DISCLAMAIR: I DO NOT OWN GILMORE GIRLS
A/N: I am back-ish. Still not in my house (damaged by the earthquake), and it's been already six LONG months. Italy is in the middle of an unprecedented heatwave and since I don't really love sweating I don't know if I am going to make it til September… just so people knows that!
Anyway this scene, it was my worst case/ best case Literati scenario for post revival, which by the way, for Rory's character development sucked big time. Logan, never liked him, so you can imagine that I fast-forward all those stupid scenes…(Roll eyes à la Scully!)
Reminding people that English is not my first language and that I am Italian therefore I apologize for any grammatical mistakes that you are 100% going to find.
I hope you enjoy this, so here goes nothing.
Channeling Emily
She was a grandma. Lorelai Gilmore Danes was officially a grandmother. Little Grace had made her entrance kicking and screaming bloody murder. She was without any shadow of a doubt the fussiest newborn she had ever laid eyes on. And it didn't matter if her mom was trying to put her to sleep, or her grandma, or even her great grandma, who admitted that not even Lorelai had been so fussy.
She had blond hair. A sign that everyone who looked at her, surely knew who her father was. But nonetheless Lorelai was proud because despite everything another generation of Gilmore had come to this world. The fact that she shared half of the dna with a patented cheater, and the other half to an occasional one, made her blood boil. Her mother had been justly upset. And so was she. But Rory had been determined to have the child. And so Grace was born. And in the middle of a scandal too. Logan's wife had found out, and the consequence was of a permanent mark on Rory's character in the eyes of Hartford society. Of course Logan had stayed married. Although she had heard that, the ways his father was running him ragged was taking a toll on him. Lorelai didn't give a damn. He didn't even came to see Grace when she was born. But a lawyer came in with papers already signed by Logan, signing over his parental rights. And a check, quite a substantial one, to take care of the child every need, signed by both Logan and Odette Huntzberger.
She could have strangled the man.
After days of the baby crying, and Rory had tried her best, Lorelai, Emily and even Sookie, and occasionally Luke, the only one that had calmed her down for a nap, was Jess. He was visiting, and he had entered the house after Babette ended him a set of earplugs, and told him good luck. What he had found was chaos. He then turned to the bassinet where the baby was fussing asked Rory if he could pick Grace up. Rory said it was fine, while Lorelai had advised him of the incoming shrill, and while Jess was picking her up, for the first time in a week, silence reigned in the house. Jess looked around and said he didn't hear anything, smirking and making his way to the kitchen. Fan fact, Jess was great with kids. And whatever attitude Grace had put on for her family, with Jess she behaved like an angel.
And so it continued this way. With time, whenever Jess had the weekend free he would make his way back to Grace. Lorelai was suspicious at first that maybe it was because of Rory. She had sensed something and Luke later confirmed that whatever was there was far from over. But her fears quelled because when Jess was in town, beside visiting his mom and sister, he only spend time with the child not really caring for Rory to be there. Which freed up Rory to do work on the paper. The stars hollow one, and the little online paper that she had founded, which was attracting investor, and her articles and editorials were being published by other online news agency. The new frontier of journalism she had explained to Lorelai.
And finally everything went back to a new normal.
only that two years later, while Grace was out with Jess at the park, Rory and Lorelai had gone back to Rory's house near Luke's, only to find Logan's message on the machine. Something about wanting to meet her to have lunch and "catch up". And it was then that Lorelai channeled her best Emily yet.
"you are not really thinking of going, are you?"
"mom, maybe he wants to know about Grace, you know his child…"
"that he signed off as not wanting to have anything to do with a lawyer and legal binding papers! Rory do not, and i mean it, do not go meet him…"
"mom"
"i mean it Rory, do you know that Odette is pregnant? That he is about to be a father from the first time!"
"that is not his first child, Grace…"
"legally speaking, it is his first child. And you are at lunch and catching up and next thing you know you became his mistress!"
From that was born possibly the biggest fight yet, but this time, Lorelai thought surprisingly, Emily was standing right by her own daughter. At the end, Rory went, and they ended up in a motel, but before anything could happen, she had run out on him, still in his boxers. When she went to the crap shack to pick up Grace, she ended up just hugging Lorelai and crying herself to sleep.
Luke had shook his head. Asked innocently which motel that was and then went out. Lorelai had not realized until Rory fell asleep that Luke was nowhere to be found and that Grace was happily playing in her box with Emily.
