Written In The Stars II
By Gilmoregirl1979 (the reigning Quote Queen)
Provider of Quality Fan Fiction
Rating: PG-13
Hi this is your friendly disclaimer: I REJECT ASP's REALITY AND SUBSTITUTE MY OWN! Once again, I don't own (DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!!), No Harm No Sue.
R/R: yes please I love reviews; I wanna marry them (as previously stated, I have strange passions.)
Summary/ the Q: What if they did the show… MY WAY (Like Frank!)
Beta : SOLO ME (One thing I know... that I've always known... I am my own best friend...)
Dialogue borrowed from Paris is Burning...
Written by: Joan Binder Weiss & Directed by: David Petrarca
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Chapter 37
A Misunderstood Misunderstanding
Luke had just stepped in the front door and as soon as the front door closed behind him, Lorelai was on him, kissing him like it was their anniversary, pressing him backward, flush against the door. Not thinking too much about it at first, Luke held his wife close with his free arm, "Someone missed me during Parent's Day?" Luke grinned when Lorelai finally needed to take a breath.
"You have no idea," Lorelai said truthfully, squeezing him tight.
"Well, I figured you both had a rough day, so I brought home dinner again; Beef Stroganoff."
"I love you," Lorelai tightened her arms around her husband's middle.
"I love you, too," Luke barely got the term of endearment out before Lorelai's lips were on his again. When she had her fill of kisses, Lorelai hugged him tightly, resting her head on his chest.
"You know, I was thinking maybe we could go out tonight... I'm in the mood for a date," Lorelai suggested.
"Lorelai, I just brought home dinner."
"Well, save it. Tonight, I want a date night..."
"Well, we can do it this weekend."
"Please; it has to be today," Lorelai insisted.
At that point, Luke's antenna was on alert; usually Lorelai would be overly affectionate if it was a special occasion, if she bought something expensive without discussing it with him, or if she did something terribly wrong. "What did you do?"
"Nothing," Lorelai said defensively, she had overplayed her hand and Luke knew it. Her husband's ability to read her like a book was a blessing and a curse.
"Really?" Luke double checked.
"I'm the victim here..." Lorelai insisted.
Luke rolled his eyes at her melodrama, and headed into the kitchen with their Diner dinner. "What does your mother want us to do now?" He then had to ask, "You didn't promise afternoon tea did you? That was a joke..."
Lorelai knew she was going to hate this next conversation, "Luke, I'm not sure how to explain this to you," Rubbing his shoulders trying to get back into his embrace.
Now Luke was getting very suspicious; He noticed the house was very, very quiet, and over Lorelai's shoulder saw that Rory's room was empty. "Where's Rory?"
"At Lanes, so we could talk in private."
A million nightmares were going through Luke's head all at once, "Are you okay? Is it the baby?"
His fear and concern touched Lorelai, "The baby is fine, I'm mostly fine, and Rory is ... relatively okay..."
"What happened?"
"Okay, just remember how much I love you, and you can't be mad at mistakes that are beyond my control." Hoping she had the courage to clearly explain things to her beloved husband, Lorelai started her explanation, "You know today was Parent's Day..."
"Yeah," he nodded impatiently, just wanting her to get to the point already.
"Well, some people decided to make up a nasty, totally baseless rumor about me and our ... not so favorite teacher."
"What?" Luke's brow furrowed under his ball-cap.
"Paris Geller witness part of a conversation between me and Mr. Medina, and now... the whole school thinks I had some kind of affair with him," Lorelai threw up her hands in frustration.
"WHAT!" The vein in Luke's forehead started throbbing, his mind scrambling, how could anyone think Lorelai would have an affair with a teacher? Granted in Hartford such things were common place, but Paris Geller, his daughter's nemesis, of course she'd spread something to hurt..."Rory... "
"She's fine, well as well as can be expected; she's embarrassed after I promised I wouldn't embarrass her...but it wasn't my fault! Paris overheard...."
"What the hell could you have possibly said that would make anyone think that..."
"Our conversation was completely innocent!!" Lorelai urged, realizing too late she broke the news rather badly.
