Hi again…

This is the 10th part. Already? I have to ask myself. First of all I want to thank all of you for reading and reviewing. Your words really keep me going. So please read this part too, and REVIEW!

Song be Celine Dion; All by myself

Chapter 10: Oy with the poodles already

Lorelai's body was shaking. She couldn't move from the spot she'd been standing on for ten minutes. She still couldn't believe what he said, what he did. She thought he loved her, she actually did. And now… it was all a blur. She could weakly remember the day he came to her house to pick up his toolbox and then telling her that he actually had feelings for her. Maybe she shouldn't have followed him. Maybe she should've stayed with Max. She could've been engaged now, maybe even married. But instead she'd chosen to trust Luke and have a relationship with him. And she'd enjoyed it, she really had, but now… it was over. She then felt a tears in her eyes, but she dried her eyes angrily. Don't let him see you cry. Be strong. She took a deep breath and then walked down the stairs. When she came out in the diner she saw Luke. He was just standing there taking orders from Kirk, who apparently had a bit of troubles deciding what he wanted. Again she felt the tears coming, and when she looked at him he looked up and they got eye contact.

When I was young
I never needed anyone
And making love was just for fun
Those days are gone
Livin' alone
I think of all the friends I've known
When I dial the telephone
Nobody's home

There she was. Lorelai Gilmore… He looked deep into her eyes and saw how hurt she was, but he couldn't forget what Christopher had just said. And now it was over. The best six months of his life. He'd had other girlfriends through the past years but none of them had been the same, and he knew that if he would ever be with someone else, it would never be the same. If there was anything called 'the one' it was her. And then he had to ask himself: Why did you break up with her then? Because he knew there would always be a Christopher. No matter how hard she denied it, he would always have a piece of her heart. The part Luke longed for. He looked at her face. Her usual colour was gone. Her face just looked pale, like she'd been inside for five years without seeing the daylight at all. Slowly she broke the eye contact and left the diner. Luke sighed and then he realized he might never see her there again. They would maybe bump into each other in the street, but their friendship was lost forever.

All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself
Anymore

Dean was sitting on the bench at the bus stop, waiting for Rory's bus from Hartford. He was sitting with his hands in his lap, looking at the streets of Stars Hollow. Weird town… Suddenly he saw Lorelai storm out of Luke's diner. Though he was a little away he could see that she wasn't happy. He was just about to run after her when the bus came. It stopped and Rory almost jumped out. She flew around his neck and placed a kiss on his lips.

"Nice to see you too" He replied.

"Paris drives me crazy, but all other than that. I got A+ and Paris only got A-. I beat her up!" Dean laughed and looked at Rory's face. She was shining like the sun opposite her mother.

"So… I thought we maybe should grab an ice cream?" Rory suggested, but Dean couldn't forget the sad look on Lorelai's face. He knew that Rory would be the only one to cheer her up.

"Maybe tomorrow. I've got a test tomorrow, so I have to study." Dean then answered.

"Oh… I'm usually the one to say that. Well, then I won't keep you busy."

"I insist on walking you home."

"What a gentleman" Rory chuckled. Only a few minutes walk and they were back at her house. Rory kissed Dean goodbye and then entered the house. She expected her father to be there somewhere, but she didn't see him anywhere. Though the TV was on, so there had to be somebody home.

"Mom!"

No body answered, so she went upstairs, just in case. And there she found her mother in bed crying.

"Mom? Where's dad?"

"Don't mention that jerk, please."

"What did he do?"

"Nothing you need to know anything about.

"Mom… Why are you crying"

"Luke…"

"What about Luke?"

"Over" was all Lorelai could get out through the tears.

"What's over?"

"Over… me… him…"

"No, mom. He loves you."

"Try to… tell him…"

Rory sat down beside her mother and started to stroke a hand through her hair. For the first time her mother had been in love for real. And now it was all gone. She placed her head on the pillow and soon she fell asleep. Lorelai was the first one to wake up and when she noticed Rory beside her, she couldn't hold back a smile. She was her daughter all the way through. Suddenly Lorelai remembered what day it was.

"Rory… You have to wake up!"'

"Wh… What?"

"You have to get ready."

"For what?"

"It's Friday"

"What? No!"

"Oh yes, hun!"

"But Dean said… What time is it?"

"45 minutes and twenty seconds from hell"

"What?"

"A quarter past six. So get dressed and get your but to the Gilmore Mansion"

"Aren't you coming?"

"Nope. First reason: I just broke up with my boyfriend, means I'm devastated. Second reason: I haven't talked to my mother in weeks"

"Mom please. I don't want you to sit here all evening."

"I'm not going Rory."

"Then I'm staying here"

"No you're not"

"You stay, I stay. You go, I go…"

At last it seemed like Lorelai gave in.

