Dear Richard and Emily
The Life and Story of Lorelai Victoria Gilmore
Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls, or the title of this story. As you know, 3:13 is called Dear Emily and Richard so the title of this story isn't mine. I just switched the names around because to me, it sounds better this way.
A/N: Since Gilmore Girls is so popular, I know that I am definitely not the first person to write a fanfic story about Lorelai's life. This is just my version. Now, it doesn't start from the moment that Lorelai is born, but when she's ten years old. I hope you enjoy!
What's this? Ten-year-old Lorelai Victoria Gilmore asked herself as she rummaged through the closet. Of course, her mother wouldn't approve of what she was doing, but Emily was at a DAR meeting, again.
Lorelai absolutely detested the DAR. The "ladies" were always coming over for lunch and Emily would make Lorelai dress up in one of her ruffled dresses. She especially hated when functions were held in her house. Those were absolutely horrible because all it was were her parents' grown-up friends doing shop talk while Lorelai just sat on the couch, trying to look prim and proper to please her mother. Her father, however, usually looked the other way, leaving Emily to talk to their daughter about proper manners. Lorelai was so used to it by now, it never fazed her. As long as she could escape to her room right after, she was good.
Presently, Lorelai was looking through one of the hall closets outside her parents' bedroom. She had recently begun to look through all the closets in her house to try and find something about her family. She could never ask her mother. Her father was usually at work so, naturally, Lorelai being the smart kid that she was, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
She pulled out the blue silky material and shook it out. A few dust particles flew off, causing her to sneeze. Lorelai studied it for a moment before realizing that it was her father's cap and gown from when he graduated from Yale. She pulled out the box that the cap and gown had come from and started to dig through it. The first thing she saw was a framed piece of paper. She carefully held it in her hands and blew the dust off the top.
Her vibrant blue eyes scanned over the paper and realized that it was her father's Yale diploma. She had a sudden vision of her name on the diploma. She knew the plan was for her to go to a college like Yale in eight years, but Lorelai wasn't concerned about it yet. However, at the present moment, Lorelai wanted to go to Yale. Her father had talked about it all her life and she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps.
Lorelai jumped when she heard the front door open and then close.
"Is that my mother?" Lorelai asked to the maid, Jacqueline, who was passing by.
"No, it's Mr. Gilmore," Jacqueline smiled. "But Mrs. Gilmore should be returning soon with some DAR members so I suggest you clean up as quickly as possible,"
Lorelai nodded before carefully folding up the gown and placing it back in the box. She looked at the framed diploma again and an idea suddenly popped into her head. She shook out the cap and placed it on her head. It slipped down to almost cover her eyes, but Lorelai didn't care. She put the tassel on the left side of the hat before carefully picking up the diploma and hurrying down the stairs. She walked over to her dad's office and opened the door.
"I'm going to go to Yale, Daddy. Just like you!" Lorelai crowed as she held out the diploma to him.
Richard looked up and smiled. "Well, that cap certainly suits you. Where did you find it?"
"In the closet outside your bedroom," Lorelai answered, a little guiltily.
"Ah, well, just make sure everything is back in order before your mother gets home,"
"Yes sir,"
"Why don't you run along now? I have some work to do."
"All right, Daddy," Lorelai said. She backed out of the office and quietly shut the door.
"Lorelai Gilmore!" Lorelai whirled around and found herself face to face with her mother and a number of her DAR friends.
"Hello Mom," Lorelai faked a smile. Her mother didn't look happy.
"What are you doing with that filthy cap on your hand? And is that…it is! That's your father's Yale diploma! Where did you get that from? Never mind that now. Just put it back and then come downstairs so you can say a proper hello to the DAR ladies,"
"Yes ma'am," Lorelai said. She quickly hurried past her mother and up the stairs. After stuffing the hat and diploma back into the box in the closet, she raced into the bathroom. She quickly ran a brush through her hair and dusted off her clothes. She didn't have time to change into clothes her mother would deem "appropriate", so she had to do what she could. Satisfied that her mother wouldn't be too entirely embarrassed, Lorelai took a deep breath and made her way downstairs and then out to the patio.
"There you are, Lorelai. I was wondering what took you so long," Emily's smile faltered a bit at Lorelai's appearance, but didn't say anything. "Say hello to the ladies,"
"Hello," Lorelai smiled at each of the ladies, who returned it. Lorelai could never remember their names. There were too many DAR members.
