Taylor Doose

Luke knew it was obvious that Lorelai couldn't help but mock the next array of pictures in the album. Pointing at the picture of Taylor before his hair turned gray, still in a cardigan sweater with the same expression he wore in his face, she laughed until her face hurt from smiling so much. She sighed. "Oh, these pictures get funnier and funnier every time you turn the page!" she said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"That was Taylor. About 20 years ago."

Lorelai gasped. "No! That's hysterical. Oy, I can't even imagine what Taylor was like twenty years ago."

"Sure you can. Actually, you probably wouldn't have to, because he's exactly the same as he was twenty years ago," Luke mused. "Still crazy, just less… old."

"Really? I should have guessed. It IS Taylor, after all. You're right, I should have known that," Lorelai replied.

Luke nodded, watching Lorelai as she analyzed the pictures of Taylor. He remembered the exact town meeting that one of them was taken at. He made a mental note to tell that story to Lorelai. She looked up at Luke and smiled.

"You take nice pictures," she said.

"I don't take all of them. I've had some help on a few," Luke said, not mentioning any names.

Lorelai nodded. "I see. What's this one of?" she asked, pointing to a picture of Taylor holding a gavel with a 'death grip'.

"Town meeting," Luke replied, remembering the story he'd thought about. "Taylor's first year as town selectman. The other town selectman was… Neil. Neil passed away, and Taylor was his right hand man, and he took over. I don't even know what the hell that means, town selectman. Maybe if I knew what he did, I would be able to get why he's so insane at the town meetings. Ugh."

"It's beyond me," Lorelai added. "Anyway, you tell your story. I'm going to close my eyes and listen. I'm not falling asleep, I promise. I'm just imagining. I am visualizing the setting. Having an imagination helps the brain stay young, and functioning, or so I hear."

Luke gave her an 'I doubt it' look, and kissed her forehead. "We can continue this tomorrow, if you want. It's still going to be here. The album won't disappear."

She shook her head. "No, no, keep going. I need to hear a 'Taylor Doose being crazy at a town meeting' story, please?" she asked, letting out a sigh and closing her eyes.

"Okay, if you're sure. You do experience Taylor Doose every day, you know."

"I'm sure. Go on," she pressed, pointing to the album.

"Well, it was that time of year when the people look for the Christmas tree for Rockefeller Center, or wherever it is in New York that they do the giant tree lighting thing," Luke started.

"That's always a really pretty tree," Lorelai interjected.

Luke shrugged. "But Taylor was determined that Stars Hollow should be considered in the selection of this tree."

"Order, order! Everyone settle down," Taylor commanded.

"Are we done yet?" Andrew asked. "I have places to go."

Babette nodded. "Morey and I need to celebrate our anniversary, and we've got reservations at Sniffy's."

The town oohed and aahed at Babette's revelation. Miss Patty raised her eyebrows. "Just tell Buddy and Maisy that you were at the meeting. Besides, you two have all night to celebrate," Miss Patty said with a wink.

Babette elbowed Morey and pointed at Miss Patty. "You're good, Patty."

"Now that's enough, everyone. I could write you up for foul language, Patty, but I choose to give you a verbal warning instead. Only because I don't have a pen," Taylor insisted.

Kirk raised his hand. "Excuse me, Taylor? I have a pen," he said, offering the pen to Taylor.

"That won't be necessary, Kirk. And does your mother know you're here? It's past your curfew," Taylor pointed out.


"But I fished it out of my pen protector just for you. Doesn't that count for anything?" Kirk protested. "Yes, mother knows I'm here. As I am almost at eligible voting age, I have beseeched her to become more involved in the politics of Stars Hollow, our county, and the state of Connecticut."

"What about the rest of the country, Kirk?" Luke grumbled.

Kirk shrugged. "Well, right now that's a rather large task to take on while finals are impending. It wasn't that long ago that you were a high school student, Luke, I would think that you would sympathize with your comrades, especially as a veteran."

"Thinking of going to war, Kirk? Lots of military talk coming from you, there," Mia insisted.

