Ok, I have to say some things about this story first: This story was not written by only one author and there is a whole homepage build for it alone with pictures, a travel map, a guestbook and so on. Because this page is really small I decided to post this here as well.
At the page we are at chapter 8 this weekend and we are updating weekly, so if you want to read further immediately or see the pictures with Luke and Lorelai in Europe, then chaeck out the page, you find the link in my profile.
Thanks again to all the authors who participated and I hope you as readers give them some reviews, no matter if good or bad. Because this whole project was my idea I take the right to post this under my name, I hope that's ok.
Have fun with the story!
Prologue-
Headmaster Charleston was standing on the stage looking at the huge crowd. He was proud to announce this years valedictorian.
"It's a distinct pleasure for me to introduce to you our valedictorian. This young lady was a second-year transfer from a modest school where she distinguished herself immeasurably. She is humble, hard working, competitive when need be, and unparalleled in her academic achievements. Ladies and Gentlemen, Rory Gilmore."
The crowd broke into applause as Rory entered the stage, ready for her speech. She seeked eye contact with those who came to the ceremony, especially for her. Sookie and Jackson, Luke, her grandparents and her mother. Then she began her speech.
"Headmaster Charleston, faculty members, fellow students, family and friends, welcome. We never thought this day would come. We prayed for its quick delivery, crossed days off our calendars, counted hours, minutes, and seconds, and now that it's here, I'm sorry it is because it means leaving friends who inspire me and teachers who have been my mentors - so many people who have shaped my life and my fellow students' lives impermeably and forever. I live in two worlds. One is a world of books. I've been a resident of Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County, hunted the white whale aboard the Pequod, fought alongside Napoleon, sailed a raft with Huck and Jim, committed absurdities with Ignatius J. Reilly, rode a sad train with Anna Karenina, and strolled down Swann's Way. It's a rewarding world, but my second one is by far superior. My second one is populated with characters slightly less eccentric but supremely real, made of flesh and bone, full of love, who are my ultimate inspiration for everything. Richard and Emily Gilmore are kind, decent, unfailingly generous people. They are my twin pillars without whom I could not stand. I am proud to be their grandchild. But my ultimate inspiration comes from my best friend, the dazzling woman from whom I received my name and my life's blood, Lorelai Gilmore."
Lorelai looked at her daughter, finding it hard to keep her tears at bay. Sookie's support helped a little.
"My mother never gave me any idea that I couldn't do whatever I wanted to do or be whomever I wanted to be. She filled our house with love and fun and books and music, unflagging in her efforts to give me role models from Jane Austen to Eudora Welty to Patti Smith. As she guided me through these incredible eighteen years, I don't know if she ever realized that the person I most wanted to be was her."
That's when Lorelai lost it and let her tears go. And looking at her friends, they had to do the same thing, Luke including. He was wiping his eyes as well, trying to hide that fact that he was crying and sniffing just like the rest of them.
A little later in the ceremony it was time to hand out all the diplomas. The students waited patiently for their turns, Rory included. Sookie pushed herself through the crowd, ready to take pictures while Rory received her diploma as headmaster Charleston was about to call her name.
"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore."
Rory walked on stage and received her diploma. She held it up, proud that she's finally able to hold it in her hands. She makes eye contact with Lorelai as the headmaster continues to call names of students who are to receive their diplomas after Rory. Rory didn't hear it though. All she could do was focus on her mother, who was making grimaces and stuck out her tongue at her.
Rory did the same as she was leaving the stage, not really paying attention to where she was walking, just giggling because of the silliness that was so her mother.
Before she knew it she fell off the stage with a loud thud. The headmaster stopped mid-sentence as Rory's scream of pain could be heard and Lorelai jumped up from her chair, pushing everybody out of her way, wanting to get to her daughter as soon as possible.
When she finally reached Rory, she found her lying on the floor, her leg twisted in a weird angle.
"Please, someone call an ambulance" She yelled, as she kneeled down next to her daughter
"Rory? Are you okay?" she asked her worried and took her daughters hands in her own. Rory shook her head as her eyes filled with tears.
"My leg, it hurts so bad", she sobbed and Lorelai stroked over her hair.
"How is she?"
