Chapter 1: What A Nice Reunion

The mother, father and daughter stared up at the imposing Gilmore mansion. For the two girls, they had been here a couple of times before, with more regularity in recent months. Having their shared male companion here was a novelty - and it was even more of a novelty to be in the company of who was expecting them inside.

"I have to see my parents," Lorelai breathed.

"I have to see my parents," Christopher Hayden echoed, hating the prospect even more.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the drama King and Queen of Connecticut," their daughter, Rory, pronounced. She failed to lighten the mood.

Rory herself didn't remember her paternal grandparents, Straub and Francine Hayden. She didn't even know what to refer to them as. Apparently, they had met once before, when Rory was a baby and the Gilmore girls were still living at the family mansion.

The trio finally willed themselves inside. At first glance, Straub seemed like a proper fellow with a distinctive white beard, sharing pleasantries with Richard about business. Francine was more reserved and quiet, almost fading into the background with her martini, a striking turquoise dress the only reminder of her presence.

However, once the liquor was poured and the topic turned to the past (just about the only thing these two elite families had in common, other than the little girl nestled between her parents on one couch), true colors were revealed. And how ugly they were.

"Tell me, Lorelai, what have you been doing with your life anyway, besides hating on successful businessmen? I'm just curious," Straub drolled.

Lorelai could recognize the condescending tone from a mile away. It was the exact kind of attitude she and Rory had run away from, and she was grateful for the middle-class exposure that now gave her insight into such hypocrisy. Even so, she attempted to keep her tone civil and correct. "Well, Straub, I run an inn, near Stars Hollow."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," her voice barely laced with annoyance. Lorelai had always known Straub was a bore, ever since she was 16, but she had forgotten just how much.

"Dad, come on," Christopher tried to rein his father in, but it was fruitless. Straub was just getting started.

"Nice to see you've found your calling."

"Dinner's ready," Emily Gilmore tried to sound firm. She knew where this conversation was going, and it could only go one way: down.

"Christopher, your tie," Francine quietly prompted.

"Mom, please!"

"And is your life everything you hoped it would be?" Straub interrogated.

Lorelai chanced a loving glance at her daughter. "Yes, it is," she sincerely replied.

"Because it seems to me you might not want to take such a haughty tone when you announce to the world that you work in a hotel."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with where I work," Lorelai shot back.

By now, Straub was starting to get on everyone's nerves, even those of his own wife. "Straub, please, I'm getting a headache..."

"Come on, Richard, lead us into the dining room - now!" Emily was growing more and more desperate and impatient.

"If you had attended a university, as your parents had planned and as we planned in vain for Christopher, you might have aspired to something more than a blue collar position."

"Don't do this!" Christopher practically begged his father.

"And I wouldn't give a damn about you derailing your own life if you hadn't swept my son along with you!" Straub was finally firing on all cylinders, and doing so as his only granddaughter was sitting just across from him. Knowing things were about to devolve into a verbal slugfest - and afraid of just what might come out of anyone's mouth, Lorelai prompted Rory, "Honey, go in the next room." A pained Rory reluctantly left, clearly aware that this was about to become all about her. As much as Lorelai tried to prevent it, the damage of Straub's words had already been done.

The entire time, Richard's jaw had grown steadily harder, his mouth in a tight, creased frown. "I'm going to have to echo Christopher's call for civility here. A mutual mistake was made many years ago by these two, but they've come a long way since."

"A mutual mistake, Richard?" Straub practically laughed. "This whole evening is ridiculous! We're supposed to sit here like one big, happy family and pretend the damage that was done is over? Gone? I don't care how good a student you say that girl is!"

"Hey!" Lorelai gaped, her mama bear instincts roaring to life.

"Our son was bound for Princeton!" Straub stressed, sounding genuinely pained. "Every Hayden male attended Princeton, including myself - but it all stopped with Christopher! It's a humiliation we've had to live with every day - all because you seduced him into ruining his life! She had that baby and she ended his future!"

