The Legend - A Gilmore Girls Fan Fiction

Chapter 34

Finn, Poppy and I boarded the plane together, and Logan, Odette and Emma were already there.

"Mommy!" Emma cried, rushing to me for a hug, and then she hugged Finn and "Princess Poppy", too.  "Where are we going, Mommy!?  Daddy and Dettie say it's your surprise" she said.

"You, my sweet Little Love, are going to go on your very first airplane ride ever!" Finn said.

"Really!?  I get to fly in the clouds like a bird!?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah!  Let's pick you out the best seat!" he said, and Emma put her hand in his as they walked to find a place to sit.

"You look rough, what happened to you?" Logan asked me in concern.

"She's just not having a very good day today, Logan.  She got a bit of bad news yesterday, and she's not really handling it so well today, but we've got her on the mend" Poppy explained without telling too much.

"Are you okay, Ace?" he asked with worry in his eyes.

"No...not really, anyway...I lost my job yesterday" I said with a shrug, "so no, I probably won't really be okay until I find a new one" I whispered.

"Wow, what happened!?" Odette asked in concern.

I took a deep breath and sighed.  "My new editor who hated me finally had enough on his side to get rid of me like he's wanted to do from the beginning.  I'm actually surprised it took him this long" I said sadly.

"Are you letting Finn help you?" Logan asked.

"No, he offered, of course, but I can't take his money" I said.

"Well, what other option do you have until you find a new job?" he asked.

"I have no idea, but I'm not asking Finn for a handout" I said sadly.

"We're not going to think about it this weekend, are we, Love?  This weekend is all about having fun, catching up with old friends, and taking your daughter to the place she's been dreaming of for most of her precious little life.  Please don't let something like this spoil this weekend.  I know how important your independence and having a job is to you, but I know that you'll regret it so much if you don't fully enjoy everything we've got planned this weekend" Finn said.

I nodded.  I knew he was absolutely right, but I just couldn't shake this feeling of dread.  "Come on, Love.  Let's go have a seat" Finn said, walking me over to Emma.

"Are they dating?" Odette asked in surprise.

"Not yet, but they're so darn close it's driving me nuts!  I wish they'd just hurry up and make it official already!" Poppy said with a laugh.

"You can tell he really must care about her – I've never seen him like that before...so soft and gentle and...almost loving!" Odette said in surprise.

"Well good, I think they're actually pretty perfect for each other, the more I think about it.  He's really calmed down a lot since college, and even more so since their car accident" Logan said, and Poppy nodded in agreement.

*                              *                                *

We'd been flying for about an hour and Emma had fallen asleep, laying down on one of the couches.  Logan and Odette were doing some work on their laptops, and Finn, Poppy and I were sitting on a couch with our backs to them, near Emma, talking.

"I feel like I need to lie down and get some rest, does anyone mind if I use the bedroom?" Poppy asked.

"Not at all, Pop, it's all yours" Finn said, and she walked away.

"Is there anything I can do to make this weekend more carefree and so exciting that you can't possibly think of anything bad?" Finn asked with his arm around me.

I shrugged.  "It's not like I want to dwell on it" I pointed out.

"I know, but maybe there's still something I could do, or say, or something.  I don't know, I'm grasping at straws here" he teased.

I smiled back and laid my head onto his shoulder.  "Honestly, just you being here with me is comforting enough right now" I whispered, starting to get sleepy myself.  He smiled and suggested I lay down with my head in his lap, which he put a throw pillow down so I wasn't directly in his lap.  He ran his fingers through my hair mindlessly as he got lost deep in thought.

*                                *                                *

When we landed in California, Emma was so upset that we were leaving Poppy behind on the plane all alone.  "Maybe one day I can take you and your mum to Australia so you can see where Poppy and I are from, you'd love it there, it's almost as beautiful as you!" Finn told her with a smile.

"Have you ever been to Australia, Mommy?" she asked me and I shook my head.

"No, but it sounds like it would be a fun trip" I said.

"I want Uncle Finn and Princess Poppy to take us to Australia!" she said.

"We'll see, Sweet Pea.  Give Princess Poppy hugs because she won't be back for a few weeks" I told her, and Emma hugged her and held on tightly. 

"Bye, Princess Poppy!  Have fun in Australia!" she said.

"And you have fun in California, Emma!  I have a feeling it's going to be magical" she said, looking at Finn and me.

Next it was my turn to hug Poppy.  I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed spending time with her, she was so sweet and fun to be around, and she clearly loved Emma.  "You take care and follow doctor's orders.  I'll see you in a few weeks" I promised. 

She nodded and hugged me again.  "Maybe by then you'll have a new boyfriend to tell me all about" she said with a wink as we broke away.

I just laughed and she turned to Finn.  Emma and I walked off the plane to let them have their moment.  "Bye, Big Brother, I'll see you in a few weeks.  Take care of those girls – and for the love of God, ask her out already!" she said with a laugh.

He smiled and whispered something into her ear, and she smiled when they pulled away.  "I love you, Popsicle" he whispered.

"I love you too, and please don't worry about me.  Charlie will take good care of me as soon as I get home, and then I'll be back before you know it" she promised.  He nodded and walked down the steps of the plane.

"She'll be okay, Finn.  And she'll be back soon" I assured him, rubbing his back with my hand.  He nodded and pulled me in close to him.  "So when do we meet the others?" I asked.

"Right now, it would seem" he said with a laugh, pointing ahead of us to the gang waiting for us by a super stretch limo.

The girls ran up to me and hugged me, begging for details about Finn and me.  "We're not even dating!" I said with a laugh and their faces fell.

"You're kidding, right?" Juliet asked.

"But you're so cute together!" Stephanie exclaimed.

Finn turned to me and smiled.  "Aye, that we are" he said with a wink.

I hugged Colin and Robert.  I'd missed them both so much.  "Uncle Colin!  Uncle Robert!  Auntie Stephy and Auntie Juliet!" Emma exclaimed, realizing who we were visiting, and she ran to each of them for hugs.