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Also... everything = not mine.
~G.G~
Part 4: Petticoat Junction got nothing on us
That day turned out to be one of the longest days of their lives. The entire day was filled with questions and jibes and 'I told you so's' and jokes that made them both tired and irritated. The worse for Luke had been Kirk. The younger man had asked him about renting his apartment since it was common knowledge that he was going to live with his wife. Since the space above the diner was going to be empty, and as Kirk no longer wanted to live with his mother, but still wanted to be near enough in case something happened, he thought it only logical that Luke rent it to him.
"Kirk, you are not renting my place."
"Why? You're not going to be there anymore."
"Who said that?"
"Everybody. You're married. Married people live together. It's one of the reasons they get married in the first place. Maybe you should have thought about this more before you got hitched."
"Kirk," he warned.
"Unless you don't think it'll last, then I can see why you wouldn't want to give up your place. I can see why you would marry for the short term too. Lorelai is a fox. And marriage leads to sex, at least that's what movies have taught me."
"Kirk, please."
"Although in this day and age people usually have sex before marriage. I congratulate you on holding off. Especially considering how fertile she is. I mean a kid at 16. Impressive."
"Kirk, I mean it. Shut up. Drop it. This conversation, it's over. Done. Finished. If you say one more thing about Lorelai I will kick you out of here and not let you in again."
Kirk managed to wait half a beat before… "Is she changing her name?"
"Get out!"
For Lorelai it was the surprise visit by Miss Patty and Babette that made her want to run for the hills. While she had been honest with Sookie about what had happened, even divulging more details than she normally would about the wedding night…
"How was it?"
"Surprisingly good."
"Surprisingly good how? Like you're surprised you're still not naked or surprised he remembered how everything works?"
The brunette rolled her eyes, a dreamy smile filling her lips as she recalled the night that played out like a dream whenever she closed her eyes. "Oh, he knew how everything worked. It was like he had taken an advanced course in how everything works."
"Well, he has known you a long time. Some of that knowledge was bound to translate."
"Yeah, I suppose it was."
...she knew that she was in over her head when the two older women descended upon her, offering their congratulations and trying to dig for more details when they stopped by for lunch at the inn.
"So, Doll, when is he moving in?" Babette asked once it became clear Lorelai wasn't going to tell them anything about the wedding or wedding night. "It'll be great to have another hunk around the neighbourhood! You finally caught him, he shouldn't have to sneak in and out of your house in the wee hours of the morning. He must be addicted to you, him cutting work like that."
"It's hardly sneaking Babette, when you saw him."
"He's not very good at it."
"We'll give him lessons." Patty reached out and grasped Lorelai's arm, "How is Rory with this?"
"Rory? Surprised, but good. Strangely supportive. She's always liked Luke."
"So she's not the reason he's left sneaking about? I know this has been sudden..."
"Yes! It was sudden. So very, very sudden. We don't want to rush into anything more than we already have. Especially with Rory living there too. So much is changing and so quickly. We're still figuring things out, you know? So until things are settled, we've decided it's best that we stay at our own places."
"You're not going to divorce are you?" Patty asked, her tone worried and her grip on Lorelai tightening.
Lorelai froze. "Wha...?"
"It would break his heart if you did. That man's been nuts about you for years. Lucky girl."
"And it's not just him. We all want this to work out," Babette confessed, "Well, not Taylor. He's having a fit about what happens when you break up, he's working on backup plans as we speak. But the rest of us, we're behind you, Doll. We figured that you two would have never gotten hitched in the first place if you didn't think it'd work out."
"Especially considering what it would do to your friendship. I couldn't stay friends with any of my ex-husbands. They knew too much."
Lorelai felt her stomach turn at the possibility of what all this could do to her friendship with the man who knew her better than anyone not related to her. It took Babette's grasping her hand to draw her attention back to the pair. "What we're trying to say is that we're happy for you. And we're all behind you."
By the time Lorelai got home, she was ready for bed. It wasn't long after she had changed into something that didn't cut off more of her airflow than just being alive did that Luke showed up, looking as worn out as she did.
"Who knew so many people cared about what we did," Luke grumbled, sitting in her living room. He had shrugged out of his jacket, even going as far as tossing his hat on her coffee table, before taking the beer she offered.
