Rory drove them to the mall in Hartford, and all three were off on their shopping endeavor, with Mia and Rory encouraging Lorelai to look at the few places that had wedding dresses.

"You guys, we've only been engaged a little over two weeks, I think it's too soon to start picking out wedding dresses!"

"Oh, it's never too soon Lorelai!"

"She's right mom, it wouldn't hurt to look…" Rory says, giving her mother a small pout.

"Put that lip away! I never should have taught you that lip…"

"There was no need to teach, I think it's in the genes"

"Yeah well…"

"Have you and Lucas picked a date for the wedding yet?" Asks Mia, curiously.

"No, but he knows that I want it in the spring, so I think that I'm going to shoot for April."

"A spring wedding at that beautiful inn of yours would be lovely!"

"I agree, so hopefully Luke will go for it, or I can whip out the hair flip/little black dress combo to persuade him."

"Mean!" says Rory at her mother's methods of persuading Luke for a spring wedding.

"What! If you've got it, flaunt it!"

After looking through a few stores, they came to the first with wedding dresses, and Lorelai was dragged in by Mia and Rory, being forced to look at a few dresses.

"Oh this is soooo fun!" Rory says excitedly as she claps her hands together.

"Well, if you think so, why don't you try on the dresses!"

"Come on mom, you had to have loved trying on dresses when you were younger. When Lane went to the prom, even though we knew that Mrs. Kim wouldn't approve of any of our choices, we went to the mall and tried on every dress that we could get in our size… didn't you?"

"No, I didn't get to do the prom thing cause I was doing the labor thing."

"Oh… yeah, sorry about that."

"That's okay, I'll just pay you back with tule and a nice fat bow on your ass." she said referring to the hideous bridesmaid dresses that everyone has seen at one time or another.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh wouldn't I?"

"Lorelai, please try on something? I don't think I'll be able to come to Connecticut before the wedding for all the planning, but this way, I can be a part of this…you wouldn't want to make an old woman sad, would you?"

"Enough with the guilt already! Let's find me a dress!"

After a few attempts at trying on dresses, they decided that the simpler the dress, the better. Lorelai was trying on the last attempt at frilly, with lace and beads, while Mia was scanning the store for something more suitable. By the time she came out of the dressing room, and was standing on her pedestal, Mia had found what she thought to be the perfect dress. She instructed Lorelai to quickly take what she had on off and try this one on.

A few minutes later, she emerged from behind the curtain in an exquisite, but simple gown. The dress was strapless, with an A-line fit that hugged her curves perfectly, and let the skirt flow off of her hips. It was a pearly white, with a few glittery accents in diagonal around her waist. Mia and Rory were speechless.

"Does it look that hideous?" she asks them once she catches their expressions.

Standing up on the pedestal in front of the dressing rooms, she finally glances at her frame, and gasps.

"Woah…"

"Mom…"

"It's perfect! Oh my gosh!"

Suddenly another voice mixed in, that was certainly unexpected.

"Lorelai, you look gorgeous in that dress…"

Rory and Mia cast glances behind them, while Lorelai slowly turned from her place on her small perch.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

"I was shopping for some things, and obviously with the wedding of my only daughter coming up, I happened to glance inside and see you ladies."

"Oh, uh… well, that's nice." she replies, stumbling over what words to say after her mothers small hint of acceptance of the wedding to come.

"I'm glad that I did see you though, because it gives me the chance to tell you that you need to buy this dress."

"I agree, Emily" Mia says with a smile.

"Yeah, but this is only the first place that we've looked at, there might be something else out there even more perfect than this one."

Even as she says it, Lorelai glances back at her form in the mirror, admiring the simple gown with a gleam in her eye.

"Well, then, we'll buy it, and if you happen upon another one, then you can get that. You can't let this dress out of your grip though, because it is absolutely stunning."

"I can't afford this dress right now mom, and Luke and I haven't really talked about most or really any of the wedding plans."

"I'll buy it for you."

"Yeah, another loan from Emily Gilmore, what a wise idea." she says, with a sharp sarcasm creeping into her tone.

"This wouldn't be a loan, I just want to do something for my daughter, seeing as she's getting married."

"While I do appreciate it and the fact that you are actually acknowledging the fact that Luke and I are getting married… I'm not going to let you buy this dress for me."

"Lorelai, don't be stupid. If you like the dress, I want you to have it."

"With what strings attached?"

"Strings? What strings? Can't I do something nice for you?"

"I guess there is a first time for everything, but I doubt that with you."

Mia and Rory stood back as spectators for this verbal mother and daughter match. Realizing that it wasn't going to stop anytime soon, Rory decided that it was time to step in before everyone in the mall was staring at them.

