AN: Ok, so I've put up with there being less reviews these past two chapters, but that won't be the case here, if you want me to update soon, you better review. This was originally gonna be chapter 26, but since the events arounf Graduation would be more or less the same I felt to dedicate a whole chapter to it would be kinda pointless and I'd only get complaints on how there was too much of the show in it. So I combined the two, and this is the result.
Julia & JJSoulmatesLL - Wow, patience really isn't your virtue. I really hope you're not taking offence on that remark. In one way I can get how it may seem like the story's standing still, but if that's how you feel, then I'm afraid you're not looking too close. I'm trying to be realistic, consider everything that surrounds them as well as remembering who they are and the way they think and act. LL take time. Especially when there's obsticles. I think with the slow pace and the number of chapters people forget that not that much time has passed by. I could go on and on about this, instead I'm just saying one thing. We're only a couple of months into this story and Lorelai's already admitted to being in love with Luke. If I were to go any faster time-wise, in this situation it would be unrealistic.
LukeNLorelaifanatic - LOL, looks to me that I'm gaining one more essay-like reviewer here, gotta say I love it. It's wonderfull to hear opinions and observations and I agree very much to your comment on Luke choosing the paths he does. What I believe is that with season 2, first he was giving her space, but before he could make time to make a move, he had to deal with Jess and when he sent Jess home, him and Lorelai weren't talking. Season 3 is self-explanatory. Lorelai started dating Alex and Luke decided to instead of waiting around to take a chance with Nicole... lol, Luke takes his time :)
flcrkr - I'm glad I made you laugh, I agree that the cheerleading-apple-France ordeal was crazy, don't ask me where it came from, it just did. And to answer your question a couple of the previous chapters has been in Luke's POV, time to freshen up your memory, I think :P
Rachel - I just gotta point out, I LOVE long reviews, they make life worth living. I'm glad you decided to get back on track with the story :) Your review made me laugh, read this chapter and go back and re-read your review and you'll know why.
- Well, I've been thinking and taking her on a cruise is pretty much committing to her.
- You don't want to committ?
- I'm not sure. I don't want to lead her on. I don't know, it's stupid. What do you think?
- I-I think..?
- Yeah.
- About your committing to Nicole?
- Well, kinda, yeah. I mean, you're a woman, you know more about these things than I do. You called me on the whole 'mentioning another woman on a first date' thing. What if she reads too much into this as well?
- Do you like her, Luke? I mean, really like her?
- Yeah, she's great.
- Then maybe you should go. I mean, it's not like there's some other reason you might not want to go, right?
- Right. I guess I was just nervous for nothing.
- Yeah, probably.
- So, I'll see you in a couple of months?
- Yeah, a couple of months...
Ever since she watched Luke walk away from her at the Chilton parking lot, Lorelai simply couldn't shake the conversation from her head. She thought about it at the party they held at the Crap Shack later that same day. The plane ride was the worst, as Rory fell asleep right after take-off, exhausted from staying up all night, busying herself with last minute packing.
- The hostel brochures, I was sure I packed them, but they're not here. Where did we put them? ... What do you mean you had them for bedtime reading? We could've left them all behind, then what'd we do? ... This is no time for your snappy jokes, missy!
Lorelai couldn't help but feel that she'd most likely made her second big mistake with Luke, encouraging him to go on that trip. The first had been leaving the appartment when she'd woken up naked in his bed. She mentally cursed herself for seeing 'Sliding Doors' just days before as her head was now filled with 'what if's. There was no doubt that her life would've been different if she hadn't panicked and stayed put, but would it've been for the better?
Sure at first it seemed like Helen's life had turned to the better, she'd gotten out from the lie that had been her relationship and found a good man, who she fell in love with, but she'd also died. Not that Lorelai anticipated that staying in the bed would have lead to her death, but maybe something else had taken the turn for the worse. The second Helen seemed to always get the short end of the stick, having to waiter on people to support herself and Jerry, who was constantly cheating on her. But then she'd found her strength in the end minutes, left Jerry and met James in the hospital elevator, the same man her earlier self had met on the tube.
Lorelai had to believe that if things were written in the stars, then she would get her chance, somehow. Someway. Maybe there was a reason, something she didn't yet know. Maybe she never would know it.
She'd had too much time to contemplate on this, as Europe had greeted her and Rory with three days worth of rain. The first day it had all been allright, as both of them were jet-lagged and out of sync with each other. Rory had just slept for six hours solid on the plane and although she was still tired, she hadn't been able to get back to sleep. Lorelai however had been gone the second her head hit the pillow. As day two had also been grey clouds and frequents showers, it had become a lazy day. They had slept in, missing breakfast, which apparently ended at 10 am every morning. So when they crawled out of bed in the early afternoon, they had to make their way to a place nearby, 'chez Renée', the name not going unnoticed by Lorelai. The strict look from Rory was the only thing stopping her from pulling an 'Yvette' on the poor, unsuspecting waitor. He had no idea what a near miss he'd had.
After eating, they had taken up visiting indoor sights that didn't require that much queueing in the rain, mostly museums. When day three also could only offer rain, Rory had suggested they'd move on, but Lorelai had refused. Before leaving Paris behind, she wanted to see the top of the Effel Tower and that wasn't something you did in the rain. It didn't matter how Rory pointed out, they could return at a later point on their trip, Lorelai was sure if she let it, the weather Gods would make sure any return trip to the city would have nothing but rainy skies. So they stayed put.
