That Elusive Soulmate – Part 6/6"
AUTHOR: Ann
EMAIL: DadStock@aol.com
SPOILER: Takes place after "The Bracebridge Dinner"
RATING: PG
PAIRING: Lorelai/Christopher
SUMMARY: When Christopher visits again, Lorelai has to deal with some lingering feelings for him.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; all characters belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB.

Part 6

* * *

Lorelai went to work that day in a daze – that daze you fell into when you were in love and things in your life seemed to be going so perfectly. As she lightheartedly bickered with Michel, talked in the kitchen with Sookie, and ate lunch at Luke’s, she had a constant smile on her face. As she was walking back to the inn after lunch, her cell phone rang. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hey there," Christopher replied.

Lorelai smiled at the sound of his voice. "Hey, what’s up?" She sat down on a nearby bench.

"Nothing much. How’s your day so far?"

"Pretty good," Lorelai said. "I missed seeing you this morning."

"Yeah, yeah, sorry about that. I did kiss you goodbye though."

Lorelai smiled. "Aw, you did? Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

"So how’s your day going?"

"Ah, can’t complain," he replied. "Oh, actually, I was thinking earlier about how my desk is pretty plain. I think I need a picture of you and Rory to put on it, you know, to look at when I’m bored."

Lorelai let out a small laugh. "I so can’t picture you as one of those guys who displays family pictures on his desk."

Christopher lowered his voice. "Well, a lot of guys here do it, and between you and me, our family is much better looking than all of theirs."

Lorelai laughed. "Aw, that’s so mean! But it does feel good to know I’ll be the prettiest one at the company Christmas party."

"Yes, you will," he agreed with a laugh. There was a brief silence before he said, "Um, so you wanted to tell Rory today right?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said. She paused and narrowed her eyes. "Why? Don’t you?"

"Oh, no I do. I definitely do," he replied quickly.

"But?" Lorelai prompted.

Christopher sighed. "But I just think it’d be good for us to talk about some things before we tell her, that’s all."

A look of panic in her eyes, Lorelai asked, "Are you having second thoughts?" Her heart started pounding.

Christopher laughed. "No Lor, not at all, I promise. I just think we should talk about what we’re going to tell her first."

Lorelai breathed a small sigh of relief. "Oh, okay. Yeah, that’s a good idea."

"Listen," Christopher said. "I have to go now, but I’ll see you later tonight and we’ll talk."

"Yes, we’ll talk," Lorelai repeated. "Love you."

"Yeah, I love you too. Bye."

* * *

When Lorelai got home from work that night, she was glad to see Christopher’s Volvo already in the driveway. She walked inside and found him and Rory on the couch watching TV.

"Hey guys," Lorelai called from the hallway.

They both turned to look at her. "Hey Mom," Rory said.

"Hey Lor," Christopher said. "Good day?"

"Yup, pretty good. I’m starved. You guys have thoughts about dinner?"

Christopher and Rory looked at each other and shrugged. "Pizza?" Rory suggested.

"Sounds good. Pizza?" Christopher asked Lorelai.

"I’ll call it in," Lorelai said, walking to the kitchen. She ordered the pizza, then walked back into the living room. "Hey hon, would you mind picking up the pizza? They said deliveries are running slow tonight."

"Sure, I’ll go get it. How long?" Rory asked.

"Fifteen minutes," Lorelai replied. She walked upstairs to change out of her work clothes, and walked down a few minutes later. She wandered into the kitchen and put on some coffee, staring at the pot until Rory walked in a few minutes later.

"I’m leaving now," Rory said.

Lorelai looked up at her and smiled. "Okay, there’s money in my purse."

"No, it’s okay, Dad gave me some," Rory said. "I’ll be back." She walked out of the kitchen, and seconds later Lorelai heard the front door open and shut.

As she was pouring herself a cup of coffee, Christopher walked into the kitchen. "So, delivery troubles huh?"

Lorelai smiled. "It’s just a little white lie. It worked, didn’t it?"

He smiled. "Yes it did." He poured himself a cup of coffee and they sat down at the table across from each other.

"Okay, Lor. . ." Chris started. He paused and took a deep breath. "I just wanted to kinda figure out what we’re gonna tell her."

Lorelai nodded. "Okay, got it."

Christopher took a sip of coffee, then said, "So, we’re gonna tell her that. . . what, that we’ve been dating?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, that we’ve been dating and that things are going really well and that you’re gonna stay here. . ." Lorelai paused. "With us," she finished with a smile.

