A/N Ok so this one is a lot shorter than normal but I wanted to get it out. The next chapter will be the engagement party, where do you think it should be- should I have Stars Hollow throw Rory a party a la 'Bon Voyage'? Let me know your thoughts...

Chapter 10

Shira Huntzberger would not consider herself a weak woman. To her, strength was smiling at cameras and people who hated your guts when you can see your husband chatting up the blonde waitress at a party. To her strength was supporting her husband even when he was hurting her emotionally. Twenty-seven years of marriage. She just had to get to that magic number of thirty she knew then her prenup ran out. She was so close, so close to that golden ticket, but then her son had to get involved with that horrid Gilmore Girl, and her life that she had smiled and simpered through for twenty-seven years started to fall apart. Her reaction to the engagement wasn't the best she knew but now that she knew who the girl's father was, her anger was directed both at Rory and at Francine Hayden who had manipulated and trapped her into a poor situation socially. Mitchum essentially giving into the couple's demands, she had seen the list was what he had to do for the business. The 'request' for a private apology was a step too far for her. Mitchum however had made it clear that he was now on the side of the couple. Her relationship with her daughter which had made so much progress when they were planning her wedding was back to pre-engagement hatred. Even Elias had made the decision to support the marriage. If she was going to turn the tide she was going to need help.

Mitchum had come in from the Yale graduation ceremony he had somehow managed to get two tickets last minute for and was commenting that Rory's gold-digging mother had not attended the ceremony and that apparently there was quite a bit of tension between Richard and Emily because of it. It was obvious to him that Lorelai had skipped out on the event so that she did not have to deal with Logan who she saw as not good enough for her precious daughter. Maybe there was something there. She would think about it.

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Lorelai had thought that her week couldn't get worse. She hid in her house for the first day after the horrid town meeting where her daughter had accused her of practically kidnapping her from Chris when she was a baby. It was made clear that Rory had support in the town, when she left her house and headed to Luke's she tried to pretend there was nothing wrong. Her bantering ways and quick wit had endeared her to the people of Stars Hollow for nearly twenty-two years surely it would do so again. She was wrong, people avoided her, crossed the street when they saw her and when she walked into Luke's Zach looked at her and requested that she leave. She wasn't welcome there. Weston's Coffee Shop refused her service too, well didn't refuse service but served every other table and the young waitress just ignored her completely, like her table didn't exist.

After thirty minutes of being ignored by everyone and without her beloved coffee she headed to the Dragonfly, dropping her bag in her office behind the reception desk that was empty, she steamed into the kitchen 'Sookie I need coffee, you will never believe what people are doing to me in town. They're completely ignoring me. Zach kicked me out of Luke's and in Weston's the waitress completely ignored me. Hey, where is the coffee?' Sookie shrugged her shoulders and Michel picked up his cup of tea and exited the space. 'I didn't make any Lorelai. You want it so bad make it yourself. I've got breakfast to get out.' she turned back to the stove where she was making hollandaise sauce. Tricky but something that she was normally able to make in her sleep. She was choosing not to engage with Lorelai. 'Come on Sook, you know me. You can't believe anything that Rory says. She's been brainwashed by my parents and Logan.' Sookie looked at her one time best friend 'Lorelai, if I were to ask Christopher or your parents would they tell me that you left as Chris was getting ready to file a request for partial custody of Rory?' Lorelai looked at Sookie in horror 'when you were twenty-five did you receive two hundred and fifty thousand dollars that you used to buy your house? If I called Mia would she know where you got the money to buy your house? Or would she ask for back rent that you owed her for living on her property for close to ten years?'

Lorelai just stared at her. 'Sookie…' 'No Lorelai, for years I have stood by and let you manipulate me. I didn't even know that I was being manipulated until that town meeting. I defended you, you know. Whenever you did something that wasn't ok like leaving Max the day before your wedding or slept with Christopher the night you broke Luke's heart. I defended you. Michel defended you. When you referred to your mother as Stalin in an interview that was supposed to be about OUR inn, I laughed it off. It's Lorelai's humor. That's how she is. Her parents were so stifling she had to run away at seventeen years old with her baby and look at what she has done with her life, a true survivor. An amazing role model. You lied about everything. Our friendship is done and if I find a single discrepancy in any paperwork I'll terminate our partnership. Any decisions regarding our business will have to be discussed because I no longer trust you, now I have breakfast to get out to our guests. Please leave the kitchen, you'll have next week's menus later this afternoon.' Lorelai looked at her longtime best friend and left the kitchen as requested she was wrong the week could get worse.

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