Lorelai stood on her front porch stunned. This was Rory. Her baby.
What had she done wrong with her? She watched her daughter's shoulders
wrack with sobs and she wished to comfort her but knew not of how to do it.
What do you say to your daughter who has suddenly become a woman? What do
you say when she has insulted you so much as to call you a slut? Not in
those words, but... Oh, god, thought Lorelai. Luke. Luke was probably waiting
for her back at the inn.
Lorelai hurried down the stairs past her daughter and jogged in the direction of the inn. She would let her daughter handle herself right now. Lorelai could deal with her better later. Right now she had to see Luke. Her mind was racing with what she would say to him when she saw him. She didn't really want to think about it but she really had to. She couldn't leave things the way they were. She reached the porch of the inn and didn't see him there. What room was he staying in again? She thought quickly as she raced up the stairs. Room seven. Lucky seven. Get lucky seven, she thought then mentally slapped herself. She reminded herself of what Rory had said earlier. She had to do this. For the sake of her relationship with Rory if nothing else.
Lorelai stood in front of Luke's door and took a deep breath. She knocked on the door, then looked at the floor waiting in nervous anticipation. As the door opened her stomach turned and she exhaled. She looked up and saw Luke's surprised face.
"Hi," she chirped.
"Lorelai..."
Lorelai swallowed hard. She looked at the floor again and tried to breathe normally. "Luke, we have to talk."
"What is it?"
Lorelai's breathing was ragged from nervous energy, but being as stubborn as she always was she pushed on forward.
"I can't do this," she said.
"Do what?"
"Do this." She waved her hands for emphasis but still Luke didn't comprehend. Lorelai huffed upset that she would have to be even more blatant. She shifted her weight between her feet anxiously dancing in place, then looked Luke squarely in the eye. "I can't date you, Luke."
Luke looked stunned. "Oh..." was all that came from his mouth.
Lorelai stood for a moment, then suddenly realized how it sounded. With a quick intake of breath she continued, "Not forever. Just now. The timing's bad." Her mind ran to Rory. She flinched at the memory of her fight that had occurred only minutes ago. At the accusations. "Something happened tonight. Something that I don't feel I can tell you right now but... I dunno, maybe later." She breathed more normally. "I need you to wait for me. I know you've waited a long time already and I'm sorry it even took this long but the timing's bad and I just need you to wait for me. I'll let you know when I'm ready. And I promise I'll be back. Just..."
"I'll wait," he finished for her. He looked disappointed but knew better than to ask questions.
Lorelai nodded sadly and turned to leave.
"Lorelai!" Luke called after her. She turned her head sharply in surprise. Luke hastened his step and planted his lips firmly on hers. Her breath quickened and she closed her eyes. She inhaled his breath as her mind wavered between the wanting and the warnings of ecstasy. She pulled back slowly with her mind in a rush.
With eyes still closed she spoke. "You're making this leaving thing really hard for me to do."
"That was the intent," he said anxiously.
She took a deep breath and while her heart yearned for one thing, she still said the other. "Wait for me."
Lorelai turned and left the inn.
Lorelai crossed the threshold of her house and drearily looked for Rory; she didn't have to look far. She found her daughter lying sullenly on the couch staring at the television screen which was as blank as her own vacant expression. Lorelai walked up to the edge and stopped herself when she ran into the plush arm of the sofa.
"Hey," she beckoned.
Rory looked up at her mother. For a moment she said nothing purely because she knew not of what to say, but then she spoke up, "Mom, I'm sorry."
"I know sweets." She sighed. "I know."
The bittersweet moment hung in the stagnant air luring tears to flow from the eyes of all present to the scene. Neither spoke but both desperately needed to. Neither was complete without the other, and although both knew this neither was willing to admit the fact at the moment.
With tears caressing her cheek, Lorelai's sweet smile broke sadly across her face. "I'm going to go up to bed." Rory nodded. Lorelai turned to head up the staircase to her bedroom and wiped her face clean of any trace of melancholy.
Rory turned off the lights downstairs and walked to her bedroom. She looked at the sheets on her bed and felt disgusted with herself. She couldn't sleep in that bed tonight. She simply couldn't. It would be too surreal. She turned off her own light and walked barefooted through the dark kitchen and headed up the stairs to her mother's bedroom. She opened the door and peered in.
Lorelai lay wide awake on her bed with her back turned towards the door. Although she hadn't heard her daughter's entry she felt Rory's presence in the room. She lay still and waited for her daughter to speak first.
"Mom?" Rory beckoned.
"Yeah, sweets?"
"Can I sleep in your room tonight? My room just feels so... weird."
Lorelai rolled over onto her back and scooted to one side of the bed leaving plenty of room for Rory. Rory climbed into the bed next to her mother, leaving both to remember the times when Rory was a little girl crawling into mother's bed for comfort after a bad dream. But some times, like now, things were too real to be a bad dream.
Rory laid her head on Lorelai's shoulder and whispered, "Mom?"
"Yeah?"
Rory paused. "Nothing."
Only a couple seconds passed before Rory whispered again, "Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"What happened with Luke?"
Nervously Lorelai replied, "What do you mean?"
Rory lifted her head to look at her mother a little. "I mean this morning you told me that you might be dating Luke but you didn't know. So what happened with Luke? Do you know if you're dating or not?"
Lorelai sighed then looked her daughter square in the eye and said firmly, "No, I'm not dating Luke." Lorelai smiled, but Rory thought she detected disappointment in her mother's voice.
Rory laid her head back down on her mother's shoulder and closed her eyes. "I love you, Mom."
"Love you, too."
Rory soon fell fast asleep but Lorelai lay wide awake with thoughts of nothing but Luke running through her mind. She told herself over and over that she did the right thing deciding to not date Luke. It was for the sake of being a good role model for her daughter. It was for the sake of not being a hypocrite. But mostly it was for the sake of keeping the world as she knew it together in one piece.
Time passed quickly after that for a while. Lorelai had things to do at the inn and Rory had books to read and things to do with Lane. Rory and Lorelai never talked about the opening night at the inn; they simply ignored the subject and lived as though nothing had happened, although it was always on the forefront of their thoughts.
Lorelai went to the diner rarely, and when she did she only went when Rory was with her; she knew that Luke wouldn't make any sort of scene when Rory was present. She constantly kept her guard up around town incase she were to run into Luke, but nothing serious ever happened. For that she was relieved but also saddened; she could no longer talk to Luke if she really wanted to incase it took an awkward turn. Rory also noticed a change in behavior between Luke and Lorelai. She knew that something had happened but said nothing.
One Friday afternoon late in June Lorelai and Rory were sitting on their porch together, bored and without sufficient energy to entertain themselves. Lorelai was ceaselessly trying to find something to end their ennui.
"Oh! I know, how about we make lemonade?" Lorelai asked.
"Do you know how?"
"Well, lemons and water and sugar."
"We don't have any lemons."
"We could buy some," Lorelai suggested.
"We could. But I don't feel like getting up and walking all the way to the store."
Lorelai grunted. "Fine, I'll buy them. I can just ride downtown in my nice air conditioned car." She smiled.
"Do you have any idea where a pitcher is?"
"Um, no."
"Well, that could be a possible problem in the lemonade making scheme."
"Huh. Forgot about that. It's either in the oven or..."
"You have no idea where it is, do you?"
"None whatsoever."
"Have we ever had a pitcher?"
"I think so, although the last time I used it might have been when I washed your hair when you were small enough that I could still bathe you in the sink. It worked really well for rinsing out the shampoo..."
"Better count lemonade out."
"Yeah."
Lorelai racked her brain for more things to do. "Oh! We could have a water fight!"
"Our super soakers broke last year when you tried soaking me with soda. They got all sticky inside and the triggers got stuck."
"Hey, it seemed like a fun idea at the time," Lorelai retorted. She sighed. Suddenly Lorelai got a huge grin on her face and continued, "Oh! How about..."
"No," replied Rory, aware of her mother's grin.
"What? You didn't even hear what I had to say."
"Would it have resulted in you saying 'dirty' at least once?"
"Have you ever expected me to not say it?"
"On a few occasions."
"And you've lived with me for how long? You should know that there is always a possibility of something turning into a 'dirty' moment."
It was now Rory's turn to sigh. "So what is your idea this time?"
"How about we have a movie night? We haven't had one in a really long time. I say we have a John Hughes marathon. Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, and finishing with Ferris Bueller's Day Off. What do you say?"
Rory considered it. "You know, I think it's the first decent idea you've had all day."
"Hey, I've had plenty of decent ideas today, missy! You just haven't been kind enough to take me seriously until now."
Rory laughed as she stood up to go inside. Her mother shortly got up behind her.
"You know," Lorelai continued saucily as she walked inside, "your mother used to be one of the brightest girls in her class. You'd better listen to me, young lady, because all that so called genius running around in your head? Yeah, that came from me."
Rory and Lorelai sat on the couch next to each other both leaning forward with elbows on their knees deeply involved with watching the television screen in front of them. Lorelai's mouth was slightly open as if in awe, but a smile played on her lips as she anticipated what was to happen.
"You know," she said turning her head to Rory, "that is the only reason I would ever want to go back to high school."
"What?" Rory laughed turning to face her mother. "Mom, this is Ferris Bueller's Day Off... I think you must be mistaken."
Lorelai shook her head. "No way. I would totally go back to high school just to skip out and have a day like that." She turned her head back to the television.
"Mom, I can hardly believe that you never did have a day like that."
"Hey, I had you. It's kind of hard to pull of something like that when you're off on maternity leave." She turned her head back to the television and watched for a little bit then said dreamily, "Man, I wish I was Sloane..."
Rory looked over at her mother. "You like Ferris that much?"
Lorelai gasped and looked incredulously at her daughter. "What do you mean that much? He's such a bad boy. And he's intelligent. And he knows how to get what he wants. And he drives nice cars. And he knows how to have fun. I'm in love with Ferris. I mean seriously, if I had been in his high school he would've been your father instead of Chris."
"Mom!" Rory screamed but half laughed.
Lorelai raised an eyebrow and shrugged as she turned her attention back to the television. "Well," she said, "it's the truth."
