Calling Lucas Danes

"Come on Rory," Jess prompted her. "I'm sure the story cannot be that bad."

"Fine, but no laughing," Rory warned him. "The tree is called a weeping willow, so I naturally assumed that it was sad, you know, because it was weeping."

"Understandable, so how did you cheer it up?" Jess asked her.

"Well I read to it, and..." Rory stopped suddenly, embarrassed.

"And?" Jess prompted her again.

"I gave it tissues," Rory said burying her head in her hands. "Why am I telling you this again? ...How about I tell you the story of how Emily forced me to do ballet, now that's a good story."

"No, I like this story," Jess told her. "Finish this one and then you can tell me all about ballet and evil Emily."

"Well I told the tree jokes," Rory continued. "No wait, I'm sorry, this was about my mother, Lorelai. She was the one cheering up the tree not me, I can't believe I forgot that."

"Nice try," Jess told her. "But you were the one cheering up the tree, just admit it."

"So I was nine and Emily thought that a girl of my age should learn a skill and fortunately for me that was ballet," Rory explained, dropping the other story all together. "It was so bad and I sucked at it, but there could have been worse things for me to be doing. Anyway according to mom I have a perfect work ethic and I spent hours prancing around the living room, practicing for hours on end, and after all that practicing I never did get any better."

"Okay," Jess said, letting her drop the weeping willow story without a fight. "Tell me another story," He said as he angled his chair towards her, their hands still entwined.

"Fine," Rory replied. "But for every story I tell, you have to tell me one as well, deal?"

"Okay deal," Jess accepted. He'd do anything to hear more about Rory's happy childhood, even if it meant that he had to open up and tell her more about his.

"So how was Jess?" Tex asked as soon as Rory walked into her room.

"Good," Rory replied as she sat down on the bed exhausted. "He told me about his life when things were simpler, it was nice to hear. A little hard to imagine him as a happy little boy, but it was nice. What are you doing?" Rory asked as she noticed a stack of papers on the desk in front of Tex.

"Nothin'," Tex said as he turned to face her. "It's just I know how important Jess is to you, and his future, so I've just been ringing up all the Danes in the surrounding areas and seeing if they know a Jess Mariano."

"Really?" Rory asked excitedly as she got up from the bed. "Any luck yet?"

"No," Tex replied. "Out of the thirty-five I've called, nothing, but I'm not giving up."

"Who's next on the list," Rory asked him.

"Umm, Lucas Danes," Tex answered reading off his list. "Lives in Connecticut."

"Do it now," Rory said excitedly. "And put him on speaker phone."

"Sure," Tex replied as he dialed Luke's number and placed the phone on speaker.

"Luke's," Luke answered, the diner was packed as usual.

"What are you guys doing?" Lorelai asked as she came into the room. She was immediately hushed by Rory.

"Hi I'm Tex, I was wonderi-" Tex began but was cut off.

"Kirk, no," Luke warned him. "Get around the other side of the counter, I am not going to tell you again. Sorry, you were saying?"

"I was wondering if you knew a Jess Mar-" Tex began again, but was cut off once more.

"Sookie, don't get that for Kirk," Luke yelled. "Out from behind the counter, now, leave the basil. Look, Sookie, there's Jackson, yes out the window. Go and ask him out."

"I can't," Sookie said sadly as she moved around the counter and sat down next to Kirk. "What if he doesn't like me?"

"Please, he likes you," Luke told her.

"We so need to move to this town," Lorelai said excitedly. "Where is it?"

"Umm Connecticut," Tex replied. "I got it off the internet, I figured that we didn't need town names."

"Tex," Lorelai scolded. "Get the town name."

"Do you know how many Lucas Danes there are?" Tex asked her, his hand over the mouthpiece.

"Well ask him where he lives then," Lorelai suggested. Tex turned his attention back to the task at hand.

"Do you know a Jess Mariano?" Tex asked him.

"She's doing it, she's actually doing it," Luke said amazed. "Look I don't know who you're looking for... I have to go." Luke hung up the phone and looked out the window. "Is she really doing this?" Luke asked Kirk.

"Well they are talking, and in the middle of the street," Kirk responded. "But I can't actually tell if anyone's asking anyone out, I don't have super hearing."

"Oh no, Taylor, he'll ruin everything," Luke said and quickly made his way outside intercepting Taylor before he could get to Sookie and Jackson.

"Luke, move out of my way," Taylor said as he tried to push past.

"No Taylor," Luke replied. "It's a free country."

"Still bitter I see," Taylor said knowingly. "Please step aside Luke, this is a matter of safety, they are standing in the middle of the road... what if a car came speeding around the corner and hit them?"

"Then you would be able to give the driver a ticket for speeding," Luke told him. "And this is Stars Hollow, the speed limit's five miles per hour."

"And it would be less if it was up to me," Taylor huffed. "Good they're moving off the road, I'm going to give them a warning though, this is not acceptable behavior."

Luke turned quickly and noticed Sookie going back into the diner. He hurried after her.

"So how'd it go?" He asked her. They had been friends for a few years now. Once Luke got over her trying to better his cooking, and Sookie overcame his gruff outer exterior, they became close friends.

"Not well," Sookie told him. "I was all ready to tell him, but then I froze, I don't think I can do it Luke."

"But you like him," Luke said to her. "And he likes you."

"We don't know that," Sookie argued.

"Sure we do, he sells you produce," Luke reminded her.

"Oh produce," Sookie said as she dropped her head onto the counter. "I told him that he had nice melons, I was nervous and it just popped out."

"Nice melons?" Luke questioned. "Well I guess we can be thankful that Jackson isn't female."

The diner phone starts ringing.

"Luke's," Lane answered the phone.

