Ah, and here begins the true saga of the Gilmores et al. This is turning out to be about four chapters of dramatic goodness with fluffl thrown in for good measure (you know how I love my fluff). Enjoy!
And I'll make you guys a new deal. I'll post 23 when I finish 25, or when I get 370 reviews, whichever comes first. Technically, it's up to you guys!
Richard and Emily Gilmore formally extend an invitation to the Annual Veterans' Luncheon.
November 13th, 2010.
Please RSVP.
Rory read and re-read the simple wording of the flowery invitation that spelled out certain doom. She felt that distinct sense of dread deep in her stomach. This time, there was no way she could avoid it. This time she'd have to face the Gilmore grandparents, for the first time in four years, with a boyfriend. She was stuck.
Since her break up with Robert the Veterans' Luncheon had been coincidentally planned for the same Saturday as a walk for cancer she and Honour always attended. Many of the children and their families supported by the foundation also participated in the walk and she felt that, as charity co-founders, their presence made them seem much more human. They both loved the children they supported as well and to see them happy and doing something that they cared about always made both Honour and Rory warm and fuzzy inside.
The envelope had been in the pile of mail when she'd gotten home and Sophie had immediately raced off to start on her homework before heading out with Finn for ice cream. Rory and Logan always treasured the few hours they got alone once a week.
"Hey Ace."
Speak of the devil, she thought as he pressed a hello kiss to her hair.
"What's that?"
"My death warrant," Rory responded dismally. "Or the invitation to my grandmother's fall lunch."
"Over-dramatic don't you think?"
"Telling the truth, actually."
"It can't be that bad. I'll call tomorrow," he offered. "RSVP and everything."
Rory moaned pitifully. "Why did she have to pick November 13th?"
"Ace?"
"Honour and I have had an event on the same day for the last four years so I haven't seen them," Rory tried to explain.
"Okay," Logan said patiently.
"My grandparents and I haven't exactly gotten along over the last couple of years."
"You're talking to the king of dysfunctional family relationships."
Oh, she'd forgotten that. "They got offended when I broke up with Robert."
"He cheated on you."
Rory shrugged. "My grandparents don't know that."
"They don't know that?" Logan repeated in surprise.
"My mom doesn't even know, Logan, and you know how close we are," Rory replied in a tone that told him discussing this would probably be a moot point.
"So what does this have to do with the luncheon?" he asked, choosing to follow her unsaid suggestion.
"I don't want to go and deal with a chilly reception and awkward dinner talk. And I really don't want to deal with Robert and his family."
"But you have to go," Logan finished with a nod of understanding.
Rory nodded with a sigh. "But I have to go."
"Is your mom going to be there?"
"She's more afraid of my grandparents than I am," Rory answered simply.
"And you'll have me. Plus, some of the people who are friends with your grandparents have to be at least bearable."
She tilted her head back to look at him. "Thank you."
"For what?" Logan asked in confusion.
"Dealing with my neurotic tendencies, my insecurities. Telling me I'm being ridiculous."
He chuckled as me moved around her to sit beside her, pressing a kiss to her cheek in the process. "No thanks necessary, Ace," he promised. "RSVP?"
"I'll handle it. If I say I'm bringing a guest they'll just assume it's Honour or Lane and I won't have to deal with the inquisition on the phone or the disappointment. They won't make a scene at the lunch. Plus, I think your family gets an invitation too."
Logan groaned this time. "My parents and your ex? Tell me there's alcohol at this thing."
"Thankfully," she agreed, dropping her head to the table.
"Fantastic," Logan said sarcastically.
Rory nodded. "Exactly."
In Emily Gilmore's defence, she really knew how to put on a party. The cold November day required an inside venue and the room Emily had chosen and decorated with tasteful beauty was a testament to the woman's party planning skill. As Rory and Logan stepped into the scene she felt her breath catch with the beauty of it.
"This is my wedding reception. Well, in the spring and thus the appropriate flowers and outside, but this is it," she commented absently.