"You really had to ask that? In this town?"
Luke couldn't help but agree, "Taylor came in today, showing me a petition that he had circulating demanding we sign a contract that stated that we would end amicably and not combine our businesses. He's afraid we'll become a power couple, his words not mine. I threw it in the broiler."
"I wish I had seen that."
"Oh, and Kirk wanted to rent my apartment. He assumed that I would be living here."
"Ew, naked Kirk on your things. Babette also wondered why you hadn't moved in yet. Said she didn't think it right having you sneak in and out of here."
He looked embarrassed. "She saw me?"
"It's Babette, she sees all. She's worse than the eye of Sauron. That's Lord of the Rings, in case you're wondering."
"I know Lord of the Rings."
She stopped, surprised, "Wait, you've seen Lord of the Rings? All three movies? You? You've sat through all nine hours of orcs and elves and tiny men with hairy feet?"
"I've read the books."
She shook her head, frowning, "And just when I had hope for this marriage."
He shifted positions, pulling her back on track. "What did you tell Babette?"
"That I liked you sneaking in." She grew serious when she saw the lack of amusement reflecting in his eyes. "I told her that we were taking things slow, figuring things out. She basically threatened me not to break your heart with a divorce."
They were silent for a moment, "A lot of people are invested in this. Aren't they?"
She nodded, for the first time realizing just how many people were being lied to. And she had felt that lying to Rory had been bad enough. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"
"Can you afford to pay for Yale if your mother does cut her off?"
"No. Not even a little. I'm also worried about what Chris is going to say when he finds out about this," she confessed, waving her finger between them.
Luke stiffened beside her, "Think he'll take it out on Rory when he finds out that you're married?"
She shrugged, "No, I don't know. Probably not. He loves Rory. He wouldn't make her suffer. Me, however, that's a whole other matter." Sighing, she leaned back into the couch, "Remind me to think things through the next time I make a life-altering decision."
"I'll drink to that." He held out his beer for her to cheers before taking a long drink. "Have you talked to your mother yet?"
"She called briefly while I was at work. She wants you to come to dinner on Friday." She smiled when he shifted, glad that his survival instincts were intact. "I told her you were probably busy. But considering her response, I think she's planning something."
"What kind of something?"
"Do you own a tux?" She teased.
He groaned. "Why do I have a feeling that I'm now under her thumb as much as you are in this?"
"She knows you care about my kid. She's good at smelling weakness like that. And if she can use that to get what she wants from you, you better believe she will do it."
"Why did I agree to this?"
Smiling wide, she patted his arm. "Because you thought it might be fun!"
He groaned again, "This is why I hate fun."
~G.G~
For the most part the town seemed to accept the reasons they gave for living apart. It also made sense considering the many early deliveries that Luke had coming to the diner that he would keep the apartment once he did actually settle into Lorelai's home. But they were being watched. Constantly. Not that it mattered much to either of them. It only mattered that the appearances were good enough to satisfy those who lived over half an hour away.
By Wednesday no one seemed to question the goings on of the strange couple. And Lorelai actually started to enjoy the fact that she was now expected to get special treatment from the usually surly diner-man. In fact, she was now told all about what he was doing when she wasn't around and encouraged to put him in a better mood for all their sakes. And while she was trying to take it all in stride, she often wondered how he was handling the stress of it all as well as he appeared to be.
Lorelai had just finished saying goodbye to Patty at the diner after yet another comment about the improvement of his mood when Luke came up to her table she shared with Rory, his shoulders tight with tension, refilling their coffee cups during the lull in the breakfast rush.
He frowned at her. "Why are you encouraging her?"
"You try telling that woman anything she won't take as encouragement when she wants to." She shook her head, watching him leave before looking to Rory. The young woman had been quieter than normal, especially while in the presence of Luke. At first Lorelai had let it slide, not thinking too much of it. But after the third day, she was starting to get worried.
"Hey, what's going on? How are you dealing with all this?"
Rory blushed, her eyes on her plate. "What? What makes you think I'm not dealing well?"
"Well, you just about jumped out the window just now when I asked you and you haven't been your regular chatty self to Luke since I told you about the marriage."
"Do you think he noticed?" Rory asked, suddenly worried and ashamed.
"I think he's had other things on his mind. You know that you can talk to me about this, right?"