Christopher smiled. "Yeah, see, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about too. I’ll just live here permanently, right? I mean, I won’t have to look for a place to live anymore, and we can get some of my stuff out of storage, maybe some bureaus or something, right?"

"Definitely," Lorelai said. "We’ll make room." She closed her eyes, thinking something over. Finally, she opened them and said, "Marriage."

Christopher’s eyebrows shot straight up. "What?" he asked, surprised.

Lorelai smiled. "We should get married. Well, we should get engaged. I mean, we just decided that you’ll be living here permanently, it seems like the next step would be to get married, right? Well, technically, marriage should come before the shacking up part, but we’ll forget about that old rule." She leaned forward and looked at Christopher, waiting for him to answer.

Christopher stared at her, biting his lip nervously. "Lor, I don’t know. I mean, it’s only been two weeks. Maybe we should see how the real living together goes. I mean, with you and me actually a real couple, not hiding anything from anyone."

Lorelai’s mouth dropped open as that was the last thing she expected him to say. After all, he had been the one who was so intent on marriage all of their lives, but here he was, telling her they should wait. She leaned back against the chair confused.

Christopher noticed the look of disappointment on her face and said, "Lor, I just think we should wait a little while longer before we do something as serious as that. We need to think about this first."

Lorelai took a deep breath. "Chris, I *have* thought about it, and this is the only time that I’ve ever been able to realistically think about marriage and not be scared out of my mind. I mean, when I think about you and me getting married, when I picture it my mind, it makes me smile, it makes me so indescribably happy. It doesn’t make me want to jump off a bridge. That means something." She slapped her hand on the table as if solidifying her point.

"Yes, it does mean something," Christopher agreed. "But, I mean, we can’t tell Rory that we’re engaged and then have something happen that breaks us up. It’ll break her heart. We shouldn’t rush it, it’s only been a few weeks."

Lorelai reached over and grabbed his hand. She took a deep breath, stared into his eyes and said softly, "Yes, but I’ve loved you my entire life. I’m ready for this."

"Me too, Lor, but –, " Christopher started.

"Stop," Lorelai cut him off, holding up her hands. "Forget it." She pushed her chair back from the table. She walked quickly out of the kitchen and ran up the stairs to her room. As Christopher heard the door slam, he sighed to himself.

A few minutes later, he knocked on her door. "Lorelai?" There was no answer, so he slowly pushed the door open. Lorelai lay on the bed, facing away from him. He lay down next to her, draping an arm over her and kissing her shoulder. "Lor, please talk to me." She didn’t reply. Christopher sighed. "Lor, I’m not saying let’s hold off on marriage because we’re not ready. I think we are. I know we are. But I just – ." He stopped talking as Lorelai rolled over to face him. The first thing he saw was the tears in her eyes.
 

"But you don’t want to marry me. I get it," Lorelai said, sniffling.

"Oh my God," Christopher said, his heart sinking. He wiped her tears and stood up. "Okay, it’s not supposed to be like this. Sit up, please. Forget everything I’ve said and sit up please."

Lorelai looked at him curiously and slowly sat up.

Christopher stood alongside the bed and smiled at her. "Lorelai, I didn’t say any of those things because I don’t want to marry you. In fact, it’s the exact opposite."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "What?"

Christopher sighed. "Lor, I ordered a ring for you. I was gonna surprise you and propose. You know, actually do it right this time. But it won’t be in for another week and I just really didn’t think that you’d get this upset about everything, so I was trying to put it off."

Lorelai’s mouth dropped open, and her lips slowly formed into a smile. "Are you serious? You’re not just saying this to make me feel better, and then tomorrow you’ll go out and really order a ring?"

He laughed. "No, I have the receipt in the car if you need proof."

Lorelai smiled. "Oh my God!" She climbed off the bed and hugged him. "So you do wanna marry me!"

He laughed. "Of course I want to marry you. I’ve always wanted to marry you."

She hugged him tighter. "God, I was so scared."

He smiled. "Lorelai Gilmore doesn’t get scared."

She pulled back. "She does when she thinks someone she loves won’t be with her anymore." She kissed him.

As they pulled apart, he said, "I’m so sorry that I scared you like that. Really, I didn’t mean to. Trust me, I’m not going anywhere."

She nodded. "Good." She kissed him again and said, "So, what do we tell Rory?"

He shrugged. "Whatever you want."

She smiled. "Let’s go wait for her."

* * *

Rory walked into the house and found her parents sitting at the kitchen table, staring at her as she walked into the room. She put the pizza on the table and removed her coat and gloves while they continued to stare at her. Finally she said, "What?"

