❝𝙰𝚑𝚑𝚑, 𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚢
𝚆𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚝𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚢
𝚆𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚎
𝙰𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎?❞
𝚂𝚒𝚖𝚘𝚗 & 𝙶𝚊𝚛𝚏𝚞𝚗𝚔𝚕𝚎 – 𝙰 𝙷𝚊𝚣𝚢 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚆𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛

Briar Rose was laying on the floor pillow in her room, when her twin sister, Rory walked in.

"Oh, good, you're up," Rory said and went to Briar's desk to start looking over the stuff on it.

Briar asked, "What are you looking for?"

"I can't find my Macy Gray CD," Rory told her.

"I don't have it," Briar replied, getting up and grabbing her messenger bag.

She adjusted her red sweater and her blue beaded, Famine, bracelet. It was an in-joke with her and three friends, Jillian "Jill" Belleville, Vivienne Dell, and Lisette "Lizzie" Danes.

Lizzie had jokingly called their group the Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse because Briar was always hungry, even five minutes after eating.

Vivienne had moved in with her uncle, Morey, because her dad had found out that she was a product of an affair and her parents and sisters had treated her horrible, so she decided to run away to Stars Hollow so she would stop 'plaguing' them with her existence.

It had been a toss up on who got the Death bracelet, but they ultimately decided on Jill getting it because she was orphaned and it left her older brother Jackson to finish raising her.

Lizzie got the War bracelet, because she was very aggressive sometimes.

Rory was still looking through Briar's stuff on her desk. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I am that you're wearing my jeans and you stole my cherry vanilla lip gloss," Briar pointed out as they headed down the stairs.

"What are you talking about? These are mine," Rory said. "And I didn't even take your lip gloss."

Briar pointed at the jeans Rory was wearing, "I remember embroidering that heart underneath the right pocket."

Rory practically ran out the door.

Briar was going to go after Rory, but she had to stop and lock the door.

Rory walked in the diner, "Hey." She sat down right across from Lorelai. "It's freezing."

It left Briar to sit on the other side of the table, looking right at the counter.

"Oh, what do you two need?" Lorelai asked, "Hot tea? Coffee?"

"Lip gloss," Rory said.

"Are you joking about the hot tea thing?" Briar said, "You know it's all about the coffee."

Lorelai pulled a makeup bag out of her bag, "I have vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, toasted marshmallow, and that weird cherry vanilla one."

"Which is mine," Briar said, taking the lip gloss that Lorelai took from her.

"Do you have anything in there not resembling a breakfast cereal?" asked Rory.

"Yes," Lorelai said, taking another makeup bag out of her bag. "It has no smell but it changes colors with your mood."

"Okay, Mom, you need to pull a smaller makeup bag out of there," Briar said. "Your purse is like one of those weird Russian nesting dolls.

Lorelai took out another, but smaller makeup bag and smirked at Briar who just gaped at her.

"God, RuPaul doesn't need this much makeup," Rory said.

"Wow, you're crabby," Lorelai pointed out.

"I'm sorry," Rory said. "I lost my Macy Gray CD, I need caffeine, and Brie accused me of stealing her lip gloss."

"Ooh, I have your CD," Lorelai said, taking a CD out of her purse.

"Thief," Rory accused.

"Yeah, this Pink Lemonade lip gloss is also mine," Briar said, taking the tube out.

"Sorry," Lorelai said. "I will get you some coffee to make up for my thievery."

Briar spotted more of her stolen BR Lip Glows: cherry, grape, apple, vanilla, and watermelon.

Thankfully Lorelai left the mango, bubblegum, blueberry, orange, pineapple, and peach alone.

Vivienne, however, loved the Liquid Lip Smacker – her particular favorite being the Liquid Lip Smacker in cotton candy flavor. Briar herself, however, was partial to the tropical punch flavored one.

Lizzie, however, preferred the Lip Smacker lip balms and Jill loved the Lip Smacker Lip Sparklers variety.

Briar had no problem buying Lip Smacker stuff, because it somewhat kept Lorelai out of them.

A guy came up to them, "You know, you don't need that much makeup, you're both gorgeous without it."

