A/N: Stars Hollow sixteen years in the future. Who's causing havoc now? Why, Luke and Lorelei's children of course. AU, in that in my universe Luke hasn't gotten all weird and recognizes the fact that finding your illegitimate love child does not preclude you from getting married on June 3rd.
I have a very long, in-depth timeline for all of my back-story. I'd give it to you if you request, but you don't really care that much. Most of it is referenced in the story.
Enjoy!
Happy Birthday Babies!
Taylor was fuming. He bustled into the diner and went immediately to the counter. "I assume you know why I'm here."
Taylor seemed wiling to explode. Luke looked up laconically from putting on the morning's first pot of coffee. "I can assure you I have no idea why you are here."
"Your- your children have defiled my store front. I'm not going to stand for it Luke. I demand that you do something about those two. They are a menace in this town. They are trouble with a capital T-"
"Right here in River City."
Luke grinned as Taylor rolled his eyes and begrudgingly said, "Hello, Victoria."
Vicky Danes flashed that famous Gilmore smile back at her father before perching on one of the diner's stools. "Taylor, we didn't deface the store front. We improved it. It's art."
"It's not art. It's- it's practically profane. And you did it without my permission. With my express disapproval." Taylor's face was turning a disturbing shade of red and he shook his cane frantically at Vicky while he spoke.
"Oh, come on, even Dad is going to let us do his windows. And you know how he feels about his windows."
"I do, but I also know that he is a huge pushover when it comes to his wife and his devilish little children."
Luke had been remaining outside the argument, but now interjected an offended "Hey! I am not a pushover."
Vicky looked a little miffed too. "Taylor, we're almost 16, hardly children anymore."
Taylor merely emitted a muffled, "Ha!" Having apparently run into a brick wall, Vicky decided to take a different tack. "Taylor, it's unique. It's a tourist attraction. How many other towns in the world can boast a mural homage to the greatest film ever made?"
"It's hardly the greatest film ever made. It's going to make the town look perverse and deranged and…" Apparently overwhelmed by the depravity of it all, Taylor huffed back out of the diner. Vicky swung her stool around to face her father. "Hey, dad!"
"Good morning, Vicky. You two got it done?"
"We got Taylor's windows done. And we put on that stuff you recommended to make it hard for him to remove the paint. We tested it and it worked perfectly. How'd you know?"
Luke gave her a mysterious look as he put out some pastries on a plate for her. "A master never reveals his secrets. But there may have been an incident when I was in high school involving the bell tower and some spray paint…"
"That you had nothing to do with of course." The sarcasm was apparent even through her full mouth.
"Of course. Plus this place was a hardware store when your grandfather was alive, so I learned all sorts of stuff growing up."
Vicky's face dimmed a bit, even as she continued chewing. "I wish I could have known them. Your parents, I mean."
"I do to. They would have loved you guys… and Rory and April too. But you have your mom's parents, don't you?"
Vicky's nose crinkled a bit. "That can be a mixed blessing sometimes."
"The best things in life always are," Luke glanced behind his daughter, looking for something, "Where's your brother?"
"He's touching up the Time Warp mural on Miss Patty's. I'm supposed to be heading home to sleep."
"I'm surprised it took you two so long. You left the house last night at what- 10?"
"Well, Taylor must have been doing inventory or something, because he didn't leave the store until midnight. So we hid out in the square waiting. We actually almost didn't get to finish. Lane called to warn us that Taylor had just passed her house while we were putting on the sealant, and I had to go stall him by asking about parking spaces for Mom."
"Will be she mad that she won't be getting those until she pries them from Taylor's cold dead hands?" He wouldn't much approve of mischief that hurt Lorelei's business and Vicky knew it.
"Eh, she doesn't actually need any more. When is she getting back from New York?"
"I talked to her this morning. Logan got back from Prague this morning, so she should be back by lunch time."
"Good. I'm supposed to go work at the Inn this afternoon, so I need to go sleep. Is the coffee ready yet?"
Luke raised his eyebrows scoldingly. "I thought you were going home to sleep."
"I am. The coffee soothes me. I won't be able to sleep without it. I'm getting all jittery as we speak."
"That is called withdrawal, sweetie. It is a sign of you're addicted to caffeine, just like your deranged mother." Luke was plenty gruff and Vicky sensed her coffee access might be in danger.
"I kid, Dad. Now hit me with the sweet stuff." Luke rolled his eyes, but turned to get the coffee pot and two to-go cups.
"All right, but you have to bring some to your brother too."
"Of course, Dad! So I'll just be going, I really do need to get home." There was a mischievous sparkle in her eyes and Luke sensed trouble.
"Now, you actually get this to your brother" he ordered, gesturing to the second cup he was filling, "And do not just drink it yourself."
Vicky's blue eyes went wide. "Would I do that?"
"Yes. So don't." Her father gave her a stern glance from under the brim of his baseball cap.
Vicky let out a long sigh. "Okay, I suppose. I'll bring Will his coffee and go home. Love you." She pushed herself up over the counter and kissed his cheek. Then she went out the door and emerged into a town square partially adorned with scenes from Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Star's Hollow loved the Danes twins. There was no denying it. They were just as charismatic and sparkling as their mother and as no-nonsense and steadfast as their father.
