The Wedding Planner
"Hello," Holden says answering the phone.
"Hi this is Rick Tetzeli editor of Entertainment Weekly," Rick says. "Is your mom or dad in?"
"What's this about?" Holden asks him.
"Oh nothing much," Rick answers. "Are they in?"
"Sure," Holden replies. "Dad, phone."
"Hello?" Jess says grabbing the phone.
"Hi, Jess Mariano?" Rick asks. "This is Rick Tetzeli the editor of Entertainment Weekly."
"And?" Jess asks him getting annoyed. This was about the fifth phone call they had gotten from different magazines in the past month. US Weekly, People, In Touch Magazine all called… just to name a few.
"We wanted to get the exclusive shots to you wedding," Rick tells him. "And possibly have some people attend… or just a photographer if you would prefer that."
"No," Jess answers firmly.
"We'll pay big," Rick pleads. "This is the wedding of the century. Jess Mariano/Dodger Holden and Rory Gilmore… some are even tipping it as being better than Prince Charles and Lady Diana. You don't want to disappoint the people do you?"
"I don't really care about the people," Jess answers.
"We'll pay you $3 million," Rick pleads.
"$3 million?" Jess questions. "Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got $4.1 million for picture of their kids."
"Well I hear that Rory's pregnant," Rick says. "When she pops we'll fork out $5 million for that shot."
"How about no," Jess yells. "Not you or anyone is getting a picture of our wedding or our child, got it?"
"Okay, okay," Rick relents. "We'll pay you $7 million for the wedding."
"You do know that I'm a multi-millionaire, don't you?" Jess asks him. "I don't need your money… in fact I'll pay you to keep your distance."
"Oh that won't be necessary," Rick answers. "We'll find a way to 'crash' your wedding… hell every magazine will find a way, we all want to be the first to have a picture of the happy couple."
"Yeah good luck with that," Jess tells him.
"Oh and Jess," Rick adds. "Watch out for helicopters on your special day."
"Screw you," Jess replies hanging up the phone. "I swear to-"
"Don't swear," Holden tells her father putting her arm around his shoulders.
"What are we going to do Ernie?" Jess asks his daughter. "The press is going to be everywhere… we won't be able to stop them."
"Don't worry," Holden tells him. "I have a plan."
"A plan?" Jess questions his daughter.
"How would you like to push the wedding date up a bit?" Holden asks.
"That's fine," Jess replies. "But Holden what's the plan?"
"Never you mind," Holden tells her father. "LJ and I will take care of everything, you just spend some alone time with your fiancé."
"Holden?" Jess asks again, but she gives him her 'you're never going to win, so just give up now' look. "Fine," Jess huffs. "Be careful… and exactly how long do you think you're going to be gone?" He asks hopefully.
"Enough time for you to do what you're thinking about," Holden tells him. "And don't let LJ know, I think that he still sees his mom as a virgin."
"Sure kid," Jess replies. "Thanks."
"No problem," Holden says kissing her dad on the cheek. "LJ?"
"Right here," LJ says seconds later appearing at her side.
"How do you get him to do that?" Jess asks his daughter in disbelief.
"She doesn't make me," LJ tells Jess. "I do it because I love her."
"That's sweet," Jess says sarcastically. "You're whipped LJ."
"Right dad," Holden warns. "LJ you're driving."
"I'm on it," LJ says grabbing the keys off Holden.
"Dad relax," Holden tells her father. "About everything, okay?"
"I can try," Jess replies. "Now get out of here."
"Don't wait up," Holden jokes as she leaves.
"Where to first?" LJ asks Holden when she gets into the car.
"The diner," Holden answers. "I've got some business to take care of before we hit the road."
"What business?" LJ asks as he pulls up out the front of the diner a minute later.
"Be right back," Holden answers running into the diner. "Hey Luke."
"What?" Luke replies carrying plates to the diner's customers. "I'm a little busy Holden."