Briar looked at this guy, "I appreciate the comment, but I like to wear it for my own validation, not for any men's validation. So go away now."

"I'm sorry for my sister's crabbiness," Rory said. "So, are you new here? I haven't seen you before."

"Yeah, I've never been through here before," the man replied.

"Oh, you have too," Lorelai said, coming in for the save.

The man looked surprised to see her, "Oh, hi."

"Oh, hi," replied Lorelai. "You really like my table, don't you?"

The man started saying, "I was just, uh..."

"Getting to know my daughters," finished Lorelai.

The man seemed surprised, "Your..."

"Are you our new daddy?" asked Rory in a high pitched voice, grinning.

Briar asked, "Are you going to play dress up and have tea parties with us?"

"Wow," the man said. He spoke to Lorelai, "You do not look old enough to have a daughter let alone two." Lorelai made a face, "No, I mean it." He spoke to Rory and Briar, "And you two do not look like daughters."

Briar got that a lot. Rory had to clarify that yes, she and Briar are sisters – twins even, because of Briar's pale olive skin tone and her light green eyes. She was noticeably darker when standing next to Rory. It was like most people had a hard time believing that they were twins, but they were.

"That's possibly very sweet of you," Lorelai said. "Thanks."

"So...daughters," the man started, speaking to Rory and Briar. "You know, I am traveling with a friend..."

"They're both fifteen," Lorelai stated.

"Bye," the man replied, looking horrified.

"Drive safe," Lorelai told the man and his friend as they tried to leave the diner.

"Try not to make it on a list on your way through town," Briar called after them.

"Brie," Lorelai admonished, but she was giggling. She didn't use the full name 'Briar Rose'. So, she was home free, baby.

Since Briar's full name was Briar Rose, people called her either Brie or Briar. No one called her Briar Rose.

Lorelai sat down at their table, "So, what's going on with you both?"

"I have to go to Antonoli's after school," Briar said. She worked part time at the pizzeria. Some people would think that she would get tired of pizza working there, but she loved their pizza and cheesy breadsticks. Pete usually looked the other way when Briar packed up leftovers to take home. Lorelai and Rory always seemed to appreciate the leftovers, especially since the leftovers were fresh.

"Bring me home a meatball sub," Rory told Briar.

"Ooh, me too," Lorelai said. "And make sure the cheesy breadsticks are extra, extra cheesy."

"I'll see what I can do," Briar said. "I think you both love me because I bring home pizza and stuff."

"Oh, honey, that's not true," Lorelai started.

"But for me, it is," Rory said, with a grin.

Briar took a napkin and balled it up before throwing it at Rory.

Briar and Rory headed back home because Rory wanted to put on a warmer sweater, and Briar wanted to get her black Schwinn Riverside bike. She, Jill, Vivienne, and Lizzie usually rode bikes everywhere together. They all had Schwinn bikes, but they were different types.

Jill's was a white Fairhaven, while Vivienne's was a mint green Destiny, and Lizzie's was a red Point Beach.

To make it more fun, the colors of the bikes matched the horses of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Of course, it was hard to find a pale green Schwinn bike, so Vivienne settled for mint green.

While Rory headed out, Briar waited for Vivienne to come along with her bike. Vivienne's bike was the only one with a basket because Babette and Morey thought that Cinnamon liked slow bike rides, so they would usually put the cat in the basket to ride with them. Vivienne was positive that the cat did not like bike rides or being stuffed in the basket or being stuffed in the basket to go on bike rides.

Sure, it was probably better walking everywhere, but it was so much quicker and funner riding bikes.

Besides, they were the Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse, they needed loyal steeds. 

They waited on a corner for Lizzie and Jill to show up.

"I found my missing lip gloss," Briar told Vivienne, taking out the BR Lip Glow Cherry out of her messenger bag.

Vivienne asked, "Oh, where was it?"

"Turned out my mother had it," Briar replied and started to apply it.

Vivienne said, "Aunt Babette found out that we're going on the Hayride and wants me to take Cinnamon with us."

"No problem, I guess," Briar said, after applying her lip gloss.