When Tuesday finally arrived with never ending clear blue skies and Lorelai had finished her little victory dance, she found herself at the hostel's second floor shared bathroom, getting ready for the first real day in Paris. Having been looking forward to this trip for months, not to mention years, she had the perfect outfit picked out. It wasn't that it was the nicest set she owned, there were plenty of better and worse. But it was one of those things, when you saw it in the store, you just felt like saving it for the right occasion, in this case, the true beginning of her and Rorys backpacking trip.
She felt uncomfortable changing in the bathroom, not half as uncomfortable as taking a shower there had been, as there were no locks on the door and the only thing sepparating the showers from the rest of the room were a couple of very thin shower curtains. Also the experience of finding a man showering in the girl's bathroom hadn't helped much, especially when it was the same man who'd kept waking her up in the middle of the night by pulling slightly on her sheet. He'd stopped doing it after she, half asleep, had kicked him hard in the shin. But it hadn't stopped him from coming on to her in the day. She couldn't tell where he was from, his English was bad, his French, according to Rory, was even worse. After witnessing him coming out from one of the showers, wearing only a towel around his waist, she'd had enough and reported him to the staff. He'd been kicked out that same night.
The man was gone, but the doors remained unlocked, anyone could still walk in at any given minute. So Lorelai, who'd been used to browsing her closet in her underwear, dressed quickly. The skirt sat tighter than she could remember, she knew she should've checked the instructions more carefully before washing it. Luckily that still fit. The top on the other hand, didn't. She pulled on the fabric, trying to get the buttons closed, but there was no use. The gap was too big. The top four were the only ones behaving. The rest, no matter how much she pulled, was a mission impossible. She stared into the mirror, turning from side to side, trying to figure out any part to stretch without ruining it and that was when it hit her, a blast from the past. A significant moment, very simillar to this one. Shit.
Rory was already dressed, sitting crosslegged on her bed, reading a tourist brochure they had picked up from the information desk the night before, by the time Lorelai returned to the room, still sporting her pyjamas.
- Aren't you dressed yet, she exclaimed, when she saw her. - It says here we should try to get there as early as possible to avoid the really long queues. I shouldn't have to remind you that it was you who had to see the Eiffel Tower before we left.
- I know and we will. I just need to talk to you about something first.
- We have about two hours worth of queueing time to talk, can't it wait?
- It's more of a sitting down kinda conversation.
- Is anything wrong, Rory asked, worriedly.
- That's what I need to find out.
- I'm listening.
- Well.., Lorelai sighed. - Rory, what do you, you know, think of Gigi? You like her, right?
Rory gave her a puzzled look.
- Of course I do, she answered, - She's my sister. 'Course I hardly see her at all, so I don't really think about her that often.
- But you'd like to see her more, right?
- She's my sister, why wouldn't I? But it's not like that's changing. With college and all I won't exactly have that much time to see her.
- But if say she was to come over, that'd be cool with you.
- I'm trying really hard to follow you. When would she be coming over?
- I'm saying more like hypotheticly, if Gigi was to be at our house a lot, like on a daily basis...
- Are dad and Sherry moving?
- No.
- Then what's with the.., Rory questioned when suddenly her eyes widened. - Oh no...
- Oh, yeah, Lorelai replied, nervously.
- You're...
- I think so.
- When did you realize..?
- Just now.
- How?
- That outfit I was gonna wear to the Eiffel Tower today. Two months ago, when I bought it, it fitted me perfectly. Now I can't button it to save my life.
- That doesn't have to mean anything, Rory pointed out. - You could just be getting fat. The way you've been eating I'm surprised your metabolism didn't crack sooner.
- Sweetie, you have no idea how much I wish this was just me getting fat. I'd run around the block of pure joy if this turned out to be nothing and you know how much I hate exercise.
- Well, lets think of this logically, how long since...
- Four months.
- Oh boy.
- Quite possibly, could be one or the other.
- It's been four months and you didn't notice anything being off?
- Well, I don't exactly have the best track record in keeping track of auntie Flo. She comes and goes as she pleases, just like my mother. Hello, it took my coming out dress not fitting to realize I was having you.
- You don't write it up?
- No, never have. Why, do you?
- Yes.
- Really?
- Yes, ever since I got it. I like being prepared. Avoid white underwear. Have tampons ready. That sort of thing.
- I swear, Lorelai said, shaking her head. - I have no idea where you got those organisation skills of yours. They're certainly not from me and I never ever saw your dad as much of a planner.
- I've heard it skips a generation, Rory quipped.
Being the only two who hadn't left for breakfast yet, the entire room fell silent.
- So, what are you planning to do, Rory asked.
- I guess I'll have to get a test, first of all.
- And if it's positive?
- Well, then I guess you'll be getting a little brother or a sister.
- Or both, Rory suggested. - Like in your dream.
- That's not even remotely funny, missy.
- It's kinda funny.
They fell silent for a couple of minutes, digesting the possibility.
- Mom, Rory said, breaking the silence.
- Yeah?
- We can do the Eiffel tomorrow.
TBC
AN: Feel the need for an Author's Note here at the bottom, this one to buckice (Kari), when I read WHC chapter 36 my initial reaction was: "She stole my idea" lol, I thought I'd mention that here since I didn't want you or anyone else to think I was copying you (Not that I think you'd think that). Your reaction to that Partings scene was pretty much my reaction to that chapter. I would've said it in my review, but since I wasn't looking to spoil anyone, and some of the people who read your story, reads mine, I couldn't really make the revelation now could I? lol I just thought I'd say this before anyone else commented on it.