Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters all belong to Amy Sherman Palladino. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit will be made from this story.

Emily was staring at her image on the mirror of her vanity. She noticed some wrinkles around her eyes that she hadn't seen before. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, letting go a long low breath. She felt bad that day, more than usual. Turning around lightly in her chair she looked at the big bridal bed next to her. So big, and so empty, she thought feeling a wave of pain crossing her back. It had past more ore less ten months from when she had left him. She had gone to a hotel for a couple of weeks, then to Europe with Rory and finally back at home. He had stayed a couple of months into the pool house, but then had moved to a little apartment at the other side of Hartford. He had taken all his suits from the closet, his documents from the study, his objects from around the house and then had gone with a cold good bye. She had stared at him packing his things silently, wanting to stop him but unable to do it. They had shared some call phones every now and there talking about his business and her functions, his golf and her charities, but never about them. She grew sure that there wasn't a them anymore. That he didn't want a them anymore. She had met him twice in the last month, they had exchanged some few banal words and then nothing. He hadn't asked for her feelings, or for her health or her needs. He had seemed miles apart from her, emotionally indifferent. She had swallowed her emotions and had played the cold woman role, while inside her heart was consuming slowly.

The girls had skipped a lot of Friday night dinners lately, and she knew perfectly that they preferred to go to visit Richard instead to spend time with her.

She felt alone. She had her foundations, the DAR, the club and her friends, but she hadn't a family. Her daughter barely spoke to her, most of the time she joked about her and her being alone in that big house. Her granddaughter was warmer towards her but she knew that Rory preferred Richard. And then her husband. He had insulted her and her life, had stopped to talk to her, to ask for advises and suggestions, had stopped to touch her and then had lied to her for all the duration of their marriage. Thirty six years of lies.

Tears burned in the corners of her eyes at the memories of their thirty sixth wedding anniversary. No parties, or gifts, or smiles. No kisses or cuddles first thing in the morning. No making love. Nothing at all. She had spent that day locked in her bedroom, lay on his side of the bed, his pillow against her chest. She had cried for hours, simply unable to control her sobs. He wasn't there to hug her, to console her, to telling her that it would be all fine again. That he loved her. She had been alone, with her memories and her pain.

She was taken aback from the ringing of her cell phone. She pulled away the tears from her cheeks and walked towards the nightstand. Taking the phone in her hands she read the name on the display and smiled weakly. Rory.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hello Grandma, do I disturb you?" Rory asked.

"No dear, how are you?" She asked back.

"I'm busy with some exams, but I'm fine thanks." Rory responded.

"Good. So why did you call me?" She said sitting on her side of the bed.

"I want to invite you to spend the day with me tomorrow." Rory explained trying to sound excited.

"What?" Emily asked surprised.

"I want to spend sometime with you. Is it that so weird?" Rory responded softly.

"No, no. It's only that I didn't expect it. So what do you want we do?" Emily asked smiling shyly.

"I don't know yet. Come here to Yale tomorrow morning, around nine, and then we'll see." Rory said invitingly.

"Ok. I'll come. See you tomorrow." She said and then hung up.

She put the cell phone back on the nightstand and shook her head lightly. It was something surprising that Rory wanted to spend some time alone with her, above all on a Saturday. Leaning back on the pillow she closed her eyes and thought about what to do the following day with her granddaughter. She wondered what kind of activity could have been amusing for her, maybe a little shopping or a walk, a cinema or a show. She lost herself in her own thoughts for a long time, still leaned on the bed.

Some miles far Rory was talking in her mother's living room with Lorelai. It was Friday night and they had found a good excuse to skip the usual dinner to her grandmother's house. This time it was for a good cause, she thought. Nevertheless she felt a bit guilty for having made Emily to spend the evening alone in that big and empty house again.

"Mom, have you called grandpa?" Rory asked leaning over the coffee table to take a bottle of water.

"What?" Lorelai responded, her mouth half full of chips.