Victoria loved to laugh. She had the same wonderful blue eyes that he mother and older sister had; a wide, generous smile, a laugh that could be heard for blocks, and a natural curiosity about how the world worked. She also had an impulsive mouth that got her in trouble on a regular basis and a tendency to forget more basic tasks like brushing her hair, that could result in her showing up for her classes at Chilton in her uniform skirt and bunny slippers with bed head but no lunch, leaving her to beg all morning for a loan from her brother to subsidize the purchase of a small muffin and a large coffee at lunchtime.
William was perhaps quieter, taking after his father, even though his chuckle was undeniably infectious. But due to his more reserved nature, people were always surprised to learn he was the true evil genius behind many of the twins' madcap schemes. For instance, the visual memorial to the immortal genius of Rocky Horror was all Will's idea. He claimed his creative ways came from years of crafting excuses for him impetuous sister. His dark wavy hair was on the long side these days, framing his dark blue eyes. He could hold his own easily with the pop culture barrage that passed as conversation in the Danes home and was the only force that could get his sister out to the car anywhere close to on time for the morning commute to Hartford.
Vicky grinned as she crossed the square to where her brother was adding the final details to Dr. Frankenfurter's garish attire. She paused a way off to appreciate the mural as a whole before whistling. "Not half bad, Will-bo."
At his sister's voice, Will turned from his work. "Couldn't have done it without your help, Vickadee." His eyes took in the coffee cups in his sister's hands. "Hit me with some of that and tell me how it went with Taylor. Thanks for that by the way. I managed to get in two coats of sealant before you two got there."
She came to sit cross-legged in the grass beside him and handed him his coffee. Both faced into the square to admire their handiwork. "Well, nothing gets Taylor huffier than the idea of Mom asking for more parking. I got him on a five minute spiel about the environmental effects of increased traffic on Stars Hollow's 'pristine rustic charm.' Anyway, the look on his face when he saw Rocky Horror in just his skivvies emblazoned on his window made it all worth it." Vicky had a satisfied smile on her face as she sipped her coffee.
Will picked up where she left off. "Then when we told him every other proprietor on the town square had agreed to let us do their windows as well… I thought he was going to explode!" Both twins were silent know as they watched the townspeople begin to go about that day- and took satisfaction in the shocked and amused reactions to the state of the market's front windows.
"Well, if it isn't Stars Hollow's very own Wild Bill Hitchcock and Calamity Jane." A teasing voice interrupted the twin's smug reverie. Both squinted into the early morning sun, only to see Mike Levy.
Mike was something of a sticky point in the twins' otherwise extremely harmonious relationship. When they had been younger, Will and Mike had been the closest of friends as they rampaged around the playground at Stars Hollow Elementary. Vicky hadn't had any patience for Mike, whose favorite hobby, besides video games, was teasing his best friend's twin sister.
When the twins had entered Chilton their freshman year of high school, Mike and Will had grown apart somewhat. But Mike's harassment of Vicky had continued unabated, even picking up a bit. However, whenever she asked her otherwise defensive brother to say something to his friend about it, he'd just stubbornly say he wouldn't butt into what wasn't his business. This invariably sent Vicky into a tizzy and she'd ignore her brother for a week, which always seemed to bother her more then Will, who placidly waited for his sister to return to a saner state of mind.
Will and Mike had first bonded when they were seven over a shared love of science fiction. For years they had devoured every science fiction novel, movie and video game they could get a hold of. As they had gotten older, both had grown away from the obsession, but Will was still something of a Trekkie and Mike was still a technology whiz.
When she registered who had arrived, Vicky immediately stood up, wiped the grass off her jeans and, with only a "see you later" to her brother, left the scene. After watching the brunette storm off in a huff, Mike took up the place she had previously been occupying.
Still looking in the general direction Vicky had left in, Mike began, "I suppose she's still a bit hacked off that I volunteered her to be Taylor's Summer Expo Princess."
"Yes, that might be it. Or it might be that you then got half the JV football team show up at the Expo half naked and worship her while she was stuck on the dais," Will replied noncommittally.
Mike considered this. "It might be that. Anyway, is that any reason to leave me out of something as great as this?"
"Vicky insisted. Besides, we still have a load of storefronts to do, even if you did miss the crown jewel of Doose's Market." Will took another sip of his coffee.
"Will I be allowed in any of that?" Mike was understandably skeptical.
Will waved his hand dismissively. "She's reaching the end of her righteous indignation. She didn't even bother to chew you out before she left. You'll definitely be allowed to participate in stage two."
"There's more?" Mike raised an eyebrow.
"Of course there's more." Will gave him the same righteous look his mother had perfected. "The full genius of our plan has not yet been realized."
"The full realization won't be coinciding with your birthday next week, will it?" Mike knew full well that the Danes' birthday parties tended to reach levels of insanity unmatched by normal festivities.
"Perhaps." Will's face gave nothing up. "I'll contact you with the details later." His coffee finished, Will stood, "But for now I need to get home and sleep. The market masterpiece took most of the night and I'm exhausted. See you later."
"Godspeed, Picasso," Mike finished, along with a snappy salute.
Will walked off laughing.
Over the next week the town square became completely covered in Rocky Horror. At the Danes house, a large flat surface was built by Luke and Will from scrap plywood and painted white. By the time the twin's birthday arrived on June 12th, the square and the construction had been completed. Mike Levy had been sighted lurking around the square with mysterious little boxes and complicated looking electronic gizmos.
