Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls.

AN: I am so sorry that I have taken so long to get this chapter out. I had a case of writer's block when it came to this story for a while, I would sit down and write and end up deleting everything I had written because it wasn't working. I'm still working through it, so let me know how you guys feel about this chapter.

Rory would like to have Tristan go with her to take Jake for his first day of preschool but she had understood that he'd had an emergency meeting with a client who would only be in town for a few hours before going back to California that afternoon. Everyone had been surprised when the woman who ran the school called to say that Jake had placed the highest test scores that she had ever seen in her ten years of teaching. Everyone except Lorelei; she claimed that the same thing had happened with Rory.

After dropping off Jake at school she decided to take Aiden for a walk through Central Park. She was waiting at the intersection across from the park with a firm grip on Jack's leash when Aiden dropped his bottle out of his stroller. Rory leaned down to grab it not realizing that she had let Jack's leash go slack in her other hand.

The next few moments passed so quickly that Rory had trouble remembering them when she replayed the scene to Tristan. She would find out later from a witness that he had spotted a squirrel in the road a few feet in front of them. Jack was out her reach before she could right herself. She called his name before asking someone to stay with the baby so that she could go get him. She was about to step into the street when someone quickly pulled her back.

A cab came whizzing past her, striking Jack, before screeching to a halt a hundred yards away. Her hands flew to her mouth as she stared at the dog. He wasn't moving and the person who had hit him was running towards them.

"Is he yours?" The woman asked panicked.

"Yes," Rory answered in a small voice.

"I am so sorry, he came out of nowhere."

"It's alright, it was an accident. I reached down to pick up my sons bottle and loosened my grip on his leash," she said quietly, putting a hand on Jack's head, stroking his fur.

"I can drive you to the nearest Vet," The woman offered.

"Thank you," Rory said appreciatively.

She settled Aiden's car seat in the back seat before breaking down the rest of the stroller. She had never been more thankful that his car seat and stroller went together. Two men gently lifted Jack into the front seat of the cab for her while she put the stroller in the trunk. The condolences of the growing crowd went unregistered to Rory as she pulled out her phone.

She got Tristan's voicemail and left him a message urging him to call her as soon as he got a chance. She exchanged information with the cabby at the Vet's office so that the cab service could be billed for the accident while she waited for news from the Vet about Jack's condition.

She tried getting in touch with Tristan again but hung up when his voice mail picked up on the second ring. She sighed wearily, fighting off the urge to cry. Aiden cooed from his stroller and she looked down at him. He gave her a gummy smile and she smiled sadly. She hoped that Jack was okay; he had been a part of the family for longer than she had and she knew that Maddie and Jake wouldn't be able to keep it together if something happened to him.

Her phone rang bringing her from her thoughts. She saw Tristan's office number flash across the screen and she growled in aggravation. He had asked his secretary to return the call; he must be busier than he had planned on being.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mrs. Dugray, this is Catelynn. Mr. Dugray had an unexpected meeting that he needs to prepare for. He noticed that you called and wanted me to call and ask if you needed anything," His secretary said politely.

"Thank you for calling Catelynn, but I don't want to talk to you. Could you kindly ask my husband to call me when he gets a chance? It's very important," Rory said with a sigh.

"He won't be back in the office until after three because he has to be in court by eleven," she reminded Rory.

"Then tell him that I will handle it myself," she said before snapping her phone closed.

She held her head in one hand as she tried to calm herself down. She'd had no right to talk to Catelynn that way. She was a good person who didn't deserve to have Rory take out her anger on her. The doctor came to stand a few feet from her and she looked up at him with a blank look.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Dugray, he didn't make it. His heart couldn't hold out," he said apologetically.

"Thank you anyway," Rory said sadly.

"Would you like me to call you a cab?"

"No, thank you. I'd like to walk," she said with a shake of her head.

"We can have him cremated for you if you'd like," he offered.

"I would have to talk to my husband. If he would ever call me back," she muttered the last line under her breath as she stood.

She made the nine block walk home in a daze. She didn't know how she had managed to find the way home through her grief and remorse. Somehow she had also managed to put Aiden down for a nap and then called Megan.

"Hey, did you call to tell me about Jake first day of school?" Megan asked once she had answered.