"Lorelai don't worry i am sure that Luke went to do exactly what your father should have done. I regret not letting him…" said Emily still playing with Grace.
One hour later Luke made his way back. Nothing was amiss. He didn't seem hurt, and whatever had happened, it was better remain between him and whatever he said or did to Logan.
The next week, Emily had come to stars hollow for the weekend, telling Lorelai that Logan was seeing around spotting one hell of a shiner. Lorelai smiled a little. Luke, her husband, had taken the father role to Rory at completion, and that same week, had been Luke, while serving her daughter breakfast, that he yelled at her to grow up. It almost reminded Lorelai of her father. After that, Rory got up from the table and hugged Luke. She had never been yelled at by him before.
A year later, Grace was now three, and Rory's career had taken off, the book finally published, and the weasel was back yet again. This time he wanted to see Grace. And that was a week ago.
Because that was the weekend that Jess was coming back to see Grace, he and Rory had a terrible fight. And the yelling match revealed that Jess was seeing someone, a girl. That took Rory over the edge and threw Jess out of her and Luke house. At which point Luke had intervened. Jess was welcome here, and so was the girlfriend when Jess would bother to take her to meet his family. And no one was to be throw out in his house and that was final.
But Lorelai had seen right through her daughter. That fight with Jess ricked of something desperate. Very much reminded her of the church bells. Thinking about it, Lorelai shook her head in amazement. If only reverend skinner…
Rory had been suspicious of Jess having a relationship, and she was a little jealous too, she had admitted to her mom. But most of all, she somehow had come to rely on Jess even more that Lorelai was relying on Luke even before they started dating.
And that night, while her husband was sleeping next to her. It dawned on her like the infamous sack of potatoes. Logan was Cristopher, and Jess was Luke.
And her daughter was her. Losing any sense of rationality or reason when Logan was concerned, and incredibly at peace with Jess. An easy going relationship/friendship that united them, she believed for longer that she herself cared to admit. That banter, the back and forth, the carrot and the stick. They were Luke and Lorelai 2.0.
Incapable to go back to sleep, she went downstairs only to find her mother there.
"mom, are you alright?"
"of course Lorelai, i am fine. Just a bout of insomnia. It goes with the age. How about you…"
"insomnia, it goes with the age…"
"Lorelai…"
"this is not how it was supposed to go…"
"believe me i know i know the feeling…"
This was karma, fate. Destiny. Or simply revenge. Mother and daughters everywhere. And the story tended to repeat itself in the most unexpected ways.
She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be at home cuddling with her husband, watching a movie. Instead here she was, in the dead of winter freezing herself off, in her car, trying to find the courage to do what her mother had done for her. Emily thought she was helping her marriage with chris in reality, she didn't know that she had put the first stone signaling the end of the couple. A push in the wrong direction had ultimately brought Lorelai in the right direction. Still, she resented the present of things. It was not supposed to be this way for her daughter.
She was supposed to fall in love, get married and then have a child. This was worse. Her daughter cheated on a non identified boyfriend with an about to get married Logan Huntzberger. She can be honest. She never liked the guy. Never. And with the wisdom of her years she understands now, that the man, the right man, brings out the best in you. If not then he is not right for you.
Logan had brought the worst of her daughter, like Cristopher. She was not going to let this situation get any more complicated than it already was going to be. Rory needed to be shaken out of her comfort. Now.
With a deep breath she got out of the jeep.
She made her way to the front door and promptly knocked the way her mom would. Back straight, she decided to do her Emily impression hoping to get through her daughter's thick skull.
"Mom?"
"Hello Rory, can I come in?"
Rory seemed hesitant, so Lorelai channeled Emily and made her way through the door.
"I think you and I need to have a frank talk, Rory. Close the door you are letting all the heat out."
Too surprised Rory did what her mother said. Still hesitant she made her way to the living room/dining room/kitchen to find her mom had taken off her coat.
"do you have company that i am not supposed to know about?"
"what? No! Mom, what is it?"
"is Grace asleep?"
"yes"
"good, then we will speak softly as no to wake her. I need to speak to you and you are going to listen and then after, when i am going home you are going to think, and I mean use all that Gilmore brain power that you were gifted, to think about what i am about to say. If you have work…"
"I do"
"do it tomorrow!" She took another deep breath "in a thousand years i have never thought this was going to be a reality for you. Contrary to popular belief I didn't want you to be me…"
Rory scoffed, which Lorelai entirely ignored.
