An: No, you are not mistaken. Yes, I did update a week a later. I am quite surprised myself.

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Chapter 20- Lying and Denial is the Game

Christopher quickly gathered his shirt from the floor and fixed his pants. After saying a quick apology to the woman on his desk, he ran out of his office.

"Lorelai, wait!" he called out after her, causing people in the cubicles to stare at him. He hurried passed everyone, knowing that his father was going to know about this in the matter of few minutes. He caught up to Lorelai who was waiting for the elevator.

"Lor, can we talk about this?" He begged.

"Why do you have to pretend that you even care?" Lorelai threw her words at him harshly.

"Oh, come on. Give me a chance here."

"Give you a chance?" She was caught back with the fact that he didn't think he did anything wrong. "You have been cheating on me!"

Finally, the elevator door opened and Lorelai got in. Chris followed her inside.

"Lor, please listen to me."

Once the elevator door closed, she began, "No, I'll have my and Rory's things out by tonight. Please don't come home until after midnight. I'm sure you will have no problem finding something to do with your extra time," she instructed him.

"Don't do this to Rory. We can't separate. Imagine what that will do to her."

"So now you think about your daughter? What about keeping it in your pants? Oh, here's a question I would love to know the answer to, how long has this been going? Oh, and how about, how many have there been? Is this the reason why you are never home to take care of your daughter or come to parents' night at her school?"

By then the elevator door had opened again, leading to the ground floor.

"Lorelai, please don't go. You know this happens all the time?"

That comment stopped her dead in her tracks. She turned around and questioned, "What do you mean it happens all the time?"

"Come on; don't tell me you don't know what happens in high society. People mess around all the time," he explained.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, everyone has affairs. My dad has had tons."

"Your dad has had tons?" She repeated in disbelief. "Oh my God, I cannot listen to this anymore. Don't come to the house until I'm gone!" she fumed.

"Lor!" He called out after her, but she had already walked out the door.

-X-

Lorelai had been home for two hours now. She had picked up Rory from her friend's house and told the girl to start gathering all of her favorite goods and toys. So far, she had packed two suitcases for herself and one suitcase for Rory. Additionally, she had packed a backpack full of everything Rory had managed to gather. Currently she was working on any valuables she may have that she did not want to leave behind.

"Mommy, are we going somewhere?" Rory asked her mother, innocently.

"Actually, we are not going to be living here anymore," she told her, unsure of how to explain the situation to her child.

"Did you and Daddy have another fight?" She asked out of concern for her parents.

Lorelai looked at her little girl who was acting a lot older than she actually was and said, "I'm really sorry about all the fighting going on. I didn't mean for you to hear everything?"

"It's ok. It was just really loud. Are you still getting married?"

"Aww, sweetie, I'm so sorry. I am really sorry, but your dad and I aren't getting married now," she told her trying to keep a cheerful face, when inside her daughters questions were killing her.

"But it was just a fight! You guys always make-up and get happy. Why can't you two say 'I'm sorry' and be happy again?"

"Oh, I wish it was that easy, but what dad did is unforgiveable and when you are a lot older, I promise I will explain more."

"Will I still see daddy?" she asked with a little fear in her voice.

"Of course you will. He is still your dad."

"Good," she smiled.

"Did you gather up everything you want to take?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, I got all my books, toys, and favorite clothes. Where are we going?"

"To Grandma and Grandpa Gilmore's," Lorelai announced.

-X-

Around eight that night, Lorelai and Rory arrived at the Gilmore Mansion. She just pulled out one duffel back full of pajamas and a day's change of clothes for the two of them. She took a deep breath, and let Rory ring the doorbell. Emily opened the door in surprise.

"Lorelai, what are you doing here at this hour?" Emily greeted.

Lorelai flashed a watery smile and said, "Can we stay here for a few days?"

"Come on inside, you are letting the cold in," Emily ushered her and Rory to the foyer. "Why do you need a place to stay?"

