Disclaimer: This is an original story based upon the characters of Gilmore Girls. No profit will be made from this story and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: Thank you to all those who read and reviewed last chapter. I appreciate it as always. Some of you mentioned confusion about Lorelai's line, "I should have been an actress." When Laura left Lorelai's house the night that she came over, Lorelai watched her go and decided she needed to do something to help her feel more needed. The next morning she came in "crying" and saying that the wedding planning crew had come down with food poisoning. When Lorelai says she should have been an actress, it's to say that she made up the story and faked it all so her mom could do the wedding and feel needed. Anyway, I hope that makes more sense now. Anyway, that being said, I hope you enjoy this next installment.
Constance Euthington had a large wart on the end of her nose, Janiessa Bateman talked like she gargled with cleanser. Beatrice Mulcahee had ears like a…
Okay…that's enough stop it now and pay attention to what they are saying
Laura had to mentally shake herself as she tried to listen to Constance as they discussed the upcoming fundraiser. It was a terribly hot day and the dressy pantsuit she had put on for the afternoon tea was very uncomfortable.
"Emily? Emily Dear what do you think?" Constance said, suddenly interrupting Laura's thoughts. She still wasn't used to responding to Emily.
"I'm sorry what were you talking about?" she asked, trying desperately to look interested.
"Should we use a forty piece or a sixty piece band in the hall for the charity auction a week from Friday?"
"Um," Laura started and then cursed herself for saying "um" like an idiot. " I think a forty piece band will do nicely."
"And since you are the party expert among us Em, would you suggest using the gold and white napkins or the silver and purple napkins?" Marian Howard asked in between sips of tea.
Laura forced a smile on her face, it was one thing getting used to being called "Emily" she loathed being called, "Em."
"Ah, the silver and purple I think look nice," she answered politely and swallowed another sip of tea.
"And would you suggest an arraignment of purple silver purple on the tables or silver purple silver?" Constance asked, writing down information in her little booklet.
I don't believe this
Just as Laura was about to give herself up to complete boredom, she heard the back gate open slightly and the ladies all exclaimed "Rory!" delightedly. Laura looked up excitedly as her granddaughter came in the backyard, dressed in an eggshell colored blouse and a tan skirt.
"Hello ladies," Rory said cordially as she walked in, "Sorry I'm late. I got my work all finished at the paper and finals are done so I thought I might join you today."
"Come in! Sit down!" Nora Jemton commanded in her thick English accent.
Rory came over and kissed Laura's cheek.
"I'm so glad you're here," Laura whispered and Rory smiled and sat down.
The rest of the meeting picked up with Rory there but Laura was anxious for it to end so she could have some time with her alone. With Richard working and Lorelai still gone on her honeymoon she was lonely and wanted to take this chance to get to know Rory better. Finally the meeting ended and both Gilmore ladies graciously waved goodbye to their guests. When the last one had gone, the two went inside and walked inside the living room. To Rory's surprise, Laura sat back on the couch and breathed a sigh of relief "I thought they'd never leave."
Rory giggles and sat down with her, "Grandma!"
"I'm sorry, but sometimes those DAR meetings can be so boring! I don't know how I'll make it through the charity auction."
"Well I'll be there," Rory said, "We can keep each other sane."
Laura put her arm around the girl, "Sounds like a plan to me."
They sat like that for a few minutes when suddenly the door came flying open and Richard hurried in murmuring swear words under his breath.
"Richard!" Laura cried out standing up and hurrying over to him, "Darling what's wrong?"
He put a hand on his wife's arm and then saw his granddaughter in the living room. "Oh Rory, I am so glad you're here!"
"What's wrong Grandpa?" Rory asked.
"I have to go out of town for four days to South Dakota of all places!" he said, "My plane leaves in two hours. I have to be at the airport in forty-five minutes! That Floyd! One of these days I am going to pop that man right in the nose!" he said bunching up his fists for dramatic effect.
"Richard, I know you've been on trips before, why are you so upset with this one?" Laura gently asked.
