Victoria fiddles with her dress in the mirror of the gas station. It's scratchy and stiff and uncomfortable and something's sticking into her back. And she's sweating. Probably because it's a million degrees here and she's wearing black. She pulls at her dress one more time and stumbles back out to the car. She's in a pair of Rory's heels and they don't fit properly.

Rory is leaning against the car waiting for her. "Okay?" she asks.

"I hate Florida."

""Too hot?"

"It's obnoxiously hot." Victoria grumbles. "And there's something sticking into my back."

"Turn around, let me see." says Rory. "Ah, the tag's still on." Rory pulls the tag off and smooths Victoria's hair out, then turns her daughter round to face her. "Are you ok?" she asks.

"I really don't want to go." says Victoria.

"I'm afraid you have too."

"I hate funerals. And I wasn't the biggest fan of Mitchum either."

"C'mon, don't say that. He was your grandfather, you loved him."

"I guess. He didn't like me though. He ignored me my entire life, every holiday he'd just shove an envelope at me without even saying hello. He didn't like me at all."

"Honey, can I tell you something? Funerals, they're partially for the person that's passed. But they're also a lot for the family. To help them. So I'm asking you to go for the family. For your Dad."

Victoria nods. The window of the car winds down and Emily leans out.

"Could you please get in the car before I roast like a ham, is that too much to ask? I'm old, you know?" says Emily.

"Coming grandma." says Rory sliding back into the drivers seat next to Jess.
"Seatbelts?" calls Rory. "Let's go."

The car eventually pulls up outside the church and Jess helps Emily out of the car. She lets him, but shakes him off once they're out.

"I'm not an invalid yet, young man." she says. "Oh look, there are the Heidbergs, I'll just go and say hello. Wait here." she instructs Jess.

"I wouldn't dare not to." he says. "She scares me." he whispers to Rory.

"Dad!" shouts Victoria, spotting Logan. Logan makes his way over and Victoria hugs him tight.

"Ace, thank you for being here." he says. Rory can tell that it's as much meant for her as it is for Vic.

"Of course." says Victoria. Rory looks at Logan closely. He's very pale, with deep dark circles under his eyes. That cheeky glimmer in his eyes has faded and almost gone.

"Hey Ace, why don't you go find Honour? She hasn't seen you in forever and I'll never here the end of it if I don't send you over to her. We'll catch up later."

"Ok." says Victoria, wandering off to find Honour.

The adults shuffle uncomfortably for a moment then Jess steps forward and sticks out his hand.

"I'm sorry for your loss, man." he says, earnestly. "I lost my dad a few years back and... it sucks. It really sucks."

"Thank you." says Logan, taking his hand. "And hey, congratulations. On the baby. Vic told me."

Rory nods. "I figured. Hey, don't spread it around too much, we haven't told most people yet."

"Got it, mums the word. Listen I have so much to do and I want to see the kid too so, thanks for being here. Find me before you leave."

"We will." says Rory as Logan turns to leave some part of Rory pulls her forward to follow him. "Logan?" she calls. Logan turns and looks at her expectantly. "Take a moment to yourself, Ok? Just... take a beat. It's alright to breathe a little."

"Thanks Ace."

Andrea Heidberg is an old friend of Emily's. She's tall and haughty with a general 'holier than thou' attitude about her. When she sees Emily she plasters on a tight smile.

"Emily, dear, it's been so long. I don't believe we've spoken since you left the DAR!" she says, kissing Emily on both cheeks. "Such a treat to see you. Such awful circumstances of course."

"Of course." replies Emily, her voice dripping with charm.

"As ever your family is the talk of the town."

"The Gilmore's are nothing if not noteworthy."

"Is that the girl?" whispers Andrea, pointing to Victoria.

"Yes. Victoria."

"Oh Emily she's beautiful."

"She is." says Emily, a little bubble of pride swells in her chest.

"So like Lorelai."

"Really?" says Emily sharply, the balloon suddenly filling with lead and sinking to the pit of her stomach.

"The way she walks, talks, that face! I hope she's not got Lorelai's spirit."

"No, no no, Victoria's a good girl. A very good girl."

"If you say so." says Andrea. "Wonderful to see you, dear."

"We must meet for tea some time."

"Absolutely. Ciao!"

The ceremony was dignified and sombre, as Mitchum would've wanted it. Victoria sat between her dad and Honour, squeezing their hands. Logan stared at the floor and contemplated the irony of the fact that he had planned this entire event and now couldn't stand to watch any of it.

Afterwards, Rory and Jess wait outside for Victoria, whose comforting her father.

"Now, you see, that really doesn't suck." says Jess, nodding at Logan and Victoria.

"What do you mean?"

"That father-kid thing. It doesn't look so bad. Could actually be nice."

"Oh you think so?" says Rory, with a smile.

"Yeah, it's just... makes me nervous."

"How so?"

"My dad was kinda the worst. I just wanna break the chain."

"Jess..." says Rory, taking his hand. "If anyone can break the chain it's you. Anyone who puts up with a crazy lady, her impossible grandmother and teenage daughter is gonna be an amazing dad."

"Well you're..." Jess begins.

"No. Stop." says Rory quickly, pressing her finger to his lips.

"What?"

"You're going to say I make an amazing mom and I don't, it's not true. Please don't say it."

"You didn't know that that's what I was going to say."

"Just... be quiet."

"Shira, I've just come to say goodbye, it was beautiful ceremony." says Emily, putting her arm on Shira.

"Oh Emily, you came!"

"I did."

Shira looks at her, her lip wobbling and bursts into tears. "How do you do this? How do you make this pain go away?"

"You can't, I'm afraid. It's one of life's cruel tricks."

"How do you do it, Emily?"

Emily sighs. "I honestly don't know." she says finally. "I wish I could give you some quick fix but I fear that no such thing exists." she pauses again. "Time helps, I suppose. But it's not the cure-all everyone says it is. I still miss Richard. Every day. I don't think that ever goes away."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not telling me I'll be okay soon."

Emily nods. "Take care, Shira"

Once everyone is rounded up, the four of them are back on the road.

"So," says Jess, "as funerals go?"

"Could've been worse." says Victoria. "But if I am not changed out of this dress in two hours I will scream."

"Very dignified." says Emily.

"That's me, Miss Dignity."

"So like your mother." says Jess.

"So like my mother." says Rory.

Emily shuffles in her seat, and drums her fingers on the armrest over and over and over again.

Thank you for reading, leave a review and let me know what you thought!