Chapter 51

"What do you mean it won't happen?" Emily asked when they got into the car.

"We've hit a wall, that's all." Lorelai told her mother, then rolling her eyes at the rhyme.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked. "Everything seemed fine."

"The wedding used to be postponed," Lorelai told her mother.

"What!" Emily said. "Why? And why didn't I know?"

"Gee, I don't know mom," Lorelai said sarcastically, fighting back tears. "Maybe because I knew you'd act like this?" Emily backtracked to calm down.

"Why was it postponed?" Emily asked politely.

"Because Luke didn't think he could handle getting married so soon when he had a daughter he had to get to know."

"What? That's completely ridiculous!" Emily commented.

"That's pretty much been the consensus of anyone who's not Luke," Lorelai said.

"But, you said the wedding is June 3rd," Emily said. "Did it used to be earlier?"

"No, June 3rd was the date we planned. We ended up quitting on that one for a brief period of time, and then bringing it back."

"And now you think it won't happen at all?" Emily asked. "Why?"

"Because of Christopher!" Lorelai yelled. She'd been holding this in all day.

"What does he have to do with any of this?" Emily asked. "Did he try to get between you? Because I had nothing to do with that."

"Sometimes Chris acts alone," Lorelai reminded her mother.

"What did he do to get between you?" Emily asked.

"Nothing," Lorelai said. She didn't want to tell her mother.

"If I'm to help you," Emily told her daughter. "I'm going to need to know."

Lorelai paused, and then she bit the bullet and told her mother.

"He kissed me at Lane's wedding."

"Why was he at Lane's wedding?" Emily asked.

"He was my date," Lorelai explained. Emily raised her eyebrow at Lorelai. "What?" Lorelai asked.

"You brought the man who previously tried to break you and Luke up, as a date?"

"Yes…" Lorelai said. She wasn't sure what her mother was getting at. But then she figured it out. "You're blaming me?"

"Well obviously, Lorelai!" Emily fought back. "What were you thinking bringing him? You didn't think he'd take it the wrong way?"

"He was doing it as a favor to me!" Lorelai exclaimed. "I needed a date so people didn't think I was a hooker!" Emily did a double take.

"How would bringing a man who wasn't your fiancé to a wedding make you look good?" Emily asked.

"It's a Korean thing," Lorelai said.

"What?"

"Never mind!"

The women sat in silence for a while. And then Emily went into helpful mother mode.

"What needs to be done to fix this?"

"Luke said he just needs some time to think," Lorelai informed her mother. "I know him. If I rush him into getting over it, he'll run away."

"How much time does he need?" Emily asked.

"Hard to say. As long as I don't bother him, he will be more comfortable."

"What are you doing about Lucas? Is Luke still staying at your house?"

"He's spending time alone at his apartment," Lorelai told her mother. "He visits with Lucas when he's at Liz's house."

"Should someone talk to him?" Emily asked. Lorelai gave her a 'are you nuts' look. "Maybe if it was someone other than you…"

"Bringing someone else into this would make it worse."

"But you're talking to me…"

"Stay out of it."

"But…"

"Don't make me say it!"

"Say what?

"No Bu…"

"Oh, I should have seen that one coming," Emily rolled her eyes.

After her long day, Lorelai finally got home. She broke out of her exhausted trance to realize she hadn't picked Lucas up yet. She started to head back out the door, when she heard her son squeal upstairs. She went to her room to find L.J and Luke in the rocking chair. Lorelai paused in the doorway.

"I'm ready to talk," Luke said.

With the promise that Christopher would not be at their wedding, and that Lorelai would only talk to him about Rory, Luke was able to move past what had happened. He most certainly did not like Christopher in the slightest, but he knew that for the most part, Lorelai did have the ability to cut Christopher out of her life. But run-ins were bound to happen every now and then.

Now that Luke was home again, and they'd moved past what happened, Luke and Lorelai got thoroughly into wedding plans. Luke liked what Lorelai had put together. And he even was willing to let Sookie come into the planning mix. On the Friday night that Lorelai had off from Friday night dinner, Luke made a very special meal for her at the house, and they had sex for the first time since they had their son. It was a very nice night.

The next week went by quickly. Lorelai hadn't realized where the time had gone, until she got a message on her machine saying that Friday night dinners were back on schedule. Lorelai hadn't talked to her mother since their talk in the car.

When Lorelai got to her parents house, her mother answered the door. Her mother was concerned. She talked to her daughter in hushed tones, asking about Luke. Lorelai told her everything was fine, but Emily was still uncertain if she believed her.

Lorelai walked into the living room to see Rory pacing on the phone. Once the family was all sitting down together, they saw the model that was supposed to be the Yale building in Rory's name. Lorelai was able to laugh at her daughter's expense, and mock her. But her smile was soon gone, when she got a shocking surprise of her own.

"Excuse me everyone," said the maid. "Christopher Hayden has arrived."

Lorelai turned in terror to see Christopher walk in. They shared a quick glance. Christopher was smiling awkwardly; Lorelai's mouth was gaping open. She turned to give her mother a, 'I can't believe you!' look. Her mother's face was very guilty. To avoid her daughter's look of betrayal, she looked away. Whatever her mother thought she was doing, Lorelai hoped she had a good reason.

*Did they make up too fast? I think a 3 and a half-day separation was pretty decent. –DD *