A/N-Thank you all so much for your reviews! I couldn't reply to all but still, I want you all to know that I really appreciated it especially when you took the time to write it. This is Chapter 3 and I have changed the rating to M because I agree with some of you that it might be unsuitable for younger readers although I am young myself. giggles I'm glad that you are still reading this and I hope you will keep on reading it in the future. There are more flashbacks in this chapter though. I hope you don't mind.

Leaves of Autumn

By caramelapples

Chapter 3: Prickling Thorns

The moment Emily Gilmore opened her eyes, she felt rising panic in her throat as she was in unfamiliar quarters and glanced around, eyes searching for Richard. It was all a bad dream, she told herself. It was all a bad dream… Please let it be all a bad dream…

"Emily?" Richard's voice was soft, comforting like it had always been. "Emmy, are you awake?" She saw him sitting by her bedside and holding her hand. She couldn't stop the sob that escaped her lips and gave his hand a squeeze. She knew that she was in a hospital, not bothering to kid herself. And when she was aware of her surroundings, she knew that it was not a bad dream as she could feel her body aching. And she could feel the soreness between her legs. The realization that she had not been dreaming shot through her body like a disease, crumbling every resolve she had and she turned away from her husband, not wanting him to see her in such a broken state.

"Emmy…" he said, and stroked her cheek. "Please, look at me, Emmy…"

Emily mustered all the strength she could and turned to gaze into Richard's eyes.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked, concern was so evident in his voice. How he loved his wife and now that she seemed so shattered, so crushed and helpless, his heart ached at the notion of what might be in store for them in the future. He had spoken to the doctor that examined her. She had told him that Emily might be afraid to be touched by anyone for that matter. He understood what was happening and yet, he felt the burning rage that boiled down to his very bones ripping at him from every corner. He wanted to kill that bastard with his bare hands, wanted to feel his hands wrapped around his neck, strangling him.

She nodded a little, eyes pleading to him to not leave her, not that he would. But it was better to ask in case.

"We'll get him," Richard seethed. "And I'll murder him myself!"

Emily winced at the sudden loud volume of her husband's voice, remembering her attack, and started to cry, softly and trembling with fear.

"Oh, Emmy… I'm so sorry," Richard said, realizing what was scaring her. He was scaring her.

She shook her head, trying to block out the images, the memories that were attacking her senses.

"It's okay. I'm here. I won't leave you ever again," he soothed and she calmed down a little bit. "Lorelai is here. Do you want her here?"

Emily nodded, still not speaking. She wanted to but she just couldn't. She didn't know why. She just couldn't and it pained her immensely. She started to pull herself up so that she would be in a sitting position but Richard was there, holding her shoulders and helping her up. She gave Richard the most loving look she could muster through the sheen of tears in her eyes.

"I let them examine you, Emmy. I let them take samples from you and collect evidence while you were unconscious. They had to do it as soon as possible to get the best results," Richard said, personally kicking himself for saying it so insensitively but he couldn't phrase it in any other way. "Are you all right with that?" he asked, holding her hand and fighting the urge to kiss her so that she will feel better, remembering her reaction to the last time he did that.

Emily nodded, her brain not quite registering what her husband told her. Richard sighed in relief, glad that his wife did not become hysterical. "Where's Lorelai?" she said, her voice cracking. It felt as though it had been ages since she had used her voice.

Richard's heart leapt when he heard Emily's voice and smiled for the first time since arriving at the hospital. "I'll get her. Will you be all right alone?"

Emily nodded. "Yes," she said, which was barely a whisper.

Again he fought the urge to kiss her forehead. Richard disappeared out of the room and Emily hugged herself tightly, squeezing her eyes shut, still fighting the old memories.

Emily Gilmore was beyond nervous. She was terrified. Her hands were cold and she was gripping Richard's hand with and iron claw. His house was so large and the music there were so many people inside. She glanced around the room to see strangers looking at her, some more appreciative than others. She didn't want to meet Lorelai Gilmore and she dreaded the night before her.

"Emmy darling, it'll be fine… " Richard told her and gave her hand a squeeze. "She'll love you."

"Is my dress all right?" Emily couldn't avoid the sudden nerves that rose. "Is it too white?"

Richard laughed softly at her. "It's a beautiful white dress. You look beautiful, Emmy. Don't worry. It'll be a night to remember when everybody will know the beautiful and pretty woman I love," Richard said, gazing at her with the most adoring eyes ever.

Feeling a blush coming on, Emily cleared her throat. "Beautiful and pretty is the same, Richard," she said, trying to sound annoyed but failing.

"It's not to me. You're both," Richard said, tipping her chin upwards and kissing her, just a brush of lips belonging to two people who loved each other more than anything in the world. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," Emily said. Perhaps, this will be a night to remember after all.

"Mom?"

Emily snapped out of her thoughts and looked in the direction of the voice.

Lorelai came towards her and sat on the bed beside her mother, not knowing if anything she might have done would trigger an unwanted reaction.

"How are you feeling?" Lorelai asked, a little warily. Emily shook her head a little bit and looked at her daughter. She didn't know how she was feeling. Lorelai decided not to push. "You'll have to talk to someone later and tell them-" Lorelai swallowed thickly and prayed that Emily wouldn't freak out.

"Tell them about what happened?" Emily said, staring out the window. It was difficult to maintain a normal voice without breaking down and crying.

"Yes, Mom. They'll be asking questions." Lorelai reached out for her mother's hand after hesitating for a while. "Mom, I'm sorry."

