[Cedric]

Hi!
Sorry, das hat ein bisschen länger gedauert, ich hatte gestern ein großes Mathe Problem, das ich erst sorted out musste....

reFBs are already given, so here's the next part. It's for all JJs and Anne (*lol*)..

part VIII:


I just couldn’t believe, what I saw. A large Missing stood out over my photo. I recognized it immediately. This photo was taken by a professional, my mom hired, back in the day. I was wearing my cotillion dress. It already was a little too small for me, but I hadn’t told my parents yet, about my pregnancy. I looked strange on that pic. Honestly, I was surprised, that Luke identified me. I didn’t look like me.
Are my parents looking for me? Why now?
Those questions popped into my head. Then, something different caught my eye.

Also missing her daughter, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore (Hayden)....

It couldn’t be my parents then, they didn’t know Rory’s name or even her gender, her existence. I never told them. I just couldn’t, it would have been too hard.
Another solution came to my mind.
Christopher?
I highly doubted it. He had other possibilities to search for us. Plus, that (Hayden) confused me. He knew, that I insisted to call her Gilmore. Not Hayden. It was that sense of pride and stubbornness, that I passed on to my daughter, that made me do that. I also didn’t take his name as we married. It just didn’t sound right, feel right. Lorelai Hayden... awful.
So it couldn’t be Christopher either, and my parents returned to my mind. But it didn’t make sense. They hated me... us. I would never forget the look on their faces, as I looked back, walking out of the house, out of her lives. And, again, they couldn’t know Rory’s name, unless...


"Should I call your parents, Lore?", Christopher asked me.
The two of us were standing in front of a window in the hospital. We watched about 20 babies, but of course, we draw our attention to a specific one. Our little girl, Lorelai...
Christopher wasn’t happy at all, that I named her after me. He wanted to call her Georgia or Amy, but in the end, he gave up. But he was not in such a good mood, as he should have been as a fresh-baked father. Consequently, his question didn’t surprise me really, but nevertheless, I couldn’t understand, why he was thinking, I would tell them.
"Christopher, don’t start that again. Weren’t you in the room with me, as they pulled a Menendez? They don’t want to see me, or rather us, again. They made it crystal clear. So I don’t want them to know. Please accept that, okay?"
"Lore, listen. I won’t accept it. You’re being stubborn, They wanna know that", he tried to convince me.
"No, we won’t tell them."
I realized, I shouted now, because several people around us, stared at me. But I didn’t care, I had to sort that out.
"We talked about that, Christopher. Discussion over, period."
Christopher just nodded. Then he turned.
"I’m gonna get myself a cup of coffee. Want one, too?"
"Yeah, thanks."
He walked away and I turned to watch my beautiful daughter. As I saw her, I completely forgot about the fight with Christopher. She was just too sweet. I just was really happy.


I bet, he told them. I should’ve known it.
I was lost. Why after all this time, would they search for me? I had a strange feeling in my gut. It took me a few moments to identify, what it was. I was sad. I don’t know why, but I suddenly realized, I missed them. I mean, they never knew, what was going on with me and my life but nevertheless, they were my parents.
But it was them, who kicked me out, it wasn’t my desire.

A teardrop appeared on the milk pack. I hadn’t been aware, that I was crying. It somehow brought me back to the present. Step by step, I remembered where I was. In Luke’s apartment. I looked up. He was still standing by the fridge. He looked at me, worried. I tried to smile, but I think, it didn’t work out very well. Tears kept on streaming down my face.
Luke made a step forward, searching in his pockets. Finally, he found, what he was looking for. He handed me a handkerchief and sat down right next to me. He looked at me, then he said,
"Are you okay? Can I do something for you?"
I didn’t answer, I just couldn’t. A thought occurred to me.
Did he already call the number? Or the police?
I tried to clear my throat and to wipe away my tears, then I said,
"Luke... Luke, I’m sorry, but have you already...", I broke off.
I didn’t know, how I would react, when he’d say Yes.
But as I looked at him, I saw, that he hadn’t. It seemed like he was looking right through me. Reading my thoughts, my feelings. But it was ridiculous. I didn’t even know this man. At this moment, Luke diverted my thoughts, by answering my unfinished question.
"No, I haven’t called this number. I just... I just wanted to talk to you first."
I deeply breathed out. Relieved.
"Thanks", I just managed to say.
A few moments silence, then Luke approached nearer to me and asked me, almost whispering,
"Lorelai, I know, it’s none of my business, but may I ask you, who’s searching for you?"
Again, I looked at him.
Is he trustworthy? Would he call them?
I figured, if he wanted to do that, he would already have done it by now. So I slowly answered,
"I don’t know for sure, but I think, it’s my parents."