Taylor sighed. "Can we please move on with this meeting? Raise your hand if you don't care about Kirk's political affiliations."

The entire room, with the exception of Kirk, raised their hands. "Motion to proceed with the meeting so we can get the hell out of here is seconded," Luke said, agitated.

Babette chuckled. "Wow, mark this day on your calendars. Luke agreein' with Taylor is a day to remember!"

"I have a pen if someone needs it," Kirk added.

"Can we please get on with this?" Luke asked, crossing his arms.

Taylor banged his gavel on the podium. "This meeting WILL come to ORDER. Now, the item on the agenda tonight is the Christmas tree in New York."

"What's that got to do with Stars Hollow, Taylor? I have a diner to run," Luke insisted. "And the rest of us have things to do, however disgusting they may be."

Taylor huffed. "I want the tree they pick to be from nowhere else but good old Stars Hollow, Connecticut. That means we need help from each and every one of you to make that happen. Now I'm thinking that we can share watering duties and fertilizing duties as town citizens, and I also hope that each and every one of you will participate. I've heard that talking to plants gives them the carbon dioxide that they need, so that helps them grow faster. So, if we make a schedule to talk to the tree…"

"This idea is getting more and more ridiculous by the minute, Taylor. You really think that the committee will actually go to Stars Hollow in search of this tree? Most people on this planet haven't even heard of Stars Hollow, and the people that have are insane. It's not on the map, they're not coming, I refuse to talk to the tree. Now I'm leaving," Luke insisted, getting up from his chair.

Taylor rolled his eyes. "If that's the way you want it, Luke. The tree would be chosen off of your property, but if you don't want to be paid millions and have the honor of being recognized for the beautiful foliage on your property, that's fine with me. We'll choose one off of someone else's land. Just don't expect any favors when the camera crews come by."

"Taylor. Listen. My lips are moving, but apparently no one can hear what I'm saying. I. Don't. Care. About. A. Stupid. Tree."

"Luke, I'm begging you to reconsider," Taylor said.

"No," Luke replied, without turning to look at Taylor, and left.

"If you need someone to take an official record of this meeting, I will, I have a pen," Kirk offered.

Lorelai let out the softest chuckle. "That was funny," she said sleepily.

Luke brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I told you that we could do this tomorrow. Remember? Tomorrow's do nothing day," he whispered.

"Do nothing day, yay!" Lorelai said, her eyes fluttering open. "But I want to finish this tonight, so we really can do nothing tomorrow," she reasoned.

"All right. We can stop anytime. I know you've had a long day."

"Aren't you just the most thoughtful man I've ever met?" she said, grinning.

Luke turned his attention once again to Lorelai. "So you know how Jackson ran for Town Selectman that one time?"

She nodded. "I do," she replied.

"Taylor challenged me to run against him one year."

Lorelai stretched out her arms. "Really?" she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Really. He was serious, too. He had that 'I'm serious' look on his face that usually scares everyone."

"Tell me more, tell me more, like does he have a car?" she teased.

Luke sighed. "And I thought you were sleepy," he said, giving her a kiss.

"I'm an excellent actress, I'm just undiscovered," Lorelai replied, pulling herself up into a more comfortable position. "Anyway, so Taylor challenged you. When was this?"

Luke cleared his throat. "Uh, you were in… Paris, I think."

"Oh," Lorelai replied, looking down at her hands. "Right, uh, I was in Paris. Never mind."

He took her hand, letting her know that he had moved past what Lorelai had done before. "We were at the town meeting. He had yet another stupid idea, and I didn't like it."

"Aren't the majority of his ideas stupid?" Lorelai asked.

Luke shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, you have a point there. The majority of the ideas are stupid, but this idea brought stupid to a whole new level. He wanted to make this big birthday party for everyone, so people didn't have to remember everyone's birthdays."

"That's stupid," Lorelai replied.

"Yeah, it is."

"Everyone settle down now, this meeting has come to order," Taylor demanded. The town took their seats and Taylor waited for them to be quiet.

