Thanks so far to all my awesome reviewers! You're what motivate me to keep the chapters coming. On the other hand, i know their are a lot of readers who aren't reviewing... hmmmm. All right, on with the story!!!

The next day, Rory went back to the hospital after school.

"Hi Mom," she said as she entered the room.

"Hi, Rory," her Mom replied. She was sitting up today, her back propped against the pillows.

"How are you feeling?" Rory inquired.

"Much better," Lorelei assured her. "Seeing Chris definitely helped me. It's hard for me to grasp that I have this whole life I don't know about though. If you weren't standing right in front of me, I probably wouldn't believe him. I feel like there are so many memories that I should have of our time together." Rory smiled.

"I brought something that might help," Rory told her. She sat down in the chair next to the bed, putting her school bag on the floor next to her. Out of it she pulled the blue-bound album, full of pictures from the past.

"Maybe this will give you a picture of what our life was like." Lorelei gazed at her with admiration.

"You really are the dream daughter aren't you?" Rory blushed modestly.

"I had a good role model," she supplied

"Me?" Lorelei laughed. "If you had turned out anything like me… well, let's just say you're nothing like me. I got pregnant at sixteen remember?"

"Yeah, and you built yourself a whole life without your parents help."

"Speaking of Richard and Emily," Lorelei send, sinking back into her rebellious habit of calling them by their first name, "where have they been?"

"Paris," Rory said. "Grandpa was transferred there. They're trying to get a flight in, but the airports are close because of some sort of approaching snowstorm or something."

"I love snow," Lorelei said. "Anyway, back to the album," Lorelei insisted. "Come closer, so I can see it better," she commanded, patting the bed. Rory shifted herself onto the bed, and cracked open the album.

The sound of Lorelei's heart rate accelerated slightly in anticipation of what she was seeing. The first picture showed Lorelei, tired and weak, but her face glowing as she cradled her newborn baby daughter. The next picture was of her giving Rory a bath. The sleeves of a maid uniform were rolled up, and the baby sat in a small circular tub, the small amount of hair she had wet with shampoo.

"Why am I wearing a maid's uniform?" Lorelei questioned. Rory began to explain to her how she had run away, arrived at the Independence Inn, and demanded a job.
"We lived in a small house in the back," Rory told her. "We didn't move to Stars Hollow until I was nine." It when on like that for hours, each question bringing about an overflow of questions. With every page turned, Lorelei began to get a clearer picture of her life. Rory painted for her a happy life, with colorful, comical characters. When she turned the last page, they were both laughing happily. Rory glanced at her watch.

"I better get going," she said remorsefully. "I don't want Luke to be worried."

"Luke?" Lorelei questioned, puzzled. "The diner guy?"

"Yeah," Rory answered nonchalantly. "That's where I live."

"You don't live with your father?" Lorelei asked, befuddled. Rory raised her eyebrows.

"In Chicago? No way."

"Oh," Lorelei nodded, digesting this news. "I guess I just assumed…" Rory smiled.

"Goodnight mom," she said.

"Goodnight Rory."

Twenty minutes later, Chris walked into Lorelei's hospital room.

"Hey Lor," he greeted cheerfully.

"Hi," she responded moodily. Chris hesitated.

"Are you feeling okay?" he inquired.

"Yeah I'm feeling fine, thanks," she said curtly.

"So what's the problem?" he said, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Rory doesn't live with you," she accused.

"I know," Chris said, confused. "She lives with Luke."

"Why is she living with some guy who owns a diner instead of with her own father?" Lorelei vented angrily.

"Oh," Chris said, clarity dawning upon him. "Listen Lorelei, I'll try to explain it to you, and I don't know if you'll like what you're going to hear, but I'm not too proud of it myself." He took a deep breath and began. "After Rory was born, I never quite got it together. I graduated from college and everything, but after that… well, you know me. I drifted from one job to the next, never staying in one place to long. I never had enough money; I moved to a new state every couple of months. I was a big letdown. I couldn't have taken care of Rory. I knew she would be much happier staying in Stars Hollow with Luke. You love Luke," Chris assured her when he saw the look on her face. "He has the coffee," he chided. "And she has been so happy there, Lorelei. If I thought she was discontented in anyway I would have pulled her out in a second."

Lorelei just nodded, accepting what he was telling her.

"So what happens now?" she asked

"What do you mean?"

"With you, with me, with Rory. What happens when I get out of the hospital?"

"I'm not sure, Lor. I haven't really talked to Rory about it, so I'm not sure what she wants. But I'm ready to promise you that I am here for you, for whatever you need me for." There were tears glistening in Lorelei's eyes.

"I do need you Chris," she confessed.

"I'm here," he promised, taking her hand.

Luke was wiping down the last table when the bell over the door tinkled. He looked up, and saw Christopher standing there. His shirt was wrinkled, and he looked worn.

"Hey," Luke greeted him.

"Hi," Chris said. They stood there uncomfortably.

"You want some coffee?" Luke offered.

"No thanks," Chris refuted. "Is Rory here?"

"Upstairs," Luke said, "I'll go get her."

"Thanks." Luke turned, and he had one foot on the stair when Chris spoke again. "Thank you," he repeated. "For calling me…" he elaborated. Luke nodded and disappeared up the stairs. Chris took a seat at on of the tables in the small diner.

"Dad!" Rory said, thundering down the stairs.

"Hey kiddo," he greeted, giving her a quick hug. She took a seat across from him.

"You want something to eat?' she offered, "Coffee?"

"I'm good, thanks," he said. "Look I wanted to talk to you about the something," he told her, taking her hand.

"Ok," she said, her wide eyes gazing expectantly at him.

"I want you to realize that I understand you're pretty happy where you are, so anything you choose will be ok, all right?"

"Dad?" Rory narrowed her eyes. "What's this about?"

"Well, you're mother will be out of the hospital soon, and she's going to need a place to go. I've already spoken to the people who have been leasing your house, and the house will be ready for her when she comes back. Now, she's going to need a lot of help when she gets out, so I've already made arrangements with my work, and I'm going to be around for awhile."

"Really?" Rory's face was alight with joy. Chris nodded at his daughter.

"Really."

"I want to move in with you," Rory declared without hesitating.

"Rory, you don't have to do that. I know that you're settled here, and I don't want to ruin that."

"Dad," Rory stopped him. "I have been waiting for this for the past two and a half years." Chris grinned.

"Great," he said. "I could really use your help." Rory got up and hugged her dad for a long time.

"We'll get through this together," she whispered.

When Jess got home, he found Rory's door open. He sauntered in, but stopped short, not understanding what he saw. A duffle bag lay open, and Rory was packing her books into it. Her Harvard board was bare of all its paraphernalia, and the drawers on her dresser were open, and Jess could see that they were empty.

"Going somewhere?" he inquired. Rory turned to him, her eyes sparkling.

"I'm going home," she said.

to be continued... next chapter will contain more Dean/ Rory/ Jess drama I promise!

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