Title: Scorn on the 4th of July

Author: Cassandra Mulder

Feedback: Adored here or at dana[underscore]mulder32[at]yahoo[dot]com.

Rating: PG

Summary: Luke and Lorelai have a very different 4th of July.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino, and she knows it. I just took Luke and Lorelai out to play for awhile, I promise to put them back where I found them. No infringement is intended.

Distribution: My archive, Bound, anywhere else please ask.

Notes: Written for the Luke/Lorelai ficathon, for Lauren, who requested fluff, the 4th of July outside of Stars Hollow, and a special appearance by Emily. My fluff is usually short, so I apologize for that, and it's a bit corny, but I hope you enjoy anyway. :)

"Are we talking about the same thing here? Surely you don't mean you want to go to my mother's Fourth of July picnic for the DAR. Surely you must not know it's held at a country club. Surely you jest."

"Stop calling me Shirley," Luke said, annoyed.

"You're a closet movie guy!" Lorelai exclaimed. "You've seen movies. No one's going to make that reference without movies..." She seemed to remember what conversation they were having, and rolled her eyes. "Do we have to?" she whined.

"Emily asked, I said yes. I have to be the good boyfriend -"

"You're my boyfriend," Lorelai snickered.

Luke sighed, seriously starting to get disgruntled. "Not for much longer if you don't listen," he threatened, but the problem was, Lorelai knew the threat was as empty as her cupboards.

"I have to be the good boyfriend," he started again, plowing on through Lorelai's snickers, "or she might not pay for the wedding."

Lorelai's eyes lit up. "There's going to be a wedding?"

"Not today. And not if you keep giggling every time I say the word 'boyfriend'."

She unsuccessfully tried suppressing a smile.

"And you have to stop whining about this stupid picnic."

"See? It is stupid."

"Lorelai... What is it about the simple mention of your parents that reverts you to twelve years old?"

"I don't know. Well, I do, but I'm sorry. Gut reaction."

"I thought you guys were working things out."

"Well, we are. But still, gut reaction. It's hard to erase thirty-six years of rebellion, Luke."

"All right, all right," he sighed.

"So tell me again why we're going to my mother's picnic?"

If looks could kill, they would've been engraving the headstone of the reigning Lorelai Gilmore at that second.

"What is so different about this Fourth of July celebration and the one here?" he asked, frustrated she was being so stubborn about this. He should've known she would be.

"For one thing, Taylor won't have a nervous breakdown in the middle of the one in Hartford. Because he won't be there," she said pointedly.

"That's one mark in your mother's favor already."

"If you don't count my mother," Lorelai pouted.

"It's just the Fourth, Lorelai. It's not Christmas, it's not Easter, so who cares if we don't spend it here?"

She grabbed his hands across her kitchen table, and squeezed. "But it's our first Fourth together, Luke! Our second Fourth won't be the same as our first Fourth, so we need to do this Fourth right the first time."

Luke blinked, then shook his head. He wasn't even touching that. "This isn't even our first holiday."

She frowned.

"Memorial Day?"

"Oh," she said, realizing he was right. "But things were weird then."

"Trust me, they're still weird now," he muttered.

She slapped one of his hands, and sat back in her chair.

"You won't want to go when you find out what you have to wear," she said, raising an eyebrow.

Or, The Eyebrow, as Luke had come to think of it over the years.

"What are you talking about?" he asked warily.

"They give you festive t-shirts, and all the snooty, rich men and women walk around wearing khaki shorts, even if it should be illegal for them to even wear shorts."

"Is that right?"

"I only went to this picnic for fifteen years, Luke. I know of what I speak."

"I'll wear jeans. And the festive t-shirt," he said with a grimace.

"You will be skewered and roasted over the lovely bonfire they have after the fireworks."

"No, I will not. I'm not wearing khaki shorts."

"I'm glad," she said with a firm nod. "Because I was thinking Daisy Dukes myself."