"I feel like I have to take my furry cat sister everywhere," Vivienne said.

"You're the one who said it, not me," Briar pointed out.

"You're funny," Vivienne said.

"Clowns are funny," Briar replied. "I'm hilarious."

"Your sense of humor astounds me," Vivienne said.

"Thanks," Briar said, tossing her hair over her shoulders, "I get it from my mom."

Vivienne snickered at that.

Sometimes it was hard to get Vivienne to laugh at things. Apparently being the 'family disappointment' made you immune to humor.

"Oh, hi, Mirabelle," Vivienne said, smiling widely at a girl who just quickened her pace to get to the school.

Vivienne liked to smile at people who didn't like her. She found it amusing. She kicked at the ground slightly with her combat boots. She smiled at a guy, "Hi, Brandon."

Brandon continued on, ignoring her.

"Ah, there he goes. That motherfucker," Vivienne replied. She sneered, "What a tool."

She and Brandon used to date. However, Brandon had come in second after Vivienne in some science competition. So, Vivienne dropped out so he can be first. The next after getting the award, Brandon dumped her. Then the day after that, he started dating Mirabelle.

Mirabelle hated Vivienne because she was Brandon's ex.

Guys like that scare Briar. Guys who had no problem crushing a girl's heart just to get what they want. Guys who dated a girl just to take their virginity like what happened to Lizzie. Guys who dated girls and then spread that they're a whore even though they never slept together like what happened to Jill. 

Briar, Vivienne, and Lizzie proceeded to spread rumors about that guy, like he had a piss fetish, or that he had a small dick or that he accidentally called his mother's name during sex. That guy ended up moving. 

Guys scare Briar, because from what her friends had been through, she was expecting the worst out of them.

Eventually, Jill and Lizzie pulled up.

"Ting, ting, bitches," Jill greeted them with a grin.

"Ting, ting," Briar greeted back.

"Oh, I just remembered this nightmare that I had," Vivienne said.

"Tell us," Lizzie said.

Vivienne had some pretty strange and funny dreams/nightmares. They were usually entertaining.

They got on their bikes and started pedaling towards the school while Vivienne explained, "Okay. I had this weird nightmare where I was standing in the backyard, watching this huge-ass wolf spider try to climb up our house, but it fell down and then it got so pissed that it was actually vibrating, then it started ricocheting in a steel room, and then it hit me, knocking me onto my ass. I started screaming and my aunt comes outside, because we're outside again for some reason, and asks me what I'm screaming about. I tell her, and she looks me dead in the eye and says, 'Quit being a little bitch' and goes back inside."

"Hard to imagine Babette saying something like that," Briar stated, trying to imagine anything of the sort coming out of Babette's mouth.

"You haven't heard the way she talks about Doose," Vivienne stated, looking wide eyed at the thought.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Lizzie said. "I have a lot of thoughts about Doose. Hold on, girls." She stopped pedaling, just so she could pull her hair into a ponytail. A lot of people thought Lizzie was Asain for some reason. No, she wasn't. She was just Ashkenazi Jewish, taking after her mother.

They started pedaling again, riding past Rory and her best friend, Lane, who waved hi at them as they passed, before eventually reaching the school.

They locked their bikes at the bike rack at the side of the school, before heading to the front. There was a tall guy in a leather jacket hanging out by the pillar. Rory and Lane went up the stairs, but the tall guy watched them go.

Briar narrowed her eyes at the guy, "Who's the guy?"

"He's probably new," Jill replied. 

After work, Briar headed home, with the requested meatball subs and extra cheesy breadsticks. Lorelai and Sookie were standing on the porch, drinking wine.

It looked like the meatball subs and breadsticks were for dinner tomorrow, since Sookie was here.

Lorelai said, "What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?"

"You can have anything I own," Sookie said. "My car! Sell my car."

"Oh, sweetie, no one wants your car," Lorelai told her.

"I'll just set these in the fridge," Briar told Lorelai, holding up the bag with the food.

"Oh, here," Lorelai said, passing a paper bag to Briar. "You go try this on and come tell me what you think of it."

