Charlotte Gilmore was sat in the passenger seat of her mother's jeep, staring out of the window, as they returned from their spontaneous road trip. She glanced across at her mom who was focused on her driving and hadn't said anything for most of the journey. She knew that her mom was nervous returning to Stars Hollow where everyone would now know the news about the wedding being cancelled. She glanced back at Rory who was also unusually quiet, staring out of the window as well. She sighed as she returned to looking out of her window. She knew it had been hard on Rory and hadn't realised just how much her sister had become attached to Max until she'd confronted their mom last night about it. Of course, she was sad about the wedding being cancelled because she had liked Max and she had wanted her mom to be happy but she hadn't been as close to him as Rory was. Max wasn't actually one of her teachers at school and it did feel kind of weird that he was engaged to their mom. She had to admit that she was dreading people finding out at school. She knew how cruel kids could be.

As they drove through the square in Stars Hollow, lots of the townspeople were out and were sending Lorelai sympathetic smiles and waves. Kirk even gave her a virtual hug. "Boy, Patty's good." Lorelai murmured.

Charlotte glanced across at her. "Are you ok, mom?"

Lorelai gave her a small smile. "Yeah I'm ok." She said softly. They drove into the driveway at the Crap Shack and Lorelai parked the car. "Oh." She said quietly. "I'd forgotten about that."

Charlie and Rory both followed her gaze to the chuppah that Luke had made for her. "Do you want us to move it?" Rory asked.

Lorelai looked at it and then eventually shook her head. "No." She said softly. "I think I want to keep it." She then forced a smile on her face. "Right let's get inside and get changed. Your Grandma's already annoyed we went on a road trip without her. She'll be even more annoyed if we're late for dinner." She joked. Charlie and Rory smirked and followed their mom inside.

******************************

"Put it in focus, Lorelai." Emily said as she was sat on the couch with Charlie and Rory watching the slideshow of photos they had brought with them.

"It is in focus." Lorelai said.

"It's blurry." Emily said.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and flipped onto the next photo. "Ah now this is a Harvard squirrel!" She grinned. "Oh and this is half of Rory's dorm and half of my thumb!"

"Oh good god!" Emily exclaimed. "I don't see why you had to do a slideshow and not just bring prints. They're so much easier to look through and quicker!" She said emphasising 'quicker'.

"Oh you're lucky. We had to stop her from putting music along with it." Charlie joked.

"I'm very grateful." Emily said dryly.

"Oh you're just jealous we didn't invite you along with us." Lorelai teased, turning off the projector.

"Next time we will, Grandma." Rory smiled.

"Next time you will get a tour guide and do it properly." Emily said.

"What did your fiance think about this spontaneous trip anyway? You just leaving suddenly just before the wedding." Charlie and Rory glanced at their mom who had suddenly looked shifty and nervous.

"Oh..uh..well..." Lorelai stammered.

"Mom.." Rory said quietly, urging her mom to just be honest.

Emily caught the exchange and looked at her daughter. "What? What is it?"

"Well..uh..about the wedding..." Lorelai started.

"Oh my god, you've eloped! I can't believe you would do that! You are just determined to keep me out of anything to do with your life, aren't you?" She exclaimed.

"Mom..." Lorelai tried to interrupt.

"Seriously Lorelai, why would you do that?" Emily exclaimed.

"Grandma! Mom didn't elope. The wedding's off." Charlotte said, helping her mom.

"What?" Emily stopped, turning to her granddaughters and then her daughter in shock.

Lorelai sighed. "She's right, mom. The wedding's off. We've called it off."

"Oh." Emily said. She glanced at her daughter. "Well who called it off?"

"I did." Lorelai said quietly.

"Oh. Well...ok." Emily said slowly sitting back down.

"Ok?" Lorelai said confused.

"That's all you have to say?" She asked surprised her mother wasn't giving her the third degree. "Please mom, just get it over with. Tell me what you're thinking."

"Well..I was thinking that I would have to return your present." Emily said honestly.

