Fight For Us

Chapter 10 – A Whole New Can of Worms

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Thank you so much Jewels! Sometimes I need you so much more than other times, and this chapter was one of those times. It really did suck before you got your sand sculpture-making hands on it. Thanks so much for all of your help and for your unwavering support. You make fan fiction so much more enjoyable!

Some of you might notice a special shout-out to Lulu here for helping me with some GG details, not necessarily in this chapter, but throughout my stories. She knows all!

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"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Lorelai said, standing under her parents' portico, buying some time before ringing the bell.

"It's the right thing for us, Lorelai," Luke answered plainly, although if pressed, he'd have to admit to having some apprehension as well.

"We finally have no errands to run and nothing important to do. But instead of lounging in bed all day with my fiancé," she couldn't help smiling at the word, "we're at my parents' house. Something is seriously wrong with this picture," she huffed.

"I'm the one who has to wear a tie in the middle of the day. This isn't exactly easy for me either. But, we don't want to have the 'why didn't you tell us sooner' conversation on Friday night, in front of April and Rory, do we?" he asked.

"No, I guess not," she said, impressed at how well he was getting to know Emily and Richard.

"Don't worry. We'll have plenty of time to celebrate after our visit."

"Does the celebration entail more of you naked and in my bed?" she cooed.

"Um, possibly." He tugged at his sleeves, trying not to allow the image of their morning frolic to stay with him.

"Okay, but you have no idea what we're getting into. We're opening a whole new can of worms here. And not some itty-bitty, little worms either. I'm talking long, squirmy night crawlers, oozing around in a huge rusty can," she warned.

"I get the picture, and I'll take the chance." He smiled at her reassuringly. "They'll want to be involved. And it takes a lot of pressure off us. With their help, we can concentrate on just being together." Lorelai took a deep breath, smoothed out her skirt, and then unnecessarily straightened Luke's tie. "I'm here with you. It'll be okay," he said.

She looked up at him and he kissed her sweetly. The heavy door opened while they were in mid-embrace. "You're here." Emily said, though she didn't act surprised to find them kissing on her front porch.

"Oh, hello, Mother," Lorelai said, covering her smirk with the back of her hand. "Where's Rosa?"

"It's a long story that I don't wish to rehash. Let's just say it had something to do with hearing aids and her refusal to be fitted for one," Emily retorted as Luke and Lorelai passed a quick glance to one another.

"Hello, Emily. Thank you for inviting us to lunch on such short notice," Luke said, acutely aware of his tie digging into his neck, but refusing to fidget in Emily's company.

"Yes, well, come in." She led them past the foyer and into the living room. "Richard, Lorelai and Luke are here," she called across the hall into his office. "He's a workhorse, that man. He's been in his office or on the phone all week. He looks so tired. I hope he's not over doing it."

"I wouldn't worry about Dad, Mom. It's his work that keeps him young. He loves it," Lorelai said.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Emily agreed hesitantly. Lorelai thought she noticed a flash of concern on her mother's face. Richard entered and Emily switched into her 'pleasant corporate wife' mask, right before their eyes.

Richard wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and put it into his coat pocket as he approached the rest of them. "Well, hello, Luke," he said extending his hand. They shook and Richard greeted his daughter. "Hello, Lorelai."

"Hi, Dad."

"It isn't very often that we have you two here for lunch during the week. What will it be?" Richard asked, sounding pleased, but a little winded.

"How about some champagne?" Lorelai said, her arm tucked comfortably through Luke's.

"So, what's new?" Emily asked, glancing conspicuously at Lorelai's ring. Luke nodded at Lorelai, encouraging her to tell them.

"Well, Mom, Dad," she looked from one to the other, unable to contain her smile, even though she was a little nervous about their reaction, "Luke and I are ready to get married."

"That's marvelous!" Richard said, before hugging Lorelai and clapping Luke on the back. "Champagne it is," he decided, then busied himself with the ice bucket and glasses.

Emily stood motionless, as Richard congratulated them. "Mom… do you… are you happy for us?" Lorelai asked, biting on her bottom lip.

"Of course I am," Emily said. Her eyed misted as she hugged her daughter, then a surprised and awkward Luke.

Lorelai and Luke had been through so much in the past year. Emily could honestly say now that she believed Lorelai had never truly been happy without Luke. And only recently she recognized that this man might be the best thing that had ever happened to her daughter. He was steady and stable, she could tell that he was kind, but he didn't take any of Lorelai's nonsense. He actually took a lot of her nonsense, and he even seemed to enjoy it, but he knew when to stand firm. And most of all, he loved her to no end.

Independent Lorelai, who didn't need or want anything or anybody, had found the one person that she would accept help from. Right from the very start of their friendship, Lorelai allowed this man past her stubborn wall of independence and Emily had to admit that it often gave her comfort to know that Luke was nearby, just in case Lorelai ever needed anything. God knows she'd never call her mother or father if she needed help. But she always called Luke. Emily could see that they were partners then, now, and they would be for life.