The morning of, Vicky rolled out of bed to the smell of pancakes. She staggered downstairs to the kitchen where she found her father in front of the stove, expertly flipping a pancake, the test pancake for this bowl of mix. He looked up at the sound of her footsteps and when he saw her, wearing hand-me-down Hello Kitten pajamas inherited from her mother and with her hair sticking out in five different directions, he smiled. "You're the first up. So what's your pleasure birthday girl?"
"Hmmm… How about chocolate chips?"
Her dad smiled at her. "I can do that." Then Vicky sat at the kitchen table as she watched her father move around the kitchen. He put a glass of orange juice in front of her and she sipped it as she thought about the thousand of times she had watched her father cook in this kitchen. Pancakes were a Danes birthday tradition, but she'd watched him make soup when she was sick, muffins and cookies for school bake sales, special dinners for his and her mother's anniversary, and a million everyday meals. Her father would never be overly demonstrative, but he expressed his love for his family everyday in their kitchen.
Soon she was presented with maple syrup and two chocolate chip pancakes in the shape of a '16' with whipped cream and a cherry on top. She grinned at her dad before digging in. "Thanks Daddy."
He ruffled her hair before shouting up the stairs, "Anyone who wants pancakes better get down here before the griddle gets cold!"
Will clomped down the stairs first, rubbing his sleepy eyes and plopping all six feet of his lanky frame into the chair next to Vicky with a grunt that she took to mean, "Good morning."
"What can I get for the birthday boy?" their dad asked. Will's head tipped way back over the head rest of the chair as he considered this question gravely. His head came up as he responded, in words only a step above grunts, "Blueberries and strawberries," and then tipped back again.
Luke was getting the fruit from the fridge when Lorelei stumbled in. Her still long hair was piled on to of her head and her glasses were on, with a silky bathrobe and pajamas. "Lucas, I was sleeping. Then you started making mean threats about withholding pancakes."
She had made her way over to stand next to him at the stove. He leaned over and gave her a kiss. "Never promised you unlimited pancakes, love."
Lorelei pouted and grumbled, "I knew I forgot something when we were writing those vows."
Luke leaned over and gave her another kiss, "I give them to you anyway. Now, how do you want yours?"
"Everything, please, you know how I like it." Lorelei raised her eyebrows lasciviously.
"Dirty!" chorused the twins from the table.
They both smiled before Luke responded with an eyebrow wiggle. "You bet I do. Now sit down and wait for your pancakes." They kissed again and Lorelei shuffled over to stand between the twins. "How are my lovely children this fine morning, the anniversary of the beginning of their reign of terror in Star's Hollow?"
Despite the fact that Will's head was tilted so far back that the world was probably upside down, the twins managed to chorus together again, "Delightful, mother dearest!"
She then leaned down to give each a kiss and whisper happy birthday, before shuffling over to sit down as well. Moments later Luke put Will's "16' pancakes in front of him and a glass of orange juice in front of Lorelei.
Will tipped his head back up to begin scarfing down his pancakes, but Lorelei was staring at the glass as if it was an alien invader. "Lucas. What is this on my table?"
He didn't look up from the griddle. "It's orange juice Lorelei. Try some."
"I would, but I like the type that's brown and hot and comes in a mug not a glass. Oh, and is called coffee. Gimme." Lorelei made grabby hands towards the stove.
"No."
"Gimme."
"No. No. I'm going to win today Lorelei."
"Oh, sweetie. Have you ever won this argument in the seventeen years we've been married?"
"No." The twins answered for him.
"No, you have not. So why, on today of all days, would you think this is the day you'd win."
"I don't know." Luke rolled his eyes and flipped another pancake. "The coffee's already brewing."
"Thank you," Lorelei said triumphantly and unthinkingly took a sip of the orange juice.
Which she promptly spit out. "Oh, blech, health!"
Lorelei was mopping up the orange juice with a paper towel when Rory burst in the back door. "Good morning, Danes! And especially good morning to you two birthday Danes!"
"Rory!" the twins chorused. "Surprise!" said Lorelei.
"Mom said you were stuck in Hong Kong covering the bird flu!" Vicky exclaimed as she hugged her half-sister.
"You sent apology birthday presents and everything!" Will followed.
Rory slung an arm over each twin (quite a reach for Will) and grinned. "I wouldn't miss you guys' birthday. My newspaper actually sent a rookie reporter in to put them through the paces, so I'm stateside again."
"Logan and the kids must be happy about that," Luke said as he hugged Rory, "How do you want your pancakes?"
"Everything, please. Yeah, the kids are pretty excited. Though I think Lila was looking forward to another trip to Hong Kong. She loves traveling."
"Where are they anyway?" Vicky looked sad to be missing her nieces and nephew.
"I flew straight into Hartford so I wouldn't miss birthday pancakes. But Logan and the kids are going to meet us for lunch with Grandma and Grandpa." Rory got the brewed coffee and was pouring it into mugs for everyone at the table. Luke put cream and sugar out along with Lorelei's pancakes and went back to the stove to make Rory's.
Vicky groaned. "I'd forgotten about lunch. I don't have anything to wear."
Rory raised an eyebrow. "So you haven't opened you apology birthday present yet."
Vicky's eyes lit up. "Oh!" she exclaimed as she ran to the living room to get Rory's present from the table.
