A/N: Sorry this is a fairly short chapter, but I hope you still read and review!

Chapter 5: Emily Gilmore and Chinese Food?

Lorelai stood outside of the Gilmore mansion and rang the doorbell as she had done almost every Friday for the past 7 years. Only this time, Rory wasn't with her. Realizing she was alone, she felt that familiar emptiness wash over her again. She didn't have much time to consider this though, because the door quickly opened and she was met with Emily's surprised face.

"Lorelai!" Emily said, clearly shocked.

"Hi mom, you seem…surprised." Lorelai replied as she stepped inside the foyer.

"Well, I can't say I was expecting you. We had no idea you were coming. Your father's out of town on a business trip."

"Oh, sorry, I just assumed. We talked about meeting for Friday night dinner again, so…"

"Of course, but I assumed you meant the occasional meeting, I had no idea it would be so soon! I don't even have a proper dinner prepared."

"Well, I mean, I can leave if you want. It's completely fine."

"No, no, stay! It will just be us girls tonight."

Emily was clearly happy to see her, so Lorelai gave in and decided to stay. She looked at her mother and suddenly noticed that Emily was carrying her half-opened purse.

"Mom, were you about to go out?" Lorelai asked, motioning to the purse.

Emily laughed lightly. "Oh no, I was just answering the door. I assumed you were the delivery boy, so I was prepared to pay."

"Delivery boy?"

"Yes, I ordered Chinese food."

Lorelai looked at her mother, completely stunned. Chinese food? Emily Gilmore was ordering take-out? "Chinese food?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, yes. I'm in between cooks at the moment—I had to fire the last one, he was completely insane. A zucchini fanatic. I swear, if I do not see another zucchini for the rest of my life, I will die happily. Anyway, he was ridiculously incompetent, so I had to fire him immediately, which didn't give me enough time to find a suitable replacement. So I ordered Chinese food."

Lorelai was still staring at her mother in disbelief. "But it's take-out."

"Yes, I know that Lorelai. I had heard of the place before, they supposedly serve high quality food, so I ordered it."

"But it's takeout." Lorelai repeated.

"Yes, I believe we've established that. Can we move on now?"

"But it's takeout."

Emily just rolled her eyes.

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"It's takeout, Mom. It's meant to be eaten out of the containers. See? Just take chopsticks and dig in!" Lorelai attempted to demonstrate.

"Lorelai, just because I ordered takeout does not mean I lost all sense of dining etiquette. And you might be surprised to know that I also retained all knowledge of how to use a knife and fork. So we'll put the food on plates instead of eating like savages."

Lorelai sighed and gave in. Eating takeout was a big enough step for Emily Gilmore anyway, she thought. She still couldn't believe it.

When they were finally seated at the table—Lorelai had also lost the argument that takeout was meant to be eaten on the living room rug in front of a television—Emily and Lorelai talked about Rory's party and Emily gushed about what an amazing job Rory must be doing. For a Gilmore dinner, Lorelai thought, this was relatively stress-free. Both Lorelai and Emily had found common-ground in talking about Rory, so they both stuck to the subject.

As Lorelai was about to leave, Emily paused before walking her out the door.

"Now, Lorelai, think about it before you argue with me, but your father and I have already discussed this, and we would like it if you and Luke came together next week for Friday night dinner."

"What! Mom…" Lorelai was shocked. She and Luke had been broken up for a year now, why did Emily think they were back together?

"Now, before you refuse, We've both promised that he will be treated with respect. We understand that your marriage with Christopher did not work out, and we no longer have any hopes for that. While I still may not completely approve of your choice, I promise to respect it."

"But mom, I haven't chosen Luke. We're not together. Why did you…"

"What?" Emily asked, and Lorelai was surprised to see that she looked a little angry. "But when your father and I were leaving the party, we saw you and Luke kissing. We assumed this meant you were in a relationship."

Oh no. Out of all the people to see me kissing Luke, it had to be my parents. Lorelai wished this was a bad dream, she didn't feel like explaining everything that had happened.

"No, we're not in a relationship." She muttered, staring down at her shoes.

"Well, for goodness sakes Lorelai, do you normally just go around kissing men who you're not in a relationship with?"

"No mom…" Lorelai started to defend herself, but decided against escalating the fight. "Anyway, why do you seem mad? You don't even like Luke. But you seem…disappointed."

"Well, of course I'm disappointed. You're almost 40. You can't keep flitting from man to man. Luke seems to be the only man you have ever wanted to have a serious, stable relationship with. And now you turned him down too? I just don't understand you sometimes Lorelai."

"Who says I was the one who turned him down anyway?"

"Well, didn't you?"

Lorelai looked down at her feet again. This was the last conversation she ever wanted to have with her mother. "He didn't come after me." She muttered, her voice barely audible.

"Oh, for heaven's sakes Lorelai, you are many things, but you aren't stupid." Emily replied. "Now, I'll see you and Luke here for next Friday night dinner." And with that confident remark, she shut the front door, leaving a dumbfounded Lorelai alone outside.

What just went on in there, she wondered. First Chinese takeout and then this?