Luke was a real man, unlike that perpetual adolescent Christopher, or that boring schoolteacher, what's-his-name, or even the insufferable, neurotic Jason. The other men couldn't hold a candle to Luke. Luke might be strong enough to keep her daughter happy. If nothing else, he'd keep her in Connecticut, close to them. This was one man who wasn't going anywhere.

Richard opened the bottle, and Champagne was poured all around. He raised his glass high and proud as he toasted his only daughter and her fiancé. "To my beautiful daughter, Lorelai. I knew you were special the day we brought you home from the hospital. To Luke, a man whom I've grown to admire. Make our baby girl happy; she means the world to us. And to both of you, I wish you as many years of love and joy that Emily and I have shared." He looked lovingly at his wife and they shared a private smile.

"Hear, hear." They all toasted and drank; even Luke took a sip without wincing.

Luke gave Lorelai a quick kiss and a tight hug before she wiped her eyes.

"I just knew he would gush. That Toastmasters Group is full of sappy old men," Emily said, blinking rapidly herself.

"Now, Emily, this is my only daughter and she deserves to be happy," he said, while looking directly at Luke. Luke nodded, just beginning to realize the depth of a father's protectiveness over his little girl.

After they finished the bottle of champagne, a maid unfamiliar to Lorelai appeared and announced that lunch was served. They made their way into the dining room, slightly less uptight than when Luke and Lorelai arrived.

"So, tell me, when is the big day?" Emily said, trying not to sound too enthusiastic.

"That's just it. We're not sure yet," Lorelai said, uneasily.

"But you're wearing the ring. The ring means there's an engagement. The engagement is the date," Emily primly decried.

"Believe me, Mom, we know. That's just it. We're here because we need your help."

"Very well, I'll get my checkbook then," Richard said, beginning to rise from his armchair.

Lorelai was right; Luke had no idea what he was getting into. They'd been here less than a half hour and he'd already been insulted to the very core. Luke had been taking care of himself since high school. He never asked anyone for anything. If he needed something, he did it on his own. He was the one who helped people, not the other way around. Luke Danes wasn't in the business of taking money from anyone, or owing anyone a single cent. Lorelai could see his jaw begin to work, and the tips of his ears darken. She put a steadying hand on his arm and pressed gently. It instantly calmed him and he took a breath before saying, "That won't be necessary, Richard." He held eye contact until Richard looked away.

"Not that kind of help, Dad. But thank you. We're going to pay for it ourselves, every dime."

Emily groaned, thinking that this was Lorelai's way of keeping her out of the planning. She had a hard time pretending that her feelings weren't hurt as she hid behind righteous indignation. "Of course you'd want to pay for it all yourself. God forbid we try to be involved. Now, what could you possibly need from us?"

"We were thinking more along the lines of you helping us make some decisions," Lorelai said.

Emily and Richard exchanged glances and Lorelai felt the need to explain further. "We need help with the wedding planning." The lines in Emily's face instantly softened, and her eyebrows arched as she gave them her full attention.

"We don't want to be engaged," Luke said.

Emily's face dropped and Richard said, "I'm somewhat confused."

"We just want to be married," Luke clarified, reaching for Lorelai's hand.

Lorelai added, "It turns out that we're terrible at the whole being engaged thing. Who knew? So we want to skip the hassle and go directly to the marriage. The sooner, the better." Emily opened her mouth to protest, but Lorelai cut her off, "We talked about eloping, but I can't get married without you two there. It just wouldn't be right."

Emily and Richard both remained mute, each saying a silent prayer of thanks that their only daughter hadn't eloped.

"We have a guest list," Luke said, trying to fill the awkward silence. He pulled the folded paper out of his coat pocket and gave it to Lorelai.

Lorelai took it and said, "We talked about this, and this is what we want. These are the people we want to share our day with. It wouldn't be a wedding without them. Will you promise to stick to just this list? It's really the only thing that we'll insist on. If you agree, then we'll let you pick the music, the flowers, the place, the time, the food, and everything else, except my dress. It can be whatever you want."

Emily's imagination began chomping at the bit, sprinting happily into the future as she pictured Lorelai's fabulous wedding. It wouldn't be a Romanoff themed ice castle, since it would be taking place this summer. But she was involved… no, she was in charge, and Lorelai needed her. "I'll have to invite the Kranskys from California and the…"

"Mom, really. Only the people who we need to have at our wedding are on this list. Will you please stick to it?"

"That's the only contingency we have." Luke looked at her squarely and she knew that she had to agree, or run the risk of being shut out completely.

"Very well. Let me see the list." She held out her hand and Lorelai unfolded it then relinquished it.

Emily scanned the list and gasped. "That's it?"

"Yes."

"Eleven people, counting the bride and groom?"

"Yes, Mother," Lorelai said holding her breath. Richard harrumphed from his seat at the head of the table as a warning to Emily, and continued to eat his chicken kiev.

"Oh, and we're not even sure bout Liz and TJ since Liz is expecting in a few weeks," Luke interjected.

