So, a little bit of a change this chapter, but still one of boundaries get blurred. Also a little bit of Richard. Hope you guys enjoy
A New Phase, Chapter 4
The December wind was biting and despite the beauty of the swirling snow Lorelai shivered as she slid out of the jeep. She paused before she moved to make sure she didn't slip. It had rained heavily 2 days before the snow had started and when the temperature had plunged, it had created an ice rink like scenario that the soft snow was now settled on. It was an accident waiting to happen. So far, that she knew of, only Kirk had fallen badly, but being that Kirk was the fluke of nature he was, he had been miraculously unhurt. She locked the jeep and turned to walk towards Luke's. As she pushed her keys into her purse she looked up, narrowly avoiding being sprayed by slush and ice thrown up by Garage tow truck as it drove passed. She scowled after it before her mouth dropped open in shock as she saw the vehicle being transported. A dark green jaguar, the front bumper on the passenger side scraped and scuffed, the passenger side rear tire completely shredded the front wheel twisted at an unnatural angle. "Oh My God!" Lorelai moved after the truck, careful not to slip but moving as fast as she could. As she reached the garage her father was helping her mother from the cab of the tow truck. "Mom, Dad!" she skidded as she came to a halt beside them. "What happened? Are you OK?" Her father barely seemed to have heard her as he was focused on Emily who was white as a sheet. "Dad?"
"Lorelai?" Richard looked up at her in confusion. "Did I call you?"
"No, I saw the car," Lorelai studied her father, his confusion worried her, her mother's quietness worried her "What happened?" she repeated hoping for an answer this time.
"I hit black ice," Richard gave a shuddering breath. "The car just skidded out, we mounted the bank and…" he trailed off, his attention turned back to Emily who swayed slightly and looked like she was about to faint. "Emily?"
"Mom," Lorelai stepped in and wrapped her arm around her mother's waist. If Richard had been driving Emily's side of the car had taken the brunt of the accident. She scanned her mother, she didn't seem injured just shocked, but that was just as dangerous. "Mom, say something," she pinched Emily's arm. It worked as it made her mother blink in the first time in ages before slowly turning her head to look at Lorelai in annoyance. "Hey, there you are!"
"Lorelai?" Emily blinked in confusion.
"You're in Stars Hollow Mom, I saw you pull in," Lorelai explained quickly, Emily was trembling, whether it be from cold or shock Lorelai knew she needed to get her inside.
"Can you look after her, while I sort this out," Richard asked surveying the Jag, his own face paling. Lorelai nodded. "Take her to the inn," Richard told her softly. He kissed Emily softly on the cheek. "Emily, Lorelai is going to take you to the Inn. Have dinner with her. I will come by later once I've sorted out the car," he spoke slowly like he was speaking to a child. His words got a soft nod from Emily. "Good girl," he kissed his wife once more. "Thank you Lorelai."
Lorelai nodded and let her father move away from her allowing her to assess how much Emily was taking her own weight and how much had been her father propping her up. "Hey Mom, we're going to go to the jeep now, OK?" Emily only nodded, normally that type of patronising tone would have elicited an angry retort. Lorelai swallowed her concern as best she could, trying to keep her voice measured as she walked her mother across the slippery road to the jeep. She practically had to push Emily up into the high jeep. The lack of annoyance shown by her mother scared her most of all. Her mother did not like to be manhandled or babied. Emily's acceptance of it showed just how far from alright she was. Lorelai scooped her phone out of her purse quickly making 2 calls. One to Luke to ask him to keep an eye on her father and the other to the Inn to ensure a room was ready for their arrival. She stuffed her phone back into her bag and leapt in. Ensuring her mother was belted in she whacked up the heat and drove off towards the Inn as carefully but quickly as she could.
The drive passed in silence, Lorelai glancing across at her mother when it was safe to do so. She pulled her jeep up to the entrance of the inn and hopped out, running round so she could help her mother out the car. "Mom?" she called when Emily didn't react to the door opening, "Mom, we're here." She reached towards her mother, panic taking over it and tugged her mother's arm.
"Lorelai?" Emily sounded annoyed, Lorelai gave a sigh of relief and helped Emily climb down from the car. "What am I doing here?" Emily asked in confusion as she stared up at the Inn.
"Dad's sorting the car," Lorelai told her as she bumped the door closed with her hip and guided Emily up towards the warm and welcoming Inn. "You're going to stay here tonight until it's all sorted, alright?" Lorelai guided Emily into the foyer. She grabbed the room key from the member of staff covering reception. "Ok up we go."
