Love Me Softly - Gilmore Girls -

Chapter Fifteen

A.N. // I want to start by saying thank you for your love and support. My story just got to 25k reads. That's insane. So thank you for taking the time to read this fun little story of mine, now on to the drama. 

Rory rushes us into the house, following Lane's lead as Rory closes the front door I find myself in what I can only assume is her room. I take a moment in the doorway to observe my sister's room. This is where she grew up. This is her space. I note the books everywhere a free space could be, on desks and stacked in haphazard towers on the floor beneath her window. To my left, as I enter the room is a bulletin board with pictures of her mom and Lane as well as Harvard memorabilia, Paris is going to have a field day when she finds out.

"It's not much, but it's home and comfortable," Rory says, a light blush of embarrassment it seems as she closes her bedroom door behind me. 

"I like it, Rory," I say, shaking myself out of my observations, "It suits you, although the stacks of books everywhere make me nervous that I'll find out buried alive if you don't show up to school." 

The comment causes giggling from Lane and a look of "I told you so" pointed to Rory. 

"I have a system," she argues lightly, "it's not that dangerous."

I take the seat by her desk as she situates herself on the rocking chair, the three of us forming a circle awaiting the news that Rory needs to share.

"So, what's the big news?" Lane says, breaking the brief silence. "Rory, you're freaking me out over here."

Rory mumbles something under her breath, prompting both Lane and me to make comments about speaking up. 

"Okay, so you know how I have Friday Night dinners with my grandparents in Hartford?"

We nod and she continues, "They argued last night over needing to tell me something, mom entirely lost her cool about it. So when I tried to talk to her when she got home, she got extremely angry about it."

"What happened after that? There is more, isn't there?" I ask, leaning forward with my elbows resting on my knees. 

Rory looks down, taking a deep breath before answering, "I decided to search for answers when she wouldn't give them to me."

This grabs Lane's attention, she reaches forward from her spot to grab one of Rory's hands in comfort, "What did you find?"

She stands and tells us, "Wait here," as she leaves the room. Movement of boxes can be heard in the hallway before she returns with a box not much larger than a shoebox. As she sits back down, she reveals the contents, most of which I recognize as having my Dad's handwriting. Oh no. 

"I found this when I was searching the closet last night," she says revealing a birthday card. 

Lane gently takes the card, opening it for the two of us to see as Rory watches on. Inside the card lay Dad's and I's handprints and a note confirming I exist. Just not the specifics of my name or that we're twin sisters. Double oh no. 

"You have a secret sibling?" Lane finally murmurs, and if it weren't so quiet in the home I'm not sure we'd have heard her.

Rory nods, grabbing the card from Lane and putting it back into the box. "And we're going to find out who."

"Let's go!" "We're going to what?!" Are spoken at the same time, Lane's with excitement and mine with shock and worry. Worry mainly that Lorelai will find out I'm here and will blame me for Rory finding out about me. Worry that Rory will figure it out and turn on me for being here and not telling her sooner. 

"Alice, I know it's your first time in Stars Hollow, so if you're not comfortable helping me. I understand." Rory speaks, noticing that I have yet to move from the chair while the two are nearly out of the bedroom.

"I'm not uncomfortable, " I finally speak after my initial shock, "but why are you comfortable with me being here?"

"Because we're friends, and I trust you," she smiles, coming closer with her hand held out. I take it as she continues, "Now let's go find out who this handprint belongs to."

This isn't going to go well.

----

Unbeknownst to the three girls sitting inside the Gilmore home searching old scrapbooks and discarded boxes, a certain blonde neighbor had seen the girls wandering in and was curious about who the little redhead was with the town's sweetheart. 

Babette, not meaning to cause trouble for the young girls was walking into Luke's with Miss Patty when the question of who she was popped up again.

"Say Patty, you have any idea on who the redhead is with Rory and Lane?"

Before Patty could answer, Luke was at the table with coffee and an answer, "Why do you ladies need to know about Rory's friend?"

"Luke," Patty says, eyes batting for information, "Do you know who she is?"

"They were in here earlier," he grumbles, setting the coffee down, "and I'm not telling you. Leave the girls alone."

As Luke walked back to the kitchen, an eavesdropping Lorelai spun around on the barstool to face the town gossips. 

"Hey ladies," she grins, "I couldn't help but overhear. If you could describe the girl you saw with Rory, I could tell you which one of her Chilton friends it is?" 

"Of course, sugar. She was probably around Rory's height, and I only saw her from behind, doll, because they were moving so quickly into the house. I did see she had bright red hair, kinda like that Molly Ringwald. Gorgeous woman. Molly that is, not Rory's new friend. It's not a lot but that helps, right doll?" Lorelai rushes out of the diner as the terms 'redhead' are uttered, Babette glancing up from her story telling, "Doll? Oh well, what was I telling you Patty--"

Lorelai, barely remembering to put cash on the diner counter for her lunch, grabbed her purse and rushed out of Luke's. She's here and she's going to ruin everything.