* Oh, God. More fluff. I can't help it. I own nothing. *
Luke and Lorelai stood there, just . kissing. Lorelai's hands left Luke's back and traveled up to his neck as the kiss grew into something more intense. Slowly, the kiss faded until they let go of each other and pulled away. Awkwardly, they avoided looking at the other, Lorelai biting her lip. "I - ." They both began simultaneously.
"I should go." Lorelai finished, and ran out of the diner, grabbing Rory and catching the attention of other customers.
Luke leaned his elbows against a counter, bending over and burying his face in his hands. "Oh. Crap."
"Mom? What's going on?" Rory asked as Lorelai dragged her out of the diner by the wrist. Lorelai just hurried along the sidewalk silently. "Did you tell Luke what happened?"
"Yes."
"And?" She struggled to keep up with her mother.
"And I shouldn't have."
"Why won't you tell me?"
"Rory." Lorelai warned, angry and confused, and beginning to cry again.
"Fine." She huffed. The rest of the short walk was spent in silence.
When they arrived back at the house, Lorelai jogged up the stairs and closed the door to her room, crawling into her pajamas and her bed. She buried herself under the covers and reached out onto her nightstand for the furry phone. Pulling it under the blankets with her, she dialed work. "Independence Inn, Michel speaking."
"Michel, it's Lorelai. I'm not going to be in today. I don't feel very good."
"I shall throw a party."
"Well, then, be sure to invite some bikers."
"Goodbye Lorelai." He drawled. She hung up and willed sleep to come, but knowing that it wouldn't.
Downstairs, Rory was just as baffled by the last twelve hours as she had been, if not more. She heated up the French toast Luke had brought her not half an hour earlier. Only one question kept running through her mind: What happened?
(Later that evening, 6:20)
"Mom?" Rory knocked on Lorelai's door and entered. She looked at the heap that was her mother, curled up under the quilt. "Aren't you coming to dinner?"
"No, go alone." Came her muffled reply. Understanding that she was upset, Rory didn't pry, and back out of the doorframe and left for Hartford.
"Hello, Rory, come on in." Emily greeted and looked around outside of the door. "Where is your mother?"
"She um . didn't feel well." Rory replied and stepped into the house. "Grandma, I wanted to ask you about something." She started.
"It's not about last night, is it?"
"No. Not about last night. It's about . Well, see . You know the DuGreys, right?" She asked nervously as she sat down. Richard was already there on the sofa.
"Yes, we know Janlen and Alexandra. Why do you ask?" Richard answered.
"Well, I've been . Tristan and I are becoming friends, I guess."
"That's wonderful. Tristan is a very a nice young man. Good family, the DuGreys." Emily commented, pouring Rory a soda and handing it to her.
"Where is you mother?" Richard asked, looking around.
"She's sick." Rory said nonchalantly, her mind on other subjects. "Anyway, could you tell me about Tristan's family?" Her grandparents exchanged a look.
"Thomas, his father, is a very hard worker. Outstanding lawyer. His wife, Kathryn is a very sweet woman. Then, of course you know Tristan." Emily sidestepped the subject of Carter. "Have you met Emma? Fantastic little girl. Incredibly smart for her age." She gushed.
"Yes, I've met Emma. She is great." Rory agreed. "But I found out about Carter today, so that's really what I wanted to know about." Richard hesitated.
"Smart boy, that Carter. He was studying to be a doctor at Yale. He would have been top-notch, too."
"It was about two years ago. I think he was coming back from a party or something, and he was hit by a drunk driver." Emily continued quietly. "Terrible tragedy. Kathryn never recovered. I don't think she really admitted it to herself. Excuse me." She hurried out of the room.
"That's awful. I'm sorry , Grandpa, I didn't mean to -." Rory uncomfortably apologized.
"It's okay, Rory. We understand. You were curious."
Dinner in Hartford had been strained, so Rory was relieved to be home. Lorelai was now on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Her cheeks were tear stained, but she wasn't crying. "Hi Mom." Rory said carefully. She looked over at her and smiled weakly.
"Hey. How was dinner?"
"Fine." She pulled off her shoes.
"Tristan called."
"Are you okay?"
"Just tired, that's all." She waved the question away. "I'm going to bed." She rose from the couch and kissed Rory's forehead. "Night sweets."
"Night Mom." Her eyes followed her mother up the stairs. She sighed, and dug around the living room for the phone. She pulled it out from between the couch cushions and dialed Tristan's number.
