Hey guys this is a one-shot I started after the passing of Edward Hermann. Finally found it in me to finish it. Based on the song "I Got You" by Jack Johnson. Warning Character death.
Back when all my little goals seemed so important
Every pot of gold fill and full of distortion
Heaven was a place still in space not in motion
But soon
I got you
I got everything
I've got you
I don't need nothing
More than you
I got everything
I've got you
We went walking through the hills
Tryin' to pretend that we both know
Maybe if we save up
We can build a little home
But then the hell storm came and yelled,
"You need to let go, you've got no control
No"
I got you
I got everything
I've got you
I don't need nothing
More than you
I got everything
I've got you
This weight's too much alone
Some days I can't hold it at all
You take it on for me
When tomorrow's too much
I'll carry it all, I got you
And when tomorrow's too much
I'll carry it all I got you
I got you
I got everything
I've got you
I don't need nothing
More than you
I got everything
I've got you
Lorelai Gilmore Danes was standing in her kitchen doing the dishes from breakfast. Luke had left just a short time before to open the Diner. She was supposed to take her 4 year old son William to preschool and two year old daughter Olivia to Babette's who watched her on the days that Lorelai worked. She was just drying the last dish when she heard the pitter patter of her son's feet on the kitchen floor.
"Momma?" Will asked as he pulled at her dress slightly, "Something's wrong with Paul Anka."
Lorelai turned to look at him and took a deep breath, "What?"
"He's not moving...Livie is trying to get him to wake up." Will said as he shook his head, "But he won't wake up."
Lorelai scooped him up and walked into the living room to see Olivia leaning on Paul Anka, "Wakey wakey…" She whispered.
"Oh no…" She put Will down and quickly picked up Olivia, "Come on guys. Let's head upstairs. You can hang in my room for a bit, maybe watch some cartoons?" She reached for Will's hand and started leading them upstairs.
"But what about Paul Anka Momma?" Will asked as he let his mother lead him upstairs.
"It's okay buddy." She swallowed hard and put them both on the floor in front of the TV, she grabbed the remote and turned on Sesame Street for them. "Now you guys stay here for a bit, okay? Mommy needs to make a phone call."
The two young children quickly tuned into the characters on the screen and forgetting all about Paul Anka down stairs. Lorelai closed the bedroom door and ran back downstairs to grab her cell phone on the table, she couldn't look at Paul Anka.
"Pick up. Pick up." Lorelai rambled to herself as the phone rang and she tried to keep her tears from streaming down her face.
"Luke's." She heard the familiar deep voice.
"Luke...it's me." She said with an emotional voice, "It's...Paul Anka's...gone. And Will found him and I...I don't know-"
"I'll be right there." Luke said hanging up the phone quickly.
She took a deep breath, sat down at the kitchen table and tried to calm herself. Paul Anka was just a dog, but he had been a big part of her life in the last few years. When things had gone bad with Luke...he had been the biggest comfort for her. Many nights she lay in bed holding him tightly as she cried herself to sleep, even when Christopher was around.
He was an eccentric dog, but he was the perfect dog for her. All the quirks that Paul Anka had somehow fit along with her quirks. The idea that he was lying in the next room dead was to much for her to bare.
"Lorelai?" Luke called as he walked into the foyer.
She stood up quickly and walked over to meet him, "Luke…"
He sighed when he saw her, he knew how much Paul Anka had meant to her. And even though when she first got him he had pretended to not like him, over the years he had grown on him. And then seeing him with their children had made him love him more. Paul Anka had been Will's best friend since day one. He insisted on sleeping in front of his crib and eventually his bed every single night.
He pulled her in for a hug, "It's okay...it's okay…" He whispered as he rubbed her back.
"The kids found him and I feel terrible...I didn't know what to say." She said as she cried against his shoulder.
"Where are they now?" Luke asked as he held her close.
"I put them upstairs in our room. They are watching TV...I didn't want them to look at him like that." She said as she sniffled and pulled away.
He nodded, "Why don't you go upstairs with them...I'll handle it."
