Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Gilmore Girls

Rating: PGish

A/N: Just a short fluff piece. None of the California stuff happened. Lit-future.

Story Title: Cherry Flavored Starbursts

"Tell your mom she needs to hurry up."

"Mommy, hurry up."

"Tell your dad that he needs to learn how to be more patient."

"Daddy, Mommy says that you need to be patient." I sigh, and look down at the little girl staring up at me. She blinks innocently, and looks at me curiously. I lean my arms down against the shopping cart, and groan loudly.

"This is taking forever," I moan.

"You're acting like you're two," Rory says simply, keeping her back to me. "We've been here for ten minutes, and you sound as if you're going to die." I look up at her, keeping my head on my arms. I glance at the clock on the wall. It's a Saturday night, and I'm shopping at a grocery store. My how the mighty have fallen.

"I think I might," I warn her, and she turns around. She shakes her head at me, before going back to trying to decide exactly what kind of bagels she wants. Bagels. Shopping for bagels at nine o'clock at night. I don't think anyone would ever dare call us normal.

"Daddy's mad?"

"Daddy's pissed."

"Jess! How many times do I have to tell you, don't say that in front of her. I don't want her to turn into some motorcycle riding, cussing girl," Rory mumbles quietly, trying not to scream it out. I roll my eyes, and Leah tries to copy me. Instead, she ends up looking cross-eyed. She frowns, and tries again. After a minute, I wave my hand in front of her face.

"Hey- don't do that. Your face will stick that way if you're not careful."

"Really?"

"That's not anything to get excited about," I inform her, and she considers this for a minute before nodding. She yawns, and swipes at the long brown hair that's falling in front of her eyes. Rory's now moved on from the bagels to the milk. I sigh, and reaching a hand out, brush the hair out of Leah's eyes. She smiles at me and then twists around from her seat in the shopping cart to see what Rory's doing.

"I'm tired," Leah announces sadly.

"Lay down," Rory says distractedly. She closes her eyes, then opens them again. "How can milk honestly cost this much?" I stare at her for a minute, before turning back to Leah. She lays her head down on my arms, and yawns again. After a moment of having her head trying to push its way permanently into my arm, I slide her out of the cart and onto my hip. I don't think she even notices.

"Rory," I say quietly. "Come on. Lets just go." Rory shakes her head, before putting the milk into the cart. She pushes the cart into the next aisle slowly, and I follow behind her. Leah rests her head against my shoulder. Her breath smells like a cherry Starburst.

"Do we need anything else? I forgot to make a list this week, and I can't remember if Leah has any more of those granola bar things," Rory sighs, pushing her hands through her hair. She looks away for a moment before looking back at Leah and me. Shaking her head, she starts to walk again. "No, she definitely finished them up for lunch today. I'll be right back, I think they're in the next aisle." I watch her walk quickly away, and lean against the wall. Sighing, I grip Leah's leg tighter, pushing my other hand into my pocket.

"Daddy," Leah whispers.

"What?"

"Daddy."

"What, Leah?" I ask more sharply this time. She's silent for a minute, before she starts to talk again.

"Where's Mommy?" I sigh, and glance down at her. She's sucking her thumb. I hold her closer to me, and try to pry the damn thumb out of her mouth.

"Don't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's a bad habit," I answer her. "And your mom will be back here soon." Leah sighs, and wraps her arms around my neck.

"I wanna go home. Mommy said that she would make me chocolate popcorn tonight," she tells me, as if she's telling me a deep, dark secret. "And then she said that we would watch a movie." I smirk.

"I think you'll be asleep by then."

"No I won't!" she says angrily. "I'm staying up all night."

"That's news to me," I say, and she blushes slightly.

"Can I?" she asks. I shrug, and Leah smiles. She looks behind me, and waves. I turn around. Rory's walking towards us, box of granola bars in hand. She stops walking once she reaches us.

"Got 'em," she says brightly. "I think we're all set." I nod, and Rory pushes the cart towards the check out line. Leah squirms in my arms, pushing me away.

"You keep doing that and I'm gonna drop you." She stops almost instantly, but pouts. I lean my forehead down against hers. "What's up with you?"

"Why are you being so mean to me?" she asks, frowning. Rory stops walking for a minute, but then starts again, more slowly. I sigh.

"I'm not being mean to you."

"Yes you are," she insists. "You're being grouchy and mean, and I don't like you." I look down at her. She sniffles slightly, but doesn't say another word.

"I'm sorry," I say awkwardly after a moment. "I'm sorry I was being mean to you."

"Then why were you?" Leah asks, drawing her eyebrows together. She fiddles with a button on my shirt as I try to come up with an answer. If I don't say something soon, she'll start to cry. And if she starts to cry, then Rory will get mad. And it's not the best thing in the world when Rory gets mad at me because of Leah.

"Guess I just had a bad day. I didn't mean for you to start hating me." Leah thinks, and then shakes her head slowly.

"I don't think I hate you."

"Good. Because I don't hate you either." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rory smiling to herself as she places the milk onto the conveyer belt. I glance back down at Leah. She's laid her head back down on my shoulder, and is asleep. I knew she wouldn't be able to stay up all night. I knew it.