"What?" Logan croaked in surprise. They'd never discussed marriage and they'd just moved in together a couple of months prior…
She caught the look on his face and laughed. "Sorry, I know we haven't talked about it, and I'm not ready to get married after everything that happened the last time, but I've had my perfect wedding planned out for years. Lane and I planned them during our last year in high school but I hadn't officially decided on my reception until now."
He took a little bit of comfort in the fact that she kept using singular possessives. It wasn't that he didn't want to marry her, but he liked where they were. He wasn't ready for marriage as much as he loved the little family he, Rory and Sophie had created.
"Here?" he asked for clarification, much more comfortable with discussing it knowing they were on the same page.
Rory shook her head hoping she hadn't scared him. "The Dragonfly, my mom's inn in Stars Hollow."
He chuckled. "I've been to the Dragonfly, Ace," he reminded her. "Drink?"
"Please," she responded with a wide smile.
He leaned down to kiss her gently before weaving off through the crowd.
Rory looked around at the people in attendance, recognizing some and having no clue as to the identity of others. She was hoping that by standing just off to the side of the entrance she'd get a few more moments of reprieve and maybe not have to handle everything until Logan returned and she'd managed to imbibe some alcohol. Apparently, that wasn't in the cards.
"Rory?"
She froze. No, no, no, no. Anyone but him.
"Hi.'"
Rory took a deep breath before facing him head on. "Robert."
"I didn't think you were going to be here."
"I didn't either," she responded coolly, crossing her arms over her stomach. She mentally urged Logan to go faster.
His hand reached out to stroke her upper arm. "I've missed you."
Rory expected everything about their relationship to come rushing back in vivid colour, but her mind's canvas stayed suspiciously blank. Her heart stung with pain and betrayal. It was a welcome relief. "That makes one of us," she replied, jerking her skin from his touch.
"Come on, Pookie, don't be like that."
She'd actually swooned when he called her Pookie? God, was she high for the three years of their relationship? Ace already sounded much better. "Look, I have to be here because it's my grandparents' party, but I'd rather be at home. And quite frankly, I'd rather gouge my eyes out with rusty spoons than talk to you," Rory said strongly though softly. She took advantage of the stunned look on Robert's face to start walking away.
Robert caught her arm. "We belong together, Rory."
The brunette shook her head. "You made your choice."
"Your family knows it, my family knows it," he continued.
Rory surreptitiously searched for Logan's blond head. "My parents want me to be happy. My Hayden grandparents don't really care. My Gilmore grandparents feel guilty because they have no idea you were cheating on me for three years. Your family is delusional and thinks you can do no wrong," she hissed. "I don't want to make a scene, but I will if you don't let me go."
"Hayden?"
Rory met Colin's eyes in happy surprise. "I had no idea you were going to be here," she said, hugging him tighter than necessary and kissing his cheek.
"You looked cornered," he whispered as he returned the friendly gestures.
Rory nodded and stepped back. "How are you?"
"A little warm in the coat, but otherwise just perfect." To Rory's utter surprise, Colin held out a hand to Robert. "Robert, good to see you."
"You too," Robert replied, his face pursed as if he'd just sucked hard on a lemon. "Where are the other musketeers?"
"Finn isn't stupid enough to brave something like this. Huntz is at the bar," Colin answered, easily able to detect the threatened note in Robert's voice. This was about to be entertainment at it's finest. Robert hated losing anything, especially to Logan.
"You guys all know each other?" Rory asked in surprise.
"From Yale," Colin supplied, his eyes flicking over Rory's shoulder.
Rory almost sighed in relief when a familiar warmth curled around her lower back and hip. She leaned into Logan marginally, her nerves and anger starting to settle. She took the drink he offered her with a sincere smile. "You get waylaid?" she asked, smiling up at him.
"By your parents," he answered. "What are we doing next weekend?"
Rory's eyebrows knit in curious confusion. "Going to Stars Hollow?"
