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 has left him more or less a month ago. At the beginning she stayed in a hotel out Hartford. Nobody had to know about their separation. She didn't want gossip around her. She was the president of the DAR and she had to be like a model for other members. She tried to avoid the situation also to the girls, but Lorelai was too smart for not notice the weird and cold attitude their parents have had during last Friday night dinners. And that stupid week-end to the Dragonfly? Lorelai confined her and Richard in a room out the Inn, the honeymoon room. They were not in honeymoon. In a way they were not more even a couple. To be obliged to stay in the same room for more than five minutes were too much for both of them. She found it hard to recognize her husband. He was so changed in the last year! On the other hand Richard didn't understand why she left him. It was absurd. When they came home from the Inn she decided it was time to change. So she took her valises, her passport and flew to Europe. Fortunately Rory agreed to join her. It was good to maintain her mind busy with her granddaughter plans. She had less time to think to Richard, to miss him. She would never have admitted how much she missed her husband. She tried with all her forces to enjoy the trip.

Richard was alone in their big house. It was weird. Emily left him few weeks ago, she stayed in the hotel and now she was somewhere around Europe. He spent several nights alone in their bed, never been able to sleep well. Only the first nights were acceptable. He was supported by his anger. How could she done like a thing to him? Day by day his anger transformed in melancholy. And to be in their house didn't help. He could see Emily touch in every corner. He remembered the first time she saw the house. He was excited and she immediately fell in love with it. Her favourite place was the living room. And then they went upstairs and entered in that that would have become Lorelai room.

She was so happy there. How many times he founded her in the same room many years later crying for her daughter. It was hard to accept it but they have not always been roses and flowers in their marriage. He came back to reality when the phone rang.

"Hello"

"It's Emily, how are you?"

"Well thank you. And you? And Rory?" He was lying. He was not well. He wanted her home but he didn't say it. Of course not. She was the one who left and she was the one who had to apologize first.

"We are fine thanks. I want to inform you we are in Paris now, we are going to visit Hope."

"Well. Give her my regards. And now I'm sorry but I have to go." To go where? It was Saturday afternoon. He had no work to do, even golf to play.

"Right. I'll call you when we'll arrive at Rome. Bye."

"Bye".

She was not surprised. He seemed didn't care about what she was telling to him. He had to go. Like always his work was more important than her. She kept her mind busy with the idea to see her lovely sister in a few. She loved so much Hope and she knew she could talk to her about the separation. She needed somebody that comprehended her without judging her. She never mentioned her state of mind to Rory, simply she didn't want to put her in the middle.

The week past slowly. Emily called him two days before to inform her and Rory were in Rome. They have been home in three days. He was happy to still have her home. But it was not completely true. When she would arrive, he had to go to the pool house. It was not like have her home in this way.

He opened his laptop and read his e-mails.

Emily was alone in the hotel room. Rory was out to visit some museums. She was too tired to join her. The trip was ending and she had to come back to her life. She wanted so badly to fix the situation with Richard. She was so miserable without him. But what if he was not the same? What if he was happier now than before? She didn't have any intention to make the first step. She had to wait and see. See what? She tried to focus on her two last days in Italy and put her notebook open to check her following appointments.

Emily was nervous that night. She barely spoke with Rory and excused herself for not to accompany her to the concert. She felt the urge to be with Richard. She wanted him hold her in his arms. Without thinking she started to pack her things. She checked for the first fly to Hartford and left the hotel. During the trip to the airport she wrote a message to Rory cell phone.

I'm waiting you at the airport. I took your valises. Please come here as soon as possible.

Grandma.

When Rory arrived to the airport she found her grandmother silently sitting in a chair.

"Grandma, all well? You frightened me. Why do we have to come back early? There is something wrong with Mom, or Grandpa?" She said as fast as she could.

"I'm sorry Rory, I didn't want to frighten you. I need to go home. It's all."

"But why? Please tell me" Rory pleaded.

"I'll prefer not to talk about this right now, if for you it's not a problem."

The fly was very silent. Rory listened to some music from her mp3 while Emily simply stayed calm. Her arms on her stomach. Her eyes closed. She was not asleep. She was thinking to that to say to Richard.

Finally she arrived to Hartford and took a taxi to her house. Rory made the same.

Emily ordered to the taxi driver to put her valises near the main door, and then she paid him. She looked to him to get further and she inhaled deeply.

Richard spent all the night awake, unable to sleep. He missed her so badly.

Emily looked for the keys in her purse, but she didn't found them. She probably left them home. So she rang the bell. She was waiting for the maid. When the door opened she was surprised to find Richard. He looked like if he hadn't had a good night. She smiled shyly at him. She thought to what to say, but she was not able to focus on her speech. Her fixed eyes in his look. She left fall the purse on the floor and put her arms around his neck. He bent down a little and she suddenly brushes her lips on his. It was a soft long kiss. She felt safe. He was speechless. They broke the kiss and stared to each other expression. He bent down one more time and kissed her again. With more passion this time.

