As always I am so thankful for all the people who are reading this story. It makes me so happy to know people like the story. Let me know if there is something that you want to see in future chapters.

I hope you all enjoy the birthday party.

P.S. the first part is all Amy and Dan, not me!

A Place to Call Home

Chapter 21: Pin the Tail on the Donkey

"Mom, what are we doing?" Ryan said as Lorelai led him down the stairs. "It's the middle of the night. Have you lost your mind?" He whispered.

"That's what the shrink keeps saying." Lorelai giggled as she opened Rory's and Ruby's bedroom door.

"Where's Ruby?" Ryan whispered.

"My room of course." Lorelai led him to Rory's bed. She got on one side and he got on the other side.

"Hey." Rory said as she woke up to see her mother and brother. She was expecting them.

Lorelai smiled at her two precious angels. "I can't believe how fast the two of you are growing up."

"Really?" Rory asked.

"Feels slow." Ryan added.

"Trust me," Lorelai touched Rory's nose. "It's fast. What do you two think of life so far?"

"I think it's pretty good." Rory answered.

Ryan didn't say anything.

"What about you little boy?" Lorelai reached over and touched his arm.

"It's not so bad." That was true. His mom had given him a pretty good life.

"Any complaints?"

"I'd like that whole humidity thing to go away."

"Yeah, mom. Can you fix that for us?" Ryan asked.

"All right. I'll work on that."

"So do we look older?" Rory asked.

"You definitely do." Ryan told her.

"I was asking mom." Rory gave him a look.

"Oh yeah." Lorelai started. "You guys walk into Denny's before 5, you've got yourself a discount."

"Awesome." Ryan said.

"Good deal." Rory added.

"So do you two know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think that I got really lucky. You two are really great, cool kids, and the best friends a girl could have."

"Right back at ya." Rory gave her mom a kiss on the forehead.

"You're not so bad." Ryan said. He loved giving his mom a hard time.

"And it's so hard to believe that at exactly this time many moons ago, I was lying in exactly the same position…"

"Oh boy." Rory said.

"Here we go." Ryan added.

She did this every year. It was their tradition.

"Only I had a huge, fat stomach and big fat ankles and I was swearing like a sailor…" Lorelai continued.

"On leave."

"On leave…right! And there I was…"

"In labor." Ryan helped her out.

"And while some have called it the most meaningful experience of your life, to me it something more akin to doing the splits on a crate of dynamite."

"I wonder if the Waltons ever did this." Rory thought.

"No way." Ryan shook his head.

"And I was screaming and swearing and being surrounded as I was by a hundred prominent doctors, assumed there was an actual use for the cup of ice chips they gave me."

"There wasn't."

"But pelting the nurses sure was fun."

"I love you, mom." Rory told her.

"Yeah I love you too, mom." Ryan smiled at his mother.

"Shh you two. I'm getting to the part where he sees one of your heads. Lucky I was having twins." Lorelai continued as her two kids listened to her explain their birth like she did every year. They were happy to call it their tradition.

Rory and Ryan walked into Luke's. "I don't want to go to grandmas." Ryan told his sister.

"I guess you don't have to go." Rory thought, but she was excited about it. She really wanted to see their grandpa. She missed him.

"No I have to go." Ryan grumbled as they walked to the counter.

"Wrong table." Luke said as he walked out of the back.

"What?"

"When did you start reserving seats?" Rory asked.

He pointed to a table with balloons. "Since the coffee cake I baked for the two of you is over there with the balloons I blew up."

"You made us coffee cake?" Ryan asked.

"Yep." Luke pointed and the kids went to the table.

"Thanks, Luke."

"Yeah. Thanks. Luke. You have the best service in town." Rory gave him a hug.

Luke was taken by surprise. "Just don't tell everybody. I'm not going to do this for all my customers." Luke walked away.

"We are special." Rory thought.

"Yep. We're special." Ryan looked at the balloons. "That was really nice of him."

"Yeah it was pretty cool."

"You think dad is going to call?" Ryan asked his sister.

She shrugged. "Maybe he will."

"He probably doesn't even realize that it is our birthday." Ryan had that feeling. He took a bite of the coffee cake. "This is pretty good. Luke barely knows us, and he has done more for us than dad ever has."

"Dad has gotten us presents before."

"Yeah that mom or his assistant picked out."

"Well let's not worry about him. It is our birthday. It is supposed to be a good day." Rory wanted them both to have fun.

