Chapter One: Welcome Home Rory

"Stars Hollow. Founded 1779."

Never had Rory Gilmore seen a more welcome sign. After being away for almost an entire year without a visit, the sight of her home town nearly brought tears to her eyes.

It was late, close to midnight, and the town was deserted. Most of the Stars Hollow residents went to bed around 10:30. If they were going to be just as wacky the next day, they needed their sleep.

As Rory neared the town square, she smiled at the sight. There was a huge party tent set up next to the gazebo with a banner declaring,

"Welcome Home Rory!"

The decorations were only half up, but from what she could gather, it was a traveling theme. She saw a six foot tall Eiffel Tower replica that seemed to be made out of Popsicle sticks, a miniature Coliseum made out of brightly colored Play-Doh, and an Egyptian pyramid made out of cheese cubes.

Rory snickered at the town's bizarre creativity and drove on.

As she passed Luke's Diner, she gazed longingly at it. Finally a good cup of coffee was back within walking distance. Not to mention the world's best pancakes and French fries.

She drove past Taylor's Olde Soda Shoppe and marveled at how it had managed to remain standing for yet another year. She was sure that one of these days Luke would finally snap and demolish the place as the owner slept, blissfully unaware.

Rory drove past Miss Patty's, Doose's, and Gypsy's, each establishment bringing her closer to her much awaited destination. Turning down the gravel driveway, Rory watched Babette's various garden gnomes go by until finally she spotted the image that had danced in her mind for months upon months.

She was home.

Excitement bubbling in her stomach, she got out of her car and looked up at the wonderful structure standing before her. The white, two-story house with a wrap-around porch. The trees that surrounded the area. The old, reliable white Jeep and Luke's pickup truck. The window to her bedroom (it'd better still be her bedroom…), and looking up, the window to her best friend's.

Taking out her cell phone, Rory punched in the number that her fingers had dialed hundreds of times before. After four or five rings, she heard the most beautiful, grumpy voice.

"Hello?" The word was clipped off in irritation at the interruption of her beauty sleep.

"Hey, mom," Rory replied, a huge grin splitting across her face.

"Rory?" Lorelai Gilmore immediately sounded alert. Rory watched the light in her mother's bedroom turn on. "Hun, is everything okay?"

"Look out your window and see for yourself," Rory replied gleefully.

"Look out my…" Lorelai cut herself off, and Rory could imagine the look of realization crossing her mother's face.

Suddenly there was a loud commotion on Lorelai's end of the line which involved Luke's voice yelling,

"Ow! Lorelai! What's wrong with you!"

Rory laughed as the blinds started going crazy at the upstairs window. Finally they were jerked up and Lorelai let out a delighted scream. Rory waved like a lunatic at her fully awake and fully elated mother.

Lorelai disappeared from the window and more commotion could be heard.

"Lorelai! Are you crazy? What's going on?" Luke was yelling over her screams of hysteria.

"Luke! Rory's home!" Lorelai declared enthusiastically.

Moments later, the front door was ripped open, and Lorelai, clad in a small nightgown and sneakers, came rushing out to be met halfway by her daughter. The embrace was tight and involved lots of screaming and laughing. Luke was quick to arrive and barely had time to give Rory an affectionate hug before Lorelai greedily pulled her away.

"Lorelai, doll!" they heard Babette yell from next door. The three looked over. "What's all the racket? You nearly gave me—" She cut off, seeing Rory for the first time. "Rory!" she screamed. "Oh my God, it's Rory! Morey! Morey! Rory's back!" she hollered at the top of her lungs. "I've gotta call Miss Patty!" Babette ran inside, but appeared a second later to yell, "Rory, doll! It's great to have you back!"

Lorelai's focus turned back on her one and only daughter. She squeezed Rory's middle and planted a big kiss on her cheek.

"And now the entire town will know you're here!" she said, her huge grin not vacationing any time soon. "But mommy's gotta know: what are you doing home?"

"Well, I guess I could go back if you want…" Rory said, feigning to pout as she tried to pull away.

Lorelai's grip only tightened, forcing Rory's smile back on her lips.

"You're not supposed to be home until tomorrow!" Lorelai continued, not at all sorry that Rory was early.

"I wanted to surprise you!" Rory said cheerfully.

"Well, my darling daughter, you succeeded in that!" she exclaimed.

"If you couldn't tell by her deafening screams," Luke commented dryly. "And for the record, I don't think one can truly appreciate them unless they're sound asleep in the same room."

"I'm sorry, Luke," Rory said, still glued to her mother. She tried her best to look genuinely remorseful instead of as blatantly happy as she felt.

She must have succeeded somewhat because Luke's annoyed face softened into a smile. "Don't worry about it," he said. "It's great to have you home."

"Oh no!" Lorelai exclaimed, her expression suddenly changing to that of disappointment.

"What?" Rory asked, concerned about the sudden mood swing.

"The party!" Lorelai wailed.

"Huh?" Rory asked, still confused.

"You saw the town square, didn't you?" Lorelai pouted.

Rory's face immediately lit back up at the memory of the decorations. "It's very impressive," she stated.

"Aw man," her mother moaned. "It was supposed to be a surprise!"

"The Eiffel Tower is truly stunning," Rory went on.

"I knew we shouldn't have started today!"

"You don't expect people to actually eat the cheese pyramid after sitting out all night, do you?"

"Damn Taylor and his anti-procrastination speech!"

"You do realize that I haven't been to half of those countries, right?"

Suddenly Lorelai seemed to snap out of her reverie.

"But you're home!" she gushed, hugging her daughter tightly once more. "Mama's baby is home!"

Rory squeezed her back.

"I'm home!"

Luke just stood there, shaking his head. "I don't think I'll ever understand you two," he remarked. "How's about I go make some coffee?"

"Oh, Luke!" Rory exclaimed dramatically. "I've been gone so long and yet you still remember!"

"I have trained him well," Lorelai said proudly.

As Luke walked towards the house, the girls trailed behind, sitting on the porch swing. Suddenly a frown creased Rory's brow.

"Mom, you can't throw me a party!" she declared vehemently.

"Whoa, where is this coming from?" Lorelai frowned.

"This is your week, Mom. Yours and Luke's," she insisted. "I'm back for your wedding next weekend. I don't want this party to overshadow it somehow."

"Oh, honey, please," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Do you think my wedding would let your party do that? Believe me, my wedding's had a little chat with your party and it's going to pale in comparison. In fact, it'll be so pale that it will probably disappear when put next to my wedding."

Rory hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, sweetie, I'm sure," she smiled.

Rory smiled back. "Okay good."

They two sat there in contented silence for a few minutes.

"Oh, and Mom?" Rory said.

"Yeah, hun?"

"Tell your wedding that my party thinks he's a snob."

"Will do."