The Gilmore-Grey Union

By Michael Weyer

My apologies for another long delay, thanks for keeping up with things.

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POV: Vincent

I've been punched before. Frankly, after being shot, it's not that bad an experience as it might be for other people. Still, getting belted by your own father in law is pretty unique, even by Grey standards.

I moan out as I rub my jaw. It takes a few moments to realize my place lying on the floor and I have to admit that the ceiling of the house is actually pretty nicely designed. I take a few minutes to admire it while I wait for my head to fully clear.

My view is obstructed by a pair of beautiful eyes looking at me with worry. "Vincent! Vincent, can you hear me?"

"It was a punch, not a 2x4," I manage to say as I rub my aching chin. It takes a moment to realize it's not loud buzzing I'm hearing but rather the argument of voices over the table. Man, a punch-out doesn't stop the fighting? Maybe we're more alike than we realized.

"I can't believe you hit him!" Lorelei is yelling.

"I wasn't trying to!" Christopher snaps back. "I was aiming for diner boy here!"

"You wanna try again, let's go!" Luke says but Lorelei holds him back.

"Vincent, are you all right?" Mom says as she joins Rory at my side.

"I'm fine, Mom," I say as I stand up, shaking off the pain. It'll be bruised tomorrow but that seems to be the extent of it.

Once she gets the routine concern out of the way, Mom turns her righteous anger on full blast as she whirls on Christopher. "Is this the way you want to treat your own son-in-law?"

"They're not staying married!" he yells.

"That's their decision, not yours!"

That gets everyone to stop talking and we all stare at Mom in various states of disbelief. "Mother, are you feeling okay?" Peter asks with true concern.

Mom wipes her face before facing Emily. "I don't know what your child-raising techniques are like. But there comes a point where, like it or not, you must open up to the fact that your children are going to make their own decisions and there's nothing you can do to stop that."

Emily glares at her. "So you think it's just right to let them both throw away their lives like this?"

"How do you know they won't work out?" Mom says. "I don't know that. I have seen families you never thought would last a year and yet they manage to pull it through while the seemingly perfect ones crash and burn in a few years."

"He's not right for her!"

"Maybe I'm not right for him!" Rory snaps. "I mean, he's a great guy, grandma! He's a great writer, successful, has good family bonds and he really seems to get me when we talk. And hell, we've already slept together…"

"Excuse me!" Richard exclaims. I don't blame him, tossing out the sex life before parents is never the best thing.

Rory takes a deep breath. "I mean…it's thanks to him I'm going back to school so…I don't know, maybe this isn't such a bad thing after all."

"You cannot be serious!" Emily snaps. "It's not a good thing to get married at your age!"

"You wanted Mom and Dad married when they were in high school!"

"Yes but…you know the circumstances!"

"Rory," Lorelei says as she faces her daughter. "Look at me, kiddo." As Rory does, she takes a deep breath. "Are you sure about this? Long-term relationships are not easy, trust me on that."

"I know," Rory says. "But…I mean…He really is a good guy, Mom. I get along with him so much better than with Logan or Dean or Jess…"

Note to self. Now that you're married to this woman, maybe it's time to find out a bit more of her exes.

"You've known him less than a week!" Emily protests. "That is no time to determine whether you're right for each other!"

"Actually, Peter and I hit it off rather well." For once, I'm glad Gillian is ready to open her mouth. "And we've had ups and downs but we're making it work."

Rory motions to them. "See? You can't judge how we'll end up just by how we started! Maybe…I don't know, maybe it can work out…"

"How will you live?" Richard asks but not with judgment, with actual interest.

"I have a job," I tell him. "I've still got some book royalties, I can handle it."

"There's also Dad's inheritance," Peter chimes in. "It's a pretty tidy nest egg now, you can live off that for a while."

I nod to him in gratitude before looking at the Gilmores. "Look…I know this isn't easy. And it won't be. But…if she's willing to give it a try, so am I. Isn't it better to at least see rather than just sweep this under the rug?"

Emily rubs her forehead as if trying to fight off an impending stroke. "I…this cannot work! It just cannot work!"

"She's right!" Christopher says. "I'm not gonna let my little girl be pulled into this!"

Okay, father in law or not, I'm ready to punch this guy out. I have no idea how Luke's kept from doing it so long. And the guy's still talking.

"I am not going to let this happen, you are getting divorced and----"

"Oh, Christopher, shut up!" Richard barks.

That gets another round of silenced stares, from their part of the table more than ours. Richard leans in to glare at him as he speaks. "You forfeited any right to have a say on Rory's future a long time ago. You have a family of your own now, Christopher and it's time to let go of Lorelei. She's moved on and I think it's high past time you grew up and did the same."

Yep, I'm adding this guy to my Christmas card list.

Emily is gawking at him while Lorelei and Luke both look happy at his little pronouncement. Christopher stammers before speaking. "Richard, I was just trying…"

"To control Lorelei once again," he says. "As someone who has tried and failed at that, I can assure you, it's best to just let it drop now, Christopher. She has made her choice and it's not you. So get over her and stop acting like you've been a responsible parent all your life."

"Thanks, Dad," Lorelei whispers. Luke looks pretty happy too. Christopher doesn't seem to get the hint it's time for him to shut up. "She is my daughter, Richard! I will do what it takes to make sure she's happy and throwing her life over some hack writing loser who lives with his crazy-ass family is-----"

In retrospect, punching him in the jaw may not have been the right move. Yeah, it's a bit of nice payback and he was insulting my family but belting the father of your wife isn't exactly a nice way to cap off her big speech on how we might be able to work out.

Then again, it does feel pretty good.