"Hellooooo?" Sookie's head stuck around the Gilmore's front door. "Any chickadees home?"
"We're in the kitchen," Rory's voice called out to her.
Sookie made her way over to the kitchen. "Hiyaaaaa." Sookie slipped on the floor, fell against the fridge and landed on her butt, taking half the fridge magnets down with her. "Ow."
"Sweetie, are you alright?" asked Lorelai offering her hand.
"Oh yeah," she replied, prying an obtrusive object from under her buttocks. "But I think Eeyore's seen better days. Sorry." She got up and hobbled to the chair and set about trying to reattach Eeyore's head.
"Why are you wearing sandals? It's raining outside," Rory inquired.
"Cos they're brand new. I got them yesterday. Plus, I painted my toenails. You like?"
"I can totally dig, man. However, safety first. No more wearing flip-flops when it's raining. Deal?" Lorelai said.
Sookie looked at Rory for help and Rory rose to the occasion.
"Mom, you're setting double standards here. Wasn't it just last week that you went outside in the thunderstorm wearing your metal coal miners helmet with the rhinestones?"
"But Apricot was missing. I had to help Babette look for her. What kind of help would I have been with no light to guide me? That helmet was not just a fashion statement." She shook her head dramatically then punched her fist into the air. "It was a godsend in a time of need." She then hung her head as a stage actress does at the end of her performance.
Sookie stood up and applauded. She then took some roses from the vase on the table and flung them at Lorelai.
"Ow, sweetie. Thorns."
"Ooo, sorry hun." She helped Lorelai pull the stems from her sweater. "Hey, my button fell off!" Sookie got down on the floor and started scanning. "I found it!" She crawled back over to the fridge, bumped her head against it, and then picked up the red button. "I'm just going to use your sewing room for a sec, okay sweetie?"
Rory's eyes met her mom's in a panic.
"Noo!" they both yelled.
"I can do that for you. Why don't you fix yourself a nice cup of tea?" Lorelai tried prying the button out of Sookie's hand, but Sookie grasped on tightly.
"That's okay. I want to do it. It's the first time that I can because I don't have any bandages on my fingers. Look." Sookie held up her hands for inspection. "See? I'm quite looking forward to it actually."
Lorelai looked at the beam on her best friends face, and felt herself caving in.
"Remember, safety first," Rory whispered into Lorelai's ear.
"Please," Sookie begged.
"Fine," Lorelai relented. "But you must wear a thimble at all times during this sewing activity. If I come up there and see you thimbleless I'm going to get all kung fuey on you. Understood?"
"Understood." Sookie attempted to give her friend a hug but tripped due to her flip-flops and ended up head butting Lorelai in the stomach.
Lorelai waved off the oncoming apology. "That's ok. I didn't want more children anyway," she said clutching her stomach.
She waited until Sookie was upstairs before turning to Rory, placing both her hands on her shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes.
"Promise me that if something ever happens to me, you will Sookie-proof the world. Promise that you will be on constant Sookie-Watch. It's the only way I'll rest in peace."
"By 'rest in peace' do you mean not taking to haunting all my future love prospects, as you said you would when I accidentally broke your Madonna bra?"
"What were you doing juicing those oranges on those cones anyway?"
"What? I was six. You were sick. I thought you'd like some nice fresh orange juice," Rory defended herself.
"And you didn't think it was the slightest bit weird when the juice came out green from reacting with the metal?"
"I was six. I thought I already mentioned that."
"I thought you were smart."
"It looked like the juicer Sookie always used."
"How? There were two of them. They were attached. Together. They had straps."
Their conversation was halted when Sookie's voice called from upstairs.
"Lorelai, where's your unpickerer thingy majiggy?"
Sookie looked up at them sheepishly as they found her on the bed, sucking her bleeding fingers.
"Look Lorelai. My thumbs are still fine." She waved her thumbs in the air in triumph.
"Why do you need the unstitcher?" Lorelai asked as she rummaged through her sewing case.
Sookie lifted up her cardigan, which was lying on her lap. The front of her skirt also lifted up, being attached to the cardigan.