"I'm not a child Lorelai," Emily retorted looking around the Inn in confusion. "Why am I here?"
"The car?" Lorelai studied her mother closely. "Did you hit your head?"
"No, I did not," Emily shook her head angrily. "What room?"
"9," Lorelai followed Emily as she made her way up the stairs, relieved that her mother appeared to be coming out of the shock she had been suffering. Letting her mother into the room she stood back and waited for her mother to engage with her. Emily paced round the room, Lorelai could sense the danger. Her mother was about to melt down or pick a fight. Emily was confused and not in control of what was happening to her something that never went down well.
Suddenly Emily sat on the bed and looked at Lorelai her eyes filled with tears. "I don't have anything to wear."
"I can take care of that," Lorelai assured her. "Do you want me to get you something to eat?"
"I don…yes please," Emily nodded softly. "Where's your father?"
"He's sorting the car out," Lorelai moved to stand in front of her mother. "Are you OK for me to leave you for a bit?" Getting another nod from her mother Lorelai quickly backed out of the room and raced downstairs to the kitchen.
"Are they OK?" Sookie jumped on her as she entered.
"I guess, Mom's pretty spaced," Lorelai accepted the offered hug.
"I've got mushroom soup and braised lamb shank. Do you want anything sweet, I've got shortbread," Sookie scurried over to her ready prepared dishes. "I'll keep some aside for your Dad."
Lorelai smiled at her friend, "Thanks Sook, I've just gotta grab something. I'll be back in a sec." She dashed into the store cupboard and quickly found something for her mother to wear within the uniform store. Entering the kitchen she found Sookie putting the finishing touches to an elaborate dinner tray.
"Think it will get the Emily stamp of approval?" Sookie surveyed the tray.
"It's great Sookie," Lorelai lifted the tray. "Thanks for doing this."
"No worries," Sookie called after her as Lorelai strode quickly out of the kitchen.
Lorelai moved as quickly as she could up the stairs with the full tray, she did not want to leave Emily alone any longer than necessary given how out of it her mother seemed. Bustling back into the room she frowned at the sight of her mother sat in the same position on the bed. "Here we go Mom," she called brightly, "Sookie's outdone herself. Do you want to change then eat, or eat then change?" She set the tray down on the top of the dresser. "Huh? Which would you prefer?"
Emily looked up as she considered the illusion of choice that her daughter was giving her. "I'm cold."
"Alright, so why don't you get out of those cold clothes and into bed. Dinner in bed as a treat from having the life frightened out of you?" Lorelai moved forward and held out the shirt to her mother. "There is a robe to wear over it."
"It's a shirt," Emily regarded the pink shirt. "I can't wear just a shirt."
"It's a 2XL Mom, it will swallow you and come down to your knees," She moved to stand in front of Emily. "Besides Dad likes your legs, he deserves a treat too."
"Lorelai! Emily gave her a disapproving look.
"Now that's more like the Emily Gilmore I know and love," Lorelai gave her mother a cheeky grin. "Come on get out of these cold clothes." She helped Emily pull her arms out of her coat. Her mother was freezing, her hands like ice. She knew she should turnaround and let her mother undress herself but this way it was faster. When Emily was down to her slip the older woman seemed to become more lucid, her body stiffening as she seemed to realise her daughter was helping her undress. Lorelai, finely attuned to her mother's body language took the hint before the fight could start, "OK, I'll sort the food out, you finish up." She made her way over to the tray, which required no prep at all except taking the cloche off so began fiddling with the TV as a way to give her mother some privacy.
"Lorelai."
Loralai picked up the tray and turned. "Ok hop into bed then," she frowned as her mother padded round the bedframe, wondering what on earth Emily was doing before it occurred to her that Emily was getting into her side of the bed. When Emily was situated Lorelai carefully positioned the tray over Emily's legs and removed the cloche. "Eat what you can OK," she forced the issue by picking up the spoon and handing it to Emily. "And look," she pointed to the TV, "Singing in the Rain's just starting." Everything in place Lorelai moved round to the other side of the bed and sat down. Emily picked at the food for a couple of minutes managing a couple of mouthfuls before Lorelai sensed it was a losing battle. "Not hungry, huh?"
"It's delicious, but no," Emily shook her head. "Please apologise to Sookie."