Briar took the bag and went into the kitchen to put the food up and went upstairs to try on whatever was given to her.

It turned out to be the Chilton skirt.

It meant that she got in. While she was glad, she was more terrified. She only applied because Rory did and wouldn't stop badgering her about applying.

Briar did maintain a perfect GPA, which was fairly easy to do at Stars Hollow High. Chilton, however, was a different story. How the hell was she supposed to survive Chilton? Especially when she worked part-time? One question was, how the hell was their mom going to pay for the both of them to attend?

While Briar was inwardly panicking, Rory came in, excited. "What do you think?"

Briar faked a smile, "I can't tell if we're going to Chilton or gonna be extras in Braveheart."

Rory laughed.

Despite their differences in appearance, they were also different in personality.

When they were starting preschool, Rory had walked in and started talking to the teacher, while Briar started crying. She cried for two weeks straight. So, by age ten, Rory was practically an adult while Briar stayed a 'kid' and when Briar turned thirteen, she turned into a 'teenager', sneaking out of the house, kissing boys, and getting caught drinking alcohol at the pond in the dead of night.

When she was about six-years-old, she befriended Lizzie, so Briar would spend time in the newly opened diner with Lizzie. Luke would either drop Briar off at the Independence Inn because she told him that she lived there (Briar was still sure that Luke didn't know that she meant in the potting shed) or he would have Lorelai come pick her up, because Luke would not let some six-year-old girl walk home alone.

When Briar and Lizzie were eight, Jill had moved in with Jackson, because their parents had died, so she became the third member of their friendship group. When Vivienne was eleven, she moved in with Babette and Morey, becoming the fourth member of their group, eventually they transformed into the Four Horsewomen.

But now? She wasn't sure if she even wanted to go to Chilton. Sure, she was excited to go, but it was mostly Rory's idea on going to Chilton. Sure, in a way, Briar wanted to go, but she also didn't want to leave her fellow Horsewomen behind. But she also didn't want Rory to go alone either.

"Hey, let's go show Mom," Rory said, dragging Briar out of her thoughts. Briar nodded and they both went outside.

"Mom?" asked Rory as they stepped outside. "So, what do you think?"

"Wow," said Sookie, full of enthusiasm, "It makes you both look smart!"

Rory cringed at what Sookie said, "Okay, no more wine for you." She turned to Lorelai, "Mom?"

"You look like you both were swallowed by a kilt," Lorelai added.

"Fine, you can hem it," Rory said. "A little."

"Ooh," replied Lorelai.

"Only a little," Rory said.

"Okay," Lorelai said. "Or I could hem it a lot."

"No, you're not," Rory told her. "I don't want it to be too short."

"I do!" exclaimed Briar, excitedly.

Lorelai smiled at her as they headed inside the house. "Just not too short."

Rory said, "I can't believe tomorrow's our last day at Stars Hollow High."

"I know," Lorelai said.

"Today I was so excited I dressed for gym," Rory told Lorelai.

"You're kidding!" replied Lorelai.

"She's not," Briar told her. "Jill thought Rory lost her mind."

"And I played volleyball," Rory added.

"With other people?" asked Lorelai.

"No, with the hallucinations of other people since Rory lost her mind," Briar said. "Yes, with other people."

"Geez, you're moody," Lorelai told Briar.

Rory changed the subject, "And I learned that all this time I was avoiding group sports?" She got onto a footstool so Lorelai can pin up the skirt.

"Yeah?" prompted Lorelai.

"Was very smart because I suck at them," replied Rory as Lorelai began pinning up the skirt.

"I think you should put the books down and actually join in every now and then," Briar said. She wasn't all that athletic, but she was far more athletic than Rory.

"Well, you both got your lack of athleticism from me," Lorelai said.

"Where's your pâté?" asked Sookie, coming in from the kitchen.

"At Zsa Zsa Gabor's house," Lorelai told Sookie.

"Right," Sookie told them, coming into the living room. "I'm going to the store because all you have is those meatball subs and cheesy bread." She grabbed her purse, "You feel like duck?"

