The Other Gilmore

Boston Bound

"Hello?"

"Dad?"

"Frankie?" Christopher asked, confused. "What's going on?"

"Um, things are really bad at home right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, uh, mom and I are fighting constantly. Rory and I are barely speaking. I just got out of an episode and mom didn't even notice. The only person who seems to care about me right now is Jess, but I know that's not healthy. I can't just lean on him all the time, it's too much," Frankie rambled, unable to stop the words.

"Woah, woah, Frank, slow down. One thing at a time." He tried to calm his agitated daughter, but words weren't helping much.

"I'm at a payphone, I don't know how much more time I have," she said hurriedly, frantically looking through her wallet for more quarters.

"Why are you at a payphone, Frankie?"

"Because mom and I were in a fight earlier and I needed to clear my head."

"So, you just left?"

"Dad, she doesn't care about me!" Frankie cried out, not caring about the stares from passersby. "She cares about Rory, but she doesn't care about me."

"Frankie, that's not –"

"You're not here, dad. You don't see it. You don't see what I deal with every day."

There was a pause as Christopher contemplated his daughter's words. "So what are you trying to tell me, Frank? What do you want to do?" he asked calmly, his voice soft and gentle.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know. I guess I just –"

The payphone cut her off, ending the call. She had spent her limit. With an aggravated grunt, she placed the phone back on the receiver and made her way back to her house, collecting herself before walking through the door.

As she entered the home, she heard Lorelai on the phone.

"Frankie?"

"Yeah!"

"Phone!"

Frankie walked into the living room, only to be greeted by the phone being shoved into her hands. She watched as her mother stormed away, then sighed and placed the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"We got cut off," Christopher said with a chuckle.

"Oh, dad. Hi."

"Hey, kiddo. So. You were telling me what you want to do."

Frankie nodded and bit her lip anxiously. "Right. Well, um, I don't know."

"Do you want to come to Boston for a little while?"

"Really?" she asked, shocked but relieved.

"There's room for you. Just let me know and I'll get you a train ticket."

"Yes." Frankie didn't have to think about it. She needed to get out of Stars Hollow. If only for a little while.

Things moved quickly after that phone call. Christopher bought Frankie a train ticket for the following weekend, only giving the teenager a few days to pack and say her goodbyes. She wasn't sure how long she would be gone, and she didn't want to leave anyone out.