"Listen up, I will now read you the bachelorette checklist," Lorelai announced standing on the stairs of their beloved Stars Hollow gazebo, as Sookie, Lane, Paris, April, Stephanie and Rory stood around expectantly wearing tiny pink top-hats pinned to their hair, Rory's one with a pink mesh veil.
"The bride to be has to…,"Lorelai read the a list of slightly embarrassing activities out loud, before handing Rory the assignment sheet rollup with lots of glitter and feathers attached to it, adding, "better get cracking, kid" with a wink.
"Okay, mom," she replied with a wide grin, feeling a little old for this kind of stuff. But she had given her mother free hands on arranging the evening and she knew it probably meant more to Lorelai than her, so she went along with it.
"Here, you look like you need a drink," Paris suggested, handing Rory a flask of scotch.
Rory took a small sip, not really feeling like getting completely hammered that night, despite the fact that there were still a few days before the rehearsal and the actual wedding.
"So I think the one about asking marriage advice from an older couple should be an easy one," Rory suggested practically, waving to Babette and Morey who were just crossing the street to the town square.
"Hi Babette, hi Morey!" she began. "Listen, we're doing on a little challenge list here, I was hoping you could help me out," she added.
"Sure sugar, what is it?" Babette asked.
"What would you say is your advice for someone just getting married?" Rory asked, almost feeling like a reporter again.
"Oh honey, it's very simple - once you find your soul mate, just never let them go. Do whatever it takes!" she suggested, Morey nodding along.
Frankly Rory could've sure used that advice more than a decade earlier. But life had had other plans, and thanks to those twists and turns of life she now had Leah.
"Thank you, you guys," she replied, hugging them both.
"Have fun, Rory," Morey said, as they waved in goodbye.
"I think we better head off to Hartford for the rest of these," Paris said, having glanced over the list.
"The limo awaits," Lorelai gestured towards the car.
"And while we ride, everybody gets to spill embarrassing details about Rory," she encouraged after telling the driver where to go. "I'll begin, " she said. "Rory has a secret thing for hairy humanoids," Lorelai laughed and poured herself and the others a glass of champagne carefully.
"Mom!" Rory protested.
"When Dean first kissed Rory, she stole a pack of corn starch from Dosey's by accident," Lane added.
"Oh, that was why we always had that around the house? I never quite knew what one does with cornstarch," Lorelai pondered.
"Well you can use it to make sauces...," Sookie began, realizing Lorelai was not the person who'd expect a serious answer on something like that.
"I admit it, I am a humanoid loving fellon," Rory admitted laughingly, taking a small sip of champagne.
Using a "Is it hot in here or is it just you?" was almost too easy in a college pub, they'd stumbled into, to refuel on chicken wings, tacos and fries. Luckily that night also the police showed up to card everybody, leaving the girls feeling particularly youthful, plus Rory got her picture with one of the officers, checking another assignment off her list.
They continued down the main street soon reaching 70s style nightclub, blasting the Boogie Wonderland out to the street.
"Are we drunk enough for this?" Paris questioned, glancing over to Stephanie.
"Not nearly," she replied, before walking down the stairs, muttering In omnia paratus to herself.
"Alright, I'll get this bartender thing over with," Rory said determinedly, as she walked over to the bar.
"So what does a bride to be have to do to get a drink on the house?" she asked him out front, while the others began to order their drinks from the table.
"Depends on the drink, water is free," he offered smugly.
Rory smirked. "Water is perfect, you know. Just maybe in a shot glass?" she suggested.
The bartender poured her a shot of water behind the counter, and handed it over. Rory threw it down demonstratively, letting you a "Wuuh" to make it seem more real. She didn't want to start explaining everybody about not drinking, knowing it'd be followed by a round of baby-related questions. She had no answers however. She had been trying to cut down on alcohol and coffee just to be on the safe side in case it did happen.
"Thanks," she added, before returning to the rest of the group.
"Everyone look around - is there anyone that looks like a Logan in here?" Lorelai asked, trying to aid Rory on her next assignment.
"What does "a Logan" look like?" Sookie laughed, already clearly tipsy.
"You know Logan is not a very common name, this might take a while," Paris noted seriously, whirling her scotch around, checking her phone.
The next moment another bachelorette party group staggered into the establishment, and Rory still working on her list like a studious school girl, headed over to offer to buy the other bride a drink.
"I was right - there are only 34 524 people named Logan in the US," Paris stated, taking a sip of her scotch.
"Fine, if she can't find one she'll get a pass," Lorelai relented.
The evening flew by drinking, laughing and completing the four other challenges on the list. She did find another Logan on the street later, mainly thanks to the guy's friends calling after him. The guy was a short and round business man, resembling nothing of her fiance and she left cheerily with a photo of his business card. A few assignments later, including getting a stranger to talk dirty to her that she completed exemplary at a local gay bar, they ended the party with toasts outside a photobooth, before people begun to scatter. It was already a few hours past midnight, as Lorelai and Rory said goodbye to the guests leaving in their respective Ubers while they took the limo back to Stars Hollow for the night.
"Wasn't it fun?" Lorelai asked.
"It was, thanks mom!" she replied. She hadn't truly been into it, not wanting to get completely as drunk as it would've been needed to truly enjoy that sort of thing. But she genuinely appreciating the gesture.
"I can't believe that my baby is getting married," Lorelai said, giving her a side-ways hug, on the back seat of the limo.
"About time, I'd say," Rory said.
"I wonder what the boys are up to?" Lorelai added curiously.
"Probably eating, drinking and doing some elaborate stunt," Rory commented. She had indeed already had this discussion with Logan, but knowing that Finn too was now a recently married guy, limiting somewhat how stray he would lead the rest of the group. Rory briefly recalled what Logan's last bachelor party had entailed, brushing the thought aside. Tonight she just wanted him to have a good time and there were no doubts.
"I guess we'll just have to wait to hear about what Colin bought this time," she laughed.
Rory paced nervously around her bridal suite on her wedding day, trying to entertain Leah until her nanny got there, without messing up her braided updo. That proved to be a challenge, as Leah instinctively wanted to play with her braids, claiming she looked like a princess.
"I want to be like mommy!" she insisted.
"Do you want me to braid your hair?" Rory offered, switching the plan around on Leah's hair. She hadn't counted on her staying still enough to actually give her a hairdo, and she had simply brought along a white flowery headband to put on her head at the last minute.
"Yes!" Leah replied.
"Alright then, try to hold still," Rory instructed, preparing to weave her a couple of small braids.
"There you are!" Lorelai appeared, "Lauren just pulled up, she'll be here any minute," she added.
"Good," Rory sighed, still wearing her robe.
"Nervous?" Lorelai asked.
Rory replied with an anxious nod.
"Oh, kid. It's going to be fine," she tried to calm her.
"Mom, do you think you could do me a favor?" she asked, finishing one of Leah's braids.
AN: Honestly, these last few chapters are the most difficult to write because there is so much detail and action I want to add - trying my best to pick the very best I come up with, so this might take some extra time. I am not sure whether it will be 2 or 3 more chapters, but the end is near, I can say that much. On the positive note, I already wrote the beginning of my new story - I'll post it once this story one is done.