"Rory," Vicky's voice echoed from the hallway as she came back to the kitchen, "I'm flattered that you came to see us before your husband and children that you haven't seen in two weeks, but I'm also thinking you're crazy." She finished as she sat back at the table and tore into her present.
"Thanks, Luke," Rory said as he placed her pancakes at the table and sat down with his own, plain buttermilk. "Well, it's not everyday that you two turn sixteen. It's a very important birthday." She paused to take a bite of her pancakes. "Plus when I heard from Mom what you two were doing to the town square, I couldn't wait another moment to see it."
"Brilliant, isn't it?" Lorelei beamed at her youngest children.
"It really is." Rory was grinning at the two of them as she tucked into her pancakes.
"Oh, Rory, it's beautiful!" Vicky exclaimed as she held up the white lace sundress.
"There are matching shoes and a jacket in the other packages," Rory said.
"Oh, thank you!" Vicky squealed.
"Did you bring me beautiful, expensive clothing also, dear daughter?" Lorelei asked plaintively.
"No, but Will's present is pretty sweet too. Logan helped me pick it, as he said he understands what sixteen-year-old boys want."
"I'll open it later with my other presents if you don't mind." Will said, eyeing his sister who was now peacocking in front of the hall mirror, holding her dress to herself with one hand and holding her hair up with the other.
"Of course not. But before we get ready to go, how about you guys give me the full tour of the new and improved town square?" Rory said.
"Of course," Will said, "Vicky, stop staring at yourself in the mirror and get dressed so we can show Rory the square."
"All right," called Vicky before coming into the room, "Rory, thank you so much, it's beautiful."
"You're welcome. Now get dressed and show me your masterpiece." Rory grinned as both the twins scampered up the stairs. "They're really more children than not still."
"Thank God. I'm not ready to give them up quite yet." Lorelei looked a bit misty eyed as she took another sip of coffee.
"Why don't you two get dressed too and come with us?"
"Hm," Lorelei mumbled swallowing her coffee, "We've got some last minute preparations for the party to complete before lunch. You guys just get back and get ready before 11:30 and we'll drive to Hartford together."
"Sounds good," Rory said, standing. "Hey, you guys, let's get going! We need to be back and ready in time for lunch!"
"Coming!" cried Vicky as she pounded down the stairs, putting her hair up as she did. Rory grinned, a sudden recollection of her mother coming down the stairs much the same way her first day at Chilton coming to mind. Will followed close behind his sister and the three set out for the town square under the warm summer sun.
They returned shortly before eleven and Vicky locked herself in her room to get ready. Will changed quickly and returned downstairs to wait with Rory in the living room. She looked up and smiled when she saw him. "You spiff up nice. I forgot to ask, is April coming today? Last I heard, Mom had talked Grandma into inviting her on the point that April is your half sister and it's your birthday so she ought to be there."
"Oh. Well, she was invited, but she couldn't get out of rounds this morning in Philadelphia. She's going to be there tonight though."
"Oh yes, tonight. It should be fantastic. The square really is great, Will."
Put off by the brazen praise, Will blatantly changed the subject. "So how was Hong Kong?"
Will thought Rory had the most wonderful job in the world. As a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, Rory had seemingly been to almost every place on the globe. As a child, Will had loved receiving postcards from exotic locations like Lesotho and Bangkok. When he'd grown up a bit, he'd appreciated the value of Rory's job, reporting on important stories, to ensure that the public was made aware of them. Even though Rory's traveling had slowed some since her children were born, she was still writing stories that Will always read when they appeared in print. She was also working on a book, though she was being very mysterious about the subject.
"Hong Kong was good. I had trouble getting some of the Chinese officials to give me honest answers, but I got to them eventually." Rory looked down modestly and tucked her curling hair behind her ears.
"What did you do?" Will asked earnestly.
"Well, the numbers they were giving me were clearly bogus. So I conducted my own investigation. Some random sampling showed their statistics on the number of people infected were incredibly off the mark. When I got some more accurate figures, I confronted the spokesman at a press conference. He didn't want me raising a stink in front of everybody- especially on camera- so he got me some private interviews where the officials were much more upfront. The real story was broken by the Times and now everyone has picked it up."
"I've been keeping up with your stories. You've been doing a great job."
"Well, now that the story is really well established, they don't need me to be out there and they can let Mariah cut her teeth on it." Rory looked out the window, a distant look on her face.
"Rory, is something up?"
She looked back and shook her head a bit. "Oh no, not at all. There's just some stuff going on at work…"
"Yeah?" Will was watching her intently.
"Well, Will-"
"Hey, are you guys ready to go?" Vicky was ready, and looked lovely. The white dress had a strapless bodice that flared into a full, ruffled skirt. The delicate heels were retro-inspired round-toe stilettos and the jacket was a wide necked, Asian inspired bolero, with delicate silver embroidery and a single delicately sculpted button. She had paired it with silver earrings and necklace and had piled her hair in curls on top of her head with delicate clips.
"Oh, you look gorgeous, though there's also a touch of Natalie Portman as Queen Amidala. Now where are Mom and Luke?"
"Mom called my cell while I was getting dressed and she said that they were going straight to the house. You can drive me and Will in your car can't you?"
"Of course. Did they get caught out doing errands?"
