Authors Note: Thanks petriebird18, AliseAndrews, and Miss GoodManners for your nice reviews. It's good to know that you imagined it in a similar way.

Chapter 39: The Bachelorette

"Hope, I have to tell you something. Richard and I are back together." I say to her and I can barely hide my excitement.

"Oh Emily that's wonderful. I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you."

"How did it happen – did you finally go to him?"

"No, he rear-ended my car – "

"What?"

And then I told her the whole story.

"…When we were coming home he said he didn't want to be in the pool-house anymore. I knew that if I wouldn't say anything now it would be lost forever. So I told him to 'Come Home'. He immediately wanted to kiss me, but I made us talk first. You were right I can make him listen. I basically told him what I told you and I have to admit that you were right in everything. I even recognized the mistake you were talking of. So I finally apologized for not telling him earlier about my feelings, and he told me how very sorry he was not to have recognized them. After we'd talked about everything we made up – you know." I add conspiringly.

"I can imagine." she says laughing a little.

"Oh Hope it's so good to be together again. He promised to change, and I think he did. I'm so in love with him." I admit.

"I knew you could make it. It's so good to hear you being so happy."

Yes it surely feels good to be so happy – to be so in love with my husband.

"I want to thank you Hope. You were there for me when I needed someone – as always – and you always believed in us, even when I didn't. You know I knew your letter by heart."

"I'm glad I could be there for you. I know you would do the same."

Yes I would.

"I haven't told you the best thing yet. On Saturday we're going to renew our wedding vows. He proposed again to me." I say hardly able to hide my excitement.

"That's very sweet."

"I know it's very short notice and you probably can't come because Maurice still needs you, but you're of course invited."

"Thank you. But you're right Maurice can't travel. I'd love to be there though."

"I'd love to have you here either, but I can totally understand when you don't want to leave him."

"I'll talk to him."

"You do that. Hope I'm so happy."

"I can hear."

We talked for a while. I enjoyed it immensely. But it does seem that Maurice stopped making so good progress. I don't think that she'll come. And that's okay, if her husband needs her she should be there. I think I'll ask Richard if we can visit them soon – it's right she always was there for me, I'd like to support her now either.

I'm in the living-room. The girls should be here any minute. After I'd given my dress back to Miss Celine to have it altered a little, I called her over once again for a dress and suit for the girls. She's already upstairs. I also hired a wedding-planner. It is a lot to plan and with everything that's going on I can need a little help. She's far from perfect, but it has to work.

"Where is my favourite wife?" Richard calls coming in.

"In the living-room."

He's home early. That's happened more often the last days and I'm not complaining.

"Hello Emily. You look nice." he says embracing me.

"Thank you." I say and he starts to kiss me.

As it's about to get more passionate I'm pulling apart from him.

"Richard please, the maid can come in every moment."

"She wouldn't dare to come in, when you're not calling her. You know that poor thing is afraid of you."

"Richard!"

He's kissing me again. I'm about to give in when I remember Lorelai and Rory.

"Richard, the girls will be here any minute."

"Then let's go upstairs."

"Miss Celine is upstairs."

"So you don't want us to…" he says giving me a disappointed look.

"I didn't say I don't want to – just that the timing is bad."

"But the girls will ring the door-bell. We'll hear them."

He continues to kiss my neck. What if Miss Celine comes down? Seeing us behaving like teenagers, making out in the living-room. His left hand is gently rubbing my back. Yes we will hear the door-bell. Finally I'm giving in. Our tongues are playing with each other. His right hand unbuttons my blouse a little so that he can slip inside to fondle my left breast. I can't believe that I'm doing this, but since we're back together, it's like the honeymoon all over again. Suddenly I'm hearing a noise. Looking up I see Lorelai and Rory standing in the door. Dammit. I knew this would happen.

"Mom, Dad please – don't you have a bedroom?" Lorelai exclaims dramatically.

I turn around to quickly button up my blouse. Richard apparently has lost his ability to speak. Great first he's the one to get us into this and now he's backing off.

"I'm sorry girls." I say turning around again.

"We were supposed to arrive at 5 pm, right? I mean if not we can just walk around the block right Rory?"

"That won't be necessary. And yes 5 pm was the correct time. So let's go upstairs. Richard please excuse us."

The one time you're on time, and something like this has to happen. I'm going upstairs and they're following me. Lorelai giggling all the time, Rory saying nothing at all.

"Are you re-decorating the bedroom Mom?"

"Lorelai please. I already apologized. So stop talking about it."

From the corner of my eye I see Rory making a gesture for her to stop. And she does.

Unfortunately she's totally against the dress I wanted her to wear, but finally we found one we all approved of.

"So rehearsal is on Thursday. I expect you to be there at 4 pm." I say after we bid Miss Celine goodbye.