"Because this is the first time I've gone since you've been home and I can't just run off and leave you alone for four days!" Richard replied.
In spite of herself, Laura had to laugh, "Oh for Heaven's Sake Richard, I'm not four years old!"
As if he was ignoring her, he stepped forward towards Rory, "Rory, would you be willing to stay the night with your grandmother while I'm away."
Suddenly Laura's heart jumped. As much as she was not enjoying being treated liking a shrinking violet, it would be fun to have Rory all to herself for a few nights just the two of them. She nodded her head to Rory in hopes of getting her to agree.
Rory smiled, "Sure Grandpa, that would be just fine. I'll just go home and get some of my things."
Laura was delighted but again tried to swallow her excitement. "I'll see you in a little while," she called to Rory as Rory went out the door.
She went upstairs and helped Richard pack and then it was time for him to go. It was then that she realized they had not been a part even a day since that first time he had shown up on her doorstep and told her he wasn't going to leave her.
"Will you call me tonight?" she asked as she took Richard's hand as they walked down the stairs together.
"Of course," Richard said gently, "And you call me anytime, if you need anything alright?"
"Alright," she nodded.
They got to the front door when he put down his suitcases and took her in his arms. He reached down and traced the outline of her lips with his finger.
"I'll miss you," Laura whispered.
"I'll miss you too," Richard replied and then reached up and caressed her cheek with his knuckles.
Laura smiled sadly, "You better go,"
He bent down and kissed her like a man leaving his wife for the very first time.
"I love you," he whispered in between breaths when they had broken the kiss.
She reached up on her tip toes and kissed him quickly again, "I love you too—now scoot."
She stood at the door and waved to him until he was gone and when she turned back around she was glad that Rory was going to spend the night. It would be terrible lonely without Richard. Trying to get the fact that she wouldn't see her husband for four days out of her mind, she turned her focus to the time with Rory. She remembered how Carol Blake, one of the ladies in the Garden Party club would get ready for her grandchildren from San Francisco for a week every month. But her oldest grandchild was fifteen years old, not a 22 yr old Yale student. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. Rory seemed to belong to Richard much more than she did her, she was a part of his world—Yale student, dating a handsome rich young man. She just didn't know how to relate to Rory. And so she asked herself what she had asked herself a thousand times before, "What would Emily do?"
She asked Camille to prepare Rory's room for her and she refreshed herself in the bathroom mirror, wanting to look just perfect. She remembered back to the night when she had first met Rory, when she had clung to her like a sobbing little girl. She looked in the mirror again and brushed her hair behind her ears. Rory needed her grandma. That's who she had to be.
The doorbell rang and she hurried from the room and then walked slowly down the stairs.
"Hello Rory," she said brightly and offered to help her with her bags.
"Hey Grandma," Rory said, walking in.
"Your room is all ready for you," Laura said taking a bag and helping her up the stairs, "Then I thought we could have a little drink and talk."
"Sounds great Grandma," she said smiling and followed her up the stairs.
As soon as she was settled, they went downstairs and Laura poured them a drink, "So," she asked starting the conversation, "How is school?"
"Oh it's fine, happy to be out for the summer. I've been pretty busy."
"I imagine so, your mother constantly talks about your work at the paper and at school. I understand you are quite the student."
Rory smiled and shrugged, "I think she's a little biased."
The two women took another drink again and if they could have read the other's mind they probably would have laughed out loud. Poor Laura was desperately trying to be who she thought this girl's grandmother was, and make Rory feel as comfortable as possible, when in fact she wished that she could have had Rory for awhile in California, when it was just her in her little house, before she had felt Emily looming over her.
Rory also was trying to be someone she really wasn't as she sat and elegantly sipped her drink. She watched her grandmother through her glass and suddenly the memory came back.
"Ace, Ace wake up," she heard Logan's voice as he was shaking her awake.
She stirred and looked up at him, "What?" she asked groggily and then saw the look on his face. Panic like electricity suddenly shot threw her. She sat up, "What is it what's wrong?"
