As of late, I haven't really gotten back any feedback, but I would personally like to continue and finish this episode. To see how I am doing or whether or not you enjoy the story, I'd really appreciate some feedback. Thanks everyone! :-)

Part 7

Emily and Richard's residence

"Seriously Richard. We should think about getting rid of the peonies in the dining room. They're so last season." Emily paces back and forth the living room. Richard is in his recliner, reading the daily newspaper.

"That's the same thing you've said about your Prada nude slingbacks and you chastised me for speaking out," Richard replies.

"Those were different. These are flowers. Last time I checked, you don't wear flowers on your feet unless you're a fan of Dolce & Gabbana's floral pumps from last season." Emily cringes.

"Emily, I am normally not a flower person. You know that. Why don't you ask Gretchen for her opinion? You know she's more agreeable. Plus, she's a woman."

Emily stops and stares unbelievably at Richard. "I didn't realize how incredibly sexist you can still be sometimes. Besides, she disagrees about the peonies and now none of it even matters anymore. Are you happy now, Richard?"

"The mood has never changed, Emily."

"And you've been in that terrible tartan bathrobe now for days." She gestures at the robe.

"There's nothing wrong with this bathrobe," Richard says while pouting and switching over to another page.

"I never said there was anything wrong with it. But there's something certainly abnormal and wrong about wearing it for days on end." The phone rings. Emily pauses, eyeing Richard. The phone continues to ring. "Well, I guess you'll leave it up to the lady to answer that. Ladies first, right?" Emily waits a few more seconds then exits the room.

"Hallelujah." Richard sighs, continuing reading the newspaper.

Emily bumps into the maid who instead answered the call. "Ma'am. Hartford Police Department is on the line."

"Excuse me?" Emily clutches her heart.

"What?" Richard sounds from the other room, setting down the paper and rising up from his seat.

"Do you know what they want, Clarisse?" Emily asks sternly, Richard joining next to her.

"No, ma'am." Clarisse gestures the phone towards her. Emily gives Richard a look of fear and concern.

"Emily Gilmore speaking, how may I help you?"

"Ah yes, hello Miss Gilmore. Listen, this is Sergeant Brent Thompson of Hartford Connecticut Police Department. Do you have a minute to talk, Ms. Gilmore?" Emily looks up at Richard while she cups the mouthpiece.

"It's Sergeant Brent Thompson of the Police Department." Richard gestures her to continue with the conversation. "Yes sir, I have a minute."

"Ok, great. I have received an anonymous tip on a Polish Lowland Sheepdog that has been traced along the roadside of Evergreen Pass and Crestline Drive and according to its tag, is believed to have escaped from your residence approximately a day and a half ago."

Emily cups the mouthpiece again. "They've found a lost dog and they're reporting it as ours."

Richard frowns, confused. "But how is that possible? We don't have a dog. Not by any means."

"Sergeant Thompson. Listen, I thank you for your ongoing investigation on this case, however we do not, nor have we ever, owned any dogs."

"I see. Well, it is customary for Hartford Police Department to notify the rightful owners of any lost property."

"But what I fail to understand is how you have determined that we are indeed the owners of this dog you speak of."

"The individual who has reported the dog as 'missing' also informed us of the unique nametag it is currently wearing on its collar." The dog barks faintly in the back. Emily gasps and turns to the Richard.

"The dog is real. I just heard it bark." She turns back to the phone. "But that doesn't tell you anything. I mean, is there a name on the tag?"

"I believe the name tag has the word 'Gilmore' etched onto it.

Emily's eyes widen. She turns to Richard. "Lorelai's dog is missing."

Richard furrows his eyebrows. "What?!" Emily shushes him with her hand.

"Ok, I understand sir." Emily says.

"And through proper protocol, we have conducted a search within our Hartford residence database and pulled up your information under Gilmore, including current address and landline."

"You can do that?"

"With modern technology, yes ma'am."

Emily turns to Richard. "I can't believe technology these days." She turns back to the phone. "Sir, I believe the dog is in fact a Gilmore, but actually belongs to a Gilmore a little ways outside of town. It belongs to my daughter Lorelai Gilmore and to my granddaughter Rory Gilmore."

