Disclaimer: This is an original story based upon the characters of Gilmore Girls. No profit will be made from this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Thanks to all who took the time to read and review. I appreciate it as always!

"Mom, it will do you good," Lorelai said hugging me goodbye. "It will only be for two weeks. You'll be back three days before Christmas."

I tried to swallow my disappointment. "I didn't want to go on this stupid trip. Your father is making me go!" I whined loudly enough for Richard to hear. But I had been whining since Richard had found out about my freak-out at the mall, and to no avail. I was going to Europe for two weeks. It was if Richard thought that I could outrun my dreams there.

"Mom," Lorelai said firmly. "It will be okay. Go to Europe and have fun. We'll still be here when you get back."

"But no Christmas party?" I whined again. "That 's the only time we see you before Christmas."

Lorelai smiled sympathetically, and then looked at Luke. He nodded and took Alicia from Lorelai. Lorelai then put her arm in the crook of mine and walked with me to where Richard was waiting.

"Mom, how would you and Dad like to come over Christmas eve and stay for Christmas morning. We have plenty of room...and we'd like to have you there. Both of us," she asked.

If my daughter had suddenly announced she was growing a tail and moving to Venus I couldn't have been more surprised.

"Mom...hello," she said, smiling at my surprise.

"Are you sure?" I asked apprehensively.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she nodded.

I swallowed hard to keep from tearing up. "Of course, we'll be there."

We got to Richard and Lorelai transferred my arm to his. For a minute it was just us three—our little family.

"I'll miss you. Call me when you get there." Lorelai said.

Richard reached down and kissed her on the cheek, "We'll see you in a few weeks Lori-Bug,"

We turned and headed up the escalator. I turned back and waved to her. This is ridiculous—she's almost forty years old, but suddenly I feel anxious about leaving her. As if sensing my feelings, she smiled and then reached in her pocket, pulling out an old picture frame that folded in the middle and held it up so I could see. I couldn't believe it—she remembered.

"Richard, I am not going without Lorelai," I said emphatically. "She's four years old! For goodness sake!"

"Emily, I am not suggesting that we abandon our child in a dumpster. We'll only be gone for two weeks. She'll be just fine."

"Richard I don't understand. Why don't you want her to come?"

"Because I don't Emily. That is all I have to say on the matter,"

A week later we were walking down the airport runway on our way to England. I held tightly to Lorelai's hand as we walked towards the gate, grateful that Richard didn't make her stay home. She looked so adorable in her new plum colored winter coats, her dark curls bouncing as she walked. She seemed totally oblivious to what was going on, she was too excited to see all that was going on around her. I had tried to explain it to her, but she was handling it so much better than I was.

When we got to the gate, Richard picked her up and kissed her tenderly. "We'll see you in a few weeks Lori-Bug," he said to her. She hugged him back and then kissed him.

"Bye Daddy," she said nonchalantly, looking at the large airplane through the window.

"Be Sweetheart," he said, hugging her to him again. For a minute, just a minute I thought I saw a terrible sad look in his eyes. He brought her over to me and I knelt down next to her.

"Baby, Daddy and I will be back in two weeks okay? You're going to have a fun time with Kristina and we'll call you and talk to you on the phone okay?"

"Okay Mommy," she said and smiled at me—what was I going to do without that smile for the next two weeks! I reached in my pocket and handed her a picture frame. It folded in the middle and on one side of the frame was a picture of Richard and on the other side of the frame was a picture of me.

"This is for you Lorelai. If you miss us, all you have to do is look at these pictures and Mommy and Daddy will be thinking about you. I love you Lorelai." I said hugging her to me.

"Bye Mommy, Love you," she said back. I turned to Kristina and gave her Lorelai's hand. At that moment I hated Kristina. Then Richard took my hand and we started towards the ramp.

"Don't look back," Richard whispered. "You'll only make it harder for her,"

So I focused on the ramp. We were about half way to the plan when it started. She started crying for me. I closed my eyes and held onto Richard's hand for strength. Her crying suddenly sounded farther and farther away. I looked back and saw Kristina carrying her away. I really, really hated Kristina.

Two weeks later we got home about midnight and I walked into her room. I reached down to kiss her goodnight, not wanting to wake her up and saw her clinging to the picture frame. I cupped my hands over hers as tears came to my eyes. Over the years we made many trips to the airport and each time she brought the picture frame with her. Then little by little she stopped coming to the airport to see us off. Then, during one my searches—when she was fifteen, I found the frame buried below some old magazines in the bottom of her drawer. It broke my heart.

Then one day, a month after she had left us, the first time I could stand to open the door and go in her room, I walked in and sat on her bed. It still smelled like her. I just sat there in her bedroom for a minute and then suddenly I wanted to know—wanted to know if she would miss us at all. I pulled open all of her drawers and searched through them. The picture frame was gone—She had taken it with her.