"Good," Holden says under her breath as she follows Luke back to the counter. "I just need you to sign this Uncle Luke."
"What is it?" Luke asks grabbing the piece of paper off Holden.
"It's nothing," Holden replies.
"Order's up," Ceaser calls.
"Holden I have to-" Luke begins.
"All I need is a signature," Holden tells him. "Then I'll be out of here."
"Okay, fine," Luke relents signing the piece of paper.
"Thanks Uncle Luke," Holden says grabbing the paper and running back to the car.
"Where to now?" LJ asks her.
"The Hartford DMV," Holden replies. "And step on it."
"You're going to get your license?" LJ asks her confused, leaving Stars Hollow. "How?"
"I got my guardian's signature," Holden tells him showing him the piece of paper. "All I have to do now is get them to change my records over."
"So you know then?" LJ asks her.
"Know what?" Holden replies confused.
"That Luke is your legal guardian," LJ explains.
"Yeah, I know," Holden replies sadly. "It was right after my mom passed away… Luke didn't like how I was being neglected, so he sued my dad for sole custody. They tried to keep it from me."
"How'd you find out?" LJ asks her.
"Well apart from my dad sending my reports cards, excursion forms and anything else in need of a signature to Stars Hollow," Holden explains. "I don't know, I just knew… kind of like a gut instinct, I guess. Anyway they should have known better than to hide it from me, come on I'm Holden I know everything."
"Do you know everything about me?" LJ asks her nervously.
"I know the important things," Holden tells him. "But one thing that I love about you is that you're always surprising me. If you told me back in September that the jackass I met on my first day of school was going to fall madly in love with me and turn into the sweetest guy on the planet, then I would have punched you in the face."
"Oh Holden," LJ says in mock hurt. "You start off your thoughts so well, but somehow they always end up with the truth… and let me tell you the truth hurts."
"Lucas," Holden warns. "You're getting to be just like my dad."
"And you love your dad," LJ replies smirking. Holden hit him across the back of the head… lightly of course, he was driving.
They made it to Hartford and nobody lost any limbs. They hit the DMV and after waiting forever, Holden got her Connecticut license.
"I'm driving," Holden shrieked as they left the DMV. "Oh my baby," Holden says running her hand along the car. "I've waited too long to drive you."
"Just get in the car," LJ tells her. "You can make love to it later."
"Fine," Holden huffs getting in the car.
"We're on a tight schedule," LJ tells her. "Well according to the plan you drew up on our way here… are we really getting all this today?"
"As much as we can," Holden answers as she starts the car. "I love this car."
"So where are we going first?" LJ asks.
"To get your mom a wedding dress," Holden replies as she pulls out.
"Shouldn't she pick her wedding dress?" LJ asks confused.
"Probably," Holden replies. "But the press will be looking out for wedding things purchased under her and dad's names."
"And probably our names as well," LJ adds.
"That's why we have a fake credit card," Holden tells him. "Well not fake exactly… just under a different name."
"Oh hell," LJ replies. "We are going to hell Holden."
"Don't curse," Holden says pulling up to the wedding dress shop.
"What are they doing again?" Rory asks Jess for the fifth time.
"I don't know," Jess replies. "She only asked if I wouldn't mind having the wedding earlier… damn press, they should just leave us be."
"And that's exactly why I'm not inviting any of my co-workers from the Times," Rory explains.
"You can invite them if you want," Jess says to her kissing her softly. "It's your day after all, your friends should be there."
"It's our day," Rory corrects. "And my 'friends' from the Times would just turn it into a media circus… I want it to be special."
"Whatever you want," Jess says kissing Rory again. "Anyway we shouldn't plan anything I'm sure Holden's planned everything."
"We're home," LJ announces.
"Well how about we see what this grand plan of hers is then," Rory says getting off the bed and pulling Jess with her.
"Holden," Jess greets. "And a whole bunch of… stuff, how'd you get it here?"
"Rented a truck," LJ answers.