"Well… actually, it seems they were delayed in getting out of the house this morning after we left, so they got ready before they left and planned on going straight there." Vicky's nose wrinkled a bit as she explained this.
"Delayed?" Rory asked puzzledly as Will rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, you know… delayed." Vicky said again, looking a little uncomfortable.
Realization dawned on Rory. "Oh. Delayed. OK, let's go."
The twins made identical grossed out faces as they left the house.
Lunch went as well as any lunch with the Gilmore grandparents could. Emily met her grandchildren at the door.
"Rory, it's good to see you. Logan called; they're running just a bit late, we'll hold lunch until they get here. Victoria, you look ravishing. Where did you get that dress?"
"It was Rory's birthday present."
"Well, it's a little old for you I think. White and silver require maturity to wear. William, you look very nice." Emily smoothed the lapels of his blazer and adjusted his tie. "You're getting so tall! I think you'll be matching your grandfather inch for inch soon. Well, you all look very nice, come in, come in. Your parents are already here."
Luke and Lorelei were indeed waiting in the sitting room. Luke looked nice in tie and jacket, but a bit uncomfortable as always. Lorelei looked much younger than fifty-four in a crimson, short sleeved sundress.
Richard, while still jovial, was finally beginning to age in earnest. His once straight back was slumped as he sat in his wing chair, fingering his cane. He did not rise to greet the newcomers, and Vicky immediately went to kiss his cheek and say hello.
"Hello Vicky, you look lovely. Happy Birthday! You too, William, you're beginning to look your age. And Rory! What a pleasant surprise to have you back in time for this happy day."
"Well, once I cracked the big nut there was nothing left to keep my interest."
"That's my girl, cracking the big nut." The family arranged themselves around the living room, listening to Rory talk about Hong Kong until Logan arrived, children in tow.
"Mommy, Mommy!" Lila arrived first, bursting into the room and making for her mother's lap. Lorelei Huntzburger, the younger, was seven and had thick dark curls that covered her head, now tied back with a bow, and large dark eyes with long lashes. She was very much like her mother, very bookish and extremely bright. She adored her mother and wanted to be just like her Auntie Vicky. She loved Uncle Will too, especially when he made her fly.
Richard Huntzburger, age four, followed shortly after his sister, also launching himself at his mother. A brunette with large blue eyes, his fine straight hair, normally a neat bowl cut, flew up as he buried his head in his mother's lap. He was quieter, often overshadowed by his boisterous older sister, but he was also bright. The heir apparent to the Huntzburger empire, even Mitchum Huntzburger was charmed by the boy during the short training sessions that had commenced at even this tender an age. He was very sweet and exceptionally kind.
Leigh Huntzburger toddled in with her father's helping hand. The two made their way over to Rory who picked up the first and kissed the second. Leigh, who had only turned one in May, had an angelic appearance, with blonde curls and large blue eyes. She was the apple of her great-grandfather's eye and the two of them could sit and amuse each other for hours on end.
The entire accumulated Gilmore clan rested in the sitting room together for a while, but soon Emily moved everyone into the dining room for dinner. Glancing around, Rory thought about how different this lunch was from the dinners they had shared when she was sixteen. Rather than four tense individuals set in two teams, Loreleis versus none Loreleis, now they were eleven members of a family that spanned eight decades. It was once just her and her mother. Now she had her own husband and children, a wonderful stepfather, and great pair of half-siblings- and of course her mother. Rory didn't see how she could ever be lonely belonging to such a family. And she knew she'd have their support as she changed her direction a little.
Rory had been a foreign correspondent since she'd gotten her Masters in Journalism at Harvard, thirteen years ago. She'd spent seven years traveling the world extensively, before cutting back when Lila was born. She was still very active, but it had kept her away from her growing family more than she was comfortable with. Logan had a fairly flexible schedule as a media magnate, but when he had to be at the office he had to be at the office. And as nice as their nanny was, Rory didn't want to be the type of mother whose children felt closer to their nanny than their mother. Situations like last week's when Logan needed to be in Prague to deal with a labor strike, Rory was in Hong Kong and the nanny was sick were inevitable. If Lorelei hadn't been available to watch the kids until Logan got home, she didn't know what they would have done.
Plus there was her book. Her beloved book, that had been growing in her mind for almost a year now, sentences and phrases dancing at the edges of her consciousness when she daydreamed and when she fell asleep each night. And as every trip away from home grew harder, she knew it was time to put away her passport and give her family and her book a chance.
She and Logan had talked about it and he had only encouraged her to do what she wanted. They had more than enough money for her do as she wished- and, more over, he thought the book sounded wonderful.
The time had come to tell the rest of her family though. She hated to step on the twins' special day, but she wouldn't have a better opportunity to tell them all herself and in person.
As lunch was finished, Rory cleared her throat. When the chatter around the table failed to abate, she cleared her throat again while rapping her glass with her fork. This got everyone's attention and she stood to speak. Logan quickly realized what was happening and took her hand to lend support. She smiled at him and he gave a small squeeze. She then turned to look at her family.
"I first want to wish the happiest birthday in the world to Vicky and Will. They are wonderful siblings and I feel so blessed that they are part of my life and that I am part of theirs. And since they are such wonderful siblings, they will forgive me for taking this time to make an announcement totally unrelated to their birthday. I've quit my job at the Times."