"that doesn't mean that I wanted for you the life Emily lead. Do you know where her friends from the DAR are now? Where were they when dad died? No that is not a life that I would wish on my worst enemy. Do you know how exhausting that life must have been? I did and I still do not want that life for you. However, you are almost 36 years old Rory, you are an adult, you are a parent, a very capable one, but do not waste time. I wasted my time on waiting for your dad to come around, to grow up, but he didn't and when he finally did that wasn't enough! And I wasted years. Don't be me. Don't make the same mistake that i did.
"I don't understand…"
"Yale did really a number on you, kid! Your neurons are fried. Logan is your father, you are me, and i don't know if Jess realize this or not, but he is the Luke in this situation. You must think well about your feelings for Jess, because that fight reeked of jealousy on both parties!"
"We are just friends, mom, you are reaching…"
"No I am not. To be clear, it was either your grandmother or me. So consider yourself lucky that it is me you are talking to right now. You are in denial about you and Jess and you are still holding hope for Logan and not as a father, but as a possible partner, and I can't stand by and watch you hurt yourself and Jess. If you really love Logan then move on. I don't care how you do it, have a hundreds one night stands if that is what it takes. He is married and he is not going to leave his wife for you or Grace. And you know this. You better accept because this is the reality of things." Lorelai looked at her daughter, knowing that what she said was harsh but it needed to be said, but doubted that she was getting through to Rory, so what would Emily Gilmore do? "I will not have my daughter be a mistress." She said as Rory gasped. Calmly she continued "I am sorry Rory but this is necessary and important. Then there is Jess…"
"no, mom please. Me and Jess...mom, he is dating…"
"Dating is not married. Then again, he is Luke's nephew and we both remember what happened with nicole. So you better really analyze whatever feeling you have for him, and if there is even a chance of those feeling being more than friendship, and we both know they are, other ways what the hell was that fight all about, then really, really start thinking about the future. Jess is in love with you. He is not in denial, he knows. That is why he is dating. He doesn't see a future here, he thinks you are hopelessly in love with Logan, and I hope to god that's not the case. Jess is trying to move on. Trying being the operative word here, and despite what he says he wants a family, kids… he is great with Grace, he has a great career and he can work from anywhere he chooses, even crazy stars hollow… he would make that sacrifice for you. And you know it."
"mom"
"if you don't have any feelings for Jess, if you are not in love with him, then you have to tell him. So he can move on. Let's be clear, here. From an outsider, this love between you and Jess is not the old ghost of teenage against. You fell in love for the present Jess. And Rory there is nothing wrong with that. Think about it, Rory. Fast. In the meantime I will be trying to distract him of any cruising ideas" Lorelai finished picking up her coat and putting it on, then turned to Rory "I am sorry, I know you are an adult and that I can't tell you what to do, but learn from an old woman here. Somehow it doesn't make any sense, but you and Jess, you complement each other. Talk to him." Lorelai took a deep breath "now I had my say, and this will be the first and the last time I do this, because it's way too exhausting. Now it's on you. Goodnight Rory."
And with that her mother had gone out the living room, leaving Rory dumbfounded. Was she really in love with Jess? She looked down where her mom's coat had been and noticed an old worn book. She frowned and picked it up. It was a self-help book. What? She turned the cover and inside a post-it with her mother handwriting that read, "it helped Luke see me, it helped Jess, it helped me understand real love, maybe it will help you too. The cd was particularly helpful. When you are done, can you answer this question: "can you see his face?" Love, mom."
She smiled at the message not really understanding it. So she did what Rory does with a book. She started reading it, and then she listened to the cd. And it was almost 4 am when the man speaking asked her the questions "whose phone calls or visits are never unwanted or too long? Do you see his face? Who would you most like to have in your life to ward off moments of loneliness? Do you see his face? When you travel, who would make your travels more enjoyable? Do you see his face? When you're in pain, who would you most like to comfort you? Do you see his face? When something wonderful happens in your life, a promotion at work, a successful refinancing, who do you want to share the news with? Do you see his face? Whose face appears to you, my friend? Whose face?"
"oh my god"
I hope you liked it and if you are inclined, please review!
Madisondanes