Rory looked down at her watch in confusion. It was ten minutes past time for her to pick up Jake. Five hours had passed since the accident without her realizing it.

"No, I didn't. Crap! I just got home and got Aiden settled down for a nap," she said her voice thick with sorrow.

"You forgot to pick up Jake? It's only his first day, way to go Ror," Megan joked.

"Please don't make me feel worse than I already do. Will you pick him up for me and keep him at your house until I come and get him?" Rory pleaded.

"What's going on?" she asked with worry.

"I don't want anyone to know until I tell Tristan," she said as tears finally started to fall.

"You aren't pregnant are you?"

"No, Megan, I'm not pregnant."

"I'll go and pick up Jake," she promised.

"Thank you," Rory said, heaving a sigh of relief.

Half an hour later she was in her bedroom when she heard Maddie come in. Maddie made her way down the hall to her room only to stop at the door. She watched Rory with curiosity before going back into the living room to start her homework. Whatever was going on couldn't be good if Rory was in bed in the middle of the day and Jake was nowhere in sight.

XXXX

Tristan canceled his afternoon meetings after finding out from Catelynn that something more was going on than he thought. He had thought that Rory was calling him to commiserate over the fact that Jake had started school. He had planned on doing something special with Jake that weekend, Rory knew that. Now he felt like an ass for ignoring her voicemail and her second call.

He walked into the apartment to find Maddie in the living room doing her homework. Aiden sat in his bouncy seat next to her. She looked up from her text book casting a glance down the hall in answer to his silent question. He headed to his room to find the room shrouded in darkness. Something was seriously wrong. Where was Jake? Where was Jack? They both normally met him at the door.

He pulled off his jacket and loosened his tie as he crossed the room. He tossed them both in the chair by the bed before turning on the lamp on his nightstand. Rory was facing him, her face red and wet with fresh tears. His eyebrows furrowed in worry as he sat in front of her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she flinched at the contact.

"Rory, where's Jake?"

"Megan's," she mumbled.

"And Jack?" he prodded.

"Gone," she sniffled.

"What do you mean, gone?" he asked puzzled.

"He died this morning," she said with a watery sigh.

"That's why you called me? Baby, I am so sorry," he said remorsefully.

"That's not all. I forgot to pick up Jake. I had to ask Megan to do it," she said as fresh tears started to fall.

"Tell me what happened," he urged.

"Aiden dropped his bottle and I leaned down to get it, I didn't realize that I had practically let go of Jack's leash. I guess he saw an animal and went after it. He was in the street before I could stand back up. I started to go after him but somebody pulled me back. I didn't see the cab coming. They weren't able to stop in time. They were nice enough to give me a ride to the Vet and he died there. His heart stopped."

"I honestly thought that you were calling me to talk about Jake. I should have known something was wrong after I heard the voicemail and you called a second time. Can you forgive me?" he pleaded.

"You did drop the ball this time, but I guess I can forgive you; just don't do it again."

"Never," he vowed.

"Jack died?" Maddie asked from the door.

"You know that you're not supposed to eavesdrop," Tristan said sternly.

"I came to tell you that dinner is here, I ordered Mexican and the guy needs money," she explained.

Tristan stood and crossed the room. He ran a hand through Maddie's hair as he passed her. Maddie walked into the room to sit at the end of the bed facing Rory. Rory rolled over onto her back, propped up on pillows she looked at Maddie wearily.

"It was an accident Mom. You shouldn't feel guilty," Maddie soothed.

"Your brother is going to be destroyed," Rory groaned.

"We'll make him understand."

Tristan carried the bag of food into the bedroom and Rory spread a blanket out on the floor while Maddie went to get the baby. Tristan had called Megan and explained what was going on and she had said that Jake could stay with her for the night. They ate silently, not knowing to say to make the situation better.

Tristan had noticed a change in Rory after Aiden was born. He remembered how his sister had been after having his nieces. He knew post-partum depression when he saw it. How did you bring something like that up to a mother who didn't want to face it? His sister had been livid and had fought with everyone about going to the doctor the first time. She had picked up on it herself the second time around. He would have Megan talk to Rory about it. Whatever challenges she faced he would face them with her. He would make her see that he didn't love her any less than he did before. He would do whatever he had to do to help her through it.