She paused here to allow everyone to take in this news before continuing. "I'll still be writing for them, but as a freelancer and I won't be traveling for them anymore. I've thought about this a lot, and talked about it with Logan, and I can't stand to be away from you three anymore," she grinned at her children. Lila was beaming at the fact that Mommy wouldn't be going away all the time anymore, Ritchie was happy in a more subdued manner and Leigh, in her high chair, had no idea of what was going on.
"I also have a new project I'll be working on. As most of you know, I've begun writing a book. I think – and Logan agrees – that it has a lot of promise, and I want to give it the dedication it deserves. So I've left the Times and I hope you'll all support me as I sally forth in a new direction." Then she sat and waited for the fallout.
Directly across from her, Vicky was grinning uncertainly. Next to her, Will was stone faced, which Rory had expected. Her mother and Luke seemed to both understand. Grandma looked pleased that Rory would be flitting about less and Grandpa seemed to have sensed what was coming beforehand and become resigned to it. Rory had talked to him occasionally about her discomfort with leaving the children as much as she did and they'd discussed the fact that modern parents expected to spend more time with their children than people in his generation had. Her children were all ecstatic.
Vicky was the first to speak. "Well, if it's what you want, then I'll support you completely. I want you to be happy Rory."
Grandpa spoke next, "Rory, I once worried that you were throwing away your talent. Now I know that you have truly pursued your dream, lived your dream. And if the time has come for new dreams, new priorities, I will wait expectantly for you to achieve them as fully as possible."
"Thank you, Grandpa," Rory said quietly.
Her mother and Luke and her grandmother followed with statements of support, and then all the eyes at the table seemed to come to rest on Will. Sensing the expectation, he finally snapped. "I can't believe you people. I'll be in the car Mom and Dad." And then he left the room.
Lunch broke up pretty quickly after that. Grandma and Grandpa apologized, but they weren't up for the party that night. So Vicky quickly opened her presents from them (designer purse, her entire summer reading list, early edition of Pride and Prejudice) while trying not to look at Will's pile. Then she and her parents said their good byes. Rory and her family would be spending the afternoon there before coming to the party that night. Will was waiting in the car just as he said he would be and the ride back to Stars Hollow passed in silence.
They arrived home to find Mike waiting on the porch bench. He stood as he saw the car pull up the driveway, but with one look at Will's face as he slammed the car door shut behind him and stormed into the house, he sat back down. Luke and Lorelei looked concerned as they walked into the house, greeting Mike absent mindedly. Vicky lingered outside though and sat beside him on the bench.
"Rory's quitting her job at the Times," she explained simply.
"Ah." It was all he needed to say. He understood completely. Will idolized Rory and any damage to his perfect conception of her was extremely disturbing. "Did she give a reason?"
"She wants to be home more with the kids. Plus she's writing a book."
"Boring political tract?"
"I wouldn't know, she's not telling anyone."
"So, is Will over and out for tonight's festivities?"
Vicky looked up in the direction of Will's room. "I dunno. He'd hate to let all the work he put into Phase 1 go to waste for not implementing Phase 2. But on the other hand, it's Rory…"
Mike sighed. "Yeah. It's Rory and her magical boy entrancing germs. They even work on her own brother. Should I go talk to him?"
"Let's give him a little time. Do you want something to drink?"
"Yeah. Then we can work him together." They both stood to go to the kitchen and Mike noticed for the first time what Vicky was wearing. "Wow."
Vicky gave him a puzzled look. "You look beautiful," he stated.
She blushed and stammered out a thanks. They were standing barely a foot apart, staring at each other. Vicky was the first to break the moment- her eyes darted to the side and she asked "So, what would you like to drink?"
"Coke would be good," he replied and she darted into the house leaving him to follow more slowly, wondering what had just happened.
A half hour later, fortified by Coke (Mike), coffee (Vicky) and Pop-tarts (both of them), they knocked on Will's door. They took the muffled grunt they heard as permission to come in, and Vicky eased the door open. Will was laying face down on his bed, having apparently flung himself there when they got home and not moved since.
"Will," Vicky began, uncertainly. She glanced at Mike worriedly, not sure where to go with the discussion.
Mike strode fully into the room and sat backwards astride Will's desk chair, his arms crossed leaning on the back. Vicky, in deference to the united front they wished to present, came to perch on the desk beside him. Mike tried not be distracted by this and instead asked, "So who exactly are you mad at Will?"
"Who do you think I'm mad at?" Will's response was barely intelligible, muffled by his comforter.
Mike glanced at Vicky. It was her turn to take this one. "Well, I don't know Will. You love Rory and this is going to make her happy. You like Logan and it's going to make him happy. You adore your nieces and nephews and this is going to thrill the hell out of all of them. So who are you angry at?"
Will flipped on the bed, so he was now staring at the ceiling. He contemplated the cracks for so long that Mike and Vicky were beginning to fear he was impervious to even a joint offensive. At long last Will let out a sigh and admitted, "Me."
The other two chose to wait for him to explain. "I think she would have done it earlier if it weren't for me. I mean, with situations as bad as what happened last week… she had to have seen that coming. And she didn't get out. Because she knew I didn't want her to."
There was a beat before Vicky exploded. "Oh, you are such a little baby," she spat out. "You are so conceited! Rory is not making career decisions because of you. She's thirty-eight-years-old and the opinion of a petulant sixteen-year-old isn't going to make her do anything, much less stop her from quitting a job she doesn't want anymore."
