Ch 32 Welcome to the Monkey House

The days settled into a nice pattern except for one thing, the nights were exceptionally long. Luke woke up at three in the morning alone in the nice queen sized bed that Lorelai and he had picked out. He got up and went downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He did this at least four times a night, get up and wander downstairs. It had taken him a couple of nights to figure out what was going on; he missed Lorelai in his bed. Not necessarily the sex, they had rekindled the mid morning lull now the kids were back in school, although now they came to the house and Caesar kept the diner open; but just having her here where he could reassure himself it wasn't a dream and she was really with him.

It had been a while since these thoughts had haunted him, he wasn't sure if they went away because he was sleeping at the Gilmore's almost every night, or because he had allowed himself to become comfortable in the thought he couldn't lose her. All that was shot to hell the night he split enough wood to get them through the next ten winters. It was also the last time they were able to spend an entire night together because of the kids. Lorelai and Rory will stay the weekend, but that would only be two nights and then they'd go back to their house. He picked up his phone and dialed her cell. If she was awake she would hear his ring, if she wasn't she'd sleep through it. He did this each night, but so far she'd only answered one.

"Hey you," she answered sleepily, "Couldn't sleep?"

"Felt the need to tell you what a very smart woman you are."

"Always nice to hear that care to elaborate a bit?" she cooed.

"If you hadn't pressed moving up the wedding I'd be looking at five months of the kids in school and you in my bed only two nights a week."

"Yeah, I'm brilliant like that." she smiled into the phone. "You're farther away from me now then you used to be. I really can't throw on a coat and run over for a little snuggling and then get back before Rory wakes up."

"Yeah," Luke sighs, "at least it's only going to be seven weeks and not seven months. I miss waking up and finding you draped across my shoulder with your hair in my face. I love the smell of you on my shirt when I go in to take a shower."

"The mornings you get up wearing a shirt." She grinned.

"Yep, the other mornings are good too." He chuckled, "Lorelai I miss you. I just wanted to tell you that."

"Yep, I miss you too babe. Won't be long now, Rory and I'll be there day after tomorrow. We can all suffer through Friday night dinner together. Did you warn Jess about my mother?"

"Yeah, I don't think he really believes me."

"Well, we'll shelter him from her for as long as possible. Maybe he can avoid dinners before the wedding, but once Emily finds out he's living here it's going to be part of the package."

"I'm sure that will thrill both of them," he said with a chuckle. "You need to get back to sleep, I'm sorry I called, I just needed to hear your voice. I'm getting ready to go in, early deliveries today. Are you going to stop by for breakfast?"

"Don't apologize, I miss you too. I'll try for breakfast, today is the invasion of Emily at the inn so I'll need fortification. It's going to take a great deal of control not to down a pot of coffee to get through this meeting."

"That's right I forgot, well come by and I'll give you eggs and pancakes. If you promise to go easy on the coffee later I'll give you a cup in the morning." Luke chuckled.

"Oh, I promise, babe. You can trust me." Lorelai smiled into the phone. "Really, I've told Sookie to only serve water and tea. That way I won't be tempted to drown myself in caffeine."

Pause. "I don't want to hang up, I want to come over and hold you until I go back to sleep."

"Babe, you get no argument from me," Lorelai laughed, "Say the word and we harass Taylor into giving us a license today and we get married by a JP this afternoon. I'm really good with this."

"Tempting, but I can just imagine the discussion with your dad about that change. That does remind me though, we need to get blood tests and apply for the license the beginning of February. That way we will have the documentation ready. Argh! Lorelai, you need to go back to sleep and I need to let you. Thank you for talking to me this morning, I love you and I'll see you soon"

"OK, babe, I love you too." Lorelai held onto the phone as she heard Luke hang up. She knew that he was concerned about them being separated and she wanted to reassure him that they were good, but he had to work through it on his own. She needed to get more sleep, Emily was going to have her own ides today and Lorelai had to be alert enough that they didn't end up getting married in a country club surrounded by people she'd never met.

At two o'clock that day Sookie came to her office and let her know that Emily had arrived and they were setting up in the dinning room. Lorelai took a deep breath and walked out to meet her mother.

"Hey, Mom, I'm glad you were able to help out with this. Why don't we have a seat?"

"Thank you Lorelai, so why don't you tell me what theme you've picked out?" Emily asked expectantly.

Lorelai looked at her a bit confused and said, "Theme?"

