hapter 8
"Ava come on dear" Mrs. Linda Geller called her grand daughter.
"I don't want to" Ava crossed her arms over her chest.
"Honey" Linda sighed as she picked up the little girl form the stairs and began walking down with her, "Grandpa is waiting and we are going to watch a movie"
"What movie?" Ava looked at her Grandmother.
"Do you remember the picture, of Mommy and Daddy that is at Rory's house?" Linda smiled, "Where Mommy has on that big white dress?"
"Yes" Ava nodded.
"I have the movie from that day, it was Mommy and Daddy's wedding day" Linda smiled as she carried the little girl into the media room, "Would you like to watch?"
"Is that where Mommy is dressed as a princess?" Ava smiled as Linda sat her down on the couch.
"Yes" Linda smiled, "And tonight, Grandpa is going to take you to one of Mommy's favourite restaurants, I know how much you like pasta"
Ava simply nodded as Linda moved to put the DVD into the player.
"Gram gram?" Ava looked at her grandmother.
"Yes dear?" Linda smiled as she fiddled with the remote.
"I love my two mommies" there was a small amount of fear in Ava's voice as she admitted it.
"I know you do" Linda smiled as she sat beside her and gave her a hug, "And that is perfectly okay because you have so many people who love you"
"Rory can you make sure the train is ok?" Paris shouted behind her, "I feel like freakin Marie Antoinette, and not in a good way!"
"Paris it's fine" Rory tried to calm her friend, even though she knew she wasn't going to get anywhere from doing it, "You look gorgeous"
"It's not too poofy?" Paris sighed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.
"No Paris, it's not too poofy, you look gorgeous" Rory smiled as the door opened behind them. "Hi Mrs. Geller"
"Oh please dear, call me Linda" she smiled at the girls and then looked at her daughter. "You look beautiful, Paris"
Rory could see Paris' breath hitch, she was waiting for the other shoe to drop, terrified that she had done something wrong.
"And the church, the church looks beautiful as well" Linda smiled from ear to ear, "I'm so proud of you. You are a doctor, and you're getting married"
"Thank you, mom" Paris found tears coming to her eyes. "Well come on! Where's Lane! lets get this show on the road!"
"Mommy looks so beautiful" Ava interrupted the movie.
"Yes she did" Frank Geller looked up at her, "She only looked more beautiful the day we brought you home from the hospital"
"Gram gram" Ava smiled, "Why is mommy crying in this video?"
"Because she's happy" Linda smiled, tears beginning to well in her own eyes, "She was so happy"
"Do you Paris, take Doyle to be your lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, to love and cherish, to obey and honour from this day forward, as long as you both shall live" the Pastor began.
"Obey!? What kind of sexism is this? This is ridiculous, I am a doctor, I obey science!" Paris blurted out in typical Paris fashion, causing everyone in the church to laugh, "Everything but obey, yep, I do"
The pastor was clearly caught off guard as he cleared his throat, "Erm, Doyle, do you take Paris to be your lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, to love and cherish, to honour from this day forward, as long as you both shall live"
"You should probably add the obey back in for me" Doyle smiled at his bride, "But yes, I do"
"Uhm...well then, by the power vested in me, by the state of Connecticut, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss your bride"
"Nice wheels" Rory laughed as she locked her front door and saw Logan in his trademark Porsche, although this one was new and black.
"You know me, creature of habit. You still driving that Prius?" Logan laughed.
"God no" Rory laughed, she had upgraded the Prius years earlier.
"I hear you saw my Dad last night" Logan smiled as he shut the passenger side door.
"Yes, Mitchum and I did have words" Rory cringed remembering how forceful she had been with him.
"He said you had a date?" Logan raised an eyebrow to her, trying desperately not to be too obvious in his tone.
"Logan Huntzberger, man of many women, are you jealous?" Rory laughed as she put her seatbelt on, "Where are we going, anyway?"
"That is a secret" Logan winked, "But seriously"
"I was on a date with my ex, Alex, and it...didn't go well" Rory sighed, she hated having to talk about this, she had told her mother about it the night before.
"Well hopefully tonight is better then" he smiled as he wheeled out of her driveway, "As for where we are going, we are going to this great little Italian place I found a while ago"
"Is this where you bring all the ladies?" Rory giggled, she felt so at ease when the two of them were together, like everything was as it should be.
"I don't have ladies, Rory" Logan smiled, "I hope that I can just have you"
"Logan" Rory warned him, "This is date two"
"It hardly seems fair that we start all the way back at the beginning" Logan laughed, "After the way I rescued you at that party, I would have to argue that we are probably on at least date 7"
"Why date 7?" Rory smiled, there was something about Logan that was always so playful and at ease, it countered the fact that she always felt so on edge and worried about what might happen.