Ryan nodded. "Yeah I know."

"And I think mom sent him an invitation."

"Yeah. Like you said. Let's not talk about it."

Rory took the hint. She felt bad for her brother when it came to their dad. She never really needed him, but Ryan did. She knew it hurt him when their dad didn't call or come around. She wanted to fix it, but she knew that she couldn't.

"Rory," Lane ran into the diner.

"Hey Lane." Rory smiled. "What's wrong?"

"I can come." Lane was thrilled. "I get to come to your party."

"Your mom said yes." Rory was surprised.

"Yes. I can't believe it. She said yes." Lane hugged Rory. "I'm so excited. It is going to be the best party I've ever been too. Actually that's because I've never been to a party other than a Korean party, and I can assure you those aren't fun."

"This one is going to be great." Ryan told her.

"Yeah because our mom has been saving all of her best birthday ideas for years." Rory added. "It is going to be legit."

Lane giggled loudly. "I'm just glad my mom is actually going to let me go. It is a birthday miracle."

Later that night the Gilmore extravaganza was in full swing. There was twister, pin the tail on the donkey, root beer floats, a piñata, water gun fights, and much, much more.

"Mommy, Mommy." Ruby said as she ran back into the house holding her water gun. "I got Kirk really wet. He said he was going to tell his mommy on me."

"What did you say?"

"I told him to grow up and fight like a man." Ruby laughed. "And then I sprayed him in the face."

"That's my girl." She led her back to the door. "Remember to keep the water guns outside."

"Got it." Ruby ran back outside.

Lorelai's house was filled with kids and townies. "I can't believe how much fun this party is." Sookie told her. "I've never seen teenagers have so much fun playing games."

"I tried. Do you really think they are having fun?"

Sookie pointed around the room. "They are definitely having fun. You are a genius."

"Make sure they put that on my tombstone." Lorelai laughed.

"You got it."

"Mia." Lorelai was happy to see her.

"This is such a wonderful party." Mia hugged her. "Little Ruby got me with the water gun though."

"She is fierce that one. I taught her everything I know." Lorelai smiled deviously.

"Where are the birthday boy and girl?"

"I'm not sure. I hope they are still here somewhere." Lorelai joked. "Michel." She was surprised to see the moody man walk through her door. "What are you doing here?"

"You invited me. I had no choice."

"You didn't have to come."

"You know I did." Michel said with his nose in the air. "I'm here and I brought present." He handed them to her. "Your kids are going to love them. I'm really good at getting presents."

"I bet you are. Thanks for coming Michel."

"Here mom." Rory said as she walked into the living room, handing Lorelai a drink. "I made you a root beer float."

"You are the best."

"Mia." Rory gave her a hug. "I'm so glad that you came."

"I wouldn't miss this for anything." Mia smiled at the young girl she had become fond of over the past few months.

"Hey Lorelai," Sookie called from the kitchen. "We are out of ice."

"What? No way. I thought I got plenty of ice."

"Did someone say ice?" Luke walked in as if on cue. "I brought a couple of bags."

"You are my hero." Lorelai took a bag from him. "How did you know?"

"I always like to come prepared." Luke smiled at her.

"Thanks, Luke. You always seem to save the day." She hugged him.

"Just give me a cape." He joked.

Lorelai was always amazed by how well he was able to keep up with her banter.

Over in the corner Jess and Ryan were sitting on the couch eating popcorn. "Your mom really knows how to throw a party."

"Yeah."

"I never thought pin the tail on the donkey could be so fun." Jess laughed.

"She has a way of making everything fun." He thought back to all of his parties at his grandparents' house. His mom had always found a way to make them fun.

"I think I'm going to go see my mom next week." Jess had finally decided.

"Oh." Ryan didn't really know what to say.

"I want to see her. She's my mom."

"Yeah. I understand."

"Will you go with me?"

"What?" Ryan was surprised.

"You know Hartford a lot better than I do. Will you go with me?"

"Um sure." Ryan knew his mom would kill him if he got into any more trouble, but he didn't want Jess to go by himself. "I'll go with you."

"Thanks, man."

"Hey Ryan," a girl approached him. "Hey Jess."

"Hey Grace." Both boys said.

"This is such a fun party." She told him as she flipped her hair.

"Yeah. Thanks. I'm glad you could come."

"Yeah me too. Your mom seems like a lot of fun." Grace continued to flip her hair.

"Oh she is."

