Rory woke up slowly, vaguely aware she was not alone in the bed, the weight of an unfamiliar arm around her waist. Arm around her waist?
"What the hell?" Rory whispered as she sat up. She quickly surveyed the room. Lane was spooned into her and that's whose arm was around her. Lane was starting to stir, Rory must have disturbed her when she sat up. Stephanie and Olivia were cuddled up on the other side of the superking bed. Paris on the other hand had made herself at home on the couch in the room and was snoring lightly.
BANG! BANG!
Rory heard the banging and realised that must have been what woke her, someone was banging on the door. She slowly slipped out of bed, trying hard not to disturb its other occupants. She glanced at the clock on her way through the suit to the door, it was only six am, who would be at the door already.
BANG BA-
"I'm here, what is it? Grandma?" Rory said, shocked at the sight of Emily, fully dressed for the day in her usual Chanel. "It's barely even six am Grandma, why are you here?" Rory asked, as Emily brushed past here and made her way into the suite.
"What took you so long to answer the door? And where is everyone else? I assumed one of the other girls would have answered the door," Emily spoke briskly leaving Rory no option but to answer her.
"It took so long because I was asleep Grandma! I didn't expect to be woken up this early. The other girls are still asleep although I think Lane will be awake soon."
"Okay so you haven't had breakfast or coffee yet?" Emily asked, making her way into the main living area of the suite from the foyer.
"No nothing yet," Rory answered, not for the first time wondering why they had bothered getting a three bedroom suite for the night, she had known all along they would all end up in the same room, if not bed. The suite had three bedroom's, four bathrooms, three full and one half, it had a kitchen, a dining room, and two living rooms. In short it was bigger than most Manhattan apartments.
"Okay, you go wash up and check on the other girls. I will organise breakfast for you all," Emily ordered in her usual tone. Rory obliged her as it meant she could escape, if only momentarily.
Rory walked into the bedroom and laughed. In her absence Land had rolled over and was now cuddled into Stephanie which meant Stephanie was now sandwiched between Lane and Olivia, both of whom had their arms around her. Knowing Colin would never forgive her if she didn't capture some photographic evidence of his wife in bed with multiple women, Rory quickly grabbed her cell and took a picture, texting it to Colin, captioning it 'Don't worry your wife had plenty of company in bed last night!' While texting Colin she realised she had a message from Finn, it must have just come through.
F: Colin has informed me he is taking my cell until wedding time so I can't text you. Paris will probably do the same to you. Rory, I can't wait until four. I can't believe that the day is finally here. I love you so much, and I am counting the moments until I see you walking down the aisle towards me, and our future. I missed you so much last night, which just shows me how much we are meant to be. I'm rambling now and not making any sense in my sappiness. To sum it all up- I love you, I miss you, I am counting the hours until OUR future begins. See you at four, Miss Gilmore-Hayden soon to be Mrs Morgan.
Rory's eye's started to water as she read the text, she felt as though he was beside her passing those sentiments on as she read the text. Rory knew that Finn was it for her, and when he was sentimental like this it just proved how right that knowledge was.
R: Finn, Paris is asleep which is why I probably still have my cell. Your ramble was sweet enough to make me cry, and I only hope Colin relents and lets you at least read my response, after all I did just send him a picture of his own wife. Finn, from the first night in London when we went to see the Lion King and went to the circus bar afterwards, I have hoped that this is how we would end up, but you know what? Reality is much better than my dreams back then could even imagine. Finn, you make everything better, you make the sad times bearable, the fun times have more laughter with you involved, you make the mundane day to day seem exciting, and I don't need to tell you what effect you have on the sexy times. Everyday that you have been in my life you have made it better. I can only hope that I do the same to you. That is my goal for the rest of your life, to ensure that I am making your life better everyday. I love you, see you in nine hours, Mr Morgan, I'll be the last one coming down the aisle, make sure you wait for me.
By the time Rory finished texting Finn, she had silent tears sliding down her cheeks, and that is how the girls woke up and found her.
"What's wrong?"
"What did my idiot brother do?"
"Do I need to go kill someone?"
"Rory?"
Each of the girls tried a different tactic with no real suddenly as if feeling their eyes on her for the first time, Rory jumped and brushed the tears away from her face.
"Morning ladies, I see you all finally decided to wake up," Rory joked.
"Rory? Are you okay?" Lane asked, taking the lead, and the other girls let her, knowing that Rory looked like she needed the gentle approach this morning.
"I'm fine, much better than fine actually, great." Rory replied sincerely.
