Author's Note: My apologies for the long wait in between updates. When last we met Lorelai and Luke had just left Friday night dinner. Thanks for the kind reviews and suggestions.
Chapter 7
"In the Arms of the One You Love"
Lorelai and Luke drove in silence down the dark, narrow road back to Stars Hollow, neither was sure of what to say. Lorelai mentally relived each and every comment and gesture she made at the dinner table. Luke thought over his conversation with the Emily and Richard and wondered if he'd perhaps said too much. Finally Luke broke the silence.
"Are you okay?" he asked Lorelai for the third or fourth time that evening.
"I'm okay," she reassured him softly. "Just trying to think things through I guess. I doubt Rory will have much to say to me ever again after tonight."
"She'll come around," Luke said confidently, as if he were some omniscient god. Lorelai silently hoped he was right. Maybe he could see the future. He'd told her on more than one occasion that she'd be okay, that everything would work out. Lorelai couldn't remember a time when he'd been wrong about such things and so she let herself believe him, if only for a moment.
"I handled things all wrong," she said.
"You don't know that," he replied. "I bet Rory will see things your way eventually. She just needs time. Maybe this is her way of venturing out on her own, spreading her wings."
"She's going to spread her wings in my parent's house?" Lorelai scoffed. "Not likely. I know why the caged bird sings Luke; it's to escape the prison of my parent's house. It's singing to plead anyone to stop and save it from the bars of my parent's gilded cage."
Luke didn't respond. He simply watched the road ahead. "Nothing?" she said after a moment. "I thought that was a pretty good reference."
"Hmm," Luke replied absently.
"Mission control to Major Tom," Lorelai said waving her hand by his face. "Are you in there?"
"Sorry," Luke said clearing his throat. "Sorry, I was out of it for a minute."
"I see they sucked the life force out of you too. What did you guys talk about while Rory and I were gone anyway? I hope they weren't too horrible. Things seemed a little quiet when I got back to the table."
"No," Luke evaded. "It wasn't too bad."
"Your beer was gone by the time I got back," Lorelai pressed.
"I guess it was," Luke said.
"We were gone like five minutes," Lorelai said. "My parents must have said something to get you to put down a beer that quickly."
"Not really," Luke continued to evade her questioning.
"Just the usual huh?" Lorelai said knowingly, but unknowingly oblivious to the conversation Luke had with her parents. "Luke, I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to thank you enough for coming with me tonight. It was above and beyond the call of duty."
"You wanted me there, I'm there," he said reaching over and giving her knee a light squeeze. "This is all gonna work out."
"Yeah," Lorelai replied feeling anything but confident.
Luke navigated the turn off the highway and drove passed the Stars Hollow sign. "You sound like you need pie," he said.
"I do sound like I need pie," she said perking up.
"Well I think we should stop and get you some then," he replied.
"Had I known that a horrible dinner with my family might get you to lighten up on your pie Nazi duties I might not have dreaded it so much," Lorelai grinned.
"Don't get your hopes up too high," Luke responded. "All I have is peach pie."
"The dreaded peach," Lorelai said glumly. "Well I guess beggars can't be choosers."
Luke chuckled lightly as he parked the truck outside of the diner. They exited the vehicle and Luke unlocked the door. "So, what about your parents?" he asked as they entered. "You and your Mom seemed to be going at it tonight."
"It's just the usual," Lorelai replied placing her purse on the counter.
"It seemed pretty hostile," Luke tried again.
"It just kills me that my mother thinks she knows what's best for Rory," Lorelai replied angrily. "As if she was Mother of the Year when I was under that roof. But, I don't know, maybe she does know what Rory's needs. She's obviously happy there."
"Don't let this situation make you doubt yourself," Luke said as he cut her a slice of pie. "You're a great mother."
"I was for a few years anyway," Lorelai said glumly picking at the slice of pie Luke placed in front of her.
Luke looked at Lorelai sitting before him and she looked lost. More lost than he'd ever seen the confident, radiant woman before him. The worst part of the matter was that he couldn't do anything to make things better between Rory and Lorelai. Luke was helpless to make her parents see things her way. He was unaccustomed to being helpless. The last time he felt this way was when his mother was ill. He couldn't do anything to ease her pain, or the pain of his family and he didn't like it.
"Did I tell you that Kirk came in today?" Luke said suddenly changing the subject. Lorelai looked up at him surprised by his abrupt question, but grateful for the distraction.
"No," she said. "What happened?"
"Well it turns out that his brother is coming to town for a few days and he made plans to see Lulu," Luke said.
"Is this the brother that used to date Lulu?" Lorelai asked intrigued.
"The one and the same," Luke replied.
"So what did Kirk want?" Lorelai asked intrigued.
"He told me I was the burliest guy he knew and that I looked I'd be able to hold my own in a fist fight," Luke informed her. "He wanted me to show him a few pointers in case he had to defend Lulu's honor."
Luke suppressed a smile as he spoke. "Please tell me you're going to show him how to street fight," Lorelai said excitedly. "Please? Will you? Please let me watch?"
"Will it make you feel better?" Luke asked.
"Yes," Lorelai smiled shyly.
"I'll tell him to come over on Sunday," Luke replied only half-joking.