"Well I'll see you around, Ryan." Grace smiled at him before walking away.

"That girl likes you." Jess noted.

"No." Ryan shook his head. "She was just being nice."

"No. She likes you."

"Whatever." Ryan thought she was cute but doubted that she liked him. "I'm going to go get something to drink." Ryan walked away.

"Where is my brother going?" Rory asked as she sat down next to Jess.

"To figure out if Grace likes him."

"Grace?"

"Yeah." Jess pointed to the girl talking to Lane. "I think she likes your brother."

"Oh wow. I don't know if anyone has ever liked my brother. Well except for my friend Louise, but she likes all boys." Rory told him. "So Jess, are you having fun?"

Jess nodded. "Yeah. It a pretty good party."

Rory smiled. "This one is probably the best one I have ever had."

"I got you something." Jess pulled a wrapped present out of his bag.

"Ooh." Rory smiled. She wasn't expecting Jess to get her anything.

He handed it to her. "You can open it."

Rory opened it and smiled. "HOWL." Rory was excited. "How did you know?"

"I saw your brother reading it the other day. He said that the two of you were always fighting over whose copy it was. He claims that it is his."

"Technically he is right, but we are supposed to share." Rory flipped through the book. "This is really great, Jess."

"I figured it was a present for you and a present for your brother."

Rory continued to flip through the book. "You wrote in it."

"Yeah just some notes."

"So you have already read it."

Jess shrugged. "A little."

"You have read it enough to write notes in it." Rory was amazed. "I didn't know you were a reader."

"I've been reading since kindergarten."

Rory was still amazed. "This is the best gift Jess."

"It is kind of a gift for me too. I don't have to hear your brother complain anymore." Jess shrugged it off.

"Thanks for this." Rory gave him a quick hug. Jess smiled.

The party continued. Lorelai was extremely happy that the kids seemed to be having a good time. Rory and Ryan loved their present. She had gotten them a laptop. She could only afford to get them one. So they would have to share. They seemed okay with it.

"You need some help." Luke asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Oh you don't have to do that." She took the plates from him. "I can get it."

"I want to help." Luke grabbed some trash and threw it in the garbage. "Things seem to be dying down out there."

"Yeah."

Luke was amazed. "I can only imagine what kind of party you will throw when you have lived here for years."

"I just wanted to do something nice for my kids." Lorelai was really proud of herself. "They deserve the very best."

"I think you did that."

"This was the kind of party I dreamed of as a child." Lorelai sat down at the kitchen table. "But instead I was forced to wear pretty dresses and mingle with people who were as old as my parents." Lorelai remembered. "I'm just glad that my kids no longer have to go through that. They get to have normal birthdays with normal kids."

"This birthday party was not like any that I have ever been too."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was a compliment. I'm amazed by all of this." Luke continued to clean up. "By you." Luke said without thinking.

Lorelai was taken by surprise.

"Here." Lorelai helped him clear the table. "You shouldn't be cleaning."

"I don't mind. Lorelai, I…"

"Mom."

Before he could finish his thought Ryan walked in.

"Yeah sweets." Lorelai focused her attention on her son.

"Can Jess spend the night?"

"Um…If it is okay with Luke." Lorelai looked at Luke.

"Yeah sure. That's fine with me."

"We will bring him home tomorrow before we go to my parents." Lorelai told him.

"Sounds good."

"Thanks guys." Ryan walked out of the room.

Luke felt the moment was gone. "Thanks for letting him stay."

"Yeah no problem. We like Jess."

"So you are going to see your parents tomorrow?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah." She got a queasy feeling in her stomach when she thought about it.

"Have you seen them since your mom took Rory?"

Lorelai shook her head. "No I haven't even really talked to her since that day. I am not looking forward to it."

"How about the kids?"

"I think Rory is happy about it. She enjoys my parents."

"Ryan?"

Lorelai chuckled. "They are not Ryan's favorite people. He always feels like they are judging him. Which is true. It is how I have always felt about them."

"Maybe it will be good for all of you." Luke told her.

"How so?"

"I know they drive you crazy and that they aren't normal, but they are still your parents. I would love to still have my parents around. Actually I would give anything to have that."

Lorelai touched his shoulder. "I understand what you are saying, but my parents aren't like yours were."

"I know. But maybe they will surprise you."

"Maybe." Lorelai wasn't convinced. Her parents had never surprised her in a good way. She was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Always.

Let's see if Luke is right about Emily!

Let me know what you thought!