Lorelai smiled. "Sit down." She gestured to the chair between her and Christopher.

Rory glanced from Lorelai to Christopher curiously. She sat down and said, "What’s wrong?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Nothing is wrong. Absolutely nothing." She glanced at Christopher and smiled.

Christopher cleared his throat. "Uh, Rory, your mom and I wanted to tell you that since I’ve been in town, she and I have been dating."

Rory’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped slightly open. "What?" She looked at Lorelai.

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "It’s true, babe. We’ve been dating and it’s been going really well, and your dad’s gonna live here – permanently." She glanced at Christopher and bit her lip through her smile. "And, we’re engaged."

Rory’s eyes and mouth opened as wide as they could go and she clamped a hand over mouth. "Oh my God!" she mumbled into her hand. She pulled it away and said, "Are you serious?" She glanced back and forth between them, and they both nodded. A smile quickly formed on Rory’s lips. "My mom and dad are getting married?" She paused, listening to the words in her mind. She repeated, "My mom and dad are getting married. My mom and dad are getting married."

Lorelai laughed. "Yes, your mom and dad are getting married."

"How do you feel about that?" Christopher asked.

Rory gasped. "I feel. . .incredible. Overjoyed. Indescribably thrilled. I mean, I’ve always thought about that. . . you know, in the back of my mind, I’ve wondered what it would be like." Rory shook her head in disbelief. "This is so. . . oh my God. I can’t believe this."

Lorelai tilted her head and smiled. She leaned over and hugged Rory tightly. Lorelai pulled back, and Rory turned to hug Christopher.

"Oh my God," Rory said. "This is like, the last thing I was ever expecting you to say in the history of the world."

Lorelai laughed. "Really? But haven’t you noticed how well we’ve been getting along?"

Rory shrugged. "Sure, but you guys are always like that around me."

"True," Lorelai nodded. "So, uh, there’ll be some changes around here. I mean, your dad’s gonna bring his stuff here from storage, so we’re gonna have to rearrange some things. And he won’t be sleeping on the couch anymore."

"Finally," Christopher added.

Lorelai smiled. "Don’t get your hopes up. You’re sleeping on the floor."

He smiled. "Fine by me."

Rory, smiling excitedly but still in disbelief, stood up. "I’m gonna call Lane before we eat." She walked into the living room, leaving Lorelai and Chris at the table. They stood up and walked towards each other and hugged.

Chris kissed the top of her head. "Happy?"

Lorelai looked at up at him and smiled. "Very. You?"

"Yup." He smiled and kissed her softly. "You wanna see the receipt?"

She laughed. "No, that’s okay." She paused. "Do you think we should wait for the ring before we tell my parents?"

Christopher shook his head. "Nope, the sooner we tell people the better. I don’t want to have to hide anything anymore."

Lorelai smiled. "Me either. We’ll tell them on Friday." She leaned towards him and kissed him softly.

* * *

That Friday night, Lorelai, Christopher and Rory stood in front of Emily and Richard’s front door. Lorelai and Chris glanced at each other.

"Are you ready?" Lorelai asked him.

Christopher nodded. "Yup. You?"

She smiled. "Absolutely."

"And so am I," Rory added. "So let’s go inside please. It’s like 30 degrees out here."

"Hey," Lorelai said, "you’re not the one with the life changing news to share. Be patient."

Rory rolled her eyes and rang the doorbell. Seconds later, Emily pulled open the door and greeted them. Moments later they were all sitting in the living room with Richard for pre-dinner drinks.

"So Christopher, how’s that new job of yours?" Richard asked.

"It’s great, really great," Christopher said.

"Fred Crawford’s not working you too hard, is he?" Emily asked.

"No, not yet," Christopher said. "But let’s not jinx it."

They sat for a moment drinking silently until Rory nudged Lorelai’s elbow and gestured for her to say something.

Lorelai cleared her throat. "Uh, Mom, Dad, we want to tell you something." She and Christopher smiled at each other as Richard and Emily focused their attention on her.

Lorelai took a deep breath. "Um, now, if this was bad news, then I’d try to think of a way to break it to you really slowly. But since it’s great news, I’ll just come out and say it. Chris and I are back together again, and not only is he already living with us permanently, but we’re getting married." She leaned back to gauge their reactions.

Richard and Emily both sat still and silent for a moment, their mouths gaping open in surprise. They glanced at each other as if making sure they heard right. Emily finally asked, "I’m sorry, what did you say?"

Lorelai smiled. "We’re getting married." She reached down and linked her fingers through Christopher’s.