"Yes, what is the focus of the day?" Emily was amazed Lorelai didn't understand what she was asking.

"Um, to be married by the end of it?" Lorelai asked hoping that was the right answer.

"Lorelai, there should be a continuity to the day; you've planned enough of these to know that!"

"Mom, I really don't care that much about the actual day, my goal is to be married to Luke. I've never felt this way about anyone in my life before; I get excited when I think about him coming over. I can't wait to see him at the diner; he is the last person I want to speak to in the evening before I go to sleep and the first person I want to see in the morning. When something good happens I can't wait to share it with him and when I need a shoulder to cry on his is the one I want to go to. Do you have any idea what I'm saying? Do you have a clue as to how I feel?" Lorelai was working up to a Luke size rant.

Finally the realization of the depth of love Lorelai and Luke share began to dawn on Emily. "Yes, Lorelai," she replied quietly, "I think I do know how you feel. It's the same way I felt about your father before we were married. I guess I always hoped that you'd want the same kind of life your father and I have, but you don't do you?"

"Actually Mom, it sounds like I do. You and dad have a partnership, I found that with Luke. I know without a doubt that he loves me more than I ever thought possible. And he loves Rory like she was his own. I never thought I would find this, but I knew what it looked like because of you and dad. I just don't want the life of a society wife, it doesn't fit me like it fits you, not good or bad, we're just different in this way."

"I know Luke makes you happy Lorelai, I just wanted more for you I guess. Your father keeps insisting that Luke is a good man; I guess I'll need to look for that as well. Now how about we set a theme? What do you have in mind?"

Lorelai knew that this was as much of a concession as Emily would make, she would take what she could get. "Well, usually the bride comes in with a box much like the one you have and let's me know her ideas and then we work from there, I've never had to plan one from the ground floor before."

"Well, lucky I'm here then, I have some wonderful ideas that I think will be perfect for a March wedding." Lorelai mentally rolled her eyes.

"OK, then let's get at it."

Emily was very excited as she pulled the large box out from under the table, "Here are some of the ideas I had when you were growing up, my favorite was a Russian winter wedding like something the Romanov's would've had."

"The ones that were executed in the early twentieth century?" Lorelai was already regretting inviting her mom.

"Lorelai, I meant the style of the wedding, not the actual people, it focuses on snowfall, I'd think that would please you."

"O-kay, how would the snowfall play out?"

"Well, there would be twinkle lights in all the trees,"

"Because that was the rage in the early twentieth century," Lorelai interjected.

Emily straightens up her back and said, "Never mind, I can see this isn't an idea that you are open to. Probably because I suggested it; if that horrid little man out at the front desk came up with it you would think it was the most brilliant idea since the marshmallow."

"I'm sorry Mom, you're right, I haven't heard the entire idea and twinkle lights in the trees would be very pretty, it even sets the time for us to be married in the evening. What else were you thinking?" Lorelai knew Luke would want her to at least hear her mother out, even if she was going to go over the top.

"Fine, well, I thought that the flowers would all be white, white Calla lilies, white roses, white African daisies, white sweet pea. Then the chairs are all covered in white, and the end of the rows would have white tulle bows. The orchestra would play the wedding march and your father would escort you down the aisle and give you away. You would be wearing a beautiful wedding gown in satin and lace, with a ten foot train that had your husband's family crest embroidered. After the ceremony you would be carried to the reception in open horse drawn sleighs, the horses draped in white blankets with white roses entwined in their manes."

Emily was starting to swoon and Lorelai was overwhelmed at the detail her mom had developed for her wedding, "Wow. That is something all right." That was all she could think to say at the moment.

Emily came back to earth and looked at Lorelai and said, "You hate it."

"Noooo, not all of it, some of it just isn't Luke and me, but you have given me some good ideas, I like the idea of snowfall, the twinkle lights, with white flowers, maybe some light blue sweet pea as accent, and the bridesmaid dresses could be in a sort of the palest light blue shimmering material giving the impression of ice. I like the white chairs and maybe bouquets of white flowers at the ends of the rows."

Lorelai was amazed that it seemed to be fitting together, "If we have music for the processional it would at most be a string quartet if I could avoid having Drella play; we don't have a need for an orchestra. I would love dad to escort me down the aisle, however, I think both Luke and I are a little old to have me 'given away.' Since the reception will be here we wouldn't need to ride anywhere. Luke wants to be married out at the lake so we'll need a tent and heaters for the actual ceremony." They continued to work on the details for some time until John came to ask Sookie if there was anything he needed to do for the dinner crowd.