I know, it's just..."
"Weird?"
"Kind of. I mean, sudden might be a better word."
"Yeah, it's really sudden. I know. And I'm sorry about that."
"But it's okay. I mean it. I mean Luke's a really great guy and I know you two really care about each other. It's just..."
"Just?" When Rory didn't make any attempt to continue, casting a worrying glance that Luke might overhear them, Lorelai led her outside, hoping that the distance would inspire her to say what had stopped her before, "What's wrong?"
"You two just don't really spend any time together."
It was Lorelai's turn to grow uncomfortable. "Oh, that. Look Rory..."
"Is it because of me? Because I'm still in the house? Because when I came home the other day Luke did not look comfortable. I mean, he almost ran. And, I don't want that. I want you to be happy. And I don't want you to think that I'm not supportive of this. Because I am. I am totally, one hundred percent, on board."
"Oh sweetie, no. It has nothing to do with you, I promise. Luke's always been a little weird around girls."
"Mom..."
"Things are just complicated. We're figuring things out."
"I know I'm no expert on relationships, but figuring things out would probably be easier if you two actually spent time together, especially away from the town," a smile grew on Rory's face, "In fact I think tonight would be a great night for me to stay over at Lane's. That way you grown-ups can spend time together, figuring things out. For as long as you need to. Late into the night if you want to. Or early in the morning."
"Rory!" Lorelai laughed, catching the innuendo in her daughter's tone.
"What? I'm not judging. It may be good for you two. I meant the talking, not the sex. Although I'm sure that sex would probably be good too..."
Lorelai started to rub her daughter's back at the uncomfortable expression that haunted her face. "Took it too far, didn't you?"
Rory just nodded, "I think I'm ready to stop talking about this and go back inside."
Lorelai was still smiling when Rory left a few minutes later.
"What's the smile about?" Luke asked when he came over to clear the table.
"Rory wants us to have sex." She laughed when Luke dropped the plates he had been bussing. "Sorry. She's staying at Lane's tonight," she continued, following him back to the counter, "and she suggested that we spend some time together."
"Time? Together?" He didn't seem trusting of her innocent tone.
She rolled her eyes. Of course he would assume she meant something dirty. "Figuring things out. I think she really wants us to make this work. I think she likes the thought of having you as a step-father."
The warm smile that Lorelai graced him with stopped his protests short. Sighing, he gave in, "Okay, tonight. It would be nice to get away from everyone."
"Good. My place? seven?"
"Six and I'll cook."
"You got yourself a date!" She beamed at him, "I'm so lucky to have a domesticated husband."
~G.G~
"It's just not right," Babette tried to whisper to Sookie and Kirk, "They're just starting out and they haven't had a chance to celebrate yet."
"Things are complicated," Sookie tried to reason, feeling uncomfortable being included in this scheme, "I don't think they want a wedding party right now."
"All the more reason," the blonde nearly shouted before lowering her voice, "Poor kids should feel the joy of being married. They'll have years to work through the hard times. Right now they need to be reminded of the good."
"I think it's a good idea," Kirk put in, "I can spread the word. I've always wanted to be town crier."
"Just remember," Sookie added, trying to keep a low profile on things, "That Luke isn't one for large gatherings."
"Of course, Sugah, we'll keep things nice and intimate. Now what do you think about Friday?"
"They're going to her mother's on Friday. And I'm sure they'll need Saturday to recover," she added quickly, knowing that Luke's mood will have to be pretty good for him to go along with another party celebrating his fake marriage.
"Then Sunday it is," Babette crooned, "Patty will take care of the entertainment, and I'll do decorations if you take care of the cake."
"Of course I will, but why not put it off for a bit? Until they settled? We don't want to overwhelm them. And that way we aren't rushed."
"Alright, we'll push it back a couple weeks. That will give us time to get any permits from Taylor and let everybody know. We're going to have us a wedding reception like you wouldn't believe!"
'Celebrating a fake marriage,' Sookie thought, 'How could anything possibly go wrong?'
~G.G~
"Do I really have to stay over?" Luke asked after dinner that night.
