Roughly 6 months after the disastrous proposal. Rory is on the campaign trail, being miserable until the one rally in Manhattan. Logan is out in California, his tech company, RMG, is very successful - however he's been coming to New York more recently for business meetings to bring a company under their belt.
[been working on this for a LONG time]
***
Rory was at the rally in Manhattan she was taking notes on Obama's speech and then had an exclusive interview with him the next day. Nobody really knows why, but she ends up getting all the interviews with the Obama family. But between her and Hugo, she knows she's requested; that it was her who interviews and writes about them. However, this rally was weird. There was an odd feeling in the air. Rory ignored her gut feeling thinking it was just nerves that her piece was going to be the biggest one yet. That was until a gunshot was heard. Rory started to panic as screams were heard all around her. More gunshots came and people started to run. She looked around trying to find her group of reporters to no avail. Then she heard her name being shouted over all the screams. It was Hugo. She started to move towards the voice when she saw a scared little girl lost in the mix of all the screaming people.
"Hey, are you okay? I'm not going to hurt you." Rory said softly.
The crying girl looked at her, then she hugged Rory.
"Let's go somewhere safe okay?"
The girl nodded.
Rory guided the little girl to where she thought her campaign bus was. When another 5 shots cut through the air. Rory guarded the girl for precautions, and she was glad she did. Rory was shot in her back.
There were no more shots after that. She had taken the last shot.
Rory's body went limp and slumped to the ground in pain, the little girl screamed in fright and tries to wake her up.
"Lady! Lady! Wake up!" The girl cried shaking Rory.
Rory tried but she was tired.
The little girl looked frantically around at the now mostly empty area, sirens were faintly heard. She then went to Rory's purse and looked for a phone. Once she found it, she called 9-1-1.
"9-1-1 What's your emergency?" A woman's voice spoke in the phone.
"Um a lady saved me from dying and now I think she's dying." The girl whimpered.
"Okay, I will send an ambulance. What's your name sweetheart, and do you know where you are?" The woman said being calm.
"Um... My name is Angela Leigh Grace Williams and I... I think it's something like Man-hat-ten... u-um... I don't know where my mom is... She said something about a rolly? And... and presses? Uh... I don't know... There's banging an-and screaming. Does - does that help?" The girl said in a wobbling voice as she silently cries.
"Yes. An ambulance is on their way. Now can you identify this lady that saved you and keep her awake for me? Don't hang up okay? It's going to be alright."
"Okay... um..." the girl kneels next to the lady on the ground that had shallow breaths.
"Lady! Lady! Wake up! Help is coming!" She cried shaking her awake.
Rory's eyes opened slightly, it was all blurry.
She slowly went for something in her blazer pocket. It was a Press ID.
"What's this?" The girl asked her. She held the card and turned it around.
"Lor - e - lie Lee Gil - more Hay - den eye eye eye." the girl tried to pronounce.
"Is the name Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Hayden the third, sweetie?" The woman on the phone asked carefully.
"Uh-huh. She's awake, I think..." the girl said putting the ID back into the blazer pocket, "How much longer?"
"A few more minutes. Is she breathing?"
"Um.." The girl watches Rory intently. Her chest moving up and down shallowly.
"Yeah, slowly."
"Okay, I'm going to ask you a gross question: is there any blood?"
"Oh! Uh - um..." The girl mumbled slightly panicked she studied the lady's body, then she say a streak of red liquid flowing away from them. "Yes! Wait, blood is red right?" the girl asked.
"Yes. Good job. Can you find the source for me?"
"Mm-hm." The little girl went to the back of Rory and saw a giant dark stain on her back.
"Um, phone lady? Is there supposed to be a lot? 'Cause there's a big red puddle." the girl was slightly starting to panic, scared something bad was happening.
"Okay, be calm. I'm going to need you to move what Lorelai is wearing, and I know this will gross you out, but I need you to tell me her injury."
"Uh okay, um..." the girl placed the phone and put it on speaker.