The others were standing behind them now as well, trying to get a glimpse at Rory to see how she was doing. Luke flinched when he saw the weird angle in which Rory's leg lay on the ground and he took a step back to make room for Emily and Richard who had now also arrived in front of the stage. Lorelai shook her head as she wiped away some of Rory's tears with her thumb
"It looks as it might be broken honey. Please don't move. I'm sure the ambulance will be here soon." Then she turned around and yelled once again.
"Did somebody call an ambulance?"
"Yes, Miss Gilmore our secretary made the call already", headmaster Charleston informed her and started to send away the people who had formed a huge crowd around Rory.
While Lorelai tried to calm Rory and Richard tried to keep Emily from attacking Lorelai, Luke stood a bit away from the scene and inspected this closely. He somehow felt like he should push through the crowd and be at Lorelai's and Rory's side, but then he reminded himself that it was simply not his place. He was not Rory's father and he wasn't Lorelai's boyfriend, husband or anything comparable.
He thought back to the conversation he'd had with Nicole that morning after Lorelai's comment about cruises, then pushed the thought aside. All he could do was stand by and wait. That was his place.
-xxxxx-
The ambulance had taken Rory to the emergency room. Lorelai had been able to ride along and the others had followed by car. A doctor had examined her, and they had brought her up to x-ray to make some pictures of her leg. As Lorelai expected it was broken. The doctor had to reposition the bone before applying a cast. She was able to go home with a couple of crutches and some heavy pain medication
"Doctor, how long is this going to take?" Rory asked him, hopeful that it wasn't as bad as it had sounded at first. She was supposed to leave for Europe in two days!
"You're supposed to wear the cast for at least six weeks. During that time you are not allowed to put any weight on that leg. After those six weeks I expect you back here in the hospital so we can evaluate the situation." He informed her and her hope shattered.
Lorelai nodded. "We're supposed to go backpacking in Europe for the summer. We're leaving this weekend."
"I'm very sorry. Unless you are willing to push your daughter around Europe in a wheelchair, I'm afraid you have to cancel the trip. I wouldn't advise an eight hour flight with a cast either." The doctor said and Lorelai's face got a defeated look on it.
Everything had been planned out so nicely. They had planned the whole trip, every stop, every city and now they couldn't go. They flights and the first few hostels were already paid for. But the money was not what made Lorelai sad. Rory had been so excited about the trip, it had been their dream for years and now it was all gone within seconds.
"Okay." Lorelai sounded sad. This summer was going to be nothing like they expected it to be and even Sookie's fierce hug couldn't help her.
-xxxxxx-
"Mom?" Rory called her mother who was somewhere in the living-room or kitchen. Lorelai immediately hurried to her daughter.
"Yes Rory?" Lorelai sat down on the edge of her daughter's bed. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. I'm will be as long as the pain medication is still working I guess," Rory gave her mother a little, sad smile and shrugged.
Lorelai smiled back slightly. "I'm sorry today turned out the way it did," she said and sighed, while petting Rory's arm.
"Me too. But it'll be okay," Rory said and pointed to her leg. Lorelai ran her hand through her daughter's hair.
"I think I should call the travel agency. The doctor was right. We shouldn't go on the trip like this." She informed her daughter then.
"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. I mean, I know that I can't go on the trip, but that doesn't mean that you can't. I thought about this mom. I will move in with grandma and grandpa for the time being and you go on the trip"
"What? No, Rory," Lorelai shook her head so that her hair flew around her face.
"Come on mom. You spent a lot of money on this trip. We're not going to get our money back now. And you already made time for the trip and I can't do anything with this cast. You would be bored and I would be no help lying around all day. Just ask Sookie or Luke if they can go with you," Rory said.
"But still. If you can't go, I don't wanna go either. This was supposed to be our thing. We've been talking about this forever. You planned all this, looked up museums and hostels. I just can't go there without you. It wouldn't be the same."
"But Europe with Sookie would be fun", Rory tried again.
"It would be, but Sookie is busy. She has this catering service and she is pregnant. Backpacking while pregnant is not a good idea and I am not Hulk Hogan, I wouldn't be able to carry her backpack as well". Lorelai sighed.
"Then ask Luke. I am sure he'll say no at first, but I'm sure he would go with you"
"Why Luke?" Lorelai asked surprised.
