"What happened today, Lorelai?"

Well, nothing really. That could be the simple lie that saved more pain. But the truth couldn't be like that; it was meant to cause pain and make you grow, but she really didn't see how she could grow from this. Her parents who were they were, trapped in the world they grew up to believe was the ideal American life and that the rules they followed must be universally constant if the world was to continue existing. All of the things that she disliked about people could be wraped into a ball and called Emily and Richard Gilmore, and yet she was trappped by the truth. They were her parents, she cared and loved them, but wanted nothing more than to seek their approval, the elusive concept that she couldn't achieve once she reached the age of ten.

She felt his hand moving up and down her back, the soft movement of his chest under hers, his stubble tickling her face as she rested it in the crook of his neck. In front of her was a table of comfort food and a tv playing some unknown program turned way down low. Her arms were around his chest as tightly as she could get them, and her legs were a tangled mess with his.

"I told them, and my mother reacted. . ."

"You're what!"

"I said I'm getting married, Mom."

She watched as Emily began to stride the room, fingers at her lips in thought, while Richard took another sip of his brandy and waited for his wife to set the tone. After a few moments she stomped her foot and gained a pained expression, "How could you do this!"

Lorelai numbly sat and waited for the elaboration. It wasn't like she hadn't expected it, but hope is always cruel when she needs it the most. She began to play with her fingers in order to distract herself, but then quickly folded them so that Emily couldn't see her bare ring finger and thus take another dig at the man who didn't even do the asking.

"Do you even care about what happens to this family! Rory needs a strong guidence in her life, not the upheaval of her mother marrying the local vendor! Do you even care that this will mean that that little girl has got no chance of having a normal family? Of course you don't, because everything is always about you. Well guess what Lorelai, we don't all have that luxury!"

Not willing to be made the fallout guy she had stood up and defended herself as always. "You're right Mom, it's all about me. You know if you had even bothered to open your eyes for two seconds beyond your nose and beyond the DAR you would know that Luke has always been a stable guidance in her life and that Christopher has been good for coming in and giving her false hope, which, by the way, Luke helped mend after he ditched us again! You would know that that man is responsible for making sure she ate more than take out and pizza everyday, and that he nearly beat up her first boyfriend for breaking her heart-"

"And then we fought. . ."

"Oh for heaven sake Lorelai that man makes food for a living its not like he wasn't already fufilling his calling! He doesn't have a stable income or a way to provide for anyone but himself-"

"Ah, newsflash, he invested $30,000 in the inn, he owns the entire building the diner is located in, and he rents out his childhood home. If you can't call that financially stable than you obviously weren't paying attention in your last economics course."

"He isn't a suitable match."

"To you maybe. Again if you weren't so vision deficient you would see that that man is everything that I've ever wanted or needed in my life; the whole package. He is there for me and I'm there for him and he loves Rory more than a stepdad should have to-"

"He was married and divorced within a year; that's not stable, that's more like-"

"What an out of control sixteen year old daughter! His wife cheated on him; did you really expect him to stay married?"

Emily paused and took a breath before coming to the clincher. "And if he's so financially stable, then why are you getting married but don't have an engagement ring?"

And then she really lost it. . ."

"Because I asked him."

"You what!"

"Lorelai," Richard sat forward slightly, "you know that is not proper behavior. When a man proposes he is supposed to ask permission and do it the right way."

"Oh right, my mistake Dad. It isn't proper for me to ask the man I love to marry me, but it's proper for you both to go behind my back and harbor in a girl whom I had been trying to convince not to quit her dreams. It's proper for you to encourage her to become nothing more than a housewife with no education and no future and a broken tiara over a bottle of vodka."

Emily sat heavily on the couch as if the very air holding her up had deflated like so many helium baloons. "So in addition to being uncouth he is also uncivilized. You would think he would at least know to ask."

"Yeah, ask permission to be asked to be married from people who don't even like him. Boy, that's not asking a lot right there. You know, I didn't come here to be ridiculed for another choice I've made that you blatantly don't approve of. I came to tell you I was getting married and I'm not going to let you ruin my happiness for it just because you freaked out when you didn't know last time."

Emily glared at her, "Which gives me about three months to plan ahead."

"And why is that?" Lorelai crossed her arms over the sea blue shirt she was wearing.

"That's how long you were engaged before you ran away just before the wedding. You never change, Lorelai. You said that he was the one too, remember?"

"Yeah, well it's different this time."

"Oh really? How?"

"Because now I'll never want for coffee is that what you want to hear? I'm not going to go into the details of what I feel in my heart to you because knowing you you'll just pull another wedding stunt."

"Christopher was there and it was the right time for you two."

"No it really wasn't but you just had to go ahead and give it a little nudge anyway. Christopher and I were over the second the stick turned blue. We were too young and too independant and we wouldn't have made it, then and now."

"You would have made it because of Rory. If you would have done the proper thing then we wouldn't be having this conversation because you would have protected this family and done what was right to maintain your daughter's social appearance."

"No I would just be like the Huntsburger mother, chain-smoking in the corner while planning catillions and what string of pearls would be appropriate for this function and that function." Lorelai grabbed her bag and headed to the door, muttering, "I've got to get out of here."

And then I lost it. . ."

Emily followed her to the door. "Come back here, young lady! We're not finished!"

Lorelai turned and stopped the woman in her tracks. The fire she felt blaze in her eyes felt nothing compared to what she felt near her heart, "Oh yes we are. I do not deserve to walk in here to tell you news that should be joyous only to have you insult the man I love and everything I have ever done in my life. I have found a guy who takes me as I am and is willing to put up with you, which is asking too much of anyone. So you know what, Mom? I'm getting married. I'll send you a postcard from our honeymoon. . ."

And then she was gone.

"And I made sure the door didn't hit my ass on the way out."

"That's not much of a story. Really short."

"Yeah, I was thinking of having it take the place of the shortest story: I came, I saw, I conquered." Lorelai sighed and rested her head against his chest. "Really, Luke, I'll tell you all of the sordid details."

"I know you will. But you don't have to tonight."

"Thank you."

Luke sat up straighter and reached over to the table, grabbing the plate and the coffee along with two forks. "C'mon, lets eat this while it's still warm," he said, handing over the coffee and reaching back for his tea.

Yes I think that will be all for this installment. RnR plz.

Snow