusted and what Shira had told Emily.

When the tape ended Emily looked at them both. "So, I can pay Shira the $5 million and she will keep this to herself and if I don't, she will start telling people. She thinks that I will not want Lorelai's actions coming to light and hurting Rory or tarnishing the family reputation. Shira doesn't know that I am already aware that Lorelai has been working with her or what else Lorelai has done. So, the question now if what do we do?"

Mitchum sighed, "before we decide that I need to tell you about a phone call I received from the private investigator that has been trailing Lorelai. She met with a reporter a few hours ago and sold the story about the affair and the baby." Emily gasped at the information and Chris's face flushed red in anger. "So, it seems we need to discuss a lot."

It had been only been a few days since the baby shower and thankfully the article had not been published yet. Mitchum was able to reach out to the paper's editor to buy some time by explaining Rory's pregnancy and the complications and that the stress of this article could cause her and the baby severe harm. When trying to reason with the man didn't work, Mitchum paid him $100K and got a promise that he had a week before the story would run. Rory would be close to 38 weeks, safe to deliver and it gave the others the chance to hopefully get ahead of these stories, warn Logan and Rory and start damage control.

Emily had reached out to Luke and when she played him the tape of her conversation with Shira, he was irate, he didn't want to believe everything Lorelai had done. They had decided to go to Stars Hollow and confront Lorelai together. Emily would not be paying off Shira, Lorelai went too far by going to the press and she deserved anything that happened to her.

As Emily pulled her car to a stop in front of her daughters' home, she took a deep breath and recalled the conversation that she had with Shira just a few days ago…

Emily was unable to mask the disgust from her features as she studied the women in front of her. Her roots were showing, a shade of brown and grey and the normal glossy blonde was dull. It looked like she had gained weight, her clothes were a little tight and slightly wrinkled, this woman was nothing like the past Shira Huntzberger. "What do you want Shira?" Emily questioned as she studied her.

"I want money and you're going to give it to me," Shira replied with a look of triumph in her eyes. Emily couldn't contain her laughter and Shira just narrowed her eyes. "The more you laugh the more the price goes up."

Emily finally was able to control the laughter and gave the woman a cold look. "After what you have done to my granddaughter and great-grandchild there is no way in hell, I will ever pay you a penny."

"What I did?" Shira questioned as she rose an eyebrow that looked busy without the normal maintenance. "I did nothing but try and protect my son from your family. That granddaughter isn't fit to be a Huntzberger and your daughter knows it!"

"My daughter," Emily asked as she studied the woman. So that's what she wants money for… "What does my daughter have to do with what you have done?"

"She has everything to do with this!" Shira yelled. "And unless you want the world to know what Lorelai has done then you will give me money so that I can start a new life!"

Emily scoffed, "I'm sure you could still find a job as cocktail waitress though you may need to lose a few pounds and have to be a little less… picky about your place of employment. McDonald's is always hiring but I am sure even they have their standards."

"When I tell everyone what your daughter has done it will cause scandal to the Gilmore name, she will lose everything!" Shira retorted worriedly; this was not going the way she planned.

"Lorelai causes scandal all the time," Emily stated with a slight shrug. "And in case you have forgotten I am no longer in Hartford; all that gossip doesn't bother me anymore."

"But this will affect your granddaughter, your great-grandchild. You care about them," Shira said as she studied the older woman. "Surely you wouldn't want this scandal to fall on them, especially when Logan gets bored of Rory and leaves her again."

Emily had to choke back a response about the couple. After seeing them earlier that day she knew that their running days were long over, and they would be raising this child together. "What has my daughter done? What has she possibly done to cause a scandal that will affect the family?"

"Pay me five million and I'll tell you," Shira stated smugly.

"Tell me first and I'll decided if it's worth the money to keep you quiet," Emily replied giving the woman a cold look.

