Aspirin

Rating: K

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. I just enjoy writing about them.

This story is based off of a prompt given to me by the fabulous Java at OLC. (OLC, the place you want to be! Sorry, shameless plug)

"A chance meeting with Chris in Hartford leaves him really upset... she had obviously moved on."

And I was more than willing to accept this challenge, because, in case you didn't know, Sophie's the name, and torturing/despising Christopher is my game!

A special shoutout goes to STELLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAA!! on her birthday! Okay, a little after you're birthday, but still! You're so much better than Raymond!

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He had gone in to buy Aspirin. That was all. Go in, grab bottle, pay, get out. Easy enough, right? Never in a million years had he expected to run into them. But there they were, standing right in front of check-out. Luke Danes and Lorelai Gilmore. Or was it Danes now? He vaguely recalled receiving an invitation to their wedding, but he hadn't gone. It would've been too hard to see her promise herself to someone else. He considered going up to them, but instead hung back a few feet away.

"I don't want to wait, Luke! Scratch that, I can't wait!" Lorelai insisted. She was as beautiful and vibrant as ever. Luke shook his head.

"Lorelai, in case you didn't notice, we are in a drug store! You do not do these kinds of things in a drug store! Normal couples go home, take it, obsess about it while they wait," Luke told her. Lorelai looked at him blankly.

"When have we ever even pretended a normal couple? Besides, if we take it here, we won't have to wait as long! Don't you want to know?"

"Of course I want to know! But are you seriously telling me that you can't wait the thirty minutes it would take to get back to Star's Hollow?" Lorelai gave him an incredulous look. "Right. Stupid question. Well..." Lorelai grinned. A grin that Christopher knew well. That was Lorelai's 'I'm about to get my way, just like I knew I would' grin. "Are you sure you can't wait?" Lorelai shook her head, and grabbed something off the front counter, walking off.

Luke spent the next couple of minutes alternating between pacing and leaning against the counter anxiously. Every few seconds, he would toss a glance in the direction Lorelai had walked off into. Christopher couldn't help but wonder what was making him so nervous. And Lorelai so excited. So he continued to observe.

A thought hit him. This couldn't be considered stalking, could it? He planned to go up and say something eventually... It wasn't stalking, it was just waiting for the proper time. Out of the corner of his eye, Christopher saw Luke's head jerk up. Christopher followed Luke's gaze, seeing Lorelai returning. She had a somber look on her face, and Luke's shoulder's dropped. Lorelai sighed and walked up to him, putting her hand lightly on his shoulder. Luke looked disappointed, and again Christopher wondered what was going on. Lorelai leaned closely to Luke's ear, and said something too quietly for Christopher to hear. Suddenly, Luke's face brightened.

"Really?" he exclaimed. Lorelai beamed and nodded.

"We did it, Babe. We did it!" Luke pulled her close to him, and kissed her. Christopher winced. Not just because the scene before him broke his heart, but because he finally understood what the scene actually was. He took a deep breath and walked forward.

"Lor?" he asked, pretending to be surprised as he walked upon the celebrating couple. Lorelai looked up at him, her eyes widening in shock.

"Chris?"

"Hey." Luke had turned to him now, not looking nearly as happy as he had before Christopher walked up. Lorelai, however, was still beaming. "What are you doing here?" Christopher pointed behind him.

"I needed Aspirin. Headache." He answered. Lorelai nodded.

"Ah, the joys of parenthood?" Lorelai asked.

"More like the joys of living with my mother. She can be a pain sometimes." Lorelai snorted. "Okay, most of the time. But she's been a big help with Gigi. Um, what brings you all the way to Hartford? I seem to remember there being a grocery store in Star's Hollow." He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the answer. Lorelai's smile, if possible, grew larger.

"Well... this was something that we couldn't get in Star's Hollow..." she said. "Patty and Babette would have had a field day..."

"Oh?" Lorelai nodded.

"Yep." Lorelai glanced at Luke questioningly. After glaring at Christopher for a moment, he nodded. "A pregnancy test..." she said, smiling. "Which just happened to be positive. I'm pregnant!" She looked to Christopher expectantly.

"That's... great, Lor. I'm really happy for you," he lied. He wished he could be happy for her, he really did. Lorelai was one of his closest and oldest friends. He honestly wished he was selfless enough to just want her to be happy... but he wasn't.

"Thanks, Chris! And you know what, you're the first one we've told!" She laughed. "You should consider yourself in the loop, my friend." Lorelai grinned at him, and Christopher realized he was supposed to be happy about this fact.

"Oh, wow. I'm honored." Lorelai smiled. Christopher sighed. He had to get out of here. "Um... I should..." he gestured to the door. "Gigi... "

"Of course," Lorelai said. "It was great seeing you, Chris." Christopher turned to Luke, figuring it would be rude to not at least congratulate him on his impending fatherhood. Luke seemed to be trying to keep a blank expression, but there was a cocky gleam in his eyes. He had won, and he knew it.

"Christopher," Luke said, sticking his hand out

He had won.

"Congratulations, Luke," Christopher said. "On the baby... on everything." He shook Luke's hand. "Bye Lor." And with that, Christopher Hayden turned and left the store, not even bothering to get what he had come in for. After all, she had moved on, and no amount of Aspirin could ever stop the pain that caused.

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There you have it. Happy belated Birthday, Stella! Love you! And Java, thanks for the challenge!