AN: Okay this is they last chapter of development. The story will start to pick up. This chapter is not as long as I hoped it to be, but I didn't want to get too wordy. Please let me know what you think so far.
It had been 3 months since the car accident in January that took Rory's mom away from her. Rory had made every effort to resume her regular routine, but everything she did, everything she owned, reminded her of her mom.
She tried desperately to move past the hurt and see the joys she still had; but everything she thought about still made her think about how she had lost her mom.
Luke had lived because her mom had insisted upon driving that night. He just couldn't put his foot down when it came to her. Caleb survived because the doctors had focused on him instead of saving Lorelai. She knew it was wrong to resent a baby, but if the doctors had just tried to save Lorelai first then maybe Rory would have both her mom and her brother. She knew that she was a horrible person for thinking that way, but she just desperately missed her mom.
At first, Rory had continued to go to school, but she was never full present in her classes; and her work began to get terribly sloppy. By early February she had completely stopped attending her classes. Her grandfather had requested a temporary leave for her hoping that she would have enough time to get better mentally and start back up in the fall.
Since she had to move out of her dorm her grandparents offered her to stay in the pool house. She spent most of her days in bed hiding from the world. Whenever she woke up she would begin her binge drinking. Alcohol was the only way to numb the pain she felt.
Rory was often visited by her family and friends from Stars Hollow. They'd be short visits, but she never denied a visitor.
The first time she met Caleb was shortly after she stopped school. He had been in the NICU up until then. Luke had come over so Rory could meet her brother and her grandparents could meet their grandson; Caleb Richard Danes.
"Strong name," her grandpa boasted.
"He is so handsome. Good thing he got the Gilmore looks." Her grandmother's backhanded comment didn't go unnoticed by Luke.
"He has Lorelai's eyes and my chin and nose," Luke retorted. Emily didn't respond.
It was Rory's turn to hold him. When she looked into his eyes she broke down. They were exactly like her mom's; their mom's. She had hastily handed her brother back to Luke and locked herself in the pool house.
After that day she retreated even further from everyone, rejecting anyone who had tried to come see her. She had also picked up some more mind numbing habits to help her 'deal' with her pain. She had met a drug dealer who would sell her pot and Xanax. She spent most of her days high out of her mind, and avoided any contact with her old life.
Logan had begun to worry about her behavior. So much so that he started coming over at least once a day to try to get her to go somewhere. He had also often recruited their friends to help him in his quest.
Today he was trying to convince her to go to Stephanie's birthday party.
"Rory, I think it would help if you got out and saw your friends." Logan had used this line desperately for the past 3 months.
Rory had absentmindedly listened to him before, but today was different. Today was supposed to be the day that her mom was supposed to deliver Caleb; April 20th. They had made detailed plans of what would happen. They had set everything up; the overnight bag, the spare keys (in case her mom misplaced the original set), the car seat, and Caleb's come-home outfit; but she wasn't going to deliver today.
Rory was steadily getting angrier the more Logan tried to convince her. "Logan would you just shut up already," she finally snapped. "I am so sick of you trying to get me to go out. Can't you see that I have no interest in parties or seeing friends? Why can't you just leave me alone?" Tears started streaming down her face. This was a regular occurrence with her now.
Logan, who had been sitting on the chair across from her, got up and moved to sit right next to her. "Ace, you know I hate to see you like this. I just want to help."
"Maybe I don't want your help."
"Ace." There was a tone of desperateness in his voice. "Ace, I know this has all been hard on you, but…"
Rory stood suddenly. "You have no idea how hard this is on me, Logan. How dare you try to pretend you do? My mom was my everything, and now she is gone. You have no clue how much it hurts me just to exist without her." She walked to the door and jerked it open. "You need to leave now," she demanded.
Logan looked like he was going to fight her, but he got up from the couch and headed to the door.
"Oh and Logan," she said softly.
"Yes, Ace?" he asked hopefully.
"Please don't come back."