Luke rolled his eyes. "You will be the death of me."

"I'm trying," she sighed dramatically.

"I have to get to the diner," he said, pushing his chair back, and walking around to give Lorelai a goodbye kiss.

"She just invited us to torture you!" she called after him, as he walked out the door shaking his head.

Lorelai opened the door just as Luke knocked, and immediately broke into a grin.

"I told you to quit knocking."

"Habit."

"You've spent the night here, Luke," she said with a waggle of her eyebrows. "You no longer have to knock." She turned on her heel, and he followed through the door, shutting it behind him.

"I hope you had a big lunch, m'dear, because you will not want to eat anything at this shindig."

"You're not gonna scare me out of this, Lorelai."

"Oh, I won't have to. Everyone else will just as soon as we get there," she said with another mischievous grin.

When they got to the kitchen, she turned around and leaned against the counter.

"Why are you really doing this, Luke?"

"What? Emily's your mother, you're her daughter -"

"Wow, establishing already established familial relationships..."

"I love you," he said firmly and unfazed.

"Awww."

"And I don't want to cause you anymore problems with your parents. It seems that, for whatever reason, they want to get to know me better. So they can try," he said, smiling. "They're making an effort, Lorelai."

She frowned.

"I'm not siding here. There are no sides," he said carefully.

"I know," she sighed. "At least not where you're concerned."

He sighed, and she pulled him closer by his belt loops.

"Are you nervous?"

"It's been awhile since I've done the meet the parents thing."

"You've met my parents. Several times," she laughed.

"I wasn't your boyfriend then."

She shrugged and gave him a smile. "But they thought you were," she said, smirking and pulling him in for a kiss.

"We could just stay here and do this," he said, backing her further into the counter and kissing her again.

"Uh uh," she said as forcefully as she could while he was kissing her neck. "You wanted into this, and you're in it, buddy. We are going to that picnic and meeting all of my parents' snotty friends."

Lorelai ducked his next kiss, and slipped from between him and the counter. "Time to go!"

"Lorelai..."

"Luke, don't whine, it's not becoming on you. Me? Perfect fit. You? No."

"I wasn't whining."

"Oh, yes. You were. Now, to the car!"

She charged away without him, leaving him no choice but to follow, and wonder just what exactly he'd gotten himself into.

"I see no one eats on the ground here," Luke observed.

"Nope. Tables as far as the eye can see," Lorelai replied, somewhat gleefully. It was almost as if it lessened her pain at having to be present, knowing Luke got them into this, and he was going to pay for it dearly. She tended to be sadistic that way.

"Let's go find a table, we're lucky they're having it outside," she said, grabbing his hand.

"Your mother hasn't found us yet," he said, looking around.

"She will. Enjoy your freedom while you have it."

Just then, Emily Gilmore popped seemingly out of nowhere to greet them.

"There you two are!" she said enthusiastically.

"Told you," Lorelai stage whispered.

"Told him what?" Emily asked.

"That, uh, we'd find you sooner or later. And it turns out to be sooner. Huh," Lorelai finished lamely.

Emily dismissed her daughter's cover up comment, and laid a hand on Luke's arm. "It's so nice to see you again, Luke. How are things at your diner?"

"Good. Everything's going well."

"That's nice to hear. Lorelai told me you two are together now? Tell me she wasn't just being herself?" she said with a slight laugh.

"No, it's all true, Mrs. Gilmore," he said, forcing a smile.

"Oh nonsense, call me Emily."

Luke just nodded and looked to Lorelai for help. She was apparently having the time of her life by the look on her face.

She finally took pity on him and squeezed his hand for encouragment.

"So, Mom, do we have designated tables, or can we just crash anywhere?"

"Our table's over here, unless you two would like to sit alone."

"Uh, that's okay, we came because you asked us, so we'll sit with you," Lorelai said, puzzled by her offer to let them have their own table.