Lorelai shrugged, "It's up to you, I guess. As long as you realize that Babette and probably also Patty are aware that you're over here tonight and will most likely have their eyes peeled on this place until morning. They might not even sleep. They'll take shifts watching the house for any sign of you leaving even one minute before they feel is entirely appropriate. If that happens they'll probably make you diagrams and try to talk to you about how to please your wife."
"Ah jeeze. They need to get a life," he grumbled, taking another beer.
"How are you doing, anyway?" She asked him, "With everyone talking the way they are."
He shrugged, "Hazard of small town life, I suppose. Not that I enjoy it when the talk is about me, mind you."
"I'm sorry."
"Hey, I'm the one who stuck that damn ring on your finger."
She shrugged, leaning into him on the couch, looking at her finger. "It is a really pretty ring." She liked being close to him, how easily he relaxed her, just the presence of him. "So, what do you want to do tonight?"
"I dunno… movie?"
Without a word she stood and went to the table that housed her answering machine. She took out the three movies she had selected earlier in the day from the video store, the Lord of the Rings Trilogy: extended edition. "Ready to start?"
~G.G~
It felt good to laugh and relax. They had been through so much stress since their return to dry land that they forgot what it had been like to feel the ease that they had found on the open waters. Starting the second movie and well into their second case of beer, the reminders were almost close enough to touch.
"Do you think it was a fluke?" Lorelai asked, her head falling against his shoulder. Without a second thought he wrapped his arm around her, drawing her closer.
"You're talking during the movie," he reminded her, his head dipping near her ear.
"Do you really care?"
"Not one damned bit, the books were better." He grabbed the remote and paused the movie. "So what was a fluke?"
"What happened on the ship, you and me. It was pretty magical out there, do you think that's all it was?"
"I think the marriage was pretty situation specific."
"Not the marriage," she corrected, raising her head so she could meet his eyes, "The other thing."
His muscles tightened, and he could feel how warm she was against his body, "What 'other' thing?"
She leaned forward, wondering what it was about the combination of booze and Luke that made her want to be closer to him, that made her want to know him, "You know what thing I'm talking about, Luke. Would it have happened if it weren't for that cruise?"
He studied her. Her eyes, her blush, her smile, her lips. "We'll never know." He paused, weighing the odds. "But probably."
"Yeah?" She drew her body closer, her legs curling up into his lap, her arm going around his neck, his pulse thumping under her fingers.
He nodded, "You're too damned beautiful for me to never want to do this." He kissed her. And she was right there with him, responding with as much eagerness as he led with. And it wasn't long before the movie on the screen was forgotten completely, and they were making their way to her room, to her bed. And if there had ever been the chance for an annulment, it was now long gone.
~G.G~
"He spent the night," Babette whispered to Sookie and Miss Patty as they met up early the following day, to continue making plans for the surprise party they were going to throw the new couple.
Sookie blinked, "Really?"
"I left the house at seven and he was still there. No sign of either of them aside from some interesting noises over the evening. Oh, they are going to have beautiful babies!"
"Calm down," the chef urged, not sure what to think of the twist in the situation but also knowing enough that she wasn't sure what she should be feeling. She had long held certain opinions about the pair, and more than once wondered how two highly intelligent and forthright people could be so stupid and blind. "I'm sure that you're thinking way, too far ahead on this one. Let them get past the honeymoon before burdening them with parenthood."
"Although," Patty began with a sly smile, "Just think; if they had a kid soon, it could grow up with your little one."
The thought came unwillingly upon Sookie, thoughts of the possible future should Lorelai and Luke decide to remain together. And not for the first time, she was truly hoping they'd get their eyes checked.
~G.G~
"We have to stop drinking," Lorelai chided as she got ready in the morning, late for her meeting with Sookie about starting the plans for the inn. "Whenever we drink I end up in bed with you."
"Sure, blame the booze." He grumbled, pulling his shirt over his head. He had slept in, and was glad that Caesar had opened that morning. "How does that explain this morning?"
She turned to him with an almost naughty grin, "I wanted to see if it was just the booze."
He couldn't help but smile with her, "And was it?"
"Alas, it was. Good thing we found it out now, and not in twenty years, after my figure gives out and I can't find anyone better."
"Oh that's cute, you thinking that I'd put up with you for twenty years. You'd have me insane within five."
"You give me far too much credit. You're stubborn, let's call it 10, I have faith in you." She gave herself a final once over in the mirror, "Ready?"