"Obviously not if people assume you're having an ... affair with a teacher!" Luke could hardly say it. It was inconceivable, the mere idea of Lorelai cheating on him after years of love and trust and marriage. Luke tried to calm down; He knew he could believe Lorelai, in past instances of guys hitting on her, Luke knew it was the guys he never trusted. Lorelai always came clean with a joke about who approached her after her business class or who checked in to the Inn wanting a personal tour of Stars Hollow. Luke folded his arms, fuming, waiting for Lorelai to continue her explanation, trying to reserve his anger until he got the whole story and knew exactly who to blame.
"Okay, let's not forget it was Paris who started this just trying to hurt and humiliate Rory. I went to class with Rory, no problem, Mr. Medina went on about some dead authors, Rory hung on his every word, while I spaced out," not mentioning Mr. Medina's longing glances in her direction. "Then, after class, Mr. Medina asked me hang back, alone, he wanted to apologize again for his behavior at the bake sale, and to... congratulate me on ... our baby."
"He knows?" Luke's eyes bulged. They were keeping it secret until Lorelai and the baby were in the clear.
"Rory told him... she was scared about our not telling her about the chance of miscarriage, so she got some advice from her teacher, they talked, and he made her feel better..."
Luke knew that he had a one on one sit down with Rory over the baby's fate, but had Mr. Medina inspired his daughter to have that heart to heart conversation with her father. Obviously, Rory trusted her teacher enough to confide in him such a secret; Rory had always been a good judge of character, as in the case with Dean. Perhaps if she had known the reasons for her parents discomfort with the English Teacher she would have been more wary or cautious with such a precious secret. Still, it's not like the teacher could do anything with the information. If anything, a baby on the way meant Lorelai was even more committed to her marriage and family, despite whatever fantasies the Teacher was having. Perhaps if they had told their daughter, she wouldn't have befriended Mr. Medina, but Rory needed someone on her side at that school.
Lorelai shook her head, playing through what happened again with regret, "...I should have left, I should have just walked out of that classroom and been done with it, then this wouldn't have happened, but stupid me... had to open her big mouth. I mean, I was just ... trying to clear the air, you were fine with Mr. Medina, finding his attraction to me laughable now, not jealous or threatened in any way, which is commendable, you know that you can trust me,...and Rory likes Mr. Medina cause he teaches her favorite subject, I was the only one with the problem... I was the only one uncomfortable, so I wanted to handle it myself and try to fix it." Lorelai let out a frustrated sigh, on the verge of tears, "and stupid Paris had to misunderstand what we were talking about and spread it around school to take the attention away from her family's troubles."
Luke hated to see her upset, it was like Luke's kryptonite to see either of his girls cry or out of sorts, and it was his natural manly reaction that if one of his girls had a problem he had to try to fix-it, all purpose handyman that Luke was; he stepped forward and embraced his wife. "Okay, I need you to calm down ..."
"I'm sorry, stupid hormones...everything is getting to me," Lorelai wiped the corners of her eyes. "It's just... this lie... it got me thinking the entire ride home... would I ever do that to you? Could I be capable of that? And I started feeling guilty like maybe I led Mr. Medina on somehow... but even then it was settled months ago, at least I thought it was. And I didn't even do anything! Still it seems like... he's carrying this torch for me.... like what I'm supposed to drop everything, my husband, my daughter, my life for him?? I don't even know him!"
"Hey, you didn't cheat....you didn't want this guy's advances."
Lorelai shrugged, "That's the thing... there really is no bad guy here, Well, except Paris of course. I mean, I can't help, but feel sorry for him. Why can't he go out on a date and find someone else... but he's being this strange kind of gentleman martyr about it, pining in silence. If I just hadn't gone today this wouldn't have happened."
"Well, it did ...and we just have to deal with that."
"Luke, I don't want you to ever feel that you can't trust me, or be suspicious that something is going on, cause there isn't anything...there never will be anyth..."
Lorelai's train of thought ceased when Luke kissed her so she would stop saying every single thought and worry in her head. Luke held her in his arms, silently reminding her that what they had was special and strong and forever. Cradling her, comforting her, supporting her, kissing her, assuring her that he believed her, she had done nothing to feel guilty for, that he trusted her, trusted their relationship and their love.
Lorelai clung to him, keeping him close, filling her mind with all the wonderful kisses they had over their years together. Sensing that warm, happy swelling growing in her heart, letting the warmth fill her up as she embraced her beloved husband.