"So Lorelai, what grade are you in now?" the lady with brown hair and pearl necklace asked.
"Um, fifth," Lorelai answered. She knew her mother hated it when she said "um".
"What school do you attend?" the lady with blonde hair spoke up.
"Thompson Academy," Lorelai replied.
"Ah,"
Lorelai was starting to feel more awkward. The ladies were all staring down at their teacups and even Emily was at a loss for what to say. "I'm sorry, ladies, but if you could please excuse me, I still have some homework to finish up," Lorelai smiled, excusing herself like her mother at taught her.
"Oh well, don't let us keep you," Emily smiled. Lorelai saw the look of approval on her face.
Lorelai just nodded before walking back into the house and up to her room, closing the door behind her. She hoped her mother wouldn't be too mad at her for going through the closet. Her father certainly hadn't minded.
Lorelai sighed and stretched out on her bed. She really didn't have any homework to do; she had finished two hours earlier. She had just wanted to get away from the patio. She reached her hand over to the radio on her nightstand and turned it on. The music from her favorite band coursed into her ears and she was soon asleep.
"Lorelai!" Lorelai awoke with a start. "What are you doing?"
"What?" Lorelai sat up and yawned, rubbing her eyes. "I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep,"
"Turn that music off," Emily said. Lorelai reached over and turned the dial to off. "Much better. I don't know how you can stand to listen to that while you sleep. Anyways, the maid was calling you and you didn't answer so I decided to come on up. I forgot to tell you earlier, the Hayden's are coming over for dinner and I wanted to give you proper notice. I want you to be ready by six thirty so you have forty-five minutes."
Emily walked over to Lorelai's closet and started to shift through the number of dresses in there. She finally decided on a dark blue dress with short, slightly puffy sleeves and a big bow on the back.
"Mom, I can dress myself!" Lorelai exclaimed. "I've been dressing myself since I was seven. That's almost four years since I'm going to be eleven next month,"
"But you still don't know how to dress when people like the Hayden's are coming to dinner. You know how Strobe and Francine are. Plus, Christopher is coming," Emily laid the dress on Lorelai's bed and started to smooth out some of the creases.
"Mom, I've been going to school with Christopher since first grade!" Lorelai said indignantly. "He knows me, I don't need to do anything to impress him,"
"Just be ready in forty minutes," Emily said before exiting and closing the door behind her.
Lorelai held up the dress in front of her. "Ugh. At least it's better than those poofy dresses I had when I was five,"
Lorelai arrived downstairs just as the doorbell rang. "Mom, I need you to tie the bow,"
"Turn around, hurry up," Emily said hurriedly. She quickly tied it up and ushered Lorelai into the sitting room. Lorelai quickly sat down on the sofa just as the Hayden's walked in, led by their maid, Jacqueline.
"Strobe, Francine!" Emily walked forward, a huge smile on her face. She hugged both of them and gave Francine a quick kiss on her cheek. She then turned her attention to the youngest Hayden. "Christopher. It's nice to see you again. My, you have grown,"
"Hello, Mrs. Gilmore," Christopher had a fake smile plastered to his face as he shook Emily's hand.
"Come, sit, sit," Emily led them all into the sitting. Christopher went and sat down next to Lorelai, greeting her with a real smile.
"Hello, Lorelai," Francine said.
"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Hayden. You to, Mr. Hayden,"
"Yes, it is," Strobe answered absentmindedly. "So, where is Richard?"
"He had to go into the office for some emergency about an hour ago. He should be back soon. Can I get you any drinks?" Emily got up and walked over to the drink tray.
"I'll have a martini," Francine replied.
"I'll have white wine," Strobe said.
"And of course, we're stuck with club soda," Christopher said in an undertone.
"Would you rather have a beer or something?" Lorelai whispered.
"No, just something else besides club soda." Christopher sighed. "I mean, I know that we're underage and our drink choice is pretty limited but I'm sure it includes more than just club soda,"
"Fine, tell my mother then," Lorelai smiled.
"I couldn't ask her that. My parents would punish me later for asking for something else," Chris said. "By the way, nice bow,"
"Be quiet," Lorelai scowled.
"What are you two talking about?" Emily asked, placing two club sodas in front of them.
"Nothing," Lorelai answered, suppressing her smile as Chris sipped his drink, a look of disgust on his face.
"Is something the matter with the drink, Christopher?" Emily asked.
"No Mrs. Gilmore. It's perfect," Chris set the drink down and started to fidget with his tie.