Lorelai and Rory both relaxed a bit more and said less to one another as the movie progressed. After a while Lorelai began to zone out. Her mind drifted to Luke.
"Hey, Rory?"
"Yeah, Mom?"
"You know Luke?"
"The guy who feeds us and gives us coffee and loves you more than you'll ever realize?"
Lorelai frowned a little at the last part of Rory's question. "Yeah, him."
"Yeah, I know the guy."
"Is he more Ferris or Cameron?"
"Cameron," Rory replied without a beat. "He's quiet. He's reliable. He's a good friend and blows his temper only when it's really necessary to do so." She watched the movie intently. Sloane was in the hot tub with Cameron and Cameron started to smile. "And he has a huge thing for Sloane." Rory looked at her mother out of the corner of her eye and smiled to herself.
Lorelai frowned a little. If she was Sloane and Luke was Cameron... had she always been that way towards him? It was obvious that he liked her, but then she went on parading in front of him with whatever boyfriend it was that she was with halfway oblivious of the attention he paid her. Lorelai furrowed her brow. She really had been like that, hadn't she? Was it her fault, though, that she ignored him when there were so many guys out there that resembled Ferris? Lorelai thought to herself. When was the last time she had liked a guy like Cameron? Maybe she had had enough fun with the dangerous guy... and who knows how much of a bad side Cameron really had anyway?
Lorelai slept fitfully that night. Dreams tormented her throughout her not-so-silent slumber and she twisted in bed trying to fight it off. But she couldn't.
There she sat in the bleachers of the local ballpark, somewhere up in the nose bleed section. She turned her head and there sat Ferris. She looked to her other side and there was Cameron, watching the ball game intently. Suddenly he sat up and cupped his hands around his mouth and screamed, "Swing batter, batter! Sa-wing!" She looked down at the plate and saw none other than Luke preparing to bat. He hit his bat twice on the plate and nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead. The pitcher wound up and threw the ball hard. "Swing batter!" she heard yelled from next to her. And swing he did... and he missed. The ball simply flew too fast. She looked at the meter by the score board. 95 MPH. "Damn," she said to herself, amazed that someone could possibly hurdle an object at that speed without throwing their arm with it. She looked at the pitcher. There was something oddly familiar about that pitcher. Luke prepared himself again to bat. The pitcher wound and threw it even harder than the first time. "Swing batter!" Strike two. Lorelai looked at Luke down below. She felt awful for him. He was trying so hard and doing so poorly! "C'mon, Luke... you can do it," she whispered under her breath. The pitch was thrown and... Luke's swing seemed to go in slow motion. The ball passed over the plate untouched. Luke lay his bat down and sauntered back to the dug out. Lorelai wanted to cry, but Ferris sitting next to her was elated. He took her hand and looked like he just won the game. Lorelai looked down at the pitcher ever so angry that they should strike out Luke. Then she saw the pitcher; who she saw was herself.
She was just about to scream when she woke up in a cold sweat. She sat up and breathed hard trying to make sure that she was really in her own room. The dream frightened her. What the hell could it all mean? She quietly tore herself from her room and stole away downstairs. She opened Rory's door silently and effortlessly and called out Rory's name.
"What?" Rory asked her mother annoyed that she was so rudely awaken.
"Rory, you gotta interpret my dream."
Rory looked at the clock next to her bed. "Mom, it's two in the morning, can't it wait?"
Lorelai shook her head. "Nuh-uh. Gotta do it now." She was quite awake and very determined to have her daughter do this one thing for her regardless what time of day it was currently.
Rory groaned. "Give me the basic details and then I'll decide if I really want to do anything with it. I'm tired and would really like some sleep, but if it's good enough then I'll do it for you I guess."
"Luke was in it." That was all Lorelai had to say in order to get Rory to sit up and pay attention.
"Okay, shoot." Rory looked at her mother awaiting for her to tell her tale.
"Okay, so I'm at this baseball game and Ferris is on one side of me and Cameron is on the other."
"Really..." said Rory, intrigued.
"Yes. And I look down and lo and behold Luke is up to bat. The pitcher throws him a ball at an unbelievable speed and Luke misses. This happens three times and Luke misses every single time. So Luke's out. Ferris is happy about this. Not his favorite team or something. But I'm upset, you know, because it's Luke. He's my friend. The stupid pitcher made Luke get out. But then the pitcher takes off their hat and it's me." Lorelai looked at her daughter with great anticipation.
"And?" Rory asked, expecting more.
"And that's it. I woke up, was freaked out, and came downstairs to tell you. So what is it?"
Rory sat for a little while thinking over the story that she just heard then began to talk. "Well...You were the pitcher and he was the batter, right?"
Lorelai nodded.
"Well, even though my baseball knowledge is quite limited I do believe that even I can get something out of this. Luke has been trying to get up the nerve to be with you for a long time, but he always misses. You've been with three different guys, not including Dad, since he's been enamored with you, or at least obviously so. Three strikes; three guys."
Lorelai raised an eyebrow, extremely confused.
"Mom, you've been with Max, Alex, and Jason since I started Chilton and really that's when all this began. And those are all Ferris type guys. They're outgoing and exciting and witty...and Ferris in your dream was excited when Luke got struck out. He was happy that Luke didn't get anywhere during his turn. And you were kind of upset with him because of that, weren't you? You're just starting to realize all this, though. That you'd like to have Luke succeed. You wanted him to hit that ball."
Lorelai stared at her daughter. "How did a dream about baseball become a story of my love life?" she asked almost incredulously.
Rory laughed. "You just don't want to hear that yet another of your dreams is telling you that you're in love with Luke."
"I'm not in love with Luke."
Rory looked at her mother quizzically.
Lorelai grumbled, "Well, I wasn't pregnant with his twins in this one at least."
Rory yawned. "Goodnight, Mom. Go back to bed. If you have anymore Luke dreams, just tell me in the morning."
"Okay, hun. Love you." Lorelai kissed her daughter on her head and went back upstairs.
Lorelai didn't sleep well the rest of the night. At six in the morning when she gave up on going back to sleep, she went downstairs to make herself coffee. In her pajamas she sleepily paced around the kitchen as the coffee maker slowly made her brew. Halfway through her fifth rotation walking around the kitchen table someone knocked on her front door. She stopped in her tracks. Now alert, she waited for the knocking to come rapping on her door a second time before she did anything about it. Cautiously she walked to the front door.
"Who the hell goes knocking on people's doors at an indecent hour of the day?" she whispered under her breath for no one to hear but herself.
She crept to look out the window to see who was on her porch, and gasped in surprise. She opened the door immediately.
"Christopher!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I haven't seen either you or Rory in a while and Shelly's away on business and I couldn't stand being in the house by myself so I drove out to see you."
Lorelai blinked hard several times.
"So," he continued finally aware of Lorelai's surprise, "is Rory up?"
"Do you know what time it is?"
"Almost seven."
"...in the God forsaken morning!" Lorelai stared at Chris. "Nobody in their right mind who lives in this household wakes up at this hour on a Saturday morning."
"You're up."
"But I'm not in my right mind."
Chris laughed.
Lorelai sighed. "So, you want to come in? I just made some coffee."
"Yeah, just a sec, I got to go get Georgia."
"Who?"
"Georgia." Christopher stared at Lorelai. "Gigi? My daughter?"
"I know who Georgia is," she huffed. "You brought her with you?"
"Well Shelly couldn't take her on a business trip," he said. "Besides, Rory's never seen her sister since the day she was born. I figured I'd make a little family bonding trip out of the ordeal."
Lorelai's mind was reeling. She was going to be forced to see the baby of her daughter's father. Her daughter's sister? No, Rory was an only child. She didn't have a sister. She had no relation to Sherry and her 'green is the new pink' psychotic ways of thinking. Lorelai tried to shake the thoughts from her head.
"Sure, go get Georgia. I'll pour coffee and wake Rory," she said and waved him off.
Lorelai went back to the kitchen, poured two mugs of coffee and set them on the table. She moved about without thinking about what she was doing, but rather only thinking of the uncomfortable situation at hand.
Lorelai knocked softly on Rory's door then peered in. "Rory?" she whispered.
Rory looked up at her mother, clearly wanting to be left alone.
"Honey, you gotta get up."
Rory looked at her clock, then back at her mother. "It hasn't even been five hours since you were last in here; I need more sleep."
"Sorry, babe, gotta get up now."
Rory grunted. "Why?"
"Your dad's here to visit."
"What? Are you serious?" Rory sat up and her face brightened.
"Yeah, and he brought Georgia with him." Lorelai tried in vain to sound happy about it.
"He brought my sister? Where is he?"
As Lorelai prepared to answer, Chris spoke from behind her, "Right here!"
Rory bounded to see her father. She hugged him with enthusiasm and began to talk in a cutsie voice to Georgia who was cradled in the nook of Christopher's left arm. Lorelai moved aside and wanted more than anything to get out of the house. There was only place where she could go.
As soon as Rory and Christopher were sharing coffee at the kitchen table and Lorelai was sure that neither of them would miss her for a short period of time, she stole away to her bedroom to change then made off for the diner.
The bell jingled above her head and she was suddenly aware of where she was. She was in dangerous territory there without Rory, but it was better than being at home with Christopher and his baby. Lorelai sat at a table by the window and gazed at the streets until Luke abruptly sat a large mug of coffee in front of her. She looked up and wordlessly thanked him for the coffee.
Luke walked over to Kirk's table.
"Is there anything else I can get you, Kirk?"
"No, I think that's about it. The bill would be nice."
"Okay, here you go," he dropped the bill on Kirk's table then left.
Lorelai watched Kirk dig through his wallet, then consult the bill over and over. It was the least stressful entertainment she'd had all morning.
"Fudgesocks!" Kirk exclaimed.
Lorelai started with a burst of laughter.
Kirk glared at her. "What?"
"Fudgesocks?" she questioned.
"I like to give exact change but I don't have it here. I'm going to have to break a twenty."
Liz walked over and sat down on the bar stool closest to Lorelai and watched the exchange.
