Lucky Number Four
A/N: Okay, so, first Gilmore Girls fic and I do realize that it is rather corny, but I thought it was cute…Blame it on too many ABC family movies. grin Based on the fact that Luke will be number four on Lor's list of boyfriends after Chris, Max, and Alex. Correct me if I'm wrong, please.
Also, I need a beta for this fic! If you're interested, review with your email addy or email me. Thankies!
Setting: Mid to Late Season 3-ish, after Max, before Jason; after Rachel, before Nichole; Rory's dating Jess and Lorelai's dating Alex, sorta. The timing is a little funny, so for the purpose of the fic, it's still summer and the Sherry/Gigi/Chris/Balcony thing didn't happen. Just go with the flow, kay?
Disclaimer: If I owned it, I seriously wouldn't be writing fan fiction, now would I? Although, I wouldn't mind owning Luke or Jess…grin (Lorelai: Dirty!) Hehe…
Chapter One: Caffeine with a Side of Guilt
It all started with a simple request, a guilt trip, and a lot of caffeine.
"Lukey!" called Lorelai in a high, sing-song voice, plopping down at her usual spot at the counter in Luke's Diner.
"What do you want?" he asked dryly. "And I can't give you coffee if you call me that." But he already had a cup ready and poured her some coffee when she flashed him a broad grin.
"Well…" she began, tapping her fingers on the counter. She paused. "Can I have a Danish?"
Luke raised an eyebrow at her. "It's not Wednesday. I can't. I would be more than happy, however, to substitute a donut in its place," he told her.
When she received it, she didn't eat it right away. After a moment of playing with it, she asked, "How much do you love me?"
"Why?" Luke asked slowly, unsure of an appropriate response.
"How'd you like to go to a wedding with me?"
"What?" Luke just looked at her.
"Well, I sorta have this cousin…" Lorelai trailed off.
"You sorta have a cousin?" Lorelai nodded. "Oh jeeze." He moved down the counter, pouring coffee for a customer, keeping one eye on her.
"It's not bad," Lorelai reassured him. "See, the cousin is getting married. And having a big, fancy, Emily Gilmore-type wedding."
"Uh huh," commented Luke.
"Okay, so, one is expected to bring a date to these sort of functions," Lorelai continued. "And my mother was in her element: 'Oh, Lorelai, the screw up, won't find a date for the wedding; probably have to pay him like a bad Debra Messing movie…'"
"Your mother referred to Debra Messing?" Luke interrupted.
"No, of course not. I may have embellished a little." Lorelai grinned and took a drink of her coffee. "Anyways, so I may have…" she gave a little cough. "Ahem, may have told her that I was seeing someone."
"And let me guess. You aren't seeing anyone, and you don't have a date."
Lorelai nodded meekly.
"And you want me to go to the wedding with you and pretend we're dating just so you can show up your family?" Luke raised an eyebrow at her. "What makes you think I would do something like that?"
"I know, you probably wouldn't want to go, but it would mean a lot to me. And when do I ask you for anything besides coffee anyway? And I…"
"I'll go," Luke interrupted. He turned around behind him to grab the plate that Caesar held out and set it on the table.
"Please consider it. Besides, you know you love me," she continued, unaware that he agreed to go.
"Lorelai, I'll go," said Luke as he poured her more coffee.
"Great! Thank you!" Lorelai grinned and reached over the counter to give him an awkward hug. "Wait," she said after a moment. "Why are you agreeing? I would have thought I'd have to bug you more than this."
Luke just shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't want you to make a fool out of yourself." She beamed. "Anymore than usual anyway."
He awarded her with a smile as she reached over to hit him playfully. "You tease, and yet I know you love me dearly." He just shrugged again. "Admit it, you want to hold me, you want to hug me, you want to…"
"Okay, Gracie," Luke cut her off. "When is this wedding anyway?"
Lorelai ignored his question and instead let out a 'ha' of laughter. "You, big strong Luke who fixes my house and cooks me breakfast, you've actually seen Miss Congeniality? I cannot believe it."
Luke pulled away the empty donut plate, its previous occupant devoured somewhere between the invitation and the Luke-Movie discovery. "No more sugar for you," he told her. She just stared at him. "I do have a sister, you know. And I was dragged on a movie date or two with Rachel." He suddenly got very quiet.