"Then what's with the tears, Gilmore?" Paris asked.
"I was just replying to a text from Finn. It just made me a little reminiscent and sentimental. Really I'm great."
"Dammit, I promised Colin I would take your cell away last night and I forgot," Stephanie ranted.
"He won't mind Steph, I sent him a picture of you being spooned by Lane and Olivia. He wouldn't have got that had you already taken my cell away. Here you can have it now," Rory said, locking her cell and handing it to Stephanie. "Emily is here already, and she is organizing breakfast so I suggest we all go wash up quickly then we can all shower after breakfast once she informs us of what will probably be a military level schedule."
The ladies all groaned as they walked off, knowing that Rory was correct, and that Emily could be a force of nature that none of them wanted to reckon with.
By the time all of the girls finished making their way to the suites dining room, Emily had arranged for and had set up a full buffet of breakfast foods along the island top of the kitchen island. Once the girls had finished serving themselves from the mountain of waffles, pastries and fruit, Emily addressed them all.
"Now ladies I know that four o'clock seems like it is a long time away but believe me the day will fly past you. Rory, your mother should be arriving any minute, actually she should have been here already," Emily said with a frown looking at her watch. "There is a massage therapist coming at nine, by Finn's request, to give you a massage Rory, then we will have the hairdressers and make-up artists arrive, along with your photographer who will be capturing the activities around the suite this morning. Francine has said that she will drop in and visit at some point this morning, and relieve me from my duties so that I may take the opportunity to go and get ready. We have tried to allow as much extra time as possible for everything so that hopefully the day will feel relaxed. Now, any questions?"
All of the ladies in the room looked at Emily in shock, she had rambled out the instructions and orders in what seemed to be only one breath. Paris looked at the girls' startled faces and Emily's expectant one, muttering about how she has to be the one to do everything, Paris replied to Emily. "Thank you, Emily, we greatly appreciate how much easier you have made our jobs as bridesmaids with your organisation and scheduling. Make sure you sit and enjoy some of this breakfast as well, it is delicious."
Rory was finished with the massage therapist by ten-thirty but she decided to stay hidden in the bedroom of the suite she was in to try and get some peace while she could, she turned on the tv and quietly settled down to watch tv, instead of wanting to watch anything romantic or sappy for the day she quickly found a channel showing some Criminal Minds reruns and put it on. It worked as a glorious distraction as the next thing she knew her mom was bursting into the room to summon her for lunch at twelve.
"How long have you been hiding in here? We all thought you were still busy?"
"Nope, I showered after the masseuse left and then settled in to watch tv, avoiding Grandma is the easiest way to avoid stress today."
"Well no more avoidance, come on now and we might even be able to sneak you some real food, Mom only wanted to order caesar salads for everyone so that no one would be bloated in their dress, I had to remind her that no one wanted to hear a bridesmaids stomach rumbling as they walked down the aisle," Lorelai said, while rolling her eyes as Rory giggled at her mother antics.
As soon as lunch was finished the girls all began rotating their way around the suite between hair, makeup and nails. While Rory was with the hairdresser there was a knock at the door, Lorelai opened it and was surprised to see Jess there.
"Hey Lorelai, can I come in?"
"Sure, but and I mean this in the nicest way possible, what are you doing here?"
"I have a gift for Rory from Finn, the guys didn't want to leave him long enough for one of them to deliver it so here I am." Jess answered looking around the suite, not so subtly.
"RORY JESS IS HERE!" Lorelai shouted from the door.
"Really Lorelai, must you shout like such a neanderthal, go and get your daughter yourself." Emily chastised her.
"Hey Jess," Olivia said, having come out of the room where she had just finished getting her makeup on. "Doing my brother's errands?"
"Yes, he was too nervous and impatient for any of the others to leave him alone. You look amazing." Jess said, his eyes never leaving her face. She was still in her robe but had finished getting her hair done and her makeup on.
"Thanks," Olivia said, walking closer to him.
"Can I kiss you without making a mess of all that?" he whispered, looking around and seeing that no one else had emerged yet.
"Go ahead, the makeup lady is still here, she can fix it." Olivia said, walking into his arms, and tilting her face to meet him quickly, as had already become second nature in the short time they had been quietly seeing each other.
"Jess what do you-" the words died on Rory's lips as she took in the scene that greeted her as she rounded the corner. "Well, well when did this happen?" she asked as she watched Jess and Olivia guiltily jump away from each other.
"Since the weekend in California, Jess asked me out on the way home and we have been seeing each other since." Olivia answered sheepishly.