Lorelai laughed. "But fudgesocks??"
"It's an alternative curse word that my girlfriend uses. Of course she replaces 'fudge' with a more common, not-so family friendly expletive that I'm not keen on using."
"An alternative curse word?" she said disbelievingly
"I like to set myself apart from the crowd."
"Well then, Kirk, you do it very well." Lorelai still laughed lightly.
Kirk sat up straight proudly. "Thank you for noticing."
Lorelai smiled and shook her head, now paying attention to the coffee in front of her rather than the oddball across the room.
Liz walked over to Lorelai's table and started talking to her. Lorelai looked up. With a smile Liz said, "That reminded me of the name of a band." Lorelai pushed the chair across from her out with her foot, a silent invitation for Liz to sit with her.
Putting her cup of coffee down after a long sip she asked, "What band?"
"They're called the Mother Folkers."
Lorelai nearly spit her coffee back out. "The who?"
Liz smiled. "The Mother Folkers. 'The most carefully pronounced name in the music industry.' They're a great folk band from Denver made of all women folk singers. I love them."
"Great folk band, huh?" Lorelai raised an eyebrow.
"What, you don't like folk music?"
"Not so much." She shook her head.
"What a shame. It's really fun."
"Well, most things are fun when you enjoy doing them." Lorelai took another sip of her coffee. "Like admiring Johnny Depp. Now that's fun."
"I've never understood the fascination with him."
"You can't be serious."
"I am totally serious."
"Did you see him in Pirates of the Caribbean?"
"Did you see Edward Scissorhands?"
Lorelai sighed and gave up the fight. "So who do you like, then, if Johnny isn't your type?"
Liz smiled a classic Danes family half smile and sighed dreamily, "Alan Rickman."
Lorelai stared at her. "Snape?"
"In all his glory." Liz smiled even more.
She shook her head in defeat. "And you think I have strange taste."
Liz laughed. "Hey, are you coming to the town Stars and Stripes festival on Thursday?"
"For Independence Day?"
"Yeah."
"How did I not know about a town festival?" She looked at her reflection in her coffee. "Man..." Lorelai looked utterly confused. She thought about how involved she must have been in her own life at the inn to not even be aware of a town event. Suddenly she looked up at Liz "But the fourth is on Sunday. Thursday is the first."
"Well, it is Stars Hollow. We have to be at least a little off centered. Otherwise there's no fun in it."
"True, but our festival is being held on Canada Day. Whose independence are we celebrating exactly?"
"Yeah, well. Are you coming?"
Lorelai shrugged. "I don't know why not. I've never missed a Stars Hollow festival, so why start now?"
"Good!"
Lorelai laughed. "You are so the anti-Luke."
Liz smiled. "You know my brother well."
Lorelai smiled sadly and continued to drink her coffee until she finished. She looked into the empty mug and craved more but dared not to ask for it. Surely Luke would come around to fill it up for her. She looked around the diner for Luke and found him nowhere; if she wanted more coffee she would have to get it herself.
Liz watched Lorelai look for her brother. She looked at Lorelai's face intently. She noticed that Lorelai was wearing the earrings that she had given to Luke to give to his wife... or Lorelai. She began to wonder about things that she knew her brother would never tell her. "So," she started, "Miss friend and customer but not the wife, what exactly is it between you and my brother?"
Lorelai looked at Liz startled by the question. She nervously laughed, "I'm the friend and customer. You know that well enough by now don't you?" She tapped on the side of her mug impatiently waiting for more coffee.
"Oh, c'mon, Lorelai. I know my brother. The way you two were together at my wedding was not just a friend and customer thing, at least not for Luke. I mean, hell, I saw him dance with you. Luke doesn't dance. But when you were there with him he danced. There has to be more than just friendly feelings there." She tilted her head slightly to repose her question.
Lorelai sighed. "Well, you know your brother."
Liz nodded happily. "That I do."
The bell over the door rang. Lorelai looked up. Rory, Chris and Georgia entered.
"See, Dad, I told you she'd be here," Rory said smiling as she walked over to Lorelai's table. "If she's not at home on a Saturday morning she's bound to be at Luke's."
Lorelai blushed. Liz laughed across the table.
Upon hearing Liz's laughter Lorelai remembered her presence. "Oh! Liz, you know Rory, and this is her dad, Christopher and his other daughter Georgia. Chris, this is Liz."
"I'd shake hands but mine are a little occupied," laughed Chris as Gigi squirmed in his arms.
Liz chuckled lightly in turn. "Understandable. It's alright."
Lorelai cleared her throat. Directing her attention to Chris and Rory she said, "Why don't you two go sit down at a bigger table and I'll join you in a couple of minutes."
Rory smiled, "Okay, Mom."
When Chris and Rory sat down across the diner Liz spoke again to Lorelai, "I thought you only had one daughter."
"I do. Chris doesn't."
"Ah..." Liz realized the uncomfortable position Lorelai was in.
"Yeah..."
"Well, I'd better let you go then," exclaimed Liz. She nodded her head towards the table where they were expecting Lorelai.
Lorelai nodded and got out of her chair, empty mug in hand. "Nice talking to you, Liz." She waved a little then sauntered over to her daughter. She stood behind the chair not really wanting to sit down and just looked at the "happy family" that she was part of. Stereotypical 21st century family, Lorelai thought to herself.
Rory looked up at her mother. "Hey, you gonna sit down or what?"
Lorelai mock smiled and pulled out the chair and sat down. Chris and Rory continued their energetic conversation as Lorelai zoned out completely. With her empty mug still in front of her she looked around the diner wishing to be somewhere else. Or with someone else. Her eyes surveyed the room looking at everything that was on the walls, through the window into the Soda Shop, at the counter and then... at Luke who was looking at her, disappointedly. He looked hurt, crushed even. Lorelai pouted slightly.
Rory tapped her mother on her arm. "Mom?"
Lorelai turned around suddenly taken out of her trance. "Hm?"
"Did you hear my question?"
"Uh... yes."
"Really," Rory said disbelievingly.
"Yes."
"So what did I ask you?"
"You asked if I thought Kerry was going to beat Bush and honestly, now that Dean's not in the race, I don't really give a damn."
Rory sighed. "I asked if it was alright that dad stayed with us for a while. At least until he has to go home because Shelly's business trip is over."
"Oh. Then I guess I didn't hear your question."
"So your answer is...?"
"Rory, your mom doesn't look too happy about this," Chris butted in.
"No, it's fine it's just that I can't have you in the house right now. It's messy and..." she sighed knowing that a lie wouldn't work. "How about a room at the inn? I know there's one available. The door doesn't always work and I'll have to get Tom to work on it, but it's just easier for me right now to have you there than at my place." Lorelai smiled convincingly.
Chris smiled. "Okay, sounds good."
Lorelai nodded. "Good." Lorelai looked at Chris and then at Georgia and sighed trying to clear her mind. "Why don't you guys go back home. I just need to pay for my coffee."
"Okay, Mom." Rory kissed her mother on her cheek. "See you at home." She bounced out of the diner and Chris followed behind.
Lorelai took a deep breath and walked up to the counter. Luke was nowhere to be seen, however.
"Luuuuke," Lorelai loudly whined.
Caesar called from inside the kitchen, "He went upstairs."
"Thanks Caesar!" she bellowed back.
She quickly went up the stairs to Luke's apartment and knocked. Luke opened the door after several seconds and stood in the doorway stunned. Lorelai's smile broadened.
"Hi!"
"Lorelai," he said quietly in surprise.
"You weren't downstairs so..." Lorelai started, but then Luke cut in.
"When did Rory's dad get here?"
"Oh. That. Chris came in this morning," she said shortly.
Luke breathed hard and looked at the floor, more angry than hurt and shook his head. "Lorelai you told me to wait for you. And I am. And while I'm waiting for you you're off with some other guy and what am I supposed to do here? Feel happy for you?" He ranted.
"Luke, I..."
"No, Lorelai, you don't understand. I'm waiting for you. Again. I've been waiting for years. And then Chris or whatever his name is just shows up. I'm trying to be good. I'm waiting. But you don't even have the decency to not see someone else while I'm waiting. Somehow this feels unfair. How little do you really understand me?"
"Fudgesocks," she whispered under her breath.
"You don't know me at all," Luke huffed and turned around, ready to storm away.
"Luke!" Lorelai yelled.
Luke turned around sharply, his face beating out a brilliant red from anger. "What?" he bellowed.
"I didn't invite him here. He just showed up this morning out of the blue. I didn't ask him to be here and I don't want him to be here, so if you're feeling hurt by this then it's your own damned fault for jumping to conclusions because I didn't do anything." Lorelai stormed out and slammed the door behind her. She hurried down the stairs and was almost out of the diner when she felt her money still in her hand. Angrily she turned around and waited impatiently for someone to serve her at the cash register.
Upstairs Luke stood still for a moment, speechless. He wiped his forehead of the beads of sweat that were pouring down it and exhaled a breath that he hadn't been aware of holding in. Slowly and calmly he opened the door and walked downstairs hoping to not make a spectacle of himself. He looked around the corner and saw Lorelai waiting at the cash register.
"You're still here," he grunted.
"I have to pay for my coffee."
"Keep your money, it's on the house."
"No, Luke. I have to pay for it."
"Don't be stubborn, just go."
Lorelai glared at him for a moment.
"Lorelai..." he warned.
Lorelai looked down and turned around to leave.
"Hey, Lorelai?"
She turned her head to look at him as she reached the door.
"I'm... sorry," Luke said.
Lorelai smiled sadly and nodded as an acceptance of his apology. She slowly opened the door and as the bell jingled above her head she left.
Liz walked over to her brother behind the counter and looked up at him. "You really like her, don't you?"
Luke looked down at her and snorted. He tossed his rag down on the counter and walked away. Liz stood there wondering when her brother would ever mellow down.
By the time Wednesday rolled around Lorelai's life seemed like one jumble of a mess. She hadn't been to the diner at all, Rory was bonding with Georgia, and Chris was still at the inn. Her life had been turned topsy turvy, and she felt miserable.