Lorelai frowned. "I'm sorry." Luke just waved it away, busying himself with cleaning a spot off of the counter. "Want some coffee?" She held the cup out to him.
"I've seen the way that stuff affects you, and you have an immunity. Do you really think I would risk it?" Luke pushed the cup back to her.
"But caffeine makes everything better!" Lorelai protested. "Forget candy, coffee makes the world go 'round! A little sip won't hurt you."
"No," Luke said firmly.
"Fine," Lorelai relented. "More for me."
After a pause, during which Luke walked around to the tables, refilling coffee and taking orders and savored a few moments of peace (which he would never admit, but he did enjoy her presence and would gladly let their banter continue all night), he remembered his question. "When is this wedding?" he asked again.
Lorelai drained the rest of her coffee before answering, "Two weeks." She set down her cup and picked up her purse. "I'd better go. Rory and I have a movie marathon to attend. See you later. Dahlin'," she added with a southern twang. She winked and walked out.
"Why do I let myself get talked into these things?" Luke asked out loud to know one in particular.
"I don't know. Maybe you need stronger will power," commented Kirk as he sat down at the counter.
Luke glared at him. "What do you want, Kirk?"
Lorelai pulled into her driveway and walked in the front door, a spring in her step. Take that, Mom, she thought wryly. "Rory, my one and only, where are you?" she called as she tossed her purse onto the couch.
"Kitchen!" Rory called back. Lorelai found her at the table, books spread out and studying. Lorelai grinned at her daughter. "What?" Rory asked her, putting down her pencil.
"I have a date to the wedding in two weeks," Lorelai said, walking over to the fridge and opening it. "Hey, how old is this pizza?"
"Too old, don't risk it. Who's the date?" Rory got up and stood next to her mother in front of the open fridge. "Here, this is good, eat this." She handed her a Styrofoam carton of French fries.
Lorelai hesitated for a moment before answering. She wasn't quite sure how Rory would take it, especially since she seemed to be on the side of the town that Luke had a 'thing' for her. "It's Luke."
Rory stepped back from the fridge. "Really? But didn't you tell Grandma that you were 'seeing someone' as you put it?"
Lorelai just shrugged. "Yeah, so?"
"So you're going to pretend to be involved with Luke?" Lorelai nodded. "And he's okay with this?" She nodded again. "Ookay then. Don't blame me if you guys pull a Debra Messing."
"Hey, that's the reference I used!" She took a bite out of a french fry. "Ooh, these are good. When did we get these?"
Rory paused, thinking about it. "Um…Thursday I think. Yep, Thursday."
"Okay. Ooh, we have to go shopping. What are we wearing to the wedding? Ooh, we should match!" Lorelai set the container on the table.
"We are not going to match," said Rory flatly. "That is wrong on so many levels. Besides, I can't go."
"What? You're tossing me to the sharks? How will I possibly go on without my favorite daughter?"
"Hey, did you know you just answered me in all questions?" Rory pointed out. "And anyways, I have summer assignments to finish, laundry to do and stuff."
Lorelai just stared at her. "You're leaving me with Emily Gilmore so you can do laundry? And you finished those assignments weeks ago!"
Rory just shrugged and Lorelai scowled. "So," she said after a moment, "what's on the agenda for movie night?"
Rory walked into the living room, picking up the movies on the table. "Sandra Bullock night. I thought we'd start with a little Miss Congeniality and then a duo, Speed and Speed Two. Sound good?"
Lorelai just laughed. "You know Luke's seen Miss Congeniality?" She said suddenly.
"Really, now? How did that come up?" Rory picked up the carton of fries and pulled a container of Chinese from the fridge. "Movies are in the other room, grab the m&m's."
Lorelai did as her daughter asked and followed her into the living room. "Well…Since he agreed kinda quickly to go with me, I made some comment about how he loves me and wants to hug me or something like that. Then he called me Gracie." She chose not to mention that he had seen it with Rachel.
Rory turned the TV on and pushed play then sat back on the couch next to Lorelai. "Huh. Definitely not a Luke kind of movie," commented Rory.
"I know. That's what I said." She settled back into the couch after grabbing a fry to munch on.
Halfway though the second movie, Lorelai decided she was bored, and she also had a craving for a hamburger. She threw an m&m at Rory. "I'm bored," she said. "Wanna go get a burger?"
