After Rory and Logan left, Emily and Richard got ready. Their main priority for today was to go to Stars Hollow and speak to Luke.
Emily knew from their previous visits that after the lunch rush would be the best time to go, so, after having their midday meal at home, she and Richard drove to Stars Hollow. The first part of their drive was silent, neither of them could say they were particularly looking forward to going to the small town, but they were doing this for Rory.
"What should we do if we cross paths with any of the other townsfolk?" Emily asked her husband. Richard pursed his lips in thought.
"Let's focus on what happened yesterday for now. Take this one step at a time. And, Emily, I wonder if we shouldn't let Rory deal with them. I do not doubt she would have had this Theresa Lister not poured a drink on her. We can protect and help Rory to a certain extent, but we have to realize she is no longer a teenager. She's a young woman who is more than capable of making her own decisions. If the last week has shown me anything, she can hold her own when handling confrontation. Look at the way she dealt with Francine and Straub on the night of her engagement party, could you have imagined her doing that at sixteen?" Emily shook her head, conceding her husband's point.
As much as she wanted to solve everything, she knew Richard was right. Rory wasn't 16 anymore, and Emily herself had promised Rory she would try to step back and not micro-manage. They drove the rest of the way in silence.
Luke looked up at the sound of the bell ringing over the door and saw Emily and Richard Gilmore enter.
"Hello Richard, Emily. Can I get you two anything?" he asked. Emily and Richard shook their heads.
"No thank you, Luke. I'm afraid we're here on some rather unfortunate business," Richard said. Luke nodded and swallowed as he studied Rory's grandparents. He had a feeling as to why they were here, and it didn't surprise him at all Rory had told them about Theresa's attack. He wiped his hands on a clean towel and came out from behind the counter.
"Is there somewhere private we can talk? Away from prying eyes and ears?" Emily asked as she noticed the glass separating Luke's diner from Taylor's shop. Luke nodded and held up a finger. Calling out to Caesar, he told him he was heading upstairs for a few minutes and gestured for Emily and Richard to follow him behind the curtain separating the diner from the stairwell that led to his living quarters. He waved them through the apartment door before closing and locking it behind them.
"Luke, how long has that glass been there?" Richard asked as they sat down at the small dining room table. Luke shook his head.
"For some time now. I hate it, but there's nothing I can say to convince Taylor to take it out and put the wall back to the way it was," he said, thinking back to how a crowd had gathered behind the glass the first time they had seen April.
"It's like you're under a microscope, surely there are some legalities and insurance policies that could be taken into consideration. It's absurd!" Emily said. Luke nodded.
"You're telling me. But I know you're not here to talk about the glass separating my business and Taylor's. I would have stopped Theresa had I known what she was going to do," said Luke. Emily and Richard looked at each other and then back at the diner owner.
"Luke, please understand, that we do not blame you for yesterday's events. Rory told us you came to her defence after Theresa verbally and physically assaulted her. We're here as concerned grandparents and were hoping to get some insight from you on what happened," Emily said. Luke took a deep breath and told them. His story was the same as Rory's, she and Lane had been minding their own business when Theresa and Lindsay had entered the establishment and Theresa had started in on Rory.
"And what about Lindsay? Did she do anything?" Richard asked. Luke shook his head.
"No, she didn't. I think she was as shocked as we were. She seemed interested in what Rory had to say, but Rory never got any further than telling her she was sorry the affair had happened," Luke said. He rubbed a hand over his face before continuing. "How is she, by the way? Rory?" Emily and Richard looked at each other. While they had initially disapproved of Luke, their opinion had begun to change when they saw how much he loved Rory, and how much of a stable figure he was in her life. Emily clicked her tongue.
"She was quite distraught when she got home yesterday. Bad enough she spent several minutes throwing up while sobbing hysterically. I've never seen her like that," Emily said, tears coming to her eyes again as she thought back to the sight of her granddaughter on the bathroom floor. Luke shook his head.
"Poor kid. I'm just sorry I didn't stop Theresa before she got hold of the pitcher," Luke said.
"What's done is done, and like Emily said, we don't blame you. Do you know where we can find Theresa?" Richard asked. Luke nodded before giving them directions. As they stood to leave, Richard took one of his business cards out of his wallet, which he held out to Luke. "Rory also told us the townsfolk have been treating you coldly. If you need anything, Luke, don't hesitate to call. I know some good lawyers." Luke nodded as he accepted the card and slipped it into his wallet.
