Chapter 3 -The Emily Strikes Again
Lorelai is getting ready for dinner at her parents, Luke is sitting on her unmade bed putting his shirt on. Watching her as she flits about adding accessories and immediately taking them off when she thinks of what her mother might say about them.
"So you are sure you can't come with me tonight?" Lorelai called from the bathroom.
Luke sat on the bed buttoning up a flannel shirt.
"Nope, can't...I set up this meeting with Taylor. So he would quit buggin us."
She walked in with her dress half way zipped, and gestured...
"Zip me up." She said.
"Ahh humm..."
"Zip me up please you sexy, sexy man."
"That's better. How did you do this before me." He said looking at her in the mirror and kissing her neck.
"Oh I can reach it...I just like it when you do it." She said shooting him that look that said everything...the one that let him know he was her only one and she was his.
"I wish you could be there when I told them tonight." she said.
"You are telling them? Tonight?" he asked. "Are you sure? I mean you haven't told anyone but Rory yet."
"I know...I learned my lesson last time. With Ma..." Don't say Max, don't say Max. " I mean...it's just better to let them know first...besides they are my parents...and I want to tell them that I am gonna marry the one." She said kissing him.
He put his hands on her hips and pushed her back to look her in the eyes.
"I can cancel. I will go with you, I should be there." He said sternly.
"Nah..go...meet with Taylor...do your thang....I will see you later tonight. You can come next week. It will be better this way. I know Emily...it will be less threatening this way. Besides if all else fails I can have Roru go on and on about how she wants a new daddy and it will distract my mother from any possible negative actions."
"Whoa..." Luke said.
"What?"
"I just realized, that...Rory..."
"What...that I have a kid? Yeah Luke that is why I let her live with me so long...I mean if she was my roommate she was bad at it...I pay all the bills."
"I know but...Rory is... I dunno I guess I never thought about her as I guess...my step-daughter?"
"That is all technical, you will still be you she will be her, besides it isn't like you are going to have to ground her or anything or have those you aren't my father fights, she is past all that."
"True."
"You know what else?"
"What?"
"When you and I get married...it will make Jess and Rory cousins." Lorelai laughed.
"I guess it will."
"The hours of jokes I will have about kissing cousins..."
"You realize that you have probably already given her about nine different complexes right?"
"Ehhh Rory is tough she can take it. At least this way we know a reconciliation with those two won't happen."
"It's not like they will be blood."
"True...but Rory tends to stay away from insest in any of it's various forms." Lorelai said starting down the stairs.
"Listen...I gotta go. I won't be late. You'll be here when I get home?" she asked.
"With bells on." He said following her.
"Oh kinky...I like that." she said with a wink.
"You sure you don't want me there?"
"I want you there...but I don't want you to come."
"When do I get the manual for you?" Luke asked helping her with her coat.
"See you later."
"Good bye Lorelai."
"Bye. I love you."
"I love you too."
They kissed. She left.
She pulled up right behind Rory at the Elder Gilmore house.
Rory ran up to her mother.
"January 21st." Lorelai said.
"What?" Rory looked confused.
"That is the day January 21st. When I am marrying Luke... I forgot to tell you yesterday with the confusion." She said.
"Of next year...like in two months?" she said.
"Yeah."
"Wow, mom that is...soon." Rory said.
"Why wait?"
"I guess not." Rory said.
"How's the eye? Are we going to get the third degree?" Lorelai asked.
"Cover up and an excuse are both in place."
Just then the door opened.
"What are you two doing out there it's freezing, get in here." Emily barked.
"Nice to see you too mom." Lorelai said as the maid took their coats.
"Hey mom...is that the...it is...that is the same maid you had two months ago.
Are you...are you...feeling ok."
"Lorelai please...you act as if I have never had a maid longer than two months before."
"Well mom, not since I was like...2." she said.
"Marina, is a wonderful maid, there is no reason to let her go yet."
"Ahhh yet...so you are looking for something." Lorelai said as they sat on in the living room.
"What can I get you to drink?" Emily asked ignoring her daughter.
"Well mom, do you have any Champagne?" Lorelai said.
Rory mouthed the "Now?" to her mother.
Lorelai nodded.
"Why what is the occasion." Emily asked happily.