"Yup. Let's give them more to talk about."
She was enjoying this, having people watch as she and Luke made their way to his diner. She might have even been able to get used to being expected to loop her arm through his, and stand close as they made their way through the town square.
"I kind of want to kiss you in front of Doose's, just to see if we can give Taylor an aneurysm."
He laughed, "He's usually in the shoppe this time of day," he added when he caught her frowning as they passed the market without so much as a pause.
"Even better." She could have blamed it on wanting to bother Taylor, or on the hangover that tickled her brain, or even the afterglow that still dulled the tiredness of her muscles, but honestly she just wanted to know what it was like to kiss him in front of those who knew them. And she wanted to kiss him. Kissing him was easy. Addictive almost. And curiosity got the better of her - would he kiss her back?
She slowed as she neared the ice cream shoppe, pulling him to a stop with her. She didn't look up at him, she couldn't. Not if he was going to turn her away. Not if he was going to draw the line between reality and the lie that her mother had forced upon them.
"Lorelai..." there was concern in his voice when he turned to face her. And he knew. And against everything that was in him shouting to stop this, to save himself from the pain he would feel when the divorce finally came through, he met her halfway. He kissed her back and egged her on, holding her close to him in a way that made him wonder if it was the kiss or his embrace that was responsible for her not being able to find her breath once they pulled away.
When they stepped back, faces flushed and breathing harsh and limbs trembling, the spell was broken and they knew everyone was watching them. Just as they knew that whatever was happening between them - whatever game they felt the other was playing - was quickly getting out of hand.
"I have to go," he mumbled, looking at the side walk as he pointed to the diner, where the windows were crowded with onlookers gawking at the pair.
"Uh- yeah, right. Me- me too. I'll call you with details about tomorrow." She quickly moved through the square once more, off towards Sookie's, her mind spinning with the events of the day. She didn't look up, she didn't veer off her course until she stood on the chef's porch, seeing Sookie waiting for her, her portable phone in her hand and a frown clearly on her face. "Sookie..."
The redhead nodded, "I know, I heard all about it."
~G.G~
Luke tried not to care when he went into the diner. He tried to appear like what had just happened wasn't odd or different or a really big deal. And he figured, judging by the eyes that were still following him, he wasn't doing a very good job at playing pretend.
"Hey boss, there's someone waiting for you upstairs," Caesar called. He was uneasy. Had Luke been more aware of what was going on, he would have noticed. He would have asked questions instead of nodding dumbly and climbing the stairs.
It was only as he opened the door and smelt the familiar perfume that he realized that there should have been warning bells. There, sitting on the windowsill, looking down at the street where he and Lorelai had just been, was Nicole.
They stared at one another. "I'm sorry," she started, swallowing the discomfort that made her shake, "I called you last night but you didn't answer. So I came here... I now understand why Caesar didn't want to talk to me." She moved to the couch where she had thrown her coat. There were tears in her eyes, another thing to make him feel uncomfortable with everything that was going on.
"What are you doing here?" He finally found his voice enough to ask, arms crossed, keeping the table between them.
"I missed you. I wanted to talk to you, to see if there was any chance that... that I had been wrong about you. And her. But I wasn't. Caesar told me that you took her with you on the cruise. I knew that you had cared about her. But I didn't think that this would happen so quickly after we..."
"Nicole, it's not what it looks like," he tried to assure her, stepping closer as he watched the first of her tears fall. "That wasn't why I took her with me."
"I want to believe you. So what happened, then? What happened to finally open your eyes?"
"We got married."
When she was a kid, Nicole had been hit by a soccer ball in the stomach so hard that she was afraid that she'd never be able to breath again. Hearing Luke's words now, twenty years later, produced the same effect.
"I'm sorry."
She looked up at him, her expression somewhere between sadness and anger and love and heartache, "Sorry?" Nodding, she stalked past him, out the door and out of his life. There had been no real goodbye. Not that they needed one. Sometimes goodbyes were in the silences, between the words and within the space that lived between two people drifting apart.
Alone in his apartment, his lips wearing the reminder of one woman while his nose the other, he sagged into his couch, feeling more lost than he had since waking up with a ring on his finger.
~TBC~
Up next: Dinner a la Gilmore