"Thanks, Richard. I appreciate it," he said. Richard nodded.
"Of course, Luke. Thank you for defending Rory yesterday," he said as they went downstairs. After bidding Luke goodbye, Emily and Richard made their way back to their car. Their presence wasn't unnoticed by the townspeople, and they began to speculate about why the grandparents of the now-dethroned Town Princess were in Stars Hollow. They would find out soon enough.
Lindsay Lister stared out her bedroom window. When she had divorced Dean, she had fully blamed Rory for the breakdown of her marriage, but now she wasn't so sure. As Lindsay thought about it, she began to see how her parents, namely her mother had been too involved, and she wondered if that had been part of it. Even if the affair hadn't happened, Lindsay was slowly realizing she and Dean wouldn't have lasted much longer with how much her parents were around. Her marriage hadn't been between her and Dean but between them and her mother. How did she not see that until now?
And then there was Rory. She hadn't wanted to go to the table yesterday, but her mother hadn't left her any choice. She had seen the honesty in Rory's face as she apologized for her part in things, and Lindsay wanted to know what Rory had been about to say before her mother had taken her attack one step further. Lindsay was still shocked at what her mother had done, and, to her surprise, she was angry about it. Her mother's actions had prevented her from discovering the truth. Maybe Lane knew? Lindsay mused as she got ready for work. Maybe she could ask Lane.
Rory blew out a breath and unpacked more of her clothes. Since they'd arrived in Palo Alto yesterday, she and Logan had been busy unpacking and setting up the house. He'd been in contact with the office and would start work on Monday. Logan came into the bedroom carrying another box, which he set down before joining his fiancée in their shared closet.
"How are you doing in here Ace? You've been in here for two hours," he said. Rory chuckled as she slipped one of her blazers onto a hanger and placed it on the rack.
"I'm doing okay. How about you MAC?" she asked, sliding her arms around Logan's neck while he encircled her waist with his own.
"I think I'm ready for a break. You?" Rory looked around at the suitcases and boxes still piled in their closet and nodded.
"Yeah, I could sit down for a bit," she said. Logan nodded and they left the bedroom hand-in-hand. After stopping in the kitchen for some water, they went into the living room and settled down on the couch.
"What happened when you went to your parents' house on Tuesday?" Rory asked. Logan sighed.
"Uh well, my dad's lawyers got the money back that I lost in the business deal, including my trust fund, and my dad asked if I would consider coming back to HPG," he told her.
"What did you say? Did they say why they left our engagement party without a word?" Rory asked. Logan tipped his head back against the couch and exhaled as he thought back to the conversation he'd had with his parents and grandfather.
FLASHBACK
"You know, Logan, you and Rory don't have to move to California. There are jobs here for you both," Mitchum Huntzberger said as he sat in the massive sitting room of the Huntzberger mansion with his son, his wife and his father. Logan shook his head as he took a sip of his drink, only answering when he swallowed.
"No, Dad. I need to try and make it on my own, figure out who I am away from the persona of the Huntzberger heir. As for Rory, it's not up to me to make decisions for her. She's her own person, and quite frankly after the drama of the past few days, including the stand-off with the Haydens at our engagement party, I think it's good that we're leaving. Hopefully, when we return, the Hartford gossip mill will have moved on. That being said, why did you leave? Do you have any idea how it felt to walk outside with my fiancée, who all of you have yet to accept as my future wife and see your car pulling away?" Logan questioned. Shira quickly stood up.
"I'll be right back," she said, before leaving the room. Logan looked back at his father and grandfather. Mitchum and Elias looked at each other uncomfortably. They should have known Logan would bring up their departure from the Gilmores.
"Logan, you have to understand that we're still not sure about Rory being a suitable wife for you. Are you sure you want to marry a woman who wants to have her own career and not support yours? What about when you have children?" Elias said. Logan shook his head angrily.
"Yes, I'm sure. Things aren't the same as they were when you were young, Grandpa. There are lots of women who support their husbands and take care of their families while having their careers. I like that Rory wants to work. She's not with me for the family fortune or the connections, she's with me because she loves me, which is something I never would have thought possible because she couldn't stand me when we first met," Logan replied in a level voice as his mother came back into the room. Elias and Mitchum exchanged a surprised look, which caused Logan to let out an undignified snort. "You would have known that had you bothered to get to know Rory the first time I brought her to this house, but you didn't do that, did you? Instead, you attacked her and said she was unsuitable to marry into this family. That she wasn't the right kind of person to be by my side."