She watched him turn towards the living room before she grabbed his arm, "What are you going to do?"
"Well he can't stay here...I guess…" He shrugged, "I guess I'll take him to the vet? They probably deal with this sort of thing, right?"
She shook her head and squeezed his arm, "I...I want him here."
"Lorelai…" He said with a sigh, "I know you don't want to let him go but...he can't stay here."
She shook her head again and began to wipe her tears away, "Can't we...bury him in the backyard? He should be close."
He swallowed hard and leaned in to kiss her forehead, "Okay. Go upstairs…"
She nodded and quickly walked up the stairs towards her bedroom. She joined the kids on the floor and pulled Olivia into her lap and tried her hardest not to cry. Downstairs, Luke walked into the living room and sighed when he saw Paul Anka lying on his side. He took a deep breath, picked him up and began to walk into the back yard. He placed his body down on the ground and went to to the garage to find a shovel. He picked a spot under a large tree in the yard and slowly began to dig a deep hole.
Twenty minutes later, Lorelai was still upstairs with the kids. Will walked over to his Mom and poked her on the shoulder, "Momma?"
Lorelai glanced over at him quickly, "Yeah bud?"
"Can we go play with Paul Anka now? Is he awake?" Will asked with a sad smile on his face.
Lorelai swallowed hard and shook her head, "No buddy. Not right now." She kissed Olivia's cheek and set her down next to Will, "I'll be right back."
Lorelai walked out of the room and down the stairs, she saw that Paul Anka was gone and she felt the sob grow in her throat. She walked to the door in the kitchen that led to the backyard and noticed that Luke was just finishing up the digging process. She walked back to the living room and over to the corner where Paul Anka had a bed in the corner. She lifted the red blanket off the bed that he loved so much, she could still smell him on it.
She turned and walked back out to the yard just as Luke was about to pick up Paul Anka. He stopped and glanced up at her, "What's that?"
She swallowed hard and walked over to him, "I don't want him to be cold…"
Luke nodded and stood up to take the blanket from her, he grabbed her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, "He had a good life with us Lorelai…"
She nodded and tried to smile, "I know…"
He kissed her cheek again and took the blanket and wrapped it around Paul Anka until he was all covered. He heard Lorelai start to cry behind him and he picked him and began to walk back towards the hole. He heard her walk behind him and he stopped when she put a hand on his back. He turned and saw her place a hand over the blanket, she leaned down to kiss where his head was.
She stood back and watched as Luke lowered him down into the ground. She sniffled and wrapped her arms around herself as she watched Luke began to fill the hole with dirt again.
"Momma?" A small voice called out to her.
Luke stopped what he was doing and Lorelai turned to see Will and Olivia standing behind her staring at their parents curiously, "Buddy…" Lorelai whispered, "I thought I told you to stay upstairs."
Will frowned, "I saw Daddy pick up Paul Anka through the window…" He turned towards his Dad and Luke saw tears burning in his son's eyes, "What are you doing Daddy?"
Lorelai turned quickly to Luke with a scared expression on her face. Luke put the shovel down on the ground and walked over to his two young children and kneeled down in front of them.
"Bud...remember how we talked about where my parents are?" Luke asked as he put a gentle hand on his son's shoulder.
Will nodded, "They are up in heaven."
Luke nodded, "That's right…" He glanced back at Lorelai and reached for her hand, pulling her closer, "Well...Paul Anka went to go meet them in heaven buddy."
Will shook his head, "Well...can't he come home again?"
Luke swallowed the lump in his throat and shook his head, "No buddy he can't come home again. He's up there with my parents and they will take good care of him. I promise."
Will peeked around his Dad and stared at the hole, "But...I'm going to miss him."
Luke nodded slowly, "I know...we all are."
Will looked at his Mom, "You gave him his blanket? He loves his blanket." Lorelai nodded slowly, "I don't want him to be cold…"
Lorelai sighed and leaned down to pick him up and pull him into her arms, "Me either buddy. And he won't be…"
He rested his head against his mother's shoulder and sniffled. Lorelai glanced at Luke and gave him a nod, she picked Olivia up in her other arm and brought them back into the house. Luke continued to bury Paul Anka as best he could. When he walked back into the kitchen, he washed his hands and found Lorelai cuddled on the couch with the kids reading them a book.
