�Mom?� Rory asked in a small voice, saying her first word since they�d been at the shack.
�Yes, honey?� Lorelai asked, kissing her daughter�s head.
�Did Christmas pass yet?� Rory asked.
�No, honey, it�s Monday. Christmas is Thursday.� Lorelai informed her daughter.
�Oh. That�s good.� Rory said, quietly. She didn�t say another word. Lorelai was going nuts inside. She wanted to know what had happened the past five days, but she didn�t want to push her daughter.
Several hours later, Lorelai carried her daughter into their house. Rory was cuddled into her mother, hanging on for dear life. They�d spent some time at the hospital, getting Rory checked over, and talking to the police. Rory hadn�t talked much; instead she just nodded her head when the officers asked if he had hurt her. She�d burrowed her head into her mom�s chest and refused to say anything else, Lorelai feared that she�d been assaulted, but the nurse who checked Rory assured Lorelai that Rory hadn�t been. Everyone had gone to the hospital with them, but went home when Lorelai assured them Rory would be okay. She told Sookie to tell Lane, Rory�s best friend, not to worry and that Rory would call her soon. Lorelai carried Rory to the couch, wanting to set her down so she could get their coats off, and Rory whimpered. She wasn�t quite ready to leave the comfort of her mother�s arms.
�I�m just taking my coat off, honey. Let�s get yours, too.� Lorelai talked through her movements, �I�m just going to hang our coats up.� Lorelai walked back into the foyer and hung their coats up, �Then we�ll give you a bath and make you all clean, okay?� Lorelai�s heart was just breaking at the sight of her withdrawn and reserved daughter. She�d never seen Rory like this.
Rory nodded, �Okay.� she said, in a quiet voice.
Lorelai helped her daughter bathe, trying hard not to notice several large bruises on her stomach and back. Rory shivered, even in the steamy water she was freezing cold. Lorelai wrapped her up in fluffy towels, and got her in warm pajamas. �You want to go to bed, sweetie?� Lorelai asked, running one hand along her daughter�s cheek. Rory nodded, and Lorelai led her towards the stairs, but Rory tugged her in the other direction, towards Lorelai�s own room. She let Rory lead her into the room, and watched as her daughter crawled into her mother�s bed, hugging the pillows to her chest.
Lorelai was about to turn out the light and leave her to sleep, when Rory�s asked in a small voice, �Mom? Lie with me?�
�Of course, honey.� Lorelai said, and her heart nearly broke a second time as she slid into the bed, and her daughter snuggled up to her. She ran her hand along Rory�s back lightly and soon heard her breathing even out. Then Lorelai cried. She sobbed softly into the pillow, trying hard not to be loud enough to wake her daughter. �She�s back. My Rory�s back. Thank you so much for my Rory.�
The next morning, Lorelai had the sensation of her fingers moving�on their own. She eased open her eyes. Rory was lying on her back on top of Lorelai, and was playing with her mom�s fingers. She bent them, made them into a fist, and stretched them out again. Lorelai chuckled softly, �The last time you did that, you were three and counting Mommy�s fingers.�
Rory stopped what she was doing, and tilted her head back to see Lorelai, clear blue eyes meeting each other. They smiled at each other before Rory spoke, �I missed you, Mom.�
�I missed having you call me Mom.� Lorelai said, trying to keep her tears in check. She tried her hardest not to cry in front of her daughter.
Rory turned back to her mom�s hand, playing with her fingers. She noticed how dirty and chipped her mom�s nails were, like she hadn�t bathed in days. Rory pulled her mom�s fingers to her lips and kissed them, stroking her hands over them. Rory felt a kiss on the top of her head and smiled. She continued playing with Lorelai�s fingers. She�d always had a fascination with fingers when she was little. She remembered one time when an experiment to see if amputated fingers grew back went astray. She laughed to herself.
�What�s funny? Are my fingers funny?� Lorelai asked.
Rory smiled, �No, I was remembering that time when I decided to see if my fingers would re-grow if hacked off.�
Lorelai groaned, �You closed your toy box lid on them. I swear you shrieked so loudly, Hartford could hear you.�
Rory smiled, �I hadn�t quite grasped the pain factor.�
Lorelai grinned, �Well, you certainly did after that. You wouldn�t go near anything that Mommy said would cause an owie.�
�How old was I?� Rory asked.
�Not old.� Lorelai said, �Three. Maybe four.� Rory smiled at that, and snuggled into her mom�s embrace.