"Okay, Logan, Pop, let's calm down," said Mitchum. Before anyone else could say anything, Shira spoke.
"Logan, think of how she treated her paternal grandparents after they expressed a desire to be in her life. Do you want to be with someone like that?"
"Did you hear what she said about how the Haydens didn't want her before she was even born, or the suggestions they made to avoid the scandal? If anyone was in the wrong, it was them! Rory has had enough people come into her life only to leave, and if the Haydens couldn't be bothered to get to know her at sixteen, Rory has every right to deny them access to her life now at 22. Returning to what you said, Grandpa, about Rory and I having children, you'd better figure out what you want. Because if you can't accept Rory or our marriage, you will likely have limited contact with your great-grandchildren and grandchildren. That's the best-case scenario," Logan said.
"Don't be so overdramatic, Logan," Shira said, waving her son's words away. Logan finished his drink before standing up.
"I'm not. I'm serious. When Rory and I start a family, I don't want to hear a word from any of you about how my wife wasn't bred to be in this family or to be my children's mother. I told you what the best-case scenario was, the worst-case scenario is that you won't know my children at all. Maybe I'll decide that the three of you are . . . unsuitable," Logan said firmly before taking his leave.
END FLASHBACK
Rory stared at her fiancée in shock even as she took his hand. "Logan, I can't believe you told them that! What do you think they'll do?" she asked. Logan shook his head.
"I don't know. I guess we'll find out. I'm just glad I have you, and Richard and Emily, and Honor and Josh," he said, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.
"I love you," Rory told him, pressing her forehead against his.
"I love you too," Logan said, rubbing her nose with his. They sat like that for a few minutes before Rory pulled away.
"You know, hearing you say all that, it made me realize something," she said. Logan raised his eyebrows at her.
"What's that, Ace?"
"Well, the night we got engaged and you told me how you saw our future in this," Rory held up her left hand and Logan nodded. "You said you saw me pregnant with our baby, but that was as far as we got. We haven't had a chance to talk about having kids. We were so busy with preparations for the move and the engagement party and all the drama, we didn't have time to talk about that part of our future," she finished. Logan let out a low whistle.
"You're right," he said. Rory grinned at him as she propped an elbow on the back of the sofa.
"Have you thought about when you want to have kids? How many do you want to have?" she asked. Logan cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair.
"I think two is good. As for when we start trying for a baby, maybe after our third anniversary? I love the idea of having a family with you, Rory, and maybe this is selfish, but I want it to be us for a while longer. We can take that trip to Asia, see a little more of the world," he said. Rory nodded.
"I like that idea. And I think two is good too. Do you want a boy or a girl?" she asked. Logan chuckled.
"I don't think that part is up to us," he said. Rory giggled and nodded. Logan smiled at her before the smile was replaced with a more serious look. "I'd be happy with one of each, or two boys or two girls." Rory fixed him with a thoughtful look of her own.
"I was thinking the same thing, but I know that's not all that's on your mind. What's going on, Logan?" she asked. Logan exhaled heavily.
"What do you want to do about your mom?" Rory sighed and shook her head.
"You mean about her refusal to accept our relationship and future together, or are you talking about when we start having kids?" she asked.
"Both." Rory pursed her lips as she gave his question some serious thought. The past week had proven Lorelai was very against the union of her daughter and future son-in-law, and Rory would be lying if she hadn't thought about her and Logan's future when they started having kids, as well as what her relationship with her mother would be like then. Rory knew first-hand what it was like to grow up without knowing her grandparents, and she didn't want to do that to her kids. But would she have to? Could she live with herself if she kept her children from their grandmother? Then again, considering how manipulative Lorelai was, maybe it would be best if Rory chose to keep them away from her. Logan watched her silently; he could practically hear the wheels turning in Rory's mind.
"When Lane and I saw her the other day, I told Lorelai that she wasn't going to win after she told me I wasn't welcome in her house until I ended our engagement," she said, and her heart clenched at the hurt look on Logan's face.
"I'm not going to do that, Logan. I'm not going to leave you to make Lorelai happy, because her happiness would come at the cost of my misery. At this point, I don't even want to invite her to the wedding. That being said, I don't know if I want our kids around her. If I knew she was going to love them unconditionally, that's a different story. But since my relationship with her is only good when I do what she wants, I don't know if I could expose our children to that. I don't want them to feel like the only way they can be happy is if they're living for approval, ours or others. I don't want them to grow up the way I did, where my mother belittled me every time I tried to stand up to her and blamed my actions on other people. She made it impossible for me to think for myself. Right now, I don't have a solid answer," she said.