"Ooh, if it's made with chicken, absolutely," Lorelai replied.

"I'll be back," Sookie said.

"Bye," Lorelai said and Sookie left the house.

"All right," Lorelai said, patting Rory's legs. "This will give you an idea. Go see how you like."

"Okay," Rory said, jumping down from the footstool. She headed for the stairs, "I love being a private school girl." She went upstairs.

Briar got onto the footstool and Lorelai started pinning the skirt up. Briar frowned, "Is everything okay?"

Lorelai said, "You may look like a distant relative I barely remember, but you know I'm proud of you, right?"

Briar was confused, because that wasn't what she asked. "Okay? I'm glad you're my mom too."

After school on Thursday, Briar had gone to the pizzeria for work and after her shift was done, she had hopped onto her bike to go to Luke's because that was where Rory and Lorelai were at. She guessed that the meatball subs and breadsticks might be tomorrow's dinner. It was a bit annoying, sure, but that happens frequently at the Gilmore household.

She walked inside the door and started to say, "Luke, I want—"

"I already know what you want," Luke replied.

"Okay, thank you," Briar said and went to sit down at the table where Lorelai and a gloomy looking Rory were sitting. She looked at Lorelai, "What's with Miss Doom and Gloom over here?"

"I told her that we have dinner with the grandparents tomorrow night," Lorelai said.

"That holiday already passed," Briar said, confused.

"Look, it's just dinner," Lorelai stated firmly.

"Okay," Briar said.

Luke came over with hamburgers and set the hamburgers down, before ripping off the check and setting it down on the table. "Red meat can kill. Enjoy." He walked away.

Lorelai seemed to scoff a little before switching plates, "So, I finished hemming your skirts today."

Briar smiled, "Thanks."

Negative Nancy, aka Rory, didn't even say anything. Lizzie came over with a club sandwich and fries, before walking away.

Lorelai watched, "The way that girl walks..." Briar looked at her weirdly. "So vaguely threatening. It's admirable." She looked at Rory, "A grunt of acknowledgement might be nice."

"I don't understand why we're going to dinner tomorrow night," Rory said. "I mean, what if I had plans? You didn't even ask me."

"Well, if you had plans I would have known," Lorelai replied.

Rory asked, "How?"

"Well, you would have told me," Lorelai answered. "You, at least would've told Brie, who would've told me."

"I don't tell you or Brie everything," Rory said. "I have my own things."

Lorelai said, "Fine, you have things."

"That's right," Rory said. "I have things."

Lorelai said, "Hey, I had dibs on being the bitch tonight."

Rory muttered, "Just tonight?"

Lorelai said, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Briar didn't see how Rory was being 'bitchy' or whatever something was wrong. Briar thought that Rory was finally acting like a teenager for once.

Rory said, "I'm not sure I want to go to Chilton."

Briar gaped at Rory, because after all that hounding Rory did just to get her to send in an application; Rory didn't want to go to Chilton?

"What?" asked Lorelai.

Rory said, "The timing is just really bad."

"The timing is bad?" repeated Lorelai.

Rory said, "And the bus ride to and from Hartford, it's like thirty minutes each way."

If Lizzie would've acted like this, Luke would've told her, "With that attitude, you could walk there. I don't care if it's raining or snowing. Walking is good for you anyway. Have fun."

Lorelai said, "I can't believe what I'm hearing."

Rory continued with her excuses, "Plus, I don't think we should be spending that money right now. I mean, I know Chilton's got to be costing you a lot."

Lorelai muttered, "Oh, you have no idea."

Briar looked at her mother, wondering what that even meant.

Rory continued, "All of your money should be going toward buying an inn with Sookie."

"What about college?" Lorelai said, "What about Harvard?"

Rory said, "We don't know that I can't get into Harvard if I stay where I am."

"Okay, enough," Lorelai said. "Enough of the crazy talk, okay? I appreciate your concern but I have this covered."

Rory said, "I still don't want to go."

"Why?" asked Lorelai.

"Because I don't," replied Rory.

Lorelai shook her head, "I have to get out of here." She grabbed her purse and got up, before starting to leave.