"Well mom...are we sure that dad is out of town?" Lorelai asked realizing she might want to wait until he was there.
"Why would I make that up?" Emily asked.
"Fair enough. " Lorelai said.
"So why the champagne?" Emily asked picking up a bottle from under the drink cart.
"Well he isn't here..." Emily said annoyed. "You'll just have to do with telling me and filling him in later...so what is it...is Rory on the Deans list...did you finally throw out that couch of yours...what is the occasion here?" Emily asked.
Lorelai could sense that her mother had two months of nagging and nit picking stored up and was just going to let it all go. She reconsidered telling her at all but, she really wanted to tell her. So she decided that she would.
"Well, mom...Other than Rory here...I want you to be the first to know that. Well you know Luke..."
"Yes, that man you have been seeing...he runs that diner you love so much." Emily said in a tone that dripped with her disapproval. Lorelai decided to continue anyway...not telling her would end up worse than the fake smiles and congratulations ever would be.
"Well he asked me to marry him yesterday...and I said yes." she said. Proud of herself for coming to her mother with her news. She showed Emily the ring.
Emily looked at the ring...then looked at her daughter.
"Well, I suppose this is an occasion then isn't it." Emily said. But she looked sad.
Lorelai had thought about all the emotions that her mother might have from angry to just plain mean...but never did sad enter as a possibility.
"Mom..."Lorelai said. "This is a good thing mom."
"Yes...it is. Congratulations." Emily said and gave a forced smile.
"Grandma...I know it seems soon but, Luke loves mom and she loves him." Rory interjected hoping to avoid the fight she felt brewing.
"Yeah...mom...I mean...it isn't like he is a stranger, I have known him for 10 years...he has always been there for me...for Rory...he is a great guy and I love him mom." Lorelai said trying to fight her way back up to confidant.
"I am sure you...for now." Emily said in a tone that made her daughters past loves sound like one-hit wonders. That was about all Lorelai could take laying down.
"Why can't you ever be happy for me." Lorelai said raising her voice.
"I am happy for you Lorelai, I just said so." Emily said.
"Could you get your nose out of the air for a second mom, I think the air is thinner up there. You seem to be suffering from delusions...that emotion you just expressed to me was not happiness...unless you had botox done recently that was anything but happy."
"Lorelai...I am sorry. He just isn't what imagined for you." Emily said. "He runs a diner for heavens sake."
"Here we go..." Lorelai said."You could do so much better Lorelai. You are an attractive intelligent woman,
you could have your pick of men, men who would be able to take care of you,
take up some of the slack. Someone with a career that doesn't involve flipping burgers." Emily said.
"Mom...I know..he isn't Christopher...and he didn't go to an Ivy League school,
and he isn't a CPA, or a CEO, or a MD....or anything other career that is so boring it has to be abbreviated. But I love him. I love him like I have never loved anyone. This isn't like any time before...this is right and I know it...and I love him...and you have to accept that mom, because... I need you to accept this. Doesn't love count for anything with you?"
"Grandma..." Rory said trying to interject...she wasn't sure what she'd say but, if these two didn't get back to thier corners this match was going to end in a knock out.
"No...Rory, no...I am sorry Lorelai...but...I can't see you... I can't see you..." Emily didn't know what she wanted to say to her daughter, she was trying to find the words that would make her see the good intentions at the heart of her disapproval.
"What mom...you can't see me happy? Is that it? Is that what you are trying to say? Cause I am starting to think that. I was happy was Chris you hated it. I was happy with Max, you hated me. I was happy with Jason...you hated him. I have been happy with Rory...and you have always hated that...why can't you let me be happy. Why are you only happy when I am not. Why is that mom?"
"Lorelai." Emily said surprised her daughter would dare say that.
Lorelai was starting to cry...why didn't she let Luke come with her...he was good in situations like this...he could charm Emily...make her see. The more she thought about Luke and how much she loved him...she grew more furious until she blew.
"No...mom...no...you can't talk yourself out of this one...this one hurts too bad.
You could have could have meant it mom, you could have....but you won't...and I am going to marry Luke...and we are going to be a family. And that is good because I just lost mine....you just sealed that door closed. God mom...this could have been easy...I hate that you do this to me...everytime." Lorelai screamed.
