New Beginnings

Winter pt 1

Ten years had passed.

Ten years since Victoria said yes to Tristan's proposal, since Rory set out to take over the world, since Luke and Lorelai got back together. Ten years since everything looked like it was falling into place.

Boy how everything fell apart.

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Victoria and Lorelai are sitting in the gazebo when Rory plops down next to them.

"Hey" Rory smiles. "That's how you look when you get off a plane?" Victoria asks her.

"That's how you say hello?" Rory laughs. "Mom, help me out here" Victoria turns to her mother. "You've been stuffed in a tin can for seven hours surrounded by people with consumption, diphtheria, scabies, hummus dip, rabid of dogs, drugged up children attacking your chair, and stealing your change" Lorelai lists.

"What airline are you flying?" Rory asks.

"You should look drawn and blotchy, you should be singing I Dreamed a Dream with a bad haircut while selling yourself to a bunch of French dockworkers but instead you look perfect" Victoria insists. "She's been gooped" Lorelai gasps.

"I have not been gooped" Rory replies. "You're doing yoga in the aisles in cashmere sweatpants while your comfort dog watches Zoolander 2 on his watch" Lorelai accuses. "I do flood clot prevention foot pumps wearing my Yonah Schimmel Knishery baseball cap while toothpaste dries up a zit on my chin" Rory says.

"Wow! Winded" she has to catch her breath.

"Haven't done that in a while" Victoria says. "Felt good" Rory smiles.

"All right, shall we get it out of the way?" Lorelai asks. "Might as well" Rory sighs. "One day? That's all?" Lorelai says as they stand up.

"I'm sorry" Rory apologizes.

"You miss Christmas and Thanksgiving and all we get is a one day visit?" Victoria complains as they start walking. "I have to be on the red eye to London tomorrow" Rory responds.

"London again" Lorelai says. "For work" Rory defends herself. "And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon" Lorelai starts singing.

"Now, now, Emily" Rory replies.

"Oh, wow! Nicely played" Lorelai stops. "Okay, we're short on time, gotta keep it short. Le Chat Club closed due to rats" Victoria starts.

"Again?" Rory asks. "We got parking meters" Victoria keeps going. "Where?" Rory asks looking around.

"No one would pay so they took them out" Lorelai explains.

"This town in mob ruled" Victoria comments. "Al's Pancake World won best Christmas decorations again" Lorelai mentions.

"It's that nativity scene with the eggplant Jesus, you just can't beat it" Rory says. "There's a debate going on about whether or not to take the phone booth out" Victoria remembers. "Where would superman change when he comes to save our town from Ben Affleck?" Rory asks.

"I made the same excellent point" Lorelai tells her.

"What's with the signs?" Rory asks confused. "Ooh, I saved the bets for last. Taylor has decided that septic systems are beneath us and he wants to go full-on sewer" Victoria explains all the pro sewer signs.

"How can we do that?" Rory asks. "Well, first he's going door to door collecting people's septic tank horror stories" Lorelai starts. "Oh, lord" Rory says.

"Then, he'll compile them, and then he and a panel of handpicked people will stage testimonial re-enactments for the country assessor" Lorelai adds.

"And you just telling me this stuff to get me to stay longer?" Rory accuses. "Is it working?" Lorelai asks her.