Shira knew that there was no way to get this money first and gestured to a seat and then took hers. "Your daughter came to me after she and Logan got back together trying to figure out a way to break them apart. Mitchum was wavering on London and I convinced him to force Logan to go, neither one of us thought Logan would be faithful and Lorelai planned on working to convince Rory that she could do better. But then he returned, and they were still together so she told me where Rory was applying for jobs and I made sure she didn't get any of them. When Logan proposed she came to me and Lorelai told me that she would try and convince Rory she was too young, make her second guess things especially since she had no job offers and it worked. Rory said no but years later they reconnected, and Lorelai came to me again and we worked on a plan. I kept throwing eligible women at Logan and Lorelai ensured that Rory saw the tabloid pictures. It was Lorelai's idea that Logan needed a proper wife, Rory would never allow herself to be the other woman but even after Odette Logan and Rory kept seeing each other. Odette told me about Rory desperately trying to reach Logan and Lorelai told me about the pregnancy."

Emily listened to the woman talk and felt sick, how could Lorelai do this? "I don't see how what you are telling me will cause a scandal," she slowly replied. "All this tells me is that you and Lorelai are two conniving manipulative women that don't give a damn about anyone other than yourselves. You have lived in this world long enough to know that this story won't damage Rory."

"Its enough to make people think about how naive she is!" Shira exclaimed. "It will show everyone how weak she is, how easily manipulated she it and you know this world. People will take her weaknesses and exploit them."

"That's what you would do," Emily replied as she stood. "Go ahead and tell the world what you told me but you won't be getting a penny from me. Rory will be fine in society; she belongs unlike you did. You got pregnant to belong, she belongs by blood. Francine and I will help her and guide her, and she has more than enough friends, your daughter included, to support her. You have lost Shira. You can try and destroy my family, but it will never work." With that Emily walked out the door and left a baffled Shira behind her.

Luke walked into the house first and called out. "Lorelai you here?"

"Oh Luke!" Lorelai exclaimed as she came running in from the kitchen and threw her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're here! You were gone for so long and we haven't really talked, and everyone has been asking where you were, and I mean Paul Anka hasn't had a good meal since…" she trailed off noticing that Luke didn't hug her back and Emily Gilmore was standing right behind him.

"Hello Lorelai," Emily stated, her voice cold and Lorelai moved slightly back and studied the two of them for a moment.

"Umm… mom!" Lorelai stated her nervousness edging into her voice. "What are you doing here? You haven't spoken to me in months, I figured you forgot all about me… you know me the daughter you haven't had a conversation with since my wedding. Then you canceled Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of how about the daughter that you haven't said more than two words to on the phone over the last few weeks. Are you here to tell me about my daughter, the girl you stole and corrupted…? You went back on everything you promised me! You gave her the inheritance after I told you not to give her money!"

"Enough," Emily stated with a cold voice. "What have you done?"

When Lorelai didn't say anything, her face transformed into a blank mask Luke let out a huff of air. "How about we start with Rory's pregnancy and go from there."

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Lorelai started as she studied the two of them.

"Bullshit!" Emily exclaimed. "Bullshit Lorelai, you know exactly what we are talking about."

"I am her mother!" Lorelai exclaimed and turned to walk back into the kitchen and grabbed her coffee. She turned back around and faced both of them her eyes now filled with anger. "I am her mother and all I have done it tried to protect her. That boy was never good enough for her and after she tied herself to him for the rest of her life… I had to protect her!"

"How could you think it was okay for her not to tell the father?" Luke questioned. "You saw what I went through, you saw how devastated I was!"

"Your different!" Lorelai reported. "That boy is a waste, all he has is because of daddy's money! He isn't good enough for her and never has been. He will abandon her and that child or worse he will take the child from her and raise it to be just like the rest of society, spoiled and entitled! She has given up everything for him and for what to be wondering from place to place? She should have followed the plan! She should have listened to me and followed the plan and none of this would have happened!"

"The plan that you created and convinced Rory she wanted over the years," Emily stated as she looked at Lorelai. "When are you going to realize that this is Rory's life and not yours? She is finally making the decisions she wants to make."

Lorelai let out a bitter laugh. "She doesn't know what she wants. It's my job as her mother to make sure she follows the plan."