"Grandpa, you remember? That tall man with the bow tie, moustaches and our same blue eyes?" Rory said sarcastically.

"Oh, yes. I'll call him later." Lorelai responded looking for a napkin.

"Call him now, what if he had already organized his day?" Rory commanded.

Lorelai mumbled something incomprehensible and stood up, walking towards the little table in the foyer looking for the phone. She smiled finding it under a half open magazine and dialled her father's number.

"Hello, Richard Gilmore's speaking." He said formally.

"Dad, it's me Lorelai." She responded walking back towards the couch.

"Oh Lorelai, dear, how are you?" He said sitting on his armchair in the little living room.

"I'm fine, thanks. Are you free tomorrow?" She asked directly.

"Oh, well, I don't know. I was thinking about some golf at the club, but if you suggest something else…." He responded a bit confused by her question.

"Well, I'll be there at half past eight." She said and then hung up.

"Lorelai? Are you still there? Lorelai?" He said, but then he realized that he was talking to nobody.

He put the phone on the little coffee table and shook his head puzzled. Why Lorelai wanted to come over first thing in the morning on a Saturday? He couldn't imagine what she was thinking about, but he was glad she had called him. He felt so bad lately, so alone. He had tried to not think about Emily, but he couldn't help to let his mind wonder what she was doing or how she was feeling. He had stared at her leaving him, packing her things and going to a hotel after Friday night dinners and then looking for her passport to leave for Europe. He had spied her from the pool house every time he had past next to the French door of the living room, but it had been too hard to see her going ahead with her life as if she didn't need him anymore. So he had moved to that little apartment composed by a kitchen, a little living room, a bedroom with a bathroom. Taking his things from their house he had hoped that she would have stopped him, but nothing. She had looked at him silently, no emotions in her eyes. He turned his head towards the little table next to the wall and swallowed hard at the sight of the photo of him and Emily happily hugged in Paris. He had put photos of her alone, or together with him or the girls, in every room of the apartment. He couldn't help to feel the need to see her every day, also if it was only a photo.

Rory and Lorelai woke early the following morning. Rory was already dressed and waiting for her mother in the foyer when she looked down at her watch. It was late, too late she thought in her mind.

"Mom, I have to go. It's late. We'll see later." She called out and then disappeared behind the main door.

Lorelai entered the living room some minutes later and found it empty. She had hoped that her daughter was joking only to make her been faster, but not this time. She looked for her car's key and then went out quickly. She had no more than half an hour to get breakfast at Luke's and run to Hartford. Before turning on the engine of her Jeep the put on a light red lipstick and then drove directly towards the diner.

Emily checked in on the little car mirror at her image. She was more relaxed than the day before and definitely excited at the idea to spend some time alone with her Rory. Before turning on the engine of her Jaguar she put on a light orange lipstick and then drove to Yale calmly. She had a lot of time and she had no need to run.

Parking her car in the parking lot of the Campus she felt a knot forming in her throat. The last time she had been there was more or less a year ago. They had gone to the annual Harvard-Yale match all together. She had been so excited to spend the whole day with Richard and the girls that morning. But something she hadn't expected had happened and had changed her whole life. They had met Pennilynn, the old fiancé of her husband, before the match and then she had discovered that Richard hadn't stopped to meet her. He had seen her secretly for the entire length of their marriage. He hadn't been able to renounce to her, as if he needed a connection with her to be complete. She had cried her eyes out that night in the guest room, waiting for him to come over and console her, but he hadn't come and she had thought he didn't care of her. No more, at least.

She took in a couple of deep breaths and went out of the car grabbing her purse. She noticed a lot of people walking back and forth the yard, most of them wearing a Yale scarf or t-shirt, and she realized that it was the day of the match. She felt a mix of emotions growing inside of her, anger and pain principally. But she swallowed hard and walked towards the dorm, looking for Rory. It would be their day and she had no intention to let her bad memories to ruin it. She smiled weakly at the sight of her granddaughter next to the doorstep of her apartment talking with a couple of friends.

