A/N: Hello, people! Here is Chapter Eleven. It took me forever to start this chapter. It's a long one, and I knew that when I started it. Worst of all, I didn't know WHERE to start it, WHEN to start it, WHO to start it with … *sigh* the worst of all places to be. Indecision. Well, I finally figured it out. Just hope it works, and that you all like it.

I would like to thank Melissa Larkin for noticing a mistake in the previous chapter. The chapter is set in June, and I had Rory putting on a long winter coat. It's fixed now, but I'd once again like to thank Melissa for realizing it and bringing it to my attention.

Oh, and once again, this is REALLY long. So far seven pages on Microsoft Word. Almost three thousand words.

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: R/T, R/J

Disclaimer: I do not own "Gilmore Girls." That is owned by Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB. I do, however, own most of this storyline (some was taken from previous episodes), so steal that and I will haunt you for the rest of your life.

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The doorbell rang. Lorelai put a smile on her face – not that she didn't have any reason to be smiling, but who wouldn't be nervous before getting married? – and opened the door. She almost fainted at the sight that awaited her.

Richard and Emily Gilmore were standing on her front porch.

"Mo-om," Lorelai's voice faltered. "Dad?"

"Lorelai," her father began. "I know we didn't R.S.V.P., which was extremely rude of us, I'm sure you know, but we hadn't been planning on coming until last night, when –"

Someone cleared his or her throat. "Hello, Grandma. Grandpa," Rory smiled at them. She had come up behind her mother when she heard her grandparent's voices. She hadn't been sure that they wouldn't slip up …

Rory took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. It was late, she knew. But she had to talk to them. The maid opened the door and narrowed her eyes at Rory.

"Excuse me, miss, but what are you doing here at this hour?"

"I'm extremely sorry, but I have to speak with Mrs. Gilmore. Would you please tell her her granddaughter is here?"

"I have been given express orders not to wake her after ten o'clock at night. I'm afraid you'll have to come back in the morning." The maid began to close the door. Rory put her foot in the way before it could close. It closed anyway, since the maid hadn't noticed Rory's foot.

"Ouch!" Rory yelled. She glared at the door and grumbled, "Well, it always works in the movies." She stood on the doorstep for a few more minutes before ringing the doorbell again. Multiple times.

The door opened, and the maid poked her head out, glaring at Rory. "Miss, I told you before –"

"What is that infernal racket down here, Belinda?" Emily Gilmore walked into the foyer and glared at her maid.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but there's a girl here who won't leave. I told her to come back in the morning, but –"

Rory shoved her way in through the door. "Grandma, I have to talk to you."

Emily stared at her granddaughter with a mixture of shock, surprise, and, if you looked hard enough, joy. "Rory? What are you doing here?"

"Like I said, I have to talk to you. Can we go somewhere else?" Rory asked, looking pointedly at Belinda, then glanced back at her grandmother before continuing. "Oh, where's grandpa? He should be here as well."

"Oh, yes, of course," Emily replied, slightly flustered. "We'll go into the parlor. Belinda, please wake Mr. Gilmore."

The maid nodded her head and the two Gilmores walked into the parlor quietly and sat down. Richard walked in a few minutes later. Rory took a deep breath before speaking.

"Grandma … grandpa … as you should know, mom is getting married tomorrow." There was no response, so Rory continued. "I know we sent an invitation, and you did not R.S.V.P., and I know it was because of me." Emily opened her mouth to argue this remark, but Rory cut her off. "No, grandma, it was. And I'm tired of being the reason that my mother and grandmother cannot get along. Your daughter is getting married tomorrow! You should be there. She wants you to be there, and I know it. Grandpa, I know it's old-fashioned – and actually a little sexist – but … well, if you remember, you had a letter with your invitation. Mom asked you to walk her down the aisle. It would mean a lot to her if you were there. And I want both of you to meet Tricia. I didn't meet either of you until I was sixteen, and despite the fact that you practically disowned me when I got pregnant, I still want you to have a part in my life, and in my daughter's life. I hope you'll at least reconsider. It would mean a lot to mom, and to me." Rory stood up and began to walk out of the room, then paused. "Oh, and don't tell mom I was here." She walked to the door, leaving a shocked Emily and Richard Gilmore behind.

Rory shook her head, clearing it of her thoughts. She smiled at her grandparents and opened the door for them while Lorelai was standing a little off to the side, still in shock. The two elder Gilmores walked into the living room, which was, amazingly, quite clean. Rory smiled at her mother and grabbed her hand to help her to the living room, since it was clear she wasn't going to move herself.

***

Meanwhile, Jess was helping Luke get ready. It was difficult, since Luke was extremely nervous, and kept fiddling with his tie and his cuffs and his hair and … well, he was just very nervous. He even tried to put on his baseball cap. Jess stopped him.

