Disclaimer - All characters belong to the rightful owners of Gilmore Girls, I am just borrowing them.
AN - Happy holidays everyone, a pure fluffy tale of Christmas merriment, Gilmore Style. Four Generations of Gilmore's (plus Luke) have some festive fun at Emily's new home. Hope you enjoy
23rd December 2017
Emily threw open the front door of The Sandcastle in delight as a familiar green truck pulled into her driveway. She had been waiting most of the day for it's arrival and her delight and relief was evident on her face.
Luke climbed out of his truck and seeing his mother in law approach steeled himself, waiting to see just how he would be received. He relaxed slightly as he saw the smile on her face.
"Luke, Hello," Emily gave him a warm hug.
"Emily, good to see you," Luke hugged her back gently, giving a soft sigh of relief as he realised the smile wasn't fake and that she was pleased to see him.
The elder woman stepped back and studied him for a moment, her dark eyes running up and down him in critical scrutiny. "Marriage seems to be agreeing with you," she paused for a moment, before she turned her attention to the overfilled back of the truck, not giving Luke enough time to respond. "What is all this? You're only staying for five days," she looked at him in confusion.
Luke grinned sheepishly. "Have you met your daughter and granddaughter Emily, they don't really know how to pack light and there is a tonne of things for Leo that Rory thought he might need, you know travel cot, high chair, bath tub, you name it she's packed it. I think the kitchen sink is in there somewhere."
Emily gave him a small smile and shook her head slightly in amusement. "I have a crib for him. I'll get Alejandro and Luis to help you unload," she looked expectantly towards the entrance of her driveway. "Are Lorelai and Rory behind you?"
"Oh," Luke followed her gaze "Yeah, well sort of, they stopped for coffee."
Emily looked at him sharply, "I have coffee."
"Not like this," Luke shook his head in dismay. "It's some Christmas holiday coffee special cream covered festive sugar fest disaster that rots their inside yet they both adore."
"Sounds delightful," Emily grimaced, "Well come in, it's been so long since I've seen you all."
Luke sensed the tone and fixed what he hoped would be a suitable apologetic smile on his face. They hadn't seen Emily in person since Leo's birth in July when she visited Stars Hollow. He and Lorelai had supposed to have visited Nantucket in August, but with a new baby in the house, and things gathering speed before the opening of the Spa, there hadn't been time and the trip had been postponed.
Emily looked at him curiously out of the corner of her eye. "They are all well?"
"Very well," Luke assured her, following her into the house. It was quieter then he remembered. He and Lorelai had visited twice before, last New Year's and for a flying visit in April for Easter. Both times the house had been rammed full with the housekeeper's extended family. Now they all seemed to be gone. It was tranquil and the house was tastefully decorated, Emily's sense of style present even with the shift from opulent to beach house rustic. Everything was tasteful and sophisticated. He frowned as he took in her living room with its low tables, glass ornaments and the glass baubles hanging on the low branches of the large perfect Christmas tree. "Er Emily, could I do some quick baby proofing?"
Emily looked at him in confusion before following his gaze around the room. Her eyebrows rose in surprise before she gave a soft slightly sad nod. She opened her mouth to respond but the sound of another car pulling up in front of the house distracted her and she pivoted without another word to go back to the door.
Lorelai had just climbed out of the car when her mother practically ambushed her. The smaller woman throwing her arms around her daughter's neck before shoving her to one side and peering into the tinted windows of back of the car. "Hi Mom," Lorelai shook her head in amusement and pushed the central locking button, locking the car doors. "It's great to see you."
"Hello Lorelai," Emily nodded in her general direction as she tried to locate her great-grandson behind the tinted windows.
"Hi Grandma," Rory called brightly as she climbed out of her side of the car.
"Yes hello dear," Emily greeted her dismissively as she tried to open the back door of the car. "Will you please let me see the baby?"
"Oops looks like you've been usurped as the golden child kid," Lorelai stuck her tongue out at her daughter before unlocking the car, she grinned sheepishly as Emily gave her a frustrated look. "He's asleep Mom."
Emily stared down at the sleeping baby and smiled widely, her whole face lit up in delight at the sight of the five month old blond infant in the asleep in the car seat. "He's beautiful," she whispered.
"Of course he is," Lorelai smiled indulgently at her mother. She cast a look across her mother's property, nodding in hello at the two men who were emptying the truck. "Mom, what did you do with Luke?"
"Hmm," Emily tore her eyes away from the baby. "Oh, he's baby proofing."
"Super Gramps to the rescue," Lorelai grinned at Rory as her daughter came to stand beside her. "Mom," she tugged on Emily's cardigan. "Hi."
"I said hello," Emily scowled at her.
"I know," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "But you steamrollered me to get to the baby. You've seen the baby, so Hi," she held her arms out to properly hug her mother. "It's good to see you."
