Champagne Problems | Gilmore Girls

The Great Gilmore Matriarch

You two are horrible." Rory scolded as she, her mother, and Serena prepared to leave for Friday Night dinner.
Serena was talking to her again, thankfully, though it had been a tense week and Rory could tell that her sister was still a little irritated with her. For her part, she still thought Serena had treated Tristan badly, but they had an unspoken agreement not to discuss it since they weren't going to agree.
"What?" Serena asked innocently. "I'm just eager to meet my great-grandmother for the first time."
"Yeah," Lorelai echoed, "and I'm eager to see my grandmother for the first time in years."
"No, the two of you want to go to see Grandma uncomfortable." Rory corrected and frowned at them. "That's mean."
"Rory, you always jump to the worst conclusions about us," Lorelai said, shaking her head. "I haven't seen my grandmother in years and I'm looking forward to seeing her again."
"And it has nothing to do with the fact that Grandma hates Great-grandma?" Rory asked suspiciously.
"Not at all," Lorelai told her.
Serena shrugged. "I'll admit, that's why I'm going."
Rory shot her sister a look. "Mean."
Serena shrugged. "Come on, tell me you're not at all eager to see Grandma freak out."
"Not at all," Rory told her. "Because I'm not mean."

Her mother and sister just shrugged and grabbed their coats. Rory sighed and followed them out the door. "I'm serious, I'm the only nice member of this family."

Lorelai had to admit that she enjoyed her mother's discomfort. Emily was definitely on the edge as she opened the door and ushered the three of them inside.
Emily leads them into the living room. "Mom, look who's here," Emily said, with a nervous smile.
"Who?" The older lady sitting regally in a chair asked, not taking her eyes away from her newspaper.
"Well, look," Emily told her.
"If I wanted to look, I would look," Trix told her. "I haven't looked therefore you must draw your conclusions."
Richard came by and handed her a drink.
"Ah, thank you, dear boy." She said, still not looking up.
"You're welcome, Trix," Richard said fondly.
"Trix?" Serena whispered.
"Dad's pet name for Gran," Lorelai told her.
"Isn't it just darling?" Emily murmured sarcastically.
"Hi, Gran" Lorelai said with a smile, stepping forward.
"Lorelai." Trix acknowledged, putting down her paper.
"Yes" Lorelai said. "It's so good to see you again."
"Trix, this is Rory and this is Serena." Richard introduced, putting an arm around each girl. "You haven't met them yet."
"No, I don't believe I have," Trix said and she looked at them both consideringly.
"Hello," Rory said shyly.
"Hi," Serena said, her tone slightly bored.
"Come," Trix instructed imperiously. "I want to get a good look at all three of you." She turned to Richard. "They're tall."
"Well, yes they are." Richard agreed, sounding a little surprised.
"How's your health?" Trix inquired.
"Oh, good" Lorelai answered.
"Very healthy" Rory told him.
"No problems" Was Serena's response.
"Good" Trix told them. "That means that the majority of your blood is Gilmore blood. Gilmore's don't get sick. Am I right, Richard?"
"Oh, we wouldn't dare, Trix" Richard said with a grin.

That's right." Trix agreed and then continued, "your mother is always sick."
"I'm hardly always sick." Emily protested.
"You're sick right now," Trix said dismissively.
"Are you sick now, Mom?" Lorelai asked, turning to look at her mother.
"Headache" Emily answered tightly. Gran-related, no doubt, Lorelai was sure.
"Gilmore's don't have headaches, our heads are perfect," Trix announced, then looked at Lorelai. "You don't drink?"
"Uh, well..." Lorelai stuttered, not sure what the proper response to that would be.
"Oh, I'll do it" Richard told her.
"Thanks, Dad" Lorelai said, smiling at him. "White wine." Richard nodded and went to get her drink.
"I'm going to go get the hors-d'oeuvres," Emily announced, obviously eager to escape if only for a few minutes.
"So you're Rory," Trix said, focusing on Rory and ignoring Emily's statement.
"Yes ma'am," Rory answered.
"My son speaks of you constantly," Trix told her. "He seems very fond of you."
"Oh, well, I'm very fond of him too," Rory said genuinely.
"This little girl is as smart as a whip, Mom," Richard said, handing Lorelai her drink as he addressed his mother. "I think she has a great deal of you in her."
"Really?" Trix said, looking at Rory consideringly.
"Oh, yes," Richard told her.
"How nice," Trix said, as Emily entered the room with a tray of cheese. "Is that cheese?"
"Yes, it is," Emily answered her.
"Am I supposed to eat that cheese?" Trix inquired.
"Well, only if you'd like," Emily said awkwardly.
"Emily, where are those spiced nuts that Trix likes so much?" Richard inquired.
"I'll get some," Emily said with a sigh.
Lorelai was starting to feel bad for her mother.
"Serena, correct?" Trix asked, honing in on the other twin

"That's right," Serena answered, her voice slightly bored.