After Luke took to kissing her forehead, holding her, all Lorelai could say was, "I love you," with her arms around him, never wanting to let her go of him.
"I know. The feeling is mutual," brushing a stray lock of hair away from her beautiful face, "come here," taking her hand and leading her into the living room.
"Where are we going?"
"I just want to sit with my wife, on our couch, in our living room, in our home."
"I like the way you say 'our'," Lorelai squeezed his hand.
Luke sat down on the couch, and Lorelai leaned against him the way they would if they were setting in to watch a movie. "Just breathe. Clear your head."
Snuggling with her husband, tucking her feet underneath her, Lorelai inhaled deeply, exhaled, and repeated.
"Now, right this second, what are you thinking about?"
"You smell really good," Lorelai smiled, "I'm thinking how much I love our life...how happy I am we're having a baby," Lorelai raised her head to look Luke in the eye, "I was thinking about the baby today... before...all this crap happened..." she sunk.
"What about the baby?" Luke asked, softly, wanting Lorelai to only focus on the positives.
"I was wondering what the baby would be like; Would the baby be bookish like Rory, talkative like me, or quietly strong and dependable, and understanding like you."
"That's nice to think about," Luke ran his fingers through her hair again.
"Yeah," Lorelai agreed, "What are we going to do?" going back to the events of the day, "I mean, Rory's back to where she was before, being pony boy."
"I don't know. She's a strong, resilient kid. She took their treatment before... she'll last again. And for the rest, we know the truth; that's what's most important."
"And it will never be true...you know that," Lorelai assured, stroking his cheek again, "If you want we can take a paternity test and you will know that this baby is yours. That Teacher wasn't anywhere in the vicinity."
"I know, I was there... and I've sleep next to you every night for years. And the last time I was out of town for Liz was before we ever heard of Max Medina."
"I miss you," Lorelai confessed," I mean, I know we're together every night, but since we found out I'm pregnant... we haven't... you know, really been together," still stroking Luke's stubble ridden cheek.
"I miss you too; but ... we have to be careful, you're not superwoman."
"I have the costume? Wonder Woman actually, if you want to get kinky..."
"Lorelai, with the baby...you heard the doctor," Lorelai frowned again, "It's not that I don't want to...I do."
"Even though I'm pregnant?" Lorelai smiled; she thought for sure Luke would be prudish enough to be appalled by the idea of sexual relations while pregnant.
"I have eyes, don't I? You're even more beautiful now," thinking of her developing curves over the last few weeks he had noticed. "Maybe if we get an all clear from the doctor?"
Lorelai only nodded.
"Hey, we never went to Sniffy's to celebrate the baby."
"Yeah, morning sickness."
"Well, how about that date night? If we survive your mother's on Friday, I'll take you out on Saturday."
"Okay," Lorelai cracked a smile, "How long till you think this dies down..."
"It will."
"If we go to Sniffy's, I'll feel pressure to tell Bud and Maisy... you know how they've been cheering us on."
"We don't have to tell them till you're ready. No pressure, don't worry."
"Luke... I won't ever leave you...you know that right?"
"I know... especially now that I finally got your mother on my side," he grinned.
Lorelai chuckled, imitating Emily's voice, "Lorelai, why would you cheat with some strange man when you have a perfectly good one at home..."
A few hours later, Rory climbed the porch steps, hoping her parents had enough time to talk, hoping everything was all right. Mrs. Kim kicked her out of the antique store/house at eight-thirty because Lane needed to pray and get ready for bed, so Rory went to the bookstore and Andrew let her stay until he had to close. She got something from Weston's before Fran locked up and slowly started home, wanting to give her parents every moment she could even though it was a school night.
Rory knew they would work it out, her father would understand and everything would be okay. Still, there would be a little arguing before hand on how this situation could ever manifest. It was still surreal to Rory, how a lie could spread like fire, and burn so many. It was just as well, she was the new girl, the outcast, the girl from outside of Harford. Everything was as it was before, she was ridiculed for being innocent "Mary", they were already assuming things about her because of where she came from, so now they were lying about her parents, and maybe she wouldn't be the innocent Mary any longer, because of the lies about her mother she would earn an undeserved "Magdalene".
