Okay here we go again. The final story in the trilogy, the hat trick if you will, the last of the unholy trinity of stories that has consumed my life for the past year and a half.
Once again don't think you can squeak by not reading the opening chapters, particularly with this story because this one, though it has elements from stories past, changes start in chapter one.
This story will still contain smut, smut and oh yeah more smut, so once again no kiddies please. Again I do not want to be responsible for teaching sexual technique to young'uns!
I have to admit, this story scares me more than the other two. This is the third time (and so far the last but never say never) that I have gone to the well with this particular plotline. Hopefully, and I think not, the well has not run dry. This has been outlined for months so any similarity to some other plot point is totally accidental. Given the small world of Gilmore canon, it shouldn't surprise people that authors may hit on similar themes. I have not read much of the Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda series that I believe touches on them so I wouldn't be colored by another author's interpretation.
Last note: Due to the smut, the characters again may seem a little AU at times. There ain't no way around it so either live with it or don't read but yes I am aware. I'll try to keep them as close as possible.
Setting: Season 4 after Nicole, no Jason and the Inn is not open yet.
Small Town Charm
Lorelai walked down the street breathing in the fresh spring air. She loved this time of the morning. She walked past Taylor's soda shop. Yes, the sun was shining, the birds were singing….
"Taylor, I swear one day I am gonna kill you," Luke declared literally erupting from the shop.
….and the townsfolk were fighting. Yep, another glorious day. Lorelai stopped to watch. She shifted the large tote bag she carried to the other shoulder.
"Luke, you don't have to display anything," Taylor argued following him out. "Just participate. As part of the town's business community, it is your duty to do this."
Lorelai watched Luke closely. She loved watching him rant. His face was so animated, his eyes blazing with emotion. He was usually so guarded, so unflappable which made these outbursts all the more special. She sometimes deliberately provoked him herself because of the rush it gave her when she got him to respond like this.
"Taylor, I didn't even go to the crazy town meeting where you proposed this harebrained stunt! I've never participated in these things. What makes you think I'm going to now?" He noticed Lorelai standing off to the side watching the argument with a slight smile on her face. Her smile got bigger when she realized he was looking at her.
"Nothing like a town rant first thing in the morning," she interjected with a grin.
"Don't," Luke warned her, knowing her stance on town events.
Lorelai knew exactly what he was ranting about. She had attended the town meeting where Taylor proposed having a Stars Hollow Trivia contest. The meeting attendees unanimously agreed it might be fun and Taylor quickly defined the contest. He had compiled a list of questions ranging from legend to actual history, current events and past happenings and events in the town. Whoever had the highest score would win. Taylor proposed silly prizes like free ice cream for a month or the keys to the city but he emphasized it would come down to bragging rights by one person in the town.
Certain establishments in the town would be "testing centers" where people could spend time taking the test. Luke's being one of the more popular places was immediately suggested. Even though most of the town were dead certain that Luke wouldn't want his place of business used for a town event, Taylor had been sure he could convince him otherwise.
Taylor was wrong.
"I can't believe you thought I would go along with this," Luke ranted at Lorelai as he made his way back to the diner. She trailed after him, grinning to herself as the rant transferred itself to her. "Why didn't you stop him?"
"Well," Lorelai admitted, "one, it's always fun to see you and Taylor go at it. I could sell tickets. Two, your rants are legendary. Sometimes you outdo yourself. I try to predict how high your blood pressure goes when you are screaming at Taylor. It reminds me of those things that pop out of turkeys when they are done."
"Your concern for my health is touching," he said sarcastically. They entered the diner and Lorelai sat at the counter as Luke rounded it. She dropped the heavy bag to the floor as Luke grabbed a mug, slammed it down and filled it with coffee before she could say a word.
"What no lecture on coffee intake today?" Lorelai asked, surprised
"Hell, if you are gonna watch me rant myself into an aneurysm, I am gonna take you down with me by feeding you coffee. Then we'll be even," Luke declared.
"Sometimes you can be so dark," Lorelai quipped, encouraging him. "I like it."
"Thank you."
Lorelai sipped her coffee. "Are you sure you don't want to do this?" she asked with a sly grin.
Luke leaned over the counter until he was at eye level. "Have I ever participated in one of this town's crazy events?" The full force of Luke's eyes unnerved Lorelai and suddenly sent her heart pounding. Sometimes the way Luke looked at her made her feel all fluttery inside.
"Well, no," Lorelai backed off a little but recovered quickly. "Okay so you don't allow people to take the test here. Will you at least participate? Flex that mighty brain and show people how smart you are?"
