Love Me Softly - Gilmore Girls -

Mini Chapter Sixteen/Seventeen

Lorelai's POV:

I'm in a rush trying to get back to the house, my jeep is barely parked before I jump out of my seat and speed up the front steps. The only thought running through my head is that I need to keep Rory from finding out. I can't let Alice and my parents ruin everything I've built because they can't keep their mouths shut and respect my decision. I won't let Rory get corrupted by them and their "society", it's toxic and not good for Rory to grow up in. 

I won't let it ruin her childhood like it did mine. 

As I enter the house I shout for Rory's attention to gauge where the girls are, "Rory, where are you?!" 

Not hearing them respond, I quickly glance around the downstairs area and see no sign of them. Panic sweeps across my body as I realize they're upstairs, where the only evidence of Alice remains in the house.  I take the steps two at a time trying to get there before they can find it. I enter the room, scanning for the girls, and find nothing. 

I take a breath, maybe I was overreacting and she wasn't searching for clues to what my parents alluded to yesterday. They could have been studying, maybe they went to catch a movie or...I stopped seeing a few boxes at the foot of my bed that usually remain underneath. NO! 

I scramble to my knees to look beneath the bed, searching for the purple album stuck between the bed and bedframe. After five minutes of searching, I come up empty-handed, and the panic from before resumes. They ruined everything.

The only saving grace to my panic is that Rory is much like me and will be angry with her Dad for never saying anything about a sister. After all, he didn't say anything until recently about having a wife. This is good, he'll take the blame and I'll comfort her for the Gilmores and Haydens being selfish and hiding her family from her. 

I try messaging Rory to find out where she is, hoping she may want me to get her away from the girls for a night in. I get no response. Odd. I decide to try calling, but all my calls go to voicemail.

I decide to call Christopher, he should know where his daughter is so that I can find Rory. I quickly dialed his number, and scenarios of what could be happening to Rory were running through my head at full speed. 

"Hello," Christopher's voice greets me as the phone call connects. 

"Christopher, do you know where your daughter is?" I urgently ask, speaking the greetings or other pleasantries. 

"My daughter? You know what, I'm not getting into this with you," I roll my eyes at his statement, waiting for him to get to the point, "For your information, she's with friends in Stars Hollow right now. Why? Is she not allowed to be there?" His last question holds some type of emotion I can't place at this time, the panic of not knowing Rory's location blocking me from doing so.

"She's with Rory. Where is she? I can't find Rory anywhere and she's not answering my call."

"Like I said, she's with friends. They're probably busy hanging out or at the bookstore." He sounds annoyed as he responds, so I go to ask again hoping he'll understand how urgent it is that I find out where they are. Before that can happen, he speaks again, "If you want, I can find out where Alice is and see if they can head back to the house. Alice should be getting picked up soon anyway."

"Thank you, Christopher."

"So, is that a -" I hang up the phone so he can get ahold of the girls quickly. I go to call Rory again, heading back downstairs to check if there are any clues as to what they had planned for today.

"Hi you've reached Rory Gilmore, sorry I can't -" I hang up as I get her voicemail once again. Peaking into her room, I see it's clear and see her planner sitting open on her desk. I take a glance, just seeing the note that Alice is hanging out today and she's showing her around. Nothing helpful, so I begin the walk back to the jeep to search around town for any sign of the three girls. 

Not seeing them as I drive around the main areas, I stop back in at Luke's. Patty and Babette have both left, so I take a seat at the counter and wait for Luke to finish with the customer a few seats down. 

I glance at her and see a beautiful woman with long blonde hair, lightly curled. She's dressed casually the way my Mother probably wishes I would dress, I scoff mentally at the idea. 

"Thank you, Luke," she smiles, taking the large mug in her hands, "I'm glad you had this tea in stock."

"Anytime, Mrs. Elizabeth," he smiles back, walking over to me. 

I shoot him a suggestive look gesturing between him and the woman who now begins to read while sipping the hot beverage.

"Don't start," he grumbles. 

"I didn't say anything," I laugh, "coffee as usual, please."

"This stuff'll kill you," he grumbles again, grabbing the mug for the coffee as he complains about my drinking habit. 

"I'll die happy."

I drink the warm liquid before asking Luke, "Hey, have you seen the girls since I left earlier?"

"Haven't seen them since earlier this afternoon when they came in for drinks," he asks, concern in his voice, "Why? Can't get ahold of Rory?"

"She's not answering her phone," I respond, "She could be busy, I just wondered if they stopped by yet."

"Sorry, Lorelai," he answers, "I haven't."

I don't notice the woman next to me stop reading her book and listen to our conversation, she resumes before I look back over as her phone rings.

"Hi, my love."

"No, I haven't heard from her yet," she responds to whomever she's talking to, "I can call her, I was going to have her meet me at the diner here in town for a drink before we head home."

"Okay, I'll let you know."

"I love you too, Chris."

Chris. This can't be. I glance back at the woman. She looks like everything my Mother tried to get me to be. This has to be Christopher's new wife. 

Before I can say anything, she begins another phone call. 

"Don't 'hi' me, Alice. Where are you?"

"Is she okay?" I hear her answer who I now know is Alice on the other line. Did Rory get hurt?

"She knows?" Damn it. 

"Didn't think you would, sweetie. Are you ready to be picked up? I'm at the only Diner in town if you want to meet me?" Alice is coming here, to the diner...

"Love you too. Get to me safely."

I can only hope Rory is on her way home and not to Luke's. I don't want her to have to meet her "stepmother" on top of finding out about Alice. It'll be too much for her. If only they would have stayed away from her and just stayed in Hartford away from the life we built here. 

A.N.// Reminder that I do not hate canon Lorelai. The more selfish version (because she was definitely super selfish on the show) of her here is my interpretation with the developed plot line regarding Alice. So apologies if y'all aren't fans of super mean Lorelai. She might get redemption one day, but I can promise it won't be soon. For the plot.

Hope y'all enjoy the three chapters out this weekend. No promises on what I can do over the work week, but fingers crossed for something around Wednesday (ish). 

Thank you for all the continued love and support on this. I'm so incredibly grateful for anyone who chooses to read this, whether you only read snippets or read everything as it comes out/or is out if you're a future reader. Much love and appreciation.