Thank you to everybody that's taken an interest in this story, especially the reviewers :D Some of you said that Rory was a little out of character, I do know this but I had this idea and the only way it would work was if Rory acted like this....so sorry! She was a little bratty when after she met Logan anyway. Sorry for the wait as well. On with the story....
"Breakfast time!" shouted Leah as she jumped up and down on the bed.
"Go away," moaned Lorelai without opening her eyes.
"You said I could have pancakes, I want pancakes!" she demanded.
"Luuuke," Lorelai whined.
"What?" he answered sleepily.
"Pancakes," she mumbled. Luke sighed and opened his eyes.
"Go back to sleep," he said.
"No cause it's pancake time."
"It's not pancake time till I say it is."
"But grandpa I'm hungry," she complained.
"You're always hungry, just like grandma."
"Nuh uh, I'm not like grandma cause she eats bad food and I eat good food," she replied, collapsing on the bed next to Luke.
"That's right, you like fruit don't you?"
"Yep, it's yummy," she said with a smile.
"Weirdo," muttered Lorelai.
"Hey," replied Leah, her pout intact. She crawled over to Lorelai and lay down next to her. "Time to get up," she shouted in her ear causing Lorelai to roll over in surprise and fall off the bed. Luke tried to suppress the laughter that bubbled up inside him but he couldn't. "Oops," said Leah, trying to act innocent but the cheeky grin on her face told a different story.
"Leah," scolded Lorelai as she stood up and climbed back into bed. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest but soon gave in and smiled. She couldn't resist that little face.
"Sorry grandma," she apologised.
"I forgive you." She pulled Leah into her arms and settled her on top of her.
"I'm squishing you," squealed Leah.
"You're too little to squish me, stay still." Lorelai looked over at Luke and he nodded his head before scooting closer to them.
"Leah we have something to tell you," began Luke calmly.
"What? Am I in trouble? I didn't do anything, I promise!"
"Be quiet and listen," said Lorelai. "Now do you remember when we told you about your mommy?" she asked carefully. Leah nodded enthusiastically. "Do you remember what we said?"
"She had a really good job and had to move away," she replied.
"That's right," replied Luke.
"Is she gonna come back?" she asked curiously.
"That's what we wanna talk to you about," said Lorelai. "She's coming back today."
"Today?" Luke and Lorelai nodded. "Am I gonna see her?"
"Do you want to?" Lorelai asked. Leah shrugged her shoulders.
"You can think about it okay?" asked Luke and Leah nodded in response.
"What's her name?"
"Well she's called Lorelai."
"That's your name too!"
"I know," replied Lorelai, smiling up at the girl. "But we call her Rory for short."
"Rory?"
"Yep." Leah looked at Lorelai, then Luke.
"Can we have breakfast now? I'm starving." They were a bit shocked by her quick change of subject.
"Okay, go use the bathroom and I'll meet you downstairs," said Luke as he began to get out of bed. They watched Leah leave the room and Lorelai sighed.
"How did that go?" asked Lorelai, unsure of her granddaughter's emotions.
"I'm not sure, are you coming down for breakfast?"
"Yeah I'll just change," she said as she continued to lie in bed.
"You know, changing usually requires you to walk over to the closet and choose something to wear," he said.
"Hmm," she replied.
"Breakfast in ten minutes, be there or make your own." He left a kiss on her pouting lips then went downstairs to prepare breakfast. When Lorelai made it downstairs, Leah was perched on a chair at the table munching her blueberry pancakes while Luke was busy making Lorelai's.
"Coffee," she said sleepily.
"In the pot waiting for you," replied Luke as he flipped the pancake in the pan. Lorelai took a mug from the cupboard then poured the dark liquid carefully until it filled the cup. She took a seat opposite Leah and the girl looked at her curiously.
"What?" she asked.
"What does coffee taste like?"
"Like you're in heaven," Lorelai replied as she took another sip.
"But if you're in heaven then that means you're not here anymore, so it can't be good."
"Believe me, coffee tastes amazing," assured Lorelai.
"Can I try some?" Lorelai didn't even have a chance to answer before Luke swooped in.
"No," he said firmly as he put Lorelai's chocolate chip pancake on the plate in front of her.