The girl moved her blazer up and saw a completely stained cream blouse.
"Uh, phone lady... there's a hole in her shirt and... and it's very red."
"Okay, the ambulance it almost there. Is there any clean cloth anywhere?"
"Uh... no... wait! My jacket!" The girl said and took off her pink zip up jacket.
"I need you to lift up her shirt for me, and tell if you see a metal bullet."
"Okay." The girl said softly and slowly moved the blood stained blouse up.
"Um... I don't see any - wait! Uh, it's... uh..."
"Is there a bullet?"
"I think..." the girl said nervously.
"Okay, I need you wrap jacket around her tightly above the wound."
"Uh... I don't think I can do that. She's on the ground and I'm little." She said tearing up, feeling helpless.
"Okay, that's okay. Could you press your jacket to the wound with pressure?"
"Yea."
She moved to press her jacket on the wound when she noticed a camera crew not too far away along with a couple reporting buses, each vehicle labeled with NEWS USA.
"There are people here from some place called NEWS."
"Okay. If I'm correct Ms Lorelai, whom you are saving is from the news group. If they know her have them call her family."
"But I have her phone an-and..." Her little voice was getting wobbly and the sirens were getting closer.
"I know. It's going to be okay. I can contact your parents if you can give me a name."
"Honor and Josh Williams." She immediately answered.
"Okay, I'll call them okay."
"Okay." She sniffles.
"Bye sweetie."
"Bye."
The phone line ended and she placed the phone on the ground and then proceeded to put pressure on the wound.
"OH MY G --" A female reporter screamed.
"RORY!" A chorus of voices cut the girl off.
(Rory had made many friends on the trail)
Hugo sees what's happening and immediately pulls out his phone to make an important phone call to a friend.
"Rory! Oh my - Rory, stay with me! Stay with me please!" A red haired woman said kneeling in front of Rory,"David! Call Lorelai!" she cried.
A tall brunette guy fumbled to get out his phone when he realized he didn't have the number that was requested.
"Uh - Ash. I don't -" he started before a blonde girl grabbed his phone and dialed the number.
Rory's closest friends know Lorelai's number from when Rory had to make calls on their phones because hers always died so the number was like a lifeline in some ways or another when her friends would like to be funny and send embarrassing photos to Lorelai.
"Lorelai, it's Caroline. Listen Rory got shot - Manhattan - no, we - an ambulance in on the way. I'll let you know when I get more info." she then continued to say every detail to Lorelai of what happened.
And of course Anthony and Sasha were doing a live cast during the whole time. Only these words were caught in the ears of little Angela.
"Our very own beloved reporter girl, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Hayden the third saved a the young girl, by the name Angela Williams, during the shooting and took a bullet for her. We all await for the police and an ambulance to show up. There are more victims however they are unidentified at this moment." Sasha speaks with tears falling down her cheeks as she reports the news.
"She's going to be okay right?" the little girl asked the red head that was cradling Rory's head in her lap.
The woman looked up at the girl with tears pooling out of her eyes, "Let's hope so."
Angela has discarded the phone to focus on the wound she was pressing on to slow down the bleeding.
Minutes later the ambulance finally arrive and take her to the hospital.
- - - - -
In his recently purchased New York apartment, Logan sat reading the newspaper while his friends were trying to find something good to watch when suddenly Finn dropped the remote and utter the words, "Bloody hell!"
Colin was staring at the screen in shock and tear sprang from his eyes, "NO!"
Logan was so concentrated on the article he was reading that he didn't even notice his friends' shouts until -
"Breaking News: At Obama's Campaign Rally in Manhattan, a shooting went of injuring dozens and killed eight, so far. A news campaign bus of reporters working under the name Hugo Grey took on the current news and engages of the happenings over there, Sasha what's going on?"
Logan's phone starts ringing but he doesn't move to get he stares at the screen in shock and fear.
