SEGMENT TWO

INT. DRAGONFLY INN KITCHEN — A FEW DAYS LATER — WEDNESDAY — LATE MORNING

Sookie is preparing for lunch with two other staff members. We see her instructing the others, but interrupted by the surprise entrance of Lorelai.

SOOKIE: (Looks up) Lorelai?

LORELAI: (As she enters with a few small gift bags in her hand, she fakes a smile) Nice to see you too, Sook. (She then looks at the other staff members and offers them a bag each) I brought you guys a little something from my trip (the staff nods in appreciation. Lorelai hands Sookie a bag too) And one for you.

SOOKIE: What are you doing here?

LORELAI: (Walks over to get some coffee) I would've gotten here earlier but I had to stuff the bags this morning. (Points at Sookie's gift) Refrigerator magnets from all the places we visited.

SOOKIE: Thank you, but what are you doing here today? I thought you were going to take the day off and rest?

LORELAI: Aren't you glad to see me?

SOOKIE: (Smiles and hugs her) Of course, I am.

LORELAI: (As she pulls away and takes the mug of coffee in her hand) I've been spending so much time with April and Luke… thought I'd give those two some time alone… you know.

SOOKIE: Aw. (As she looks through her magnets) So tell me… how was it? How was the road trip?

LORELAI: (Thinks) It was very Road To Rio. The only things missing were a cruise ship and secret papers.

SOOKIE: (Looks up suddenly) What do you mean it was like Road To Rio? As in a, "I hate you. I loathe you. I despise you." kind of way? Or…

LORELAI: (Thinks again) Nah. It was more of a, "I hate you. I loathe you. I despise you… (sighs) but I really really love you." kind of way. (Laughs) I know… it made no sense.

SOOKIE: (Giggles) Aw. So who was Luke, Bing or Bob?

LORELAI: He was definitely Bing… and I was Bob.

SOOKIE: (Confused) Then who was Dorothy Lamour?

LORELAI: Jane was.

SOOKIE: (Confused as to who that was) Jane?

LORELAI: (Shakes her head) Long story. But all in all, it was great. I mean, the actual road trip part was crazy. We got lost; we did lots of u-turns, and bickered about pretty much everything in the car. But (smiles) we had the most amazing time in the places we visited.

SOOKIE: (Excited to hear details, she helps herself onto a stool) Go on… tell me more.

LORELAI: (Leans against the counter) Well, we stayed at the Red Maple Inn in Burton, Ohio (holds her chest) I have to say, was the most charming place. Their furniture was hand made by Amish. I mean, you can't go wrong with that. Why didn't we get our furniture hand made by the Amish?

SOOKIE: It helps that Burton is Amish country.

LORELAI: True. I convinced Luke to see "Always Patsy Cline" at the Carousel Dinner Theater…

SOOKIE: (Not seeing how Luke would like that) Oh. How did that go?

LORELAI: Not too well. But to make up for it, I let him go fishing at Lake James when we got to Indiana.

SOOKIE: (Confused) You went fishing with him?

LORELAI: Please. (Rolls her eyes) Of course not… I went to the local spa in Angola and did some antique shopping.

SOOKIE: (Shakes her head) Don't reveal that to Mrs. Kim.

LORELAI: Of course. And this B&B we stayed at was so cozy and pretty… (thinks) Old Towne Carmel. Once I sort out all the pictures, I will show you the wallpaper they used for the library. (Sookie nods) Oh, and in St. Louis… we visited Grant's Farm, of course.

SOOKIE: (Repeats) Of course.

LORELAI: And I have to say, Sookie… those two nights in the Lodge at Grant's trail… were possibly the two most romantic nights ever. It's this rustic looking place…

SOOKIE: (All giddy, cuts in) So the bickering stopped there?

LORELAI: (Shakes her head) No… we argued pretty much every time we were on the road. But then… we finally got to Albuquerque and stayed at Los Poblanos… Another amazing place to stay at, by the way. We had the best time with April… all the silly bickering was forgotten.

SOOKIE: (Cuts in again) What about her mother?

LORELAI: It was awkward in the beginning. Which I thought was natural. But… (thinks) I think she's warming up to the idea of me being a part of April's life. I mean, April's old enough to understand what's going on…

SOOKIE: Of course she is… she's going into high school this year, isn't she?

LORELAI: (Nods as she takes a sip of her coffee) Which Luke is absolutely terrified about.

SOOKIE: That's a big step for a teenager.

LORELAI: A very big step. (Smiles) But she'll be fine. She's so bright… and pretty… and funny. She'll do great.

