With this final chapter, we have reached the end of this installment. Before we get on to the story, we'd like to take a moment to thank everyone for their kind reviews and for still taking the time to read our version of how Gilmore Girls should have done Season 8. We appreciate all of the reviews. The next installment is written and in the editing stages. We expect to begin posting in about two weeks.

Going At It Like Teenagers

"Almost everyone's gone. There are just a few stragglers talking in the lobby. Sylvia and Ira are upstairs in their room. The kids and grandkids are either in their rooms or sitting in the library with a cup of coffee. And the staff is about half finished with the cleaning," Lorelai reported, stepping into the kitchen and moving to the counter where her mother stood.

"That's wonderful," she commented.

"So," Lorelai grinned, standing directly beside her mother, who was going down a list of guest names and making marks next to them.

"Yes, Lorelai?" Emily asked, looking up for a second. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of Lorelai's uncommon elation but she chose to ignore it and returned her gaze to the list.

"I hear you and Dad were going at it like teenagers…" Lorelai beamed, almost squirming in delight.

Emily's hand stopped moving for a moment as she collected herself and continued with her task. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," she spoke nonchalantly.

"Yeah, says the woman in a hot little black dress…"

"This is an elegant, professional gown… It is more than appropriate," Emily stated defensively.

"I'm just saying you look hot, Mom. There's nothing wrong with the fact that Dad noticed that." What was wrong was how much pleasure she derived from teasing her mother, yet it was a cheap way to amuse herself.

"And what if you father did notice it?" Emily spoke, still looking down at her paper. "Would you like to hear that we snuck into the coat room and –"

"Mom!" Lorelai interrupted, taken aback by her mother's words.

"What, Lorelai?" Emily prodded, looking up at her daughter. "Is it not as much fun to be on the receiving end?"

"I … you said … no," she finally declared.

Emily nodded and looked back down at her list once again.

"You and Dad didn't really … did you?" She couldn't help herself from asking.

Emily's hand paused again. "No. Of course not."

"Oh, Okay. Good." Lorelai took a step away from the counter.

"Not since we were much younger," Emily added, the small smile on her face hidden from Lorelai's view. She was starting to see why Lorelai enjoyed pushing the limit so often.

Emily walked through the lobby of the Dragonfly, her full length black coat unbuttoned and her leather gloves in one hand. She was surprised to find her husband sitting in one of the large wingback chairs flipping through a coffee table book of Renaissance artwork. "Richard, I didn't realize you were still here."

"Just waiting to drive you home, my dear," he said as he placed the book on the end table beside him and rose to his feet.

Emily closed the distance between them, resting her hand on his chest and looking up at him with a loving smile. "That's very sweet, but you do remember that I have my own car here?"

Richard wrapped an arm around her back. "I do, but I am still going to drive you home."

"And just how do you suggest I get back here on Monday morning?" she asked, playing with the silvery handkerchief in the breast pocket of his tuxedo.

He reached up and brought her hand to his mouth, kissing her fingertips, all the while keeping his gaze locked with hers. "I'll drive you."

She was powerless to resist, her only reply a slight nod of approval as he lead her out of the Inn.

"Turn here," Lorelai demanded, motioning her arm toward a dirt road that was on the right.

"What?" Luke asked, looking at her strangely, both of his hands grasping the steering wheel.

"Just do it," she instructed, "or we're going to miss the road entirely."

"All right, all right," Luke huffed, begrudgingly turning onto the dirt road. "I'm glad I didn't wash the truck today," he muttered.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Like you ever wash the truck."

"I wash the truck!" he defended himself.

"Turning the water hose on it isn't washing the truck," she argued with a slight grin that she hid by turning her head to look out the passenger's side window.

"It's a truck, Lorelai. You don't need to spend seventy bucks to have it detailed once a month."

"I had the Jeep detailed one time. One time! And that was after Babette's cat threw up in it," she defended herself, not believing that he was still bringing that up. "You can stop here," she ordered, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"What are you doing?" Luke looked around. They were in the middle of nowhere. It was dark and all he could see were trees.

"I'm getting out. Come on." Pushing the door open, she jumped out of the truck. "Come on," she instructed, shutting the door and walking around the truck.

"What are we doing out here in the middle of nowhere? It is eleven o'clock and we're probably trespassing."

"We aren't in the middle of nowhere. And we aren't trespassing. This is Miss Patty's field. She knows we're here."

"Okay, why are we in Miss Patty's field? Why does Patty even have a field?" Luke asked, following Lorelai as she began to walk off.

"I don't know why she has a field but we're here because the field has a pond that reflects the moonlight and it's really beautiful at night," Lorelai smiled, reaching for Luke's hand as they walked through some brush and had to bend down to get around a low hanging tree limb.

"I'm not going to ask any more questions. You're only making this worse," he complained, trying to look both at the ground and in front of him as they walked.

"You'll find out everything in just a minute…" she promised as they continued walking. "Just come with me."