Lorelai sat at the front desk annoyed with Michel and all the rest of the world around her. She had already spoken to Sookie twice that morning and did not feel she should be bothering her friend once more until lunch had been served at least. She sat with her elbow on the counter and her chin resting glumly in her fist, staring out into the abyss. How she wished for life to go back to the way it was before Rory became a woman and before Chris came out. She wished she could go back to being "just friends" with Luke. Not because she liked Luke better as just a friend; things were just less complicated.
"Lor."
Lorelai snapped out of her stupor. She looked up and saw Chris.
"Hey," she smiled. "How's it going?"
Chris looked at Michel and then quickly readjusted his eyes to Lorelai. "Can we talk?"
"Um, sure," she replied. "Michel, can you cover for me for a bit?"
He sneered at her, "I am not completely incompetent, I think I can handle myself."
"Right. Thanks." She stood up and walked out of the lobby with Chris at her side. "So, what's up?"
"Nothing. Actually, I was wondering how you were doing."
Lorelai stopped walking and looked Chris squarely in the eye. "You took me away from my desk so you could ask me how I'm doing," she said disbelievingly.
"Oh, and you looked really busy over there, too. Sorry I took you away from your work."
"Hey, mister, I was finding a cure for cancer and solving world hunger. That's important stuff I'm toiling over!"
Chris glared at her. "Lorelai, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine."
"Really."
Lorelai laughed, "Yes, I'm fine. I'm fully functional in every way."
"And your tongue never ceases to work, either."
Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Chris..."
"Lor, you haven't been acting like yourself since I've gotten here. You're agitated and nervous and it seems like you can't stand being around me. What's happened?"
Lorelai shook her head. "You're delusional, that's what's happened."
"No, seriously, I need to know."
"Nothing happened, Chris."
"I don't believe you."
"Who would you believe, then? A psychic? I've heard there are fantastic telephone tarot card readers who have great deals for first time users."
"Lorelai, come on."
Lorelai sighed in defeat. "Chris, you just showed up without a call very early one summer morning after not seeing you in more than a year and you bring your baby daughter with you. I was just a little unprepared for all that." She looked at him looking for any sign of understanding. "You know, it's just hard. You brought your daughter with you to meet her sister Rory and while that's very sweet it's just extremely uncomfortable for me after twenty years to see Rory with a sibling. Rory's always been an only child and she's always been my child and Georgia is not my child so how are they sisters? It's just weird, you know. It's weird for me to have you back here, first of all, but it's even weirder with Georgia here, too."
Chris nodded a little. "So my presence is making you uncomfortable."
Lorelai sighed. "Essentially."
Chris began to walk away slowly to the staircase.
"Where are you going?" Lorelai called to him.
"I should be heading back to Boston soon. Shelly comes home on Friday and I should get the apartment cleaned up."
"Okay," said Lorelai.
"I'll stop over at the house and say bye to Rory and then I'll be heading home."
Lorelai walked over to Chris and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You know, Chris, it's always nice seeing you. And Rory should see her sister. Just... call next time, alright?"
Chris nodded. "Sure thing."
"Rory!" cried Lorelai as she stepped in the front door. "Daughter dearest, I need some assistance!"
"Food?" Rory asked from in the kitchen.
"Uh...no..." Lorelai said almost apologetically. "I'm just so weak darlin' I don't think I can make it on my own one step further." She mock fainted.
Rory walked into the foyer and rolled her eyes. "And you were never in drama club because?"
Lorelai looked up. "Because all the hot guys were on debate team?"
Rory snorted. "Figures."
Lorelai glared. "So, missy, anything exciting happen today?"
Rory looked back at her mother as she walked into the kitchen. "Well, Dad came by to say goodbye." Rory sat down at the table and looked her mother in the eye. "It was weird though because I didn't even know he was leaving. It was just all of a sudden. I don't get it. Do you know why he left?"
"Uh..." Lorelai started. "No, I have no idea why he would do such a thing."
"Liar."
"Well, fine, maybe I have some idea," Lorelai dragged out her words dumbly. Rory stared at her mother anticipating an answer. Lorelai looked at her like she had no idea what her daughter was wanting, but then gave in saying, "I might have confessed to him that I was uncomfortable with him being here."
Rory gasped. "What? Why would you do that?"
"Because he asked me if I was uncomfortable with him being here? So I decided that telling him the truth was the best option."
Rory looked at her mother in awe. "Why were you uncomfortable?"
"He didn't call and he brought Georgia with him and... it was just awkward," she shrugged.
Rory stared at her mother hard. "It had nothing to do with Luke?"
Lorelai looked at Rory, shocked. "What?"
"I asked if it had anything to do with Luke."
"Why would it have anything to do with Luke? We're talking about your father here, not Luke."
"You've been acting so weird around Luke lately and since the first day Dad came you haven't been to the diner once. Considering we go over there every single day, your not going over there is acting very weird towards Luke."
"Well thank you, Turtle, but me not going over to the diner does not prove that I killed Mr. Westing!"
"Sam!"
"Alice!" Lorelai huffed and slumped violently in her chair, fixating her stare on a nonexistent horizon somewhere in the living room.
Rory sighed. "Mom, what exactly happened between you and Luke?" As Lorelai opened her mouth to speak Rory added, "And don't say nothing."
Lorelai closed her mouth and pouted.
"Mom, I know that something happened."
Lorelai sat in her chair silently.
"Why won't you say anything?"
"Because you told me I couldn't say that nothing happened."
"Mom."
Lorelai sighed. "He's waiting for me."
Rory was confused. "What?"
"Luke. He's waiting for me."
"Did I miss entry to Platform 9 ¾ or something because I can't manage to get to Hogwarts," Rory pleaded for an answer.
Lorelai sat up and leaned over the table to look at Rory head on. "The night the inn opened something happened." Rory cringed. "Not with you. With me and Luke. Luke..." she hesitated, "Luke kissed me. And then, uh... then I came home and found you. Then I felt like a terrible mother and like a whore and I couldn't go out with Luke."
"I thought you said you two weren't dating," said Rory.
"I ran back to the inn after I found you and told him I couldn't date him. It wouldn't work out, hun. It was one hell of a night, that night between you and me. I just..."
"Mom?"
"Yeah, Rory."
"You should date Luke."
"What?"
"I didn't mean the things I said. I was just being a little irrational. What I said should have no effect on your love life. I know what I said was terrible, but you don't need to protect me anymore. I'm not a little girl."
Lorelai looked at her. "Yeah, I figured that out."
"Good," said Rory. "Good."
The sun was setting on Thursday as Lorelai and Rory headed towards the gazebo for the festival to start.
"So, you're going to stick to the plan?" Rory asked.
"Yep."
"Okay, see you later!" Rory waved and went off to go find Lane.
Lorelai walked around a little until she found who she was looking for. "Hey, Liz!" Lorelai called.
"Lorelai, you made it!" She smiled.
"I told you I'd be here, and lo and behold, I am!" Lorelai laughed giddily. "Hey, do you know where Luke is?"
Liz sighed and rolled her eyes. "At the diner. You know how he is with festivals. Do you want me to get him for you?"
"Oh, no," Lorelai gasped, "don't waste the effort. I'll just go over myself and drag him out of his spiderhole."
Liz smiled. "'Kay, see you later." They waved to one another and Lorelai headed straight for the diner.
Lorelai walked over the threshold and heard the familiar bell over her head jingle merrily as she strolled into the empty, dim-lighted main room of the diner. Luke was scrubbing down the table tops as usual and looked up at the aural notification that someone had entered the vicinity. He looked up to find Lorelai standing before him with a broad smile on her face.
"Hey," he started. "I haven't seen you in a while."
"Yeah, well." She shrugged, all the while with a goofy grin on her face. "It's easier for me to find time without a guest running around."
Luke stopped wiping down tables to talk. "The guy left?"
"Yesterday."
"Why?"
"He had to go back to his wife in Boston," she goaded Luke reminding him of his miserable assumptions that he had made only a few days prior.
"Ah... that."
"Yeah, that." She smiled sweetly as she looked Luke in the eyes, the first physical indication they'd shared in months of being on even friendly terms with one another. "Hey, come out to the festival for me."
"No."
"Oh, c'mon Luke. They're starting fireworks any minute now."
"No."
"Why not?"
"I'm not a huge supporter of even minute acts of town appreciation."
"Well, geez, I hadn't figured that one out yet. Come out just for the fireworks? We don't even have to go all the way over to the middle of town; we can just stand out in front of the diner. But you have to at least stand outside for it. For Independence Day!"
"Independence Day is on Sunday."
"For Canada Day, then! C'mon."
Luke groaned.
Lorelai's wicked half smile crept across her face and a slightly malicious twinkle appeared in her eye, but Luke knew that she was only having fun.
"Just for fireworks, I promise. I will not beg for anything beyond fireworks."
"You swear?"
"On the desperate hope that Farrah Fawcett Charlie's Angels reruns will soon appear nightly on TV Land, I swear I'm only asking for fireworks." Luke hesitated. "C'mon, Luke, nobody's going to be in the diner that you have to take care of while there are fireworks outside."
"Fine..." he submitted.
"Goody!" she squealed flippantly. She ran to the door and held it open for him. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon..." she chanted as a mantra to get Luke outside even faster. As soon as he was out she was on his tail, bouncing behind him.
Luke and Lorelai stood in front of the side windows of the diner side by side looking toward the sky for any signs of the expected light show. Lorelai's eyes glittered with pending excitement and she glowed with the happiness that she found in all the world. She gaily linked her arm in his and tried not to laugh as she anticipated his reaction. Much to her surprise he stood exactly where he was, stolidly and ever the gentleman.
Not wanting to wait any longer for the fireworks to start, she turned herself to face Luke and asked him with a serious look on her face, "How much longer do you think you can wait?"
He looked at her with questioning in his eyes. She challenged his emotions with a daring look of her own and leaned in, first with her hips and then following with her mouth. She gently lay her lips upon his and pushed against him in tender ferocity. She willed his mouth to open and began to incorporate her tongue in the forbidden tango that they had danced for years. She ground her hips slightly and led in the role she knew she had to take for her desires to ever become reality.