Emily's expression softened and she stepped into Lorelai's arms accepting the strong hug from her daughter before stepping back to study Lorelai. "It's lovely to see you, both of you," she moved to hug Rory. "Hello honey, you look well."
"Hi Grandma," Rory kissed her grandmother in greeting. "I should get Leo inside, it's so cold."
"Yes, it blows in off the ocean." Emily nodded stepping back to allow Rory access to her son. "Come in, come in," she led Lorelai towards the house as Rory quickly disengaged the car seat from its fixings so she could keep her son in the car seat without waking him. "I have a fire going in the house."
"House looks great Mom." Lorelai glanced around the house as she shrugged off her coat. "Did everyone go away for the holidays?" she asked noting the quietness and lack of people.
"Oh, no, Berta and Ana took the children into town for a bit of Christmas fun," Emily held her hand out to take their coats.
"What about the rest of them?" Lorelai asked taking the car seat from Rory so Rory could remove her own coat.
"The rest of them?" Emily looked at her blankly.
"The rest of the Greek Chorus. There was a village last time we were here," Lorelai gestured to the quiet hallway.
"Oh," Emily glanced over her shoulder and gave a slightly satisfied smile. "Berta sent them away, she said they weren't needed anymore…I think. Anyway, it's just Berta, Alejandro and their children and Luis, Ana and their son. Luis is Alejandro's brother he does the garden," she looked Lorelai up and down her eyes narrowing for a moment as if she was trying to pinpoint what was different about her daughter. "Marriage seems to be agreeing with you."
"It is."
"Well good. Go into the living room and get that baby out of that seat because I want a cuddle," Emily turned to put the coats away in the closet.
The two women did as they were told. Lorelai crossed to her husband who was busy putting some of Emily's finer decorations in more secure locations. "I think my mother just called me fat," she whispered as she gave him a soft kiss.
"Marriage agreeing with you?" Luke raised his eyebrows, "she said the same thing to me."
"You finished redecorating?" she put her hand on his forearm.
"Yeah," Luke stepped back from the bookcase. "You know how grabby he is, I just didn't want to risk it."
Lorelai smiled and shook her head. "Forget grabby, Little Man is going to be crabby, his Gam Gam is ordering him awake," she watched as Rory lifted her son out of the car seat and handed him to a now seated Emily. The baby squawked in protest and started to wriggle. "Oh God, camera, camera." Lorelai quickly grabbed at her phone holding it out so she could snap pictures. She got a few of little Leo squirming and grimacing in dissatisfaction of his new position and then he opened his eyes. Lorelai snapped a few more pictures capturing the moment when Great Grandmother and Great Grandson locked eyes, the wide smile that the baby gave and the look of pure wonderment on Emily's face. "Yup," Lorelai nodded. "There is a new angel child," she glanced sideways at Luke. "Make sure she doesn't try and stick him on the top of the tree!"
xXx
"You have to see the pictures that Babette sent, Paul Anka took all the ornaments of the lower branches of their Christmas tree and sorted them by shape," Lorelai sighed as she scrolled through the pictures on her phone. "I swear, every time I think that dog can't do anything weirder he comes up with something else. That needs to be hung," she pointed at the closet as Luke made to put a dress in the dresser. "Maybe we should have brought him. No, you need to hang your pants as well."
"Do you wanna do this?" Luke asked her exasperated. "And we agreed, bringing Paul Anka would just stress him and your mother out."
Lorelai pouted, "but You're doing such a good job and I know. Not to mention you would have had to dog proof the house as well," she gave him a cheeky grin.
"I'm only thinking of your sanity. You know who your mother would take it out on if he broke something," Luke gave her a pointed look. Lorelai nodded ruefully. "You Ok?"
"Do you think she's OK?"
"Emily?" Luke paused in his unpacking. "I think she's fine. I don't think Berta would have sent everyone away if she wasn't."
"I guess. I have to hand it to that lady, we may not understand her but she certainly understands Emily Gilmore." Lorelai put her phone on the bed and moved over to the suitcase. "She should be canonised because that is some kind of miracle." She lifted a pair of jeans out of the case only for Luke to snatch them away from her. "Hey!"
"No," Luke waved his hand at her shooing her back to the bed. "It took you ten hours to pack this thing; I'm not having it take ten hours to unpack."
"Mom,"
The pair turned as Rory appeared in the doorway a forlorn expression on her face.
"You Ok Babe?" Lorelai asked preparing herself for the worst.
"You have to see what Grandma has done," Rory took a heavy sigh. "Come look."
"Oh boy," Lorelai steeled herself. "Prepare me daughter of mine what am I walking into."
"Leo's bedroom," Rory's eyes widened slightly.
"She said she had a crib," Luke's head darted between his wife and step daughter as he could sense the frustration rising.
Rory gave him a pointed look, "she's done more than get a crib."
"I'll finish up here," Luke gave Lorelai a tired knowing look.