"I'm sorry Grandma, but I have to be at Yale."

"I can't be there either Mom. The Dragonfly, you know."

"No I don't. You're my maid of honour Lorelai, you have to be there."

"Well Rory is best man – I don't see the big difference. Why are you accepting her excuse but not mine?"

"Because she's not a professor, she can't change her classes. You however run the Inn so you can plan your own day."

"But that's very short notice. I'm sorry Mom, but I can't come. But don't worry, I'm able to go in a straight line."

"Lorelai – "

"No Mom, it's not possible."

That's so typical of her. It's one hour, why can't she come for one hour? Don't fight with her Emily. It will work, everything will work on Saturday.

"Would you like some coffee Rory?" I say putting my arm around my granddaughter.

"Sure I'd love to Grandma."

We're going downstairs.

"You so like her better." I hear Lorelai mumble.

Today I went to Christopher. I couldn't get Lorelai's look out of my mind, when she was mirroring herself with the wedding-dress. She's about to get serious with Luke, I just know it. Christopher loves her, and so does she – at least she did. And who says she won't love him again? They would be the family they were always supposed to be – Rory would have her father.

Christopher is so much better suited for Lorelai. He is weak, but he has the right connections to support her in doing great things. And Lorelai is capable of great things – greater than running an Inn. Plus I can control Christopher, so I would have Lorelai around me. I'm afraid that when she'll marry the diner guy, she'll be in Stars Hollow forever. She won't come over to me anymore, because she wouldn't need me anymore. I can't let that happen, I can't lose her again, so I invited Christopher to the renewal, telling him, that when he'd want his chance with Lorelai he'd better do something now. That's only fair, to give him a last chance. Hell they would be married if he hadn't impregnated that other girl. He really has no timing.

But deep inside I know that perhaps I've overstepped the line – granted for a good cause, I only want what's best for her, but I can't deny that I'm feeling a little guilty. I haven't told Richard.

It's Thursday evening and Richard and I are lying in bed. Rehearsal was – well okay. Far from perfect, but there isn't much to rehearse when half of the important people are missing. I still can't understand that Lorelai wouldn't come. I sigh.

"Don't worry Emily – everything will be all right on Saturday." he says kissing my hair.

I look gratefully at him. He's always able to calm me down.

"Oh did I tell you – the boys organized a little bachelor party for me – in the pool-house. Symbolic isn't it?"

I smile at him. Bachelor party – I haven't thought about this.

"Are the girls throwing something for you either?"

Are they? They really should.

"Yes I'll drive to Stars Hollow tomorrow."

Why am I lying? Because I don't want him to miss his party. I want him to enjoy the evening. And perhaps it isn't a lie – perhaps she has something planned and wants to surprise me. Perhaps that's the reason why she couldn't come to rehearsal – but I doubt it.

"Good. So in two days is the big day."

"Yes – two days." I say looking at him.

I start to get nervous. As if he'd feel it, he begins to kiss me. He's parting my lips and I'm able to relax into the kiss. As I said – he's always able to calm me down.

"Emily – I'm going over to the pool-house now."

"I'll drive to Stars Hollow soon either." I answer.

"Enjoy the evening Emily."

"You too."

A last kiss and he's gone. Lorelai hasn't called to get me to Stars Hollow or somewhere else. But I'll go there. I'm getting my dress to lose a few beads – that way I have a reason to show up. After I'm done I'm grabbing the phone to call her.

"Hello?"

"I picked up my dress from the dressmaker and it's a disaster." I say jumping right in.

"What?"

"I got it home and it's falling apart. I need you to fix it."

"Uh,uh but –"

"I'm coming over." I state.

"No, Mom, I –"

What do you mean no?

"Yes, I need you to fix this."

"I'm not the woman who made it. Make her fix it."

"When a woman gives birth to a crack baby you do not buy her a puppy."

"What does that mean?"

I love to confuse her. So often I don't know what she's talking about – it's refreshing the other way round.

"I want this dress to be perfect for tomorrow, Lorelai."

"Yes, Mom, but –"

"It's the most important day of my life, Lorelai!"

"It's not even the most important day of your marriage!"

What do you know of important days of my marriage!

"I'll be there in a half an hour, Lorelai." I say and with that I'm hanging up.

When I'm going towards her door I'm thinking about the quick encounter I just had with Luke. He was working on a boat - which doesn't even float – yet as he pointed out. Besides I don't know why he's in her garage. Doesn't he have one of his own? Is he that broke? Anyway he doesn't know a thing about etiquette. I don't know what Lorelai sees in him.

I'm knocking at her door and she's opening me.

"Mom, great. Come on in. Okay, so, is that the dress?" she says and she's basically grabbing it from me.

"Yes, it's –"

"Okay, well, let me take a look here."

I can't even get a word in.