"Christopher, your tie," Francine said sternly. Chris sighed and tightened it.
"This is definitely going to be a long night," Christopher grumbled.
"That was a delicious dinner, Mrs. Gilmore," Christopher said once they were all finished. Richard had arrived just as they were sitting down to dinner and then had to excuse himself during the main course.
"Thank you Christopher," Emily said. "I really do like this cook," Lorelai snorted. "Yes, Lorelai?"
"Sorry Mom, but that's what you said about the last cook," Lorelai said.
"Why don't you and Christopher go on up to your room," Emily said.
"All right, Mom," Lorelai said. She and Christopher both got up and walked away as fast as possible without looking suspicious. "Finally," Lorelai said once they had gotten to her room and the door was shut. "Do you know how fake your compliments are?"
"Well, your mom certainly buys them," Christopher smiled. Lorelai rolled her eyes.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Lorelai asked.
"I don't know. It's your room that we're in," Chris replied. He looked around her room before his eyes settled on the window leading out to the balcony where Lorelai's telescope was. "We could look for aliens or meteor showers,"
"Outside? Chris, it's March. It's freezing outside at this time of night!"
"So wear a coat! Come on, Lorelai. We've haven't used your telescope in forever,"
"I just used it a couple days ago,"
"I mean together," Chris pleaded. "Please?"
Lorelai sighed and gave in. "Fine, let's go," She went to her closet and pulled out one of her coats. "Do you want one?" she asked, shrugging the coat onto her shoulders.
"I'll be fine," Christopher smiled, walking over to the window and opening it. A wave of cold air hit Lorelai and she pulled the coat tighter around her before following Chris out onto the balcony.
"What do aliens look like?" Lorelai asked putting her eye to the telescope. Her vision was soon filled with hundreds of brightly shining stars.
"I don't know," Chris shrugged. "Green skin, two antennas on top of their heads, no hair, a third eye, blue and shiny space suits,"
Lorelai straightened up. "Blue and shiny space suits? Chris, I'm sure that what they wear are not called space suits, since they live in space,"
"Fine, blue and shiny earth suits,"
"Do they have to be blue?" Lorelai asked. "Why not pink, or red, or hey, yellow!"
"Yellow?" Chris laughed. "They would be reflected off the sun!"
"Chris, that makes no sense whatsoever,"
"Yeah, well, it's my turn to look," Chris leaned down and started to move the telescope around.
"Do you think we'd get rich if we found some aliens in the sky and took a picture of them?" Lorelai asked.
"But we're already rich," Chris pointed out, his eye still glued to the telescope.
"That's our parents' money," Lorelai sighed. "We should try and look for the aliens and then take a picture so we can get rich and buy a motorcycle or something,"
Chris straightened up. "Speaking of motorcycles, when were you going to tell me that you and Eric Stratter are together and you make out on the back of his motorcycle?"
Lorelai's eyes widened. "Who told you that?"
"Pretty much everyone," Chris answered. "So why did you chose Eric Stratter?"
"Because he has a motorcycle," Lorelai shrugged, glad that Chris wasn't making such a big deal out of this.
"What if I got a motorcycle?"
"It's too bad that you've still got five years to go until you can actually get one," Lorelai smiled.
Chris scowled and put his eye back to the telescope. Almost immediately, he leapt back in horror.
"What?" Lorelai asked.
"The telescope had shifted," Chris gasped.
"So?" Lorelai asked.
"I think you should tell Mrs. Larson to keep her blinds closed when she changes at night!" Chris exclaimed.
"What!" Lorelai said. She looked into the telescope herself and was horrified by what she saw. She too quickly leapt back, a new mental image in her head. "That's disgusting!"
Chris didn't answer; he was too busy laughing at the look on Lorelai's face.
"What are you two cackling about?" Emily Gilmore's head appeared through the window.
"Mom, I think that we need to send a letter over to Mrs. Larson," Lorelai struggled to keep a straight face.
"About what?"
"We need to tell her that she should probably change with her blinds closed. Chris and I have been scarred for life now!"
"What on earth are you talking about?" Emily asked, looking from her daughter to Christopher who was laughing.
"Why don't you take a look, Mrs. Gilmore?" Chris indicated towards the telescope.
