New Beginnings

Act 5 ch 3

"Hmm. Soup in 100-degree weather" Lorelai comments at Friday night dinner.

"Cool" she says. "I have the air-conditioning on, Lorelai" Emily points out.

"I like it, Grandma" Victoria tells her. "Oh, my God, the sucking up" Lorelai says. "Stop it" Emily tells her daughter.

"Thank you. It's fennel potato puree with a touch of chili to give it spice" she turns to Victoria.

"I thought we could go more exotic now that it's just us girls" Emily explains. "If you really want an exotic girls' night out, Mom, let's hit Baja" Lorelai jokes.

"So, girls, tell me, what's new?" Emily turns to her granddaughters. "Different room, same reaction" Lorelai says having made the same joke to her father. "Oh, nothing much" Rory answers her grandmother's question.

"Really? Well, what was new 20 minutes ago?" Emily asks.

"Excuse me?" Rory asks confused. "What did you talk about with your grandfather?" Emily clarifies.

"Oh, well-" Rory starts. "I mean, just because he gets you first in the evening doesn't mean you get to waste all the good stories on him" Emily keeps going. "We didn't wa-" Victoria tries assuring her.

"So, you just tell me everything you told him exactly as you told him, leave nothing out" Emily insists.

"Okay. Well, I'm moving into Branford College on Monday" Rory tells her. "You know, Robert Frost said that Branford has the most beautiful college courtyard in America" Emily says.

"Hmm. You don't say" Lorelai hums. "You knew that?" Emily asks. "No" Victoria instantly lies.

"He told you that?" Emily asks.

"No" Victoria repeats. "You've already discussed everything there is to discuss. You're all talked out" Emily complains.

"We're not all talked out" Lorelai insists. "He gets you first, talks you out, and I get three exhausted, empty shells" Emily stops when she notices Richard tip-toeing through the room. "What do you think you're doing?" she asks him.

"I needed to get something out of my study" Richard explains.

"You are supposed to stay in the pool house. That is what we agreed on" Emily tells him. "I am in the pool house" Richard insists.

"Oh, really? Right now?" Emily asks. "No, not right now. I told you I had to get something" Richard replies. "Well, you should have called, made an appointment" Emily tells him.

"To go into my own study?" Richard asks.

"You don't live here anymore, Richard. What if I was sitting in the living room stark-naked?" Emily asks him. "You've never been in the living room stark-naked. You've never been stark-naked" Richard replies.

"We went skinny-dipping one night, and you wore an overcoat" he reminds her. "The water was freezing" Emily defends herself following Richard as he walks away. "Crazy" Rory says.

"You said it, Patsy Cline" Victoria agrees.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I got to go" Victoria rushes out of her bedroom.

"What's wrong?" Tristan gets up from the couch noticing how frantic her voice is. "Asher died" Victoria tells him.

"What?" Tristan asks shocked. "I have to check on Paris" Victoria says. "Yeah, okay let me get some shoes on and I'll go with you" Tristan nods.

"Hurry" Victoria replies.

"Ok" Tristan runs to get his shoes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~