"That'll be nice," Emily said, and showed them to the table.

Richard Gilmore was sitting on one of the benches, reading a copy of the Wall Street Journal, and ignoring his surroundings in general. Lorelai thought he and Luke might make good friends, because they could just sit around looking at people and not talking.

"Richard? Richard, Lorelai and Luke are here," Emily said, trying to rouse him from his reading material. "You can't tear him away from his paper," she explained for Luke's benefit, and he just smiled politely.

Richard finally noticed that other people existed, and put his paper down briefly to stand up.

"Hello, Lorelai."

"Dad."

"Nice to see you again, Luke," he said, shaking hands.

"You too, sir."

"Call me Richard, Luke. Sir just makes me feel old."

Luke laughed and nodded. "Okay, Richard."

"So, what have you two been up to lately?" Richard asked, sitting down again, and gesturing for them to sit as well.

"Oh, you know, Dad, Dragonfly."

"Diner," Luke chimed in.

"Rory," Lorelai added.

"Business as usual, then," Richard said.

"More or less," Lorelai said, shifting her eyes to Luke's.

"Oh yes, I hear you're going out with my daughter, Luke," Richard said, seemingly amused.

"Yes, si - I mean, yes, for about two months now."

"Hmmm. Well, at least she told us about you, so it's looking all right so far," Richard laughed.

"Yeah, well, you know all those secret men I've kept, Luke. They'd pop up at inconvenient times, outing themselves to my parents! It was horrible, and -"

Luke gave her a look.

"I'm thinking about keeping you though, so I told them." Lorelai cleared her throat. "Wow, I could totally use some lemonade. Where do you find that around here?" she said, looking around.

"Richard, why don't you show Luke where to find the lemonade? I could use a glass, too."

Richard folded his paper, left it on the table, and stood up. "Come on, young man, our ladies are thirsty, and we'll never hear the end of it if they have to get their own drinks."

"Well, I know I'm helpless," Lorelai cracked.

"Be right back," Luke said, getting up and following Richard to find the refreshment table.

Lorelai and Emily sat in silence for a few seconds, before Emily broke it.

"How is Rory?"

"She's fine... Better," Lorelai assured her.

"Where is she today? I can't remember you saying."

"She decided to go down to D.C. with her best friend, Lane. Wanted to get some political air or something, see the fireworks at the Mall. Though they're calling for rain, so who knows if they'll get to see them."

Emily nodded. "Is this her first Fourth of July away from Stars Hollow?"

"Yep."

"It's my first one away in twenty years."

"You know, you didn't have to come," Emily said, getting defensive.

"No, Mom, don't do that. It's fine. Luke really wanted to come, so it's okay. Stars Hollow will be the same as always. Mystery food, fighting amongst the townspeople, Kirk almost losing a hand..."

Emily looked at her questioningly.

"He does the fireworks."

"Oh."

"Yeah, we're lucky the town's still there with him running that show," Lorelai laughed.

"Why Luke? After all this time?" Emily asked out of nowhere.

Lorelai's mind and expression both went blank.

"Um, what?"

"I said, why Luke? He seems like a very nice man, it's just -"

"Ooooh no!" Lorelai finally found her voice. "No, no, no, Mom, you're not gonna do this. Not about Luke. There's a lot of things I'll put up with, but not that. Never."

"But, Lorelai -"

"Uh uh, Mom, one more word in the direction I think you're going, and I am out of here. We are out of here, understand? I don't need the speech on how Luke isn't rich and high society. I never wanted those things, and I still don't. He's a completely wonderful, loving, generous guy, who loves me and takes care of me like no one ever has, for crazy reasons we won't even try to understand."

"I just want what's best for you, Lorelai, I always have."

"Then you got it, Mom. Look no further. He's it."

"I've never seen you so sure about a man before."