"You mean to tell me that besides those of us in this very room, we only have Rory, April, Jess, Sookie, and Jackson? So nine people? That's not a proper wedding."

"I know, it's not very big, Mom. But think of how beautiful and intimate it will be. It's such a small party, that we can fit almost anywhere and that will make it so much easier to find a place. We can even have it at the country club. The Versailles room is gorgeous; you said so yourself. Or, we can have it on a yacht, anywhere you want, Mom. Will you help us?" Lorelai seemed so enthusiastic and passionate about her list that Richard and Emily softened.

"Well, I guess we can work it out," Emily said, slightly disappointed that she didn't get to show off her daughter to the entire DAR board.

"Mom, it'll be beautiful, you'll see. With only eleven people max, you can go all out. I'm giving you free rein here. I'm talking dancing midgets and mushrooms, if that's what you want." Luke looked horrified.

"Oh, don't be silly, that was for Sookie's wedding. Yours will be very different. I already have it envisioned."

"You have?"

"Of course I have. You'll be a beautiful bride. And the wedding will be wonderful. Won't it, Richard?" Emily said, with shiny eyes. As an afterthought, Emily asked, "Do you have anything else that's important to you?"

"I have a few suggestions, but the guest list is the most important. Sookie is going to be a guest, so she is absolutely not allowed to do one bit of cooking. She's working too hard as it is, and if she gets involved, I might as well do the whole thing myself, because she will drive me crazy every day from now to the wedding, making me taste this and taste that. And then she'll do what she wants to anyway." Lorelai could see that Emily hadn't fully grasped her plea, so she brought out the big guns. "And believe me, you'll lose complete control of the menu if that happens. It would defeat the whole purpose of us asking for your help."

"So, no Sookie," Emily stated decisively. There was no way she was giving up an ounce of control. "What about you, Luke? Do you have any special requests?" She had to ask, though she cringed that maybe his idea might be to get married on a pitcher's mound, or that he'd want to wear a plaid cummerbund.

"Actually, I do," he said. Lorelai turned to face him, clearly surprised. "What I have in mind, Emily, is the rose that you helped me pick."

"You'd like red roses for a summer wedding?" Her eyebrows came together in the center. "That's not entirely traditional, but I can work it in. As long as we add a lot of white it could be acceptable," she said, looking up toward the corner of the room while she envisioned the centerpieces.

"Actually, I didn't mean we needed red roses. What I meant was, the concept of the rose." Emily and Lorelai look flummoxed. "When I went to the florist, there were a lot of bouquets, fancy elaborate things. Many of them were really something. But for us, the single rose and the message behind it were perfect. It's simple, and really it was the most beautiful flower I could have found for Lorelai. You helped me with that. And I hope you can help us have a wedding that gives us the same feeling."

Lorelai looked at him tenderly, wondering how on earth he was able to articulate the exact idea for the wedding that she had in mind, even though they really had only discussed the guest list and the plan to stay as uninvolved in the process as possible.

Emily had a difficult time keeping her smile from illuminating the room when she said, "So, understated, streamlined, and classic. Is that what you're saying?"

"Exactly, and you're the perfect person to get us there," Luke said.

"Oh, and Mom, Luke has an idea for the entrée as well." Lorelai looked at her mother. She loved watching her squirm, if only for a moment, at the very thought of Luke's suggestion.

Emily thought that it had all been too good to be true, so she asked through a clenched smile, "What's your dinner suggestion, Luke?" Visions of cheeseburgers, french fries, and iceberg lettuce salads flashed across her mind. She was relieved that at least Lorelai wasn't making a suggestion. Then she'd have to contend with gummy bear appetizers and tater tot side dishes, with a lovely drizzle of ketchup sauce.

"Lorelai and I talked about this, and you don't have to of course… I don't even know if they're in season, of if they even have a season. But we like the idea of lobster."

"You mean a lobster bisque?" she asked tentatively, not allowing herself to get seduced by a seafood fantasy if he were just talking about soup.

"No, you know, lobster tails, or the whole darn thing. As an entrée. Can you work that in?" he asked.

"Lobster?" She looked over at Richard, who kept his face amazingly blank throughout the entire exchange, then at Lorelai who was still gazing at Luke. Emily's mouth curved upwards. "Yes, I think I can find a way to work lobster into the menu." She had to pinch herself to see if she were dreaming.

Now that Emily's mood was at its highest, Lorelai asked, "So, Mom, I don't suppose you can count today as credit for Friday night dinner, and we'll just see you next week?" Emily rolled her eyes dramatically and Lorelai knew she had just been grasping at straws. Luke elbowed her, and Lorelai whispered, "It was worth a shot."

"Come to think of it, you need to get here an hour early on Friday night. We have to get the girls fitted for dresses and you for a tux, Luke. By then, we'll have a date, and a location. Don't forget to bring your gown. We'll see if we need to alter it, and for god's sake, don't let Luke see it again." Emily said, as she picked up her fork to savor a bite of the best lunch she'd had in years.

Luke thought that the sound he heard in his head just might be that of a whole new can of worms being opened.

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