"Understood. What we can do, Miss Gilmore, is first send the dog over to your residence for verification purposes as well as initial release to the family. Unfortunately, we cannot release the dog to third parties outside of town limits until either at least 48 hours or until the verification process has been complete, even though it is in fact going to its rightful owner. We have inspected the dog and have competed a health check, checked its vitals and have concluded it is in perfect health. Would you like for us to send a dog recruiter over to 61 Promontory Drive?"

"If you must. I guess I have no choice, do I? And if I don't end up claiming the dog, there will be consequences I'd be better off not knowing about, right?"

"That, I cannot answer, Miss Gilmore. But what I can tell you is that statistically, less than 16% of dogs reported as 'missing' successfully return to their rightful owner."

"Only 16%?!" Emily asks, surprised.

"Consider this dog lucky, Miss Gilmore."

Emily sighs and rolls her eyes. "Alright then. Send the troops over." Emily pauses. "Yes, that will be fine." Another pause. "No, 9:30 is fine." Pause. "Ok, thank you sir." Emily hangs up and walks into the foyer towards the side window "I can't believe that this has happened!"

Richard follows. "Emily, what exactly is going on? And what's 16% in reference to?"

Emily takes a look outside. "Lorelai needs to take better care of her belongings. This is way too much stress for her parents to handle. I don't understand why she couldn't pay the extra money to inscribe her phone number on the tag."

"Emily-"

"It's the dog, Richard. The dog! And it's going to stay with us until Lorelai can come by and claim it."

"It's Lorelai's?"

"Unless we're not the only Gilmores in Connecticut, then yes, it's hers. They said some passerby reported it as missing and now it's in custody at the Hartford Police Department. I can't believe there are still people out there who still turn in missing dogs."

"Well, it is in fact the ethical and proper thing to do, Emily."

Emily sighs. "I suppose. All I know is that it's not staying in this house of mine. If anything, it wil be staying in the backhouse until Lorelai gets here."

"By the way, shouldn't we tell Lorelai about the dog? She must be looking for it and going crazy as we speak."

"I will call her as soon as the police dispatcher knocks on my door and I'll know that this hasn't been one sick prank."

"Fair enough. When are they getting here?"

Emily walks toward the staircase, Richard following closely behind, slowly taking off his French terry robe. "They told me approximately 9:30 but you know what 'approximately' means in Hartford time. Clarisse, can you bring down that brown throw in the upstairs guest bedroom? And Laura can you locate the kennel in the attic? It should be in there somewhere, or at least I think it still is." Emily makes her way into the kitchen.

"And to think we don't even have proper dog food to sustain the poor pooch until Lorelai gets here." She looks intently in the fridge, opening up Pyrex bowls and then closing them.

"Oh I'm sure the Hartford Police Department have been taking very good care of him in that regard," Richard says, Emily moves on to the cabinets.

"That poor dog. Who knows what he's seen or heard or felt during his time running away. He's probably shaken to the core." She pushes some boxes and jars of food aside. "Do dogs eat ginger snaps? They've been sitting in here forever."

"I don't know, but something tells me he hasn't gone missing for that long until that passerby reported him," says Richard.

Emily closes the cabinet door and opens another. "I think it's that Luke guy she's seeing's fault. That dog wants nothing to do with him either."

"You're being delusional now, Emily."

"I'm being delusional? Well how about you and that terrible robe you've been wearing all week lo-" Emily turns around and stops. "Oh, so you finally took it off."

"Indeed." Richard puts his hands in his pockets and rocks back and forth.

Emily looks taken aback but still stubbornly she says, "it's about time." She resumes searching in the cabinets. "Where in the world is the Purina Dog Chow when you need it?!" Emily throws up her hands and then turns around to see a server standing by the kitchen entrance, with a pot in hand. "Well, don't just stand there! We need gourmet doggie treats. Pronto!" He quickly sets the pot down and exits towards the cooking room.