No more Mr. Nice Guy or the day Luke totally lost it!
Disclamair: I do not own the show…
Long AN:
I know I haven't finished my fic. I need to edit it. And figure out a plot to bring the story to completion because it's driving me crazy. And I need inspiration. Java junkie inspiration that I don't have. Trying to find it , especially now with this revival looming over us, I started rereading some fics and watching some videos. I am still not able to watch all season 7 at all. (thanks ASP!).
I am writing this long An after reading yet another fanfiction where apparently what Lorelai did, going and sleeping with Chris and then actually marrying him is not as big of a mistake as the one that Luke made. I TOTALLY DISAGREE. It may not have been cheating, but for me it was a betrayal. Totally ruined Lorelai as a character for me and I have yet to find a fic that makes me understand Lorelai's behavior or even redeem it. Because from where I stand I am more sympathetic with Luke than anybody else in the show.
So I am going to challenge whoever read this and is a writer, to write a fic where is actually Lorelai that takes control of the situation and actually fights for Luke after what she's done. No AU, because from where I am standing a ship can't came back from that! He has done it for ten years. It's time she actually does some fighting of her own! I have no doubt about his love for her. I have a lot of doubt about her love for him!
Now this fic, I actually dreamed this. And it's been driving me crazy so there it is. It's a one shot. There is no bashing. Just Luke at the end of his rope. No resolution.
so without farther ado…
It was all over town in no time.
There was no way to stop it. Stars hollow, or better yet its citizens, sometimes put the CIA to shame. And not the culinary international association.
In Stars Hollow a secret never stayed a secret for long. Especially when it involved Luke Danes or Lorelai Gilmore. Their names bound to one another like it or not.
Miss Patty swears up and down that, out of all the time Luke had been fed up with Lorelai and her family, this one just took the poor man over the edge. Babette nods at that, while Mrs. Cassini curses silently her sleeping routine that denied her the pleasure to be the first to hear the scoop.
There was a universal truth to Luke Danes. For how scruffy he looked and grumpy he seemed he really was a marshmallow….until he was not. And if he wasn't then you had to have done something really, really bad to deserve it! It's not that he was mean in any malicious way, it's just you really had to drive him to that point.
And contrary to popular belief, this particular family trait, that Jimmy Mariano had experienced firsthand, didn't come from William Danes. No this trait came straight from Luke's mom Katherine Danes. Great woman, loving and generous until you crossed her or her kids, then you would cry for your mommy, even if you were 80yo.
And so it went that on a Thursday, a month after Lorelai's marriage to Blondie, that Emily and Richard Gilmore had pushed the newlyweds into finding a new and bigger home in Stars Hollow.
Really, for Miss Patty, it was time that Emily Gilmore stopped making any type of plans. It never really works anyway. And so going around town they had found this property. A little rundown, but with some renovation it would be perfect. At least for Emily Gilmore. And it was after dinner that coming back from Litchfield, they had stumbled on the property. Emily yelled at her husband to stop. Let's go take a look, Emily said. And so they did. All six of them got out of the respective cars and made their way in.
And it was that Thursday that had started like all the others for the resident diner owner. A little busier, that is true. Trying to prepare for a trip down to New Mexico was very stressful for someone that didn't even like going as far as New York.
He got up and really went about his day. Not even one mention of Lorelai or Blondie or their escapades from the townies, which in retrospect should've alerted him that something was going to happen.
He went to bed early, leaving Cesar and Zack to deal with the closing. And by 10 o'clock, the rem phase of his sleep had claimed its victim.
Now a say goes don't wake up the sleeping dog. They really should've listened! Patty said to the others.
It was around 2 am when Luke's phone sprang to life waking its owner. Luke answered, listened, nodded, promised to be there in ten minutes and then started to get dressed as fast as one could when the local sheriff office called you…
"ok I am here, what is going on? Is it my sister, April or Jess? What is going on?!" asked Luke. It was obvious that he had run all the way from his apartment. Jeans on but still with a t-shirt that he usually slept with. With keys on one hand and the offending cell phone on the other he looked down to the newest member of the sheriff office "well? Is somebody going to talk to me or should I guess?!"
The kid looked suitably scared now. God he hoped he was not yet given a gun!
"Luke would you stop terrorizing Brian, please…" the Stars Hollow sheriff looked up at Luke with a scowl on her face.
"Stephanie, what is going on?!"