"You bought me a present?" Lorelai asked surprised.

"Of course I bought you a present." Emily said as if it was obvious. "You were getting married, Lorelai. It's obligatory that the guests get you a present."

"Oh." She said still surprised.

"So..uh..what did you get us?" She asked.

"That doesn't matter now."

"You might as well tell me." Lorelai said.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Well you're not getting it now so it doesn't make a difference. I'm going to check on the dinner." She said.

"Come on mom! Please just tell me!" Lorelai said getting up to follow her.

"Seriously Lorelai, are you four? Does it bother you that much not knowing?" Emily exclaimed exasperated.

"Uh yes!" Lorelai said as if it was obvious.

"Just drop it." Emily said. "I'm not going to tell you."

"Fine." Lorelai pouted and went back into the living room.

Charlotte and Rory exchanged amused glances as they watched their mom go quickly through the shortcut to the kitchen and then ambushing their Grandma in the kitchen. Charlie smiled as she saw Rory stifle a laugh as they heard their mom not let it drop.

"Hey, are you ok?" She asked softly.

Rory turned to her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, after...everything." Charlotte said. "We're going to be going back to school soon and well...Max will be there. He teaches you and I know you've grown close to him."

Rory sighed. "I guess it will be a bit awkward at school..."

"Rory..."

"Ok I guess I am a bit upset the wedding's not happening. I thought he would have been a pretty good step father but...well it's not happening now so there's no use dwelling on it." Rory shrugged.

"I don't think mom loved him." Charlie said quietly. Rory looked at her surprised. "I mean, she was happy with him. Maybe she thought she loved him but deep down I think she knew it didn't feel right. It sucks that it had to happen like this and she had to realise this late but at least it wasn't after the wedding right?"

"Yeah I guess you're right." Rory said softly.

"One day, mom will find someone and she'll just know it's right." Charlotte smiled.

Rory smiled at her sister. "Yeah."

"Maybe it will be Kirk." Charlie smirked.

Rory laughed. "Now that's a scary thought!"

*****************************

Lorelai drove back to Stars Hollow after their dinner and parked across from Luke's. "Hey am I too far away from the curb?" She asked as they got out of the car.

"Nah you're only about a metre away." Charlotte joked.

"That'll do." Lorelai joked.

"Rory! Charlie!" A voice shouted across the square.

"Oh my god, Lane!" Rory exclaimed watching their friend run towards them. "You're back!" She grinned giving her a hug.

"I'm back!" Lane grinned at her best friend, giving Charlie a hug too.

"So how was Korea? Was it awful?" Charlie grinned.

"Actually it wasn't so bad." Lane admitted. "Hi Lorelai." She smiled at her.

"Hi sweetie. It's good to see you." Lorelai smiled.

"You too! Korea wasn't bad but it is good to be back." Lane smiled.

"I've missed you all."

"We've missed you too." Rory smiled.

"So what's the gossip here?" Lane asked.

"We took a tour of Harvard!" Rory grinned excitedly.

"No way!" Lane exclaimed just as excitedly. "Was it amazing?"

"Girls, I'm just going to pop into Luke's." Lorelai smiled at them, knowing they'd want a chance to catch up.

"Ok." Rory said.

"I'll meet you in there in a bit." Charlotte said.

"Ok." Lorelai smiled and then turned and headed towards the diner. She opened the door and entered, immediately seeing Luke at one of the tables.

"Hey." He smiled.

"Hi. We're back." Lorelai smiled.

"I can see that. How was your trip?" He asked heading behind the counter, grabbing a cup and pouring coffee into it.

"It was good. Oh we went to Harvard. Rory was in her element." Lorelai smiled.

"Really? That's cool! And how did you feel seeing her in her element?" He asked.

"I loved it...and I hated it." She admitted.

Luke chuckled. "Makes sense. So Rory fit in there? You could see her there?" He asked.