He sighed, walked over and sat down on the floor in front of the couch and Olivia crawled into his lap. He kissed her head and reached a hand up to run his hands through Lorelai's hair which he knew calmed her when she needed it. They sat there together as a family and tried to deal with what was happening as one.
3 years later...
"Luke's." Luke barked into the phone.
"Dad...something's wrong with Mom." Will said into the phone, "Grandma called and Mom started crying. She went upstairs to her room and she won't come out."
"I'll be right there." Luke said to his son, "Stay with your sister, okay?"
Will hung up the phone and walked into the living room where his sister was sitting and coloring on the floor. He sat down on the couch and waited patiently for his Dad to come home. When the door finally opened, he turned and saw his Dad.
"Stay here bud." Luke said placing his keys down on the coffee table before he took two steps at a time and made his way up to his bedroom.
He cracked the door open and looked around the room, "Lorelai?" He glanced around the room and didn't see her anywhere.
He looked to the right and saw a light coming through the crack under the bathroom door. He took a deep breath, walked over to the door and pushed it open. He saw her leaning against the tub, her legs were brought up to her chest and she was crying harder than he had ever seen her cry.
"Lorelai…" Luke whispered as he knelt down in front of her, "Honey...what is it?"
She took short breaths trying to calm herself as she lifted her head to look at him, "My Dad...he's...he's…"
She didn't need to finish her sentence, he knew what she was trying to say. He swallowed hard and sat down beside her, he pulled her against him and she immediately buried her face in the crook of his neck and began to cry.
"I'm so sorry…" Luke whispered as he held her close and rubbed her back, "It will be okay. I'm here...I'm right here."
She squeezed him tight to her and continued to cry, "He can't be gone…"
His heart ached for her, he knew the pain of losing one's parents and he wished he could ease that pain for her, "I know...I know…"
He rocked her gently back and forth as she cried until she couldn't cry any harder. Finally, he was able to lift her off the floor and bring her into their bedroom. He pulled the blankets down and lay her down on the bed. He kissed the top of her head as her tired eyes closed and she began to drift off to sleep.
With a heavy heart, he turned and walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs to find Will and Olivia playing on the floor. Will looked up first and seemed to sense that something was wrong by the look on his Dad's face. He stood up and walked to the couch and didn't look at his Dad. Olivia looked up from her toys and smiled at her Dad, "Is Mommy okay?"
Luke took a deep breath and reached out to his daughter, "Come here Liv…" She took his hand willingly and let him lead him towards the couch where Will sat quietly. "Mommy is...very sad right now."
He sat down and lifted Olivia onto his lap, she glanced at her Dad and frowned, "Why is Mommy sad? I don't want Mommy to be sad…"
Luke nodded and kissed his daughter's forehead, "I know honey but…" He took a deep breath, "Grandpa…" He glanced over at Will who was still not looking at him, "Grandpa...went to go meet my parents today."
Olivia kicked her legs back and forth, not fully grasping what her Father was telling her, "In heaven?"
Luke nodded slowly as he felt tears prickling in his eyes, "Yes...in heaven."
Will looked at his Dad, his face was blank, "He's gone?"
Luke nodded and reached a hand out to him, "Yes buddy. I'm...I'm so sorry." He tried to pull him closer but Will pulled away from him, "I know this is hard to understand…"
"It means we won't see him again. Like when Paul Anka died…" Will said with an anguished look on his face, "But why?"
Luke sighed, "It's just...it's something that happens to everyone bud. We have talked about this. I know it's confusing...and sad...but it's just part of life."
"Well I don't like it!" Will said as he jumped up and away from his father, "I don't want Grandpa to be gone! And I don't want you to go to heaven either! Or Mom!"
"You and Mommy will go to heaven too?" Olivia asked as she glanced at her Dad with a worried expression, "You can't go!"