"would you like to sit down?!" she said gesturing the wooden bench near the door.
"No, I don't want to sit down. I want to know what is going on, is it Liz, or Jess, or April, oh my god it's April isn't it?…"
"No, it's not they are fine Luke I promise…"
"Ok, so what is it then?" he asked finally accepting to sit down.
"You know your childhood home…"
"Yes I do know my old childhood home, Stephanie what the hell is this about?"
"Well, while patrolling Peter and Clark… you know Peter and Clark they have been my deputies for some time now…"
"Stephanie."
"Ok, they found people on your property…"
"What do you mean they found people on the property?!"
"with flashlights, I mean they were carrying flashlights…"
"Being the place is really dark, of course." Apparently sarcasm Luke was making an appearance tonight and Stephanie couldn't blame him. She knew that he was working very hard and that he was stressed out.
"They say they wanted to check out the structure of the house…"
"Ok…and…" Luke waived his hand forward waiting for more information
"And you know you have all the signs up you put up about the damage the house was in and the danger…but they didn't really pay attention to any of them.. there's been some damage Luke…"
"How much damage are we talking here. What? the house is still standing right?!"
Yes, of course is still standing. An for the damage, we are compiling a list."
"A list?"
"Listen normally we would have called you in the morning, and have them spent the night. However given the circumstances I thought it better to inform you immediately. You can press charges if you want…"
"What do you mean If I want?" it may have been that he was still half asleep but Luke was confused.
"Come with me Luke."
"Ok " and so he got up from the most uncomfortable bench he ever sat on and followed Stephanie through a door "but what kind of half gnats brain would think of breaking into a private property to see the structure I mean…" once he entered the back office where the cell was, Luke stopped right in his tracks, looked at the people standing behind the bars of the little cell, shocked "you've got to be kidding me!"
"hello Luke" the man sitting in the far corner of the cell had stood up.
"hello Richard" still looking at the cell. Then turned around " is this a joke?! Stephanie?!"
"I told you this was better if dealt with some shell we say…finesse!"
"FINESSE?!" he yelled and all the occupants of the office jumped.
"I'll get you the list." And with that sheriff Stephanie McGrath exited the room.
Luke still shocked, turned back to the cell. Emily was sitting next to Richard, looking humiliated, while her husband seemed to be amused. Rory was sitting between Lorelai and Logan, who had the decency to look scared. Lorelai was having an eye to eye conversation with the tiles on the floor, while Blondie was looking everywhere but Luke.
He walked to the cell. He looked over the people inside the cell. He shook his head.
"I can't believe this. I can't. I am standing here and I am seeing this. I just can't… believe it "
"well, we didn't know it was your property…" Emily protested.
"oh well, now everything is clear. That's it. Is it a hobby of yours? You go around towns braking in private property and as long as it's not mine, then it's fine. Never mind the law!" Luke said with sarcasm. Emily looked taken aback by the retort. "there are like, I don't know thirty signs…I mean can't you read? were you drunk?"
"We are not drunk…" a whisper really was herd coming from Rory's direction.
"What was that Rory? Talk louder please, I don't speak mouse."
"we are not drunk!" Rory repeated louder this time.
Luke looked down at Rory. This could not be the sweet baby girl he had come to consider like a daughter. Was this the Gilmore evolution? From sweet girl to a felon inside a prison cell… he looked at Logan. He shook his head again.
Luke pointed his finger at Richard "Yale" and Emily "smith", and Rory and Logan " Yale and Yale", and then to Lorelai " Hartford community college" He stopped for a moment, looked at Chris "no classified…"
"Luke…we are so sorry…but there is no need for this. We know we made a mistake…"
"Rory… I love you like my own daughter and you know this. but right now just shut up!"
"Luke!" Lorelai was taken aback while Blondie had gotten up to sit down immediately after. Logan just took Rory's hand in his.
Luke was livid. Red in the face while the vein on his neck started pulsing. Lorelai knew that this was going to be ugly so she took her daughter free hand and looked at Luke.
"What?" Lorelai was staring at him. At the end of his rope he continued "do you really think this is normal?" he was met by silence "Well do you? I don't think it's normal. Unless of course it's the family the commits a felony together stays together day and nobody told me about it! What is wrong with you people? Do you have any idea what time is it. I have to be up in two hours but instead of getting my sleep I am here! what in the hell were you thinking?!"
