THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

April's birthday party brings an unexpected twist that changes Luke's and Lorelai's lives forever. Late sixth season.

Disclaimer: All Amy's and Dan's. Not mine. Just borrowing.

Chapter Twelve: The Gilmore Family Extravaganza

Around five Luke left to return to the hospital and Lorelai changed back into her dress to prepare for dinner.

Two hours later she and Rory stood side by side at the entrance to the Gilmore mansion, staring at the huge and forbidding door. "Do we really have to do this?" Lorelai whined, sounding more like a six-year-old than a grown woman.

"You know we do," her daughter scolded. "We go through this every week. Just suck it up, Gilmore, and get through it."

"Oh, all right," Lorelai said sulkily and rang the doorbell. As they waited for it to be answered, Lorelai looked at Rory. "Remember, kid, you've got my back tonight."

Rory nodded.

The door was suddenly opened by La Gilmore herself. "Lorelai, Rory. Well, don't just stand there—come in, come in," she urged. As she shut the door behind them she muttered, "That stupid maid. Don't know where she could have gotten to. Probably upstairs, watching the dust motes float around."

"Dust? In Emily Gilmore's home? Oh, I just don't believe it," Lorelai said, tongue firmly in cheek.

Emily glared at her briefly. "You can worry about the dust in my house once you've handled it in yours. Which will probably never happen," she scoffed as she moved towards the living room.

"Annnnnd—we're off," Lorelai muttered.

Rory gripped her arm. "Buck up there, Wonder Woman. You can do this."

Just then the flustered maid appeared tardily to take their coats and they walked into the living room together.

"Lorelai, Rory," Richard greeted them. "Can I get you some drinks? Your usuals?"

"Gin martini with an olive for me, Dad," Lorelai called.

Rory considered for a moment. "I'll have a Coke," she decided.

"Ah, hitting the hard stuff this week," her grandfather teased.

"Something like that," Rory said demurely.

The two guests sat down side by side on the couch where Emily surveyed them closely. When she saw them glance meaningfully at each other, she said, in clipped tone, "All right. What's going on?"

The two looked at her in surprise and, truth be told, a little guilt. Emily Gilmore just had a gift for pulling that out of people.

Lorelai tried to deflect her. "What do you mean, Mom? What makes you think something is going on?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Lorelai, I'm not an idiot," her mother replied brusquely. "The way you two are looking at each other, and the little whispered conference at the front door—I can tell something is up. Well, what is it?"

Lorelai and Rory glanced at each other again, Lorelai wrinkling her brow slightly and her daughter giving a tiny nod of encouragement. "Okay, you're right, Mom," Lorelai said, setting her drink down on the side table. "I do have something to tell you."

"Oh, my God! You're pregnant!" Emily shrieked, pressing her hand to her heart.

"Whaaaat?" Richard turned from the cocktail cart.

Lorelai's wing man sailed in. "GRANDMA!" cried Rory. "Just calm down, will you?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Why is it that whenever I tell you I have some news, that's always the first thing out of your mouth?"

"Because it happened before," her mother snapped. "And the way you run around, I've just been waiting for it to happen again."

Lorelai stared her down. "I've told you ten thousand other things since then, Mom. And that was twenty-two years ago. Time to get over it." She took a sip of her drink. "No, I'm not pregnant, as the fact that I'm drinking alcohol will show. Although," she turned to Rory, "I guess, in a way you could say. . ."

The two giggled, making Emily seethe.

"All right, all right, I'm sorry," she said sullenly. "So what's your news?"

"I'd like to hear that myself," Richard added, settling in a chair next to his wife.

Lorelai sobered and took a deep breathe. "Okay. You remember I told you about Luke's daughter, April?"

"Of course I remember," Emily said shortly. "The child that your fiancée won't let you meet."

Lorelai counted to ten and took another fortifying sip of her drink. "Yes, well. April and her mother Anna were in a serious car accident the other night."

Both the elder Gilmores had the grace to look shocked. "Are they all right?" Richard asked.

Lorelai turned her attention to her father. "April is in the hospital. She has a broken leg and a few broken ribs. She had some internal bleeding that they had to repair in surgery when she first got there. But she's going to be okay."