"Lorelai wait..."Emily said knowing she had pushed to far.
"Yeah mom, calm down." Rory said.
"No...Rory...no. You can't make this better this time." Lorelai was red with tears."I love you kid..but I can't let you talk me out of this. I am gonna go home...to Luke where I belong... God...I hate you! I hate you for always doing this to me...just when I think that you can be my mom, and care and be happy for me, you remind me of why I left in the first place. Take a good look mom...because you might see Rory again...but until you learn to accept me, for who I am and who I choose to love...this is the last time you are going to see me...good bye mother." Lorelai said as she walked out the door.
Rory went after her...but she was pulling out of the drive. She walked back inside to find her grandmother crying in the foyer.
"Grandma." Rory said.
"No..Rory, your mother is right." Emily said wiping her tears. "I push her away,
I always push her away."
Lorelai got onto the highway through a flood of tears and a hard snow. He mother had hurt her before...but never like this...she couldn't stand the pain. She wanted to call Luke. She looked down into her purse to find her phone, she needed to hear him. She had just dialed her house when she hit a patch of ice and her Jeep went sliding.
"Heello." Luke said.
Just then Lorelais Jeep struck the median and went into a barrel roll. Then it was dark.
Luke didn't know what that sound was...it was awful whatever it was...somekind of horrible racket.
"Stupid kid..."He said. "Find something better to do with your time." he said into the receiver.
And then he heard it....the sound of a horn...blaring without breaking. That wasn't a TV show he had just heard. His heart jumped.
"Oh God. Lorelai." he said.
No...he thought...it is only 7:45 she is still at dinner. She is ok you are jumping to conclusions. Calm down...call her mothers house.
The phone rang at the Gilmore house.
Rory sat up from her perch beside her grandmother. She decided to stay with her since her mother had Luke and with Grandpa out of town she didn't have anyone.
"That is probably mom now." Rory said to her grandmother.
Rory picked up the receiver.
"Gilmore residence."
"Rory?" Luke said.
"Oh Luke...is mom home...is she better?"
"What do you mean home? Better? She is supposed to be with you."
"No, she and Grandma had a fight... she left half an hour ago she should be there by now." Rory said.
"Oh my God." Luke said.
"What Luke...what."
The phone beeped.
"Rory that is the other line. Hang on."
"Hello." Luke said.
"Hello, this is Officer Randy Johnson with the Connecticut Highway patrol..there has been an accident involving a Lorelai Gilmore..."
"What what happened." Luke said.
"It seems she hit some ice and lost control...they took her to Hartford Medical Center." the man said.
"Tha...Thank you." Luke said. The panic rose in his voice.
He clicked back over to Rory.
"Rory." he said. "What Luke is everything ok, was that my mom is she there?"
"Rory, your mom was in an accident...they have taken her to Hartford Medical Center." I need you to get yourself there.
"Oh my god...right of course...is she ok?" Rory was panicked.
"I don't know Ror...listen you have to be strong and get there ok..." he was holding back the tears. "I am on my way...with this snow it is going to take me a while, but I will be there for you." Luke said.
"Ok...ok. Uh. I'm gonna go."
"Rory...if you see her...tell her I am on my way...and tell her I love her."
"Oh..okay." Rory said.
Rory ran back into the room where her grandma was waiting. Emily looked up at her granddaughter and new that something was wrong
"Rory, what's the matter? What's wrong?"
"Mom..." Rory broke down crying.
"Rory." Emily lept from her chair.
"There...there was.."she could hardly stand let alone speak.
"Is she ok..." Emily shouted.
"No! There was an accident...we have to go the the hospital." Rory said.
With that they were in the car and on the way.
Luke ran out of the house like a mad man. He grabbed his coat from the top of the TV and pulled the whole thing crashing to the ground, but he didn't look back. He jumped in his truck and headed out of town. He ran the street light and headed right to Hartford. He knew he was driving too fast so he slowed it down...he needed to get there in one piece for Lorelai...for Rory. He was almost into Hartford when he saw the tow truck on the other side of the Median..and the Police...guiding traffic past as they pulled what was left of Lorelais mangled Jeep onto the truck. Luke couldn't help but cry.
He cursed out loud.
"God damn it...don't you take her too. Don't you do this to me again!" He shouted.