Luke sighed and squeezed her tightly, "Honey...Mommy and I aren't going anywhere right now. We're here. It's just something that happens when people get older...Grandpa was old. It happens...but I don't want you to worry about it right now."
"I don't believe you!" Will said angrily as he ran to the stairs.
"Will…" Luke called out to him, "Buddy I-"
"I don't believe you!" Will yelled again as he ran up the stairs and to his bedroom.
"Luke?" A familiar voice called from the foyer, Luke turned and saw Rory standing behind him, tears in her eyes, "Grandma called me…"
"Daddy?" Olivia whispered as she pulled at his arm, "I don't want you to go to heaven…"
Luke felt the tears burning in his eyes as he kissed Olivia's forehead, "I know baby. I know…"
Rory sighed and walked towards them, "Let me hang with Liv. You go see Will…" She sat down on the couch and took a deep breath, "How's Mom?"
He glanced over at her with a sad smile, "She's asleep...she hasn't said much."
Rory nodded slowly and pulled her youngest sister into her lap, "Let her sleep…"
Luke nodded, "Are you...are you okay?" He asked putting a hand on her shoulder, he knew how much Richard meant to Rory, "What can I do?"
Rory sniffled and pulled Olivia against her chest, pressing a kiss to her head as she tried to keep her tears in, "I'm just...sad." She sighed softly, "But...I'm okay. Go check on Will."
Luke gave her shoulder a squeeze and then walked towards the stairs. He walked quietly to his son's room trying to make sure his wife could still sleep if she hadn't woken up after Will's outburst. He pushed the door open and saw his son sitting on his bed pulling at the teddy bear in his hands, it was the one Richard had brought to the hospital when Will was first born. Luke stepped into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed cautiously.
"I don't want to talk about it." Will said in a angry voice, it was times like these when Luke saw so much of himself in his son.
"I know you don't Will...but I think we have too." He whispered to him. "Tell me what you're thinking bud…"
Will swallowed hard and tossed the worn bear aside, "I'll never get to talk to him again…"
Luke felt his heart squeeze in his chest, he reached over and took his son's hand, "Not in the way you used too...but I talk to my Dad all the time. He can't answer...but sometimes it's nice just to say it outloud."
Will wiped at his eyes, "Someday you're gonna die...and Mommy too."
"Someday yes…" He whispered back pulling his son closer to him, "Someday we all die...I wish it wasn't like that Will but it is."
"I miss Paul Anka. And now I miss Grandpa already." He said into his chest, "I don't like it. I don't like feeling like this."
Luke squeezed him tight, "I know you don't...and trust me I understand that feeling. It's scary and painful but...everything is going to be okay."
"Is Mommy okay?" Will asked in a small whisper, "I don't want her to be upset…"
Luke opened his mouth to respond but another voice filled the room, "I'm okay little man…"
Will and Luke glanced towards the door and saw Lorelai leaning against the wall. Will jumped down from his Dad's lap and ran towards his Mother. She picked him up and held him close. He was getting bigger by the day but she would hold onto these moments for as long as possible. She felt the tears prickling in her eyes again as she squeezed him.
"I'm sorry Mommy…" Will whispered into her.
Lorelai walked into the room and sat down on the bed, Will crawled back up to where his pillows were. Lorelai followed him and Luke tucked in behind her so that he could be close to them both. Lorelai pulled Will close and let him rest his head against her chest as she ran her hands through his hair.
"I'm sorry if I scared you…" She whispered to her son, "I was just...shocked."
"It's okay." Will said as he lifted his head to look at her, "Is it okay that I called Dad? I was worried…"
Lorelai smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, "It's more than okay Will. You did the right thing." She pulled him back against her, "Are you okay bud?"
Will sighed and closed his eyes, "Just sad…"
"I know." She whispered into his curly hair, "But we'll get through this."
Lorelai felt Luke give her arm a squeeze and held them both close. The next few days and weeks were going to be difficult but they could get through it together.