"Hi, Grandma. Big day tomorrow, huh?"

"That wasn't your dinner, was it?" I say looking at some junk food on the table.

"No, that was just the appetizer."

"Oh, well that's a relief." I say sarcastically to Rory.

"Mom, I don't see anything wrong."

"Lorelai, are you blind? Look!"

"Where?"

"Right there. That bead and that bead and that bead, all loose." I say pointing at them.

"Okay, I see it now. I don't know how I missed it. Well, this is going to take me no time at all, five minutes tops."

"Well, don't rush it."

"No, no, no, no rush. It's an easy job. Three and a half minutes and you're on you're way. You don't even need to sit down, because by the time you do, this'll be done. In fact you should have just left the car running 'cause that's how quick this is going to be."

She's talking ten times faster than usual. It's annoying to see how much work she puts into getting rid of me as soon as she can. She's bolting up the stairs and I'm about to sit down next to Rory. I won't go as quickly as she wants me to. They really could be more understanding.

"So how are you holding up, Grandma?"

Okay Lorelai could be more understanding. Rory is just my little angel.

"I'm a wreck, actually." I admit.

"Why?"

"Well –"

I'm interrupted by Lorelai who's counting down on the time she needs to fix my dress from upstairs. That's appalling. I decide to ignore it.

"I still can't decide exactly what to do with my hair, and I have absolutely zero faith that my wedding planner is going to be able to pull this off –"

Again I'm interrupted by Lorelai. This time she comes down – sewing the dress while she's standing. I'm glad that I only loosened a few beads.

"Thirty seconds - someone clock me. What are you doing?" she asks me as I'm taking off my coat.

"Do you have anything to drink?" I ask her.

"Uh no, no, Mom, why are you taking off your coat?"

You have nothing to drink?

"Some wine, or some chilled vodka, perhaps?"

"Yeah, but you might want to hold off on having a drink, Mom, 'cause you're going to be driving in two shakes of a lamb's tail."

"Well, I could use a little something. Calm my nerves about this wedding planner I hired."

And yes thanks for asking me how I'm holding up.

"I'm sure everything's going to be fine."

It hurts that she's only saying that to get rid of me – not because she really believes it.

"I don't see how it can be, everything is so last minute, and I didn't even get a decent rehearsal!" I say accusingly to her.

"Mom, I promise you, I have successfully walked in a straight line at least once before. I can get you the cop's name if you want to talk to him."

"Oh, well, it's too late to do anything about it now." I say and I'm getting up to get myself a drink from the kitchen.

"No, no, Mom. Wo, wo, wo, I'm almost there, I'm almost there! I'm done, I'm done, I'm done!"

It's really a shame. She's even following me with the dress, trying to stop me from entering the kitchen, but I'm completely ignoring her. I won't spend this evening alone. Deal with it.

Just when I'd found a decent drink in that kitchen of hers, Rory comes in.

"Hi Grandma. Take that and come into my room."

"Why into your room?"

"Because I want to show you something."

"And that has to be in your room?"

Lorelai just wants to get me out of the way. Either the phone call one minute ago was Richard or she figured out herself that she'd neglected her duty as maid of honour.

"Yes Grandma – just come in."

She shows me pictures from Europe on her laptop.

"I'm sorry Grandma – I should have shown them to you before, but it took me some time to organize them and then I forgot to bring it over, but well good thing you came tonight, so we can finally see them."

She's so sweet – trying to cover up for her mother who's on the phone the whole time, trying to invite some people I hardly know. Those crazy town people. As if I wouldn't hear that – the walls aren't that thick. But the photos are nice. After the last picture I turn to her.

"Thank you Rory – it was really nice to see them. The things you can do with a laptop are amazing."

"Maybe you should buy one for yourself, Grandma."

"Your grandfather said the same thing."

She's looking a little irritated. The door opens and Lorelai comes in.

"Well Mom, seems as if a little party for you'll be going on in some time."

"Well that's nice Lorelai." I say and we share a look.

I have to decide now, whether to sulk the rest of the evening, because of her rude behaviour or whether to just enjoy it. I think I'll enjoy it.

"Let me freshen up your drink Mom." Lorelai says and she takes my glass out of my hands to refill it.

"What's that?" I say pointing to the table she has set up in the living-room.

"Oh I thought we'd drink some rum and coke. Here try it." Lorelai says and gives me her drink – in a blue plastic cup.

Plastic! But well I just decided to enjoy it.

"Not bad." I say after tasting it.

The first people to come are Miss Patty and Babette – I remember both from Rory's party. Then Rory's friend Lane with some other Korean girl and of course Sookie. After some more drinks I'm really enjoying myself. At least I'm not so nervous anymore. The drink is really good.

Okay we're nearly there. Hope you enjoyed it – let me know.