"I don't know. He is a good friend of yours and you like him. He feeds us, he takes care of us and I would trust him to take care of you, so that you wouldn't get in trouble in Europe".
"I wouldn't get in trouble!" Lorelai protested.
"And he is like Hulk Hogan. I guess he could carry your backpack together with his own. Ask him mom!" Rory tried to convince her.
"Rory, really, this isn't a good idea. And Luke is going on a cruise with Nicole, to get married or whatever", Lorelai shrugged and her eyes became a tad sadder.
"And Luke getting married to Nicole is bad? Mom, Luke doesn't want to go on this cruise; that was more than obvious. I'm sure he'll come with you if you ask him".
"Rory I don't want to go with anyone but you", Lorelai said a bit louder now.
"Mom, we can't do this trip because of this stupid cast. This isn'going to change, no matter if you stay here or go to Europe. If you don't ask Luke I will ask him." Rory threatened.
"You can't even get up by yourself, how are you going to ask him?" Lorelai teased her.
"There is a thing called phone and I can use it, with or without a broken leg", Rory grinned back.
"I don't know Rory", Lorelai sighed and got up from the bed.
"Think about it mom. We would be here, the money would be gone and Luke would get hitched", Rory summed it up and Lorelai left the room with another sigh.
She sat down in the dark living-room and thought about the whole situation. The sentence "Luke would get hitched" echoed in her head and she didn't like to think about that at all. Luke couldn't get married. He just couldn't…
-xxxxxx-
Luke was cleaning up the tables as Lorelai walked in. He was still in his dress-shirt and slacks, he hadn't bothered to change. When he turned around to look at her he saw that she was still wearing the red dress from the graduation.
"Hey Luke." She greeted him and sounded strange
"Lorelai, hi. Where's Rory?" he asked her.
"At home, asleep. The events from today really got to her," she shrugged and gave him a small smile, which he returned. He nodded.
"Is she still sore?"
"The pain medication is doing a pretty good job." She informed him
"I'm glad", he replied honestly and looked at her, trying to figure out what it was exactly that seemed strange.She nodded, absently.
"What's up?" He suddenly started to wonder why she was here and he wanted to know what was wrong with her.
"I just wanted to say something to you, in case we don't see each other before you go on your trip", she said and started to fiddle with her hands.
"Sure, what?" he asked her.
"Don't go!" she said as fast as she could.
"What?" he asked befuddled.
"I don't want you to go on a trip with Nicole and get engaged," she explained, her eyes focused on the floor.
He gave her a confused look. "Where is this coming from?"
"You and I both know that's what would end up happening. Actually, I was thinking that maybe you could go on the trip to Europe with me?" she asked very quietly.
"The trip you were going on with Rory?"
"She can't go now that she fractured her leg. I wasn't planning on going either, at first. But Rory convinced me the go anyway. I would lose a lot of money because the flights are already paid for and some of the hostels as well. I called the travel agency and they said that it wouldn't cost me anything extra if you go with me instead of Rory, but that they won't give me back any of my money either. I know that you spent a lot of money on that trip with Nicole, but please, go with me."
Luke was staring at her and couldn't believe what he was hearing. She wanted him to go with her as a confirmation that he wouldn't marry Nicole. He thought about telling her that he and Nicole had broken up this morning when he had called her to cancel the trip, because he couldn't get Lorelai's insinuations out of his head. Nicole had yelled at him when he had tried to explain, but she had been right: he didn't want to go on a cruise with her. He had no idea what to do with her for two weeks on a cruise. He sometimes had trouble finding something to talk about with her when they were in a restaurant for longer than two hours.
And now Lorelai wanted him to come with her. She was driving him crazy all the time, but it was never boring with her. But such a long trip with Lorelai Gilmore?
Luke looked at her, doubt clearly written all over his face when she started pouting…
-xxxxxx-
"American Airlines flight 275 to Paris is ready for boarding" a voice echoed through the airport and all the passengers got up and took their hand-luggage.
Lorelai looked at Luke, who was sitting next to her, flipping through a sports-magazine. "That's us."
He nodded. "Are you ready?"
"Definitely." She smiled and stood up. He stood up as well, taking their passports out of his pocket.
"Then let's go." He nodded.
TBC
written by: ProFfeSser and karana