On the day of the funeral, Luke was trying to get Olivia ready for the day. He was doing his best to get everything in order so that Lorelai had as little to worry about as possible. Rory and Lorelai came down the stairs dressed and ready to go. Luke gave them both an encouraging smile and they tried to reassure him they were fine.
"Where's Will?" Rory asked glancing around.
Luke sighed and looked up towards the stairs, "Will buddy we gotta go. Come on."
Lorelai knelt down and started to smooth out her youngest daughter's hair just as Will came down the stairs. She turned and saw him carrying a blue blanket in his hands, she frowned and stood up slowly.
"What's the blanket for Will?" She asked curiously.
Jack looked up at her and shrugged, "Like with Paul Anka...I don't want Grandpa to be cold…"
Lorelai felt her stomach flip flop and she had to grab onto the back of the couch to stand up right. Luke grasped her hand feeling her strength begin to falter. He heard the sob escape the back of Rory's throat and he sighed.
"Um Will...that's really sweet of you buddy but...but I think Grandpa will be okay." Luke whispered staring directly at his son.
Will looked at his Mom and oldest sister and saw the pained look on their faces, "Did I do something wrong?"
"No. Nothing." Luke said shaking his head, "Why don't you bring that back up to your room and then we will get on the road okay?"
Rory shuffled Olivia out of the living room leaving Luke and Lorelai alone for a moment. Her eyes were closed tight and he cupped the back of her head and pulled her up against him, "Lorelai…"
She shook her head, "I can't right now...I can't…"
He nodded and kissed the side of her head, "I'm gonna be right beside you okay? All day...no matter what. I'm gonna be right here…"
She nodded and pulled away just as Will walked back downstairs. He took his Father's hand and they walked out to the cars to head to Hartford to face the day.
After the services they went back to the Gilmore Mansion where friends and family gathered to mourn together. Emily spent the majority of the time snapping at the staff, demanding total perfection. Luke tried to rangle the kids while Lorelai ran around after her Mother trying to keep her calm. Rory mingled with guests trying to keep a positive front for the entire family.
"Mom stop…" Lorelai whispered as she grasped at her Mother's arm, she was currently rearranging the flower arrangements, "You need to eat something...you need to sit."
"This looks terrible. Who puts roses next to orchids? I won't allow this." She said reaching for another vase.
"Mom no one cares about the flower's right now…" Lorelai whispered, "You haven't had a thing to eat all day...you need to relax."
"Just because your Father is gone doesn't mean I will allow the house to fall apart!" Emily screamed.
Lorelai grimaced, "Mom I'm not-"
"And I am tired of being the only person who knows how to handle things around here!" Emily said reaching for another vase.
"Mom…" Lorelai pleaded as guests began to look questioningly towards them.
"Oh this is just ridiculous-" Emily's words were cut off by the loud smash of a glass vase on the floor.
Everything went still as Lorelai and Emily gazed down at the flowers and water seeping into the antique rug, "Mom let me help-" She began.
"Since when do you want to help?" Emily sneered at her, "You weren't around for 16 years and now you want to help?"
Lorelai jumped slightly at her Mother's words, she felt Luke's eyes boring into her back, "I…"
"Do you know how much you hurt your father when you left the way you did? Just disappearing in the middle of the night with a note? As if you hadn't disappointed him enough and then we had to explain to our friends where you had gone off too." She sneered.
Lorelai felt her heart sink to her stomach and suddenly Rory and Luke were both at her side, "Grandma let's go get you cleaned up…" Rory whispered trying to get her to calm down.
"You are the one that caused your Father's stress and heart strain so long ago." Emily said still glaring at Lorelai.
Luke started to pull Lorelai away, "Emily that's enough."
"You broke his heart! You broke both of our hearts and he kept this family together. Now he's gone and what use is it to try and-" Emily continued.
"I said that's enough." Luke cut her off, "I understand that you are hurting right now." He said staring directly at his Mother-In-Law, "But you will not stand here and break Lorelai down. I will not allow it."
