AN: Okay so Christopher is around. Don't worry so much. Good stories require drama. A wicked witch and a flying monkey.
Lorelai was seriously considering having her head examined.
Since Thanksgiving her father had been coming over once a week to have dinner and help Luke with the bank paperwork. It was nice. Her father seemed different in Stars Hollow. He still wore his suit and tie. But he'd get down on the floor and build block towers with Rory. Maybe he was always like this and I was just too young to remember.
On his most recent visit Richard had broached the forbidden topic: Emily.
FLASHBACK: FOUR DAYS AGO.
"Lorelai you know I don't condone your mother's behavior, but you can't avoid her forever."
"Dad…" Lorelai groaned.
"No, no just listen for a second. I don't expect everything to be solved in one day, it's a process. Your mother's been given the opportunity to express her opinion, however poorly she chose to do it. But you haven't had your say. It won't be pleasant, and I'm sure it will just upset her more. But we will never get anywhere if we don't start here. Christmas is in a few weeks maybe if you gave it a shot I could see my granddaughter on Christmas morning."
Lorelai had reluctantly agreed and yesterday when her mother called to demand a visit, Lorelai invited her to Stars Hollow.
"I must be insane."
PRESENT DAY
Emily was slated to arrive in a half hour, which meant she'd be here in 15 minutes. Lorelai was just finishing up the morning shift, she'd arranged to have the afternoon off and Emily was meeting her there.
Lorelai figured the day would be short. She assumed it wouldn't take Emily long to push her buttons and once Lorelai exploded Emily would take off.
"Lorelai the walk way is extremely dusty you should warn people not to wear light colored clothing."
Lorelai inhaled and exhaled before turning to face the firing squad. "Good morning."
"Are you going to be working the whole time I'm here? That's hardly a visit."
"No mother, I worked the morning shift, Annie will be coming to relieve me in about 5 minutes."
"Fine. Then you'll show me around this…Inn…of yours."
"Yes mother."
After Annie came by to take over the desk Lorelai began the tour. She showed her mother the library, dining room, and one of the suites. "Well mom it's a little cold outside but the grounds are really lovely if you'd like to-"
"That's fine Lorelai. Lead on."
They walked along the property, past the pond and the stables, before Emily spoke. "Is this where your shack is?"
"It was a shed. Yes it's back this way." Lorelai led her back to the shed she'd once called home. "Here it is mother."
Emily looked it over critically before opening the door. "Lorelai this isn't funny, this shed is empty."
"Yeah I moved a few weeks ago, Rory and I don't live at the Inn anymore."
"Well Lorelai don't you think it would be good for your family to know where you live, in case we need to find you?"
"Dad knows where I live, and don't you mean in case you need to send Christopher here to meddle in my life?"
"Don't you speak to me like that. I was doing what was best. One day when you and Christopher are living in your beautiful house with Rory you will see that I was right. And you will thank me."
"No mother, I will never live in a house with Christopher so the odds of you being right are very slim."
"Don't be ridiculous Lorelai. You need someone to take care of you. How will you ever lead the right kind of life without a man like Christopher to guide you?"
Lorelai scoffed, "I can't take care of myself? I can't take care of myself! Christopher got kicked out of half a dozen schools, lives with his parents and gets an allowance from his dad. What the hell has he earned? I work hard I pay my bills and I feed my child. Even YOU didn't do that."
"Of course I did! You were always fed and clothed and-"
"With money earned by DAD! You never clothed me, the nanny did. You never cooked a meal! Seriously Emily what skills do you contribute to your life?"
Emily gaped, "How dare-"
"YOU need to be taken care of. CHRISTOPHER needs to be taken care of."
"You'll never make your way back to us without him!"
"I've never heard a better reason to stay away from Christopher. I hate that stuff!"
"Lorelai!"
"No Emily. Listen to me now," Lorelai spoke in a calm cold voice.
" That was never going to be my life. You think that if Rory never existed I would have gone to college, joined the DAR, and married Christopher in some ridiculous circus wedding I allowed you to plan? That just shows that you've never paid attention. I didn't turn my back on your life when I had Rory. I turned my back on it when I was five. The first time I ever heard, "Lorelai I have guests, if you feel ill tell the nanny."
"That's preposterous I never said such a thing."
"Please, every party was the same… and there was always a party. 'Lorelai please go sit somewhere I can't circulate with you underfoot;' 'Lorelai these women are from the DAR please don't talk in that way of yours;' 'Ugh Lorelai you've ripped your stockings go get nanny to change them and clean that cut before the guests arrive and see you'. 18 years and I still think you should have gotten some yuppie dog you could train to sit in the corner quietly and wag it's tail."
Emily was hard pressed to find the words. But finally choked out, "I am still your mother."
"You are. Neither of us has a choice there. But I choose not to lead my mother's life. You can choose to try and accept me or you can not. But either way I'm going to do what I want."
"And what about what is best for your daughter?"
Lorelai's steely gaze softened briefly at the mention of Rory, but hardened again quickly, "It's in her best interest to have a mother who is happy and devoted to her. It's in her best interest to never hear 'bleed somewhere else mommy's busy.'"
The rest of the Inn tour was silent. Emily continued on stunned yet still disapproving. Lorelai assumed that their day would be over shortly. She walked Emily out front to her car when her mother stopped and turned. "I want to see Rory."