"We have to pay first," Rory said.

Lorelai dropped some money onto the table before leaving. Rory went after her.

Luke came over with some boxes, "I always hated getting caught in the middle whenever my sister, Liz, got into fights with our mother when we were younger, too."

Briar was confused, "You named Lizzie after your sister?"

"No, Lizzie's mother named her that," Luke explained. "Lizzie was named after her mother's grandmother."

"Oh," Briar replied, feeling stupid. She hated feeling stupid.

Luke gave her a small smile, "It's okay. Some people thought the same thing. At least, the ones who remembered Liz." He seemed to frown at the mention of his sister.

Briar asked, "What happened to her?"

"She split town after getting pregnant with Jess," Luke replied and shrugged.

Briar was sure that she was getting into dodgy territory with Luke on the subject with Liz.

So, she packed up the leftovers and left the diner, grabbing her bike and pedaling home.

When she got inside the house, Lorelai was playing a Macy Gray song and pacing.

Lorelai turned onto Briar, "Who is this boy that Rory's willing to throw Chilton away from?"

Briar was surprised because she didn't know Rory wanted to throw Chilton away for a boy. She looked at Lorelai, "I'm just as surprised as you are."

She went to put the food up and started to head upstairs.

"So you don't know the guy?" asked Lorelai.

"I honestly don't know which guy it is," Briar replied, going upstairs.

The next evening, they stood in front of the door of the Gilmore mansion. Briar awkwardly adjusted her white polka-dotted thights and adjusted her skirt.

Rory asked, "So do we go in or do we just stand here reenacting The Little Match Girl?"

"Okay, look, I know you and me are having a thing here and I know you hate me but I need you to be civil, at least through dinner and then on the way home, you can pull a Menedez." Lorelai asked, "Deal?"

"Leave me out of that scenario," Briar said, messing with her Famine bracelet.

"Fine," Rory replied.

Honestly, it was weird seeing Rory acting like a teenager for once.

Lorelai rang the doorbell and Emily opened the door.

Briar almost jumped, because that was quick. Was Emily lurking on the other side like some kind of weirdo?

"Hi, Grandma," Rory greeted.

"Well, you're right on time," Emily said.

Lorelai said, "Yeah, yeah, no traffic at all."

They walked in and Emily took their overcoats to hang up, "I can't tell you what a treat it is to have you girls here."

"Oh, well, we're excited, too," Lorelai told Emily.

Emily looked at the to-go cup of coffee, "Is that a collector's cup or can I throw it away for you?"

Lorelai looked at the cup, like she realized she was still holding it, "Oh." She started to toss it into the nearby wastebasket.

"In the kitchen, please," Emily told Lorelai. She proceeded to put one arm around Rory's shoulders to lead her and Briar into the living room. "I want to hear all about Chilton."

"We haven't even started yet," Rory told her.

Briar followed after them, but as soon as she stepped into the living room, Emily put her other arm around Briar.

"Richard, look who's here," Emily told her husband.

Richard looked up from his newspaper, taking in both girls. "Rory, Briar. You're both tall."

"Not really," Briar said.

"I guess I am then," Rory said.

"Well, what's your height?" asked Richard.

"5'6," Briar said automatically.

"That's about average," Richard replied. "Rory, how about you?"

"5'7," Rory replied.

"That's tall," Richard said. "She's tall."

Lorelai walked into the living room. "Hi, Dad."

"Lorelai, your daughters' tall," Richard told her.

Lorelai joked, "Oh, I know. It's freakish. Brie and I are thinking of having Rory studied at M.I.T."

Richard didn't get the joke, "Ah." He resumed reading his paper.

Emily came over, holding a tray of champagne flutes, "Champagne, anyone?"

"Oh, that's fancy," Lorelai said, taking a champagne flute.

Briar and Rory took one too.

"Well, it's not every day that I have my girls here for dinner on a day the banks are open. A toast – to Rory and Briar entering Chilton and an exciting new phase in their lives," Emily said, holding her champagne flute up.

Richard held his glass up, "Here, here."

They each took a drink.