Emily laughed in response to her daughter's words. "Like you followed the plan and path your father and I created for you? Grow up Lorelai, the world does not revolve around you. Rory wants more than what you have created here."

"What do you know?" Lorelai exclaimed as she studied her mother. "Rory was finally ready to come home, live the life in Stars Hollow that she needs and then that playboy knocks her up and she goes running to you and Chris to fix everything? I worked to make sure that she would always come back to Stars Hollow and if she would have listened to me and not taken the campaign job she would have never left! She didn't need to go anywhere, she needed to settle down here and listen to what I told her. But no! She followed what you and dad wanted; she went to Yale where she met that… that asshole who tried to take my daughter away. It wasn't what I wanted; it wasn't what his family wanted so we made sure she that she didn't get a job that would take her away but no! That damn campaign job was offered and despite what Shira and I did she got a job that took her away! I made sure I planted doubts in her head about Logan, she doesn't need him, she doesn't need society she just needs me! It's always just been me!" She paused to take a breath and noticed the shocked looks on Luke's and Emily's faces and then realized what all she had revealed.

"What do you mean you made sure she didn't get a job?" Luke asked harshly as he studied the woman he thought he knew.

"Nothing," Lorelai quicky responded, trying to dig herself out of a hole.

"What did you and Shira do?" Emily asked her eyes focused on Lorelai, she knew what Shira had told her, but she needed to hear the words from her own daughter, she needed to know how she justified everything she had done to Rory. "How could you tell your daughter she could take on the world but then expect her to stay in this town?"

"I am her mother!" Lorelai yelled. "I know what is best for her!"

"What's best?" Luke asked trying to find out more. "What did you do?"

"I just made her listen to reason. She was so unsure when she was about to graduate, I made sure she knew that she needed to follow the plan, the plan doesn't involve getting married, having kids. She would have been stuck in a loveless marriage, the Huntzberger's wouldn't let that marriage work!" Lorelai pleaded.

"What did you and Shira do Lorelai?" Luke pressed.

She took a few deep breaths, looking at them she knew that they knew. There was no way they were here unless they knew and now… she had to convince them that everything she did was for the best. "Logan came to me to ask for permission to propose and I… I didn't want to say yes but I did so that I could get Rory to turn him down. I went to Shira and told her, she didn't want Rory in the family, so I let her know what Rory wanted, the New York Times, places she had applied to and even warned her that Logan was moving to California. She made sure Rory didn't get the jobs. Months later when Rory was getting phone calls and letters asking for job interviews, I didn't tell her. I knew she was upset about Logan, but she got over it she moved on! Just like I knew she would, and he moved on to, it was for the best they don't belong with each other they don't fit into each other's lives! After a few years I suspected the Rory was back in touch with Logan, I caught her looking at some old pictures of them, so I reached out to Shira again to let her know. I let Shira knew when I knew Rory was in London and after Rory told me about the pregnancy, I told Shira." A few tears escaped from Lorela's eyes as she studied the coffee table, almost afraid to look up.

"And you going to the reporter? The blackmail?" Emily stated not feeling any sympathy for her daughter.

"I need Rory back here," Lorelai sobbed. "I know what's best for her!"

"And what about Jess?" Luke questioned and Lorelai looked up at him. "Tell me about how Jess is involved, how you got him involved."

Lorelai sighed and took a sip of her coffee trying to compose herself. "When Rory dropped out of Yale, Jess came by looking for her. I told him she was in Hartford, told him how she had gotten involved in the wrong crowd and was throwing her life away. It worked, he convinced her to go back to school, she and Logan broke up and I had my daughter back! But then… Rory went back to him, I thought she would read between the lines in the letter I gave her, I thought she would stay away but she fell for it again. After the bridesmaids they stayed together but they were having issues, so I reached out to Jess and he invited her to the open house, but it didn't work. When I suspected the Rory was with Logan again… I started telling him about when Rory would be back here, told him how she still cared for him. He would have raised the baby with her. He would have stayed here with her and Rory and the baby would have had everything they needed!"