"Here at Obama's Manhattan Campaign Rally, a shooting has caused an uproar. Everyone is fleeing the area. Obama and his family has been taken to safety. In other news, our very own beloved reporter girl, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Hayden the third saved a the young girl, by the name Angela Williams, during the shooting and took a bullet for her. We all await for the police and an ambulance to show up. There are more victims, however, they are unidentified at this moment. As you can see behind me is our beloved Rory being helped by this little girl that is returning the favor. Reinforcements are being called in yet no responses as of late. Sirens are being heard - wait here's one ambulance coming followed by more. Police are now arriving and are helping to solve this case. That's all for now. Back to you Natalie." Tears were shown in the eyes of the reporter and some started to spring from the people at the news desk.
"Thank you Sasha. We hope our friend gets the help she needs." Natalie says ignoring the fact that she said our.
Sasha nodded before she disappeared from the screen.
Logan jumps to grab his still ringing phone.
"Hello?" he asks frantically.
"Sounds like you heard the news. She's on her way to New York Presbyterian."
"On it. Thanks for the call Hugo."
"Not a problem, Logan."
There was a brief silence when Hugo then broke it.
"I know she misses you." Hugo whispered before hanging up.
He looks up to see Finn and Colin staring at him in tears with looks of horror and worry that almost matched his own.
They all burst out the door of his apartment and run like hell to their cars to make their way to the hospital.
- - - - -
Richard was at the club playing golf with his best friends Andrew McCrea, Finnegan Rothschild Sr., Mitchum Huntzberger and Janlon DuGrey.
Of course there is always the tension in the air between Mitchum and Richard, however, they were all having a conversation over insurance for their companies. Which was a topic they went on and off of. They were in the middle of a discussion when a frantic Emily was making her way across the field.
She was in a DAR meeting and since the re-modifications to the club for the newer generations, TVs were scattered everywhere in the building. Emily was having a conversation when Francine was trying to get her attention to the TV that was displaying the news. Everyone was shocked and concerned for the Gilmore family and Francine too.
Emily burst outside in look for her husband.
"Richard!" Emily cried.
Andrew heard her first.
"Ah Richard, in trouble again?" Andrew chuckles.
"Let's hope not." Richard chuckles, the rest of the men follow.
Richard turns to look at his wife, his face dropped.
Emily was crying and looked scared.
"Emily what's wrong?"
"Our granddaughter was shot!"
"What?!" Richard bellowed.
"It's on the news!"
"She took a bullet for a little girl at the rally in Manhattan. She's bleeding to death Richard! We need to go!"
Richard felt like he was going to cry, he glanced at his friends and they nodded their goodbyes.
Richard and Emily take off, Francine already left hoping that Chris heard and is on his way.
In the car, Emily gets a call from Lorelai telling her was hospital, which she then relays the message to Francine.
Back at the club the men didn't feel like finishing the game and took off to leave as well and on their way their wives followed.
Shira was crying because her granddaughter was in that mess and Rory had saved her life. Sondra DuGrey, Melody McCrea, Annabelle Morgan-Rothschild were also in tears because they have met the young Gilmore and loved her so.
- - - - -
When Lorelai got the call that her daughter was shot she screamed in horror in the diner, tears falling quickly. Luke kicked everyone out and they made it quickly to Luke's truck and made their way to New York. She was in hysterics as all the details were being told to her. Caroline then bid her goodbyes as it seemed Rory was being taken away to get cared for. She immediately called Chris that said he heard and is on his way once she relaid the information of the hospital. She then called Sookie and told her to take care of the inn for a couple of days.
- - - - -
When Lorelai arrived she cried because of the mass of people that were there in the hospital demanding news about Rory.