"Hello?"
"Hey."
"Hey, what's up?" Tristan grinned, hearing Rory's voice. He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of his bed.
"Just calling you back. Have you talked to Paris?" She flopped down on the couch.
"Yeah. So the donations booth, huh? Sounds exciting. Any idea what we do?"
"Rich strangers give us fifty bucks to have their name put on an ornament to be put on the big Chilton Christmas tree in the main hallway. I have five binders full of information." Rory explained, groaning.
"Sounds like fun."
"As long as I have coffee." Tristan laughed.
"You're a weird one."
"Thank you."
"Your welcome. So, hey, do you want to come Christmas shopping with me tomorrow?" He invited.
"Sorry, I'm spending the day with Dean." She declined, flinching.
"Eh, that's fine." He brushed off. "I can buy your presents."
"Oooh, yeah. What do you want?" Tristan thought about saying 'you', but that would probably set him back a few .
"Uh, I don't know. Just some CDs, I guess." It didn't really matter what he got, he had never wanted or needed anything specific.
"Boring. I'm going to get a you a cool present."
"Well I'm going to get you a llama." She burst out laughing.
"A llama!?!"
"Yep, a llama. They're very friendly, you know." He told her.
"I actually didn't know that. Gee, how can I top a llama?" She thought for a second. "Ooh! I got it! An emu!"
"An emu? That's exactly like a llama!"
"How do you know?"
"Well, I think it is. Or maybe that's an ostrich. Anyway, what a I supposed to do with an emu?"
"What am I supposed to do with a llama?" Rory's stomach hurt from laughing so hard. Despite the fact that she had been having a serious discussion about Tristan's family today, this had to be one of the funniest conversations she had ever had.
*Sorry, this chapter is shorter than usual, but I wanted to get it up. My original plan was to get rid of Dean I this chapter, but since this kiss I had to change some things around. I don't think I'm going to change the name because that would be confusing for some people. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, and thanks for sticking to this story even if I am very, very slow. I don't know when the next chapter will be up. I'll probably start it today, but I'm going to Lake Compounce (aka 'The Death Trap') tomorrow. Pray I don't die on anything, k? Thanks *
Luke and Lorelai stood there, just . kissing. Lorelai's hands left Luke's back and traveled up to his neck as the kiss grew into something more intense. Slowly, the kiss faded until they let go of each other and pulled away. Awkwardly, they avoided looking at the other, Lorelai biting her lip. "I - ." They both began simultaneously.
"I should go." Lorelai finished, and ran out of the diner, grabbing Rory and catching the attention of other customers.
Luke leaned his elbows against a counter, bending over and burying his face in his hands. "Oh. Crap."
"Mom? What's going on?" Rory asked as Lorelai dragged her out of the diner by the wrist. Lorelai just hurried along the sidewalk silently. "Did you tell Luke what happened?"
"Yes."
"And?" She struggled to keep up with her mother.
"And I shouldn't have."
"Why won't you tell me?"
"Rory." Lorelai warned, angry and confused, and beginning to cry again.
"Fine." She huffed. The rest of the short walk was spent in silence.
When they arrived back at the house, Lorelai jogged up the stairs and closed the door to her room, crawling into her pajamas and her bed. She buried herself under the covers and reached out onto her nightstand for the furry phone. Pulling it under the blankets with her, she dialed work. "Independence Inn, Michel speaking."
"Michel, it's Lorelai. I'm not going to be in today. I don't feel very good."
"I shall throw a party."
"Well, then, be sure to invite some bikers."
"Goodbye Lorelai." He drawled. She hung up and willed sleep to come, but knowing that it wouldn't.
Downstairs, Rory was just as baffled by the last twelve hours as she had been, if not more. She heated up the French toast Luke had brought her not half an hour earlier. Only one question kept running through her mind: What happened?
(Later that evening, 6:20)
"Mom?" Rory knocked on Lorelai's door and entered. She looked at the heap that was her mother, curled up under the quilt. "Aren't you coming to dinner?"
"No, go alone." Came her muffled reply. Understanding that she was upset, Rory didn't pry, and back out of the doorframe and left for Hartford.
"Hello, Rory, come on in." Emily greeted and looked around outside of the door. "Where is your mother?"
"She um . didn't feel well." Rory replied and stepped into the house. "Grandma, I wanted to ask you about something." She started.
