The Other Gilmore

A Breaking Point

It had been about a week since Christopher and Sherry went back to Boston. Jess had come over one day and found Frankie hiding under her blankets, trying to escape the outside world. Concerned, he had asked Lorelai what was wrong. She had just shrugged, then went back to whatever task she was doing. That had infuriated Jess, but he stayed quiet, not wanting to ruffle any feathers, and went back to his girlfriend's room. He snooped, trying to figure out what had happened. When he found the empty bottle of anti-depressants, he knew he had found what he was looking for.

Jess was gentle with Frankie. He didn't want to upset her, and he didn't want to make her rut worse, but he knew that she needed a refill of her medication, and quickly. Going too long without them could be detrimental, and he didn't know how long it had been since she had last taken them.

He was finally able to convince her to go to the pharmacy with him, only after he promised that they could watch movies and eat ice cream all night. That had brought a small smile to her face, so she slipped on a pair of slides, her biggest sweatshirt, and coziest beanie over her pajamas, and off they went. Jess made sure to watch her take the medicine once they had the bottle in hand, not wanting her to go any longer without something so important.

After a few days, Frankie began to feel more like herself. She was back in the studio, and she was feeling much more awake than she had been. One evening, Rory was out with Dean, so Frankie and Lorelai decided to have a night of bonding, just the two of them. They got movies and were on their way to get ice cream when they passed by Luke's. The diner owner was sitting at one of the tables, watching a tiny television. Lorelai told Frankie to get the ice cream while she went in to speak to Luke.

When she returned, Luke begged her take Lorelai away, which made Frankie giggle. Just as the mother and daughter were about to leave the diner, he called out and asked if Lorelai had found anyone to clean the rain gutters at their house. She responded that she hadn't, and then Luke recommended Jess. Lorelai became very closed off and weird upon the suggestion, which Frankie was acutely aware of, and immediately called her mother out on it as soon as they were out of the diner.

"I thought you said you were gonna give Jess a chance."

"I am."

"Then why won't you hire him?"

"I'm just...not very comfortable with him, Frankie."

The teenager rolled her eyes. "Why? Because he cares about me? Because he's not pining over Rory?"

"Frankie, come on –"

"No, mother, you come on. Your blatant favoritism of Rory has blinded you to my needs and my anguish. Jess told me that he asked you what was wrong with me the other day, and you just shrugged. You didn't notice that my medication had run out and I was in a depressive episode. I'm your daughter! How do you notice when Rory has a splinter, but not when I'm literally in bed, unable to get up for days? And how do you not understand that your precious angel, the daughter you named after yourself, did something that hurt me so deeply, and she hasn't even apologized for it? Did you know that? Rory hasn't apologized for kissing Tristin. How messed up is that? Or is not messed up because she did it to me, and who gives a crap about 'the other Gilmore,' right?"

Lorelai stood there, stunned, and watched as her youngest walked away, but not before slamming the ice cream container on the ground in anger.

Frankie didn't go home. She didn't sleep. She spent the night at the foot bridge, watching the moonlight ricochet off the water, just trying to find some solace from her own mind and emotions. When she finally made her way back home the following morning, Jess was standing outside with a bucket and gloves, talking to Rory. She was heated, and he was calm, a slight smirk gracing his face.

"I don't think it would hurt you to try to be nice," Rory exclaimed as they stood in front of the porch.

"Why?"

"Why?" Rory repeated, not understanding where he was coming from.

"Yeah, why?" he said as he took off his jacket.

"Because she's my mom and she's a friend of Luke's."

"So?"

"What do you mean, 'so'?"

"So just because she's your mom or Luke's friend doesn't mean that I automatically have to get along with her. There's a lot going on here that you haven't seen, Rory. I would stay out of it if I were you."

"Jess, my mother is a great person. She's also my best friend in the world. So if you care about me at all, you will take that into consideration and you will be mildly polite to her."

"What makes you think I care about you?" Jess asked, frustrated.

Rory became flustered, fumbling over her words and talking nonsensically. Jess finally cut her off, putting her out of her misery.

"I care about Frankie, Rory. And right now, you and your mother are not looking out for her the way she needs you to. I'd say I'm the only one doing that. Stay out of my business and I'll stay out of yours."

Rory huffed and stomped back into the house, but not before catching Frankie's eye and shooting her a glare that would have surely slain the younger twin if looks could kill.

"Thank you," Frankie whispered as she approached Jess.

"No need to thank me, it's what boyfriends are supposed to do, right?" he said, a slight chuckle escaping his lips.

"I suppose so," she replied with a nod, leaning up and kissing him. "You want company?"

"No, that's okay. I'll find you when I'm done, alright?"

Frankie nodded, pecking his cheek, before entering the house and heading straight for her room. She was only pried from her bed when she heard Rory's frantic calls to Lorelai, yelling about a missing bracelet.

Later that day, while Lorelai was at work and Rory was out of the house, Frankie thought about her sister's missing bracelet; the bracelet Dean had made her. Rory loved that bracelet, so it was strange that she would lose it. Going on a hunch, Frankie looked through her room, checking drawers, pockets, and purses. Finally, she found it in her jacket pocket. She had picked it up the previous night after finding it on the foot bridge. The moonlight had glinted off it in just the right way. It was the only reason Frankie noticed it.

She placed it on Rory's desk, exiting the room just as Lorelai came home. The mother and daughter stood, staring at each other, anger and resentment festering between them.

"What were you just doing in there?" Lorelai asked, suspicious.

Frankie scoffed. "I found Rory's bracelet. I put it on her desk."

"Oh, so you just found it, huh?"

"Yes, mother. I just found it."

"And where would you have 'just found' Rory's bracelet? You know that's the most precious thing she owns! She loves that bracelet! Why would you steal it from her?"

"If she loves it so much, why was it on the foot bridge?" Frankie yelled, beyond upset. "Do you know when she was on the foot bridge last? I do. It was Bid On a Basket! That was two weeks ago! She's been missing that thing for two weeks, and I just found it last night! So don't go accusing me of things when you don't have all the facts." She stormed out of the house, not waiting for her mother's reply.

Frankie wandered around aimlessly for hours, not able to bring herself to go anywhere. She couldn't deal with her sister or her mother. She finally found herself at a payphone, feeding it quarters and dialing a number.

"Hello?" the voice said on the other line.

"Dad?"