Mike was startled by her outburst. While the twins were never loathe to share their opinions about each other, the vitriol in her voice was uncharacteristic of her. And she wasn't done yet.
"I can't believe you are being such an ass. You're always a bit egocentric, what with your 'I am an evil genius, bow before me' bit, but to upset Rory when she expected our support and to ruin our birthday just so you can wallow in your bonfire of the vanities is beyond even you!" With that she turned and stalked out of the room. Mike watched her go and flinched as first Will's and then her own door slammed. Will didn't seem to register any of it as he continued his study of the ceiling. Mike turned back to him and considered where to go with this.
"Well, if you aren't mad at Rory, you should probably call her and tell her that because knowing her she's worried about you. And then you should probably work out some sort of functional truce with the raging harpy, because your birthday only comes once a year and this is a lot of work to do just to blow it because you're fighting with your sister."
"She not here anymore, you don't have to act civil as part of your continued quest to get in my sister's pants." Will's voice was flatly accusing.
Mike didn't even say goodbye was he left.
At five, the sun was still out, though the harsh heat of the afternoon had dissipated. At the Danes house, things were especially cool. Luke and Lorelei had decided not to interfere- overly much. They had told each of their sulking teenagers that they were leaving around four and their departure left the house in stony silence.
But at precisely 5:01, each was startled by the opening strains of "Science Fiction Double Feature" echoing out of the tiny speaker Mike had placed in the front oak tree earlier that week. They knew that if the one in their yard was working, then ones all over town plus the large speakers that were intended for the town square were probably doing the same.
Then came the voice on the bullhorn.
"Victoria Gilmore Danes and William Lucas Danes. Your presence is demanded in the town square for a night of wild revelry and Time Warping." Lorelei waited with the bullhorn until she saw Vicky's head appear in her bedroom window and William appear at the front door. Then she continued, "You can keep pouting at each other tomorrow, but for now it is your sixteenth birthday and I will not let you put it to waste. Now, please attire yourself properly and come on!" She herself was dressed up as Columba and Luke as Riff-raff.
The song was still blaring and, from her place at the window, Vicky could hear echoes that she knew stretched across the whole town. It'd be a horrible thing to waste sulking, it was true. Plus it'd make her just as bad as Will. She pushed herself off her window seat and went to her closet to get her costume.
Will, at the door, could hear the echoes also. He knew he'd eventually regret ruining Vicky's birthday if not his own if he didn't play along. Plus, he'd just be proving her right. He pushed himself off the door frame and lumbered up the stairs to get dressed.
They both finished at the same time in a moment of twin synchronicity, and met in the hallway. Vicky had tied her hair back with a white ribbon and doffed a pale pink sweater and full pink skirt, finishing the ensemble with white socks and saddle shoes. Will had slicked back his hair, added glasses and was sporting a sandy blazer over a pale blue shirt, over chinos and loafers. They were, with a disregard to hair color, the very image of Brad and Janet.
"I suppose it'd be unfair to the town not to let them have their party after what they let us do," Vicky began.
"Yeah, it'd be pretty crappy of us to ruin it."
"So, we'll play nice and try not to put a damper on things." Neither of them was looking at the other, Vicky training her eyes on a spot about a foot above his head and Will focusing intently on a spot on the floor.
"Yeah, we'll be good sports about it."
Finally, they both looked at each other. Vicky smiled ruefully. "I still think there's something kind of squicky about us dressing up as a couple."
"Mom and Dad are dressed up as a brother and sister. The weirdness goes full circle. Besides, you wanted to look nice and I wanted to look like a matched set, so…"
Vicky waved a dismissive hand. "Yeah, I know. But I still think Mike's going to take the mickey at us a bit about it." Vicky would have perhaps continued but for the stormy look that came on Will's face at the mention of his best friend. Mike must have said something stupid after she left.
Mike was gruff as he replied, "Yeah, well, let's go, don't want to keep them waiting." The twins went down the stairs together.
The party was going wonderfully. By nine, they had feasted on a sumptuous roast prepared by Sookie- "I swear, it wasn't named Eddie!"- watched Miss Patty give it her all in a performance of the Time Warp on the town gazebo- "Lucas, darling, won't you come dance with me? Just this once, lovey!" "Uhm, no thanks, Miss Patty."- and experienced Kirk's, ahem, touching rendition of "Touch A Touch Me,"- "Will, please kill me now." "No can do. Then I'd have to suffer this alone." Then they had eaten the giant birthday cake their father had rolled out of the diner, after each had blown out their row of sixteen candles that lined each side.
Now all the attendants moved to spread blankets and lawn chairs across the town square. Will and Luke wheeled out the giant white board, locating it in front of the diner and Mike scrambled nimbly up on top of the gazebo- over Taylor's outraged protests that if he were to fall, the town would not be held responsible- to place the projector at it's apex. With some minor adjustments to align it with the screen, finally there were those gleaming red lips up on the screen.