"Oh, that's good," her father breathed.

Lorelai turned to include her mother in the conversation. "Anna—April's mother—was, however, killed."

Her parents gasped. "She had very severe internal and head injuries. Apparently. . ." she paused to gather herself. "Apparently the drunk driver that hit them ploughed straight into Anna's side of the car."

"Oh, my God," Emily murmured. Richard frowned and said, "You know, I think I read about that in the paper. You remember, Emily? It happened in Woodbridge."

"Oh, yes," Emily remembered. "We thought it sounded horrible." She looked back at Lorelai. "How did they know to contact Luke? I assume they contacted him for you to know about it."

Her daughter nodded. "They were on their way home from the diner when it happened. I'm not sure, but there was something about Anna misplacing Luke's phone numbers and he wrote them on an order slip from the diner. The police found them in Anna's pocket, so Luke was the first one they called. He's practically been living at the hospital the past few days."

Richard tssked, shaking his head. "How dreadful." His wife nodded absently, her mind racing ahead and she quickly realized what her daughter was really trying to say. "So what will this mean, Lorelai?" she asked, cutting into her husband's expressions of sympathy.

Lorelai looked her straight in the eye. "Luke and I had a long talk last night. We've decided that we're going to marry as soon as possible and have April come to live with us."

In a matter of seconds the silence in the room had taken on gigantic dimensions.

Lorelai and Rory glanced at each other and then back at Richard and Emily's shocked faces. It didn't take long for the first objections to be lodged. "Oh, Lorelai, do you think that's wise?" Emily queried. "I mean, you don't even know this child, or her family. How can you take some other woman's child into your home to raise?"

Lorelai stared her down. "I have met her, Mom, and she's said she wants to live with us. As for her family, I don't know much about them. But what I do know is that Luke is her family. And that's enough for me."

"Luke barely knows her either. For heavens' sake, doesn't the child have any other family that could take her?"

"She has a grandmother who lives in New Mexico and who is elderly and frail," Lorelai listed. "She has an aunt and uncle in Maine—I don't know much about them. And she has an uncle here in Hartford. He was actually named guardian originally in Anna's will. . ."

"There!" Emily pounced. "If he was named her guardian, he should take her!"

Lorelai shook her head. "He was named several years ago and the circumstances of his life have changed since then. He's divorced now and living in a small apartment and his work takes up most of his time. He doesn't feel he can do right by April and he was very happy that Luke and I want her."

"Luke only has a tiny apartment, too," Emily said smugly. "What's the difference?"

Lorelai took a deep breathe. "Well, that's the other news. Luke and April are moving into my house. Monday," she added, "when April is released from the hospital."

"Lorelai!" Her mother gave her patented shriek of dismay. "Have you lost your mind?"

Lorelai's nervousness, which surfaced whenever confronted by her mother, led her as usual towards humor. "Nope, I haven't lost it," she feebly joked, pointing to her head. "I saw it up there just before I left the house."

"Oh, really," her mother huffed.

Richard chimed in. "I'm not sure I like the idea of you and Luke living together," he said pompously.

Lorelai's patience began to run out. "Oh, for pete's sake, Dad," she replied, rolling her eyes. "He's practically been living there for a year and a half. He only stays at the apartment when he has an early delivery. And I often stay there with him." She regarded her parents' shocked faces. "We've been together for two years and engaged for almost a year," she said, her tone softening. "Do you honestly think that we haven't slept together? Many, many times?"

"Don't be crude, Lorelai," her mother sniffed. "Yes, we suspected. But we thought you were being discreet. If he moves in, everybody is going to know."

Lorelai shook her head. "Everybody knows anyway, Mom. One of the founding members of Stars Hollow Gossip Central lives next door to me. And it doesn't matter, anyway. We love each other. We're not going to stay apart just because somebody might think badly of it."

"But you're setting such a bad example for Rory," Emily whined. Her eyes turned to her granddaughter. "Are you all right with them living together?"

"Of course I am," Rory replied promptly. "I think it's great. They love each other and they should be together. And I'm happy about April, too," she added. "I think it's a wonderful thing Mom is doing and that April will be very lucky to have her."

Lorelai gave her a grateful grin and a tiny poke in the ribs.