When Sookie took off to start prep for dinner Emily turned to Lorelai and said, "Your father and I would like to buy you and Luke a house. You're going to need one whenever you do have children," by her look Lorelai knew she still didn't believe that she wasn't pregnant.

Lorelai told Emily, "Rory and I are moving into Luke's after the wedding, but thank you for wanting to do this."

"You're moving above the diner!?!" Emily almost shrieked.

"No, Mom, Luke has a house, we're moving there." As soon as Lorelai said these words she regretted them, she waited for the other shoe to drop.

"I thought you said Luke lived above the diner? When did he buy a house and where is this house located?" Emily wasn't convinced that Lorelai just didn't want her parents to buy her a house. She was sure she was just making it up.

Lorelai knew what she was thinking and knew that there was only one way to convince her mom. "Let me make a call to Luke to make sure the house is in order and then we can go over to see it, OK?"

"Fine."

They drove over to the new house and Emily is speechless. The grandeur of the grounds surprised her, "How long has Luke lived here?"

"He moved in about a week ago. I don't know how long he's owned it." Lorelai was trying not to lie, but also wanted to keep her mother from asking too many questions.

They walked around the outside and saw the guest house, the stables and much of the grounds. "Do you want to go inside?" Lorelai really didn't want to bring her mom inside, but she didn't know how to keep that from happening.

"Yes, Lorelai, I would like to see the inside. Was this in Luke's family for sometime?" Emily couldn't understand how that diner man could afford such a large estate.

"I'm not sure how long it's been in Luke's family, but I do know that Luke is looking to make this into a homestead, where our children and grandchildren can have a base. There are ten acres that can be built up." Lorelai was envisioning their future as she talked with her mom.

They reached the front porch when Rory and Jess came up the walk. Lorelai could see Rory hesitate a bit, but Jess was oblivious. "Hey, Lorelai."

"Hey, Jess, hi sweets. Jess, I want to introduce you to my mother, Emily Gilmore. Mom, this is Jess Mariano." Lorelai was bracing for the next few minutes, it was like those old movies, where the damsel in distress is tied up on the tracks and can see the train heading right for her. Only for Lorelai there was no hero waiting in the wings to save her.

"Hello, Jess, I see by your blazer that you go to Chilton. Is that where you and Rory met?"

"No, we met in New York City when Lorelai and Rory went there with Luke."

"So you know Luke then?" Emily was getting very confused. "How is it you know Luke?"

"He's my uncle. I'm living here with him while my mom is out on a Renaissance Faire tour. Uncle Luke got me into Chilton so I could continue my schooling since it would be difficult to maintain any stability in my schooling with my mother."

Lorelai was feeling herself getting much smaller as Jess talked. She knew what was coming next; the icy wind off of Emily could have restored the polar caps by itself.

Emily pulled herself up into her full height, "Lorelai, I will inform cook that there will be six for dinner tomorrow. We shall discuss this oversight at a later date. Perhaps sometime in the near future your father and I will be invited to tour your home. Right now I need to get back; I have a meeting with my stylist."

Lorelai cringed inwardly, "Sure, Mom, when Rory and I move in we'll invite you and dad over for a dinner that Luke will cook, since, you know I can't and I haven't been allowed near the stove since I set Luke's curtains on fire at the apartment, of course it's his own fault because I told him only bad things could happen from me stirring a pot, but he didn't believe me."

"Lorelai, you're rambling," Emily said coldly, "We will see you all at dinner. Jess, it was a pleasure meeting you, I look forward to hearing all about you tomorrow."

Emily left and Lorelai turned, sighed and looked at Jess, "To be sacrificed so young."

Jess looked at Lorelai, "Luke wasn't exaggerating was he?"

"Welcome to the Monkey House Jess." Rory looked at him with pity.

Jess replied, "Feels more like Harrison Bergeron then Monkey House."

Lorelai looked at both of them, "That would make my mother 'Handicapper General'." She sighed, "Well, let's get going."

Jess asked, "Where are we supposed to be going to?"

"To get you a suit."

"You're kidding, right?" Jess looked at Rory for confirmation of Lorelai's joke.

"Just think of the tie as a precursor to a noose." Rory grinned.

"A TIE!?!"