"Rory, sweetie, can you go into the other room and read your book," Lorelai told her and the little girl went off her way.

"Is there something wrong with the house?"

"No. It's over mom. Christopher and I are done."

"Why? What happened? You two were meant to be together!"

"We are not meant to be together! Mom, Christopher cheated on me. I caught him today in his office with his secretary!"

"So what? You can get pass it!"

"This is unbelievable! What do you mean so what?"

"Well, Christopher is young. It was a mistake. Try to work it out with him. I'm sure he'll have an explanation."

"His explanation was that his dad does it all the time so it is perfectly ok!"

"Lorelai, Christopher does these kinds of stupid things, but he loves you. You just have to be patience. In the meantime, you can help me finalize the seating arrangement. The Carthage's called last minute and said that they would not be able to attending, throwing everything off completely," Emily changed the subject.

"Mom, are you even listening to me?"

"They believe they can call whenever they want and I can very easily change the arrangement-"

"Mom!" Lorelai tried to get her mother back on subject.

"- in a snap of finger. I am not a magician!"

"Rory, can you come in here for a second?" Lorelai called out, interrupting her mother again.

Rory came, bouncing in, "Yes, Mom."

"You are gonna stay with Grandma and grandpa tonight. Is that ok?"

"Yes," the girl simply replied.

"Mom, Rory is gonna stay here tonight."

"That is fine. But where are you going? Fixing things with Christopher?" Emily asked.

"I'll be back in the morning."

"She has school in the morning," Emily pointed out, "the maid can take here."

"Fine, I'll pick you up from school. Is that alright?" she turned to Emily.

"Yep. I'll be fine," Rory reassured her while Emily approved.

"Ok, be good for grandma," she kissed her goodbye.

"Where are you going Lorelai?"

"Away. I can't stay here."

"So you are going back to Christopher?"

"No."

"Can you at least go talk to him and figure this out?"

"I don't want to talk to him mom."

"I am just asking you to go hear him out for the sake of your daughter."

"Fine, I will go talk to him, but I am not promising anything. I would hold off on fixing the seating arrangement."

"Ok, that is all I ask."

She turned around and stomped out of the Gilmore Mansion.

-X-

-Hospital-

Lorelai snuck back into the hospital, knowing very well that visiting hours were over for the day. She knocked on the door lightly and whispered a hello.

"Lorelai? Is that you?" William asked.

"Yes, I'm back!" She exclaimed. "Hey, Luke," she greeted him, who was sitting in his usually seat.

"Where is Rory tonight?" William inquired.

"She is staying with her grandparents tonight," she answered.

"Lorelai, do you want to go and get some coffee with me?" Luke asked, causing William to give him an odd look, but pleased look.

"I guess so?" Lorelai said, a little confused and followed him out the door.

Once outside, Lorelai begin, "You don't drink coffee."

"I take it things with Christopher didn't go well?" Luke said instead.

"Things didn't even happen." They proceed to walk down the hallway together.

"Then go try again! Right now!" He demanded.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I caught Christopher cheating on me with his secretary!" She blurted out.

"What? That asshole! What did you do to deserve that? I'm gonna kill him! In about ten minutes he is gonna be dead!" He shouted in uproar.

"Luke, calm down."

"No, I don't want to calm down. He is scum! What on earth could make his cheat on his soon to be wife. The wedding is coming up. Does he know how to treat a woman? What did he say?" Luke continued.

"He said people in high society, including his father, do it all the time so it is no big deal."

"All the time? How many times has he done this?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask him all the details. I was too angry and stormed out of there, telling him I was moving out with Rory."

"So I take it you are staying with your parents?"

"Nope, just Rory was right now."

"What? Why?"

"Because my mother still wants me to marry Christopher! She has flipped her lid!"

"What? The man has been cheating on you with god know how many women! You don't treat a girl like that. You don't ask her to marry you and then do this to her!"