Never letting go of her lips he closed the door behind his wife and lifted her in his arms. Then climbed the stairs and entered to their bedroom. Gently putting her on the bed he deepened the kiss. She remembered that she was still wearing her coat so she pulled him away and started to undress.

He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her amazed. She was here. She was come home and she wanted to be with him. She was wearing only her bra and panties now. She was like a vision for him.

"Richard why do you look at me in this way?"

"You're gorgeous. You're simply gorgeous" He stated.

"I think it will work better if you undress too." She glanced at him.

"You're alright. I was simply thinking that I spent so many times alone in this bedroom. Nobody to talk, nobody to look at, nobody to touch…. Nobody undressing me" He teased her. She slapped on his left arm and moved toward him. She positioned herself on his lap and started to unbutton his shirt. They enjoyed their closeness, the warm touch of the other. Emily knew very well that they need to talk, to fix the crisis. Not now. Not here.

Richard stood up and freed himself from his pants. Then he lay down next to her and caressed her hair.

"I missed the smell of your hair" He whispered never letting go the taking of her hands.

"If I say you something, do you promise me you will not laugh?" He nodded.

"During our separation I slept all the nights tightening to me your grey pajama." She was a bit embarrassed from her sudden revelation. He kissed tenderly her cheek.

"I'm honoured." He said playfully.

He looked one more time at her. She was so beautiful. He wanted to taste her skin, to inhale her smell, to feel her muscles tensing under his fingers. She needed him in the same way. They smiled and slipped under the sheets.

They repeated the experience twice during the day. They also talked a lot about their separation. She promised him to tell him when she felt disrespected and lonely, and he granted her to be more present and confident.

It was Friday, so the girls had to come.

Richard searched her wife in the kitchen, and then in the living room, when he finally found her sitting on a chair in the patio. She was reading a book. He smiled at the sight of her shoes kicked off, her feet on the chair in front of her. It was wonderful to have her at home. They went through their worst crisis and they were still together. He thought to their weeding day. He was so nervous, he had a fight with her mother that morning. When he saw her entering the church his heart skipped a beat. She was the most beautiful creature he has ever seen. She was radiant. The moment she said "yes" he understood his heart would be her for ever.

Didn't make her notice his presence he kissed her neck.

The doorbell rang and they came inside to greet the girls.

"Hey Mom, how was your trip?" Lorelai spoke first. Richard unusually sat down on the chair without preparing the drinks.

"It was a very nice experience, and let me say the best part was that I shared it with Rory" And she glanced at her granddaughter, that gave her a tender smile in return.

"So Mom, why on hell did you want to come back early? Rory was frightened by your behaviour" Lorelai asked directly.

"I'm sorry Rory. I have no intention to frighten you. I needed to be home. It's all" Emily said.

Lorelai didn't seem convinced from her mother answer, but accepted it. Maybe she would try later to extort the truth. Richard stood up and sudden knelt in front of his wife. He took her left hand and gave it a light kiss.

"I know the first time was not romantic, so I thought you deserve it. Emily you're the most important woman of my life. I fell completely in love with you that night at the party, and believe me not only for you wearing this extraordinary blue dress. When I kissed you for the first time I felt emotions that I've never felt before. You entered me and abducted my heart. You changed my entire life. I'm nothing without you. You gave me a beautiful daughter, and I know it was not always easy between us, but it as you have given her to me twice. The first time when she was born, and the second time when you invented the Friday night dinners. You let me know my granddaughter, and I'm so glad to you for this. I know sometimes I've hurt you, and I'm really sorry. But I never did it intentionally. I want only you to be happy. I want to see the look you have now in your eyes every day. I love you Emily. You're my life. Do you want to marry me, again?"

His voice was trembling lightly. He took a small black pocket from his jacket, opened it, and showed the content to her.

She was speechless. He proposed to her, again. She looked down at him, and then at the pocket.

"I want to marry you, again. Richard." She said excited. She could feel a knot to the throat. She swallowed hardly, fighting the tears. He took the platinum ring with an only big diamond out of the pocket and attached it on her fingers. Then he kissed it softly.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too Richard." She added.

He sat near his wife and caressed her left cheek. Then he bent down to her and kissed hers. She could feel his warm and soft lips on her. She loved so much his husband. The kiss was soft but long. When they broke it they looked at the girls.

"No comments Lorelai?" Richard asked.

"I think this time you left me speechless, Dad".

I hope you liked this one shot story. Please give me reviews. I'm sorry if there are some mistakes. I'm not english mother language. Thank you so much!!