"Mmm," Emily hummed. "Well, let's sit everyone." Briar sat down on the couch next to Richard, but Rory sat down next to Briar, sandwiching her. "This is just wonderful. An education is the most important thing in the world, next to family."

"And pie," Lorelai said.

"Especially banana cream pie," Briar added.

There was silence.

"Joke, joke," Lorelai said.

"Ah," Emily replied, clearly not getting it.

Richard handed Briar a section of the newspaper, "Hand that to Rory." Briar handed it to Rory. Richard handed Briar the crossword puzzle and then handed her a pen.

When it was time for dinner, they made their way to the dining room to eat. Rory and Briar sat together on one side while Lorelai was sitting across from them, sort of like she was in the middle.

After a moment of silent eating, Emily asked, "Rory, Briar, how is the lamb?"

Briar and Rory glanced at each other, before Rory spoke for the both of them, "It's good."

"Too dry?" asked Emily.

"No," Briar said. She needed to tell the cook that the food was good. Sure, the cook made it, but the 'help' doesn't seem to get credit while the employer took it. It seemed cruel. She certainly didn't like it when someone bought a pizza, took it home, and tried to pass it off as homemade.

"It's perfect," Rory added.

"Potatoes could use a little salt though," Lorelai said.

Emily took offense to that, "Excuse me?"

Rory asked, "So, Grandpa, how's the insurance biz?" She was trying to diffuse an argument that was clearly brewing.

"Oh, people die, we pay. People crash cars, we pay. People lose a foot, we pay," Richard said.

"Well, at least you have your new slogan," Lorelai told him.

"And how are things at the motel?" asked Richard.

"The inn?" corrected Lorelai. "They're great."

"Lorelai's the executive manager now," Emily said. "Isn't that wonderful?"

Richard said, "Speaking of which, Christopher called yesterday."

Lorelai asked, "Speaking of which? How is that a speaking of which?"

"He's doing very well in California. His Internet start-up goes public next month. This could mean big things for him." Richard spoke to Rory and Briar, "Very talented man, your father."

Lorelai spoke flatly, "They know."

"He always was a smart one, that boy." Once again, Richard spoke to Rory and Briar, "You both must take after him."

"Yeah, well, his smarts weren't there when I decided to jump off that jungle gym when I was in preschool," Briar said. Apparently she got a very bad concussion from that, which resulted in her passing out a lot. Lorelai had to pick her (and Rory) up from the school. On their way to the hospital, they passed Al's Pancake World, who was selling chicken nuggets at the time, and Briar saw the restaurant and whispered, 'Chicken nuggets' before passing out again. She could've died and her last words would've been 'chicken nuggets'.

Rory started chuckling at the story, mostly because she found it funny – not the nearly dying part, but the chicken nuggets part.

"Speaking of which, I'm gonna get a Coke," Lorelai said, "Or a knife." She went into the kitchen.

Rory started to stand up, "I think I'm gonna go talk to her..."

"No, I'll go," Emily said. "You stay and keep your grandfather company."

Richard didn't seem like he noticed or cared that he pissed off Lorelai.

"So, Grandpa," Rory started. "Brie started working at our local pizzeria."

Richard asked, "You did?"

"Yeah, but Mom and Rory are only using it to get free food after work," Briar said.

"That's just a perk of working there," Richard told her.  

"Of course it is," Rory told Richard.

"The owner doesn't mind that I do it," Briar added.

There was a lull in the conversation, and they heard Lorelai saying, "Well, I wasn't too proud to come here to you two begging for money for my kids' school, was I?"

Briar glanced at Rory. Now that Rory knew the cost, did Rory still want to drop out?

Eventually though, it seemed like Rory and Lorelai had made up after they left Hartford to go back home and then to Luke's to get coffee.

A/N: The Luke's diner opening timeline is so weird and how long how they'd known each other. Apparently Rory and Lorelai started eating at the diner when Rory was eight, but it seems like they've known each other a little longer than that? So, in this story, Luke and Lorelai had known each other when Rory was six, because of Briar's friendship with Lizzie.

Also, I just want to say that April and Anna won't exist in this story.