"It's not about last night, is it?"
"No. Not about last night. It's about . Well, see . You know the DuGreys, right?" She asked nervously as she sat down. Richard was already there on the sofa.
"Yes, we know Janlen and Alexandra. Why do you ask?" Richard answered.
"Well, I've been . Tristan and I are becoming friends, I guess."
"That's wonderful. Tristan is a very a nice young man. Good family, the DuGreys." Emily commented, pouring Rory a soda and handing it to her.
"Where is you mother?" Richard asked, looking around.
"She's sick." Rory said nonchalantly, her mind on other subjects. "Anyway, could you tell me about Tristan's family?" Her grandparents exchanged a look.
"Thomas, his father, is a very hard worker. Outstanding lawyer. His wife, Kathryn is a very sweet woman. Then, of course you know Tristan." Emily sidestepped the subject of Carter. "Have you met Emma? Fantastic little girl. Incredibly smart for her age." She gushed.
"Yes, I've met Emma. She is great." Rory agreed. "But I found out about Carter today, so that's really what I wanted to know about." Richard hesitated.
"Smart boy, that Carter. He was studying to be a doctor at Yale. He would have been top-notch, too."
"It was about two years ago. I think he was coming back from a party or something, and he was hit by a drunk driver." Emily continued quietly. "Terrible tragedy. Kathryn never recovered. I don't think she really admitted it to herself. Excuse me." She hurried out of the room.
"That's awful. I'm sorry , Grandpa, I didn't mean to -." Rory uncomfortably apologized.
"It's okay, Rory. We understand. You were curious."
Dinner in Hartford had been strained, so Rory was relieved to be home. Lorelai was now on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Her cheeks were tear stained, but she wasn't crying. "Hi Mom." Rory said carefully. She looked over at her and smiled weakly.
"Hey. How was dinner?"
"Fine." She pulled off her shoes.
"Tristan called."
"Are you okay?"
"Just tired, that's all." She waved the question away. "I'm going to bed." She rose from the couch and kissed Rory's forehead. "Night sweets."
"Night Mom." Her eyes followed her mother up the stairs. She sighed, and dug around the living room for the phone. She pulled it out from between the couch cushions and dialed Tristan's number.
"Hello?"
"Hey."
"Hey, what's up?" Tristan grinned, hearing Rory's voice. He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of his bed.
"Just calling you back. Have you talked to Paris?" She flopped down on the couch.
"Yeah. So the donations booth, huh? Sounds exciting. Any idea what we do?"
"Rich strangers give us fifty bucks to have their name put on an ornament to be put on the big Chilton Christmas tree in the main hallway. I have five binders full of information." Rory explained, groaning.
"Sounds like fun."
"As long as I have coffee." Tristan laughed.
"You're a weird one."
"Thank you."
"Your welcome. So, hey, do you want to come Christmas shopping with me tomorrow?" He invited.
"Sorry, I'm spending the day with Dean." She declined, flinching.
"Eh, that's fine." He brushed off. "I can buy your presents."
"Oooh, yeah. What do you want?" Tristan thought about saying 'you', but that would probably set him back a few .
"Uh, I don't know. Just some CDs, I guess." It didn't really matter what he got, he had never wanted or needed anything specific.
"Boring. I'm going to get a you a cool present."
"Well I'm going to get you a llama." She burst out laughing.
"A llama!?!"
"Yep, a llama. They're very friendly, you know." He told her.
"I actually didn't know that. Gee, how can I top a llama?" She thought for a second. "Ooh! I got it! An emu!"
"An emu? That's exactly like a llama!"
"How do you know?"
"Well, I think it is. Or maybe that's an ostrich. Anyway, what a I supposed to do with an emu?"
"What am I supposed to do with a llama?" Rory's stomach hurt from laughing so hard. Despite the fact that she had been having a serious discussion about Tristan's family today, this had to be one of the funniest conversations she had ever had.
*Sorry, this chapter is shorter than usual, but I wanted to get it up. My original plan was to get rid of Dean I this chapter, but since this kiss I had to change some things around. I don't think I'm going to change the name because that would be confusing for some people. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, and thanks for sticking to this story even if I am very, very slow. I don't know when the next chapter will be up. I'll probably start it today, but I'm going to Lake Compounce (aka 'The Death Trap') tomorrow. Pray I don't die on anything, k? Thanks *