Logan shook his head and ran a hand over his face. "Logan? What is it?"
"If you weren't with me, you'd still have your mom, and you wouldn't be thinking about this," Logan said. Rory reached out and cupped his cheek, stroking it with her thumb.
"Logan, look at me," she said softly. Reluctantly, Logan looked at his fiancée. She continued to caress his face. "Don't you dare blame yourself for this. Do you hear me? It's because of you I started living and taking chances instead of living the lives of people in books. It's because of you I know what it means to be truly alive. You were worth jumping for." Logan's response to that was to pull Rory into his lap and wrap his arms around her.
She pulled her fingers through his hair as he buried his face in her collarbone, his emotions shaking his body. They sat there for a few minutes, Logan thinking how lucky he was to have someone like Rory in his arms, in his life. He felt the metal of her engagement ring brush against the nape of his neck, a symbol of his love for her and a physical reminder that she was here. As he breathed in the scent of her floral perfume, Logan felt his body begin to relax. Rory continued to stroke his hair as she tilted his head up and pressed her lips to his. Logan kissed her back and Rory repositioned herself so that her knees were straddling Logan's thighs.
What had started as the soft kisses they gave each other as a silent "I love you" turned into the more passionate kisses they'd shared throughout their three-year relationship. Logan grasped Rory's legs as he stood up, causing her to gasp and then giggle against his lips. Her giggle turned into a soft moan as Logan lay her on the couch before lowering himself over her.
"Should we be doing this? The doors opening onto the deck are glass," Rory said between kisses.
"They open into our backyard, and we can get some curtains to cover them. I was thinking we should anyway," Logan answered. Rory gave a hum of assent before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down. Logan's hands had just begun to slip beneath Rory's shirt when her phone rang. Logan broke their kiss and rested his head on her shoulder as Rory let out a frustrated huff.
"Seriously?" she muttered. Logan couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he sat up. Rory rolled onto her side and picked up her ringing phone. When she saw the caller ID, she quickly answered.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Rory! I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time," said Emily. Rory blushed as she glanced at Logan, who looked back at her with a half-amused, half-mortified look.
"No, no, you didn't. Logan and I were just taking a break. We've been really busy unpacking all day," she said quickly as she ran a hand through her hair.
"Oh, yes! How's the new house?" Emily wanted to know as she walked into Richard's study so they could both talk to Rory and motioned to her husband to pick up the phone. "Your grandfather is here too."
"Hi, Grandpa!" Rory said happily. Her grandfather returned her greeting before he repeated his wife's question. "The new house is great; I can't wait for you guys to come visit! It's open, and there's natural light coming in every room and our living room has these French doors that open out onto the back deck! We haven't had a chance to sit outside and stargaze yet, we've been busy but hopefully, we'll get to in a few days. How are things in Connecticut?" Rory rambled.
"That sounds wonderful! Things are good here as well; the weather has been a mix of rain and sun since you and Logan left. But that's not why we're calling, Rory. We met with the lawyers yesterday, but we didn't want to call when you were still on the road. Do you have some time? Is Logan nearby?" Richard asked.
"Oh, yeah, I have some time. Logan's right here, hold on," Rory said before covering the mouthpiece with her hand. "Grandma and Grandpa met with the lawyers yesterday, and they want to talk to us," she said. Logan nodded and moved so he was sitting next to Rory. After he had exchanged greetings with the Gilmores, their discussion got underway.
"So, what you're telling me is the police can arrest Theresa, and the judge will decide what kind of sentence she'll get?" Rory questioned to make sure she was following. Logan took her hand.
"Yes, that's the gist of it. We went back to Stars Hollow after we met with the lawyers and Luke said he would be willing to testify on your behalf, as did Lane," said Richard.
"What kind of charges would Theresa be facing?" Rory asked.
"Well, the way our lawyer explained it, pouring a drink on someone is called simple assault, and the charges for that include a misdemeanour charge, one year in prison, a $1,000 fine, if not more, a year in a probation center, a one-year probation sentence, restitution, community service and restraining orders. Had she poured hot coffee on you, the definition for that is aggravated assault," Richard summarized. Rory was silent on her end.