"You don't live with your mother, do you?" Trix asked.
"No." Serena told her. "I don't. Right now I'm living with my paternal grandparents, but normally I live with my father."
Trix frowned at her. "Is there a reason you have your hair done in that ridiculous style?"
Serena grinned. "Yeah, because I like it."
Trix just nodded and then focused on Lorelai. "So, Lorelai, since I've seen you last, you've grown up, gotten pregnant out of wedlock, had two children and still haven't bothered to get married," Trix stated bluntly. "Have I left anything out?"
"Well, some time between growing up and getting pregnant, I got my ears pierced." Lorelai quipped.
"I've always hated scandal," Trix stated. "However I've always appreciated self-sufficiency. Tell me, how do you support Rory?"
"I run an inn," Lorelai told her.
"Hard work?" Trix inquired.
"Yes, it is," Lorelai stated.
"Good," Trix told her. "Hard work is good for a woman-makes her stronger. I admire people who enjoy hard work."
"Here we go, spiced nuts." Emily entered the room carrying the nuts.
"Thank you, Emily," Trix said, her voice dismissing. "I suppose I can just put these nuts in my hand."
"I'll be right back" Emily said, running out of the room again.
"So Gran, um, when was the last time I saw you?" Lorelai asked awkwardly.
"You were still in your teens," Trix stated. "Wild hair flying everywhere, though yours at least was all one colour."
Lorelai didn't know what to say and Serena just smiled, as if she was amused. Lorelai had to admit, nothing ever seemed to phase that kid of hers.
"I have dishes and napkins," Emily said, returning to the room once more.
"Good for you," Trix told her, standing up. "Richard, I would like to be escorted into the dining room now."
"Your wish is my command," Richard told her, taking her arm.
"Well, uh, I'm not sure that dinner is ready yet," Emily said awkwardly.
"Well perhaps our presence in the dining room will teach your help that when one is told dinner is at 7:00, one expects dinner at 7:00," Trix said bitingly.
"But it's only five after, Mom." Emily protested.
"Only five after?" Trix said, her voice dismissing. "Richard in the event that I am kidnapped and a ransom is demanded at a certain time, I would prefer that Emily not be in charge of the drop-off."
With that, she and Richard walked out of the room. Lorelai and her girls got up to follow, but before she did, Lorelai gave her mother a sympathetic look, actually starting to feel bad for her. At least a little.

Serena thought her great-grandmother was pretty amusing. Though a little mean. Serena wondered if she should feel sorry for Emily, being at the receiving end of all those acid little comments, but she decided that she didn't. Maybe because she and her mother had been at the receiving end of plenty of acid comments from Emily.
"Grandma, this dinner's delicious." Rory, always the nice one, complimented with a smile.

"Very good young lady, we all believe you," Trix told her. "Now, let's talk about your education. Where are you attending school?"
"Chilton," Rory answered her. "Serena and I both go there."
"Rory is in the top ten per cent of her class," Richard said proudly, not mentioning the fact that Serena was not. She wasn't at the bottom, she'd even guess she was in the top 20%, but she wasn't in Rory's class.
Trix took the news and frowned. "Now, if you don't mind my asking, Chilton is a rather expensive institution," Trix stated. "I'm assuming that Serena's father or his family is taking care of her tuition, but I'm sure you're taking care of Rory's and I'm curious how the manager of an inn can afford such a luxury." Trix cut right to the chase.
"Ah, well..." Lorelai said awkwardly.
"We're helping Lorelai out a little." Emily volunteered, jumping into the conversation.
"Yes, we've seen to it that Rory's education is taken care of," Richard added. Once again, she was left out, but of course, that was nothing new and in this case, her education was being taken care of her elsewhere.
"But it's only temporary." Lorelai insisted. "It's a loan. I plan to pay them back every cent. They know this."
"That's it, I'm done, Richard," Trix said, putting down her utensils and standing up. "Tomorrow, Rory, Serena, I shall plan the menu. When you've lived in Europe you learn a thing or two about food."
"I can't come," Serena told her. "Rory and I have this big study group thing and then I have a date."
Serena saw no reason to lie. She did have a date, well not a date, really, but she was going to a party with Colin and the others. He'd asked her about it on Sunday when she'd called him back and she'd thought it sounded like fun.
"Serena!" Emily scolded her. "Surely this is more important?"
"Emily, leave the poor girl alone," Trix told her. "She's at an age where it is appropriate to have a social life. Rory, will you be able to make it?"
"No," Rory told her. "I have a lot of homework and the study group will take up most of the day."
"Very well," Trix stated. "Your mother can tell you all about it."
Serena could see Lorelai making a face when she realized that she would be there without backup.
"I will, I promise," Lorelai told them.
"Won't you have dessert?" Emily inquired.
"I once travelled to a small village in Cambodia, I did not eat dessert there either," Trix said, leaving the dining room, and that was that.