A/N: I own you all some explanations. I had a chapter ready to post earlier. But, after reading it, I just didn't like it and I threw it away. So, some adjustments were necessary to finish the chapter below (that originally was planned as chapter 21). That's why it took so much time to update. My creative process sometimes is a pain. Sorry... Review and tell me what you think, okay?

Hush little baby

"I'm such a terrible mother," Rory felt the words slippering out of her mouth, as warm tears started to roll down her face to fully depict her state of misery.

The young Gilmore repeated the words to no one in particular, since it was impossible to even hear her own voice with Ellie's loud crying resonating inside the only drugstore in Stars Hollow.

It was the first time Rory was all alone with her daughter in almost two months. The weeks passed by like a blur after Logan went back to London in the beginning of June. Since then, while the new daddy paid the baby short in house visits, Lorelai has always been around to assist with the chaotic newborn stage and Luke has stepped in regularly to make sure the girls were properly fed.

Lorelai hadn't complained about the heavy routine, neither had Luke. However, with their own business to manage and the baby duties, signs of exhaustion became evident at some point. On top of that, Rory was still feeling responsible for the last minute cancellation of their honeymoon.

So, a few days before, the young Gilmore convinced the couple to go away for the weekend. She presented a compelling case to prove there was nothing to worry about because she was totally prepared for the experience. That's how Rory ended up alone with the baby at home.

In fact, the new mom was truly confident she had already gotten the hang of things. For a newborn, Ellie wasn't necessarily difficult to deal with. The girl was fussy sometimes, but never in an impossible way to handle. So, it was hard to believe any major setback could happen.

The illusion of a peaceful weekend remained for the first hours after Lorelai and Luke's departure. But trouble began when Ellie woke up from her nap around 8 pm. Rory checked her diaper, turned on a white noise sound, held her close and even gave the baby a soothing massage. Nothing worked. The crying only got worse and worse. So, the only thing left to do was to call the pediatrician.

What the young Gilmore didn't expect was that the call would go straight to voicemail because the doctor was out of town due to a family emergency. As Ellie's screams were getting louder, Rory remembered her mother's advice to look for a backup pediatrician in case a situation like this ever unfolded. If only she had gone through with it. The task got lost in the pile of daily urgent things to do. Now, she regretted not giving it much attention.

Trying to collect her thoughts, Rory listed every person she could seek for help. Lane was not an option today. The band had a gig in a town nearby and her friend was on stage at the moment. In agony, knocking on Mrs Kim's door was considered too, but the alternative was quickly discarded because the woman was at a religious retreat where no phones were allowed. Paris also came up in her mind, however she knew the lawyer would only give her a long disapproving speech for not having a plan B. Out of resources, the girl dialed Emily and anxiously waited to listen to her grandmother's voice. Unfortunately, no one seemed to be on the other end of the line to pick up the phone.

Embarrassed, Rory admitted defeat and proceeded to call Lorelai. The young Gilmore didn't want to disturb the romantic trip, but the extenuating circumstances - aka Ellie's higher by the minute crying - demanded desperate measures.

Things didn't go as expected though. Instead of a ringback tone, all the journalist heard was a message announcing the phone was off or disconnected. Apparently, the battery died along the drive to Vermont. Trying Luke's cell was pointless either, because the girl discovered he left it near the stove at home. She continued watching the device vibrating, as the last ounce of chill left her body and a sinking feeling took over her.

The panic made it impossible to think straight and Rory moved towards the door with no clear plan in her head. Flustered by Ellie's intense vocals, she took the baby to the jeep and drove until she passed by the drugstore. The only great idea that crossed her mind was getting in there and pleading with the pharmacist for anything that could help ease the mystery condition of the baby, ignoring the fact she didn't have a prescription for any meds. Of course, the little improv didn't work and that's why she wound up sitting hopeless in the corner of the store earlier.