"Thank you," she said sweetly. Luke smiled before looking back at Leah.
"Why not?" she pouted.
"Because it's bad for you."
"But grandma drinks it."
"And she's a junkie remember?"
"It looks weird," she said as she leaned over to look into the mug.
"Shush or it'll hear you," hushed Lorelai as she covered the mug with her hands.
"Grandma don't be silly," replied Leah as Luke rolled his eyes and sat at the table with his toast. Once they had finished breakfast, Lorelai cleared the table, something she wasn't accustomed to.
"I have to get to the diner," said Luke as he shrugged into his jacket. "I'll be back around six okay?"
"And you'll bring dinner?" asked Lorelai.
"Yes I'll bring dinner," he replied. He walked into the living room where Leah was playing with her dolls on the floor. "I'm leaving now," he told her. She stood up and walked over to him.
"Will you bring food home with you?" she asked, the way Lorelai had.
"Like grandmother, like granddaughter," said Luke. "What do you want me to bring?" he asked.
"Blueberry muffins," she replied with a grin on her face.
"Oh I don't know if I can do that," he said sarcastically.
"Pleeeaaaase," she begged. Luke pretended to think about it for a moment.
"Okay I'll bring you a blueberry muffin," he said.
"Thank you."
"Now are you gonna say goodbye to your old grandpa?"
"Bye," she said as she leaned up to kiss his cheek and give him a hug.
"I'll see you tonight." Leah nodded then went back to her dolls. Lorelai followed him into the foyer and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"I'll miss you today," she said quietly.
"You say that every day," he reminded her.
"I know but it's true," she shrugged.
"I'll see you at six," he said as he leaned down to kiss her.
"Can't wait," she replied once they pulled apart.
"I'll bring pie."
"Ooh will you marry me?"
"Already did."
"Love you burger boy," she said, smiling widely.
"Love you too coffee junkie." She watched as he left the crap shack and walked towards his truck then closed the door.
"Hey Leah, what do you say we stay home today, just you and me?"
"Really?"
"Yeah I'll call Michel and tell him we won't be in."
"Cool," replied Leah excitedly. Lorelai made the call then hung up with a scowl on her face.
"I swear Michel get's more annoying every time I talk to him."
"What did he say?"
"Oh it doesn't matter," she dismissed. "Whatcha doing?"
"Playing with my dolls," she replied.
"Hmm can I play too?"
"Okay, you can be Ken." She gave Lorelai the Ken doll.
"Why do I have to be Ken? Why can't I be Barbie?"
"Cause I'm Barbie."
"But you play with them all the time, let me be Barbie."
"No grandma you're too old to play with dolls so I should be Barbie."
"I am not too old," she argued.
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Are...you know what? I'm just gonna watch TV instead."
"Can I watch?"
"No you're too young to watch TV," she replied.
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Grandma!" she shouted.
"What, you don't like it that you can't do something?" she asked innocently.
"Please can I watch TV with you?" she begged.
"Okay but I'm choosing the channel."
"Fine." Leah curled up next to Lorelai on the couch and Lorelai put her arm around her. About fifteen minutes into the show, Leah turned her head to look up at Lorelai. "What should I call her?" she asked quietly.
"What?" asked Lorelai, snapping out of her trance.
"What should I call her?"
"Who?"
"Rory," she replied.
"Oh," said Lorelai, caught completely off guard. "What do you wanna call her?"
"I don't know."
"Do you wanna call her mommy?"
"It sounds weird."
"What about Rory?"
"Is it naughty to call your mommy by her name?"
"Not really," replied Lorelai. "If that's what you wanna call her then it's okay."
"I don't know," said Leah in confusion.
"You don't have to decide right now okay? When she gets here, you can see what feels right then."
"Okay," agreed Leah, seemingly satisfied with that answer. "Does she like cookies?"
"Of course, she loves cookies." Or at least she used to, Lorelai thought.
"Can we bake some for her?"
"Don't be silly, you know I can't cook." Lorelai saw Leah's face fall and the disappointment in her eyes. "But we could go to Doose's and buy some, then we can get some icing and decorate them ourselves," she suggested.
"Really?"