"Yeah," Holden replies. "LJ wouldn't let me buy a truck."
"You didn't need to buy a truck," LJ tells her sitting down on the couch.
"So what's the plan?" Rory asks excitedly. "And what is all this?"
"Your wedding's a week from today," Holden tells them.
"What?" They both ask at the same time.
"But we have nothing," Jess says.
"And we haven't planned anything," Rory adds.
"Just think of it like this way," LJ tells them. "When you both get to the wedding you will be amazed and you can just sit back and enjoy everything."
"You come up with that by yourself?" Rory asks her son.
"No," LJ replies. "That's what Holden told me every time I said that she shouldn't be doing this… but she really has thought of everything."
"Really?" Jess questions.
"Yep," LJ says excitedly. "Fake credit cards, plus she even arranged a fake festival for the town, so that when wedding supplies were trucked here the press wouldn't second guess it… plus a fake wedding announcement in the Times for your wedding to be in Hartford three weeks from you actual wedding date. She even booked out the place in Hartford, the umm… Rose room."
"Oh not the Rose room," Rory says sitting down on the couch next to her son.
"Don't worry," Holden tells her. "That's for your fake wedding."
"So what did you get today?" Jess asks his daughter.
"Mainly the outfits," Holden explains. "I got the tuxes and the bridesmaid dresses, plus the ring bearer and flower girl outfits."
"Oh really," Rory says excitedly. "And who are our ring bearer and flower girl?"
"We are," LJ huffs.
"Really?" Jess asks trying to suppress his laughter. "Ah Holden you will make a lovely flower girl and LJ?"
"Yes," LJ replies still annoyed.
"If you swallow the rings I'll kill you," Jess says not able to hold in his laughter.
"I will get you for this Holden," LJ warns her.
"No don't," Rory tells her son. "I love her idea, I wanted you both to be a part of the wedding so much and now you are."
"Holden brought you a wedding dress," LJ blurts out.
"What?" Rory and Jess ask trying to get it all to sink in.
"Don't worry," Holden tells them. "You'll both love it, now let's go try it on I've got a wedding to plan… plus a fake wedding."
"I don't know," Rory says skeptically as Holden grabs the box.
"We can return it if you don't like it," Holden tells her walking up the stairs.
Rory sighed and followed her up.
"No peeking dad," Holden warns him. "Its bad luck to see your bride in her wedding dress before the day."
"It's okay," Jess replies amused. "I'll just wait down here for the scream of horror."
"Why do you all have little faith in me?" Holden asks them confused. "I think that I have proven myself enough… how about we take a trip to Lake Michigan and we can settle this once and for all."
"How will that settle anything?" LJ asks confused.
"I'm going to part Lake Michigan, just like Moses did with the Red Sea," Holden replies. "And then you will have no choice but to believe me."
They all stayed quiet after that. Holden led Rory into Rory's room and lifted the dress out of the box.
"You ready?" She asks Rory who had her eyes closed.
"No," Rory answers her eyes still closed.
"Come on," Holden pleads. "Just try it on."
"Okay," Rory says grabbing it, but not looking at it.
She went into the bathroom and put it on, not even daring to look in the mirror. It fit perfectly, she had to give Holden that.
"What do you think?" Rory asks Holden once back in the bedroom, she never looked down.
"Wow," Holden replies. "It's better than I imagined. Here," Holden says grabbing the freestanding mirror and putting it in from of Rory.
"Oh my," Rory says in shock as she looked at herself in the mirror. "It's… It's perfect."
"I know," Holden tells her. "Simple, yet elegant and the blue sash really brings out your eyes."
"I like the lace, I would have never picked lace though," Rory says dazed, admiring herself. "How can I ever thank you Holden?"
"No need," Holden brushes her off. "Just think of me as your wedding planner."
"I don't even know what I want for my wedding," Rory confesses to her. "I haven't really thought about it."
"Then it's a good thing that you've got me," Holden replies. "Because I know exactly what you want."