Finding Rory

Chapter 59: Princesses to Queens

"Morning, Luke," Rory said sleepily as she and Tristan walked out into the kitchen and saw Luke.

"Morning. You two headed out for a run?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, the dogs have gotten used to their morning run, and I look forward to it, too," Rory said, grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge as Tristan clipped the leashes on the dogs.

"Well, you two have fun. Make sure you say goodbye before you head back to Hartford, okay?" Luke said.

"Of course - I wouldn't dream of leaving without seeing you first," Rory said.

She joined Tristan in the living room and took Romeo's leash before following Tristan out the door. They settled into an easy run, both used to running together at this point.

"So, your mom seems...different. Happier. Did you expect them to get engaged?" Tristan asked.

"No, I really didn't at this point. I thought if they hadn't done it by now, they never would. I'm really happy for them, though. They deserve a happily ever after."

"Do you think she's really behind us now?" he continued.

Rory paused for a moment before answering. "I think so. She's never really had a very good poker face, and I can usually read her pretty well."

"I hope you're right - it would definitely be nice to have support from both of our families."

"Mom and I talked last night. Is it okay if I go to the Dragonfly with her for a little while before we head home? I wanted to tell Sookie and Lane and Michel the news," said Rory.

"Sure, that's not a problem at all. You know, if we start sharing the news with everyone we're going to be getting a lot of questions about the wedding. Have you given any thought to what kind of wedding you want?" he asked.

"I don't want some big society wedding, Tris. I want something small and intimate. What about you? What do you want?"

"Me? We can fly to Vegas or go find a judge tomorrow. I don't need a big party, I just need you, Mare," Tris replied.

"I just need you, too. Well, you and my parents and Luke - I won't elope like my parents did. They eloped in Paris, and I was so upset that I wasn't with them for their wedding. I want those we're closest to there to see us get married."

"Well, let's sit down and talk about it tonight so we know what we want before we start getting pressure from others," Tristan said as they turned around and began running back toward the house.

"Yeah, we can both think about it today and then try to make decisions. I think winter might be nice - the snow is so magical," replied Rory.

"We'll make sure you get whatever you want for our big day, Mare. You're only getting married once, so we have to get it right the first time," Tristan teased.

"Hey, you're just sappy enough to want to renew our vows on the beach in some tropical location in ten years," Rory teased.

"I'm not sappy, Mary. I'm just smart enough to appreciate the amazing woman that I have and know that my life will be better if I keep her happy," he protested weakly.

"You just keep telling yourself that, Bible Boy. I know the truth - your picture is next to the word "sappy" in the dictionary."

"You're a handful, woman," Tristan groaned playfully.

"I'm your handful, and you love me."

"I really do," he admitted with a smile.

*                    *                    *

"I'll see you in a little bit, babe," Rory said, reaching up to kiss Tristan goodbye.

"Have a great time, Mare. I love you."

"Love you, too, Tris," Rory whispered before she turned and followed her mom out the door. They walked down the steps and turned toward the Dragonfly.

"Are you happy, Sweets?" Lorelai asked after a few seconds.

"I really am, Mom. Tris is amazing. I have no doubt that he's my forever," Rory said.

"I'm really glad, Ror. You know, hearing you talk about Tristan helped me realize that Luke is my forever. I needed to hear what you said about him, and I needed to see you be so certain of your relationship with him that you were willing to stand up to me," Lorelai said quietly.

Rory's eyes snapped up, making eye contact with her mom. "I...wow, I had no idea. Your opinion is important to me, Mom. It's just...I've walked away from love once before because I wasn't willing to fight for it and take a chance, and I'm not willing to do that again. What Tris and I have - it's a once-in-a-lifetime love."

"I really am happy for you, Kid. I want to tell you again how sorry I am about the way I've been acting. I'm not promising that I'll be perfect from here on out, but I'll do my best to be more supportive of your decisions."

"What's been going on, Mom? You mentioned that it was a conversation for another time," Rory asked.

"I'm not really sure, honestly. I just...I don't feel like myself. I've been really unhappy and moody and irritable. I constantly feel like I'm about to spontaneously combust, and I'm not sleeping well. It's the worst at night - I'll wake up drenched in sweat," Lorelai shared.

"Wow, I'm so sorry, Mom. Maybe you should see your doctor?" Rory suggested.

"I don't know - don't I sound a little crazy or something?" Lorelai asked.

"No, not at all. You could talk to Paris, maybe? Get her opinion on what's going on?"

"Yeah, I guess I could do that," Lorelai agreed.

They walked into the inn and were immediately met by Sookie and Lane running across the room to them.

"Sookie, how many times have I told you not to run with knives?!" Lorelai admonished her best friend, taking the knife out of her hand and giving it to a passing kitchen employee.

"Sorry, I just get so excited and I don't think first," Sookie said with a laugh. "So what's going on? You said you guys wanted to have coffee with Lane and me this morning, so I can only assume something's going on."

Rory and Lorelai exchanged a look and then both held up their left hands, showing off their engagement rings, eliciting squeals from their friends.

"Oh my gosh! This is amazing! I'm going to get to make wedding cakes!" Sookie exclaimed.

"You're engaged? Wow! Was it romantic? Did he get down on one knee with candles and roses? Spill, girl! You know I live vicariously through you," Lane said to Rory, just as Sookie spoke as well.

"When? Where? How?" Sookie asked Lorelai excitedly.

"Tris asked me on his aunt and uncle's yacht on the Fourth. We went for a walk and started talking about what we saw for the future. I told him it sounded nice, and he said there was only one thing that would be even better. Then he took out the ring and asked me to marry him. It was simple and perfect," Rory said, reliving the moment in her mind.

"And Luke and I were talking about Tristan and Rory. He was talking about how we'd waited twenty years and he didn't want to wait any longer. He got the ring out and asked me to marry him," Lorelai added.

"This is so amazing!" Sookie squealed, and soon all four women were dancing and exclaiming happily.

"What is the purpose of this racket?!" Michel snapped, coming around the corner.

Rory and Lorelai held up their hands again and Michel instantly joined in the squealing. They all sat down at a table discussing the new engagements, and Sookie pulled her secret stash of wine out of the kitchen to use to celebrate. Stars Hollow was going to be in a tizzy - their two princesses were getting married.