And that's when Richard finally snapped. Straub had finally crossed the line - the implication that Rory was in any way at fault for what had happened. "You recant that, Straub!" The elder Gilmore was out of his chair, grabbing Straub by the arm so that the latter's martini upended into his lap.

"You're spilling my drink!"

"You owe my daughter an apology!"

"An apology? That's rich!" The two men were nose to nose.

"How dare you... how dare you! How dare you come into my house and insult my daughter!" Richard grabbed Straub by the collar, so that Christopher had no choice but to get between them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What is going on here?!"

"Shame on you! Shame on you, Straub, for bringing this up again! My daughter is very successful at what she does!" Richard rained down verbal hellfire.

"We're leaving!" Straub snapped.

"You're not leaving; I'm kicking you out!" Richard bellowed. He retreated to his study, while Straub stalked from the mansion, Francine dithering after him.

Lorelai and Christopher were left alone in the sitting room, shellshocked, the remnants of the verbal altercation still painted in their minds across the walls.

That's when Lorelai remembered: paint! Luke!

"I... I have to go! Oh my God, I completely forgot!"

"Lore... what?"

"Take Rory home on your motorcycle! I'll meet you guys back at the house!" And not caring that she didn't believe Christopher's 2000 Indian was appropriately safe for a 16-year-old girl, Lorelai ran for the Jeep, hoping Luke would understand...

As she flew down the highway, Lorelai's eyes stung with tears, briefly blurring her vision of the road ahead of her, as she played back the unbelievable evening in her mind. How dare that monster of a man imply that Rory... did he even care about his granddaughter at all? She had to, for once, pity her parents, having to share a grandchild with those people.

Stars Hollow came rushing into view as a welcome sight, and Lorelai was stumbling from the car before it had even completely stopped at the curb besides Luke's Diner. She was openly sobbing now, and not particularly caring who saw or heard.

The door tinkled and there stood Luke, a paint can in one hand. He barely remembered not to drop it as he ran to her in concern; without thinking, he pulled her into his arms. Lorelai clung to him, choking on her tears.

"What in blue blazes?..." Luke rumbled. "Lorelai, what happened?" He led her inside and up the stairs to his loft, the painting forgotten, as Lorelai began to recount her sad tale.

"Rory's paternal grandparents are despicable excuses for human beings!" Lorelai ranted. "The second time in her life that they've seen her, and they acted like she was a total stranger! Or an alien! Or a liberal who accidentally wandered onto the set of Fox News! I had to hear that man basically say my daughter is a... mistake! That it is her fault for everything bad that's every happened to them! Needless to say, Dad went ballistic and threw them out."

Luke gawped in disbelief. "Who are these people?"

"The Haydens. The Connecticut elite. A small reason why the Republican Party still exists. Rory's paternal grandparents."

Luke's face slowly tinged a bright purple. He had heard plenty of tales about Richard and Emily, but even they had never done something like this. Never before had his best friend said a word about Christopher's parents. And he'd only just met Christopher the man a few days before. "Where do they live? I'll give them a tongue lashing!"

Lorelai pressed a hand into his chest to stop him as he prowled for the door. "Luke, no!" She certainly didn't want him subjected to Straub's wrath; she could only imagine what snobbery Straub would say about a diner owner on his doorstep, if he certainly wasn't impressed that the mother of his grandchild worked in a "hotel." And anyway, now that Lorelai's head was clearer, she had to admit that Francine was not really at fault. Other than not saying a damn word and letting her husband run his mouth. But Francine Hayden had always been afraid of her husband, in some small measure. In other words, the perfect trophy wife.

"Where do they get the gall to say that Rory is... regretted or... not welcome?" Luke's voice cracked with emotion. "That beautiful little girl, and they don't even want her? Want to know her?"

Lorelai hung her head. "They never did. Straub lobbied hard for me to get an abortion after I got pregnant."

Luke's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "I'm sorry, but... what the fuck?"

Lorelai blinked, taken aback. She had heard Luke rant - plenty of times - but never had she ever heard him swear.

