A Mother's Worst Nightmare

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Gilmore Girls. I am just playing around with ideas that run through my head and am making no money from this. Just having fun letting my imagination play.

This is an idea that got into my head and grew and grew until it just had to be written. It is based on Partings but it is AU after that; not following the current story line. I am not sure exactly sure how to put it without giving away the story but suffice it to say: Rory disappears. What happens to bring her home? And why did she disappear in the first place. This is a LL fic.

Please read and review. I would love to hear what you think about the story so I can improve or just your opinion on how you like it or not. Please constructive criticism only no flames. I am only an amateur after all 

Enjoy the story!

Chapter 1

Lorelai woke with a start and sat up in bed looking around. Something had awoken her but she had no idea what. She blew out a breath and laid back down, thinking it was an unremembered dream and tried to go back to sleep.

After a while she got up, sleep being unattainable. Something felt wrong but she didn't know what. She went in to the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth then went downstairs to make coffee. As she neared the bottom of the stairs she stopped. Something was off. She didn't know what it was but slowed her steps as she made her way to her daughter's bedroom door.

Even though Rory was in Yale now, she spent some weekends at home and was even now in her own bed. Lorelai quietly walked over to her door and reached out slowly to turn the knob, slowly opening the door. She stopped cold when she saw the empty bed and open window and quickly turned to look through the house calling her name. "Rory!"

She checked the other bathroom and living room. Maybe she went back to Yale? She thought. Knowing Rory she had forgotten a test or something and went back to study for it. She walked over to the desk but saw no note. Frowning she looked out the front window and saw that her car was still in the driveway.

Panic started to set in but she told herself to be calm and maybe she went to Luke's. It was open this early and maybe she needed some food or coffee and would be back soon. Lorelai walked back into the kitchen and began to make coffee but couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

As she hit the start button on the coffee maker and went to the phone and dialed, just wanting to put her mind at ease. She dialed her cell phone and could hear it ring in her room. She walked over with the cordless phone to check it out. Her phone was on her nightstand next to her purse. Frowning, she dialed Luke's to see if she was there.

Even though she and Luke were not together anymore she knew he loved Rory and would let her know at least if she was there.

"Luke's" the familiar voice answered.

"Um…Luke?" Lorelai spoke hesitantly. "Have you seen Rory this morning?"

Luke was surprised she had called. He was still hurt about their break up and sighed before answering. "No, I haven't"

"Oh…Ok…tha-." She had started to say when she was greeted with the dial tone as he hung up on her.

She began to tear up. She knew she had hurt him but somehow he seemed to have forgotten how he had hurt her as well. She still loved him and always would, and it hurt that he didn't love her.

She picked up the phone and called Sookie.

Luke blew out a breath after he hung up the phone. It still hurt to hear her voice. She had done what he had never thought she would do. She cheated on him and betrayed him such a way that he didn't think he could ever forgive her for. He loved her so much but thought if she could cheat on him like that then she couldn't possibly love him. Not like she had said she did.

He shook the thoughts from his head and looked around the diner at the few customers he had. He wanted so much to go back in time and figure out what it was that happened to them to change things but knew he couldn't do that. He picked up his rag and started to clean empty tables.

After a few moments he realized what time it was and asked himself why was she up this early and why was she looking for Rory. He began to worry about Rory a bit. He loved her as if she were his own daughter and knew that Lorelai would do anything for her; even talk to someone she didn't want to talk to.

He began to look out the window to see if he could see her. Maybe she went back to school. He figured that was it and she was worried for nothing. He dismissed the idea and went back to work trying to block out his thoughts on the woman he loved and anything to do with her so he could get through another day.

Lorelai had gone through all of the numbers in Rory's cell phone asking everyone in it if they had seen her. As she hung up from the last call, she started to cry and picked up the phone once more. This time to call the police. Her daughter was missing.

Sookie came running in to the diner at full speed and ran straight into him almost knocking him over. "Luke, have you seen Rory?"

Luke looked at Sookie and saw how upset she was. "Sookie, what's wrong?" Suddenly panicked.

"Rory is missing! Lorelai woke up early this morning from a bad dream and couldn't go back to sleep. She said something seemed wrong and went to check on her and she was gone. Her car is still there and her purse and cell phone and her bedroom window was open. She called me this morning and I've been out looking ever since. Lorelai's calling everyone in Rory's cell phone and she just called the police." Sookie was full out crying now, worried about her friend's daughter.

Luke put his arms around Sookie and guided her to a chair as she babbled on. "She called me too." Suddenly feeling guilty for hanging up on her. "Geez and I just said no I hadn't seen her and hung up on her." He rubbed his hand over his forehead.

"Luke, I know she hurt you but…" She started to say but Luke cut her off.

"That's beside the point Sookie. I should have known something was wrong when she called at 6:30 in the morning." He looked grief stricken. "If anything happens to Rory and I could have helped and didn't; I'd never forgive myself."

"Luke, you have every right to be upset with her. She hurt you, but in the same token you have to understand that you hurt her too." She wasn't sure she should have said it but she felt someone had to since Lorelai wouldn't.

Luke looked up at her sharply. "How the hell did I hurt her Sookie? I was all in in this relationship and then she flips out and gives me an ultimatum and when I don't agree right away she runs to Chris and sleeps with him!" He is visibly angry about the situation but Sookie knows he doesn't realize what his own part had been in this situation.

"Do you really not know what you did to her?" Sookie was angry herself now. "All in, that's a laugh. I was there Luke I saw what was going on. I saw how effectively you pushed her out of your life." She stood up and started pacing. "I watched you ban her from the diner when April was here. I heard the answering machine message when you said that. I saw her struggle to keep it together when she felt you pulling away from her. I saw everyone in town get to meet and get to know April except the woman who was supposed to be her step-mother; I listened as she talked about how much it hurt and how she felt she couldn't really talk to you about it because you would think she asking you to make a choice between her and April. She didn't want you to choose because she would want you to choose April because she is your daughter."

A tear ran down her face at the pain she witnessed that no one else was privy to. "She cried so much because you shut her out. She cried because Rory got to meet April; and she cried because her PARENTS got to meet April but she wasn't allowed anywhere near her." She stopped and looked at Luke. "She cried because she thought you didn't love her anymore; if you ever did and because she found out about April from April. Not you." She walked up to him and put her hands on her hips. "She cried because you told her you have to be completely open with each other or it would never work between you two and then you promptly kept secrets from her."

"She didn't give up on you, Luke. Not until long after she thought you gave up on her." With that she stormed out of the empty diner and ran all the way to Lorelai's house.

Luke was stunned. Sookie had never blasted anyone like that before. And as he thought about everything she said he wondered if she was right. Had he pulled away from Lorelai so completely, long before she betrayed him by sleeping with Christopher? He went over to the door and flipped the sign to 'Closed' and went upstairs, tears visible in his eyes. He had a lot to think about and things to do to try and find Rory.

TBC…