Lorelai laughed. "Yeah, well, that would make two of us. But it's right, Mom, really. He's right. I guess I've known that all along, I just didn't want to see it. But he's crazy about me, and he adores Rory, and I love him so much I don't know what to do with myself," she said, practically giddy. It wasn't like her to spill her guts to her mother, but she was happy, and she needed to make her see how much.

"All right, if you're sure, then I'm happy for you."

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life. Not romance-wise anyway."

Someone cleared their throat behind them at that moment, and Lorelai turned to see Luke carefully bearing three glasses of lemonade. He sat them on the table, then sat next to Lorelai.

"Richard ran into someone he knew, so he told me to go on ahead," Luke explained.

"Now he'll talk business for at least an hour," Emily said, but with affection.

"So, that marriage thing going okay now?" Lorelai teased.

"You know it is."

"Well, I'm glad." Lorelai turned to Luke. "Want to go see if the food's better than in Stars Hollow?"

"It would almost have to be," Luke replied sarcastically.

"We shall see," she said, standing up and taking him by the hand. "Mom, you want anything?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm just going to wait for your father."

"Okay," she said, starting to walk away with Luke. "You better hope they have some good salad," she laughed.
"This isn't so bad, is it?" Luke said, tightening his arms around Lorelai.

They were lying on a blanket on the ground, watching the fireworks that seemed to have been going on forever.

"No, it's not bad at all," she said, snuggling into him. "Of course, we're like the only people lying on the ground, but we're from out of town, so what do we know?"

"Not much, judging from the way people are staring at us."

"My mother hasn't come to start the hanging yet, so she must've gotten drunk somehow."

Luke laughed. "I heard what you said to her today."

"That she'd look better in cutoffs than those lousy khaki shorts she was wearing?"

"No."

"That my life is none of her business? Oh wait, I say that all the time. Too easy."

"Sort of, but no."

"Then what?"

"You defended me."

"Oh, that. Yeah, I did."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. She was just trying to stick her nose where it didn't belong again, and I stopped her."

"Still, it was nice. I was worried she thought I wasn't good enough for you, and obviously she does."

"No, don't say that, Luke. She likes you, I really believe she does. But it's just that she'll never get past the whole class thing, so you just have learn to ignore that part. I mean, if I can try to ignore her, you can too," she said lightly.

"I know. I'm just not used to being around all this fancy schmancy high society stuff."

"Yeah, well, neither am I, and I grew up here." She propped herself up on an elbow, and looked down at him. "I really wouldn't trade you and Stars Hollow for anything in the world. My life is so much better now than it would've been if I had stayed here."

"I know, Lorelai, you don't have to tell me."

"I don't have to," she grinned. "But you need to hear it sometimes. I need you to hear it."

Luke ran a hand under her hair, and drew her down for a long, slow kiss.

When they broke apart, she sighed and winked at him. "Makin' out on the country club lawn," she giggled.

"Like you've never done that before," he teased.

She sobered. "Actually, I haven't. Probably everywhere else, but not here."

"Then I'll just feel special and leave it at that."

"You do that," she said, lying back down on his shoulder. "Those are some pretty fireworks," she commented.

"Yes, they are. See? This wasn't so bad. And by the time they finish administering first aid to Kirk, we might be able to see the ones in Stars Hollow, too."

"That would be nice, but not necessary," Lorelai smiled. "This has been a pretty perfect Fourth of July, and I think it's all your fault."

"Nice to be guilty of something good every once in awhile."

"Isn't it?" She leaned over to kiss him again, but stopped when a perfectly white pair of tennis shoes appeared in the grass on the other side of Luke.

"Lorelai Gilmore, what do you think you are doing?" Emily asked, sounding thoroughly annoyed.

Lorelai looked up, pushing her hair behind one ear. "Kissing my boyfriend," she said innocently.

Emily just rolled her eyes, huffed, and walked away.

Lorelai looked down at Luke, who looked like he'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She giggled happily. "This has been the best Fourth of July ever."

Finis