Logan shrugged. "Lorelai and Christopher want, and I quote, 'a brat-less weekend'."
Rory wrinkled her nose, knowing exactly what that meant. "Ah, so we're babysitting. Are they going away?"
"I don't think they've officially decided yet."
"I don't have anything," Rory agreed easily.
"Babysitting it is. Hey Colin. Robert." The three men exchanged handshakes.
Rory slapped Logan's chest with her free hand, her attention brought once again to the previously unknown relation between the men. "You never told me you knew Robert," she reprimanded playfully.
Logan shot her an unrepentant grin. "You never mentioned a last name and Robert's a pretty common name in our world, Ace."
Rory rolled her eyes. "I'm going to find my parents and the Hayden grandparents. You three behave yourselves." She sent a pointed look at Logan's innocent face.
Logan pulled her a sliver closer, leaning down to her ear. "But you're so gorgeous when you're irritated," he whispered.
Rory blushed and pulled away. "Behave," she repeated. Then, she was gone.
Silence fell over the three men filled to bursting with tension. Surprisingly, Colin was the one to break it.
"That was the girl you were dating at Yale?"
"Yeah, the parental approved version," Robert agreed with a slight leer. "Not your usual flavour, Huntz."
Logan stayed surprisingly calm. "Maybe not, but she's my permanent one." It felt good to say that.
"You don't do permanent," Robert contradicted.
Logan smirked. "Once you go Gilmore, you don't go back. Chris' words, not mine."
"Logan Huntzberger in a long-term relationship? What does that make it? Two weeks?" Robert scoffed. "You're a legend."
"And I'm taken, thanks. Hey, Colin, have you seen Steph or Honour?" He was anxious to get off the subject of his life before Rory. He really wasn't proud of it."
Colin shrugged. "Steph's being paraded around by her parents and I haven't seen Honour or your parents. Your grandfather's here though."
Logan breathed out a sigh of relief. Elias' attendance was a huge weight off of his shoulders.
"You can't be dating Rory because she's going to marry me."
Logan faced Robert again. "You made your choice. She wasn't your pick. You cheated on her, she let you go. Now she's moved on and you're going to have to deal with it."
"You'll never keep her. You'll get bored."
Logan could sense victory with his next words and could see it in Robert's eyes. "Eleven months says you're wrong."
"How long it's been since you've been laid?"
Logan smirked. He wasn't usually one to talk about sex with Rory, but for this one time, he'd stoop that low. "Wow, she really held out on you, didn't she. I got laid last night, thanks. Woke up blissfully sore this morning, not that that really stopped us. And eleven months would be how long I've been dating Rory."
"Which reminds me," Colin began slowly, not usually one to perpetuate conflict. "Did you guys end up finding another bookshelf and making room in your closet for the two boxes of clothes I still have at my place?"
"We haven't had a chance to look for the bookshelf yet and Rory's pretty adamant that it match all of the other ones already in the office," Logan said, speaking slowly. Steph's big mouth had informed Colin and Finn about Rory and Robert's break up, but Logan hadn't expected Colin to get vindictive about it. "And I'll just shove the two boxes in the back of the closet anyway if you want them out of your place."
"What, you and Rory are living together?" Robert interjected.
"Yeah," Logan replied carefully.
"Her brat went along with it?"
Logan took a deep breath, looking to the heavens for help to keep his calm. He wouldn't make a scene. "Soph's actually over the moon about it."
It was a lot for Robert to absorb. Rory had not only moved on but she and Yale's biggest playboy had been what looked like happily dating for almost a year. On top of that, it had taken Robert a month and help from almost every friend and family member around Rory to convince her to move in with him.
He'd taken the freedom that came with the break up extremely seriously, but after a few months, his parents had come down hard on him, asking why he hadn't even bothered to try and get Rory back after the break up. They'd all but ordered him to take advantage of her presence at the lunch to fix things and get her to agree to date him again.
This, however, was a huge obstacle.