"Oh she definitely fit in there alright. She even crashed a lecture while we were there." Charlotte grinned joining her mom at the counter. "Hi Luke!"

"Hey." Luke smiled at her. "And how about you? Could you see yourself going to Harvard?"

Charlie snorted. "Not likely."

"You're smart. You'd fit in there as well." Luke said.

"Exactly what I keep telling her." Lorelai smiled.

"It doesn't really do anything for me." Charlotte shrugged. "I want to go somewhere I can get on a really good art course." She said.

Charlie was the opposite to Rory in school. She was just as smart as Rory but English and history didn't interest her like they did for Rory. She much preferred the more arty subjects and she was extremely talented in it.

"Well you'd do just as good in that. I've seen your sketches." Luke smiled.

Charlotte shrugged. "I enjoy it." She said humbly. She then got up. "Oh hey, can I grab some fries?" She asked.

"If I say no, will you just go in the kitchen and grab some anyway?" He said.

"Yes." Charlie grinned.

"Go ahead." He grunted. "But let me warn you..."

"I'm knocking years off my life, yeah yeah I know!" Charlotte said disappearing into the kitchen.

"She's turning into you." Luke said.

"I've taught her everything I know." Lorelai grinned.

Luke just rolled his eyes. He filled up her cup again as it was surprisingly already empty. He glanced at her and hesitated before speaking again. "I'm sorry about...you know...the wedding." He said quietly.

"It's fine." Lorelai said glancing round the diner. "And I'd like everyone else to know that."

"I've been feeling like a jerk. I kept talking him down when I should have been supportive." Luke said gruffly. "Sorry. He seemed like a good guy."

"Yeah he was." Lorelai smiled softly.

"But you don't need to apologise. You've already said sorry for that."

"I know. I just...I shouldn't have been so hard on the guy." Luke shrugged.

"It's ok. Really Luke." Lorelai smiled.

"Ok. Thanks." Luke said. He glanced at her. "You're ok really?"

"Yeah I'm ok. Max was...well he was a great guy and he really loved me. But I knew deep down I didn't love him enough. It was wrong stringing him along." She sighed.

"You seemed happy with him." Luke said softly.

"Yeah I was. But I guess that's not enough sometimes right?" She said glancing up at him.

"Yeah I guess so." He said softly, thinking about Rachel.

"So I'm going to head back to Lane's. Rory's gone back there to catch up with her and I said I'd meet them there. Is that ok?" Charlotte asked appearing from the kitchen.

"Sure hon, you go ahead. I'm going to go catch up with Sookie and I'll meet you at home." Lorelai smiled.

"Ok!" Charlotte smiled turning to leave.

"Hang on a minute." Luke said stopping her.

"What?" Charlotte asked innocently.

"What have you got in that bag?" Luke asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." She said guiltily.

"Nothing huh?" Luke raised her eyebrows.

Charlotte pouted and pulled out two burgers and another portion of fries. "They're for Rory!" She tried.

"Sure they are. As if Mrs Kim would let you in her house with that food." Luke smirked.

"Ok I confess! I was going to eat them on the way." Charlotte pouted. "Look I will save a burger for Rory for after we leave Lane's if you prefer!"

"Oh yeah, that makes me feel much better." Luke said dryly. "Go, clog your arteries, I can't stop you anyway."

"Thanks Luke!" Charlotte grinned, giving him and her mom a wave before leaving.

"I can't believe you taught them that pout." Luke shook his head at Lorelai.

"Works every time." Lorelai grinned.

"Just admit it, you can't resist the charms of the Gilmore girls."

"Yeah it does look like that." Luke said smirking slightly. "You want a burger?"

"Sure." Lorelai nodded. "And then I want to pick your brains on something." She said.

"Ok. Give me two minutes and I'll be right back." He said.

"Ok." Lorelai smiled watching him disappear into the kitchen. She let out a breath. She was dreading coming back to Stars Hollows but as an idea hit her, she was feeling much more positive about it and her future. Time to move onwards and upwards. She thought.