"Oh, no you don't. Rory gave me express instructions to keep this away from you," he said, waving the cap in front of Luke, who was sitting in a chair at the kitchen table. They were in the apartment above the diner. Jess tossed the cap into his room before looking back at his uncle.

Luke looked contemplatively at his nephew. "And you always obey her instructions, don't you?" He asked, watching Jess flush at the remark. "Jess," he began. "Why don't you just tell her how you feel?"

Although Jess was glad that his uncle had finally stopped fretting about the wedding that was going to start in – he glanced a the clock – one hour, he wasn't ecstatic about the new topic. He knew he couldn't evade the question. Luke had learned of Jess' feelings for Rory almost eleven years earlier, after Tricia's first birthday party. "We're just friends. She doesn't see anything more than that. If I said something and she didn't feel the same way … it would probably ruin our friendship." He paused, but Luke didn't say anything, so he continued. "Plus, there's Tristan. They're getting close again. Really close. I wouldn't be surprised if he popped the question again."

Luke cocked his head, looking at his nephew. The kid had grown up. He'd grown up, and he'd rather suffer unrequited love and be able to stay close to her than to risk upsetting her and their friendship. Luke sighed. Jess had grown up.

***

Tristan adjusted his tie in front of the mirror. He was standing in his room at the inn, getting ready for Lorelai's wedding. He was lucky that he'd never taken a sick day or a vacation day or whatever other free days he got at the company. He sure was racking them up now, though. He hadn't been to work since February. It was probably also a good thing that he practically owned the company. Being the president of the corporation tended to do that. Tristan thought about his daughter, and a conversation they'd had in March …

"My favorite author is Robert Louis Stevenson." Tricia smiled at him and asked, "Who's your favorite author?"

Tristan almost frowned. He hated to real – hadn't really read anything besides stocks and the company history since college. He tried to remember someone's name. "Ernest Hemingway," he finally said, hoping she hadn't read anything by him.

Tricia wrinkled her nose. "I don't like him. Mommy does, but she said that she didn't like him when she was my age, either. She said she didn't like him until Jess put notes in the margins of a few of his books. Now he's practically her favorite author. Hey! You and mommy like the same author!" Tricia laughed, and Tristan smiled at her, a little curious.

"Do Jess and your mom spend a lot of time together?" He asked his daughter.

Tricia shrugged, "Well, I guess. I mean, we see him at the diner all the time, of course, and sometimes he might come to movie night when we need someone else, especially since Luke moved in. And they talk about books a lot. Sometimes they talk to me about them, too," she said proudly.

Tristan smiled at his daughter and decided to change the subject. "So, what's this I hear about you having trouble in math?"

Tristan frowned. He still wasn't completely certain about Jess' place in Rory's life. Not that he'd forbid her from seeing him or something. It's good to learn from your mistakes, but better to learn from someone else's. Dean had made the mistake of trying to limit Rory's friends, and look where that had gotten him. Tristan definitely didn't want to turn Rory against him.

***

The wedding started without a hitch, although Luke could have sworn his heart stopped beating when Lorelai came into view on her father's arm. Jess was standing next to him, smirking at his uncle. But Jess had also had a momentary lapse in breathing when he saw Rory walk into view in front of her mother.

"If any person has a reason that these two should not be wed, please speak now or forever hold your peace," the minister said, obviously not expecting anyone to answer him. He opened his mouth to continue without pause – but someone interrupted him.

"I do," a voice from the back of the audience said. Lorelai turned around and looked at Christopher Hayden.

"Christopher? What are you doing here?"

"Lor, you can't marry him."

"The hell I can't."

"I still love you," he said, looking desperate.

"Christopher, we were over seven years ago. I told you that. We haven't spoken since. Get out."

"But Lor—"

"Christopher, I'm going to ask you one more time. Please get out. Leave, now. Do not come back." She glared at him, and turned back to the minister, effectively shutting out any further comments.

***

"I can't believe he did that," Rory said to Jess, as they were on their way to the reception, which was being held at the Inn. There had been a shortage of cars, and Rory had lost sight of Tristan (Tricia was going with Sookie), so when Jess had offered her a ride, she hadn't refused.

"Well, I guess he thought he still had a chance. After all, she'd taken him back all the other times he'd asked. I guess he didn't think that this time would be any different, despite the fact that they haven't spoken in seven years. I'd have thought that would've been a pretty big clue, but I suppose some people can't learn."