Rory only hoped her father wasn't too upset or hurt. Rory entered the house, it sounded very quiet, and Rory figured at least they weren't arguing and yelling at each other.
The lights were on in the living room, and Rory entered, and had to smile. Her folks were curled up on the couch, they could have been watching a movie and fallen asleep. This encouraged Rory that a vicious lie couldn't break up her parents.
Her father inhaled and woke up suddenly, "Rory?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"What time is it?"
"Five till ten; I didn't know how long you needed?"
"Nah, we've settled everything okay," Luke eased out from underneath Lorelai, leaving his sound asleep wife on the couch as he escorted Rory into the kitchen so they could talk.
"I'm sorry dad," Rory whispered, "This is all my fault."
"No, there's plenty of blame to go around. Paris deserves most of it and me."
"You?" Rory's jaw dropped.
"I should have been there, like a good Chilton father. If I was there with your mother, they wouldn't have been alone and all this speculation wouldn't have sprung up."
"You had to work, I understand."
"No, I can take it, Rory. It's so easy to think of it as... a Hartford World and a Stars Hollow world, as separate, but you cross over into both, you fit in both so well, and if we're going to get you into Harvard... Your mom and I have got to cross over with you more often then we have."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm just saying maybe instead of doing the bare minimum of what is expected of us, we should get more involved volunteer more with all of the events at Chilton." Luke knew they had been getting off easy the first semester, and perhaps his increased presence at the school would to deter Mr. Medina's wandering eye and help the teacher get the message.
"Dad, you don't have to do that. You're busy, you and mom work... a lot of the participating parents are the housewives who don't have jobs, they have a lot of time on their hands to they fill it with school activities to advance their children's academic and future careers."
"Well, don't you deserve that same attention?"
"Dad... is this because you....don't trust mom??"
"Of course I trust your mom. Maybe... it's Mr. Medina that I don't trust." Luke saw his daughter's face fall, "Look, I know he's your favorite teacher, and that shouldn't change. And if I get more involved it could help our Harvard goal. Okay? Big picture right?"
"Right."
"Everything is going to be alright. These rumors will die down, and that will be it. You'll get good grades... you'll be valedictorian..."
"Dad!"
"Come here," Luke hugged his daughter, "It's going to be okay."
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Lorelai was warm in her bed; she had gotten a very good night's sleep. She could tell because she had this amazing sense of peace and calm and serenity, and the fact she didn't want to get out of bed right away. If she did, that the peace would end and she would have to face the day.
She slowly opened her eyes expecting to see the sad site of the emptiness of her husband's side of the bed, however on this morning; she was startled by his presence.
"Jeez!" she gasped, "what are you doing here?!!"
"I sleep here."
"I know but you're usually at work by now... and here you are... watching me. Aren't you the one that says that that's creepy," Lorelai asked, still a little groggy.
"It is creepy, but I didn't want to go to work without seeing you."
"Well you've been watching me for God knows how long!"
"Alright then, I didn't want to go without you seeing me."
Her surprise aside, she was glad to see him, to still have his arms around her. "Okay, well since you were so well intentioned, you are forgiven."
"Good," Luke leaned over to kiss her. "You alright?"
"Yeah," Lorelai bit her lip, recalling the events of yesterday.
"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't do anything wrong."
"I know, I just... don't want to go to work today."
"Well, if you go then you get to come home... to me."
"Hmm, I like the sound of that," Lorelai smiled, keeping that warm feeling.
"Okay, Good morning," Luke pecked her lips again, "and I'll see you tonight," Luke peeled away from his wife; he was outside the covers, already dressed and ready for work.
Lorelai felt a sudden cold on the side her husband had just vacated, and pulled up the covers to contain any heat he had left behind. "I can't wait."
And just like that, things were back to normal, as if nothing terrible happened yesterday. That gave Lorelai hope that this really wasn't the big deal she was making it out to be.
Luke popped his head back into the bedroom for a second. "Hey, you still want a date on Saturday??"
"As long as it's with you!"
"Wouldn't have it any other way," and Luke clumped down the stairs in his loud manly fashion.
Lorelai came down stairs with a robe over yesterday's outfit; Luke must have carried her up the stairs and tucked her in without bothering to peel her out of her clothes. A hungry Lorelai entered the kitchen, and saw her daughter eating a bagel. "That's looks good, do we have anymore?"