Will came to sit beside Vicky on the other of the two easy chairs that they had placed in the gazebo to maximize their viewing pleasure. Mike waited until they were settled before cueing the movie with the remote control he held and then darting off, presumably to find his family and sit with them. Their parents had settled down off to the side near the diner in a bean bag chair brought from the house just for the occasion. Rory and Logan were seated on the gazebo steps with a giant bucket of popcorn and Lila located between them, each at the ready to eat the first and cover the eyes and ears of the second during more risqué parts of the movie, which Lila had agreed to rather than being left in bed in the upstairs section of the diner with her brother and sister. Luke and Lorelei were also keeping an ear on Richard and Leigh, who had been fast asleep by seven.
Vicky grinned with the pleasure of being surrounded by her friends and family. All of her Chilton friends were there, with the exception of one or two who were on vacation. Of course, her Stars Hollow friends were there too. All of her honorary cousins were there- Davy and Martha and Aunt Lane's kids. She was bursting with the love she felt for everyone around her. Especially the person right next to her. She reached out a hand towards Will.
He managed to tear his eyes away from the wedding scene to look over. "Hey."
"Hey," she whispered back.
He smiled and she knew he was feeling the same way she was. "I'm sorry."
"I am too."
"I talked to Rory during dinner. I was being stupid."
"It doesn't happen very often," she conceded, "I can see how it would have confused you."
"Maybe it doesn't happen very often, but I was still an ass. Rory slapped some sense into me."
Vicky let out a muted giggle. "Good, then I won't have to."
"You can if you want," Will graciously conceded.
She considered this. "Nah, not worth my time. You've learned your lesson." She paused. "You might want to forgive Mike for whatever asinine thing he said while you're in this warm and fuzzy mood."
Will gave her a strange look. "What makes you think Mike said something asinine?"
"I know you. You got even grumpier earlier when I mentioned his name earlier. Something happened." Vicky raised her eyebrows in emphasis.
"Yeah, something happened. I said something asinine to him." Will was remarkably affable in fessing up to his own error.
Vicky considered this. "Oh."
"Yeah, oh. Anyway, I'll deal with him after the movie."
"Okay." They both refocused on the screen.
The movie continued without incident until the birth of Rocky. Just as he was to emerge, the movie suddenly froze. Quickly, the audience began to murmur, the noise building to a dull roar. Vick looked over to Will. "Where's Mike? He's the one who set this all up."
Will was already scanning the crowd for his friend's blonde head. 'I don't see him anywhere… not with his family, not with the SHHS crowd…"
"Oh my god," whispered Vicky.
"What?" Will asked, his eyes still trained on the sea of heads before him.
"I think I found Mike," she replied, the shock evident in her voice.
"Where?" Will wondered, still not looking up.
"Up there." She said, and he followed her pointing finger, only to find… His best friend trussed up as Rocky Horror.
"Oh my."
After his dramatic entrance, Mike had cued the movie up again. But it was soon apparent that he intended to reprise the role of Rocky, having muted out all of Rocky's lines to allow him to deliver them himself.
By the time the final credits rolled, the twins were still in shock.
"I don't know what to say." Vicky uttered, shell-shocked.
"Neither do I," admitted Will.
"Then it's a Danes first," replied Mike, who had made his way over to the gazebo, still in costume.
Both twins looked at him as if he were an alien being.
"I didn't know you could sing," admitted Will.
"I didn't know you could act," chimed Vicky.
"I didn't know you were completely insane," finished Logan. Lila had fallen asleep on his lap half way though the movie, so he hadn't moved from his place on the steps. "But good show, my man. Reminds me of something I might have done back in my wilder days, now long gone by."
Beside him, Rory snorted. Logan continued, "Okay, those wilder days not all that long gone by. Anyway, Will can I get some help getting our stuff up to the Diner?" Logan lifted Lila a bit to show exactly why he needed the help.
"Sure," Will replied, gathering up the blankets the group had been sitting on, along with the remnants of their snack food, before following Rory, Logan and Lila towards the diner. This left Vicky and Mike alone on the gazebo. She gestured for him to sit and he took his place on Will's chair. Both watched silently as the crowd dissipated towards their homes. Vicky had distantly expected Will to come back, but he hadn't reappeared. They were virtually alone and she felt inexplicably nervous.
"So, Victoria, have you had a nice birthday so far?"
She cut him a sharp look, since he usually only used her full name when he was teasing her, but he appeared to be in earnest.
"Yes, its been wonderful. Thanks for all the work you did with the techie stuff."
"You're welcome. So, good day?"
"Yeah." She was still suspicious.
"But it could be improved upon?"
She wasn't sure where he was going with this at all. "I suppose it could, but I don't see how."
"Well, I haven't given you my present yet." There was a grin lurking around the corners of his mouth and she wasn't sure if she quite liked it.
"But all the work you did for the party… I don't expect anything else."
"That was my present for Will, the mastermind. I haven't given you your present yet."
"Oh. And what's my present?" He didn't respond out loud, he simply stood and gestured for her to stand and take his hand, as if he were going to lead her somewhere.
She followed his lead and when she stood, she found herself suddenly very close to him. She was beginning to feel a bit dizzy. He hadn't let go of her hand, in fact he gripped it tighter.
"Are you sure you want your present Vicky?" Had he gotten even closer to her? She ought to know what was going on, but she was so very dizzy. She could only manage to nod in response to his query.
"Good," he stated, and his lips connected with hers.
P.S. A/N: This is the end of this story. The sequel, Fallout Girl is in progress as is the second sequel, Put on Your Dancing Shoes (a very tentative title). I like the twins, I'm sticking with them.