When the Bough Breaks
"Love is stronger then death even if it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take our memories either. In the end life is stronger then death."
Rory Gilmore always knew that there would come a point in time that she'd have to live without her mother and her best friend just a phone call away. Always knew that children had to bury their parents at some point in their life, but she didn't expect it to come so soon. Or so unexpectedly. But it happened just like that completely unexpectedly. And that's how the pretty and painfully composed 31-year-old ended up standing in front of a mass of people in the small church building of Stars Hollow in the middle of her painstakingly written eulogy. But for a woman who built her words on the ability to string words together the ability had failed her and now she stood in front of everybody she had ever known fighting for control of her emotions and to find the right words to say good-bye to her mother.
"You all knew my mother and Luke to stand up here and tell you about how much they loved each other would…be redundant." Rory takes a deep breath and presses her hand to her stomach, "but the thing is my mom and Luke's love was their life. You could see it when they were in a room together and you can't talk about them without talking about it. And as much as they loved each other, they loved this town. It didn't matter how many times we had to listen to Luke complain it was obvious he loved Stars Hollow and it's residents as much as my mom did." Rory stares at the words written on her note card but they blur and she's left alone with the thoughts floating around in her head.
"Mom always took a great interest in funerals, all funerals actually. And she would always tell me exactly how she wanted hers. She didn't want a lot of people standing around talking about how much they were going to miss her. She wanted people to have a party and talk about the crazy things she always used to do, she wanted it to be a celebration of her life. And Luke, well Luke always wanted what my mother wanted. We all know how hard it is going to be without both of them around, and I think Mom was right to get up here and talk about how much we'll miss her would be a waste of energy. So instead, I think this would be something Mom would have liked a lot more."
Rory takes a step back before nodding to technically person on the other side of the stage. Within moments a white screen drops down and the first notes of The Bangles Eternal Flame fill the church building and only seconds later the first picture flickers onto the screen. A picture taken at Luke and Lorelai's wedding, with Luke and Lorelai's arms wrapped around Rory and the three of them laughing and mugging for the camera. Rory's eyes are swimming with tears as the pictures change across the screen, but she knew what they were just the same. Pictures of her growing up with Lorelai and Luke floating in the background of birthday pictures and school plays. And more recent pictures taken at Rory's own wedding, pictures of a very pregnant Lorelai, a recent family picture taken only a month ago for Luke's birthday. And even as the last words of Eternal Flame finish the final picture remains, a picture taken at Luke and Lorelai's 10th wedding anniversary party only two weeks ago. A picture that neither Luke nor Lorelai knew had been taken as they stole a kiss in the corner of the diner in their own world and oblivious to the party going on around them.
Rory clears her throat and she avoids eye contact with anyone in the audience, knowing that the picture has probably reduced every last person to tears. "That's the way my Mom and Luke would have wanted you to remember them. In love. With each other. With this town. And with their family." Shakily Rory steps down to allow the reverend to finish off whatever needed to be said, essentially dismissing the assembled group. There would be no carrying the coffins anywhere, infact Rory had already watched her mother be buried an hour before the service started. Lorelai would have hated the thought of everyone watching her coffin be lowered into the ground, so Rory had stood with Sookie, Liz, TJ and Ellie and watched as they buried her mother, and any understanding of her life with her.
"Oh sweetie," Sookie is waiting at the bottom of the stairs with open arms and immediately and Rory clings to her tightly but no tears come. She'll cry, when she's alone in her room and faced with what tomorrow and the day after tomorrow will look like, but right now if she only concentrates minute by minute she can be strong.
Minute by minute had gotten Rory through an hour of the wake after the service; she'd accepted everyone's condolences graciously. Until her stomach turned in an all to familiar way and she'd dashed for the bathroom resorting to concentrating on second by second. Retching into the bathroom had become an all to familiar situation for Rory and the dry heaves make her shake and sweat all of which prevent her from noticing Sookie's appearance beside her until her cool hands pull her hair away from her face.
When Rory's finally able to face Sookie she sighs, "I'm sorry you had to be witness to this." With Sookie's aid she straightens and gripping the ceramic sink tightly she rinses her mouth out.
"Why don't I get you some crackers?" Sookie offers, "to help settle your stomach."
"I won't be able to keep them down," Rory responds simply.
"You've got to try to eat something sweetie, it's just nerves…"
"I have a month of experience to base it off of," Rory sighs, she might as well fill Sookie in on her well kept secret.
"Rory what…" Before she can even get the sentence out realization dawns on Sookie's face, "you're pregnant?" When Rory nods Sookie shrieks and wraps her arms around Rory, "I'm so happy for you." But as quickly as Sookie's excitement came on she pulls away from Rory her face replaced with the sadness that had been there for a week. "Did…" Sookie trails, she'd spent the last week careful not to talk to Rory in to much depth about Lorelai's death. She knew the Gilmore girl traits well enough to know in times of pain they couldn't be pushed, that they'd talk about it in their own time but pushing it would only push them away.
Rory nods, "I told Mom the night before," Rory swallows hard, "before they left." Rory can't bare to mention the fact that in the duffel bag of carry-on items that had been returned to Rory by a police officer contained a list of baby names. Or that Lorelai had called everyday from Hawaii to check in on Rory and her new little grandson or granddaughter. Or that Lorelai's last words to Rory had been before she boarded the plane to fly back to Connecticut to tell her to make sure that she Rory knew that she would be there for her doctors appointment two days earlier. No, no one knew these details. These were things to painful to think about let along voice.
"I bet she was thrilled," Sookie states, her voice barely above a whisper.
Rory nods, "she was." Taking one final breath she states, "we should get out there."
"I'm here," Sookie states gently rubbing Rory's back before they part ways. "I know I'm not your mom," a tear slips down Sookie's cheek as she says this, "but I'm here."
"I know," Rory nods, "thanks." Carefully Rory weaves her way through the crowded house until she stops at her old bedroom door, now decorated with a mix of ballet and baseball posters. Gently she pushes open the door and finds a nine-year-old girl with dark brown hair lying face down on her bed. "Hey kid."
"Don't call me that!" The girl sits up immediately her voice raised and tears already streaming down her face.
"Ellie," Rory bites her lip as she faces her younger half sister. Eleanor Emily Danes, names after both of her grandmothers, was every bit a Gilmore from the same piercing blue eyes to her appetite with the exception of her athleticism that she could only get from the Danes side of the family.
"Don't," Ellie sobs, "don't call me that. That was Mom's word, don't call me that."
Rory moves to the bed, kneeling on it before she pulls Ellie close to her letting the younger girl cling to her as she sobs into her shoulder. They were all they had left of each other, Rory would be responsible for her sister from that moment on. But she couldn't let herself think about that yet. For right now she had to concentrate on the present, later she could cry about it…later she could think about how she was supposed to live her life without her constant in her life.
A.N. I know that there's still a lot of questions left after this chapter. How Luke and Lorelai died. Who Rory's married to…and more I'm sure. But there's more to come if you guys are interested…if not I figured this would be a good place to end a one-shot!