13. Dear Emily and Richard

Complete story — includes the ending

Luke and Nicole have a successful first date. Jess and Dean trade verbal blows. Sherry goes into labor early, so only Lorelai and Rory are able to be there until Chris shows up at last minute. Lorelai remembers being pregnant as a teenager and going to the hospital alone. Emily and Richard rushed to the hospital once they discovered Lorelai was gone and Emily scolded her daughter for leaving an insultingly short note. In the present, Lorelai realizes Emily is lonely because Richard has been traveling for work so often, and so she gets Emily a new DVD player and some classic movies. Richard and Emily decry Lorelai's and Rory's plans to backpack through Europe. The war between Paris and Rory continues when Paris picks a photo of the "Franklin" staff for the yearbook that has the worst possible shot of Rory.