"Seems like the same blood is running in our veins. I can't wallow now."

Hard to be sure
Sometimes I feel so insecure
And loves so distant and obscure
Remains the cure

Lorelai took a deep breathe before she rang the doorbell. It was a small maid that opened the door.

"Can… may I take your coats?" Lorelai and Rory automatically handed their coats to her and went into the living room where Emily was waiting.

"Hello Rory dear. Lorelai…" Rory quickly walked over and gave her grandmother a gentle hug.

"Mom, hi." Lorelai said stiffly and short. At the same time Richard entered and it was obvious that he also was surprised to see Lorelai. Lorelai just ranked her back and walked proudly into the living room, where she made herself a drink. Emily and Richard entered a few seconds later and they were shocked when their daughter already had her drink. Rory slowly walked over and settled beside her mother on the couch. Both of the Gilmore girls looked somehow different, but Emily couldn't see exactly what it was. Lorelai's head was spinning. She had no idea how Rory convinced her to go, but there she was and she had to go through the evening. She had to keep her head high and not let them see how devastated and broken she really was.

"Well, I see you already have a drink Lorelai." Emily mocked.

"I do" Lorelai just replied.

"So what brings you here?"

"Couldn't let you alone with my daughter. I would be a shame if she became to Gilmoreish"

"And that is supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Lorelai took a sip of her drink.

"You think we have a bad influence on your daughter, is that what you're saying?" Emily asked in a sarcastic way.

"Nope" Lorelai shot back and then took another sip of her drink.

"Mrs. Gilmore? Dinner's served!" The maid almost whispered in fear. Lorelai couldn't help it, but feel sorry for the maid. If she should count all the maids that had been in the Gilmore Mansion there would be at least 1000. A new one each week.

"This way" Emily got up and led the way into the living room.

All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself
Anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live
All by myself
Anymore

During dinner nobody said anything except the "Wow, this tastes good Emily, what is it?" And the admiring of the flower decorations. Lorelai and Emily constantly faked a smile or two and pretended like nothing had happened. Lorelai's mind was burning. Not caused by the fact that she was in the same room as her parents, but by the fact that she was now single again, and that she had to tell it sometime soon before they found out themselves. She knew they would be thrilled, 'cause they never really liked Luke. He would always be a filthy diner owner in their eyes. She sighed, but it wasn't the silent sigh it was supposed to be. Suddenly everybody was staring at her. And then she realized her eyes were wet. Quickly she faked a smile.

"Uh… I'm just gonna go to the… bathroom…" She almost ran out of the dining room and upstairs where she ran into her room and fell on the bed, crying. It was just like the days she'd told her parents that she was pregnant…

The sixteen year old Lorelai entered the living room where her parents were sitting. Richard Gilmore was reading the news paper and Emily was drinking her afternoon tea. What she was going to tell them now would ruin the whole calm picture. Lorelai was wearing a pair of brand new jeans, there was just one problem, she couldn't close them entirely. She'd taken a T-shirt that was a few sizes to big on, so they couldn't see her showing belly. She cleared her throat and the Gilmores were forced to look at her. As soon as Emily saw Lorelai, she exclaimed:

"Lorelai what is it that you're wearing?"

"Clothes" she mumbled.

"I see that, but it looks terrible. You should show your figure."

"Won't be necessary"

"What's wrong with you?"

"I have something to tell you… Something pretty important. Please don't get mad."

"You can't tell us not to get mad unless we know what it is." Richard interrupted.

"I… uh…"

"Lorelai, hurry up. I'm busy"

"Drinking your tea?"

"Don't talk to your mother like that."

"Oh yes I do"

"Lorelai!"

"Dad, Mum! I'm having a baby!" It suddenly slipped out of her mouth. But it was not exactly the way she wanted to tell them, she had just been so furious with her parents. Somehow they always managed to make her so angry.

Both of the Gilmore's faces were totally frozen. What their daughter had just said was something they hadn't expected for at least ten years.

"You are not!" Richard was the first one to break the silence.

"Oh yes I am!" she shouted back, and there the biggest fight ever in the Gilmore family's story began…

"God! Lorelai, you're only sixteen!"

"You don't think I know how old I am, but it's too late!"

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet. I'll take it as it comes!"

"What about college? You're going to Yale!"

"Maybe the great plan has changed! So both of you: DEAL"

"You're having an abort!"

"Too late too. I'm three months over!"

"What?" Now it was Emily's turn to yell.

"You heard me right. I'm three months pregnant!"

"For how long have you known?"

"Long enough!"

And with these words she spun around and went back to her room. She fell on the bed and buried her head in the pillows. Tears were running from her eyes. She understood why her parents were mad, but there was nothing she could do about it. She had ruined their future plans for their only child, and it was to late for them to have another one now. She wasn't going to college, but that didn't mean she was going to have a crappy life, did it?