Rory shook her head and sighed. She still missed her dad, of course, and wished that he'd had a larger part in her life, but she was mad at him for pretty much deserting them whenever the wind changed, and always coming back at the shortest notice. She didn't want that for Tricia. She'd find a way to make sure that didn't happen, she assured herself as they pulled into the parking lot at the Independence Inn. She hopped out of the car and grinned at Jess as they walked to the reception.

***

Lorelai was happy. Really happy. She looked at Luke – her husband! – and smiled. They would start the dancing soon, as soon as everyone was done eating. Rory was sitting next to her mother, and Jess was sitting next to Luke. Tristan and Tricia were sitting at a table not too far away with Emily and Richard. They seemed to be getting along pretty well. They'd introduced Tricia to her great grandparents before the wedding, at the house. They were getting along very well – especially Tricia and Richard. Apparently they were having an enlightening discussion about literature, if the look on Tristan's face was any indication.

She still couldn't believe that Christopher had had the nerve to come and interrupt her wedding like that. How could he think that she'd take him back, after everything that happened? She sighed. Well, it wasn't entirely his fault. She had been pretty forgiving for everything he had done, and welcomed him back time and again, and even hoped every single time that maybe this time it would work. Maybe he wouldn't leave. But she'd been wrong, every single time. And after Tristan had left, she and Rory had had a few heart-to-heart discussions about men, and she'd realized that she couldn't spend her life waiting for a man who was already taken. And just ten months after she'd said her final good-bye to the father of her only child, Luke had asked her out. It had been New Year's Eve, 2009…

Lorelai took a deep breath before opening the door. She smiled at Luke and let him in. He looked nervous as well. Good. At least she wasn't the only one. Rory and Tricia were at Lane's house in Florida for the New Year. They'd left the day after Christmas. When Luke had asked if she'd wanted to do something, she'd said yes almost immediately. It had been for selfish reasons, yes – she was lonely, but who could blame her? – but she was sure they'd have a good time. So she asked if he wanted to come to a movie night on New Year's Eve. He was bringing some healthy food – and coffee, of course – and she'd stopped at Doose's the day before to pick up junk food.

Luke walked into the kitchen and set the food and drinks on the table. "So…" He trailed off.

"So." Lorelai said, fidgeting. What was she doing? She didn't fidget! Straightening, she said, smiling, "I've got Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a must for every movie night, A Christmas Carol, with Patrick Stewart, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the one with Jim Carrey. Old, but good. Which one do you want to watch first?"

They'd watched Willy Wonka, much to Luke's dismay. But they hadn't gotten around to the other two…

Lorelai put her feet back on the ground.

"Lorelai, what's the matter? You've changed positions at least ten times in the last five minutes," Luke said, frowning.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

She wasn't, she knew it. This was a date, plain and simple. Their first date. Which meant that the first kiss couldn't be far behind. That was what was making her nervous. She stared at him for a few more minutes before finally coming to a decision. She leaned forward and grabbed him around the neck, pulling him to her. Luke looked at her, surprised, but then his lips were on hers, and she was in heaven.

Lorelai almost blushed thinking about it. They'd stopped before anything could happen – Luke said he hadn't wanted her to regret it – but they'd lain in each other's arms for the rest of the night.

***

Rory watched her mother and now stepfather dancing. They looked perfect together. It was amazing how much they obviously loved each other. As the song came to an end, she stood up as the DJ called for the second dance, in which the bride would dance with her father, the groom with his wife's mother, and the maid of honor with the best man. Rory walked over to Jess, who had also stood up, and they walked out to the dance floor.

Rory felt like she'd walked into a dream. Jess had obviously taken dancing lessons at some point, as he led her expertly around the dance floor. She smiled at him as the dance drew to a close, and he led her off the dance floor. They walked back to their seats.

***

Lorelai took a deep breath. This was it. One of the things she had been waiting for since she was a little girl. She grinned at her husband of less than – she looked at the clock on the wall – four hours. He smiled back at her, and once again she was struck by just how much she loved him. Snapping out of her sentimental state, she said, grinning, "It's almost time…"

"For what?" Poor Luke. He looked confused.

"Throwing the bouquet. Sookie should be …" Lorelai paused as Sookie stepped up to the mike set up at the front of the room. "Yes, there she is."

"Ladies and gentlemen," Sookie began, grinning at everyone. "It's time for our favorite part! Lorelai, please come up to the front. Single ladies? It's time to throw the bouquet!!"

All the single women rushed to the front of the room. Lorelai walked towards Sookie. When she reached her, she turned around and closed her eyes. She didn't want to make a fool of herself by having the flowers fall before they got more than two feet away from her, so she braced herself before throwing them into the air behind her.

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A/N: Thanks for reviewing chapter ten:

Alexis, coffeeaddict4life, destiny, dodgerluv, klm111a, mandie, miss.pebbles, rorynjess 4ever!, Sarah V.