New Beginnings

Act 4 ch 16

"Okay" Lorelai nods despite them not being able to see her.

"I was just getting to know her" Victoria says upset. "Well, I think you got a pretty good snapshot" Lorelai says. "Shouldn't I be crying? I feel like I should be crying" Rory asks.

"Well, we didn't know her that well" Victoria tells her sister.

"Still, she was my great-grandmother. I mean, I should feel more" Rory insists. "Oh, God, what if I don't cry at the funeral? Then everyone will see that I'm not crying, and Grandpa will be upset" she freaks out.

"Well, honey, if you can't cry, at least you know you can work yourself up into a very respectable panic attack" Lorelai assures her. "You're sure there's nothing I can do?" Victoria asks. "I'm sure, I'm going to her house tomorrow with mom to figure everything out" Lorelai answers.

"I'll go" Victoria offers.

"You don't have class?" Lorelai asks. "Doesn't matter I got the syllabus I could just check to see what we're doing, attendance doesn't matter" Victoria insists.

"You really don't mind?" Lorelai asks her. "Really, I want to do something. I hate feeling useless" Victoria answers. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then" Lorelai replies.

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At Gran's house the next day Victoria, Lorelai and Emily are going through Gran's papers.

"This looks like, what a shock, another incoherent legal document" Victoria grabs a paper. "Hand it to me" Emily tells her.

"Uh...house insurance policy" Lorelai says. "Hand it to me" Emily repeats. "You know, Grandma, seriously, we can do more than just hand you stuff" Victoria tells her.

"That's all right. I have a system" Emily insists.

"Yes. You don't think we can work within the system, but we can" Lorelai tells her mother. "Exactly, I for one have no plans to overthrow the system. Just teach me the system" Victoria agrees.

"Teach it" Lorelai says loudly. "Just hand me some papers" Emily holds her hand out causing Lorelai to groan before a woman walks into the room. "Emily, excuse me. We finished cataloging the second floor, and we're about to move to the third" the woman says.

"That's fine, Georgia" Emily replies.

"And we have bubble-wrapped those bar glasses. Where do you want us to put them?" Georgia asks "In the trunk of my car, along with the candlesticks. My keys are in the foyer" Emily answers.

"All right" Georgia leaves the room. "What was that about?" Victoria asks. "I'm preparing for the funeral" Emily responds.

"Stashing bar glasses is preparing for the funeral?" Lorelai asks her.

"Those bar glasses are supposed to stay in the family. They go to us, then to you" Emily replies. "However, every time a certain relative of your father's comes to visit, things tend to disappear" she explains.

"Dad's got a Winona in the family? How cool" Lorelai gasps. "Who is it?" Victoria asks. "His cousin Marilyn. She has been systematically pilfering those bar glasses for the last five years" Emily answers.

"Really" Lorelai says shocked.

"Plus, I saw her eyeing the candlesticks last Easter, and I'll be damned if I let her get them. So much to do" Emily sighs. "Did I tell you about the burial-slash-cremation clause?" she asks them.

"Now you're just making stuff up" Victoria says. "Your great-grandmother is to have an open-casket ceremony, displayed in all her glory, then is to be cremated and have her ashes divided in two-half to be buried with her husband in the family crypt, and the other half to be put in an urn and placed on our mantelpiece" Emily explains. "Half of Gran is going to be on your mantel forever" Lorelai points out.