A/N: Yeah, I know, major neglecting as far as this story goes. Cedar Park is just so much fun to write. Though as I read through last chapter I realized this is pretty fun too. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you're the reason I write. So, without much further ado, I give you… Chapter 18!

Disclaimer: I, the author of this story, do not own any of the characthers associated with Gilmore Girls. That honor belongs to the wonderful Amy Sherman-Palladino. I have no intention of making any money on this (in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm losing money over it…).

18. Risotto, retribution and returns

"Are we clear?" Matt hissed.

The gang had been hiding behind a couple of bushes for a good fifteen minutes, Rory trying to calculate how long it would take them to get back to her house, "find" Jess' wallet and then get back.

"Why are you whispering?" Cammie wondered.

"I'm not whispering!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Okay, to your corners, kids, or you won't get dessert," Rory intervened.

"Rory, why are you hiding in the bushes?" came a voice above them.

It was Kirk, who had spotted them.

"We're… we're… searching for one of my piercings," Cammie replied quickly, flashing Kirk a smile.

Kirk eyed the group suspiciously, then leaned in, whispering to Jess:

"How many of you are there?"

"Three," Jess replied with a smug smile.

Kirk shot Matt a panicked look, before hurrying off. They all broke down laughing, falling all over each other.

"Seriously, are we clear? I have insects in my hair and leaves stuck to my butt," Matt whined, as they untangled themselves.

"That's nature Matt, but understandbly, you wouldn't know what that is, since you haven't left the state," Jess teased.

"There's nature in Pennsylvania, too!"

"Okay, anyone who wants food follows me!" Rory shouted, putting an end to the childish bicker.

Cammie and Chris were quick to follow her, while Jess and Matt sauntered a couple of yards after, still teasing and taunting each other.

"Those two, I swear, they're like an old married couple…" Cammie said.

"Really?" Rory replied with a smile. "You think they're aware they need to divorce now that Jess and I are engaged?"

"I wouldn't necessarily count on it…"

The inn was buzzing with guests when they entered. Michel was standing by the counter, and he shot Jess a nasty look when he spotted them.

"Hey Michel," Rory greeted the Frenchman.

Michel didn't answer her, but she could've sworn she heard him mutter something about "at least he is not dripping…" under his breath. She smiled to herself, waving to Michel before leading the group into the dining room.

"Wait here, I'll go check the kitchen, I bet Sookie can bump us up so we don't have to wait."

"I see it pays to have connections," Chris smiled. "What's a Sookie?"

"Master chef, and dead serious about food. She frequently names her creations."

"She names them?" Cammie asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Sure. She named my mom's wedding cake Clyde, and I actually think she mourned him when she threw him away…"

"Her mom never married the guy," Jess explained to the confused Philadelphians.

"Okay, you grab a table, I'll be right back," Rory smiled, before skipping off towards the kitchen.

Inside, her mom was fanning Sookie with a magazine.

"Hi mom, hi Sookie," she greeted.

"Hi honey, not now, Mommy needs to help Sookie, she's having trouble breathing."

"What, did you..? You know..?" Rory began, giving Lorelai a look.

"No, and let's keep it that way."

"Then why the fit?"

"Sookie won the Connecticut Chef of the Year," Lorelai told her excitedly.

"Sookie, that's awesome!" Rory squealed, and hurried forward to give Sookie a hug, which seemed to break her out of the fit.

"Rory, sweetie, hi! Okay, I'm back, I'm good, no worries. What can I do?"

"Well, the five of us…"

"Wait, what? Five?" Sookie asked, looking confused.

"Yeah, three of Jess' friends came with us from Philly. Anyway, we're sort of hungry, you think you could swing us some of that risotto, stat?"

"Sure honey, risotto will be out in a flash!"

"Thanks, Sook!"

Rory turned to leave, hearing how Sookie began asking Lorelai if there was something she wanted to tell her. Rory figured Sookie hadn't been completely out of it. Hopefully, her mother could divert the attention, or there would be no end to the Spanish Inquisition a'la Sookie.

"Food will be here in a bit," Rory told the gang when she sat down at their table.

"Is that what everyone else are eating?" Chris asked. "'Cause it smells freaking awesome."

Rory nodded.

"Trust me, the smell is nothing compared to the taste. this very risotto kept Sookie's mother alive for three years after a doctor had told her..."

Her explanation was interrupted by a shriek coming from the kitchen.

"What was that?" Matt asked.

Rory got a worried expression on her face, keeping her eyes on the kitchen door.

"Sookie," she finally said, furrowing her brow. "I think I outed mom."

"Outed her?" Chris asked.

"About the… you know… thing."

"The what? The thing? She has a thing?"

"Leave it Rory, he's hopeless with remembering stuff," Jess told her, with a crooked smile.

Then, another shriek erupted, making them all jump in their seats.

"Apparantly, it called for two celebrations," Cammie noted.

Rory shook her head, feeling how her stomach twisted.

