Feedback: Greatly appreciated. I won't withhold writing for feedback, but it certainly makes it feel more worthwhile. I'll put each chapter up seperately, one day at a time to keep people interested.
Author's Notes: This takes place sometime in the future. The events in the Previously on... are partially fictional, and partially things that have actually happened. I actually do want Lorelai with Luke in the end, but this seemed like a fun diversion. The movie Kramer vs. Kramer is referenced and I suggest you all see it, as it is incredible. You have to ignore the last couple of episodes, I started writing this during hiatus and it's actually kind of repetitive if you've already seen There's the Rub. But I swear it was my idea first! (Chuck Presby is modeled after a real kid in my history class.)
Music references: The la-las. (There's a bunch of variations. Imagine whichever one you want.) Collective Soul. Jim Croce.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters (except for one.) They, and some of the scenes in the previously on are not my own writing, they belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the other creators of the Gilmore Girls universe. Kramer vs. Kramer is a great movie which is not mine either.
*
(Strummy la-las as scene opens on the Independence Inn. LORELAI and MICHEL are helping an old woman to her feet.)
Lorelai: So we'll send up some tea in a few minutes, and until then, Michel will be happy to help you get settled in bed. (MICHEL glares at LORELAI.)
Old Woman: (weakly) Thank you, dear.
Lorelai: Oh, it's no problem. (earnestly, in her best public relations voice) Listen, I want to apologize for everything. Thank you so much for understanding. (The old woman, leaning on MICHEL, nods and smiles. They exit. LORELAI surveys the empty, darkened lobby with an air of grim satisfaction. It's empty; she's alone. Slowly, exhausted, she wanders back to the desk, and starts doing the paperwork for the added bonuses she's given the guests.)
Male Voice: (off screen, and businesslike) Excuse me, if I could just have a moment of your time?
(Camera shot of a man in a suit leaning against the counter. He's Indian, with angular features and closely cropped black hair, extremely striking. LORELAI looks up, surprised and a little apprehensive.)
Lorelai: (sharply) Are you a lawyer?
Man: What? No, I'm...(He trails off, studying her, then says, as if following a hunch) Lorelai?
Lorelai: (caught off guard) Do you I know you?
Man: Samarjit Prassad? I sat behind you for two years in math?
Lorelai: (astonished) Sam?! Oh my god, I haven't seen you since...
Sam: ...sophomore year, I know!
Lorelai: You moved away, didn't you?
Sam: Yeah. To Minnesota.
Lorelai: That's right. Wow. (trying to be subtle) Do you, uh, still live there? In Minnesota?
Sam: No, I'm a full-fledged New Yorker now. (looks around) So, is this your inn?
Lorelai: God, no. I'm just the general manager.
Sam: Wow. Pretty good for a— (laughs) how old are we now?
Lorelai: Thirty-three.
Sam: For a thirty-three year old. You must have been working here for awhile, then, to be running the place already. (leans towards her) Or do you just work fast?
Lorelai: I've...I've been here for a pretty long time, you might say.
Sam: Right. (giving her the once-over) Well, you look great.
Lorelai: (flattered, but trying to hide it) Oh, hardly. Three people have thrown up on me in the last hour.
Sam: Really? Is that a tradition here at this charming...(picks up one of the business cards) Independence Inn?
Lorelai: (laughs, flirty this time) No. Um...our regular chef's on her honeymoon, and there was a bit of a food poisoning incident. It wasn't pretty. (realizing she may have said too much) Are you sure you're not a lawyer?
Sam: I'm...pretty sure.
Lorelai: Well, now that I've told you all this, you're probably going to want to find a room somewhere else.
Sam: It's late. (shrugs and smiles) This place seems as good as any.
Lorelai: Well, (pulls a key off the wall behind her) Room 11's still free. (Handing him the key, she allows their fingers to touch.) If you're sure you want to stay.
Sam: (He closes his fingers around the key, maintaining eye contact.) I think I'll risk it.
