Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls.
A.N. Just a random one shot that I thought of- that and I haven't written anything in a while so thought this would be fun.
A Gilmore Girl at Heart
She had climbed upstairs, into the dusty attic that they rarely frequented. She coughed lightly as dust drifted up from under her feet. She walked towards the very back of the attic glancing at boxes as she passed to check the labels on the boxes. She walked past Christmas decorations, old furniture, things she brought with her from her childhood home, boxes of old toys and clothing she had been meaning to give to the Salvation Army for years now. She finally reached the back of the attic where several boxes were piled together. The labels faded and peeling read 'Baby Clothes' 'Baby Toys' and 'Baby Room'. She knelt down and took the lid off of the first box, a box filled to the brim with rattles, stuffed animals, toys that were chewed on during teething, dolls, and soft 'first word' books. She held them carefully, taking out each one and holding it up, caressing the dolls hair, gently touching the eyes of the stuffed teddy bears, flipping through the soft padded pages of the book of 'red' things. Her eyes brimming with tears she unceremoniously flopped down on the floor, sitting cross-legged, as she went through the remaining toys in that particular box.
She didn't know how long she had been up there, how many minutes had passed as she carefully and very slowly went through each box, holding up each individual baby booty, each and every bib, the onesies, and the matching outfits with a matching hat. She didn't hear his footsteps as he climbed up the stairs she had left down, and walked up behind her. He softly caressed her hair as he knelt down behind her, holding her to him she collapsed against his chest. Her tears flowing freely now, falling down her cheeks. He caught them with his thumb as he pushed them away.
"Do you remember reading her this book?" She asked him, holding up the same book about red things she had leafed through earlier.
"Of course, it was the very first book we read her. Although, I distinctly remember how quickly she went from reading the book about red things, to Dr. Seuss, to Willy Wonka, and then to reading Emma by Jane Austen. Just like her mother I suspect." He brushed the hair out of her face.
She reached into the final box, pulling out a penguin that once adorned her wallpaper, to her baby blanket. Soft cotton that was pale green with big pink flowers on it, she carried it around with her until she was seven, slept with it until she was in High School. "I remember buying this blanket, I didn't want her having the stereotypical pale pink baby blanket, but I really like pink, and I saw this one hanging on a crib and I knew that it was perfect. She was perfect."
"She was perfect with her big beautiful blue eyes just like her mothers, a tuft a brown hair, the smallest little nose that I have ever seen."
"Who would've thought that someone who looked so much like me could act so much like you?"
"Hey," he nudged her gently. "What is that supposed to mean? Exactly?"
"It means," she teased tears still silently falling. "That she was charming, confident, mischievous, and all around a heart throb before she could even talk. People were falling for her left and right; I couldn't go to the grocery store without every single person stopping to coo at her."
"Well if I remember correctly, Lorelei said you were just like that at her age. So don't go blaming that on me." He held her close to him as she held the baby blanket close to her chest. "Please don't cry baby, there is no reason to be crying right now."
"She always looked like me, a trait of the Gilmore Girls I guess, but she was always daddy's little girl."
He smiled to himself at that, she was daddy's little girl, her personality was a lot like his. They got along very well, but that did not mean she was not a Gilmore Girl through and through. "She might have been daddy's little girl but you too had a great relationship, sweetheart."
"Oh, I know…"
"Please don't cry," he murmured to her whipping the tears off her cheeks again.
"I'm trying not to cry, but I guess I'd rather get the tears out now than later, I don't want to cry later." She whispered.
"She'll always be your baby girl," he replied kissing the side of her head. "Now let's get out of this musty attic, I'm starting to smell like a moth ball." He joked attempting to lighten the mood.
She carefully replaced everything back in its proper box, with the exception of the baby blanket, which she took down with her, as she followed her husband out of the attic. She folded it carefully, then placed it into a pretty box, and topped it off with a bow.
They stood in the back room of the church, watching everyone fill in the pews there was a soft and light murmur in the air, as many people came together on this day. There was a very large crowd, since their daughter, their family really, was very beloved. So beloved in fact that they had to change to a bigger church just to fit in everyone they knew that they wanted there.