Fireworks began to explode behind them and they broke apart, breathless. Both were smiling, but neither were speechless.
"Lorelai, what..." Luke started.
"Luke, you need not wait any longer."
Lorelai hurried down the stairs past her daughter and jogged in the direction of the inn. She would let her daughter handle herself right now. Lorelai could deal with her better later. Right now she had to see Luke. Her mind was racing with what she would say to him when she saw him. She didn't really want to think about it but she really had to. She couldn't leave things the way they were. She reached the porch of the inn and didn't see him there. What room was he staying in again? She thought quickly as she raced up the stairs. Room seven. Lucky seven. Get lucky seven, she thought then mentally slapped herself. She reminded herself of what Rory had said earlier. She had to do this. For the sake of her relationship with Rory if nothing else.
Lorelai stood in front of Luke's door and took a deep breath. She knocked on the door, then looked at the floor waiting in nervous anticipation. As the door opened her stomach turned and she exhaled. She looked up and saw Luke's surprised face.
"Hi," she chirped.
"Lorelai..."
Lorelai swallowed hard. She looked at the floor again and tried to breathe normally. "Luke, we have to talk."
"What is it?"
Lorelai's breathing was ragged from nervous energy, but being as stubborn as she always was she pushed on forward.
"I can't do this," she said.
"Do what?"
"Do this." She waved her hands for emphasis but still Luke didn't comprehend. Lorelai huffed upset that she would have to be even more blatant. She shifted her weight between her feet anxiously dancing in place, then looked Luke squarely in the eye. "I can't date you, Luke."
Luke looked stunned. "Oh..." was all that came from his mouth.
Lorelai stood for a moment, then suddenly realized how it sounded. With a quick intake of breath she continued, "Not forever. Just now. The timing's bad." Her mind ran to Rory. She flinched at the memory of her fight that had occurred only minutes ago. At the accusations. "Something happened tonight. Something that I don't feel I can tell you right now but... I dunno, maybe later." She breathed more normally. "I need you to wait for me. I know you've waited a long time already and I'm sorry it even took this long but the timing's bad and I just need you to wait for me. I'll let you know when I'm ready. And I promise I'll be back. Just..."
"I'll wait," he finished for her. He looked disappointed but knew better than to ask questions.
Lorelai nodded sadly and turned to leave.
"Lorelai!" Luke called after her. She turned her head sharply in surprise. Luke hastened his step and planted his lips firmly on hers. Her breath quickened and she closed her eyes. She inhaled his breath as her mind wavered between the wanting and the warnings of ecstasy. She pulled back slowly with her mind in a rush.
With eyes still closed she spoke. "You're making this leaving thing really hard for me to do."
"That was the intent," he said anxiously.
She took a deep breath and while her heart yearned for one thing, she still said the other. "Wait for me."
Lorelai turned and left the inn.
Lorelai crossed the threshold of her house and drearily looked for Rory; she didn't have to look far. She found her daughter lying sullenly on the couch staring at the television screen which was as blank as her own vacant expression. Lorelai walked up to the edge and stopped herself when she ran into the plush arm of the sofa.
"Hey," she beckoned.
Rory looked up at her mother. For a moment she said nothing purely because she knew not of what to say, but then she spoke up, "Mom, I'm sorry."
"I know sweets." She sighed. "I know."
The bittersweet moment hung in the stagnant air luring tears to flow from the eyes of all present to the scene. Neither spoke but both desperately needed to. Neither was complete without the other, and although both knew this neither was willing to admit the fact at the moment.
With tears caressing her cheek, Lorelai's sweet smile broke sadly across her face. "I'm going to go up to bed." Rory nodded. Lorelai turned to head up the staircase to her bedroom and wiped her face clean of any trace of melancholy.
Rory turned off the lights downstairs and walked to her bedroom. She looked at the sheets on her bed and felt disgusted with herself. She couldn't sleep in that bed tonight. She simply couldn't. It would be too surreal. She turned off her own light and walked barefooted through the dark kitchen and headed up the stairs to her mother's bedroom. She opened the door and peered in.
Lorelai lay wide awake on her bed with her back turned towards the door. Although she hadn't heard her daughter's entry she felt Rory's presence in the room. She lay still and waited for her daughter to speak first.
"Mom?" Rory beckoned.
"Yeah, sweets?"
"Can I sleep in your room tonight? My room just feels so... weird."
Lorelai rolled over onto her back and scooted to one side of the bed leaving plenty of room for Rory. Rory climbed into the bed next to her mother, leaving both to remember the times when Rory was a little girl crawling into mother's bed for comfort after a bad dream. But some times, like now, things were too real to be a bad dream.
Rory laid her head on Lorelai's shoulder and whispered, "Mom?"
"Yeah?"
Rory paused. "Nothing."
Only a couple seconds passed before Rory whispered again, "Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"What happened with Luke?"
Nervously Lorelai replied, "What do you mean?"
Rory lifted her head to look at her mother a little. "I mean this morning you told me that you might be dating Luke but you didn't know. So what happened with Luke? Do you know if you're dating or not?"
Lorelai sighed then looked her daughter square in the eye and said firmly, "No, I'm not dating Luke." Lorelai smiled, but Rory thought she detected disappointment in her mother's voice.
Rory laid her head back down on her mother's shoulder and closed her eyes. "I love you, Mom."
"Love you, too."
Rory soon fell fast asleep but Lorelai lay wide awake with thoughts of nothing but Luke running through her mind. She told herself over and over that she did the right thing deciding to not date Luke. It was for the sake of being a good role model for her daughter. It was for the sake of not being a hypocrite. But mostly it was for the sake of keeping the world as she knew it together in one piece.
Time passed quickly after that for a while. Lorelai had things to do at the inn and Rory had books to read and things to do with Lane. Rory and Lorelai never talked about the opening night at the inn; they simply ignored the subject and lived as though nothing had happened, although it was always on the forefront of their thoughts.
Lorelai went to the diner rarely, and when she did she only went when Rory was with her; she knew that Luke wouldn't make any sort of scene when Rory was present. She constantly kept her guard up around town incase she were to run into Luke, but nothing serious ever happened. For that she was relieved but also saddened; she could no longer talk to Luke if she really wanted to incase it took an awkward turn. Rory also noticed a change in behavior between Luke and Lorelai. She knew that something had happened but said nothing.
One Friday afternoon late in June Lorelai and Rory were sitting on their porch together, bored and without sufficient energy to entertain themselves. Lorelai was ceaselessly trying to find something to end their ennui.
"Oh! I know, how about we make lemonade?" Lorelai asked.
"Do you know how?"
"Well, lemons and water and sugar."
"We don't have any lemons."
"We could buy some," Lorelai suggested.
"We could. But I don't feel like getting up and walking all the way to the store."
Lorelai grunted. "Fine, I'll buy them. I can just ride downtown in my nice air conditioned car." She smiled.
"Do you have any idea where a pitcher is?"
"Um, no."
"Well, that could be a possible problem in the lemonade making scheme."
"Huh. Forgot about that. It's either in the oven or..."
"You have no idea where it is, do you?"
"None whatsoever."
"Have we ever had a pitcher?"
"I think so, although the last time I used it might have been when I washed your hair when you were small enough that I could still bathe you in the sink. It worked really well for rinsing out the shampoo..."
"Better count lemonade out."
"Yeah."
Lorelai racked her brain for more things to do. "Oh! We could have a water fight!"
"Our super soakers broke last year when you tried soaking me with soda. They got all sticky inside and the triggers got stuck."
"Hey, it seemed like a fun idea at the time," Lorelai retorted. She sighed. Suddenly Lorelai got a huge grin on her face and continued, "Oh! How about..."
"No," replied Rory, aware of her mother's grin.
"What? You didn't even hear what I had to say."
"Would it have resulted in you saying 'dirty' at least once?"
"Have you ever expected me to not say it?"
"On a few occasions."
"And you've lived with me for how long? You should know that there is always a possibility of something turning into a 'dirty' moment."
It was now Rory's turn to sigh. "So what is your idea this time?"
"How about we have a movie night? We haven't had one in a really long time. I say we have a John Hughes marathon. Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, and finishing with Ferris Bueller's Day Off. What do you say?"
Rory considered it. "You know, I think it's the first decent idea you've had all day."
"Hey, I've had plenty of decent ideas today, missy! You just haven't been kind enough to take me seriously until now."
Rory laughed as she stood up to go inside. Her mother shortly got up behind her.
"You know," Lorelai continued saucily as she walked inside, "your mother used to be one of the brightest girls in her class. You'd better listen to me, young lady, because all that so called genius running around in your head? Yeah, that came from me."
Rory and Lorelai sat on the couch next to each other both leaning forward with elbows on their knees deeply involved with watching the television screen in front of them. Lorelai's mouth was slightly open as if in awe, but a smile played on her lips as she anticipated what was to happen.
"You know," she said turning her head to Rory, "that is the only reason I would ever want to go back to high school."
"What?" Rory laughed turning to face her mother. "Mom, this is Ferris Bueller's Day Off... I think you must be mistaken."
Lorelai shook her head. "No way. I would totally go back to high school just to skip out and have a day like that." She turned her head back to the television.
"Mom, I can hardly believe that you never did have a day like that."
"Hey, I had you. It's kind of hard to pull of something like that when you're off on maternity leave." She turned her head back to the television and watched for a little bit then said dreamily, "Man, I wish I was Sloane..."
Rory looked over at her mother. "You like Ferris that much?"
Lorelai gasped and looked incredulously at her daughter. "What do you mean that much? He's such a bad boy. And he's intelligent. And he knows how to get what he wants. And he drives nice cars. And he knows how to have fun. I'm in love with Ferris. I mean seriously, if I had been in his high school he would've been your father instead of Chris."
"Mom!" Rory screamed but half laughed.
Lorelai raised an eyebrow and shrugged as she turned her attention back to the television. "Well," she said, "it's the truth."
Lorelai and Rory both relaxed a bit more and said less to one another as the movie progressed. After a while Lorelai began to zone out. Her mind drifted to Luke.