"Knock knock" Stephanie entered the room
"Who's there." Said Lorelai actually in a laughing fit. The other occupants of the cell looked at her like she had lost her marbles.
"LORELAI don't even!" and with that Lorelai seemed to regain herself. Luke took a deep breath and turned to Stephanie "What Is that…"
"The list of damages"
"Damages, you mean plural, as in more than one?"
"Yes."
"But... but look at them… they are like…. Out of a 1950 portrait! what kind of damage could they have done, the place has to be totally renovated. The staircase has to be rep…" suddenly Luke saw Stephanie's face. " repaired…my staircase…IT WAS AN ORIGINAL PIECE!" turning to the people in the cell " how did you manage it, it was braced, it.. IT HAD A SIGN!"
"Luke calm down…do you want some tea? It'll make you feel better…"
"I don't want tea"
"Listen, I'll leave you here for a couple of minutes…"
"Thanks…"
"Don't kill them…"
"With what a paper clip?!" as the sheriff got out he turned back to the cell.
"Luke I am …"
"Sorry?! You could've hurt yourselves! You can't write this staff, Lorelai. I tell it to people no one is going to believe it! What is wrong with this family? Have you absolutely no shame?! Oh my god! You know what I am sick and tired of this…"
"Luke I…." there was no way Luke was going to stop now. Brace yourself Lorelai, she thought.
"And I am sick and tired of all of you! Of you, you, you and you and you " Luke said pointing his final finger to Chris. He was having trouble breathing so much he was in rage! " all of you are a menace to my health! You are a virus! It's a wonder that I am not having a heart attack right now! How…" he could not fathom what was happening, or what he did that was so wrong to deserve this! And then he looked at Lorelai "WHY? Why are you still here Lorelai? Are you trying to kill me?! You walked away Lorelai. You walked to the car and drove all the way to Boston, how about you stay there!" and he surveyed all the cell occupants. Shocked faces. " Oh and another thing. WHEN YOU HAVE A CHILD THAT CHILD TAKES PRIORITY OVER EVERITHING AND EVERYBODY, AND YES, EVEN YOU LORELAI! And I know it's a novel concept everyone, but do try to grasp it for once!" he heard a gasp from Emily but he would not stop. Not now. He would not spear their feelings. Had they spared his? No. So no more Mr. nice guy and no more Mr. fix-it! Let them deal with things for once! "Yes I am talking to you Emily! What right do you all have to look down on me?What kind of mother are you?! For you information, Jess, the hoodlum, well guess what Emily?! he is never been in jail! unlike somebody else." He said looking at Rory and Logan. "He has a good job, he wrote and published his book, graduated from community college, and he just bought a damn town house! So don't even try to look down on me or my family Emily. I say you take a good look at yours because from where I am standing the picture is quiet disgusting! And I am actually happy that I am not a part of it! What the hell was I thinking! You are all nuts! Certifiable really! Unbelievable!" and with that he turned around and exited the room.
a few minutes passed...
"so…good rant" Lorelai said to the others. the other occupants turned to look at her like she had grown a second head.
Lorelai had to admit... she had seen Luke mad before. Mostly at Taylor. But this version of Luke… she didn't know.
After that, half an hour later really, the Stars Hollow sheriff department let them go. Luke had not pressed any charges. After that speech, he had signed whatever needed his signature and just walked out, and was nowhere to be seen. With Luke's lawyer phone number for insurance and damages, Richard had thanked the sheriff, taken his wife, daughter, granddaughter home. Christopher could walk for all he cared. Logan had taken pity on the man and followed Richard at the house.
That morning after, Logan was long gone, back to Hartford. The Gilmores still at the crap shack. Rory still in shock, reeling from the comments made by Luke. Her grandparents strangely silent. Her dad just went up to the bedroom and had yet to make an appearance. She looked at her, now shared bedroom, then back in the kitchen, where her mother was sitting sipping coffee. Her face was tired. And it hit her like a ton of bricks. All of the sudden Rory felt the same exact weight of regret that her mom must have been feeling.
And so it was that everybody in Stars Hollow had come to know about it. Clark and Peter, the deputies that had picked up the Gilmore's, had told the story at KC's. The morning after it was all over town.
Luke on his part had gone to meet April. Boarding the plane with less weight on his own shoulder for once. He had given everything to that family and the town. It was now time to be selfish!
The end.
Madisondanes
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