He stood there, fidgeting in his suit, casting the occasional glance at his wife. He could tell that she was nervous as she kept playing with the charm on her necklace pulling it back and forth on the chain, tugging on it, and twisting it around and round. The charm was a tiny diamond encrusted coffee cup that he bought both her and their daughter one year for Christmas. He took her hand in his and pulled her to him hugging her close to his chest. She held on to him holding him close to her.
"Where is Lorelei?" she mumbled into his shoulder. "She should be here by now; I can't do this without her."
"She'll be here, you know her, and she is always running a little late. She'll be here soon." As the words left his mouth his mother-in-law burst through the side doors and with a yelp ran at Rory hugging her close to her chest.
"Let's get on a move on Rory, no need to drag this out any longer than it needs to be." Whipping at the tears in her eyes, she followed her mother towards another room in the church. "And you, son-in-law, shouldn't you be getting ready as well?" She asked him before turning back to her daughter and walking her in the back. "Now, Rory, get yourself together, we don't need her crying as well."
"How did you do this mom? Was it just as bad for you, I realize I'm going to need to let go but I can't get the image of her walking around in diapers out of my head."
"It's always going to be hard, and you'll always have those images but you've just got take a deep breath, and remember that she'll always be your little girl. She might not be there all the time, but you'll always be her mom."
"I know, I know I'm being silly about all of this." She inhaled deeply before letting it out slowly. "Okay, I'm good now. I can do this." She pushed open the door of the back room of the church reminding herself to breath as she looked down at her daughter.
"You look beautiful," She whispered, more to herself than anyone else.
"You really think so mom?" She asked standing up and twirling to give her the full affect of the gown.
"No, I don't think so. I know so." She replied hugging her daughter.
"My turn my turn!" Lorelei whined from behind her daughter, "I want to hug my beautiful granddaughter too!" With that, she hugged both her daughter and granddaughter, three generations of Gilmore Girls holding on to each other, none of them with the last name of Gilmore any longer, but always a Gilmore Girl at heart.
"Mom, do you think you can clasp this necklace for me?" She asked holding out the thin strand of pearls to her mom. As Rory clasped the chain around her neck, she put in the matching pearl earrings.
"I have something for you." Rory said taking out the box she had earlier wrapped. She watched her daughter lift up the top, pull out the blanket, and hold her close to herself.
"Mom, where did you find this?" She asked delicately fingering the edges of her long lost blanket running her finger tip over the GG that was stitched into the corner.
"In the attic, I had it stored it there once you deemed yourself to old for it. I thought now it would be nice for you to have around. Keep a piece of home close to you at all times."
"Thank you," she whispered and waved back tears. "Why does it smell like moth balls?" she said after a moment.
"Just like your father!" Rory exclaimed throwing her hands up in the air and chuckling. "Well your grandma and I need to get out there, but we'll see you soon." She hugged her daughter one less time and kissed her on the cheek as she and Lorelei filed out of the room. They ran a little ahead of the bridesmaids and took their seats in the front row.
The music swelled as the three bridesmaids slowly walked down the aisle, followed by the flower girl. At the altar the husband to be stood nervously fiddling with his sleeves. His three groomsmen, her son included, stood up at the altar waiting for the bride. The music changed as everyone stood up and turned their heads to watch the bride and her father walk down the aisle. You can see the tears glistening in both of their eyes, the same expression adorning both their faces. Rory took a look away from her daughter to her soon to be son-in-law, his eyes were wide with love and adoration his smile spreading across his face as she got closer to him. Her daughter mirrored his expression now, as her father lifted the veil and kissed her cheek, and sat down next to Rory.
She laced her fingers through his and kissed his cheek. "Now who's crying?" She whispered and looked back up towards her daughter tuning in to what the priest was saying.
"Lorelei Emily Gilmore-DuGray do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband…"
"I love you Lorelei Leigh Gilmore-DuGray." He whispered back tearing his eyes off his little girl and the new man who would be taking care of her.
"I love you too Tristan Janlen DuGray." She squeezed his hand and shushed him playfully as their baby was pronounced a wife, and was given a new last name.
"Think she'll hyphenate her last name too?" Lorelei joked.
"She better," replied Rory not taking her eyes off her daughter. "Or she gets voted off the island."