SOOKIE: (Raises an eye) Wow… looks like the two of you bonded.

LORELAI: It was a good start anyway.

SOOKIE: You and Luke are going to have a busy couple of months. With April here for a week and half… then Rory coming home this Friday.

LORELAI: (Nods and offers) And the remodeling that will happen after they leave.

SOOKIE: (Nods) Busy. (Pause. Then thinks, and utters randomly — sort of) I have the sudden urge to watch the "Road to…" series.

At that very moment a very anxious Jackson appears from the back entrance — which make the ladies look over at him.

JACKSON: (Sees Lorelai) Oh, hey Lorelai. Welcome back.

LORELAI: Thanks.

JACKSON: (Looks at Sookie) You won't believe this… but I just signed a contract with Doose's. I'm now the sole vendor for their cucumber!

SOOKIE: Oh, that's great honey!

LORELAI: Congratulations! (Adds) "You're in the groove, Jackson!"

The two ladies start laughing.

JACKSON: What? (Confused, he reaches to take a look at the back of his overalls) Did the Bunyan boys put something on my jumper again!?

The scene fades as the ladies continue to laugh.

INT. LUKE'S DINER — AROUND THE SAME TIME…

The diner's hitting a lull, but some of the usual customers are still seated — discussing the upcoming summer carnival. Among some of the customers are Taylor, Patty and Kirk.

APRIL: (At the counter, she looks through a flyer that she had just acquired) This carnival looks like so much fun.

LUKE: (From behind the counter, raises her eyes) Right. A bunch of lunatics coming out to play. I can already see how much fun that's going to be.

APRIL: (Rolls her eyes) Oh come on, dad. You will have a great time. Besides, Lorelai loves these things — doesn't she?

LUKE: Yup… she lives for all the silly celebrations this town comes up with.

APRIL: (Smiles and goes back to the flyer) She's so cool. I'm glad the two of you are back together.

LUKE: (Looks up and smiles) Well… (nods) I'm glad you feel that way.

Kirk interrupts them as he moves toward the counter.

KIRK: Luke, may I have a couple of napkins? I seem to have spilled some coffee on the table.

LUKE: Here's a rag (throws it at Kirk, which lands on his face because he wasn't prepared to catch it).

KIRK: (As he turns to move back to the table) Thanks.

APRIL: (Randomly) Do you love her?

LUKE: (Caught off guard) What?

APRIL: Do you love Lorelai?

LUKE: (Chuckles a bit at the question. Then nods)… Y-yeah… yeah… very much.

APRIL: That's cool.

Kirk returns to the counter.

KIRK: (As he hands Luke the rag) Thank you, Luke. Much appreciated.

APRIL: (Turns to Kirk) So are you excited about the carnival, Kirk?

KIRK: I have to say, I am. (With his expressionless face, he clasps his hands) Very excited.

APRIL: (Points at the flyer) It says here you're performing…

KIRK: Ah, yes. My fiancée and I are doing a segment of tap dance. We've been practicing all summer.

APRIL: Fiancée? You're getting married?

KIRK: (Looks at Luke in shock) Luke, I can't believe you haven't shared the good news with your daughter.

LUKE: Ugh… it slipped my mind Kirk. Now she knows.

KIRK: Lulu, (clarifies) "my fiancée" asked me to marry her earlier this summer.

APRIL: That's great!

PATTY: (Shouts from the table) Kirk!

KIRK: Excuse me… I have work to do.

APRIL: (Nods, then looks at Luke) Why does he keep referring to her as his "fiancée"? Everyone knows Lulu.

LUKE: (Reminds her) It's Kirk.

APRIL: (Chuckles, yet her mind is clearly on something else) Ah.

LUKE: (Continues) If anything normal came out of that mouth… that'd be the day Taylor loosens his grip on this town.

APRIL: (Randomly) Are you going to marry her?

LUKE: (Surprised by the question… and how frank it is) What?

APRIL: Lorelai. Are you two going to get married?

LUKE: (Stammers a bit) W… we… well.

APRIL: I mean, the two of you were going to get married the last time you were together.

LUKE: Well… things are a bit different this time.

APRIL: How are they different?

LUKE: (Not sure how to respond) I… I…

APRIL: Dad, I'm almost an adult… I can handle the truth…

LUKE: (Makes a face) You're fourteen.

APRIL: Going on fifteen.

Pause

LUKE: (Sighs, and looks down at the counter) April, I don't know how to answer your question.

APRIL: Okay. (As she gets up from the bar stool) I honestly think the answer is obvious… but you can take your time figure it out, dad. (Smiles) I'm off to see Lane and the twins now.