Lorelai nodded pleased with her mother's improved level of communication even if she hadn't eaten much. "Do you want the shortcake? The sugar may help." When Emily shook her head Lorelai climbed off the bed to take the tray and set it one side. As she took the tray her hands brushed against Emily's and she frowned, her mother was still cold as ice. Quickly setting the tray on the table Lorelai made her way round to the other side of the bed and after a few moments pulled back the cover and climbed under.
"What are you doing?" Emily asked, turning her head slowly from watching the movie to stare at her daughter.
"You're cold, I'm sharing my body heat," Lorelai explained as she pulled the covers back into position. "Put your hands under the covers."
"You don…" Emily mumbled as Lorelai forced her icy hands under the blankets. "Thank you," her voice was barely above a whisper.
"It's OK Mom," Lorelai smiled uneasily keeping hold of her mother's hand, feeling some of the warmth from her own hands leech into her mother's ice cold ones. Vulnerable Emily accepting help was something new to her. "Let's just watch the movie OK?"
"It's a wonderful movie," Emily smiled as she squeezed Lorelai's hand.
"One of the best," Lorelai agreed, "and added bonus of unexpected movie night."
Emily gave her a mildly happy smile and snuggled under the covers slightly, as they fell into their normal watching pattern, sitting in silence with Lorelai glancing over to check her mother's reaction only this time with the added concern of checking her mother was alright.
As the movie went on relief filled Lorelai as she could feel the warmth coming back into Emily's hands and her mother's face became more expressive as she relaxed. Near the end of the movie there was a faint knock on the door and Lorelai finally released Emily's hand and climbed out of the bed. Opening the door she found her father but before she could open her mouth to greet him, he beckoned to her to come out onto the hallway. Doing as she was told Lorelai pulled the door to, and followed her Richard down the hallway.
"How is your mother?" Richard finally spoke.
Lorelai glanced over her shoulder towards the room. "She seems more with it now, she's warmed up. Didn't eat much but she's more Mom like then when we came in."
"Good," Richard gave a sigh of relief, before taking a big breath and pulling himself tall. "Lorelai."
She steadied herself, the tone reeked of her father being disappointed with her. "Dad."
"You and Luke," her father half asked half stated.
"Me and Luke," Lorelai crossed her arms, sensing what was coming.
Richard's shoulders rose before falling dramatically and Lorelai's eyes widened as she took in the defeated look that her father gave her. "Why did you not tell your mother and I that you were back together and have been together for quite a while."
Lorelai shifted awkwardly, asking Luke to check in on her father had obviously finally connected the dots in her father's brain about the relationship that she hadn't told them about. "We just ... If I tell you, it's formal. When me and Luke get formal things go wrong. Going with the flow works for us," she looked down at her shoes, her father's gaze making her feel like a small child. "I like it when it works for us."
"I see," Richard's voice was soft. "I…I wish you feel you could tell us," he straightened.
"Dad," Lorelai reached for his arm. "It's not that I didn't want to tell you it's just that I don't want things to go wrong."
"And we make it go wrong?" Richard scowled.
"No," Lorelai shook her head. "Not you. Pressure makes it go wrong."
"We pressurize you?" Richard took a deep breath.
"I don't mean it like that. Dad please," Lorelai tried to touch her father's arm again but he stepped back just out of her reach. "I'm not keeping you out…"
"Your mother has wondered about it for a while." Richard interrupted her. "It upsets her when you purposefully…"
"Dad, I'm not!" Lorelai shook her head once again. "The only thing I'm trying to do is make sure my relationship works. I don't mean to upset you or Mom."
Richard exhaled deeply once more, adding to the impression that he was deflating. "I won't tell your mother."
"Alright," Lorelai nodding, knowing that was her father's way of telling her she would have to. "Did you eat?"
"Yes I did," Richard told her tiredly. "The dealership will be collecting the car tomorrow."
"I can take you back to Hartford tomorrow if it's easier or Mom, whichever works," Lorelai offered. "Why don't I meet you back here for breakfast and we can work it out."
"Thank you," Richard nodded, "and thank you for looking after your mother."
"Of course," Lorelai smiled relief flooding into her as her father smiled back at her. "Call me if you need anything."
She watched as her father entered the room. She was relieved that they were both OK, and weirdly relieved that her father was now aware of her relationship. Now all she had to contend with was building up the nerve to tell her mother about the fact she was in a relationship with Luke and had been for 6 months. What a delight that would be.