"Hey, Rory?"
"Yeah, Mom?"
"You know Luke?"
"The guy who feeds us and gives us coffee and loves you more than you'll ever realize?"
Lorelai frowned a little at the last part of Rory's question. "Yeah, him."
"Yeah, I know the guy."
"Is he more Ferris or Cameron?"
"Cameron," Rory replied without a beat. "He's quiet. He's reliable. He's a good friend and blows his temper only when it's really necessary to do so." She watched the movie intently. Sloane was in the hot tub with Cameron and Cameron started to smile. "And he has a huge thing for Sloane." Rory looked at her mother out of the corner of her eye and smiled to herself.
Lorelai frowned a little. If she was Sloane and Luke was Cameron... had she always been that way towards him? It was obvious that he liked her, but then she went on parading in front of him with whatever boyfriend it was that she was with halfway oblivious of the attention he paid her. Lorelai furrowed her brow. She really had been like that, hadn't she? Was it her fault, though, that she ignored him when there were so many guys out there that resembled Ferris? Lorelai thought to herself. When was the last time she had liked a guy like Cameron? Maybe she had had enough fun with the dangerous guy... and who knows how much of a bad side Cameron really had anyway?
Lorelai slept fitfully that night. Dreams tormented her throughout her not-so-silent slumber and she twisted in bed trying to fight it off. But she couldn't.
There she sat in the bleachers of the local ballpark, somewhere up in the nose bleed section. She turned her head and there sat Ferris. She looked to her other side and there was Cameron, watching the ball game intently. Suddenly he sat up and cupped his hands around his mouth and screamed, "Swing batter, batter! Sa-wing!" She looked down at the plate and saw none other than Luke preparing to bat. He hit his bat twice on the plate and nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead. The pitcher wound up and threw the ball hard. "Swing batter!" she heard yelled from next to her. And swing he did... and he missed. The ball simply flew too fast. She looked at the meter by the score board. 95 MPH. "Damn," she said to herself, amazed that someone could possibly hurdle an object at that speed without throwing their arm with it. She looked at the pitcher. There was something oddly familiar about that pitcher. Luke prepared himself again to bat. The pitcher wound and threw it even harder than the first time. "Swing batter!" Strike two. Lorelai looked at Luke down below. She felt awful for him. He was trying so hard and doing so poorly! "C'mon, Luke... you can do it," she whispered under her breath. The pitch was thrown and... Luke's swing seemed to go in slow motion. The ball passed over the plate untouched. Luke lay his bat down and sauntered back to the dug out. Lorelai wanted to cry, but Ferris sitting next to her was elated. He took her hand and looked like he just won the game. Lorelai looked down at the pitcher ever so angry that they should strike out Luke. Then she saw the pitcher; who she saw was herself.
She was just about to scream when she woke up in a cold sweat. She sat up and breathed hard trying to make sure that she was really in her own room. The dream frightened her. What the hell could it all mean? She quietly tore herself from her room and stole away downstairs. She opened Rory's door silently and effortlessly and called out Rory's name.
"What?" Rory asked her mother annoyed that she was so rudely awaken.
"Rory, you gotta interpret my dream."
Rory looked at the clock next to her bed. "Mom, it's two in the morning, can't it wait?"
Lorelai shook her head. "Nuh-uh. Gotta do it now." She was quite awake and very determined to have her daughter do this one thing for her regardless what time of day it was currently.
Rory groaned. "Give me the basic details and then I'll decide if I really want to do anything with it. I'm tired and would really like some sleep, but if it's good enough then I'll do it for you I guess."
"Luke was in it." That was all Lorelai had to say in order to get Rory to sit up and pay attention.
"Okay, shoot." Rory looked at her mother awaiting for her to tell her tale.
"Okay, so I'm at this baseball game and Ferris is on one side of me and Cameron is on the other."
"Really..." said Rory, intrigued.
"Yes. And I look down and lo and behold Luke is up to bat. The pitcher throws him a ball at an unbelievable speed and Luke misses. This happens three times and Luke misses every single time. So Luke's out. Ferris is happy about this. Not his favorite team or something. But I'm upset, you know, because it's Luke. He's my friend. The stupid pitcher made Luke get out. But then the pitcher takes off their hat and it's me." Lorelai looked at her daughter with great anticipation.
"And?" Rory asked, expecting more.
"And that's it. I woke up, was freaked out, and came downstairs to tell you. So what is it?"
Rory sat for a little while thinking over the story that she just heard then began to talk. "Well...You were the pitcher and he was the batter, right?"
Lorelai nodded.
"Well, even though my baseball knowledge is quite limited I do believe that even I can get something out of this. Luke has been trying to get up the nerve to be with you for a long time, but he always misses. You've been with three different guys, not including Dad, since he's been enamored with you, or at least obviously so. Three strikes; three guys."
Lorelai raised an eyebrow, extremely confused.
"Mom, you've been with Max, Alex, and Jason since I started Chilton and really that's when all this began. And those are all Ferris type guys. They're outgoing and exciting and witty...and Ferris in your dream was excited when Luke got struck out. He was happy that Luke didn't get anywhere during his turn. And you were kind of upset with him because of that, weren't you? You're just starting to realize all this, though. That you'd like to have Luke succeed. You wanted him to hit that ball."
Lorelai stared at her daughter. "How did a dream about baseball become a story of my love life?" she asked almost incredulously.
Rory laughed. "You just don't want to hear that yet another of your dreams is telling you that you're in love with Luke."
"I'm not in love with Luke."
Rory looked at her mother quizzically.
Lorelai grumbled, "Well, I wasn't pregnant with his twins in this one at least."
Rory yawned. "Goodnight, Mom. Go back to bed. If you have anymore Luke dreams, just tell me in the morning."
"Okay, hun. Love you." Lorelai kissed her daughter on her head and went back upstairs.
Lorelai didn't sleep well the rest of the night. At six in the morning when she gave up on going back to sleep, she went downstairs to make herself coffee. In her pajamas she sleepily paced around the kitchen as the coffee maker slowly made her brew. Halfway through her fifth rotation walking around the kitchen table someone knocked on her front door. She stopped in her tracks. Now alert, she waited for the knocking to come rapping on her door a second time before she did anything about it. Cautiously she walked to the front door.
"Who the hell goes knocking on people's doors at an indecent hour of the day?" she whispered under her breath for no one to hear but herself.
She crept to look out the window to see who was on her porch, and gasped in surprise. She opened the door immediately.
"Christopher!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I haven't seen either you or Rory in a while and Shelly's away on business and I couldn't stand being in the house by myself so I drove out to see you."
Lorelai blinked hard several times.
"So," he continued finally aware of Lorelai's surprise, "is Rory up?"
"Do you know what time it is?"
"Almost seven."
"...in the God forsaken morning!" Lorelai stared at Chris. "Nobody in their right mind who lives in this household wakes up at this hour on a Saturday morning."
"You're up."
"But I'm not in my right mind."
Chris laughed.
Lorelai sighed. "So, you want to come in? I just made some coffee."
"Yeah, just a sec, I got to go get Georgia."
"Who?"
"Georgia." Christopher stared at Lorelai. "Gigi? My daughter?"
"I know who Georgia is," she huffed. "You brought her with you?"
"Well Shelly couldn't take her on a business trip," he said. "Besides, Rory's never seen her sister since the day she was born. I figured I'd make a little family bonding trip out of the ordeal."
Lorelai's mind was reeling. She was going to be forced to see the baby of her daughter's father. Her daughter's sister? No, Rory was an only child. She didn't have a sister. She had no relation to Sherry and her 'green is the new pink' psychotic ways of thinking. Lorelai tried to shake the thoughts from her head.
"Sure, go get Georgia. I'll pour coffee and wake Rory," she said and waved him off.
Lorelai went back to the kitchen, poured two mugs of coffee and set them on the table. She moved about without thinking about what she was doing, but rather only thinking of the uncomfortable situation at hand.
Lorelai knocked softly on Rory's door then peered in. "Rory?" she whispered.
Rory looked up at her mother, clearly wanting to be left alone.
"Honey, you gotta get up."
Rory looked at her clock, then back at her mother. "It hasn't even been five hours since you were last in here; I need more sleep."
"Sorry, babe, gotta get up now."
Rory grunted. "Why?"
"Your dad's here to visit."
"What? Are you serious?" Rory sat up and her face brightened.
"Yeah, and he brought Georgia with him." Lorelai tried in vain to sound happy about it.
"He brought my sister? Where is he?"
As Lorelai prepared to answer, Chris spoke from behind her, "Right here!"
Rory bounded to see her father. She hugged him with enthusiasm and began to talk in a cutsie voice to Georgia who was cradled in the nook of Christopher's left arm. Lorelai moved aside and wanted more than anything to get out of the house. There was only place where she could go.
As soon as Rory and Christopher were sharing coffee at the kitchen table and Lorelai was sure that neither of them would miss her for a short period of time, she stole away to her bedroom to change then made off for the diner.
The bell jingled above her head and she was suddenly aware of where she was. She was in dangerous territory there without Rory, but it was better than being at home with Christopher and his baby. Lorelai sat at a table by the window and gazed at the streets until Luke abruptly sat a large mug of coffee in front of her. She looked up and wordlessly thanked him for the coffee.
Luke walked over to Kirk's table.
"Is there anything else I can get you, Kirk?"
"No, I think that's about it. The bill would be nice."
"Okay, here you go," he dropped the bill on Kirk's table then left.
Lorelai watched Kirk dig through his wallet, then consult the bill over and over. It was the least stressful entertainment she'd had all morning.
"Fudgesocks!" Kirk exclaimed.
Lorelai started with a burst of laughter.
Kirk glared at her. "What?"
"Fudgesocks?" she questioned.
"I like to give exact change but I don't have it here. I'm going to have to break a twenty."
Liz walked over and sat down on the bar stool closest to Lorelai and watched the exchange.
Lorelai laughed. "But fudgesocks??"
"It's an alternative curse word that my girlfriend uses. Of course she replaces 'fudge' with a more common, not-so family friendly expletive that I'm not keen on using."
