A/N: I know, I haven't written Gilmore Girls fic in awhile. But I havne't really been inspired. However, I watched some of my season three DVDs last week, and just last night was inspired. So I present you with a Rory-centric ficlet. Enjoy!

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As a child, Rory had often wondered where her love of academics and learning had come from. Lorelai had assured her that it definitely hadn't come from her.

But looking back, Rory wasn't sure that was true.

She remembered her first real-life learning experience.

It was quite awhile ago, back in kindergarten. She went home with Lane one day, to spend the afternoon.

And she was shocked to see how… different her house was.

Lane had her own room. No sharing a bed with her mother.

There were two whole bathrooms, and the only curtain was in front of the shower.

The kitchen had an oven and a full refrigerator. Even if the food didn't look so good.

She went home wondering what was so different. She was just as good as Lane, wasn't she? And her mom was even better.

So why was she living like this, in this little place that she once thought was perfect?

And that was what started it all.

After that day, the little five-year-old girl vowed to find out what was so wrong with her family. She vowed to learn everything she could to fix it, to give her mom – and her – a better life.

So really, her mother had been the cause of the love of learning after all.

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End