Richard and Emily were frightening one nurse for answers. Francine and Christopher were scaring another nurse. Mitchum was on the phone trying to get more information on what happened and to settle the press. Shira was also on the phone arranging something. Annabelle was being comforted by her husband, same goes for Sondra. Melody was taking furiously into her own phone. Andrew was pacing as he was on his phone. Paris was speaking rapidly trying to get through to the OR but was being stopped by a gut nurse that was very immune to her ruthless behavior. Logan was pacing occasionally putting his hand through his hair in worry. Finn and Colin her sitting, knees bouncing, hair tousled, red-rimmed eyes - looking like Logan but of course Logan looked worse. Steph was crying with Rosemary and Juliet. Robert was tense like Finn and Colin. And Tristan was there. Tristan was pacing much like Logan in the sense of uneasy and worry. Hugo and almost the whole entire group of reporters from the campaign was there. But what was most shocking was Obama and his wife along with their daughters and a few body guards were there. But there was one little girl, a blonde that was shaking in nerves blood spotting her arms and clothes, but her parents weren't anywhere to be found. At first glance you'd assume it'd be Logan's but that wouldn't be right. Honor. Logan's sister.
Lorelai went straight to her first. Luke followed hesitantly, still hating hospitals.
"You were the one that tried to save my daughter, right?" she asked softly.
The girl looked up and nodded.
"Thank you." she hugged her, "Where are your parents?"
"Mommy is getting some stuff for Uncle Logan and friends. Some essentials I guess. Good coffee, food, a change of clothes for me. Stuff like that. Daddy is on his way from Maine. Business trip."
Lorelai nodded and wiped some tears.
Then a doctor walked in with word of the beloved Gilmore Girl.
- - - - -
Everything she could see was black. Her eyes were closed she knew that, but opening them took too much strength. She felt drained, tired, alone. She heard faint yelling and the feel of someone holding her head and pressure on her back. She knew she was being lifted up and taken somewhere. Voices were all she could hear and then they disappeared. She felt like she was floating in a black abyss. But then she snapped her eyes open and she was standing in a white room or at least what she thought was a room that extended for miles upon miles.
"Thought I'd never get the chance to see you again." a low voice spoke from behind her.
She turned around and saw Straub Hayden in a white suit. He looked like he was glowing.
"Um..."
"I know I wasn't nice to you that day when you were 16, and I apologize. I wish to take that night back."
"But you can't."
"I know. You have turned out to be an amazing woman Lorelai, but I must ask how you got here at such an age."
"I was shot at the Obama Rally in Manhattan. I saved a little girl's life."
"Very heroic end."
"I guess."
"You have an amazing future Lorelai. It does not end here."
"Then why am I here."
"You're body and mind are giving up. You feel as if there is nothing you have left on earth. So I was sent among another to talk some sense into you."
"And you else - ?"
"Ah the reigning Lorelai!"
There stood Trix.
"Wha - ?"
"You're not to end life now, Lorelai. There is a man down there begging you to come back to him."
"What?"
"Take a look for yourself."
A visionary screen blinks to appear and shows everyone that was out in the waiting area. But what caught her eye was two blond men pacing in synchronized manner only when one goes one way the other goes in the opposite.
"Tristan?... Logan..." Rory murmurs in question as to why Tristan was there but the overwhelming feel of love definitely pulsed at the sight of Logan. Then the gang come into the view.
She gasps, tears spring in her eyes. But the only thing that worried her was the look on Logan's face. Tears stained his cheeks, eyes were rimmed red, his hair messed up from his hands running through so many times, the worry lines on his forehead, and the slight movement of his lips every now and again from either a sob, a cry, a plead, a wish or a demand of sorts.
"Logan." She said with a voice crack.
"You are needed there Lorelai, don't give up."
"But what about -"
"Your time here will not come for a very long time. And please do not go back on the road once you are better, for the sake of everyone. Travel isn't for everyone and I don't think anyone is going to let you back on the road after this." Straub said.
"And do bless us with grand babies."
Rory blushed.
Straub chuckled.
"Wake up Lorelai." Trix said.
And at that, the white room faded into the black. Beeping surrounded her ears and then a jolt of shock went through her. A faint: clear! was heard before another jolt went to her shocked bones again and the beeping calmed and she was faced with black again.