A/N: Still don't own Gilmore Girls.
Chapter 7
They stood, four abreast, in front of the heavy oak door.
"Are we going to knock then?"
Luke, Lorelai and Rory all turned to look at Jess.
"That is not how this works, Jess." Lorelai looked at him disapprovingly. Jess just looked confused.
"Give us a minute to prepare ourselves, okay?" Luke tapped his nephew on the shoulder, who in turn turned to his girlfriend and whispered,
"That bad, huh?"
"Yes, Jess. You remember the last time: that bad."
Jess sighed and waited. And waited. Then knocked on the door, ignoring Lorelai's pointed look in his direction. The door was opened by a maid, one neither Luke nor Lorelai recognised, but Emily Gilmore came running up behind her.
"Oh Rory! Richard, they're here!" She embraced her granddaughter, smiling, before running back into the living room.
"Someone's excitable today…" Lorelai muttered. Luke just took her hand.
"Are you going to spend the whole evening out in the hall?" Emily had poked her head round to look at them all again. Dutifully, the two couples trooped in, coats draped over their arms.
"Oh, let me look at you." Emily held Rory at arms length and scanned her up and down. "Don't you look grown up. Doesn't she look grown up, Richard?"
The Gilmore patriarch had just entered.
"What was that, dear?"
"Doesn't Rory look grown up?"
Richard looked her grand-daughter, musing over the question.
"Why, yes - I would say she did. Hello, Rory," he said, hugging her. "We have missed you, haven't we Emily?"
"Oh yes we have."
Lorelai cleared her throat, "Not to break up this lovely reunion but…"
Her mother turned to her.
"Hello, Lorelai, Luke and…" Emily seemed to notice Jess properly for the first time.
"You remember Jess don't you, Grandma?"
Emily hastily arranged her face and turned back to Rory.
"Of course I do. Hello again, Jess. Take a seat everyone."
She left the room, Richard taking the helm at the drinks' cart, also trying not to look unnerved.
"What can I get anyone?"
"More caring parents…"
"Now that's not very charitable, Lorelai. We do see you every week. Gin and tonic, Rory?"
In the silence after the drinks' orders, Emily's voice reached them from the dining room.
"It's not that hard to lay an extra place, Marietta. No, don't just push the other plates down - pick them up to readjust."
Rory looked from Jess to her mother and back again, taking his hand and shaking her head.
"Uh, Mom?"
Emily marched back into the living room.
"What is it, Lorelai?"
Lorelai smirked and gestured head towards the dining room.
"You ever heard of whispering?"
"Pardon me?"
"We all heard you asking to lay an extra place…"
Rory laid her hand on her mother's leg and spoke herself,
"Did you forget Jess was coming, Grandma?"
"Um… No, I did not forget. I just thought…"
"Grandma?"
Emily bristled, raising her chin and speaking stiffly,
"I thought your mother might be making one of her jokes."
Rory tensed, holding tighter to Jess' hand. Jess sighed and whispered,
"Let it go, Rory."
She ignored him.
"Me and Jess dating isn't a joke, Grandma."
"Yes, I know, Rory, but you know your mother…"
Rory opened her mouth to argue further but Lorelai grabbed her other hand: "Not worth it, Ror. Think of the big picture."
"Shall we eat, Emily?" Richard cut in.
"Great idea, Mr Gilmore," Luke said, leaping up.
"I told you to call me Richard, Luke," Richard reproached.
Luke nodded and repeated,
"Great idea, Richard."