Logan handed her the phone, "It's Richard, he sounds kinda frieked out," he said and then sat down next to her and put a hand on her back.
"Grandpa?" Rory said as she picked up the phone, "Grandpa what is it?"
Her grandfather's voice sounded hoarse and thick. "Rory, I need you to come to the hospital. I need you to come right now. Have Logan drive you,"
"Grandpa!" she shouted, "What's wrong tell me what's wrong!"
"Your mother and grandmother were in a car accident tonight. Your mother's been admitted but she's going to be alright."
"And grandma?"
"I don't know yet Rory. I need you to come right now…right now."
Logan already had his shoes on and grabbed his keys.
"We're coming Grandpa," Rory said and grabbed her own shoes and headed out the door behind Logan.
Twenty minutes later she ran into the emergency room where she found her grandpa. "Grandpa! Where are they?" she cried out.
He caught her by the arms and then pulled her tightly to him.
"Grandpa!" she almost screamed it.
"Your mother's in room 2," he whispered hoarsely.
"Can I see her?" Rory asked.
Grandpa was shaking, literally shaking, he looked older than she had ever seen him, "Honey, she had to be sedated."
"Sedated? Why?" Rory asked confused and scared, "What about Grandma?"
Her grandfather seemed to be frozen, he stared at her unable to speak, "Rory…" he choked out in a whisper.
"Grandpa! Where is Grandma? Why did Mom have to be sedated?" she asked again.
Suddenly Logan understood and placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
Her grandfather stepped closer to her, and took a long deep breath, "Honey, they couldn't find your grandmother. They searched and they couldn't find her…they don't think she could have survived."
At that Rory let out a small cry, "What does that mean?"
Grandpa slowly reached out and brought her into him.
"But," she said, her voice muffled in his embrace, "Just because they didn't find her doesn't mean that she's dead, she could have gotten out of the water, she could have walked somewhere for help."
He separated himself from her, and cupped her face in his hands. They both knew that wasn't the case. They both knew that Emily Gilmore would never leave without her child.
"They found the car and an extensive amount of blood," Richard went on, choking out the words. "Lorelai wasn't bleeding. It was your grandmother," he said.
It was then that the full weight of what was happening hit her, she stood back and covered her mouth with her hands, "Oh God, no…oh please no…God no!" she cried out and Richard caught her in his arms as she broke down sobbing.
"No!" she started screaming, "No! No! No!"
Richard made no attempt to stop her, no attempt to calm her even as the nurses started circling around them. He simply cupped his hand on the back of her head.
"Grandma I'm sorry!" Rory sobbed. "I'm sorry!"
"Rory? Are you alright?" Laura asked looking over at her.
Rory shook herself out of her dream and turned towards her, "Yeah I'm fine Grandma, thank you."
Laura smiled, "That's good."
The poor dear is bored stiff, what do I do?
Rory took another drink and looked back at her grandmother. Ever since that first night, when she had seen her grandmother back from the dead, she had made a choice. She would be who she was everywhere else, but when she was with Grandma, if it killed her she was going to be the person Grandma wanted her to be. The bitter guilt over her behavior before the accident haunted her still and she wanted more than anything to make it up to her, even if Grandma couldn't remember it.
"So, how is Logan?" Laura asked, desperate to keep the conversation rolling.
"He's fine, just great. We are really thriving in our relationship right now."
"Well, that's great," Laura said smiling and again there was silence between them.
Finally, Laura Baker made up her mind. She had a granddaughter here who she desperately wanted to know and wasn't getting anywhere with. She couldn't second guess herself anymore, she couldn't pretend to be someone she wasn't—at least for one night she needed a break. For one night Emily Gilmore was out of the picture, for one night, she would just be herself.
"Would you excuse me for a minute Dear?" she asked Rory and then went upstairs. Ten minutes later she came back downstairs in jeans and a white blouse.
"What do you say we go out for pizza?" she asked the very surprised Rory.
TBC—Next up, Rory and Emily's sleepover.