Emily turned to her daughter and looked at her hand in her daughter's. She realized that she had never held her daughter's hands for such a long time that it was almost a strange feeling for her. It was ironic that something like this had to happen before she could be on good terms with her daughter.

"For what?" Emily managed, still holding back the tears. Stop it! She scolded herself.

"This was my fault. This was all my fault, Mom," Lorelai said and started sniffling. "I asked you to wait for the rain, just so you could stay longer. I was the one who left that damned lip gloss! I was the one, Mom! I caused this whole thing! If I didn't do any of those, this would never have happened to you!" she sobbed, gasping for air.

"Oh, Lorelai… This was not your fault," Emily said, suddenly finding the strength to be the one doing the comforting. "If he-If he wanted to do it, he would have anyway. What you did or what you thought you did had nothing to do with this. Please, don't blame yourself, Lorelai…" Emily's voice had become so soft that Lorelai couldn't believe it was her mother she was talking to. "I stayed because I wanted to stay. I stayed not because you asked me but because I wanted to be with my daughter."

It was different that her mother was quiet because Emily Gilmore was seldom quiet, if quiet was her at all. It was however, rather odd that she wasn't saying anything about it at all unless coaxed and Lorelai didn't want to coax her mother any further.

Emily shook her head and clutched the edge of the blanket covering her to prevent herself from screaming. It was coming back again. That night was coming back again.

"Mom, you should get some rest before they come."

"Who?" Emily asked, her mind not fully comprehending what her daughter said.

"The police who are coming to ask you questions."

"The police?"

"They're very nice and you don't have to be afraid of them," Lorelai said and stood up. "Sleep Mom. Dad and I will be here. I promise."

Emily nodded and closed her eyes.

Lorelai Gilmore was walking towards Emily and she felt her breath catch in her throat. She clutched Richard's hand tighter and he squeezed her hand to encourage her.

"Richard!" she cried coming towards them. Richard kissed his mother and smiled.

"This is Emily," Richard said, beaming with pride as his mother looked her over from head to toe.

Emily fought the urge to shrink behind Richard and away from the reprimanding woman's intense gaze but she stood still, still clutching desperately at Richard's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Gilmore," Emily said, fighting the tremor in her voice.

"Well, you must be the one Richard left darling Penny for," she continued, oblivious to Emily's feelings.

Emily already knew the moment his mother mentioned Richard's previous fiancée that she would never be liked by that woman and at that moment, she felt as though she shouldn't have come. It was the most degrading feeling Emily had ever felt in her entire life causing her to tense. She kept silent.

"You really shouldn't dress like this, Emily… Yes, I understand that you young girls want to look nice and you really do but I'm sure you don't want to attract unwanted attention since you are with Richard now, do you?"

"I beg your pardon?" Emily asked, startled and confused at what was being directed at her.

"She certainly is daft, Richard," the Gilmore woman said as though Emily wasn't there and glanced around the room. Richard stared at his mother but did not say anything. "But you must excuse me now. I see your Aunt Marianne over there, Richard and I simply must greet her."

"Of course," he said and watched her disappear into the crowd. He turned to Emily. "I'm sorry about her behaviour, Emily. But I didn't say anything because I didn't want to make a scene. She's still upset about Penny and I." He really did seem so sorry. "But I'll introduce Father to you, darling. He'll love you."

Emily shook her head. "I understand," she said and swallowed. She fought the tears that were starting to form. She would never let Richard see her cry over that. Never. "All right. Let's meet your father," she said after taking a deep breath.

Lorelai found her father sitting in the hallway outside and sat down beside him. "Dad?"

Richard turned to his daughter and sighed, as though the world was upon his chest. "How is your mother?"

Lorelai shook her head a little. "She's sleeping. I told her to rest before the police comes." Looking at how distraught her father was, she placed a soft hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Dad… She's going to be all right. Emily Gilmore would be all right," Lorelai said as though saying her mother's name was to reaffirm her belief. "She's strong."

"I know that." Richard ran his fingers through his hair. "You know we had a fight this morning… She was so upset. It was a Sunday, Lorelai and she wanted to spend time with me."

Lorelai nodded and allowed her father to speak. "She told me that you fought."

"Well we did. Well she left after that, before lunch. If I had been there, if I had been with her the entire time, I would've been able to protect her." He sighed and leaned back onto the plastic chair. "She was so afraid." The feeling of helplessness was so very depressing. He wondered if this was a bad dream, a cruel joke that someone decided to play on them. But he knew it was not.

"They'll catch him," Lorelai said with more conviction than she felt.

"I hope so. I don't know if I can live without making sure that bastard pays for what he's done." The anger that he felt towards his wife's attacker was beyond any other rage he had ever felt. He was afraid of what he was capable of doing if he were to come face to face with that man. No. He wasn't a man. He was lower than a man. He was lower than dirt itself. Any man who hurt his Emmy was not worthy of living. "She'll be able to go home tomorrow after everything is done."

"I'll be here," Lorelai said immediately.

Richard almost smiled and patted his daughter's hand. "You're a good girl, Lorelai."

Lorelai leaned back and dropped her head to rest on her father's shoulder. It would seem that this was the beginning of the nightmare that had silently plagued Emily Gilmore for decades.

To be continued…

A/N-Ta-da!! Okay, I hope that you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading and please leave reviews! The gold dust that all of you have left is already becoming a gold nugget, according to someone hint hint and I would like to have a big gold nugget so I can melt it and make it into some really nice Gilmore Girls characters figurines. So feel free to help me in my project by leaving gold dust!

You all know that gold dust are reviews, right?