"Yep and we can get rainbow sprinkles too."
"Can we go now?"
"Go upstairs and brush your teeth first."
"Okay." She got off the couch and ran towards the stairs.
"And make sure you brush them really well, I want them to sparkle," she warned. Leah nodded and eagerly ran up the stairs.
As the two walked through Stars Hollow towards Doose's, Leah was chatting quickly about what she was going to put on each cookie.
"And then I'll make one with stars on and then one with hearts," she listed.
"Are you gonna let me decorate some too?" asked Lorelai.
"Yeah, what are you gonna put on yours?"
"I don't know, I might draw a picture of you."
"You can't draw."
"I can when writing icing is involved."
"Huh?"
"Never mind." They went into Doose's and picked up the things they needed for the cookies, then Lorelai decided they needed to make a quick stop at the diner. "I'm just gonna get some coffee, come on." Leah took Lorelai's hand as they entered the diner and looked around at the busy atmosphere.
"There's a lot of people in here," said Leah.
"Yes there is, come on." She led her behind the counter and quickly poured herself some coffee. As she was putting the pot back in it's rightful place, Luke came out of the kitchen with some plates.
"What have I told you about serving yourself?" he growled.
"That I shouldn't do it," she replied as she put the lid on her to-go cup.
"Then why do you?"
"Because I like getting a rise out of you."
"Dirty," he whispered.
"You did not just say dirty."
"You will never hear that word leave my mouth again."
"Oh really?"
"Yes really now get Leah out from behind my counter, it's dangerous."
"Yes sir." She mock saluted him then took Leah's hand as they walked towards the door.
"What's in the bag?" he asked.
"Cookies," said Leah excitedly.
"And what are they for?"
"For our visitor later," answered Lorelai. "Leah wanted to bake some but I don't know how so we bought some instead and we're gonna decorate them."
"Oh well make sure you clean up your mess," he warned.
"We will," replied Lorelai, rolling her eyes. "Bye." Luke smiled as his girls left the diner and walked through town towards the crap shack.
"What are you putting on this one?" asked Lorelai as she put a cookie in front of Leah on the kitchen table.
"I'll make this one for Rory," she replied.
"Which colour icing do you want?"
"Blue," she answered. Lorelai gave her the blue tube of icing and watched as she hesitated. "How do I write Rory?" she asked.
"Well you know the alphabet don't you? Cause you're smart." Leah nodded. "Okay so you put a 'r'." She watched as Leah tried her best to write the letter R. She smiled at her attempt then carried on until there was a very shaky-written 'Rory' on the cookie.
"So that's how you spell Rory?"
"Yep, are you gonna put anything else on it?"
"Yeah some hearts." She began drawing some misshaped hearts around the word then put it in the middle of the table to dry with the rest of the ones they had made.
"You're good at this," said Lorelai as she looked at Leah's creations.
"I wanna be able to cook, just like grandpa."
"I'm sure he'll teach you when you're older."
"I can't wait. Can Rory cook?"
"No, not very well anyway. She's like me."
"Why can't you cook?"
"Cause I never learned how to."
"Do you wanna learn?"
"Nah, I don't need to," she replied. "I have grandpa to cook for me." Leah giggled then picked up another cookie to decorate.
At four, Leah was in her room while Lorelai sat watching TV downstairs. She was watching a re-run of Friends that she had seen many times before but still found it funny. She burst out into laughter when Ross drew all over Rachel's face on the way to Vegas but her laughter stopped when she heard a knock on the door. She checked the clock on the mantel, she was early. Lorelai hadn't prepared for this and she was completely unsure of what to say. She had been so wrapped up with how Leah would react to Rory's return that she hadn't thought about herself in all of this. She paused the TV and slowly walked over to the door. She took a deep breath as her hand rested on the door handle. She slowly twisted it and opened the door to reveal the daughter she hadn't seen in three whole years.
"Rory," she whispered.
A little bit of a cliff-hanger there....lol. So what did you think? I know it nothing really happened but it was all the things leading up to her return that I wanted to include, especially Leah's reaction. This will only be a short story, I know some of you have said it should be longer but I'm focussing on my other story at the moment and this was just a little project! Sorry to disappoint. So please review :D