"Mom! Grandma!"

"What!" they both shouted, turning towards Rory.

Finally having enough of this, Mia breaks free of her silence.

"Now that is enough!"

Lorelai, never seeing Mia ever get upset over anything grew silent instantly, staring at her with wide eyes. Emily, struggling a bit more than Lorelai remained quiet while Mia spoke.

"Lorelai, I have known you for many years now, and I have seen you grow into this beautiful woman and raise this beautiful young lady that we have right here with us. I have sit idly by, just being a comforting presence while you went through many of your life's tribulations, including your relationship with your mother."

"I would hardly call – " says Emily, trying to get a word in before she is cut off by Mia.

"Emily, I have not known you on a more personal level, but have known of you and the things that have happened between you and your daughter. In the three short times that the two of us have interacted, I have noticed something buried deep inside you, that you rarely let anyone see. And Lorelai, while your sense of humor is one of your best qualities, deep down, I see the same thing in you. The two of you are so content to fight with each other about small things, that you won't ever be able to talk things through. I have talked to the both of you on this matter, and would like to reiterate what I told each of you. Emily, even if you don't approve of what Lorelai does, I have to say that I couldn't be more proud of her. She runs an amazing inn, has a beautiful daughter, and has landed a man who I consider to be a son to me as much as I see her as a daughter. The two of them are meant for each other, and everyone has known it for some time, so this wedding is going to be a very joyful event… Am I right Rory?"

Realizing what Mia just said, Rory agrees. "Years in the making."

"Don't be upset because she didn't turn into what you wanted her to be, but be proud of what she has become and forget about the past." Turning then, she focuses on Lorelai, who has remained still during the entire monologue. "Lorelai, I know that some of the things that have happened between you and your mother have been quite painful, but you need to understand that some of those things didn't just hurt you, but hurt your mother as well. She may be too proud to admit it, but when you left, I'm sure that it tore her up, and the fact that you continue to push her out of your life, continues to hurt her even more. Let her back in. Now, I'm not saying that the two of you have to become best friends right this instant, but you need to love each other the way a mother and daughter should." Finally, she gives a long pause before finishing what she has to say. "I don't like to butt in, but it has always hurt me to see your relationship like this, and … well… that's really all I have to say about that, and you can take it or leave it."

The two elder Gilmores contemplated what was just spoken to them, not wanting to say anything at all to each other or Mia. It felt though, that a huge weight had been lifted off of their shoulders.

Emily is the first to break the silence. "I'm sorry… I know that I say all of these hurtful things to you, but you know that it is because I want you to have the best."

"Well, our bests might not be the same…"

"And I realize that now… Lorelai, I just want you to be happy, and you know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I do know that mother."

Another long silence followed her admission. Rory sat quietly, taking in the scene with awe, not believing that someone had finally gotten through to the two of them. She had tried to get her mother to talk to her grandmother so many times before, with no success, and now, things were looking up. After a few more silent moments, Rory decided that it was time to speak up.

"So, I'm thinking that I agree with grandma on the dress thing, cause… well, let's face it, you look phenomenal in that dress."

Lorelai, snapping out of her reverie, glanced up at her mother, and gave a short smile before turning to look at herself again.

Smoothing out the flowing skirt, she thought out loud. "This really is the one…"

"You look absolutely stunning, Lorelai."

"So…" she says, turning to face her mother, "Mom, what do you think? Is it a winner?"

"I don't think that you'll find anything that compares. It really is perfect."

"Rory, what do you think? Do you think Luke will like it?"

"Luke would like you in a paper bag, but yes, he will definitely like this. In fact I think this might top the hair flip/little black dress combo for good."

"What?" says Emily, confused at the comment.

"Luke once told me that I could get him to do just about anything if I did my patented hair flip and wore my little black dress, and now it's an ongoing joke with us… I tell you though, it really does work."

"Oh, I see…"

"Well, I think that this dress is a done deal then…"

"Lorelai, will you please let me get it for you?"

Biting her lip, she thought back to what Mia had said. All of the horrible words that have passed between the two of them has left Lorelai hurt and untrusting. Then she thought about what she said in her message the week after she and Luke announced their engagement, and even there, she found her mother to be sincere.

Finally after gathering her thoughts while staring into the mirror, "Mom, I would really appreciate that."

And with that, the beaming smiles on Mia and Rory's faces were priceless. It would take quite some time, but eventually, hopefully, the two would finally be able to have a somewhat normal relationship.

So… maybe Lorelai and Emily can have a somewhat more sane relationship now? I don't know… I don't know where I'm going with this, but yeah… R/R cause I really really like it when you do! Let me know where you want it to go… I'm thinking more wedding planning will come out of this next chapter!