A/N: I'm glad to see I have readers left! Especially the ones I missed so much (meaning all of you that have been here before, though welcome to anyone new, and I'll love you just as much now that you're joining this little family!). Anyway, enough of my sentimentality. I hope you like this fluffy little bit here. I'm thinking of maybe creating a Pinterest board of things relevant to Lorelai's wedding (my self-indulgence reaching an all-time high), so let me know if that's something you'd be interested in or if any of you use Pinterest.

Please read, review, and favorite/follow if you haven't already and want to! Also let any of your Literati or Gilmore Girls-obsessed fanfiction-reading friends know about this and recommend it to them if you feel so inclined. This is a the-more-the-merrier, Bracebridge-Dinner kind of party we're having here :) I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters or concepts, as all of that is the genius of ASP, but I do own the second season of Gilmore Girls on my computer now in order to more fully indulge my obsession.


Chapter 102

"It's perfect."

"It's better than the original one."

"Sacrilege!"

"Hey, blush is pretty, but this came first," Lorelai retorted, smoothing the folds of the gown down as she admired herself in the mirror, "So isn't it technically the original?"

"Being vintage doesn't give it originality rights," Rory rolled her eyes, unable to stop grinning at her mother's reflection. For the past ten minutes Lorelai had been smoothing, readjusting, pulling and prodding and hadn't been able to take her eyes off of herself.

"What are you smirking at? That boyfriend of yours finally rubbing off on you?" Rory's smile grew wider remembering her earlier conversation with Jess.

"No, I've just never seen you look so happy about something with zero calories."

"Well, I'll be living on zero calories to fit into it." Rory looked at her mother plaintively. "Alright, that's unrealistic. Maybe I'll just have to cut out the Mallomars."

"And that's realistic?" Rory scoffed, "Plus, you don't have to worry about it with this dress, the way that it falls. But it's still nice and…"

"Cleavage-emphasizing?"

"Don't tell me that's not a very important attribute of your wardrobe."

"Hey, if you've got 'em…"

"Use your v-necks as a publicist so they get their due?"

"I've taught you well."

"You've taught me the secrets of your evil trade."

"Then why do you wear so many crew necks?"

"I haven't completely succumbed to your corruption yet."

"Thank God, otherwise maybe you would have caused more trouble in high school."

"Running to New York to see Jess wasn't enough trouble?"

"You grounded yourself immediately upon return! I didn't even have time to enjoy punishing you. Inflicting that dictatorial form of justice known as parenting."

"Well if you want to you can ground me now."

"Alright. No….um…hold on a minute…"

"You're really good at this."

"Shut up," Lorelai shoved Rory playfully, "Fine. No ditching Friday night dinner next week."

"Why?"

"You need to tell them about you and Jess."

"But…"

"HA! Parentally imposed justice at work."

"You're a cruel, cruel woman."

"One of the many charming descriptions to come in my eulogy."

"Right after 'I want my ashes scattered at Sephora'".

"This dress."

"It's the dress," Rory smiled softly as she walked up next to her mother, "And it's even white."

"I know. Luke's going to go into cardiac arrest."

"Didn't he want you in white?"

"Exactly. I never do what he wants."

"You're right. I'll tell Jess to have an ambulance on standby."

"Pretty sure the major law enforcement agencies in our town just ignore him by now. They've given up hope of punishment or reform since he stole the caution tape."

"He actually already had that."

"I so don't want to know."

An hour later they were walking into Luke's.

"I still don't understand why you didn't buy it. It's the dress," Rory emphasized, looking at her mother curiously.

"I just…want to be sure this time. Don't want to rush it. Plus, this is Star's Hollow, so putting it on hold means indefinitely."

"You have this town wrapped around your finger."

"I prefer to think of it as being on the ropes and I'm the puppetmaster."

"I can see the nightmares already."

"Speaking of which…"

"No, you did not look like Dolly Parton!"

"But…"

"Cleavage does not make you Dolly. Platinum blonde and super-cleavage make you Dolly."

"Can that be my superpower?"

"Can what be your superpower?" Jess asked, setting a mug in front of each of them and starting to pour coffee. Lorelai smirked.

"I could so make your boyfriend freak out right now," she taunted, and Rory involuntarily grinned again, thinking of this morning.

"Oh my god, Rory, I had no idea that you were internally so cruel."

"It's not…nothing," Rory quickly stopped her, earning a curious look from Jess, "Please don't inflict that kind of pain on him. I'm not sure he'd survive."

"And even if I could I'm pretty damn certain I don't want to know," Jess added, "Hey, would you mind helping me out with something for a second?"

"Oooh, secrets!" Lorelai trilled, and Rory shot her an exasperated look before following Jess upstairs, "God, sometimes I swear I don't know what I'm going to do with her. What's up?"

"Luke wants to know what color her dress is."

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"Because she didn't buy it."

"But I thought you said she found one."

"She did."

"So…"

"She didn't buy it."

"But if she found one…"

"She wants to take her time."

"Paying the clerk?"

"Jess, this is a girl thing. You'll never understand so you may as well stop trying," Rory finished, a smile forming in the corner of her cheeks, "But tell him we haven't decided wedding colors yet so not to worry about his tie or tux until we get there."

"He's wearing the same…"

"He can't wear the same tux."

"Women," Jess sighed defeatedly, starting to go back downstairs. Suddenly he turned to face Rory.

"So are you going to grin like the Cheshire Cat every time someone calls me your boyfriend?"

"I was not…"

"Mickey Mouse with a hanger in his mouth?"

"I hate you."

"The entire cast of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?"

"Mom! Jess really, really wants you to tell him what your superpower would be."