I sat down on the floor and sobbed.

"Champagne Mam?" the attendant asked, looking at me strangely.

"Yes please," I said, and watching as the sparkling beverage was poured into the glass.

"You alright?" Richard asked, when she had walked away.

"You've got to stop asking me that Richard," I said firmly and then turned to him, "Yes, I'm fine. I am ecstatic. Our daughter wants us to spend Christmas with her. Christmas morning Richard!"

He smiled and put his arm around me, "Been a long time since we had Christmas morning with our daughter hasn't it?"

"Richard—I want to do it right this time. I want to make this Christmas just magical for her and Luke and the kids. I'm so excited!"

"It will be Emily. It will be magical," he said.

I leaned into Richard and found myself dozing off.

"Richard will you hurry up? It's three o'clock in the morning!" I hissed at him.

"Emily, I am an insurance man, not a bicycle builder. You were the one that bought this ridiculous contraption. Why in Heaven's name didn't you buy one that was already put together?" he said, pushing the pedals of Lorelai's new bike around for the fifth time to see if they finally went around in a circle."

"Richard, just put the stupid thing together," I said back to him, as I worked on laying out the baby doll bassinet and stroller.

Finally the bike was put together. I put a red bow around it and then stuffed her stocking and then laid out the new velvet dresses with lace petticoats I had bought.

"She's going to hate those Emily," Richard whispered.

"What are you talking about?"

"Emily, I think I know my own daughter. She's going to hate those dresses."

"She will not, she'll love them!" I said.

"Trust me, Emily. She'll love the bike, the blocks, the art set, maybe the baby doll and things, but she'll hate those dresses."

"You are ridiculous," I said. "She'll love them," I insisted. "Little girls love this kind of thing."

Richard chuckled, "Not our little girl. Did you read her letter to Santa Claus?"

"Um no, did you?"

"As a matter of fact I did,"

"You're kidding!"

"No,"

"Okay, Mr. "Father of the Year," what does she want for Christmas?

"She wanted a bike, and an electric train set."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life," I said back.

"Well," he said, coming over and reaching down a hand to help me up, "She'll love her presents Emily. All of them except the dresses."

I didn't want to fight anymore. I was too tired. Richard plugged in the tree lights and then together we put our arms around each other and helped each other up the stairs.

It seemed like maybe fifteen minutes later that we were awakened by a blur of black hair and a white nightgown jumping on our bed.

"It's Christmas! It's Christmas!" she shouted happily.

We both sat up groggily and looked at the clock—five-thirty.

"Come on! Come on!" she shouted and grabbed both of us by the hand and led us downstairs. My grogginess disappeared as I watched her shriek in delight over the beautifully decorated tree and the new bike that was standing by it.

"Santa Claus brought me a bike!" she yelled and ran towards it. Richard and I smiled as we watched her climb on the new bike.

"No riding in the house!" I called out. She got off disappointedly but then turned to her other presents. She was excited about the blocks, the baby doll set, and the art kit. When she saw the dresses her face fell.

"What's the matter Lorelai?" I prodded as she reached out a hand to finger the velvet.

She turned back around, and her five year old face was scrunched up into a frown.

"I thought Santa knew I hate dresses!" she said pouting.

I elbowed Richard stiffly in the ribs.

"Emily, Emily wake up darling," Richard said jostling me. I sat up and felt the plane come to a stop.

"We're in New York Dear. We have to catch our connecting flight," he said. I sat up groggily, not realizing I had fallen asleep. I slowly grabbed my carryon and then wrapped my arm in Richard's as we walked off the plane.

We had plenty of time, so we were able to walk leisurely through the airport and not rush to our next gate. That was nice. Through the big windows we could see the snow falling softly around us—not too much, just enough make the city look divine.

"We should come here more often," Richard said.

"Yes, we should," I agreed.

Suddenly, we came to a restroom and Richard went to use it. I went across the way to a small shop and was looking through the magazines when I caught a headline of the newspaper. "Case of mistaken baby causes confusion at FAO Schwartz toy store." Quickly, I deposited seventy-five cents in the machine and took out the paper. I turned to the second page and scanned the article.

"Confusion reigned for a few terrifying minutes in FAO Schwartz today as a woman began screaming that her child had been kidnapped. The store was put on lockdown and the police called. Ten minutes later, the child was found. Apparently, another woman had taken the wrong identical stroller, leaving her own child in the store. When she had figured out her mistake, the woman returned and was very apologetic. Let this be a lesson to all those mothers out there. Be sure in the crazy shopping time that when you take your stroller, make sure the baby in it is your own. No baby shopping this Christmas!"

I swallowed hard, and suddenly I felt Richard's hands on my shoulders. I jumped at his touch and he turned me around.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Richard, please stop asking me that," I said, as I put down the paper and took his arm again somehow unable to shake the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach.