How did we get here - A Gilmore Girls fan fiction

Chapter 21

It's December 23. The Danes/Gilmore/ Mariano clan make the almost five hour drive to Nantucket. Rory and Jess take Jess's car. Lorelai and Luke take his pickup truck.

Jess is apprehensive about meeting Emily Gilmore. He didn't make a great first impression thirteen years ago. He just hopes that Emily is open to giving him a second chance.

They finally reach Emily's home. Her eccentric maid greet them in a language no one can understand. She takes their jackets. And lead them to the living room.

Emily comes down the stairs to greet her guests. She greets them in white denim jeans and a red sweater. 100% in the Christmas spirit. "Lorelai, Luke, Rory, welcome to Nantucket. And who may you be?" She stares down Jess.

"Grandma, you remember Jess. He's Luke's nephew and my friend. I thought it would be nice to invite him over for Christmas." Rory explains.

"Oh, yes. I didn't recognize you without the black eye. Nice to meet you again, Jess." Emily extends out her hand.

"Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Gilmore." Jess shakes hands with Emily.

"So would anyone like a drink?"

As Berta makes drinks for everyone, Emily joins her guests in the living room.

"So how is that great grandchild of mine I have heard nothing from you lot about?"

"Grandma, I am really sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. You should have been one of the first to know."

"Yes, Rory. While you were still in the bathroom, waiting for the result, you definitely should have called your grandmother." Lorelai chimes in sarcastically.

"I didn't need to know right then and there. But before Shira Huntzberger told me would have been nice."

"Jess, let's head outside and get the bags." Luke suggests to his nephew. Jess follows his uncle outside.

"So, Logan is the father, huh? When's the wedding?" Emily asks.

"I'm not marrying him grandma. He's engaged to Odette." Rory explains.

"You mean that French little hussy. Logan will leave her in a second if you told him you want to be with him."

"But I don't want to be with him."

"You wanted him badly enough you're pregnant with his child."

Rory's anger is boiling to the surface. "That's enough, grandma. I am sorry that I have been a disappointment to you for the past year. I know you didn't approve of my "vagabond" existence. But I am an adult. Not a child anymore. I know I shouldn't have slept with Logan. But I can't say I regret it, because now I have a baby on the way. I love Logan. I always will love Logan. But he's not what I want, grandma. And I need you to respect that." Rory leaves the room and heads to the upstairs to find her room.

"This is your fault, Lorelai." Emily turns on her daughter.

"How is this my fault, mom?"

"She's following your footsteps. Making the exact same mistakes you did. If your father were here..." Emily starts.

"Do not pull dad into this conversation."

"If he were here, he would disappointed in you and Rory."

"Why mom, why would he be disappointed with Rory? Because she is choosing not to marry Logan and raise this baby on her own? She is not raising this baby on her own. She will have Luke and I. She is getting her life together. Dad would be proud of Rory. Proud that she has matured and is making the right choices now. And mom, Rory is not me. She has parents who will support her and love her and help her raise that child. I have watched her for the past two months struggling to get her life straight for this baby. And you don't even want to see that. You only see that she is making the same mistakes as me. But she is not."

Lorelai leaves and heads upstairs also.

Emily is in the living room stunned into silence with a scotch in her hand.

*****

Jess can hear Rory in the bedroom crying. He knocks on the door and enters.

Jess sees Rory sitting on the bed crying into one of the pillows. Jess joins Rory on the bed and holds her in his arms.

"Jess, am I doing the wrong thing not marrying Logan. I mean I will always love him. So why then don't I want to marry him either?"

"I don't know. If you were not pregnant with his child, would you want to marry him?"

Rory thinks on it for a second. "No. I wouldn't want to marry him. We thought that night in New Hampshire was goodbye for good. I had no intentions of seeing him again."

"So that only changed when you found out you were pregnant?"

"Yes. I think so."

"Then Rory that's your answer. You love him. But you can't see yourself marrying him if there wasn't a baby." Jess explains.

They stay on the bed in each other's arms. "Rory, do you see yourself getting married in the future?"

"I don't know. I would love to one day." Rory whispers.

Jess kisses Rory on the forehead as they sit leaning on the headboard. Both in silence deep in their own thoughts.