"Lorelai! I'm coming in!" it was her mother.

"No!" she shouted back. But too late, the door was already opened and Emily entered.

"I just talked to your father"

"That was quick" Lorelai mumbled."

"And we decided that you and Christopher are going to get married soon, before you are showing to much. And then you can live here. Your dad will find a job for Christopher and when you two are old enough and have enough money, you're going to find your own house where you will raise this baby."

"No!"

"What?"

"I said No!"

"Lorelai…"

"I don't want to get married. I'm too young!"

"You're also too young to become a mother!"

"I don't care! I'm not going to get married!"

"You are. You are going to humiliate me and your father. The smallest thing you can do is say: I do."

"No!"

"And here we are. Your father and I have done so many things for you through the years. We've given you everything a child ever wanted, paid for the best schools, and this is the way you are thanking us?"

"Did you ever consider what I wanted? Maybe I wanted to get into the good schools because I did something to get there? Maybe I didn't want all this crap!" She pointed at every doll and the big dollhouse. Emily looked shocked for a minute, but then she got control of her face again.

"I can't stand hearing you talk like this anymore. I'm going down… stairs…" And then she turned around and left. Lorelai picked a pillow up and threw it after her mother, but she managed to close the door before. Lorelai once again buried her face in the pillows and cried even more.

When I was young
I never needed anyone
Making love was just for fun
Those days are gone

Rory knocked on the door to her mother's old room. She knew she wasn't in the bathroom anymore, if she ever had been.

"Mom?" Rory had never seen her mother like that. She was lying in bed hugging the pillow tight. Tears were all over face and she looked miserable. Just as soon as Lorelai realized she wasn't alone in the room anymore, she quickly faked a smile.

"What's wrong? Was I wrong bringing you here?"

"No hon. For the first time in my entire life it's not my parents that bothers me."

"Luke…"

"Yup, Luke…"

"So…"

"You know what?"

"What?"

"This reminds me of something…"

"Okay…?"

"The day I told my parents about you"

"About me?"

"That I was having you…"

"Aha… You never told me that before."

"I promise to tell you the story on the way home."

"Are we going now?"

"That'll just make your grandmother mad, so we better stay. I'll be down in five minutes."

"That's a long time" Rory mumbled, and then went downstairs. When she came into the dinning room again both of the Gilmores sent her a questioning look.

"She'll be down in a few seconds." She answered without any of them had asked her.

"What's the matter with you mother, Rory?"

"Nothing Grandma, really."

"Rory, I know your mother. She never cries."

"She's just having some kind of emotional problems. It's nothing major. Sometimes she just needs some time alone. It happens all the time at home."

"So you're saying that your mother is having these break-downs all over? Does that includes her work at the Independence inn?" Richard now interrupter.

"Uh, no…" Rory slowly said. It seemed like she had managed to take the story a little to far, and now she had to find a way to take it all back, but how. Lorelai would've known what to do. Just like she knew how manipulate men, a place where Rory couldn't follow.

"Oy with the poodles already!" Rory suddenly exclaimed, she remembered her mother once saying that sentence. Exactly what it meant she didn't know, but she just needed to think of something else.

"What?"

"Uh, just something that popped into my head." at the same time Lorelai entered, looking as good as new. She had dried her eyes and refreshed her make-up. She was smiling like she usually did.

"Wow, this dessert it wonderful mom" Lorelai said and took another bite of the cake in front of her.

All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself
Anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live
Oh
Don't wanna live
By myself, by myself
Anymore
By myself
Anymore
Oh
All by myself
Don't wanna live
I never, never, never
Needed anyone

Luke was sitting in his apartment staring at a picture of Lorelai. He'd had it in his socks-drawer for years now. Not the best place if she had been the one to decide, but that was the only place he knew she would never look. But now she was never going to look in any of his drawers, not a chance. She was gone, it was over. All they once had together was now a blur, or so it seemed. He remembered they day they'd gotten together like it was yesterday. He remembered how he'd seen her break up with Max and then return to him. How many things they'd shared through the years, as friends and as a couple. He couldn't hold back a smile, just thinking of her. She was the one, but now it seemed like he was going to grow old alone. He wondered why he broke up with her, but then he thought of Christopher and the anger returned stronger than before. It was all his fault! That thought had been bugging him all day. He sighed and then he started to wonder what the future would bring. He couldn't avoid Lorelai forever. She would still live in the same town, and they would bump into each other every now and then. He also knew that she couldn't live forever without his coffee…

So that was all for now. I can't promise you that I will be able to post next week. I have three papers that I need to write and I also have another fic I'm working on. I haven't posted the first part yet, but I will someday soon. R&R, PLEASE!

Asta