"Rory-"
"Jess it's okay, I'm happy about this, really. I even told Finn I thought you guys would make a good couple after watching you interact that weekend, I'm glad to see I was correct. So mom says you have something for me?"
"Oh yes, here you go." Jess said, handing over the little red gift bag.
Rory took it and walked back to the dining room, shouting over her shoulder. "Olivia, If you aren't back in two minutes I'm sticking Emily on you."
"I don't want Emily out here," Jess replied before Olivia could even think of a retort. "You look gorgeous already, I can't wait to see you later, save me a dance." With one last kiss Jess was gone before Olivia even grasped what was happening. She walked into the dining room to see Rory opening her gift.
Rory, my kitten, my love. The girls have all stressed to me that other than your earrings, which you have already planned, no jewellery will work with your dress. So instead I am giving you something which I will put on you later, after the ceremony. I hope you like it. There are no words left to tell you how happy I am that today you become mine, and I become yours, forever.
I love you, I will be waiting on you at the altar and I can not wait to spend eternity with you.
Yours forever,
Finn x
With a sniff over her fiance's romantic words, Rory unwrapped the box that was in the bag to find a Cartier box. Inside was a platinum love bracelet, studded with a mix of sapphires and diamonds.
As she was looking at it the other girls, and her mom and grandma joined her, all trying to see over her shoulder what she had received. Stephanie was the first to see it and she gasped. "Rory that is gorgeous, he must have had that specially commissioned for you, they don't make one with sapphires."
Rory rolled her eyes, she wasn't sure what shocked her less, that Stephanie would know that or that Finn would go to the trouble of having it commissioned for her. Although the knowledge did make her feel better about the gift that she had got him, which she had sent with Colin last night, knowing that she had no way of getting it to him today before the ceremony.
"That won't work with your dress," Emily said.
"He knows Grandma, he said in his note it was for him to put on me after the ceremony."
"Yes Emily, those bracelets are screwed onto the wearer's wrist by the one who gives it to them with a special screwdriver." Francine spoke up out of nowhere.
"Grandmother, when did you get here?" Rory asked.
"Screwdriver for a bracelet? Whoever heard of such nonsense."
"Just a few minutes ago dear. Emily, I really thought you would know your Cartier better. It's part of the Love Collection, and I think it is a rather fitting wedding gift, if I do say so myself. Now, Richard is waiting on you outside the room if you would like to go and get ready?"
"Thank you, girls. I will be back in two hours, please try to behave," Emily ordered as she left the suite.
"Oh thank God, I thought she'd never leave." Lorelai said, as all the others giggled.
"Really Mom, she is your mother." Rory defended Emily gently.
"Exactly and that's why I am getting the most relief from her leaving." All of the girls, including Francine, were openly laughing now.
"Come on Rory let's finish getting you ready," Francine said, leading Rory towards the makeup artist.
Before they all knew it was after three thirty and they were all lining up for Emily to do a final military inspection of them before she left. Once she was satisfied with what she saw, Emily stood back and took in the full picture of Rory surrounded by the women she called her best friends, they all looked amazing in their burgundy gowns, Rory had been correct about that colour suiting them all, Lorelai also looked glamorous in her light pink mother of the bride dress. Then Rory in the centre looked almost angelic in her ivory gown. The group coordinated together marvelously, Emily thought.
"Okay ladies, try not to make a mess of yourselves in the twenty blocks between here and the ceremony. I will see you all when you arrive." With that hurricane Emily took her leave.
As Emily left Luke and Christopher entered the suite, the two had long ago made their peace with each other's presence in the lives of their Gilmore girls.
"Rory, you look amazing, that Finn had better know just how lucky he is," Luke said as he took in the sight of his step-daughter all grown up.
"Believe me he knows," Rory replied,moving to embrace him. "Thank you for coming Luke, and thank you for everything you did for me growing up. You were always like a dad to me," Rory gave him a kiss on the cheek as she released him, she could see the tears in his eyes.
"Okay buddy, I think it's time for us to go. Rory, I will wait for you in the foyer, I will see you all at the library," Lorelai spoke as she dragged her husband out behind her.
"Hey kid, I can't really call you kid anymore can I? Not when you look like that. Rory, you look beautiful. I love you, I am so proud of who you have grown up to be even if I played a smaller part in that than I should have."
"Come on dad, don't make me cry, the makeup artist has gone already." Rory said, swatting at her dad's arm.
"Okay, let's get this show on the road," Chris said, as Rory took his arm and followed him out of the hotel suite and towards the rest of her life.