"An alternative curse word?" she said disbelievingly
"I like to set myself apart from the crowd."
"Well then, Kirk, you do it very well." Lorelai still laughed lightly.
Kirk sat up straight proudly. "Thank you for noticing."
Lorelai smiled and shook her head, now paying attention to the coffee in front of her rather than the oddball across the room.
Liz walked over to Lorelai's table and started talking to her. Lorelai looked up. With a smile Liz said, "That reminded me of the name of a band." Lorelai pushed the chair across from her out with her foot, a silent invitation for Liz to sit with her.
Putting her cup of coffee down after a long sip she asked, "What band?"
"They're called the Mother Folkers."
Lorelai nearly spit her coffee back out. "The who?"
Liz smiled. "The Mother Folkers. 'The most carefully pronounced name in the music industry.' They're a great folk band from Denver made of all women folk singers. I love them."
"Great folk band, huh?" Lorelai raised an eyebrow.
"What, you don't like folk music?"
"Not so much." She shook her head.
"What a shame. It's really fun."
"Well, most things are fun when you enjoy doing them." Lorelai took another sip of her coffee. "Like admiring Johnny Depp. Now that's fun."
"I've never understood the fascination with him."
"You can't be serious."
"I am totally serious."
"Did you see him in Pirates of the Caribbean?"
"Did you see Edward Scissorhands?"
Lorelai sighed and gave up the fight. "So who do you like, then, if Johnny isn't your type?"
Liz smiled a classic Danes family half smile and sighed dreamily, "Alan Rickman."
Lorelai stared at her. "Snape?"
"In all his glory." Liz smiled even more.
She shook her head in defeat. "And you think I have strange taste."
Liz laughed. "Hey, are you coming to the town Stars and Stripes festival on Thursday?"
"For Independence Day?"
"Yeah."
"How did I not know about a town festival?" She looked at her reflection in her coffee. "Man..." Lorelai looked utterly confused. She thought about how involved she must have been in her own life at the inn to not even be aware of a town event. Suddenly she looked up at Liz "But the fourth is on Sunday. Thursday is the first."
"Well, it is Stars Hollow. We have to be at least a little off centered. Otherwise there's no fun in it."
"True, but our festival is being held on Canada Day. Whose independence are we celebrating exactly?"
"Yeah, well. Are you coming?"
Lorelai shrugged. "I don't know why not. I've never missed a Stars Hollow festival, so why start now?"
"Good!"
Lorelai laughed. "You are so the anti-Luke."
Liz smiled. "You know my brother well."
Lorelai smiled sadly and continued to drink her coffee until she finished. She looked into the empty mug and craved more but dared not to ask for it. Surely Luke would come around to fill it up for her. She looked around the diner for Luke and found him nowhere; if she wanted more coffee she would have to get it herself.
Liz watched Lorelai look for her brother. She looked at Lorelai's face intently. She noticed that Lorelai was wearing the earrings that she had given to Luke to give to his wife... or Lorelai. She began to wonder about things that she knew her brother would never tell her. "So," she started, "Miss friend and customer but not the wife, what exactly is it between you and my brother?"
Lorelai looked at Liz startled by the question. She nervously laughed, "I'm the friend and customer. You know that well enough by now don't you?" She tapped on the side of her mug impatiently waiting for more coffee.
"Oh, c'mon, Lorelai. I know my brother. The way you two were together at my wedding was not just a friend and customer thing, at least not for Luke. I mean, hell, I saw him dance with you. Luke doesn't dance. But when you were there with him he danced. There has to be more than just friendly feelings there." She tilted her head slightly to repose her question.
Lorelai sighed. "Well, you know your brother."
Liz nodded happily. "That I do."
The bell over the door rang. Lorelai looked up. Rory, Chris and Georgia entered.
"See, Dad, I told you she'd be here," Rory said smiling as she walked over to Lorelai's table. "If she's not at home on a Saturday morning she's bound to be at Luke's."
Lorelai blushed. Liz laughed across the table.
Upon hearing Liz's laughter Lorelai remembered her presence. "Oh! Liz, you know Rory, and this is her dad, Christopher and his other daughter Georgia. Chris, this is Liz."
"I'd shake hands but mine are a little occupied," laughed Chris as Gigi squirmed in his arms.
Liz chuckled lightly in turn. "Understandable. It's alright."
Lorelai cleared her throat. Directing her attention to Chris and Rory she said, "Why don't you two go sit down at a bigger table and I'll join you in a couple of minutes."
Rory smiled, "Okay, Mom."
When Chris and Rory sat down across the diner Liz spoke again to Lorelai, "I thought you only had one daughter."
"I do. Chris doesn't."
"Ah..." Liz realized the uncomfortable position Lorelai was in.
"Yeah..."
"Well, I'd better let you go then," exclaimed Liz. She nodded her head towards the table where they were expecting Lorelai.
Lorelai nodded and got out of her chair, empty mug in hand. "Nice talking to you, Liz." She waved a little then sauntered over to her daughter. She stood behind the chair not really wanting to sit down and just looked at the "happy family" that she was part of. Stereotypical 21st century family, Lorelai thought to herself.
Rory looked up at her mother. "Hey, you gonna sit down or what?"
Lorelai mock smiled and pulled out the chair and sat down. Chris and Rory continued their energetic conversation as Lorelai zoned out completely. With her empty mug still in front of her she looked around the diner wishing to be somewhere else. Or with someone else. Her eyes surveyed the room looking at everything that was on the walls, through the window into the Soda Shop, at the counter and then... at Luke who was looking at her, disappointedly. He looked hurt, crushed even. Lorelai pouted slightly.
Rory tapped her mother on her arm. "Mom?"
Lorelai turned around suddenly taken out of her trance. "Hm?"
"Did you hear my question?"
"Uh... yes."
"Really," Rory said disbelievingly.
"Yes."
"So what did I ask you?"
"You asked if I thought Kerry was going to beat Bush and honestly, now that Dean's not in the race, I don't really give a damn."
Rory sighed. "I asked if it was alright that dad stayed with us for a while. At least until he has to go home because Shelly's business trip is over."
"Oh. Then I guess I didn't hear your question."
"So your answer is...?"
"Rory, your mom doesn't look too happy about this," Chris butted in.
"No, it's fine it's just that I can't have you in the house right now. It's messy and..." she sighed knowing that a lie wouldn't work. "How about a room at the inn? I know there's one available. The door doesn't always work and I'll have to get Tom to work on it, but it's just easier for me right now to have you there than at my place." Lorelai smiled convincingly.
Chris smiled. "Okay, sounds good."
Lorelai nodded. "Good." Lorelai looked at Chris and then at Georgia and sighed trying to clear her mind. "Why don't you guys go back home. I just need to pay for my coffee."
"Okay, Mom." Rory kissed her mother on her cheek. "See you at home." She bounced out of the diner and Chris followed behind.
Lorelai took a deep breath and walked up to the counter. Luke was nowhere to be seen, however.
"Luuuuke," Lorelai loudly whined.
Caesar called from inside the kitchen, "He went upstairs."
"Thanks Caesar!" she bellowed back.
She quickly went up the stairs to Luke's apartment and knocked. Luke opened the door after several seconds and stood in the doorway stunned. Lorelai's smile broadened.
"Hi!"
"Lorelai," he said quietly in surprise.
"You weren't downstairs so..." Lorelai started, but then Luke cut in.
"When did Rory's dad get here?"
"Oh. That. Chris came in this morning," she said shortly.
Luke breathed hard and looked at the floor, more angry than hurt and shook his head. "Lorelai you told me to wait for you. And I am. And while I'm waiting for you you're off with some other guy and what am I supposed to do here? Feel happy for you?" He ranted.
"Luke, I..."
"No, Lorelai, you don't understand. I'm waiting for you. Again. I've been waiting for years. And then Chris or whatever his name is just shows up. I'm trying to be good. I'm waiting. But you don't even have the decency to not see someone else while I'm waiting. Somehow this feels unfair. How little do you really understand me?"
"Fudgesocks," she whispered under her breath.
"You don't know me at all," Luke huffed and turned around, ready to storm away.
"Luke!" Lorelai yelled.
Luke turned around sharply, his face beating out a brilliant red from anger. "What?" he bellowed.
"I didn't invite him here. He just showed up this morning out of the blue. I didn't ask him to be here and I don't want him to be here, so if you're feeling hurt by this then it's your own damned fault for jumping to conclusions because I didn't do anything." Lorelai stormed out and slammed the door behind her. She hurried down the stairs and was almost out of the diner when she felt her money still in her hand. Angrily she turned around and waited impatiently for someone to serve her at the cash register.
Upstairs Luke stood still for a moment, speechless. He wiped his forehead of the beads of sweat that were pouring down it and exhaled a breath that he hadn't been aware of holding in. Slowly and calmly he opened the door and walked downstairs hoping to not make a spectacle of himself. He looked around the corner and saw Lorelai waiting at the cash register.
"You're still here," he grunted.
"I have to pay for my coffee."
"Keep your money, it's on the house."
"No, Luke. I have to pay for it."
"Don't be stubborn, just go."
Lorelai glared at him for a moment.
"Lorelai..." he warned.
Lorelai looked down and turned around to leave.
"Hey, Lorelai?"
She turned her head to look at him as she reached the door.
"I'm... sorry," Luke said.
Lorelai smiled sadly and nodded as an acceptance of his apology. She slowly opened the door and as the bell jingled above her head she left.
Liz walked over to her brother behind the counter and looked up at him. "You really like her, don't you?"
Luke looked down at her and snorted. He tossed his rag down on the counter and walked away. Liz stood there wondering when her brother would ever mellow down.
By the time Wednesday rolled around Lorelai's life seemed like one jumble of a mess. She hadn't been to the diner at all, Rory was bonding with Georgia, and Chris was still at the inn. Her life had been turned topsy turvy, and she felt miserable.
Lorelai sat at the front desk annoyed with Michel and all the rest of the world around her. She had already spoken to Sookie twice that morning and did not feel she should be bothering her friend once more until lunch had been served at least. She sat with her elbow on the counter and her chin resting glumly in her fist, staring out into the abyss. How she wished for life to go back to the way it was before Rory became a woman and before Chris came out. She wished she could go back to being "just friends" with Luke. Not because she liked Luke better as just a friend; things were just less complicated.