"Answering questions about this crazy town, its history and the stupid legends hardly proves me to be smart," Luke disagreed. "It's useless trivia."
"Fine, so you're not a font of useless trivia. You're not a veritable cultural wasteland of unnecessary information," Lorelai chided. "Would it hurt you to break out of your hermit hole and actually have some fun?"
"I have fun," Luke pointed out. "Just because I don't parade around with the townspeople does not mean I am dull. I can have fun by myself or in smaller groups."
"Okay, fun by yourself--dirty!" Lorelai said laughingly then conceded. "If you want to be a hermit—fine! Go ahead and be like the Unabomber, I won't stop you. I don't know why you distance yourself from everyone in the town."
Luke threw up his hands. "I don't want all those people in here. Most of them aren't going to order anything so they'll just take up all my tables."
"Fine," Lorelai soothed him. "You don't have to offer your diner as a testing site. We have K.C.'s and Weston's."
Luke snorted and turned away as Miss Patty entered the diner. She sashayed up to the counter and observed Luke slamming things around behind the counter. She sat down next to Lorelai.
"I told Taylor he'd refuse," Miss Patty sighed shaking her head. "Maybe if you talked to him…" If anyone could get Luke to do something it was Lorelai.
"He already shot me down," Lorelai confirmed. "But I am trying to get him to at least take the test for fun."
"Oh Luke," Miss Patty pleaded. "You have to at least do that."
"Sorry, Patty," Luke replied as he walked over and gave her a menu. "There's nothing you can do to change that."
"Well," Miss Patty shrugged. "We won't make you do it if you don't want to." She gazed at Lorelai who had half her attention on her coffee, the other half on Luke. "You'll be there at K.C.'s on Saturday won't you Lorelai? And maybe bring Rory?"
"I'll be there but Rory probably won't be coming home this weekend. You know how it is with finals coming up in a month," Lorelai said. "She comes home so seldom now."
"I'm sorry she won't make it," Patty said sadly. "But I'm glad you'll be there. Since Rory has been at school and you've been working to get the Inn together, we hardly see you anymore. It's like you've become a hermit."
Lorelai nearly spit out her coffee hearing Patty call her a hermit. She had just called Luke the same thing not five minutes earlier. She glanced at Luke and seeing him smirk, knew that he was thinking the same thing.
"Distancing yourself from the town," Luke tsked shaking his head in mock-reproach. "People will think you're like the Unabomber."
Lorelai narrowed her eyes at Luke. "I know I haven't had time for anything else lately because I've been busy with the Inn," Lorelai answered Patty, indicating the bag at her feet. "Sookie and I have been busy making decisions on furnishing and decorating The Dragonfly." She stared right into Luke's eyes as she stated, "But you can count on me," she said emphasizing the word me. "I'll be there."
"Good, good," Patty nodded, noticing the look between Luke and Lorelai and wondered about it. "I'll think you'll have a good time."
Lorelai continued to stare into Luke's eyes, throwing down the gauntlet, daring him to show up Saturday. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." She drained her coffee cup and dropped some money on the counter. As she hefted her bag once again, she nodded to the two of them. "Off to Sookie's," she gave them a jaunty wave as she left the diner.
Lorelai struggled with the bag as she made her way to Sookie's. She mentally ran over the details they needed to cover and it was a lengthy list. The past few times they had gotten together had been disasters. Sookie was embracing motherhood as she should be but unfortunately it left little time for anything else. Lorelai didn't resent the extra time Sookie spent with Davey, it just made her even more of a silent partner than Lorelai wished. She needed some input from Sookie since this was a joint venture, but so far she was going it alone.
Lorelai headed up the walk to Sookie's house, through the porch door and lightly rapped on the front door. "Sookie?" she called as she tentatively opened the door.
Sookie appeared in the living room looking extremely tired. "Hey," she greeted Lorelai with absolutely no enthusiasm.
"Are you okay?" Lorelai asked, concerned. She already had a sinking feeling about this get-together.
"I'm fine," she yawned. "Just took a while to get Davey to sleep last night. And after his three o'clock feeding," she added. "But he's sleeping now and I'm rarin' to go!"
"Uh-huh," Lorelai replied noncommittally. "Looks like you could use a little nap."
"No, no!" she gestured for Lorelai to sit down. "We may as well get started now." She set the baby monitor on the end table.
"Yeah, before you fall asleep."
Sookie giggled. "Don't be silly! Let me see what you've got."
Lorelai emptied out her bag, putting catalogs and sample books as well as decorating magazines on the table. "We need to make some decisions on fixtures, wallpaper, type of doors and carpeting today."