"Oka-"
"And your new home, I want to see that too."
Lorelai tensed slightly, but nodded. "Alright Rory is at home so that's only one stop to make."
Emily spoke in a dull, detached voice, "If you lived in Hartford with Christopher you wouldn't need to hire a sitter."
Lorelai smirked with a defiant glint in her eye, "I've never once had to hire a sitter."
Emily had been slightly shocked when Lorelai took the keys to her Jag and got in the driver's seat. Before she could even open her mouth Lorelai reached into her bag and produced her brand new Connecticut State driver's license. Emily just stared at her awkwardly as she expertly shifted into gear and drove towards the center of town.
Emily eyed her daughter's adopted town critically. But without opening her mouth she followed Lorelai across the street and up to a building. William's Hardware. Lorelai bypassed the front door and walked down and alley and up a staircase. The alley was well lit and clean but Emily still felt uncomfortable. As she opened the door Lorelai yelled, "Lucy, I'm home" in her worst Ricky Ricardo voice. Emily huffed at the display but looked up in time to see a very tall man rolling his eyes at Lorelai…holding Rory.
"Lorelai, do you have to do that every time you come in, and shouldn't you be Lucy anyway?"
"But I do a much better Ricky," Lorelai smiled for the first time all day and Luke just shook his head.
Rory reached out her closed fist to her mother "Mama, made cookies."
"Really sweets? Cookies for mommy?"
Rory giggled and covered her mouth with the hand not holding the cookie, "uh uh".
"No! No cookies for mommy?"
Rory giggled again and put the cookie to Lorelai lips, "Mmmm it is yummy." She took Rory from Luke and turned to Emily. "Can you say hi baby."
"Hi," Rory waved to Emily. And the elder cracked her first smile of the day. "Hello Rory."
"Mother, this is Luke Danes, Luke my mother, Emily Gilmore."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Gilmore."
"Yes, well you must be Lorelai's… male friend."
For Lorelai today had been an exercise to expressing herself, and now that Pandora's box was open she wasn't about to shut the lid. " He's my boyfriend, he lives here with us. Well actually we live here with him."
"I see. Was there any criteria other than his having an apartment that went into this decision?"
Luke shifted uncomfortably on his feet realizing he'd just been led into a minefield.
"Actually he didn't have the apartment originally he got it for the three of us. It was a democratic process really. I called a vote and Rory voted yea, or well she voted 'Yay Daddy' but same difference."
Emily continued to look right at Lorelai while she spoke, "And you can afford this apartment Mr. Danes?"
Luke wasn't sure if he was actually supposed to speak, but Lorelai decided for him. "Yes mother, he owns this apartment. And the building that houses it."
With Emily's snarky commentary momentarily derailed she took time to study the room. "This place certainly doesn't seem like you Lorelai."
"How would you know mother? I've never been permitted to be me before."
Luke cleared his throat and asked if Emily would be joining them for dinner. Lorelai's face was unusually blank.
Emily's smile seemed unnatural on her face and Luke was tempted to retract the invitation, if only he could figure out how.
"Why yes, I will. Just let me inform Mr.Gilmore I won't be home for dinner." Lorelai directed her mother to the phone in the kitchen while shaking her head at Luke. Luke got the impression that the message was 'you silly boy, you have no idea what you've done.'
Emily sat on the sofa with a cup of tea observing Luke and Lorelai work to get dinner prepared. Luke had the chicken baking in the oven while he prepared some sides on the stovetop. Lorelai was setting the table and handing him all the ingredients he asked for. Rory toddled around at their feet every so often hugging Luke's legs while he smiled down.
Lorelai picked Rory up and carried her to the table. She'd hand Rory forks and napkins to place on the table. Emily watched as Lorelai whispered where each object should go and Rory smiled proudly each time she did it right. Emily tried to change the scene in her mind. Change Rory into a 2-year old Lorelai, Luke into Richard, Lorelai into herself. But her mind couldn't complete the picture. Even just substituting Christopher for Luke wouldn't work.
Emily was still fighting with her own imagination when Lorelai called her to the table. Luke and Lorelai sat at the head and foot with Rory in a high chair across from Emily. She watched their seamless routine. Luke put food on Rory's plate and while Lorelai cut it up for her Luke served Lorelai and himself. Emily couldn't comprehend the scenario; she couldn't draw her eyes away. But she could tell it was dragging Lorelai farther away from her. This must stop.
It was a fairly quiet dinner with a few perfunctory compliments (from Emily) on the meal. Shortly after Rory began to fidget and Lorelai went to put her down. Emily turned to Luke, who was wiping the table in an attempt to avoid the awkwardness, and began to speak.
"She will miss it you realize."
Luke stopped cleaning and turned to face her, "Miss what?"
"That lifestyle she says she abhors, she will miss it. Do you really think she can turn her back on everything she's ever known? How does that expression go? 'A leopard can't change his spots'? Lorelai has always been rebellious but wasn't raised to live like this. She is a well-bred Hartford lady, and she will miss the fine things she was raised with. Then where will you be?"
Luke was saved from answering by the sound of Lorelai entering the room. But his mind continued to toss around the question.
What if all this really is a rebellious phase?
