"So he's going to be okay?" Lisa wrung her hands and the doctor laughed.

"Yes, Ms. Reisert. Mr. Medena is going to be just fine. Now go sit down." She nodded and took a seat next to Lukeand Rory.

"How's Lorelai doing?" she asked Rory.

Rory smiled. "She's alright, just got a concussion. Cuts and bruises, too."

"Yeah, I saw. That one on her head looked pretty serious. I hope they stitch it-" Lisa stood to remind the doctor but Luke gently pulled her back down.

"Leese," he smiled warmly at her. "Let them do their jobs."

"Okay, okay," Lisa tried to calm herself. "I just hate hospitals. Whenever I've been here its been from a time with a lot of painful memories." Luke nodded knowingly as an older couple stormed in and marched up to Luke, a nervous young man skittering behind them. Luke stood.

"You, diner boy," the redheaded woman snapped as Rory ran to hug the man. "Where's our daughter?"

"Uh hi, Emily, Richard, Chris," Luke nervously shoved his hands in his pockets. "Did-uh-Rory-call you?"

Rory shifted guiltily.

"Yes, she did!" Emily replied haughtily. "And why shouldn't she? We're her grandparents...and father!"

"Well, she's fine, Mrs Gilmore," Luke answered her. "She's in there, just got a mild concu-"

He didn't get a chance to finish as all three brushed past him into Lorelai's room. Shrugging, Luke sat back down.

"Nasty little surprise for her when she wakes up," he chuckled, adjusting his royal blue baseball cap.

"Does Lorelai not get along with her parents?" Lisa asked as Dean returned with coffee.

"Not at all," Luke shook his head. "There's been bad blood there ever since Lorelai got pregnant with Rory, dropped out of high school, and ran away to Stars Hollow." Lisa nodded with raised eyebrows, figuring it was a story meant for later.

"Ma'am?" a doctor strode to Lisa. She stood.

"You can go see Mr. Medena, if you'd like. Oh, and Ms. Gilmore is being released shortly."

"Great, thanks," Lisa smiled. "I'll go talk to Max now. I imagine Lorelai will want to speak to him after."

She quietly entered Max's room. He was awake, but his eyelids were half closed. Lisa gently brushed his hair back from his face.

"Hey, Leese," he greeted sleepily.

"Hi, sweetie," she murmured. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah. Pretty tipsy, though," he yawned.

"Thank you Max," she smiled. "Thanks for everything. You saved me from..." she broke off, choking on tears.

"I told you, I wouldn't let him touch you," Max replied. "I knew one of us had to die."

"Um..." Lisa shifted in her seat.

"What?"

"He didn't die. They brought him to a heavily guarded room to be treated."

"Oh," Max sighed. "Well, at least he'll finally be locked up, right?"

"Yeah," Lisa laughed as there was a knock on the door. She saw many faces and smiled at Max. "Can they...?"

"Of course," he replied eagerly, squeezing her hand.

"Come in," she called and in barreled Luke, Dean, Rory, and Lorelai.

"Hey, Max," Lorelai perched on the edge of his bed. "How are you doing, buddy?"

"I should ask you the same question," he said, noting various bandages on her head.

She shrugged. "I'm fine," Lorelai replied. "Has anyone heard anything on Jess?"

"I did," Luke admitted shyly. "Since I'm a relative, you know...Liz is being called in case she wants to pay bail. Until then he's being charged with assisted kidnapping, etc." The rest of the group nodded.

"In a way, I still feel like they won," Rory muttered sadly. Lisa firmly took her hand.

"No, sweetie, they didn't. And they won't."

"Why?" Dean asked curiously.

"Because we have something they don't," Luke answered mysteriously.

"Which is?" Rory questioned.

"Friendship," Max told her. "And love for each other." He looked at Lisa as he said this.

"And that, my dear," Lorelai finished for him. "More so than physical strength, or guns, or knives, friendship is the most powerful thing."

Author's Note-So I know the ending is slightly cliched. But oh, well. I HAPPEN TO LIKE IT. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed. Please review, and let me know what you think on the idea of a sequel to this one. Cheers:)