"Lor."
Lorelai snapped out of her stupor. She looked up and saw Chris.
"Hey," she smiled. "How's it going?"
Chris looked at Michel and then quickly readjusted his eyes to Lorelai. "Can we talk?"
"Um, sure," she replied. "Michel, can you cover for me for a bit?"
He sneered at her, "I am not completely incompetent, I think I can handle myself."
"Right. Thanks." She stood up and walked out of the lobby with Chris at her side. "So, what's up?"
"Nothing. Actually, I was wondering how you were doing."
Lorelai stopped walking and looked Chris squarely in the eye. "You took me away from my desk so you could ask me how I'm doing," she said disbelievingly.
"Oh, and you looked really busy over there, too. Sorry I took you away from your work."
"Hey, mister, I was finding a cure for cancer and solving world hunger. That's important stuff I'm toiling over!"
Chris glared at her. "Lorelai, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine."
"Really."
Lorelai laughed, "Yes, I'm fine. I'm fully functional in every way."
"And your tongue never ceases to work, either."
Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Chris..."
"Lor, you haven't been acting like yourself since I've gotten here. You're agitated and nervous and it seems like you can't stand being around me. What's happened?"
Lorelai shook her head. "You're delusional, that's what's happened."
"No, seriously, I need to know."
"Nothing happened, Chris."
"I don't believe you."
"Who would you believe, then? A psychic? I've heard there are fantastic telephone tarot card readers who have great deals for first time users."
"Lorelai, come on."
Lorelai sighed in defeat. "Chris, you just showed up without a call very early one summer morning after not seeing you in more than a year and you bring your baby daughter with you. I was just a little unprepared for all that." She looked at him looking for any sign of understanding. "You know, it's just hard. You brought your daughter with you to meet her sister Rory and while that's very sweet it's just extremely uncomfortable for me after twenty years to see Rory with a sibling. Rory's always been an only child and she's always been my child and Georgia is not my child so how are they sisters? It's just weird, you know. It's weird for me to have you back here, first of all, but it's even weirder with Georgia here, too."
Chris nodded a little. "So my presence is making you uncomfortable."
Lorelai sighed. "Essentially."
Chris began to walk away slowly to the staircase.
"Where are you going?" Lorelai called to him.
"I should be heading back to Boston soon. Shelly comes home on Friday and I should get the apartment cleaned up."
"Okay," said Lorelai.
"I'll stop over at the house and say bye to Rory and then I'll be heading home."
Lorelai walked over to Chris and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You know, Chris, it's always nice seeing you. And Rory should see her sister. Just... call next time, alright?"
Chris nodded. "Sure thing."
"Rory!" cried Lorelai as she stepped in the front door. "Daughter dearest, I need some assistance!"
"Food?" Rory asked from in the kitchen.
"Uh...no..." Lorelai said almost apologetically. "I'm just so weak darlin' I don't think I can make it on my own one step further." She mock fainted.
Rory walked into the foyer and rolled her eyes. "And you were never in drama club because?"
Lorelai looked up. "Because all the hot guys were on debate team?"
Rory snorted. "Figures."
Lorelai glared. "So, missy, anything exciting happen today?"
Rory looked back at her mother as she walked into the kitchen. "Well, Dad came by to say goodbye." Rory sat down at the table and looked her mother in the eye. "It was weird though because I didn't even know he was leaving. It was just all of a sudden. I don't get it. Do you know why he left?"
"Uh..." Lorelai started. "No, I have no idea why he would do such a thing."
"Liar."
"Well, fine, maybe I have some idea," Lorelai dragged out her words dumbly. Rory stared at her mother anticipating an answer. Lorelai looked at her like she had no idea what her daughter was wanting, but then gave in saying, "I might have confessed to him that I was uncomfortable with him being here."
Rory gasped. "What? Why would you do that?"
"Because he asked me if I was uncomfortable with him being here? So I decided that telling him the truth was the best option."
Rory looked at her mother in awe. "Why were you uncomfortable?"
"He didn't call and he brought Georgia with him and... it was just awkward," she shrugged.
Rory stared at her mother hard. "It had nothing to do with Luke?"
Lorelai looked at Rory, shocked. "What?"
"I asked if it had anything to do with Luke."
"Why would it have anything to do with Luke? We're talking about your father here, not Luke."
"You've been acting so weird around Luke lately and since the first day Dad came you haven't been to the diner once. Considering we go over there every single day, your not going over there is acting very weird towards Luke."
"Well thank you, Turtle, but me not going over to the diner does not prove that I killed Mr. Westing!"
"Sam!"
"Alice!" Lorelai huffed and slumped violently in her chair, fixating her stare on a nonexistent horizon somewhere in the living room.
Rory sighed. "Mom, what exactly happened between you and Luke?" As Lorelai opened her mouth to speak Rory added, "And don't say nothing."
Lorelai closed her mouth and pouted.
"Mom, I know that something happened."
Lorelai sat in her chair silently.
"Why won't you say anything?"
"Because you told me I couldn't say that nothing happened."
"Mom."
Lorelai sighed. "He's waiting for me."
Rory was confused. "What?"
"Luke. He's waiting for me."
"Did I miss entry to Platform 9 ¾ or something because I can't manage to get to Hogwarts," Rory pleaded for an answer.
Lorelai sat up and leaned over the table to look at Rory head on. "The night the inn opened something happened." Rory cringed. "Not with you. With me and Luke. Luke..." she hesitated, "Luke kissed me. And then, uh... then I came home and found you. Then I felt like a terrible mother and like a whore and I couldn't go out with Luke."
"I thought you said you two weren't dating," said Rory.
"I ran back to the inn after I found you and told him I couldn't date him. It wouldn't work out, hun. It was one hell of a night, that night between you and me. I just..."
"Mom?"
"Yeah, Rory."
"You should date Luke."
"What?"
"I didn't mean the things I said. I was just being a little irrational. What I said should have no effect on your love life. I know what I said was terrible, but you don't need to protect me anymore. I'm not a little girl."
Lorelai looked at her. "Yeah, I figured that out."
"Good," said Rory. "Good."
The sun was setting on Thursday as Lorelai and Rory headed towards the gazebo for the festival to start.
"So, you're going to stick to the plan?" Rory asked.
"Yep."
"Okay, see you later!" Rory waved and went off to go find Lane.
Lorelai walked around a little until she found who she was looking for. "Hey, Liz!" Lorelai called.
"Lorelai, you made it!" She smiled.
"I told you I'd be here, and lo and behold, I am!" Lorelai laughed giddily. "Hey, do you know where Luke is?"
Liz sighed and rolled her eyes. "At the diner. You know how he is with festivals. Do you want me to get him for you?"
"Oh, no," Lorelai gasped, "don't waste the effort. I'll just go over myself and drag him out of his spiderhole."
Liz smiled. "'Kay, see you later." They waved to one another and Lorelai headed straight for the diner.
Lorelai walked over the threshold and heard the familiar bell over her head jingle merrily as she strolled into the empty, dim-lighted main room of the diner. Luke was scrubbing down the table tops as usual and looked up at the aural notification that someone had entered the vicinity. He looked up to find Lorelai standing before him with a broad smile on her face.
"Hey," he started. "I haven't seen you in a while."
"Yeah, well." She shrugged, all the while with a goofy grin on her face. "It's easier for me to find time without a guest running around."
Luke stopped wiping down tables to talk. "The guy left?"
"Yesterday."
"Why?"
"He had to go back to his wife in Boston," she goaded Luke reminding him of his miserable assumptions that he had made only a few days prior.
"Ah... that."
"Yeah, that." She smiled sweetly as she looked Luke in the eyes, the first physical indication they'd shared in months of being on even friendly terms with one another. "Hey, come out to the festival for me."
"No."
"Oh, c'mon Luke. They're starting fireworks any minute now."
"No."
"Why not?"
"I'm not a huge supporter of even minute acts of town appreciation."
"Well, geez, I hadn't figured that one out yet. Come out just for the fireworks? We don't even have to go all the way over to the middle of town; we can just stand out in front of the diner. But you have to at least stand outside for it. For Independence Day!"
"Independence Day is on Sunday."
"For Canada Day, then! C'mon."
Luke groaned.
Lorelai's wicked half smile crept across her face and a slightly malicious twinkle appeared in her eye, but Luke knew that she was only having fun.
"Just for fireworks, I promise. I will not beg for anything beyond fireworks."
"You swear?"
"On the desperate hope that Farrah Fawcett Charlie's Angels reruns will soon appear nightly on TV Land, I swear I'm only asking for fireworks." Luke hesitated. "C'mon, Luke, nobody's going to be in the diner that you have to take care of while there are fireworks outside."
"Fine..." he submitted.
"Goody!" she squealed flippantly. She ran to the door and held it open for him. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon..." she chanted as a mantra to get Luke outside even faster. As soon as he was out she was on his tail, bouncing behind him.
Luke and Lorelai stood in front of the side windows of the diner side by side looking toward the sky for any signs of the expected light show. Lorelai's eyes glittered with pending excitement and she glowed with the happiness that she found in all the world. She gaily linked her arm in his and tried not to laugh as she anticipated his reaction. Much to her surprise he stood exactly where he was, stolidly and ever the gentleman.
Not wanting to wait any longer for the fireworks to start, she turned herself to face Luke and asked him with a serious look on her face, "How much longer do you think you can wait?"
He looked at her with questioning in his eyes. She challenged his emotions with a daring look of her own and leaned in, first with her hips and then following with her mouth. She gently lay her lips upon his and pushed against him in tender ferocity. She willed his mouth to open and began to incorporate her tongue in the forbidden tango that they had danced for years. She ground her hips slightly and led in the role she knew she had to take for her desires to ever become reality.
Fireworks began to explode behind them and they broke apart, breathless. Both were smiling, but neither were speechless.
"Lorelai, what..." Luke started.
"Luke, you need not wait any longer."