Finally, they reached the end of the dirt path and came to the pond. Miss Patty was right; it was perfect. Lorelai smiled at the scene before her, grateful for Patty's assistance. There was a blanket spread on the ground a few feet from the edge of the water. On the blanket were a large picnic basket and a bucket of ice with a wine bottle chilling.

"What is this?" Luke asked as they moved closer.

"It's your birthday," Lorelai smiled, turning to him. "You didn't think I'd forget, did you?"

"I just figured with everything that is going on … we'd celebrate another day."

"Not a chance," she grinned, pulling Luke forward and kissing him sweetly. Moving to sit down, Lorelai opened the picnic basket. "Oh, she got us the good stuff," Lorelai chirped happily as she looked at the croissant sandwiches that Patty had packed neatly into the basket.

"Yeah, she did," Luke added, examining the bottle of wine.

Lorelai pulled the food from the basket as Luke fidgeted with the bottle, trying to figure out the best way to open it. It appeared that they were going to need a corkscrew.

"I know that I have been busy with the Inn and my mother and planning the wedding and everything but you … and I just wanted to do something to celebrate your birthday … even if there are only forty minutes left of it."

Luke stopped fidgeting with the bottle and looked up at her. "I can't think of any better way to spend these final forty minutes than here with you," he smiled. "This is perfect."

Leaning forward, Lorelai smiled just before Luke captured her lips with his, the wine bottle still grasped in his hands.

"Save the wine for later," she grinned, taking it from his hands as she pushed herself onto her knees and pressed her body against Luke's.

"Lorelai…" he whispered, looking at her as she dropped the bottle back into the ice and slid her arms around his neck.

"We're in the middle of nowhere … isn't that what you said earlier?" she grinned, using his own words.

Luke laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Well, then, I guess we've got no excuse…"

Emily paused briefly at the full length mirror in the dressing room and gazed once again at the black gown. She'd know the moment Celine talked her into trying it on that it was lovely, but she certainly hadn't expected the number of compliments she'd garnered tonight or the particular attention she had received from Richard. She turned slightly, her eyes scanning the dress from the side then shrugged and reached up to unfasten the chain on her pendant when Richard's hands suddenly covered her own.

His large fingers delicately worked the small clasp and settled the gold necklace into her waiting hands before taking hold of her shoulders and pressing a kiss to the side of her neck. Emily dropped the chain somewhat carelessly onto the top of her vanity then leaned back against him with a deep sigh enjoying the feel of his lips as they traveled up her neck to just below her ear. He moved away from her slightly as his hands sought and found the small button at the back of her dress. Undoing it, he placed a soft kiss to the newly revealed skin of her back and slowly lowered the zipper.

Emily turned to face him. His arms snaked around her as she reached up to untie his bowtie then began unfastening the onyx studs on the front of his crisp white dress shirt. She concentrated on removing the studs, while Richard brought one hand up and began combing through the soft waves of her hair. He had admired the styling earlier and was very happy to find his fingers slipped easily through the silky strands enjoying the fact that in recent weeks she'd allowed it to grow a bit longer. He caught Emily under the chin and turned her face up to his and leaned down.

She allowed him a lingering kiss, but then pulled back. "Emily," he protested as she turned away from him.

"I don't want to drop these," she explained carefully placing the studs on the vanity next to her pendant.

Richard shrugged out of his shirt and sat on the low bench next to Emily to remove his shoes and socks. She smiled down at him as she placed her hand on his shoulder and slipped out of her own shoes. "I think you scandalized Lorelai tonight with your behavior."

His was puzzled. "Somehow I find it difficult to picture our daughter scandalized. What exactly did I do?"

Emily smiled amused by the memory. "I believe she referred to it as 'going at it like teenagers.'"

Richard chuckled and moved Emily to stand in front of him his hands on her hips. "I don't recall any protests from you? Why am I to blame? You're the one wearing the provocative dress," he drew his hands up her sides to her shoulders and took hold of the fabric in question, "but we can fix that." He pulled the dress from her body slowly, pausing to kiss the valley between her breasts, conveniently at eye level in his seated position, then moving lower and kissing the plain of her stomach as he allowed the dress to pool at her feet. His gaze traveled back up her body, over the thigh high stockings, where his fingers drifted immediately to the area between them and the black lace of her underwear.

She raked her fingers through his hair then down around his ear, her thumb grazing along his cheek. "Maybe it was what I told her about us and the coat room."

Richard's eyes locked onto hers. "You didn't?"

She nodded. "I did …. well I hinted anyway." They both laughed at the memory.

"Perhaps that's something that bears repeating," he suggested with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yes," she agreed in a throaty purr, "definitely."

Thank you to DieHardJavaJunkie14, Ann Y. Mous, LorLukealways, Mary, Aleta II Anon, B. Alex Milligan, and Addicted to TV for your reviews. It's nice to know that you all are still enjoying the story. Thanks for taking the time to read!