A/N: Thanks for all the fabulicious reviews guys! You are my little pieces of heaven! I want to hug you all, but unfortunately the whole 'internet arms' concept isn't doing to well... anyway, on with the show!
ProFfeSseR: well, I tend to tape too much stuff... I have all of season three and almost all of season 4 of GG, seasons 1, half of 3 and all of 4 of McLeod's Daughters, season 2 of Ed and seasons 2 & 3 of 24! My dad gets so P.Oed at me for taping so much stuff! (especially when I forget to label the tapes...)
Cordy18: thanks for the review!
Chelsea-Lynne: aha, well you'll just have to wait and see!
Chelsea: thanks for the review!
Franala: hehehehe oh I love Sookie!
Kimmers: gotta keep the classics
ocdwithlhg: lol very nice! My pen name is pretty boring... the bom is the only thing that puzzles people!
bright-star-4455: nice to see a new reviewer! Come again!
froukje: well, you know, just thought I'd mix it up a little! lol! Thanks for the review!
Thanks again my darlings. Sorry, but this part has even LESS of 'me' I'm afraid... but please cope with me! The next part is ALL my work!
"So, make sure they all get the thank-you cards and light the lemon candles so the rooms smell pretty when they get up there. Thanks, and great job this weekend, great job," Lorelai said to one of the maids whilst coming down the stairs. She headed over to the desk and picked up a few pieces of paper. Turning around she almost jumped out of her skin seeing Emily sitting on the couch and dropped the paper in surprise.
"Oh my god!" she screamed.
"My, what a lovely greeting," Emily replied, resting her head on her hand.
"How long have you been sitting there?" Lorelai asked, her hand over her heart.
"10 minutes. Why?" Emily replied.
"Because you scared me!"
"Like I'm Dracula," Emily said sarcastically.
"Oh my gosh my heart won't stop pounding," Lorelai said, still touching her chest as Emily got off the couch.
"Stop being so dramatic. I just showed up for lunch. It's not as if I did anything truly terrifying like telling you that butt-crack-baring jeans had gone out of style," Emily replied, leaning against the desk.
"What do you mean you showed up for lunch?" Lorelai asked.
"Our lunch... at 1 o'clock. You, me, Rory – the three of us. We're having lunch, aren't we?"
"I didn't think so..." Lorelai replied, shaking her head slightly.
"You didn't?"
"Well, no, but -"
"When you invited your father and me for the weekend, you said it included a lunch with you and Rory," Emily said, as if it was the most simple thing on earth.
"Well, yes, I know, but that was before you left."
"What does my leaving have to do with anything?"
"Well, when you left, you weren't here anymore. You were gone, so we just assumed lunch was..."
"This lunch was your idea."
"Yes I know, but -"
"I did not force it upon you."
"You're right, however -"
"If you were too busy or you didn't want it to happen, then you didn't have to bring it up at all, did you?"
"No, I didn't. But you left, see, so -"
"All right then," Emily said looking at her watch, "it is now 1, you said lunch at 1, I'm here, its 1, where's Rory?"
"Okay, you see, you left, so -"
"She's not here is she?" Emily said with a smirk on her face.
"No."
"Didn't she know about the lunch?"
"Yes, mom, she knew about the lunch. But you... so we... and she... I'll call her," Lorelai replied, admitting defeat and picking up the phone.
"I'll wait," Emily said walking off. Lorelai dialled and the phone rung a few times before Rory picked it up.
"Hello?" Rory answered.
"Your grandmother is here for lunch," Lorelai said, her arms crossed.
"But she left," Rory replied, slightly confused.
"Yeah I know, but she's demanding we have lunch with her. Could you just come back here please?"
"Umm... well I'm kind of busy," Rory said from Lane's room.
"Please? I need you to save me from the horror that is Emily Gilmore... I can't do this lunch thing alone. Especially when she's in this whole 'I'm right, you're not' mood, which is pretty much the mood she's in all the time," Lorelai ranted.
"Yeah, okay, I spose," Rory replied.
"Great, thanks. Bye."
"See you in a bit."
The three Gilmore women sat at the table in the garden of the Dragonfly quietly as the waiter refilled Emily's drink.
"The weather's lovely," Emily said, trying to initiate some conversation.
"Yes it is," Lorelai replied.
"Rory, don't you think it's lovely?" Emily asked Rory.
"It's very lovely."
"Yes, lovely." There was an uncomfortable silence before Emily decided it was time to say something. "Well, I don't see any reason to put this off any longer. Girls, I have something to say that may shock you, but unfortunately there's nothing I can do about that now." Emily took a deep breath. "Lorelai, Rory, Richard and I have separated.
"And?" Lorelai prompted.
"What do you mean, 'and'? That's not enough? You need some sort of mob related offing to make it interesting?" Emily accused.
"No mom, that's plenty. It's just, we already knew."
"Rory didn't," Emily replied, turning to Rory who was looking a little guilty.
"Well I didn't know know -"
"Why would you tell her?" Emily said, accusing Lorelai again.
"Mom!"
"Who else did you tell?"
"So you haven't read 'page six'?" Lorelai replied sarcastically. Emily rolled her eyes and turned to Rory.
"Rory," Emily said softly, "if you need to talk about this to try to understand why this is happening, then by all means, do not ask your mother," Emily turned to Lorelai, speaking harshly.
"Okay mom, I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be insensitive. It just seemed like a thing you and dad were going through. I figured you'd make up," Lorelai said, shrugging.
"Well, we didn't."
"I see that. So... wow, you're really separated."
"That's right. Your father's moving into the pool house," Emily replied.
"Oh, so then you're not separated," Lorelai said.
"Of course we are!"
"You separated by the pool."
"That's it, that's the end of your input on this," Emily said, holding up a hand defensively.
"I'm sorry grandma," Rory interjected.
"Well, what's done is done, I'm moving on," Emily replied. "And, to celebrate this next stage of my life, I'm going to Europe by myself for the very first time since I was in college. I'm leaving tonight."
"Tonight? That's fast," Rory replied, a little shocked and surprised.
"Well, I wanted to leave quickly, so I called my travel agent and insisted that he put me on tonight's plane to Paris no matter what. He finally managed to bump someone from a church group, and I've got my seat, and I'm leaving at 10:00. And, Rory, my offer to you still stands."
"What offer?" Rory asked, confused.
"My offer to escort you around Europe this summer."
"Oh," Rory answered, surprised. Lorelai looked at Emily a little surprised too.
"Every young lady should do Europe the proper way at least once in her life, and I would be thrilled to have your company on this very special occasion. Of course, I know it's very short notice, so if you already have plans for the summer, I completely understand," Emily said, watching Rory. Rory shifted around a little uncomfortably and glanced at her mom.
"You know, grandma, thanks so much for the offer, but I thought I might stay home with mom this summer, you know, being my first summer holidays since college and all," Rory replied. This brought a little smile to Lorelai's face. Even though there was something still a bit up with Rory, at least she'd have to the time to talk to her about it.
"Oh, well, that's alright," Emily replied, "I'm sure I'll still have a lovely time on my own."
"But thanks for the offer, grandma. Maybe another time."
A/N: Sorry that was so short an so from the episode! I promise the next chapter will have MUCH more me! Review, review, REVIEW!
Tori
Keeper of:
Luke's Barbie Band-Aid, Emily's Pearls, and Lorelai's love for Luke