It didn't take Rory long to find her parents in the crowd, though with the happy greetings she had to deal with as she made her way towards them, the journey took much, much longer.
"Robert's here," she said in lieu of a proper greeting.
"Ooh, drama," Lorelai commented. "Are we talking epic Young and the Restless proportions or One Tree Hill?"
Rory snorted. "Yet to be determined. They knew each other from Yale. Threw me."
"Bad boy college days. You sure know how to pick 'em."
Rory groaned.
"And rumour has it Mussolini is to be in attendance," Lorelai prodded. "I got the angry call from Honour this morning."
"Reduced to World War Two references already," Christopher commented reaching his girls and handing Lorelai her martini. "This can only get better."
"You know, I've changed my mind," Rory said thoughtfully, not bothering to acknowledge her father's comment. "Shira just hates me. She's like Rasputin in Anastasia or Scar of The Lion King."
Lorelai nodded in consideration. "I see. Not exactly dictators but a definite get-out-of-my-way with a side order of do-whatever-it-takes."
Rory grinned as her mother followed her thoughts. "Exactly, which leaves Mussolini open to Miss Marcy Warner, partner to Adolf in ensuing my demise."
"No!" Lorelai gasped.
"Oh yes. There is no other way I can seriously justify his desire to get back together than to suggest a nefarious plot by the Axis leaders," Rory answered.
"Have you seen Straub or Francine? They're likely to soften the blow with Adolf and Ava," Lorelai suggested.
"Your grandparents won't make a scene at their own party," Christopher pointed out logically, very used to the language of mother an daughter. "And isn't there something in the society handbook about Hartford's hierarchy?"
"Ah, and excellent back up plan," Lorelai agreed. "Though I can't remember if Gilmores and Huntzbergers actually socialize."
"The youngest generation certainly does," Rory said coyly.
Lorelai's eyes lit up. "I wondered if you were walking funny."
Rory blushed, even though she'd steered the conversation in that direction. "Speaking of, and you can't deny the connection here, are you guys staying in Stars Hollow next weekend?"
Christopher looked much more embarrassed than Lorelai and choked on the sip of his drink he'd just taken. "We were going to head off to the Cape, drop Kitty off on the way."
"I can leave Soph at home and come get Kitty, you know. It's one of those extra benefits that comes with living with Logan," Rory said. "She and Logan can stay by themselves."
"We'll bring her," Christopher insisted.
Rory rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just call when you're on your way."
Lorelai's next words weren't ones of agreement. "Mom! How are you?"
Rory froze.
Shit.
"Just fine, Lorelai. Rory, I'm so glad you could make it this year."
Sarcastic dig number one.
Rory hoped her smile looked much more real than it felt. "Hi Grandma. You've done a fantastic job."
Emily sighed. "We don't have the nicest of decorations this year, I'm afraid."
Dig number two.
"It still looks beautiful," Rory complimented smoothly. Veiled digs she could deal with.
"Now, we've put you with your friend at a table with some Elis, of course. Where is Honour? Or did you bring Lane?"
Oh, there was no way she was even close to ready for the likely inquisition yet. At least not without more alcohol or Logan at her side. "I didn't bring Lane, Grandma, and I haven't seen Honour," she eventually answered evasively.
"Well, no matter. Robert Warner's at your table, you remember him, don't you?"
The cheating, lying bastard, of course I do. Apparently subtlety wasn't going to be the name of Emily Gilmore's game on this particular afternoon. "I do," Rory allowed. "And I've seen him already."
"Oh good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have guests to attend to."
"Of course Mom," Lorelai answered, giving Rory a reprieve. "I don't believe Rory's said hello to Straub and Francine yet anyway. Right, hon?"
Her mother was getting lots an lots of coffee and as many weekends away as she wanted. "No, I haven't. I'll go see if I can find them."
"And grab Eleanor on your way there Roosevelt," Lorelai added wisely. "Maybe Adolf will be a little more welcoming with a diplomat involved."
Sometimes her mother's vast array of knowledge baffled her. "Right."