"Thanks for the support Luke. That was the kind of reaction I was hoping from my mother. I think she just wants me and Chris to be together because of Rory, but how good is it gonna be for Rory if we are not happy and Chris is always cheating on me."

"Are you ok?" He asked out of concerned.

"I don't know. I'm sort of frozen. I feel nothing. No angry, no hurt, nothing yet. It's weird."

"Maybe it's just shock. I really think you should go talk to him and sort everything out now."

"No, I want to find some place to live and get a job again. Do you know if Mia filled my spot at the inn?"

"I don't really know. I haven't been staying at home. I just run home for a shower and a change of clothes and then it is back here. I can ask her if you like?"

"Thanks, but I will just take a trip to Stars Hollow tomorrow."

"When do you plan on talking to him?"

"Who? Chris? I don't know. How does 'never' sound?" she joked.

"How about you go now?"

"I don't want to."

"You need to straighten this up before you decide to move back to Stars Hollow."

"I have already made up my mind. I can't stay there, and I certainly cannot stay with my parents."

"Don't you think that is a little hasty?"

"No," she said, and Luke gave her a look. "Ok, fine, it is hasty."

"Go home and talk to Christopher. Maybe he has come up with a better justification by now or something. You can't just avoid your problems. Now, I am making you go home," he directed her towards the elevators.

"Fine! You win," she pouted.

-X-

"Luke, what the hell was that?" William asked him when Luke returned to the room. "And where is Lorelai?"

"I made Lorelai go home, she keeps coming here to run away from her problem," Luke explained.

"What problems?"

"Well, it started off with Christopher being completely insensitive to her, but that was because she wasn't telling him everything, and now it's her finding out that Christopher is cheating on her."

"I'll kill him! How could he cheat on a girl as special as Lorelai! Doesn't he know what he has? If I wasn't stuck here hooked up to a bunch of machines he would be dead!" William bellowed.

"I sort of told her the same thing."

"Then I raised you right! I'm proud to have you as my son. Is she ok?"

"She's in denial and in shock. It didn't help that when she went to her mother's house she told her to ignore what Christopher did and to marry him anyway."

"Wow."

"Yup. Thank you for being a good parent and caring about my happiness."

"I don't know if I would call myself a good parent, considering all the crazy things I did with you and Lizzie after your mom died."

"You had good intentions," he laughed, remembering his adolescent life.

"Take of Lorelai when she comes back. She needs someone on her side."

"I will."

"And when I am gone, and you and Lorelai are still not together, can you remember the smack on your head?"

"What smack on my head?"

"This one," he said, and playfully hit Luke upside the head."

"Ow!"

-X-

Her car pulled into the driveway, behind Christopher's.

"Sure, when I tell him not to be here, he's here," she muttered under her breath.

She got out of the car, walked up to the porch, and took out her keys to open the door.

When she pushed open the door, she found Christopher standing in front of the door.

Startling her, she yelped, "Gah! Jeez, you can give someone a heart attack!"

"Lor, we need to talk," he told her.

"Really, because I came here to have sex with you."

"Wha-"

"How long?" She cut him off.

"How long what?"

"How long have you been sleeping with her?"

"Today was the first time," he answered honestly.

"Ha," she didn't buy it, "how many women then?"

"I don't know, Lorelai."

"How long?" she asked with determination noticeable in her voice.

"I just told you today was the first time with her."

"Don't play dumb, Christopher. You know very well what I am asking. How long have you been cheating on me?" She waited for an answer, but he didn't respond. "I'm waiting for answer."

"I don't know how to answer that?"

"How could you not know how to answer that? Is there anything you do know because from what I can remember that was definitely you on top of her."

"Lor, I really do love you, and at first I was just scared and nervous. Plus, I was in college and you were in Stars Hollow. It seemed so far away."