"Can we make this quick, Taylor?" Zach asked. "I have to go to band practice."

"You and Brian are the majority of the band, Zach, half of it, to be precise, and the rest of the band will wait for you," Taylor insisted.

Brian stood up. "Actually, Taylor, we're two thirds of the band. Lane is taking a temporary leave of absence."

"Dude, you just helped him make his point," Zach said, pulling Brian into a seat.

"Okay, so we have a few things on the agenda tonight. The first is that the…"

Babette rolled her eyes. "Taylor, let's get to the important stuff, we're startin' to have two town meetings in a week, and that's just crazy! We have lives, ya know."

"If you're so concerned about the welfare of the town, you'd just let us do our jobs," Luke agreed.

"Fine, we'll cut to the chase. We have a new idea that's going to revolutionize the way we celebrate birthdays in this town," Taylor insisted.

Luke crossed his arms. "Really? What could this be?" he asked, under his breath.

"I plan to give this town one big birthday party," Taylor insisted.

Miss Patty scrunched up her nose. "A birthday party? For Stars Hollow, the actual town of Stars Hollow? Isn't that what Founders Day is for?"

"No, Patty, it's a birthday party for the town's residents! There are simply just too many birthdays for us to celebrate individually. So, we pick a date that has no affiliation to anyone's birth, and there you have it. That's the Big Stars Hollow Birthday Party!" Taylor said, gesturing wildly with his arms as he spoke.

"Dude, Taylor, that's sketchy," Zach insisted.

"Well, if you think it's so 'sketchy,' you tell me when every person's birthday in this town is. And what you got them for their birthday last year," Taylor pressed.

Zach slumped down in his seat, a defeated look on his face.

"Taylor, birthdays are birthdays for a reason. They're there to pay attention to that person on THEIR birthday. People like getting recognized, separate from other people, on THEIR birthday. Not with everyone else. If you tell me that you don't like getting recognized every year, then you're lying through your teeth. And knowing you, you're going to put any sort of other birthday party as banned in the town bylaws. When Sookie's kids, or Lane's kids, or anyone else's kids grow up and can't have a birthday party for their birthday, and they're upset, what are you going to tell them? Oh, there's no need for a birthday party, you'll have one in five months with everyone else in the whole damn town! Or, better yet, I'll just tell them that Taylor Doose is a power hungry idiot!" Luke ranted, his face red with anger.

Taylor rolled his eyes. "If you're so against this, Luke, than you should run against me in the next election."

"I'm not running against you, Taylor. I own and run a diner. I don't have time for this. And besides, if I ran, it would mean that I actually care about what you say, and NEWS FLASH, I don't. So any sort of plan that involves me being town selectman, running for town selectman, or going anywhere near the election for town selectman, is out of the question."

Brian leaned over to Zach. "Dude, that was totally sick."

Zach shook his head. "No, dude, the new word for 'sick' is 'swick'. It's 'sweet' and 'sick' together. Both words for cool, but both mushed together. Like leftovers."

Luke stormed angrily out of the meeting and Zach and Brian high fived each other.

"That was the swickest town meeting I've ever been to," Brian said, watching as Luke opened the door and exited the building.

Luke looked over at Lorelai, ensuring that she wasn't asleep. "You awake?"

"Mmhm. Swick," she replied.

"You didn't get a word of that. Seriously, go to sleep. We can continue this tomorrow, on our do nothing day," Luke insisted.

"Do nothing day. We have to do stuff. Rory's coming, finish the album… stuff."

Luke chuckled. "You're funny when you're incoherent. Go to sleep. We'll finish this in the morning."

When Lorelai gave no response, Luke looked over at her and saw that she was sleeping. He gently pulled the blankets up over her and kissed her forehead. He'd finish the album in the morning. He would get to share it with Rory as well. After all, everyone in the album was her family, too. He turned off the light and crawled into bed beside Lorelai, looking forward to sharing the next pages of the album with both his wife and his step daughter.