Emily's face softened slowly, "Lorelai I…" She suddenly seemed to realize what she had said, "I…"
"Grandma come on…" Rory whispered, knowing now wasn't the time to try and fix the damage.
Emily reluctantly let Rory lead her back towards her bedroom. Luke pulled at Lorelai's hand but she seemed rooted in her spot. He leaned into her and whispered into her ear. She slowly pulled herself together and let him lead her out of the dining area. He caught Sookie's eye and she gave him a swift nod assuring him she would look after the kids.
Luke ushered Lorelai into the pool house knowing it would be empty. She stood awkwardly by the couch for a moment and Luke didn't know what to say. So instead he walked right up to her and pulled her flush against his body. Immediately he felt her begin to shake against his chest letting him know she was crying. He squeezed her tightly and pressed gentle kisses to the side of her face.
"It's okay…" He whispered.
Lorelai shook her head against him, "She's right...I hurt him so much. I was such a disappointment. Such a terrible daughter-"
"Hey." He said in a stern voice as he pulled away, "Don't you say that. You were not a disappointment or a terrible daughter."
"But I wasn't Luke...I was everything he didn't want." She said through tears, "He expected so much more from me. He thought I'd be different."
"Lorelai…" He whispered as he held her face in his hands, "Your Father loved you. He was so proud of you for the way you raised Rory and how you built a business from the ground up. He adored you. Your Mom is just sad right now...she didn't mean anything she said."
Her face crumpled again and she felt back into his arms, "Why does it hurt so bad?"
He sighed and sat down on the couch, he pulled her down with him and back into his arms, "Because you loved him too…"
"But she was right about one thing...I missed so much time with him. So much…" She cried into his chest.
He kissed the top of her head and ran his hand through her hair, "Lorelai don't...it will just drive you insane."
She clung to him and let her emotions rush through her, "Luke…"
He squeezed her gently, "I'm right here…"
"I have to go first." She whispered, she felt him shift against her, "Okay? I go first…"
He grimaced, "Lorelai…"
"No. No Lorelai...no buts…" She said holding him tighter, "I go first because I can't breath without you…"
He swallowed hard and pushed her back slightly, "Lorelai…"
She shook her head again but kept his gaze, "I mean it Luke. I'll turn into her if you go first. You're the only thing that keeps me sane. I need you. I can't function in a world where you don't exist. Been there done that and I refuse to do it again so I die first."
He sighed and pulled her back into his arms, "And what makes you think I can function in a world where you don't exist?"
"Because you're stronger than I am…" She whispered to him.
He shook his head, "I'm a good actor...nothing makes sense if you're not there. I've already told you that a million times. So I want to go first."
"We could always pull a Notebook and die together…" She whispered.
He couldn't help but laugh, "What are the chances that would actually happen?"
"Probably slim to none…" She said with a sigh as she pulled away and rested her head on the back of the couch, "But I wish it would happen…"
Luke leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips, "Tell me what to do to make you feel better…"
She smiled sadly, "There's nothing you can do Luke...you know better than I do how much this sucks."
"I suppose I do." He said with a heavy sigh as he reached for her hand, he lifted it to his lips and kissed it gently, "It hurts like hell…"
She nodded slowly, "Today when Will...when he brought down that blanket I thought I was going to pass out. I didn't let myself think about what was happening today until now...the fact that he's just...he's in there...in the ground like that…"
He frowned, "I know…but you know he can't feel it anymore."
She nodded, "I know...he's not in pain. He's better off but...I just miss him. I miss how tall he was and how despite the fact that he pretended to be really tough he was a softie underneath it. I miss hearing him talk about stupid books that I will never understand." She sniffled "I miss...just miss him."
"I know…" He whispered as he scooted closer to her, "He loved you...just remember that."
She nodded slowly, "I know...I know he did."
He lifted her head slowly, "And I love you."
She swallowed hard, "I love you too." She sighed, "Thank you for...being here."
He smiled, "I'm always going to be here...just like you're always here for me."
"Guess it's part of the marriage vows thing huh?" She teased pulling at his wedding ring on his left hand.