"Seems like a good number" Logan shrugged.
"Fine, date 7 it is" Rory smiled as they pulled into a tiny little parking lot that most people wouldn't have even seen if they didn't know it was there, "Where are you living these days"
"I have a house" Logan shrugged.
"Ok...a house where?" Rory laughed as the car came to a stop.
"Well, it's in Hartford, and it's big" Logan sighed, suddenly feeling embarrassed about his wealth.
"So San Francisco went well then?" Rory smiled, glad that he had been successful.
"Very well" Logan laughed, "I ... I actually have a house really close to your grandparents, just a couple blocks over. Obviously I renovated the hell out of it to make it modern"
"Wow" Rory laughed, surprised that he had bought himself that big house for kids, he just had no one to fill it with.
"Well come on Ace, you have it too" Logan laughed, "You've got a friggin gate at your driveway"
"I have a daughter to take care of" Rory tried to defend herself as they walked into the dimly lit restaurant, "Logan this is beautiful"
"So are you" he smiled as he kissed her cheek, "Date 7"
"I swear I never want to eat again" Rory groaned as she walked towards the car, suddenly regretting the little black dress she had chosen to wear, she felt grosse.
"Rory Gilmore, no one likes a liar" Logan laughed as he opened the car door.
"I'm not lying" Rory laughed as she slouched into the front seat putting her purse on her lap. "And I want to apologize, for the other night, snapping. I just...I know it sounds easy, it sounds like its just a kid to take care of, but I have to be so careful of what I surround her with and its not that in the future I can't see a life together, but until that life is solid, I can't have her growing attached to people I'm romantically involved with, and our dates are probably better saved for nights that she is with her grandparents"
"I'm surprised you still have that" Logan smiled at the purse he had given her years earlier, "And you're right, I understand"
"I know now what its worth Logan, you'll probably have to bury me with this purse" Rory laughed as she pulled her phone from her purse, "Holy crap voicemails"
Rory its Linda Geller, please call me back as soon as you get this, it's about Ava.
Rory, it's mom. Linda Geller just called me, Ava is in the hospital, she's at Saint Francis. You need to hurry, we are all on our way.
Rory it's mom again, you haven't responded to any of the messages or texts. What are you doing?
"Oh my god" Rory dropped her phone to her side, "Saint Francis, we need to go"
"What is it?" Logan put the car into gear, "Rory talk to me"
"I...I don't know" Rory picked her phone back up and began dialing, "Mom it's me, I just got your messages. What is going on?"
"Rory" Lorelai began, she could hear the panic in her voice, "Honey Ava was with Mr Geller, and there was an accident"
"No" Rory immediately felt hot tears burning down her face, "Mom, no"
"She's in surgery, you just need to get here so we can be together" Lorelai tried to remain strong for her daughter.
"How is Mr Geller?" Rory wiped the tears from her eyes, trying to regain her composure.
"He's fine" Lorelai sighed, "Ava was sitting on the passenger side in the back seat and uh...she took a lot of the impact"
"Ok" Rory sat up straight, "I'm on my way Mom"
"Ace what's happening?" Logan looked at her again as he sped through a yellow light.
"It's Ava" Rory hugged her purse to her chest, "She...she was with Paris' dad, and they got into an accident"
"Oh God" Logan sighed as he sped up slightly more, "Rory just breath, I'm sure this will be ok"
"She's a little girl Logan, a beautiful, smart little girl, and all I was supposed to do was take care of her, how did this happen? She shouldn't have to fight" Rory clenched her lips shut so she wouldn't cry.
"Mom" Rory ran up to her mother who was sitting in a waiting room, "Mom what is happening?"
"Honey" Lorelai immediately hugged her daughter, "She's ok"
"She is?" Rory finally breathed, "Is she out of surgery?"
"Not yet" Lorelai told her, wiping the tears out of her daughters eyes, "The doctor just came out and told us she is ok, she'll be hurting, but she will be fine"
"Rory" Linda Geller came up behind her, "Rory I am so sorry"
"No" Rory smiled and hugged her, "This isn't your fault, how is Mr. Geller? Is he alright?"
"He's just a mess" she sighed, "He feels awful, we wanted to take her to that Italian place that Paris loved so much, you know...oh what is it called? The Olive Garden, you remember how she loved it, and Frank and I hated it"
"Yes, I remember. This is no ones fault, I just want to see her" Rory smiled, trying not to assign any blame as she saw Logan walk into the waiting room, "She's ok"
"Thank god" Logan hugged Lorelai and turned his attention to Rory, "Do you want me to go?"
"I think that might be best" Rory nodded, "I think I just need to be with her"
"I totally understand, I'll call you tomorrow?" Logan kissed her cheek, "Tell her I say hi"
"Thank you Logan" Rory smiled.
