Final Scene coming up after Part 10!
Part 10
Where is she? She should have been here a half an hour ago! How long does it take to get to Hartford on a quiet Wednesday evening? It's way past my bedtime.
"Relax, Emily. If she really wanted to pick up her dog, she would. Nothing would stop her."
Emily picks up the phone and starts to dial it. "She didn't even have the decency to tell us that she would be late. The nerve of that girl, I tell you." Richard moves over to her and takes the phone away.
"We are not going to call Lorelai. Instead, we are going to trust that she arrives in the next 10 minutes."
"And if she doesn't?"
"*THEN* there's plausible reason to call."
Emily cuts her eyes at Richard. "I suppose. But this means payback." She sits down and takes a sip of her tea. Richard stays still in his seat, staring at Emily. Emily places the cup down. And firmly folds her hands together. All we can hear now is the ticking of the Grandfather clock in the middle of the room. A few moments more pass. Emily breaks the silence. "Well? Are we just going to stare at one another the entire time until one or the other's noses fall off?"
Richard shrugs and then clears his throat while retrieving the newspaper.
"Put that thing down, Richard. You will not block me out with a black and white 12 by 16."
Richard slowly folds up the newspaper and places it back on the coffee table. Silence once again besides the Grandfather clock. Then, Richard says, "Welp, I'm going to check up on the dog. Excuse me, Emily..." He begins to get up and then the doorbell rings. Emily quickly rises. "I'll get that."
Emily rushes to the door, composing herself before she instructs a nearby maid to open it. "Ah, Lorelai. Good evening. It's about time." Emily glances down at her watch.
"Hi mom, sorry. You just wouldn't believe the nerve of some stoplights."
"Pardon?"
"Nevermind, long story," Lorelai sighs. "So where's Paul Anka?"
"Paul who?"
"My dog, mom."
"You named him Paul Anka?"
"Yeah, I did. Watch. PAUL ANKA?" Lorelai shouts while smiling and wrinkling her nose. "This'll only take sec. PAUL ANKA?! Here boy..." She reaches into her bag for a spare ginger biscuit. "Dogs love these, according to Sookie." She prepares to throw it past Emily into the main hallway. Emily stops her. "Lorelai, you will not be throwing foreign food in my house!"
"It's not foreign, mom! It's a ginger and cinnamon biscuit."
"Ah, *now* you tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"Richard and I were having the hardest time finding suitable food for the dog. If only I knew he'd take a liking to stale ginger snaps."
Just then, Paul Anka saunters into the foyer where Emily and Lorelai were standing, followed by Richard. Lorelai gasps. "It's really you! Hi, boy!" She bends down to embrace her lost dog. She looks up with tears in her eyes. "Mom, dad, thank you so much! This means so much to me!"
"Don't thank us, Lorelai. Thank the mystery passerby who decided to turn in Paul Anka."
"Well, I think I might have to in the end. I owe him $1000.00"
"A *thousand* dollars? What for?"
"It's the reward for finding Paul Anka!"
"That seems rather generous of you."
Richard comments, "I'm glad you've been reunited with Paul Anka, Lorelai. I know the feeling of losing your best friend."
"Oh, dad..." Lorelai sits up. "I could never forget you and Sam's story. I can only imagine." She hugs her dad.
"So Lorelai, would you like to hear the story of how we found the dog?"
"Just promise me one thing."
"Never lose Paul Anka again? That was sort of what I had in mind as well."
"That wasn't what I was going to initially say but that's a great start."
"What is it, dad?"
"As a responsible dog owner, it is extremely important to etch more than just the family's last name onto a dog pendant. You must include at least the dog's name, as well as a phone number to call in case it goes missing, because well, that obviously happens sometimes."
"Yeah dad, but you see, I was going to etch my landline onto his tag but I wasn't really in the mood to unwillingly give out my number to any potential stalkers and weirdos out there who might see it and think they'll have a chance to hook up with a thirty-something dog owner who just happens to be a woman."
"Oh Lorelai..." Richard shakes his head and goes to the kitchen.
So Lorelai, would you like to hear the story of how we found the dog?" Emily interrupts.
"I thought that was settled over the phone."
"That was the short version."
"Guess I'd better sit down for the long version."
Lorelai moves over to the living room sofa, pulling Paul Anka along.
"Here's what happened. Richard was lounging in his favorite robe all day, doing nothing but reading newspaper after newspaper until I told him to snap out of it and take the ridiculous thing off-"
"This wouldn't happen to be the extended version of the long version, would it?"
"I guess not," Emily says quietly. "Anyway, so we get a call from the Hartford Police Department and he tells us someone's turned in a Polish Lowland Sheepdog with a Gilmore tag. He immediately assumes it's us and completes a Hartford database search for our name and our information pulled up."
"But why would they pull up your information and not mind?"
"Then again, Stars Hollow's not necessarily anywhere near Hartford and apparently we're the only Gilmores in Hartford."
"Point taken," Lorelai says frustratingly. "And then what happened?"
"And then, the dispatcher arrives outside with a kennel and after signing a bunch of papers, out comes Paul Anka."
"Ha, 'out comes Paul Anka.'" Lorelai giggles and stops as she sees Emily's serious expression. "Just that...Rory said the same thing yesterday when we were on the phone."
"Which reminds me.." Emily begins. Lorelai closes her eyes regretfully. "Have you talked to Rory about this?"
"Yes mom, I told her we've found Paul Anka."
"Hmm, we?"
"You and dad." Lorelai rolls her eyes.
"She must be very impressed with our work."
"Although technically, the passerby is the one who really found Paul Anka, not you and dad."
"For once Lorelai, I wish we could bask in our glory without you interfering in it like you always have."
Lorelai looks taken aback. She breathes and sighs. "Well you know, it's getting late. I should be heading back." She gets up and Richard walks in with two glasses of Brandy.
"Lorelai, going so soon?" Richard asks.
"Thanks again for finding Paul Anka and keeping him warm. I'll see you at Friday dinner, dad. Mom. Come on, boy." She gestures for Paul Anka to follow her to the door. Richard turns to Emily, who shrugs. "I guess our work here is done."
"But-"
"Save it for Friday dinner, Richard. I've had enough dog business for tonight. Goodnight." Emily walks past him up the staircase.