"Lane, out from behind the counter," Luke said as he grabbed the phone off her.

"But I'm willing to work Luke," Lane pleaded. "Just hire me, Mrs. Kim... it's just I'm always at home or bible study or here, she says that if I either get a friend or a job then she'll let me out more often, and I think we both know which one of those is easier to obtain."

"I'm sure there's at least one girl at your school that could be your friend," Sookie said to her. "How about Lindsay?"

"Apart from the fact that she's dating Dean and has absolutely no time for me," Lane explained. "She's popular and a cheerleader, whereas I'm the freak that goes to bible study."

"Hello," They could hear someone yell through the phone.

"Oh right, hello," Luke said bringing the phone up to his ear.

"It sounds so wonderful there Rory," Lorelai gushed on the other end of the line.

"Just ask him already," Rory said. After much debate Lorelai convinced Rory and Tex to call this Lucas Danes again and find out where he lived.

"Fine, settle down," Lorelai told them. "Lucas-"

"It's Luke," Luke automatically corrected.

"Okay, Duke," Lorelai said trying not to laugh.

"It's Luke," Luke replied getting annoyed.

"That's what I said," Lorelai told him. "Anyway important question here, whereabouts do you live, as in what town?"

"Can't you just look up the area code from the phone number?" Luke asked her confused.

"We could," Lorelai replied. "But we didn't think of it, and now I think that it will just be easier for you to tell us."

"How'd you get this number anyway?" Luke asked her.

"I don't know exactly," Lorelai replied. "The kids are doing some sort of project, trying to track someone down." Tex smiled up at her, when she referred to him as her kid.

"Fine, it's Stars Hollow," Luke told her. "Now bye."

"Wait," Lorelai said quickly. "Where are you right now?"

"In my diner," Luke answered confused.

"Oh my god Rory," Lorelai squealed. "He owns his own diner, we are so moving there, I bet the coffee's good."

"Well bye," Luke told her.

"Yeah we'll see you soon Duke," Lorelai said excitedly as she hung up the phone.

"Who was on the phone Luke?" Sookie asked him.

"I have no idea," Luke replied as he returned the phone to its cradle. "But they did mention something about moving here.

"This is exciting," Sookie said clapping her hands together excitedly. "No one's moved here in years, and that's because no one will leave, wait, where will they stay?"

"What do you mean?" Luke asked confused.

"Well if there's no houses for sale," Lane explained. "Then where will they stay?"

"I know," Sookie said triumphantly. "They can stay with you Luke."

"No way," Luke protested.

"Come on Luke," Sookie pleaded. "You've lived in Old Man Twickham's house ever since his family shipped him off to a nursing home, and there is no way you are using all that space for yourself."

"It's for my family," Luke replied. "Well when I start one."

"Yeah, when," Sookie scoffed. "I'm sure that the person on the phone was female, single, and about your age."

"So? She has a kid or two," Luke explained. "Which means that she is most likely married."

"Well that sucks," Sookie said defeated.

"Hang on, kids?" Lane questioned hopeful. "Please tell me that she has a daughter my age, please Luke."

"I don't know," Luke replied. "Wait, I did hear a girl's voice, but I don't know how old she was."

"Ballpark figure," Lane pleaded. "What did she say? Was she nice, I mean did she sound nice?"

"I don't know," Luke answered. "But if I had to guess then I'd say that she was a teenager. she didn't sound like a little kid if that helps."

"I can deal with that," Lane said relieved.

"So when are they moving here?" Sookie asked excitedly.

"I don't know," Luke told them. "I'm pretty sure that she was calling me Duke though, and she said that she would see me soon."

"Well how soon is soon?" Sookie asked confused.

"This is going to be so great kids, I can just tell," Lorelai said all giddy.

"So Tex is coming with us?" Rory asked hopeful.

"Sure," Lorelai answered. "I like Tex, and he has nowhere to go, I think that it will be great."

"Really?" Tex asked excitedly. "Thanks Lorelai," He said as he hugged her. "This is going to be so great, a new start... can I go to school?" He asked nervously. He was hoping that Lorelai didn't send him to work like his own mother had.

"Of course," Lorelai told him. "You're going to go to school and then college, get a good job and then help Rory look after me when I'm old."

"Great," Rory replied sarcastically. "Something to look forward to."

"So where is this Stars Hollow?" Lorelai asked Tex and he looked it up on the computer.

"Umm, thirty minutes from here," Tex told her nervously. "Won't that be a problem, we're so close to Emily still."

"No, it will be perfect," Lorelai said cunningly. "We're right under her nose, and everyone knows that's the last place you look. So Rory, how many more hours do you have?"

"I'm not sure, a few," Rory answered distractedly. She was thinking about Jess, now that they actually knew where they were going it just seemed more real, in no time at all she would be leaving Jess behind to start her new life. She wanted to feel excited about the move, but knowing what she was going to leave behind she just couldn't bring herself around to be excited.

"So what do you think Rory?" Lorelai asked her.

Rory realized that she missed half the conversation, but she agreed to whatever her mother was asking.

"Great, I'll call your lawyer right now," Lorelai said excitedly as she bounced out of the room.

"What did I just agree to?" Rory asked Tex nervously.

"To an appeal," Tex answered joining her on the bed. "Lorelai's going to see if she can get your sentence cut short, you know, good behavior."

"But what about Jess?" Rory questioned.

"I don't know," Tex replied. "I guess you'll just have to value the time you have left with him."

"Why does life have to be so bittersweet?" Rory groaned. "Can't life be perfect, just for once?"

"No," Tex replied simply. "It can't... but then again it's pretty perfect for me right now." Rory groaned and threw a pillow at him.