"Guess so…" He whispered reaching for her ring finger as well.
She sighed and looked around the empty pool house, "We should go back…"
"We don't have too…" He whispered, "We can hide for a little while longer if you need too."
She turned to him and smiled, "I have to face her at some point…"
Luke gave her one nod and then leaned in to press a kiss to her lips, "She loves you too...just remember she's hurting too."
She pulled away and was about to speak when she saw her Mother standing in the doorway. "Mom…"
Luke glanced towards Emily and noticed the tears in her own eyes. He glanced back at his wife and saw that she was ready to face this. He leaned forward again and kissed the side of her face. Lorelai gave him a smile and watched him walk towards the door, he tentatively reached for Emily's hand.
"Luke I'm sorry…" She whispered to him, "The way I acted…"
Luke shook his head, squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek, "You loved him. I know...it's okay." He pulled away, "Talk to her...I'll take care of everything inside."
Emily waited until Luke walked away and then turned towards her daughter. She stepped into the pool house and glanced around, "I don't know how your father ever lived here when we were separated...it's so small."
"He wanted to be close to you." Lorelai whispered from her spot on the couch.
Emily sighed and turned back towards her, "Lorelai...the things I said were terrible. I didn't mean them I just…" She walked to the couch and sat down beside her, "I don't know what a world without your Father looks like. I've been Richard Gilmore's wife for so long...I can't remember how to be just Emily."
Lorelai smiled, "You'll never be just Emily...you'll always be fierce, tough, feisty Emily Gilmore. Wife, mother, granddaughter, friend and all around badass."
"Lorelai…" She said with a deep laugh.
She smiled, "I mean it Mom...I don't know what a world without Dad looks like either but...we can do this. You aren't alone…"
Emily stared at her for a moment, "Did I ever tell you the story about the first night we brought you home?"
Lorelai shook her head, "I don't think so…"
Emily took her hand in hers and pulled it into her lap, "We finally got home and your Father was frantic. I put you in the bassinet and he was running around the house trying to get rid of anything that could potentially hurt you. I tried to tell him that he had time to baby proof since you wouldn't be crawling around anytime soon but he wouldn't listen. He stayed up all night looking for sharp corners and open electrical sockets. When he finally fell asleep I found him on the floor beside your bassinet...I didn't even try and wake him up. I knew he wouldn't move even if I asked...he wanted to keep you as safe and as close as possible."
Lorelai swallowed hard, "Really?"
Emily nodded slowly, "Your father loved you more than anything Lorelai. He was so proud of the woman you became. Yes we all made mistakes...we all said and did things to hurt each other over the years. But...your father's love was never a question. He adored you. I hope you know that."
Lorelai nodded slowly, "I do know that…and I loved him too." She paused for a moment, "And I love you too Mom...even though I don't say it all the time."
Emily took a sharp breath, "I love you too Lorelai I'm just…" She sighed sadly, "I'm scared.."
"I know…" Lorelai whispered as she leaned into hug her Mother tightly, "But we're going to be right here with you Mom. I promise."
The two Gilmore women sat and cried together until they couldn't cry anymore. When they were ready they pulled themselves together and walked back to the house. As the guests filtered out of the house and night fell. Lorelai helped her Mom get ready for bed and then waited until she fell asleep. Downstairs, Rory was asleep on the couch with Will and Olivia.
Luke was finishing cleaning up when she walked up to him. She took his hand in hers and snuggled into his chest, his arms instinctively around her waist, "Luke…"
He squeezed her tight, "I've got you…" He whispered as he rocked her back and forth.
"I know." She whispered into his chest, "You always do.."
Luke led her over to the couch next to their three kids and sat down. Lorelai slipped off her shoes and curled her legs up under her as she leaned back against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tangled his hand in her hair as they watched the kids sleep. Life was moving around them but in this moment...all that mattered was they had each other now and always.
I can't wait for the revival but I am going to be so sad when they address Richard being gone. I picture Emily being angry and upset about it. But I also picture it bringing Lorelai and Emily closer in the end. Hope you liked it.