"It appears that I have sewn myself in for the winter."
"Hmmm. While I'm sure this is some preview of the crazy winter fashion that awaits us in next months In Style, I don't think we should invest in the fad just yet. We'll wait and see what Versace does, agreed?" Lorelai set out to relieve Sookie from her cardigan.
Late Saturday morning.
"Luuuke!" Lorelai seated herself at the counter. "What would you say to doing something totally un-Lukey like this evening?"
"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," he said wiping down the counter. "And how many times have I told you not to say Lukey? It's not a real word."
"Sure it is. You are Luke, correct?"
"I'll agree to that."
"All things pertaining to you can be described as Lukey, correct?"
"No."
"Come on, you stubborn mule. Give an inch every once in a while." Seeing that this approach wasn't working, and being a very determined and undeterred girl, she started on a different path. That was the thing with Lorelai. She was very versatile. "I'll give you an example."
"I can't wait to hear this." He poured her a cup of coffee.
"So, okay, the other day I was walking through the mall with Rory, and I see this flannel, plaid shirt. I turned to Rory and said to her, Now isn't that Lukey? And she agreed. You know what she said?"
"No, tell me. I'm completely fascinated. I must know now," he deadpanned.
Ignoring the sarcastic undertones she continued.
"She said, That is the most Lukey thing I have seen. Let's slap a baseball cap on it and call it Junior."
"Oh, she did not."
"You calling me a liar, punk?" she accosted him.
"You don't intimidate me."
"Oh no?"
"Well, maybe a little. I can concede that much. But I still standby my Webster when I say that Lukey is not a word."
Lorelai nodded in understanding then leaned over the counter.
"That was a very Lukey thing you said just then."
"I give up," Luke said throwing down his rag.
"Yay for me!"
"So what was this un-Lukey thing you wanted me to do?" Luke asked.
"Okay, well you see, we're having a Scrabble night at our place tonight. Tristan's going to be there, Lane and Mrs Kim are going to be there, Sookie and Jackson are going to be there . . ." She trailed off.
"Aah, I see. You're the only one without a Scrabble partner," he surmised. "I'm amused."
"How very astute of you. And mean. But, yes. I am without a partner. And I figured that since you have to close tonight for the fumigators, you could come over and enjoy the company of the famous Gilmore girls and their chosen cult members. No strings attached."
"No strings attached except for?"
"Except for you having to bring the coffee."
"Okay, I'll make you a deal."
"I'm all ears, just ask Rune."
"Rune?"
"Yeah, remember? Jackson's cousin? The one with the complex about tall people? Particularly me?"
"Oh right, right. I remember. The one who left you to go bowling and left me with the Queen of Another-four-cards-please. I-don't-like-the-ones-you-gave-me."
"That's the guy. So what's the deal?"
"Deal is, I agree to be your Scrabble partner. I bring the coffee . . ."
"I like . . ."
"I also bring some Lukey foods that you have to try. No exceptions."
"I like not so much now."
"Do we have a deal?"
Lorelai spat in her palm and held out her hand.
"Deal."
"That is so unhygienic. Not to mention so third grade." Reluctantly he spat in his own hand and firmly shook her hand.
"Great. We'll see you at 7. Don't forget the coffee."
AN: Sorry there was no Trory action in this chapter. I promise there will be more in the next few. So what did you think of this chapter. I'm quite proud of it, and I've got some great dialogue in mind for the next chapter. Okay, so I'll post this and get on with the next one.
P.S. Wowee, you guys rock! I now have 2 pages of reviews. I saw other stories had many reviews and started getting review envy. I'm good now though. And I have you guys to thank for that. Ta J
Thanks especially to iris28 (That was the bestest compliment ever), illini (for the suggestion, even though I didn't use it), OWPNN (you're a riot and on your way to becoming very Lorelaiey), shayness (muah, your remark meant a lot to me), and just everyone for being the crazy, quirky people that you are. And to liquid glass, hang on there bud. Once you've mastered the HSC you'll feel like you can do anything (Including T.P.ing all the houses in Surfer's Paradise during Schoolies. Snicker snicker)