"Yup, I swear I don't know how dad does half the magic he does!" Rory teased, reading the news paper for current events.
"Yeah, he's pretty special," Lorelai smiled, reaching into the cabinet for some tea, aka her coffee alternative.
"So... are you going to keep him?"
Lorelai had a reflexive smile, "Of course I'm going to keep him."
"Good, cause I've already gotten used to calling him dad, and he makes the best coffee," Turning the page of her newspaper.
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like; I'm getting acquainted with the world around me. I'm supposed to read the paper every day for current events in case one of my teachers gives me a pop quiz on current events."
Lorelai smiled, Things were definitely back to normal. Wrinkling up her nose at the coffee pot, she pulled some tea out of the cabinet, and started to fill up the tea kettle.
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Friday evening, Lorelai sighed, staring at the front door of her mother's house, "Man, do I not want to be here tonight."
"Just think of our date tomorrow night? Okay," Luke encouraged, taking his wife's hand.
Rory rang the door bell knowing the last thing she her mother needed was a confrontation with Grandma over something.
The door opened by the maid-of-the-week, and Emily was waiting in the foyer, with her arms crossed, thin lips, and narrow eyes; her position seemed to suggest that she had been pacing the foyer, waiting for their arrival..
Oh, boy! Lorelai forced a smile, "Hi mom, boy the roads were a mess out there tonight."
"Rory, go upstairs please," Emily said evenly.
"Is everything ok?" Rory asked.
"I have to talk to your mother; please go upstairs," when Rory hesitated, "Now Rory," Emily ordered.
Rory complied, warily looking back at her folks, who still held hands tightly.
Emily led the married couple into the living room, "Luke, depending on what you know, you may want to follow Rory."
"I know the truth," Luke said firmly.
"Do you know?" Emily challenged her son-in-law in a cruel tone she had last used before Richard's heart troubles. Apparently, he knew exactly what she was talking about before she brought up the subject; no doubt he only knew what Lorelai had told him.
"Gee mom, did I do something wrong?" Lorelai feigned innocence, which was not necessary since she was truly innocent.
"I try to understand you, I truly do. But sometimes your behavior baffles me beyond belief."
"And which behavior is this?"
Emily continued, "Honestly, Rory goes to school in that place, she has a reputation to protect. You're her mother. You're supposed to shield her from shame not cause it."
Lorelai sighed, "Oh mom?" Of course the rumor got back to Emily.
"Kissing a teacher...in a classroom...on Parent's Day!!!" Emily scolded.
Lorelai gasped, "That's not what happened!!" turning to her husband to assure him, "That's not what happened."
"When I heard I almost fainted," Emily complained.
"How did you hear mom?" desperately curious to close the connection between her private life and her mother.
"I have friends Lorelai. Headmaster Charleston's wife for one."
"Oh, that's great."
"The entire school is talking about it. And what do I say, how do I defend this?"
"It was a misunderstanding," Lorelai had already been beating herself up for three days over what happened, now her mother was going to be all righteously indignant toward her over literally nothing!
"A misunderstanding?" Emily scoffed, "A misunderstanding? Is that what you call it, a misunderstanding? Kissing a man, who is not your husband, and one of your daughter's teachers in his classroom? Carrying on with him behind your family's back."
"I did not kiss him!! I wasn't even within five feet of him!!" Lorelai hollered.
"A misunderstanding is when you order red wine and get white, a misunderstanding is when you say you will meet a dinner date at seven and they show up at eight. A misunderstanding is when you're at a charity auction wanting to increase your bid by a hundred dollars and they think you bid a thousand. In what world could this be a misunderstanding! Do you even love this man?"
Lorelai wished she had something snarky or sarcastic to say, but she was too upset, hormones mixing with her mother's scolding were not a good combination. Fortunately, Luke, her knight in shining armor, came through, "Emily you really don't understand what is at work here?"
"You know, I'm surprised at you, Luke; all the loyalty you've shown Lorelai and Rory over the years and this is how your wife repays you..."
"Nothing Happened!" Luke roared, forgetting to be polite to his mother-in-law. "This is a vicious rumor started by Paris Geller."
"Geller?" Emily recognized the name.