Emily pointed at the both of them. "You two? You and Christopher?"

Lorelai nodded. "That’s right."

Emily placed a hand on her cheek, her eyes widening. Richard stared across the room at them, his eyes just as wide. Neither of them said anything, though their huge smiles indicated that they were thrilled.

Lorelai finally said, "Well, say something!"

Emily stood up and clasped her hands together. "Oh my God, this is absolutely wonderful!" she exclaimed. "Richard, get some champagne."

"Certainly. This is fabulous news," he replied, standing up.

Emily walked over to Lorelai excitedly. "Well, let me see the ring!"

"Oh, actually Emily, it’ll be in next week," Christopher said.

"Yeah, things kinda went out of order, Mom," Lorelai said. "Chris ordered it and was gonna surprise me, but I sort of ruined the surprise by suggesting we get married, and. . .it’s a long story. But don’t worry, you’ll be the first to see it," Lorelai said.

Emily smiled, and in a move unfamiliar to Lorelai, held open her arms. Lorelai, taken aback, stood up and hugged Emily uncomfortably. Lorelai suddenly felt closeness to her mother that she’d never felt before and for the first time that she could remember, her mother was actually happy for her. As they pulled apart, Christopher stood up and hugged Emily, and Rory did the same.

Emily rushed over to help Richard with the champagne while saying, "This is incredible. I’ve always known that you two would be together someday. This is always how it should’ve been, Rory and both of her parents together as a real family."

They handed out the glasses and Richard toasted, "To Lorelai and Christopher and Rory, may their life together be long, healthy and happy."

As they took sips from their champagne, Emily checked her watch. "Well, I think dinner’s about ready. Let’s discuss this more at the table!" she said excitedly. She walked quickly towards the dining room.

Richard stopped in front of Christopher and shook his hand. "Congratulations Christopher. You know, I knew you’d get her to cave to your charms eventually," he said, winking.

Christopher laughed. "Thank you, Richard," he said.

Richard smiled at Lorelai. "Congratulations Lorelai, your mother and I are quite happy for you."

"Thanks Dad," Lorelai said, smiling.

Richard put an arm around Rory and walked with her into the dining room, leaving Christopher and Lorelai alone in the living room. They put their drinks down and turned to each other, and Christopher took her hands into his. He brought them up to his lips and kissed both of them before letting go, and she placed them on his shoulders.

"So. . ." Lorelai said, gesturing her head towards where Emily and Richard were sitting. "That was interesting."

"I think that they’re possibly more excited than we are," he said, smiling.

Lorelai shook her head. "Not possible." She leaned in and kissed him deeply. She pulled back and smiled up at him. "Let’s go eat with your future in-laws." She took Christopher’s hand and led him towards the dining room.

* * *

Later that night, Lorelai and Christopher lay in bed, one of his arms wrapped around her as she rested her head against his chest. Lorelai clasped her hands around his hand. "This is nice, just being together," she said.

"Yeah it is," he agreed, kissing her head. They were silent for awhile as Lorelai stroked Christopher’s hand with her fingers. Finally he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Well," Lorelai said, "do you ever think about our future? Like, in a few years from now?"

"Sure I do," he said.

"Yeah? What do you see?" she asked.

"Hmm. Well, I see Rory off at Harvard while we’re here, married, hanging out with Sookie and Jackson, who are also married, and we’re doing married-people things."

Lorelai laughed. "Aw, that’s so cute."

"What do you see?" he asked.

She lifted up her head and smiled. "I see Rory at Harvard, and me and you sitting here all alone bored, drinking beers and playing Scrabble."

Christopher laughed. "Sounds great."

"Yeah, it does, but I was thinking that maybe with the house so empty, we might want to . . . " Lorelai bit her lip and stared at him.

"Yes?" Christopher prompted. "I’m not a mind reader."

Lorelai smiled. "I don’t know. I was thinking, in a few years, maybe we could. . . have a baby?"

Christopher raised his eyebrows. "Another kid? Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "Don’t you want more kids?"

"Yeah, I’d love to have more, but we never really talked about it, so I wasn’t sure if you did."

Lorelai smiled. "I do."

"Wow, another kid," he said, smiling up at the ceiling. "One that I’ll be around to help raise."

"Sounds fun, huh?" Lorelai asked excitedly.

"Yes it does," he agreed, kissing her softly.

She rested her head back against his chest, a smile resting on her lips, a feeling of love and warmth surrounding her. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep knowing that tomorrow morning, and every morning after, she’d wake up next to Christopher – her elusive soulmate.

The end!