Emily studied the crying woman in front of her and while a part of her felt sympathy, wanted to comfort her daughter the larger part was disgusted at how she had tried to manipulate her daughter for all of these years. "Shira contacted me," she finally stated, and Lorelai looked over at her. "She wants $5 million to keep this all a secret, she assumed that I wouldn't want your actions to become public. Her reputation is ruined so she promised to do what she could to ruin you if I don't pay." Emily studied the slightly hopeful look in her daughter's eyes and sighed. "I'm not paying, I'm not helping you cover this all up and Rory will know what you have done. I am not hiding what we have discovered, she already knows you did something, she knows you had something to do with Jess and I won't keep these secrets away from her."

"This could destroy me!" Lorelai cried out and quickly stood. "This could destroy me; it will destroy everything I have worked for! What about the family name? Surely you don't want the scandal." She paused and studied her mother and suddenly her eyes flashed with fury. "But you want that? You want my relationship with Rory to be destroyed and then she will be exactly what you wanted! Well, that will never happen!" Lorelai stated an evil smile upon her face. "As soon as that article comes out the Rory won't be wanted in society, her and Logan will be shunned and she won't have the life you wanted for her either. Pay Shira the money and I will go back to the reporter and tell him it was all a lie, that I was upset with her and wanted to hurt her. Pay the money, keep my secret and the article will never be published!"

Emily scoffed and met her daughter's eyes. "Stay away from Rory, stay away from Logan," she stated in a cold voice. "Rory already wanted nothing to do with you and when she finds out about this… You have called me controlling and manipulative for years but what you have done… this is unforgivable."

"I am nothing like you," Lorelai retorted in a haughty tone. "I have only been looking out for Rory, making sure she knows what's best for her. All you ever did was try and control me!"

"No Lorelai," Luke stated as he studied the women in front of him and didn't even recognize her. "Your right, you are nothing like Emily." Lorelai gave her mother a told you so smile but it quickly disappeared at his next words. "You are worse, so much worse than your mother. You have controlled and manipulated your daughter for years… I don't know who you are."

"Luke, yes you do know who I am," Lorelai pleaded. "You know that I know what's best for Rory…"

"What you did wasn't what was best for Rory, everything you do is always what is best for you and I can't believe it has taken me so long to realize that" Luke told her, his tone defeated. "I'll be back tomorrow between noon and four to get my things, I don't want to see you again. I will have to divorce papers drawn up."

"Luke!" Lorelai started to plead, and he just shook his head.

"I can't do this Lorelai. If that story gets published, I will tell the town the truth about when we are divorcing, I will tell them every last detail about how you went to the reporter, how you have been manipulating Rory and everything you have done to her over the years. If the story doesn't come out… then I won't say a word, we can just say that when I went to see April, I realized that I couldn't do the marriage thing, it wasn't for me and we decided to split. It's your choice."

Without another word Luke and Emily left and Lorelai slumped down into the chair and cried. Everything was destroyed, there was no fixing this, Rory wouldn't come back, everything she had done… it was all to protect Rory. She didn't know what to do now so she cried.

Logan held Rory as she cried. The day was amazing, they had woken up and had a doctor's appointment and were assured that everything was on schedule, everything looked good and baby was head down. After the appointment they grabbed lunch at a small Italian restaurant and relaxed. Things were great between them and Logan couldn't have been happier. Each day that passed Logan become more confident that Rory was on the same page as him. They had talked about eventually getting married one day and she had admitted that when they were back in college she had often dreamed about their wedding and after Hamburg she sometime thought about it, but since they had gotten back together this time… she would catch herself daydreaming about the what-ifs. After that talk he often found himself looking at rings, trying to find the perfect one for her. But what started as a promising day had ended in tears.