"Wow," Sookie's eyes went wide at the amount of material Lorelai had put out and how long it was going to take to get through everything. "That's a lot of decisions for one day," she observed.
"Well the past few times we've gotten together, we haven't been able to get much done," Lorelai pointed out barely managing to keep the accusing tone out of her voice.
"There's so much," she said obviously overwhelmed. "Maybe you should pick out what you like."
"Sookie we're partners," Lorelai objected. She didn't want the burden of deciding everything. She needed some input other than her own. "We need to make these decisions together and soon,"
"Can't you narrow it down to the things you like? You're better at this than I am," she slumped in her chair. "I'm just so tired."
Almost as on cue, whimpers sounded on the baby monitor, increasing in volume. Sookie groaned and looked at Lorelai apologetically. Lorelai inclined her head, indicating that Sookie should go check on her son.
Lorelai sighed after Sookie left the room. This wasn't working out the way she imagined at all. She thought they would plan things out, carefully choosing materials, furnishings and appointments they both liked to make The DragonFly a five-star quality establishment that people would flock to. But doing it on her own, she wasn't sure she could handle it by herself.
Sookie's voice sounded over the monitor. "What's wrong Davey, huh?" she cooed to the baby. "Aw, does Davey have a wet tushy? We'll take care of that sweetheart."
Lorelai smiled in spite of herself, listening to Sookie mother her son. It was hard to be upset with her; she remembered enjoying the mother-child bonding over simple things like changing Rory's diapers, dressing her or just talking to her. It was a special time, the making of memories that were only to be experienced for a short time. As she already knew, children grew up and fast. She hoped Sookie would have the same experiences, making memories she would treasure forever.
"Look who decided to join us," Sookie said, carrying Davey out in his bouncy seat. She set him on the other side of the cluttered table, facing the pair. "Okay," she said settling herself again. "Let's get started."
Even though Lorelai had her doubts, she pushed onward. "Alright, I have some wallpaper samples here. I was thinking of one these for the lobby." She fanned out eight samples.
"Hmm," Sookie once again looked a little overwhelmed. "They're all nice." She pondered for a minute. "Which one do you like?"
"Sookie," Lorelai tried to keep the impatience out of her voice. "I like them all too. I'm looking for another opinion here that will help us weed out the duds and pick the right one."
"Sookie?" Jackson called from the kitchen. "Look at what I've got here!" Jackson appeared in the living room, holding some unusually-shaped red object that looked like a tomato. He was momentarily distracted by his son. "Hello Davey," he bent over the seat. "How ya doin today little man?"
Lorelai sat back on the couch, realizing that until Jackson presented whatever it was he was holding. Sookie noticed her movement and shrugged helplessly.
"What is it Jackson?" Sookie asked, indicating the object he held.
"I managed to cross-pollinate a regular tomato plant with a grape tomato plant!" Jackson said excitedly. "Its more pear shaped but it's sweeter than a regular tomato," he gushed enthusiastically. "I think it will put your mozzarella-tomato-basil salad on the map! It could be a signature dish at The DragonFly!" He looked at Lorelai for a reaction.
"If we ever open The DragonFly," Lorelai put in. "If we don't get a move on…"
"Oh, sorry," Jackson said contritely. "I didn't mean to interrupt. Go on with what you were doing," he headed back to the kitchen and seconds later they heard him heading out the door.
"Sorry," Sookie echoed Jackson's apology. "Now, where were we?"
As they both bent over the samples again, Davey let out a piteous wail and began fussing.
"Oh, what now?" Sookie asked shooting a guilty glance at Lorelai. She moved over to her son, trying to figure out his latest upset.
"Maybe he's hungry," Lorelai suggested. She slipped the wallpaper swatches back into the sample book. She began packing up her bag.
"I'm sorry," Sookie said yet again. She had picked Davey up and was bouncing him. She noticed what Lorelai was doing. "Why are you packing up? We haven't made any decisions yet. We aren't finished."
"Oh yes we are," Lorelai countered. Sookie needed to attend to her son. "Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out."
"Maybe if you could narrow down the number of choices…" Sookie repeated, her voice trailing off.
"I'll figure something out," Lorelai reiterated. She was annoyed with the situation but knew there was no help for it. "Take care of Davey."
"You don't have to leave!"
"Honey, you need to feed your son and you need rest," she explained reasonably. She hugged Sookie before hefting her bag once again. "Call me after you've had some rest," Lorelai advised her.
Lorelai let herself out of Sookie's house and headed for home. She knew she would be pouring over sample books for the rest of the day. She sighed, wondering how she would get through the mountain of decisions to be made.
She needed a plan.
tbc