"The asshole! The absolute asshole not wanting his own grandchild! Did he say all this bullshit with Rory in the room?" his tone indicating that Straub better damn not have.

Lorelai laughed mirthlessly. "Oh, he would have, if I hadn't sheltered Rory in the kitchen! Straub has never learned tact."

The muscles in Luke's jaw flexed, cracked. He leaned towards Lorelai and whispered sincerely. "If my parents were alive, they would have gladly adopted Rory. At least she'd have two sets of grandparents who give a shit! If Rory were mine... I would never regret her!"

Lorelai stared at him, overcome with appreciation and affection for this man who had spent years looking after her and Rory from afar. She felt her heart would burst if she didn't do something about it.

So she grabbed Luke and kissed him full on the mouth.

Luke relaxed into it surprisingly quickly, and Lorelai was startled by how hard and unyielding his lips were pressed against her own. They broke apart, gasping, in shock.

"Luke, I..."

"Will you just stand still?" Lorelai was cut off as Luke suddenly pulled her back into his embrace and kissed her again. Closing her eyes, and for years starved of sexual contact in order to protect Rory, Lorelai gave in, kissing him back. The pair stumbled back towards Luke's bed in one corner, tearing at each other's clothes in a frenzy, Lorelai felt her skirt and party sweater fall away. The back of her knees bumped into the foot of the mattress and she tumbled back onto it, taking Luke with her, so that he nestled perfectly between her legs.

Slowly, with great care, Luke pushed into Lorelai. Impressed by his size, Lorelai pulled him close and kissed him again, daring to slip her tongue into his mouth. Luke quickly built up a rhythm, sliding in and out of her, each thrust coming faster and faster and harder and harder as Lorelai bucked her pelvis back into him.

"Oh, Luke!"

"Lorelai... you can't imagine... how long... no idea..." Even in the midst of intercourse, Luke was not good with words. At last, with a grunt, he spilled his seed into her, his head flopping into the valley of Lorelai's breasts, so that he kissed each one.

"LUKE!" Lorelai screamed as she quickly followed in her orgasm. Exhausted from emotions and physical exertion, the pair fell asleep in each other's arms.

It was the middle of the morning when Lorelai woke up, to find herself naked, in an unfamiliar bed.

And with Luke snoring beside her.

Oh dear God... Rory...

"I have to get home!"

Lorelai sprang out of bed and dove for her scattered clothes, waking up her partner in the process. "Lorelai? Where are you going?"

"Christopher took Rory home last night, and I never went home! They're both probably worried sick!"

Luke leapt up and hurriedly moved to redress himself. "Lorelai, wait! We... we have to talk about this!" Something had broken between them last night, never to return, and the Diner owner only hoped it hadn't permanently ruined their friendship.

"And we will," Lorelai promised, knowing all too well the conversation they now needed to have, that needed to be addressed. "Just... I have to go!" And she dashed out the door of the loft, exiting the diner out of the back storage room, and leaving Luke with a wounded heart.

Christopher was waiting in the kitchen for Lorelai when she arrived, brewing coffee.

"Where were you last night? Why didn't you come home?"

"I had to help a really good friend paint his diner. I fell asleep in the middle of it, and he let me stay at his place."

Thankfully, Christopher didn't notice the obvious lack of paint on Lorelai's clothing. Or how rumpled her clothes were. "Well, this is for the road," he held up his mug as he shrugged on his leather jacket.

Lorelai stared. "You're leaving?"

Christopher refused to look her in the eye as he shouldered his bag. "Rory's still asleep in her room. Kiss her goodbye for me." At least, he looked truly regretful at having to leave his daughter yet again. But that didn't change the fact that this was vintage Christopher - ready to run at the first sign of trouble. The explosive family reunion of the night before had given him the perfect excuse.

Lorelai smiled weakly, trying to act like his running away didn't bother her. But even after sixteen years, it stung. She didn't care so much for herself, really, but always was incensed by how Rory crushed Rory got, and would get again. "OK. Drive safe."

And she watched through the window as Christopher motored off on his 2000 Indian.