Rory just threw a fry back at her. "I swear you have the attention span of a five year old."
"Yes, well, everybody loves kids, right?"
"Not so much. Should we stop at Doosey's for some Riddlin?"
"Nah, I decided it was easier not to fight my regular meds."
"Good, there's some improvement there then."
"So, burger?"
Rory just rolled her eyes. "As long as you don't interrupt to go anywhere else."
Lorelai grinned. "Thank you, Britain."
"Any time, Hitler."
"Let's go!"
The two walked along the sidewalk next to the road, the light summer wind stirring their hair gently. They chatted back and forth, Rory's arm linked through her mother's. When they reached the diner, Lorelai opened the door and let Rory through with a sweeping bow. "After you, milady," she said as both of them collapsed into giggles.
"Luke, sweetie! Burgers!" called Lorelai, as she plopped down at a seat at the counter. Rory sat down next to her, both still grinning.
The diner was completely empty. Luke stepped out from the kitchen, a dishtowel thrown over a shoulder. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" Luke demanded, his arm crossed.
"Sure," replied Lorelai, checking her watch. "It's ten twenty-six and fifty-seven – fifty-eight – fifty-nine – Darn, now it's ten twenty-seven and two – three – four -- "
"It's almost ten-thirty. It is nearly a half-hour 'til eleven, and you want a burger?" Lorelai nodded. "I will never understand the way you eat."
"And after all these years?" Lorelai gave a little gasp. "Why Luke, I'm shocked!"
Rory nodded in agreement. "It's a vicious cycle. Horrible, but we don't complain."
"Just terrible, but we can't seem to break free of the monotony," Lorelai added, dead-pan.
"We'll have to visit a rehabilitation center to cure us."
"But of course, they won't be able to do a thing."
"Shame. But we'll be a medical mystery."
"Hey, maybe they'll name a disorder or a hospital wing after us!"
"Yeah, a mental wing."
Luke just watched them in amusement, a little worried. "So, coffee and a burger?" Both girls nodded. "Well, I have to go shut off something upstairs because, short of Elijah, I wasn't expecting anyone at ten-thirty." Lorelai just gave him an innocent grin and he disappeared upstairs.
While Luke was gone, Lorelai got up, walked behind the counter, and poured herself and Rory a cup of coffee. She was leaning on the counter across from Rory, sipping her coffee slowly when Luke returned and caught her.
"How many times have I told you, stay on that side of the counter?" He put his hands on her shoulders and steered her back around the counter. For some reason, this sudden touch sent a strange chill down Lorelai's spine.
Ignoring it, Lorelai protested, "But – you – coffee! You forgot to give me coffee! You know how I love my coffee! I'd get it in an IV drip if I could!" She turned around to face him and held out the half-filled cup. "See?"
His hands were on her arms, just below her shoulders, and, even though she was back on the right side of the counter now, he didn't move them. He noted that she didn't move away either. The two suddenly got very quiet. Lorelai looked up into his eyes and was a little surprised at what she saw there.
It was – something so much more than the warmth and affection that was usually there, more than the amusement and tolerance and acceptance of all of her strange quirks. It was almost unreadable, and yet she found herself agreeing with it. People like Babette and Miss Patty were always telling her the same old story, that Luke had a thing for her, it was right there in his eyes. Could that be what she saw? Did he hope for something more in their casual friendship? A better question – did she agree?
She looked over to where Rory was sitting, but all she found was an empty chair. She heard the door close and watched as Rory started for home. She caught Lorelai's eye and winked, grinning.
Lorelai turned back to Luke, speechless for a rare moment. That only lased a moment before her fight or flight instinct took over. "It's getting late," she told Luke. "I should probably go…" Luke dropped his hands to his sides and Lorelai looked away, but not fast enough to miss the flash of disappointment in Luke's eyes.
"Yeah, you're right," he said, walking back behind the counter.
Lorelai turned towards the door, but before she got there, she said, "Hey Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for agreeing to come to the wedding with me."
He just shrugged. "No problem."
She hesitated for a moment before walking back over and kissing him gently on the cheek. "Goodnight."
Luke just froze. "Goodnight," he managed before turning twelve shades of red. Lorelai just smiled at him and flounced out of the diner, her burger craving forgotten.
A/N: R/R please! Next update in one week or twenty reviews, whichever comes first.