Seeing that she was losing on that front, Emily changed tactics. "But what do you know about this girl's family, Lorelai? Her mother's family?"

"Her name is April, Mom, not 'this girl.' Her mother's name was Nardini. I doubt you'll find it on a list of Mayflower Society members or in the DAR roles," she added sarcastically. "Of course—you never know."

"Hmmph," Emily responded.

"And again—it doesn't matter. She's Luke's child. She's a kid who has lost almost everything in her life and she needs us. Both of us." Lorelai stuck her chin in the air. She stared down her parents with greater determination than she was usually able to employ when in disagreements with them.

The elder Gilmores glanced at each other, obviously communicating silently while Lorelai and Rory waited. They seemed to come to some agreement to call at least a temporary truce. "Well," Emily sniffed. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Lorelai watched her mother curiously. "Why does this bother you so much, Mom? Aside from your standard objections to Luke, that is?"

Emily looked a little chagrined. "I don't object that much to him any more," she murmured. "I've given up on that front. It just seems that taking his child to raise. . .Oh, I don't know. It just isn't done."

Lorelai nodded, confirming to herself what she suspected would be her mother's basic objection. "So tell me, suppose it was Christopher I was planning to live with, and I was going to raise Gigi. Would you object so strongly to that?"

Emily found she couldn't meet her daughter's accusing eyes. "I suppose not," she muttered.

Aha, Lorelai thought, it's just good old Gilmore snobbery at work here. Exactly as I thought.

There was a long pause while everyone sighed internally and relaxed, taking a breather before the next round. Finally Richard said, "Did I hear you say that you and Luke are going to get married soon?"

"Yes, that's the plan."

Emily looked at her sharply. "When? Have you set a date?"

"Not yet. Things have been—well, a little hectic the past few days." She paused and looked at her mother. "But we're thinking as soon as possible, like by the end of the summer or early fall."

"So soon?" Emily grieved. "You can't put together a proper wedding in that amount of time, Lorelai."

"We can put together the kind of wedding we want in that time, Mom," Lorelai replied confidently. "It will still be beautiful. Even if it's not a Romanov winter theme," she teased gently.

"Lorelai, it just occurred to me. Since April was essentially orphaned by this car accident, aren't the authorities involved?" asked Richard.

"Well, if by authorities you mean Department of Children and Families—yes, they are, Dad. April's been assigned a social worker and we met with her yesterday."

"A social worker?" asked Emily, in the same tone one might say "garbage collector."

Lorelai counted to ten again. "Yes, Mom," she said with relative politeness. "She was very nice, actually. And there's a hospital social worker who has been very helpful to Luke." She turned back to her father. "The main thing they seem to be concerned about is to verify the DNA test proving Luke is April's father. Once they have that, Luke can basically do anything with April he wants, live anywhere and with anybody he chooses. I'm going to petition to be co-guardian," she added.

Richard and Emily had another wordless conference. "Well, it seems like you've covered all the bases," Lorelai's father finally said gruffly.

"Yes, I think so," his daughter replied sweetly. "We've got everything arranged."

"Well. . ." Emily let her sentence trail away.

Lorelai smiled, feeling an internal sense of triumph. "We just have a lot to get through in the next week. Getting Luke moved in, bringing April home, taking her to Anna's funeral, moving April's stuff into the house. And she's going to have a physical therapist and probably a tutor for a while."

"Since she has a broken leg, she's going to stay in my room," Rory chimed in. "I'm hardly there anyway, and I can move whatever I need to the little bedroom upstairs."

"Oh, that's a shame," her grandmother murmured.

Rory bristled a bit. "No, it's fine, Grandma. I'm happy to do it."

There was an awkward pause, and to fill it, Lorelai ploughed ahead conversationally. "Actually, we're a little worried about space. It would be fine if it was just three of us, but with four, it's liable to be a little crowded. We want April to feel comfortable. So we're also thinking about getting a bigger place down the road."

An electric shock seemed to run through her parents at her words. They turned to one another and began another wordless conference as Lorelai and Rory watched them, puzzled. After a minute, Lorelai couldn't stand it any more. "Okay, my turn to ask—what are you two up to?" she demanded.