Emily climbed out onto the balcony and peered into the telescope. "Oh my god. Oh my god!" She leapt back in horror, causing Chris and Lorelai to burst out into laughter again. "You two need to get back inside right now. How irresponsible of that woman!" She grabbed her daughter's hand and pulled her towards the window, Christopher following. "I'll send her a note tomorrow. I cannot believe she wouldn't close her blinds. Especially with a child living right next store. Unbelievable." She quickly tore Lorelai's coat off and threw it on the bed before taking the two kids into the hallway.
Christopher and Lorelai were still giggling as Emily led them downstairs. Once they had reached the foyer, Emily stopped talking about it.
"Christopher, come get your coat on." Francine said the moment she spotted her son. Chris hurried forward and thrust his arms in the coat that the maid was holding out for him.
"Thank you for having us, Emily," Strobe smiled. "You too, Richard,"
"It was no problem," Emily smiled. She pushed Lorelai forward.
"Thanks you for coming," Lorelai took her cue. Chris had to look away for the overly sweet look on Lorelai's face made him want to crack up again.
"It was nice to see you again, Lorelai," Francine said.
"I'll see you on Monday," Chris said before exiting through the open door that the maid had opened for him. Richard and Strobe shook hands before he and Francine left.
Once the door shut, Lorelai turned so she could race back up to her room and change out of that stupid dress she was wearing.
"Where are you going, young lady?" Lorelai slowly turned around to face her mother.
"To change,"
"Hurry up," Emily said. "There's something we would like to talk to you about."
"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Lorelai asked.
"No, it can't. Your father has to work tomorrow and I am attending a function from noon to three," Emily replied.
Lorelai sighed. Now, she took her time walking up the stairs, stepping out of the dress, slipping her nightgown over her head. She hadn't realized how much time had gone buy until she looked at the clock and saw that it was already ten o' clock. When she got downstairs, her mother and father were waiting for her in the family room.
"What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Lorelai asked, sitting down across from them. She braced herself for a stern lecture, considering the looks on their faces.
"It concerns your eleventh birthday," Emily said. "I found out yesterday that your grandmother is going to be coming so we're probably going to have to change the plans that you made,"
Lorelai's face fell. "No party?" She looked at the expression of sheer annoyance on her mother's face to the unreadable expression on her father's face.
"I'm afraid that we won't be able to go somewhere for your birthday because your Gran is obviously going to disapprove of that," Emily replied. "So you can have a party here, but it is going to have to be up to that woman's standards,"
"There's no need to say it like that, Emily," Richard said. "Trix has excellent standards and I think that Lorelai should feel honored to have her grandmother coming all the way from England for her eleventh birthday,"
"Is it going to be like some stuffy cocktail party?" Lorelai asked.
"I beg your pardon?" Emily asked and Lorelai immediately knew that she had said something wrong. "No it will not be some stuffy cocktail party. And cocktail parties aren't stuffy. Honestly, Lorelai!"
"I'm sorry, Mom," Lorelai said. "So, what are my options?"
"To have a party with all your friends right here in the house," Emily said.
"I got that, but what kind of party will it be? What would we do?"
"Play some games,"
"What kind of games?" Lorelai asked. "Because Gran doesn't approve of the games that I like. I think that the whole Freeze Tag fiasco of '75 proves that,"
"Well, you obviously won't be running around, Lorelai," Emily said.
"But that's not fun!" Lorelai protested. "We have to do something besides sitting around in here in fancy dresses and suits doing nothing expect staring at our newly shined shoes because it's not like all the fifth graders at my school have shop to talk about,"
"Lorelai!" Emily said. "You should be grateful that we're even allowing you to have this birthday party after all. We just wanted to let you know that we are going to have to change the standards so you are just going to have to think about what you are going to do. Now, it's late and you should be in bed by now,"
"Goodnight, Lorelai," Richard offered her a small smile before standing up and going back to his office.
That night, Lorelai lay in bed thinking about her birthday. She hated having all these parties that were obviously for grown-ups even though there were only kids there. Christopher's parents had made him have a birthday party just like that a couple months before.
Plus the fact that Gran was coming would only complicate things. Lorelai loved her grandmother but she loved even more how her grandmother made her mother feel. It always brought a smile to her face. Lorelai found it so funny that Gran treated Emily the way Emily treated her maids and how completely oblivious Emily was to that fact.
With those comforting thoughts in her head, Lorelai slowly drifted off to sleep. She really couldn't wait until Gran got here. It would quite possibly make her birthday so much more special.
A/N: I hope you like this story so far! Please read and review just no flames. I do appreciate constructive criticism, but not outright "This story sucks" or something like that. So, please review!