"So college?" tears, started to well up in her eyes as the shock began to wear away from the body. However, she refused to let him see that.

"Well, I had a thing with Trish and a few others in high school," he admitted.

"Trish, my best friend Trish?" she yelled at him and he nodded his head yes. "Was this before or after you came to see me in Stars Hollow?"

"I might have been after?"

"Might have or are you conveniently forgetting the truth to spare me hurt? It's too late now so just tell me the truth for once!"

"Fine, it was after, ok. There, now you know!" He got equally frustrated with her as she was with him.

"Thank you! Was that so hard?"

"While I am telling you the truth, I also slept with your friends Nevina Cutler and Sarah What-ever-her-last-name-was, and probably most of the cheer team," he confessed some more.

"And that is why you don't know how many? You made me promises and when you went back to school, you decided to ignore it completely and then continued to do so after you graduated from Princeton. Was I not enough for you?"

"Lor, I am so young. I am twenty-one years old. I shouldn't have to settle down. I don't want to settle down."

"Then why did you come find me? Why did you stay with me? Why did you ask me to marry you?" she demanded an answer.

"I felt like I had to," he uncertainly said.

"What kind of answer is that? We didn't need to be together. You just needed to be there for Rory. See her, talk to her, and wish her happy birthday. There was nothing tying you down with me! I had set you free."

"Your parents and my parents kept pressuring me."

"Don't you have your own mind? Couldn't you tell them that you didn't want to do this, instead of going behind my back and sleeping around while stringing me along? I was happy in Stars Hollow. Rory was happy in Stars Hollow. I left all of that because you asked me to marry you because you had me believing that you loved me and would do anything for both Rory and me! Why would you do that? We have been friends since we were three years old!"

"Your parents offered me money," he blurted out.

"Yes, I know to pay for the wedding."

"No, they said they would pay me to date you and bring you back home to them."

"Oh, my God. How did I miss that? Of course, you showing up had Emily and Richard written all of it. I did I miss that? Better yet, how much have they given you?"

"I don't know. It was a lot. They paid for our dates, your presents, Rory's presents and then some."

"I knew it was too good to be true. You've had me fooled. You have been lying all along!"

"Lor, please. You have to understand the position I was put in. You know how convincing Emily can be."

"If Emily was as convincing as you say she is Rory wouldn't be here with me. Did you know she was trying to have me put her up for adoption ever since she was born! She is my daughter and I knew I couldn't do that do that to her. I fought to keep her and she kicked me out of the house! Did you know that Christopher? I was kicked out of the house for wanting to keep my daughter and refusing to marry you. I lived on the streets! No one would give me a job. I barely ate any food! I stole diapers from a convenient store, because I ran out of money! I was raped by a group of guys with my daughter sleeping a few feet away! Do you know what that has done to me? Do you know how much courage it took for me to trust you and have sex with you?"

"Lor, I'm sorry. You didn't know. Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, shocked to hear.

"I pretended it was no big deal, but at night, I laid in bed, unable to sleep because that night flashed back every time I closed my eyes. That is why I am so grateful to William and Luke. William found me unconscious because Rory was crying. He took me to the hospital, paid my bills and took care of me. He made sure I had a job and a place to stay. He even bought Rory presents on her first Christmas because I didn't have any money."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this? Things could have been different. We could have married me that week. We would have been married right now and you wouldn't have had to go through any of that."

"And we would be getting a divorce right now. You would've still felt scared and nervous. You still would be sleeping around."

"Lorelai," he tried to say something, but came up empty.

"Look Chris, let's just end things here. I still want you to be a part of Rory's life. She still needs her Dad."

"I'll be there for her."

"Good. I'm glad. I want you to," she smiled through her glossy eyes.

"Take care Lorelai."

"Take care, Christopher," she took her ring off and placed it in his right hand. "Quick question, Emily bought this?" she gestured toward the ring.

"Pretty much."

-X-

TBC!

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