Luke rolls his eyes at his daughter's little speech. Scene begins to fade as he taps the pencil on the counter.

INT. DRAGONFLY INN PORCH — THAT EVENING

Scene fades in on Sookie as she sits on the bench on the front porch of the inn. She is seated alone in her casual clothes holding a purse against her tummy.

Lorelai walks out to find Sookie sitting there.

LORELAI: (Surprised) Hey. (Sookie looks over) I thought you had gone home already? (She walks over to Sook)

SOOKIE: (Smiles) Jackson came by to walk home with me like he usually does. (Makes a guilty face) But I made him go get the car. (Chuckles) The baby is kicking more than usual. And I think the jalapeno pepper I ate earlier had something to do with it.

LORELAI: (As she takes a seat next to her best friend, she responds adoringly) Aw. Sookie… I think we should talk about having you stay home now that it's getting closer to the due date.

SOOKIE: (Protests) No… no… I have two more weeks of work.

LORELAI: Okay, I won't argue it. (She leans back on the bench and looks out) So Jackson walked home to get the car for you?

SOOKIE: (Smiles, and nods) He's too good for me.

LORELAI: (Smiles again adoringly) You deserve the best. (Pause) I hope to have that one day. (Looks at Sookie) What you have with Jackson.

SOOKIE: Aw, Lorelai you have that with Luke.

LORELAI: (Confesses) Not everything.

SOOKIE: (Confused) What are you talking about?

LORELAI: (Suggestively) The one thing that Luke and I never got to do…

SOOKIE: (Realizes what her best friend was referring to) Oh. The two of you are practically married.

LORELAI: I know. But… (sighs) it's that one thing I really wanted with him, you know. I thought it would be my first and only. Instead… (rolls her eyes)

SOOKIE: (Cuts in) You have to stop blaming yourself for that. The important thing is that you and Luke are back together… and I'm positive that it will happen for the two of you.

LORELAI: When? When I'm 90 years old?

SOOKIE: All I know is that no matter where life takes you and Luke, the two of you will always end up together. You can't escape that.

LORELAI: But it feels like we've been dancing around the subject of "us" for the past three years.

SOOKIE: (Frankly) Oh honey… it's been way more than just three years.

LORELAI: Huh?

SOOKIE: It has been at least ten or eleven years.

LORELAI: (Laughs at the ridiculousness) Oh please. We first got together three years ago.

SOOKIE: That may be so… but you know you've been in love with the man since you first met him. It wasn't just the coffee that made you visit Luke's 'every.single.day'

LORELAI: Pshh… you're crazy.

SOOKIE: (Chuckles) Oh, I'm crazy?

LORELAI: (Smiles at Sookie, as she sees a car pull up) There's your knight in shining armor. (She gets up and helps Sookie off the bench as well)

JACKSON: (As he walks up the stairs) Hey Lorelai. (To Sookie as he reaches out and takes her hand) I've got you.

Lorelai stands at the top of the stairs and watches as Jackson helps Sookie into the passenger seat.

SOOKIE: (Before Jackson shuts the door, she looks up at Lorelai and says it one more time) It will happen for you.

A smiling Lorelai crosses her arms across the chest and nods.

INT. LORELAI'S HOUSE — THURSDAY MORNING

Lorelai (dressed for work) is reading the newspaper and drinking some coffee in the living room. She hears a vehicle pull into her driveway. She walks towards the window and sees who it is. She gasps and moves quickly towards the front door.

LORELAI: (As she opens the door) Rory!?

RORY: (She pays the driver and turns around with her carry-on luggage) Hey, mom!

LORELAI: (Quickly moves towards Rory and hugs her) What are you doing here?!

RORY: (As she pulls away) Do you want to me go back (gestures towards the vehicle pulling out of the driveway).

LORELAI: Of course not, silly! I wasn't expecting you till tomorrow.

RORY: Plans changed, and I thought I'd surprise you.

LORELAI: Plans changed?

RORY: (As she begins to walk towards the house, she vaguely responds) I just have some work in Hartford later this afternoon.

Camera follows them.

LORELAI: (As she picks up Rory's luggage, she follows) Ooh, "work" in Hartford. Is that some sort of journalist jargon… ooh, it is a secret mission?

RORY: Something like that.

Scene fades as the ladies enter the house.

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Speculations on what Rory is up to? Will April ask Lorelai what she asked Luke? How do you think Luke feels about April's question? Will Lorelai have what Sookie and Jackson have?

Regarding title:
If you're not familiar with the "Road to..." series you may not understand some of the references.

Will update with Segment Three as soon as possible. Reviews are appreciated.