"No, I don't think so. Sookie usually gets it over with in one burst, then there's the singing and cooing and… Oh, my God, no… No, no, no!"

"What?" Jess asked.

"I hate her…"

"This doesn't sound good."

"One word: retribution," Rory groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

"She wouldn't…"

"Yes, she would, she's my mother!"

"What are you talking about?" Chris said, still looking completely lost.

"I sort of outed my mother, so she got me back by outing me and Jess!"

"Should we make a run for it? This doesn't sound good," Cammie asked.

"No, that would be like flaunting my ring in Sookie's face," Rory whispered.

"Then what do we do?"

"Sit here like nothing happened, and pray to God that it ends with the happy squeal," Jess explained, adding in a whisper: "As soon as we're done eating, I say we go back to Philly. The sooner we leave this medical experiment, the better."

"I'm in," Matt replied quickly.

"Missing the safety of Pennsylvania?" Chris asked him teasingly.

"Pennsylvania doesn't have that scary, man-hunting broad. Trust me, even the street girls aren't that desperate..."

Matt nodded towards the table where Babbette and Miss Patty sat. Miss Patty was eyeing the group idly, making kissy-faces at Matt in particular.

"Oh, fudge…" Cammie said seconds later.

"What?" Jess and Rory asked simultaneously.

"I take it that's Sookie?"

Cammie pointed towards the kitchen swingdoor, and they all saw Sookie making her way toward them with a waiter in tow, looking all excited.

"Oh, fudge," Rory concurred. "This will not end good."

"Do we have an exit strategy?" Jess wondered.

"I think our best bet is going through the kitchen, then run like hell. We pick up our stuff and then it's pedal to the metal all the way to Philly."

"That sounds so cool, like we're hunted by the mob," Matt mused.

"Trust me, this is worse than the mob. This is plain insanity just waiting to explode," Jess told him.

"Rory!" Sookie squealed, having reached the table.

"Sookie…" Rory said, a strained smile on her face.

"Here's your food, and I even reserved some of my special lemon-merengue pie for your special occasion."

"What special occasion?" Babbette asked, having overheard Sookie.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Jess tried to appease her.

"Come now, Rory, let me see it," Sookie half-whispered, yanking at Rory's left hand.

By now, everyone's eyes were on Rory and Sookie, and as soon as the first ray of light hit the shiny surface of the ring, all hell broke lose. Rory yanked her hand away from Sookie, unable to look around herself.

"Well, the ring's flaunted, should we run now?" Matt asked in a whisper.

Rory snapped her head down from Sookie's jubilant face and gave the group a pointed look that clearly said "Run!" and was off towards the kitchen before Babbette had even left her chair. Jess, Cammie, Chris and Matt were not slow on the uptake, following Rory through the kitchen. Lorelai was trying to hide behind a counter, but Rory still spotted her.

"So not cool, mom! You will be sorry for this, I promise you!" Rory yelled at her mom before bursting through the door that led out from the kitchen.

"It was reflexes!" Lorelai tried to explain, but Rory, Jess and their friends were already gone. "Honey? Oh, crap…"

They didn't stop running until they came closer to town.

"You, you and you," Rory said, exhausted, and pointed at Jess, Matt and Chris. "You go find the car and meet us at the Crap Shack. Go! Go!"

The guys were off like lightning, heading towards the town square where they'd left the car.

"And you and me?" Cammie asked, when the boys were gone

"No time for questions, we just need to get the hell out of Dodge, stat."

They began running again, heading for the Crap Shack. Cammie whined all the way, cursing under her breath that she needed to hit the gym more often. They managed to get home before the boys, and Rory led Cammie into her room, and told her to take Jess' bag and head out to wait for the boys.

"No, need, they're pulling up now," Cammie told her, looking out the window.

"Then go sit in the car, I'm right behind you."

Cammie obediently took Jess' bag and Rory could hear her close the front door after a couple of seconds. She took a couple of deep breaths. This was definitely not what she had planned, not by far. She felt childishly vindictive, thinking of all the ways she could make her mom suffer for this. A devilish grin spread over her face when the perfect idea popped up in her mind. She poked around the house until she found what she wanted, stuffed it in her bag, then scribbled a note to her mom and put it on the kitchen table, before heading out to the car. She opened the trunk, quickly threw in her bag and entered the car.

"Hit it!" she told Jess, who was driving.

"What took you?" he wondered.

"Nothing," she replied, trying to put on an innocent face.

"Yeah, right, nothing. What did you do?"

"Let's just say my mom will call me when she finds out."

"Finds out what?"

"You'll see…"

"Definitely rubbing off on you retroactively," Jess decided, and accelerated the car as they hit the outskirts of Stars Hollow.

"Next stop, Philadelphia!" Matt cheered happily in the back.

A/N: So, what did Rory snatch? Something of Lorelai's, obviously. Guesses welcome, no, infact I demand them. :p Drop a review, makes me update faster!