"Rory, I understand that this is very upsetting for you, and while that woman only poured a cold beverage over you, it could have been much worse. She needs to face the consequences of her actions," Emily said firmly yet gently.
"I know, Grandma. I'd rather act like this didn't happen, but that's not an option," Rory said wearily. She had never regretted her affair with Dean more, and Rory hoped she would get another chance to speak to Lindsay, this time in private. She took a deep breath, knowing that what she was about to do would change Lindsay's life once again. "I want to press charges. If Theresa has verbally assaulted me in public twice and dumped a pitcher of soda over me, she could do something like this to someone else, and next time it could be harmful," she said. Logan rubbed her back as she leaned into him.
"All right. We'll call when we have an update," Emily said.
"Sounds good, Grandma. Thank you both," Rory said in a shaky voice.
"You're very welcome, Rory. We'll talk to you soon," Richard said. They said goodbye and Rory leaned into Logan.
"Oh, Ace," he said, pulling her into his arms. Rory rested her head against his shoulder as he rocked them back and forth. "Everything is going to be okay," he told her. Rory nodded and he held her for a while longer before the two of them got up to heat one of the casseroles their landlords had made to welcome them to the neighbourhood and Palo Alto.
Lindsay was watching a movie when she heard a knock on the door. Pausing the movie, she stood up to answer it and was surprised to see two police officers on the other side.
"May I help you?" she asked nervously.
"Are you Theresa Lister?" one of them asked. Lindsay shook her head.
"No, I'm her daughter, Lindsay. What's going on?" she said as her mother came around the corner.
"Is there a problem here, officers?" she asked. The two of them stepped into the entryway.
"Are you Theresa Lister?" the officer from before repeated her question.
"Yes," Theresa responded slowly, not liking the look the officers were giving her.
"Ma'am, you're under arrest for the assault of Rory Gilmore," the other officer said. Theresa's eyes grew wide.
"I think you're mistaken, there's been a misunderstanding. Lindsay, tell them!" she cried as the female officer shackled the metal bracelets to her wrists. Lindsay could only watch as her mother was led out of their house to a waiting police car. Seeing the crowd that was gathering, Lindsay quickly shut the door and locked it behind her before resting her head against the wood. She thought of her thoughts from two days ago, about asking Lane if she knew the truth, and she knew what she had to do. Steeling herself, Lindsay quickly went to her bedroom and grabbed her purse before leaving the house. Determinedly, she set off in the direction of where Lane lived, ignoring the looks that people were giving her.
Chapter 15! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed it! It warms my heart to read your thoughts. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Reviews:
Debby Cooke: I'm so glad you're enjoying the story and how I'm writing Richard and Emily. I hope you enjoyed Chapter 15!
Kellybras: Thank you!
Sharon Cuevas: Yes, if Lorelai wants to have any semblance of a relationship with her daughter, she will have to admit she's wrong, but at this point, I'm not sure if she will. We will have to see what happens! Theresa does spew venom without hearing what the other person has to say, and Lindsay is interested in what Rory has to say. It bothered me how everyone, both the characters in the show and the fans, pinned all the blame on Rory when that wasn't the case at all. I went back and watched those scenes with her and Dean, and while she has her share of the blame, Dean was the instigator. There are articles dedicated to this topic online. It was the eventful goodbye to Lane and Luke, I was a little surprised at what came out of my brain for this chapter! I'm glad you're enjoying my warm and fuzzy Emily.
December Jeffries2: You know, I was really surprised that I came up with that, but when I went back and watched the clip of Theresa confronting Rory in the street, I could see her doing that. It made me mad too that she poured a drink over Rory's head (even though I'm the one who wrote it!) and stopped Lindsay from finding out the truth of how the affair started in the first place. Theresa will pay, don't worry! As for Rory's parents, we'll have to see. I'm also glad that Emily and Richard are on her side and have stepped up for her. I hope you liked Logan's flashback to what happened at his parents. Thank you as always for your insightful reviews.
Red lighting: Poor Rory is right! As for the grandparents ripping the town's folk a new one, well, I might let Rory do that in later chapters ;)
Keraatchley05: Thank you so much for your reviews of the first fourteen chapters of this story! I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I hope you enjoyed Chapter 15.
That's it for this week, guys! As always, thank you for the reviews, it makes my day to read them and brings joy to my heart that you're all enjoying this story. Stay safe, stay warm and I will be back soon.
Until then, xoxo