Richard and Emily completed their conference with her giving him a small nod. "Excuse me, please," Richard said, hurrying from the room. "I'll be right back."

Emily rose. "Come on, girls, dinner is ready."

She led the way to the dining room, smiling mysteriously as her daughter and granddaughter looked at each other, bewildered. "Ummm—Mom?" Lorelai finally asked.

"Sit down, please. Your father will be right back."

The trio took their places around the table. Just as the maid began to set their salad plates before them, Richard returned, carrying a manila envelope. He placed it on the table and rubbed his hands together with satisfaction. "All right," he said, obviously pleased about something.

Lorelai's eyebrows raised. "Okay, what's up?"

Richard and Emily exchanged a happy glance and Richard cleared his throat. "All right. Lorelai, Rory—I'm sure you two know that when Emily and I have passed on, everything we have will come to you," he began.

"Uhhh—yeah, I guess. Unless I do something to make you disinherit me before then," Lorelai joked nervously.

"There will be no disinheriting, Lorelai," her mother said imperiously. "Just listen to your father, please."

Lorelai raised her hands in surrender and turned back to her father.

Richard cleared his throat. "Yes. Well. Your mother and I have been discussing it and we decided that we'd like you to enjoy some of the fruits of what we have before that time comes."

"We're very happy that you're finally getting married and settling down, Lorelai," Emily chimed in.

"Yes, we are. And we want to show you how glad we are." Richard cleared his throat again. "You may remember, Lorelai, that you caught us in Stars Hollow a few weeks ago."

"Yeah, I remember," Lorelai replied, puzzled.

"Well, you didn't know this, but we were accompanied by a realtor."

"Yeah, I knew."

Richard looked surprised. "How did you know?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Small town, Dad. I have my spies."

"Yes. . .well. . ." Richard tried to get his bearings. "Well, why did you think we were doing that?"

It was Lorelai's turn to be embarrassed. "Well. . .umm. . ." She tried to think of an answer that wouldn't sound rude.

"Oh really, Lorelai, you couldn't have thought we were planning to move there!" Emily said in a scandalized tone. "It's a nice place to visit—for a few hours—but us, live there? Really!" she huffed.

Lorelai shared a small grin with Rory. "My mistake, Mom."

"Anyway," her father continued. "We were not looking for a house for us. We were looking for one for you and Luke. As a wedding present."

Lorelai's mouth dropped. She stared in turn at each of her parents, too shocked to take in Rory's delighted squeals. "A house—for us?" she finally stammered.

Her parents exchanged glances, pleased at her surprise. "Yes, Lorelai, a house for you and Luke," her father confirmed.

Emily leaned forward eagerly. "It's completely up to the two of you, of course. We looked at a number of places and picked the one we think would be best for you. But if you don't like it, we can find another that you prefer." She sat back, pleased at her daughter's shock. "And the timing seemed right to tell you about it now, since you think you'll need a bigger place."

Lorelai stared at her. "I—I don't know what to say," she murmured.

Richard smiled kindly. "Please say you'll accept. Please, Lorelai. We want to do this for you."

Lorelai's frozen brain began to thaw and race. "Umm—I'll have to talk it over with Luke," she said hesitantly.

"Of course," Emily said.

"Of course you do," her father boomed. "And if he has any reservations, we'll be happy to discuss it with both of you."

Lorelai continued to stare at the table in a daze. Emily watched her and added softly, "Remember, Lorelai, this is just money that you're going to get eventually anyway. You might as well take some of it now so you and Luke can get some use and enjoyment out of it while you need it."

Lorelai finally managed to collect herself. "Wow. This is amazing. Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad," she said rather formally. She looked at Rory who was silently cheering and bouncing in her chair with excitement.

Richard smiled. "You're very welcome, my dear," he said softly, using an endearment he hadn't used in years. After a pause, he asked, "Would you like to see the house we chose for you? Remember, you don't have to take this one if you don't like it."

"Yes, please," Lorelai murmured. Richard passed her the manila envelope, looking satisfied.

Lorelai opened the envelope, peered inside and pulled a photograph halfway out of the envelope. When she got a good look at it, she stared in shock for a moment and then began to laugh hysterically while her parents and daughter watched her in bewilderment.