After countless minutes of the child non-stop screaming at the top of her lungs, Rory could swear even the walls of the empty drugstore were quivering. She felt like the entire place was ready to crumble. But it was just her brain projecting her inmost emotions. The girl reached the point where she was definitely falling apart under pressure.

The young Gilmore knew she had to do something, but she couldn't. She was simply paralized and feeling completely powerless. No school test or job interviews were ever this stressful. Overwhelmed, Rory shut her eyes and let it all out. "I don't know what to do, Ellie..." The girl sighed sharply and repeated again. "I'm a bad mom."

This time around, the words turned the coy tears into a river, one Rory was no longer able to contain. Mother and daughter were now on the same page: both in the middle of a full meltdown.

Absorbed in her personal crises, the young Gilmore failed to acknowledge the sound of the door opening and the steps of another client entering the store. She had her face hidden in her hands when she felt comforting arms embracing her shoulders.

"Rory?" A familiar voice called her name, trying to get her attention.

"I just can't do this... I suck!" She continued rambling with her eyes closed. Somehow the girl recognized the arms around her and she just buried her head in the man's chest to cry some more.

"Rory, please, you need to focus," the man insisted and the young Gilmore finally looked up. It has been a long time since Dean Forester's hazel green eyes were so close to her face. His gaze shifted to the crying baby and back to the journalist. "Do you have a prescription with you?"

"No," the journalist averted her eyes and stared at the ground. "I don't even know what's wrong with her."

"That's okay," Dean gave a reassuring nod. He had a calm expression and didn't seem annoyed by Ellie's intense crying. After three kids, he probably got used to situations like this and he knew exactly the next move. "Let's just call her doctor then..." Rory burst out in tears before the man could finish the sentence. So, he guessed. "I bet this means the pediatrician's out of reach, right?"

The girl agreed and took a deep breath. "And I don't even have a plan B," Rory blurted, looking at her daughter wailing. "My brilliant idea was to come here without a god damn prescription and hope for a miracle. That's how bad I am at the job," she uttered tearfully and started sobbing again, leaning on Dean's shoulders.

The young Gilmore felt the man holding her tighter and she listened while he briefly spoke with someone over the phone. Rory tried to pay attention to the conversation, but after 45 minutes dealing with a cranky baby she just wanted to rest her head on his chest a little longer.

"Hey," Dean suddenly addressed her, bringing Rory back to reality. "You need to breathe." She watched him stand up and walk to the counter. He exchanged a few words with the pharmacist and came back with a cup of water for the journalist. While she took a sip, he proceeded. "There's a new doctor who lives 15 minutes from here. He is great with the boys. He said you can go there now. He'll check up on the baby, okay?!" He softly grabbed her by the shoulders to be sure she was listening. "Can you get to his house by yourself? Or do you need a ride?"

"No, no. I can drive," Rory claimed, a bit stunned.

"Are you sure?"

"I may have lost my dignity entirely, mister, but I'm 100% positive that I still can drive."

"Great, " Dean chuckled. "You sound better already."

After getting the number and the address of the new doctor, Rory mimicked Dean and stood up. "Thank you," the young Gilmore said, taking Ellie and heading to the door.

Once the girls got outside, the drugstore immediately drowned in silence and Dean started to search for something on the shelves. The young Gilmore looked back at him through the window, wondering for a second if he was paying another visit to his parents and introducing the new member of his family to Stars Hollow's traditions. Jenny probably joined him this time, she thought as a sudden curiosity sprouted in the back of her mind. However, all the questions would have to wait. Ellie squealed higher to remind Rory it was time to move. For now, there were more urgent matters at hand.

P.S: Before hell breaks loose and people send me hate comments about Dean, I've gotta say that no one - AND I MEAN NO ONE - is repeating past mistakes in this story. Keep in mind that almost nine months have passed since the last time the characters met and sometimes life just has unexpected turns. That's all for now... I hope you stay tuned!

** I would also like to thank all the new moms sharing experiences on Buzzfeed and Reddit. Sometimes, reality is much more interesting than anything we could invent. Rory meltdown is inspired in a true situation