Mitchum had called while they were finishing lunch and asked them to meet him at the Gilmore home and when they arrived, they were greeted by not only Mitchum but Emily and Chris as well. From the moment the Logan saw them he knew the news wasn't going to be good and he just hoped that Rory could handle what was about to be said. They settled into the parlor with Livy bringing them some drinks and small snacks and as soon as she left the room the elders started talking. Mitchum spoke first, telling them about the possible news article and Logan and Rory took it in stride, it wasn't how they planned on announcing their relationship or upcoming parenthood, but they knew that they could work with the PR team and get something released to hopefully mitigate the negative press. There was talk about some photos of them getting leaked to the press, including non HPG papers to try and show the relationship before Lorelai's lies were told. Conversation on what to do was tabled and then Emily dropped the bombshell.

Logan and Rory could also listen in shock as they were played the tapes from Emily's confrontation with Shira and then the confrontation between Emily, Luke and Lorelai. Rory listened to it all and the rest of the room waited for her reaction, for her to process what he had heard and when she did… It was full of anger, she knew her mother had controlled and manipulated her, she had worked through some of the issues and had become stronger but hearing how far she had gone over the years… nothing could have prepared Rory for that. The anger was soon replaced by grief and that is where they were now, with Rory in tears and clinging onto him for dear life. His shirt was drenched, and he was surprised that she didn't draw blood from the way her nails were digging into his arm but he could handle it, the feel of her nails was nothing compared to the pain that she must be going through at the moment. It seemed like she cried for an eternity but soon he felt the tears subside and he weight increase and he knew she had fallen asleep. With Chris's help he adjusted her, so she was laid more in her lap and Emily grabbed a blanket to cover her with. No one wanted to take her upstairs, they all wanted her close to them in case the stress was too much for her or the baby.

"What do we do now?" Logan asked as he studied the others. "I know Rory had already planned on confronting Lorelai after the baby was born but now… Now I don't know if I could ever look at her without wanting to hit her."

Emily sighed and closed her eyes. "I feel like Lorelai's actions are partly my fault. We let her get away with so much as a child and when she rebelled, she never really saw consequences. It wasn't until she got pregnant that we really tried to convince her to do what we wanted. I feel like if I had just raised her differently…"

"This is not your fault Emily," Chris interjected. "Lorelai is a grown woman; she was a grown woman when this all started, and no one is to blame but her. She has always criticized and mocked you but what she did is so much worse than anything you ever did."

"Even if Lorelai calls the reporter to tell him that she made everything up there will still be a story," Mitchum stated and looked at Logan. "No matter what the news of Rory's pregnancy and her and Logan being back together is news and I am sure that they have been digging up as much as they can to corroborate Lorelai's story or if they cant at least come up with more gossip."

"I know," Logan sighed and focused on the woman laying in his lap. "When Rory wakes up we are going to have to discuss this. But in the meantime, dad can you start working with PR to get a plan in place that we can all talk about. I don't want to stress Rory but with all of this news… I'm just glad her due date is approaching, and we don't have to worry about the baby being preterm."

"Thank God for small miracles," Emily sighed as she watched her sleeping granddaughter.

Mitchum excused himself to make some calls and Chris got up to let Livy know that three more would be joining them for dinner.

"How is Luke doing?" Logan asked when they were alone.

"I don't know," Emily replied. "He is devastated. He and Lorelai were together for so long, he thought he knew her and then to find out all this. After we left Lorelai's he didn't say much at all and I just dropped him off at the diner, he wanted to start cleaning the space so that he has somewhere to live." Emily sighed as she thought about the diner man. "I will admit that Richard and I never liked Luke, we thought he wasn't good enough for Lorelai but over the years we saw how much he loved her, how much her loved Rory and it changed our opinion. I just feel… Her actions have shown that he was too good for her the entire time. If he had known what all Lorelai had done there was no way he would have allowed it, he would have broken up with her, I think he would have told Rory."

Logan sighed and ran his fingers through Rory's hair. "She still wants him involved in her life; she doesn't want him cut out."

Chris walked into the room and gave a small smile since he overheard part of the exchange. "I was always jealous of the relationship that Luke and Rory had. He was more of a father to her than I ever was, Lorelai allowed him to be in her life, but she never let me get to close… in a lot of ways I resent that he had her childhood."

"He did," Logan replied gently. "But you were there for her when she most needed it and you will always be a part of her future; you'll always be a part of our future."