GUYS! Gilmore Girls! November 25th! I'm still in fangirl mode. And, because of this, I will be posting two chapters today!
Enjoy!
"Luke? Have you had chicken pox?" Lorelai asked the next day after she had informed the school about Rory.
Taking a minute to process the woman's words, Luke's eyes grew wide.
"She has chicken pox?" He exclaimed through the phone unaware of a few stares he received from the customers at the counter. Using the lobby telephone, Lorelai tried to keep her voice down so the guests would not hear as she confirmed, "Yeah. Are you immune?"
"Yeah. She okay?" He questioned attached to the girls for an unfathomable reason. The mother sighed before answering, "Just trying not to scratch. Her fever's gotten a little better, too. I just feel so bad for her. She's barely eating, which is very un- Gilmore of her."
Wanting to ask more questions about the girl's health and if he could do anything, the man soon noticed the lunch rush and sighed. Knowing he had to cut the call short, Luke replied, "She'll eat soon. Hey, I gotta go. If you need anything just call."
"Will do. Thanks, Luke."
"Yep," The man responded before hanging up the phone and serving his customers. When there was a lull around three, he thought about calling the inn. Reaching for the phone, Luke stopped. Reminding himself that he had only known the mother and daughter for a few months, he talked himself out of calling. Besides, Lorelai did not need someone taking her away from a sick Rory. Instead, he cleaned up before the dinner rush came in. Working until the very last person left at around nine that night, Luke realized just how tired he was from the last couple days' events. He did not want to admit it, but he was genuinely worried about a four year old who magically escaped his jam hands rule while her mother escaped his people rule. Somehow they had become a part of his life he did not want to let go and he had barely known them a few months. Eagerly, Luke put the closed sign on the door and started cleaning up. He had just started wiping down tables when he heard someone knock on the door.
"We're closed!" The owner called out as he turned over a chair and placed it on a table. However, as much as he wanted to ignore the sound, the knocking continued.
"What?" The diner owner roared as he turned to the door. His face softened a little when he noticed Lorelai.
"Hey, what are you doing here this late?" Luke asked once he opened the door and let his friend inside. Quickly, he added, "I'm not giving you coffee."
Shaking her head, Lorelai replied, "It's Rory."
Concerned, Luke raised an eyebrow as his mind came up with the scariest scenarios. Her friend's eyebrow raise caused the woman to reply, "She only wants your mashed potatoes."
"My–" Luke began confused, yet relieved as Lorelai finished, "Mashed potatoes. I asked her if there was anything she wanted, and it was your–"
"Mashed potatoes," The man finished as he headed back to the kitchen. Following him, Lorelai asked, "What are you doing?"
"Making Rory what she wants. Did you drive here?" He asked. Confused by the question, Lorelai answered, "No. Why?"
"I'll take my truck," Luke murmured trying to figure out the easiest way to transport the food to the inn. Realizing he was talking about taking the food over to her home, Lorelai quickly declined.
"It's fine, Luke. Really. Exercise may do me some good!" The woman stated trying to keep her friend from seeing the potting shed. She was proud of how far she'd come, but still felt bad about not giving her daughter a proper home.
"I'll go over. Besides, you probably want to get home pretty quickly. I take it her fever's down?" Luke asked as he peeled the potatoes. Nodding, Lorelai answered, "It's pretty low grade right now. Sookie's with her. They took turns making oven mitt puppet animals when I left."
Luke turned to throw the peels in the trash when he noticed the brunette leaning against the door jamb.
"You go home and I'll make these and come over. You look pretty tired," The man stated. Putting her purse strap back over her shoulder, Lorelai murmured a sarcastic, "Thanks."
"I just call it as I see it," Luke commented hiding his smirk from his friend. He enjoyed their easy banter. After his ex, he barely registered anyone trying to talk to him except Mia, but somehow Lorelai and Rory caused him to live a little. His smirk ended when Lorelai let out a humph before traveling to the stove. Curious, the woman asked, "Are you adding seasoning to potatoes?"
"Just a little rosemary."
"Huh," The brunette answered clearly uncertain of the act. A small bit insulted, Luke said, "She wants my potatoes. She'll get my potatoes. This is how I make them for the diner, and it's how I'll make them for her. Besides, I figure they haven't killed her yet."
"No, we take care of that with a swift hit over the head when the body guy comes around yelling 'Bring out your dead!'" Lorelai answered feeling at ease to talk to the man. She had only officially known him a few months, but it felt like forever. Sighing, the mother resigned herself to the late hour and the fact that she had to get home and stated, "I need to go. I promised Sookie I wouldn't take too long."
"Go. I'll drive out there tonight and give them to you," Luke answered stirring in some butter. Shaking her head, Lorelai replied, "Do it tomorrow. It's late, and Rory is probably asleep anyway. Thanks though."
"Yep. Night, Lorelai," Luke replied heading out to the front of the diner to let the woman out.
"Night, Luke. And, thanks. This means a lot," Lorelai stated trying to keep from hugging the man. He nodded curtly before replying, "Any time."
Luke made sure his friend left the diner safely and head down the road. He smiled to himself wondering what his father would think of the brunette before going back to the stove. He finished the potatoes a little over an hour later, placed them in a rather large container, put them in the fridge, and went to bed.
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