The following two days Lorelai didn't leave Luke's apartment. He went a few times to get them food and to help for the busy moments in the Diner. But only Sookie and Rory knew where Lorelai was hiding, although most Townies had their suspicions. Sookie was thrilled, Rory was cautiously optimistic.

For the first time in her life since Rory was born, no one else in the world mattered to Lorelai (in those two days) except her and Luke. She stayed in their love cocoon. Her phone remained off and she didn't check her home phone. Nothing was going to come in the way of her making up for lost time with the love of her life.

They talked about their issues, made plans for the future and how they were going to deal with Chris and Anna. They pledged to not let other people come between them again and to always talk to each other. Nothing would be left to interpretation or guess work. If they were feeling insecure they would tell the other, they weren't going to risk losing each other ever again.

And of course there was love making. After they would make love they would talk in bed, tangled in each other's arms, about things they missed in each other's lives. Luke talked about his relationship with April, his disastrous date with her swim coach (Lorelai had to stop him when her sides started to hurt from laughing). Lorelai filled Luke in on the news of Sookie's surprise pregnancy, how Rory was getting closer to Logan, and how much she missed him.

It wasn't until Friday morning that she checked her messages to discover that Chris wouldn't be home until after her weekly Friday night dinner.

"Are you going to be okay?" Luke asked while he watched her gather her things to leave.

"Are you going to be waiting for me when all of this is said and done?" She asked in response.

"Of course!"

"Well then, I'll be just fine."

They shared a sweet smile and tender kiss before she turned to leave.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

"Hello, hello," Emily greeted as she opened the door welcoming Lorelai and Rory for Friday night dinner. "Your Father was called away on some business at the last minute so it will just be the three of us. So we're having fondue again. I know you two loved it the last yes, Lorelai, I made sure we have lots of marshmallows."

Rory and Lorelai exchanged a small smile.

"Great, so can we skip dinner and go straight to the fondue?" Lorelai teased.

Emily shook her head and chose to ignore her daughter. "How are things with you?" She asked while putting her arm around Rory.

"Oh you know, final year craziness is getting into full swing."

Just then Rory's phone rang, "I'm sorry Grandma, I know you don't like cell phones."

"It's okay, go ahead," Emily encouraged.

Rory slipped into Richard's office and Lorelai decided she was going to try to bond with her mother.

"Mom, I need to talk to you."

"Okay. Come, sit," Emily offered as she sat on her favourite sofa.

Lorelai chose to sit beside her Mom, she faced her and went for it.

"Mom, you need to cancel the party you're planning for Chris and I. But before you get mad, I need to explain everything to you. I want your advice."

Emily was flooded with emotions from being angry that Lorelai was changing her mind about the party to curiosity about what she would want her advice on to hoping that Lorelai finally wanted a relationship with her closer to what she had with Rory. "Go ahead," Emily said calmly.

"Chris lied to me. We're not married," Lorelai blurted out.

"What?!"

"He lied, Mom." Lorelai felt herself begin to tear up but powered on. She had a few tears stream down her face as she explained it all to her Mother. She told her about the marriage certificate and her conversation with the guy in France. She talked about how Chris knew and was using Emily's party to make the marriage legal. She told her how betrayed she felt considering the quickie wedding in France risked her relationships with her family members and her friends and that didn't seem to bother Chris.

Emily stayed silent except for a few "Oh my"s or "That boy!" that instinctively fell from her lips. She didn't want to do or say anything to stop Lorelai from opening up. She was one part horrified at the story she was hearing and one part thrilled that Lorelai was finally opening up to her.

The two women exhaled and looked at each other.

"You said you wanted my advice," Emily asked.

"Mom, you're so diplomatic and personable."

"Thank you."

"How do I confront Chris about this, let him know I want him out of my house and life, but not ruin things for him and Rory? They were just getting close again."

Emily took a big drink of her martini and exhaled a small chuckle.

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"I'm sorry. You really are asking ME for advice," Emily asked before taking a smaller sip of her drink.

"Yeah, I am," Lorelai smiled and tilted her head.

"Well," Emily adjusted herself on the couch, "I know that you love Rory. But this lie is too big. Sometimes you have to put yourself first. I know it sounds harsh and it's not what you're used to with Rory. But you are her role model, how would you want her to handle this situation if it happened to her? You have to show her by example that lies, especially from your spouse, will not be tolerated. Lorelai, I was miserable the months I was separated from your Father, but I don't regret standing up for myself and I would do it again. I would die inside if I thought you, my strong, beautiful, independent, daughter would put up with this garbage."

"Wow, Mom." Lorelai was stunned. Sure their relationship had improved over the years, it was clear they both were trying at times. But to have this much support from her Mom, to end a relationship with Chris, was shocking. "I have to say I'm surprised that you're not trying to talk me into staying with Chris."

"He lied! And not about something small. How could you ever trust him? How could any of us? He lied to us all, including Rory. I don't think this is a time to protect their relationship. She's old enough to make her own decisions about her relationship with him anyway."

Rory, who had been listening from the doorway, couldn't stay quiet anymore. "Mom, Grandma is right. Dad asked you to marry him at least twice before and you said no. In all the times we talked about it, either joking or seriously you never wanted to marry him. So I think we all know that Paris was a mistake. You can get out of this situation and not even have to deal with getting a divorce." Rory came and sat on the couch, so Lorelai was now sandwiched between her daughter and her Mom. "Plus, I think it's pretty obvious that you never stopped loving Luke. You two need to work things out and have the life you want."

Lorelai's eyes got big, she motioned towards Emily, "Not now, Rory."

Emily let out a sigh, "Oh please Lorelai. I'm well aware of that as well. In fact I had a long talk about it with your Father about how guilty he and I feel. You were much happier when you were with him. As much as I would have liked for you to marry the type of person that I would choose, and have been on a path that your Father and I wanted, I think we all can see that you simply wouldn't be happy in that life. I've had many talks with Rory as well."

"You have?!"

Rory nodded for confirmation, and Emily continued, "If even half of what Rory has said is true, Luke is a good man. He brings out the best in you and the two of you have been in love longer than either of you will admit. I saw it at Rory's 16th birthday party."

"Wow," Lorelai exhaled. "So you want me to be with Luke?"

"I want a good relationship with you. I want you to be happy. I want you with a man who loves you for who you are, who you can trust and who will be there for you and Rory. As much as I hate to admit it, that will never be Christopher. From what Rory tells me, Luke has been there for the two of you for over a decade. Seems like someone you can trust and have already built a solid foundation with."

Lorela sat in shock. She was thisclose to snatching a hair from Emily's head to do a DNA test and make sure this is still the Emily Gilmore she knew. It made her sad to think about the relationship they could have had if she had tried to trust her Mom sooner, but decided to focus on the hope of a positive future. She leaned in and hugged Emily, "Thanks, Mom."

Emily held back her emotions as much as she could, "I'm going to go talk to Magda and tell her we're going right to the fondue." She gave Lorelai one more squeeze and then scurried off to the kitchen leaving Lorelai and Rory to share a smile.

"Welcome to the Twilight Zone," Rory giggled.
"I think I'm going to like it here," Lorelai smiled.