"I have the best boyfriend in the whole world," Lorelai grinned as she shoveled a bite of pie into her mouth. She leaned forward and gave him a small kiss on the lips. Luke returned the kiss and licked his lips.
"You and Liz are right," he said making a face.
"About what?" Lorelai asked.
"The peach pie is not very good," he replied with a smile.
"Logan I'm so sorry about tonight," Rory apologized when they returned to the pool house.
"It's okay Ace," Logan replied throwing a lazy arm over her shoulder. "Although I will say I'm not used to my girlfriend's mothers hating me."
"She doesn't hate you," Rory said. "She doesn't ever know you. We're just not getting along right now and she's taking it out on you."
"I think she hates me," Logan said knowingly.
"Well I hate her right now so I guess we're even."
"You don't mean that," Logan said dismissing her as he took a seat on the couch.
"I don't know what I mean," Rory said taking a seat next to him. "I'm so confused about everything right now."
"Did your Grandparents rook you into taking that law internship?" Logan asked.
"I haven't committed to it yet, but I'll probably take it."
"Rory Gilmore, attorney at law," Logan mocked her. "It sounds like a reality series to me."
"Hey, I'll have you know that I was a very good debater when I went to Chilton," Rory said flirtatiously as she hit him playfully.
"Sorry," Logan flirted back. "Please don't file a suit of defamation of character against me Ms. Gilmore."
"I'll see you in court Mr. Huntzberger," Rory replied as she leaned forward and kissed him. Logan returned her kiss and she felt a little bit better about the evening. She took comfort in the fact that although so many things in her life seemed to be falling apart, her relationship with Logan was one of them. He leaned her back on the couch and they continued to kiss.
"I'd rather see you in the bedroom Ms. Gilmore," he whispered in her ear and kissed her again.
"Logan, my grandparents are right across the yard," Rory tried to suppress a giggle as he nipped at her ear.
"Well then we should probably turn off the light," Logan said reaching over to click off the lamp on the table. "Either that or we move this to the bedroom counselor."
"After consulting with my client, I think that can be arranged," Rory giggled.
Logan got up and took her by the hand as they walked toward the bedroom. For the first time that night Rory felt like things were as they should be and she was in the company of someone who understood and cared about her.
Richard had spent a good amount of time in office pouring over work until he reached into a file in his locked desk drawer. He pulled out an old folded sheet of paper that had been worn and weather throughout the years. He scanned the document and sighed remembering the first time he'd read it. It was the letter his mother had given to him a day prior to his wedding to Emily. He remembered feeling conflicted and angry when he'd first read it. However, in the end he ignored his mother's advice and his life had been better for it.
Richard heard a light knock on the study door and he quickly folded the note and placed it back into the desk drawer.
"Come in," Richard called as he locked the desk drawer.
Emily entered the room and walked over to the chair in front of Richard's desk. "Are you coming to bed soon Richard?" she asked.
"Yes, I was just finishing up," he replied clearing his throat slightly.
"It certainly has been a long night," Emily said.
"That it has," Richard acknowledged. "I think we should have a talk with Rory tomorrow about the internship at the law firm. I know it may not be what she's looking for, but I think it will do her good."
"I agree," Emily replied. "It might give her some stability to have a steady job, at least for the summer."
"Yes. We should probably also start working out a plan for how to proceed from here."
"Yes," Emily said. She hesitated slightly before she added, "And what about Luke?"
"We'll have to discuss that as well," Richard said.
"I suppose we will," Emily said irritably.
"Emily, please let's not debate this tonight," Richard sighed.
"I'd rather not debate it at all and the fact that you're even entertaining his little speech is beyond me."
"Emily, whether we like it or not, Luke is the man that Lorelai has chosen. We either have to accept that or accept the consequences. I remember how upset you were when Lorelai left here twenty years ago. I'd rather not have to relive that when she cuts us out of her life again."
"She wouldn't do that," Emily replied defiantly.
"You're being very short-sighted," Richard replied. "Rory is living here with us and Lorelai is quite angry over that. Now wouldn't be the time to alienate her further by giving Luke grief."
"And whose fault is it that Lorelai is upset with us over Rory? I was ready to back up Lorelai in her decision to get Rory to go back to school."
"Which you've not been shy about sharing with me," Richard interjected. "I know your position on the matter Emily and you know mine."
"Well then where does that leave us?" Emily asked.
"Can we leave it until the morning Emily? Please?" he softening suddenly.
Emily saw the resolve on Richard's face. She also saw that he looked as tired as she felt and she knew that this was no time to engage in a debate over the lives of Rory and Lorelai.
"Alright," Emily said. "But, I'm not certain of how any of this will turn out."
Richard stood up from behind his desk and joined Emily's side as they walked out of the study. "I'm not either," he replied. "The only thing I am sure of is that I have been fortunate to have you by side through everything we've been through."
"Richard," Emily said touched. He wasn't one for a lot of verbal affection, especially out of nowhere.
"Let's just go to bed Emily," he said softly as he placed his arm around her shoulder gently.
Emily wasn't sure if this was his way of preempting a potential spat or not, but regardless she was happy to know that Richard was by her side through it all.
TBC