"Yes, the girl who is making your granddaughter's life a living hell at that school, Paris Geller. This girl is obviously in a lot of pain and confusion... and rather than dealing with it constructively, she's acting out. She's just a kid; she doesn't understand what is going on with her folks and their divorce, even though it's all over the Hartford press. So she decided to spread a lie to take the attention off her troubles for a little while and maybe destroy your granddaughter's good standing at the school, since you're so interested in how things that will affect Rory and her overall reputation and acceptance in the Hartford circles!"
Emily's outrage was significantly diminished, she adopted an almost regular, conversational tone, "I think I've read about it in the paper."
Luke continued, "It was parent's day, yes. Lorelai was alone with the teacher in question, yes, but they were talking about Rory, that's what Parent's Day was for. That's it. And this girl, in her ... misery, thought she would somehow get the attention off her and destroy Rory in the process. Rory is her only real competition at that school."
Emily remained silent watching her son-in-law stand up to her and for the sake of his step-daughter, acting like a real father.
"I know that Lorelai may have lied to you before or done things behind your back when she was younger, so naturally you still have trust issues with her. If she did it before, she'll do it again, you assume. You don't even see how Lorelai has grown up since she left your house. You have her stuck as that out of control teenager who was acting out in her own way back then. You are so indignant about your granddaughter's reputation... but what about Lorelai's huh? She's not the harlot you imagine her to be... you didn't even wait to get her side of the story. you just pounced on her as soon as we walked in the door, assuming the worst. What about Paris learning a lesson that you can avoid or distract from your problems but face them? And what about the Innocent teacher in all this? Huh? Mr. Medina is a great teacher, great with his students, Rory likes him...and I trust her judge of character, and he's being unfairly discredited and maligned, too!"
Emily turned to a teary Lorelai, who still held her husband's hand, unable to look at her mother. "Nothing happened?"
Lorelai felt like a little kid in trouble with her mother again. "Of course not!" Lorelai said in a watery voice, unable to help crying for the hormones secretly playing tricks on her. Her hurt and resentment was real, just amplified, and unable to hide it from her mother as she would have normally preferred.
"You only talked to him about Rory?" Emily asked, staring at Lorelai's shoes.
Lorelai raised her head and met her husband's eyes; they knew the whole truth of the conversation; of Max Medina's infatuation with Lorelai and Lorelai's polite refusal of such attention, of Mr. Medina's awkward congratulations over her pregnancy. In her husband's eyes, Luke was telling Lorelai to spare her mother and Mr. Medina's reputation. "Only about Rory and her performance in school."
Emily stayed quiet for a full minute, "I... I'm sorry Lorelai... for jumping to conclusions... and...For not trusting you."
"Apology accepted," Lorelai said quietly, it may have been the first time Emily said "I'm Sorry" without some polite protocol behind it. Then Lorelai hugged her husband, to thank him for his valiant defense of her reputation and of the innocent teacher who their daughter admired so much.
"Well, I guess ... I'll check with the cook on dinner."
Lorelai didn't respond, just appreciated her mother leaving her alone with her husband for a while.
Over Lorelai's shoulder, Luke looked up and saw that Rory hadn't gone upstairs, as she was told to. She went up the first landing then huddled in the corner to observe the adults exchange, she was teary eyed too, seeing how harsh her grandmother could be to her mother, but smiling proudly at her dad's defense of her favorite teacher, a man he didn't even get along with. She gave him silent thumbs up and let him comfort her mother.
When Lorelai's tears finally quieted, she told her husband, "I love you, and I don't want anyone but you."
"Back at you and he kissed her for the first time in the Elder Gilmore's house.
--
Thas was all God Given Talent!!
NOTES: I'm sorry my schedule has been a little hectic and it SEEMS like i'm not interested in my stories any more, like children they require constant attention to grow and thrive. I will admit i'm a bad fanfiction mother... thank you for sticking with me so long!!
"Cause your memory it lingers and the time moves so slow, I've never been that good at letting go…"-Massacoustics
R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,
"...Remember this is for posterity ... so be honest."
Please be specific with R/R; name one (or as many as you can think of or want to mention…) At least one specific thing you liked
Please! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)
Hence the Rant option below.
Insert Rant here V
A/N: if not completely satisfied with this chapter, please return unused portion for a full refund...