Lorelai sighed and waved her arms indicating to her daughter to leave the bedroom and show her. The pair walked down the hallway to the room. Rory pushed open the door and waved her arms to indicate the space. Lorelai let out a low whistle, what had been a pretty guest bedroom on their last visit had been transformed into a beautiful nursery, soft shades of blue mingling with white and a soft grey. Leo's name spelled out in wooden letters affixed to the wall. A wide array of toys were carefully positioned around the room and Lorelai was certain that if she opened the dresser there would be a large selection of baby clothes
"She's gone to all this trouble for five days," Rory moved over to a white rocker and picked up a plush teddy bear.
"Hon, this is your grandmother we are talking about," Lorelai gave her a knowing look, she paused for a beat slightly distracted, "and she's probably done it for your room too, provided you with what she thinks you would want all done out to the max. It's what she does, and she's always loved pulling a room together."
Rory narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean my room?"
"If I go in there would I find a writing desk and a bookshelf filled with classic literature," Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "Our room has a big TV, a DVD player and a selection of DVD's, this is Emily Gilmore, just because she's gone rogue and moved to Nantucket don't assume that she has adopted the beach bum mellow lifestyle. She still strives for perfection and there is nothing my mother does better then shop and decorate."
"I guess," Rory sighed. "I just hate that she's put in all this effort when he's only going to use it maybe a couple of times before he grows out of it all."
"You'll grandmother will just redo it. Remember she's scrooge Mcduck when it comes to money," Lorelai took the toy out of Rory's hand and put it back on the rocking chair. "Try and relax babes, and unpack quickly because if you don't you may find that she's forced Leo into a sailor suit."
Rory shook her head in amusement. "She's not going to let him go this week is she?"
"Maybe when his diaper is filled, she never really liked that when you were small," Lorelai grinned. "Relax sweets this is supposed to be a holiday!" she wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulder in a half hug. "Finish unpacking, I'm going to go rescue Leo."
"Ease up on the Gam Gam," Rory requested as she moved to one of the bags on the floor. "I don't think Grandma likes it too much."
Lorelai shot her a gleeful smile, "I know."
"Mom!"
"But the fun, the hilarity," Lorelai pouted childishly. "She hasn't offered a different suggestion."
"Leo will call Grandma whatever Grandma wants to be called," Rory told her mother as if she was scolding a small child. "We want this week to be nice and pleasant…"
"So no having words about Leo's room to your Grandma," Lorelai squeezed her daughter's shoulder as Rory gave her a frustrated look. "I know, I want it to be nice too, it's Leo's first Christmas and even though he is gonna be more interested in the wrapping and bows then the actual gifts, it's going to be perfect and magical. Now let's rescue the bambino from your Grandma so he actually gets to see it."
Lorelai's left Rory's bedroom and headed towards the downstairs, after quickly telling Luke what she was doing she trotted down the stairs and followed the sound of voices. She smiled as she took in the sight of her mother chatting animatedly to the baby. Leo was sat in his highchair, cooing excitedly in response to her and Berta who kept interjecting comments in her language as the housekeeper stirred something delicious smelling on the stove.
"Lorelai," Emily saw her and waved her in "Berta is making shrimp for dinner"
"Smells good," Lorelai moved into the kitchen and sat in the seat beside her grandson, "you trying to pick up tips, little man, huh?" she smoothed her hand over Leo's blond hair. "You better hope you take after your Gramps, because Nana and Mommy are very bad at cooking," she smiled at the baby earning her a smile back. "You keeping your Gam Gam company?" she glanced at her Emily taking note of the slight tensing of her mother's forehead at the displeasure of the name she had bestowed upon Emily on Leo's behalf. "You know you are a very special little boy, there aren't many people who have a great grandma" she looked up at her mother "How you doing Mom?"
"I'm well," Emily gave her a warm smile. "I'm glad you are here, its worse this time of year."
Lorelai nodded in understanding. "I visited Dad before we came up," she whispered softly. "I put a winter garland out for him, it looked really nice against the snow," she reached across the table and took Emily's hand squeezing it gently. "I know it's hard."
"It is," Emily gave her daughter a tearful smile, "but we have a reason to celebrate and Richard would want us to embrace this little boy's first Christmas," she tickled Leo with her spare hand, eliciting a happy chortle from the baby "I have lots planned."
"I have no doubt," Lorelai shook her head, and looked up as Berta moved to the oven to stop a buzzer, a faint familiar smell reached her nose and she straightened in anticipation. "Apple tarts?"
Emily rolled her eyes. "Yes Lorelai, apple tarts, honestly Leo your grandmother is more immature then you." She tickled the baby once more. "Yes Lorelai, you may have one," she shook her head in amusement as Lorelai dashed to steal a tart from the tray. She leaned towards the baby and lowered her voice. "We have a very special Christmas planned, apple tarts is just the start. Your first Christmas Leo Gilmore is going to be magical!"