"Hello, Grandma!" Rory said aloud noticing her grandmother approaching.

"Hello, Rory. How are you?" She responded walking past a couple of tall young men immersed in an animated conversation.

"Sorry for the confusion, but today there is the Harvard-Yale match, you know." Rory said grabbing Emily's upper arm and guiding her inside of her apartment.

Emily stopped in the middle of the living room and breathed in relief. At least all the confusion and the people were out for now.

"Rory, what do you want we do today?" She asked looking straight in her granddaughter's eyes.

"We can attend at the match and then have a bit of shopping in the afternoon." Rory responded smiling.

Emily felt her anger melting by the way her Rory was smiling at her. She knew that staying at Yale, in that particular occasion, would be painful for her, nevertheless she was happy to be with Rory.

Lorelai parked her Jeep down the street and walked towards the ancient palace where her father lived now. It felt a bit weird being waiting for him there, in the big elegant hall, and not in the foyer of the Gilmore mansion. She prayed silently that her plan would work. She had studied it with Rory for weeks and she simply hoped to have made the right decision organizing it. She sat on a red velvet armchair and took a magazine from the coffee table.

Richard looked one more time at the photo of his Emily before walking out of the apartment. He locked the door and waited for the lift. He put the scarf around his neck and breathed deeply. It would be a good day with his daughter, he repeated in his mind, also if he had no idea of her programs. Entering the hall he smiled at the sight of his daughter immersed in the reading of an economy's magazine. He was sure she was looking for some publicity or something fun.

"Hello, Lorelai." He said approaching to her.

"Hello, Dad." She responded putting the magazine down on the table.

She stood up and walked out of the palace with her father.

"Where are we going?" He asked a moment later.

"You'll see." She said walking straight towards her Jeep.

"Don't tell me that you want to go I don't know where with this car." Richard said looking puzzled at her car.

"This car it's my car. And I can assure you that it's a perfect normal car. Four wheels, an engine, a steering wheel, a radio." Lorelai responded a bit offended.

Why on hell every body dislikes her car?

"It's a military car." Richard tried to justify himself.

"And then? It means that people would have more respect for us, thinking that we are militaries." Lorelai responded jumping inside.

Richard shook his head slightly and went inside as well.

The trip was almost silent and short.

"Lorelai, why are we come at Yale?" He asked going out of the car in the Campus parking lot.

"I thought you liked Yale." Lorelai responded.

"Sure I like Yale, but I didn't think you liked it." He said looking at her confused.

"It's not my favourite place in the world, but my daughter lives here now, so I like this college. By the way there is the annual Harvard-Yale match today so I thought to attend at this with you." She explained smiling.

Richard was still confused, and maybe a bit sad. He had refused several invitations for that match from his friends in the past weeks. He knew that the crisis with his wife had begun there, so he was not in the mood for the match that year.

Nevertheless he smiled back at his daughter and walked towards the yard with her.

Emily and Rory had chatted for a while with some Rory's roommates and then had walked towards the yard. In that moment Rory saw her mother approaching with her grandfather and ran towards them. She hugged her mother and then Richard, before turning around and realized that her grandmother had stopped some inches behind her.

"Mom, how are you?" Lorelai asked joining her mother.

"I'm fine thanks." Emily responded politely.

She was stunned. She hadn't expected Richard to be there as well. Or at least she hadn't thought to meet him that day.

Richard swallowed hard noticing the presence of his wife. She was simply beautiful. She wore a simply light brown dress with a matching jacket, her hair a bit shorter than the last time he had met her, but still silky and soft. The orange of her lipstick lightened her face and her shy smile gave her a tender expression.

"Hello Emily, how are you?" He said looking down at her.

"I'm fine thanks, and you?" She responded staring at him.

He looked so handsome in his grey suit, his hair a bit longer than usual. He seemed even taller so close to her.

"Mom, Dad, we have to go for a moment, see you later at the match." Lorelai said and then disappeared down the yard with Rory.

Emily looked down at her feet for a while, unable to stare at him. She knew that if she had looked one more time at him she hadn't been able to control her emotions much longer.

Richard stared at her silently. She was simply beautiful. He would have wanted to put her in his arms, to say her how deeply he missed her, how much he loved her, but he was afraid she would have refused him.

"So, how are you?" He asked hesitantly.

"I'm fine." She responded blushing.

They locked gazes for a moment and then both laughed lightly. It felt good to be close again without fighting or arguing.

"Do you want a coffee?" He said.

"What?" She asked while a group of boys past behind them almost crying.

"Do you want a coffee?" He said in her ear.

She felt shivers crossing her back. He was so close to her that she could feel his warm breath against her neck. It felt so good and exciting to have him so close to her body again after so many time.

He inhaled deeply in her scent. That wonderful, unique scent of his Emily. Her cream mixed to her shampoo and her Chanel nr.5. And obviously her silky skin. He took in a long deep breath before pulling away lightly.

"It sounds good." She said looking deeply in his eyes.

He couldn't help to smile staring at her.

They went to the cafeteria and sat down a table. Emily took her cup of coffee in her hands and sipped slowly, while Richard stared at her. It seemed surreal having her so close, looking at her speaking, breathing, living in front of him after all the times he had stared at her immovable photos.

Emily felt her heart beating wildly in her chest, her hands trembling lightly. She would have wanted to stand up, sat in his lap and let him holding her tightly for the rest of their lives, but she was afraid he would have refused her.

They spent the day together, with Lorelai and Rory.

It was weird but nice at the same time. They didn't argue, not even when Lorelai joked about their separation. Emily enjoyed his closeness, the way he looked at her every now and there without motivation. Richard liked the way she touched him. She had grabbed his arm more than once and he had covered her hands with his.

"Rory, thanks for the nice day." Emily said hugging her granddaughter tenderly.

"It was my pleasure." Rory whispered in her ear.

"Lorelai, I'll see you on Friday?" Emily asked looking at her daughter.

"Sure." Lorelai responded smiling an honest smile that hit Emily.

"Dad, I think you would have to call a taxi. I have to come back immediately at the Inn, Sookie has to go home and then I can't leave Michel alone." Lorelai said looking accomplice at Rory.

"Don't worry. Go and thanks for the day." Richard said hugging lightly his daughter.

Emily wondered for a while what to say and then spoke.

"Richard, if you want I can accompany you at home." She said hesitantly.

"Thanks Emily, but I don't want to disturb you." He said looking deeply in her big brown eyes.

"No disturb." She responded smiling.

They walked towards the parking lot slowly, still trying to realize what was happening to them.

A thunder tore the sky and Emily almost jumped. She had always been scared from thunderstorms and Richard knew it very well. He immediately put his arm on her waist and held her tightly.

She looked up at him and smiled gratefully. She felt so protected by his arms.

It felt so good to have her in his arms again.

They almost ran towards her car and jumped inside. Without really thinking Richard turned on the engine and Emily fastened the seatbelt of the passenger seat. They sat in the car as if they were still a couple, he driving her home, she letting him to drive her home.

They talked about some banal matters during the trip, and then they enjoyed their talk.

"We're arrived." Richard said stopping the car on the Gilmore driveway.

"It seems like this." She responded smiling shyly.

It was raining heavily outside and they have no umbrella. Richard took out his coat and helped Emily out of the car before giving her his coat and lifting her in his arms. She put the coat over their heads and laughed lightly at his sudden move. They stopped in front of the main door and she put the coat down. He put her down on her feet still holding her tightly in his arms.

"Do you want to come in for a drink?" She whispered.

"Yes." He said bending down slowly, brushing his lips against hers tenderly.

TO BE CONTINUED

Thanks to all for reading!! Please let a review.... they make me happy....

To the loyal reviewers which follow me in Family Revelations: Please let me know if you like this new story, and don't worry I'll continue FR as well, I have all the intention to complete it.