Lorelai: (She pulls away, a little unnerved by the flirtation.) If you get sick I have to warn you, we're fresh out of buckets. You'll have to use a toilet.
Sam: That's fine. (backs away, picking up his suitcase) I'll see you around, Lor.
(LORELAI leans forward to watch him go, a self-satisfied, entranced smile on her face.)
(Kitchen, the next morning. LORELAI enters, wearing a nice grey pantsuit, and sleepily tries to pour herself a cup of coffee, only to find there's no coffee in the pot. She sets down the pot, goes to Rory's closed door, and knocks.)
Lorelai: Rory? Where's the coffee? (pause) Rory?
(RORY doesn't answer so LORELAI opens the door.)
Lorelai: Hey, there's no—
(Seeing that RORY's still asleep, she goes to sit on the edge of the bed. RORY moans and rolls over, opens one eye, and looks blearily at her mother.)
Rory: Mom? (disoriented) Did you just get home?
Lorelai: (quietly) No, hon, it's the morning. (pushes some of RORY's hair off her face) How are you feeling?
Rory: (throat scratchy) I'm fine. What time is it?
Lorelai: Um...(checks RORY's watch) it's seven o'clock.
Rory: (sitting up) What?! (starts to get up) Oh my god, I'm late!
Lorelai: (grabs RORY's arm and keeps her from getting out of bed) Hold on just a second. (She holds a hand to RORY's forehead.)
Rory: (impatient) I'm fine! It's just a cold. (coughs miserably)
Lorelai: Yeah, a cold with a fever.
Rory: It's not a big deal. Plenty on kids go to school with fevers. (She tries to get up again, but LORELAI pushes her back and she doesn't really resist.)
Lorelai: Plenty of kids are crazy. You're staying home. (stands up) Now, I'm going to go call the school. No crazy patient-escapes-from-the-hospital hijinks while I'm gone, okay?
Rory: (sullenly) Okay, Nurse Ratched.
(LORELAI exits. The sound of dialing is audible, and she walks back into the room talking and carrying a thermometer.)
Lorelai: Hi, this is Lorelai Gilmore. My daughter Rory is sick, so she won't be in school today. (Pause, while she sticks the thermometer in RORY's mouth.) Yes, she's a junior. (pause) Okay, thanks, bye! (She sits down on the edge of the bed again.)
Rory: (talking around the thermometer) I have to go to school.
Lorelai: Don't talk with the thermometer in your mouth. (RORY looks grumpy.) Hey, you know who I ran into last night? Dr. Connelly. (smiles reminiscently) God, I remember the first time I took you to see him. You were one, with a temperature of 104, and I was a mess, but he calmed me down. (Shot of RORY listening intently. LORELAI sighs.) He always made everything okay, didn't he?
(RORY nods, and her thermometer beeps. LORELAI takes the thermometer and studies it.)
Lorelai: 100.2. I don't think we need to call Dr. Connelly, but you are staying home. Now, I want you to be better when I get home, okay?
Rory: Okay. (LORELAI rises to go.) Mommy?
Lorelai: (smiles sweetly at hearing her daughter sound so young) Yeah?
Rory: Can you come home as soon as possible?
(LORELAI bends over and kisses RORY's forehead.)
Lorelai: Sure, sweetie.
(Luke's diner. LORELAI enters, in a hurry. LUKE is behind the counter.)
Lorelai: (cheerfully) One giant cup of coffee, please!
Luke: Didn't you just come from your house?
Lorelai: I did, but Rory didn't make the coffee this morning. So I'm desperate. (thumps the counter) I'm desperate like a Manhattan society girl who's one month from thirty and still hasn't snagged a man!
Luke: (shoots her a you're crazy look) Society girl? I thought you skipped your debut.
Lorelai: Yeah, apparently being pregnant wasn't in vogue that year. (shrugs) I left that quaint ritual to my better half.
Luke: (looks around) Where is Rory, anyway?
(JESS is coming in from the door behind them and pauses there, listening.)
Lorelai: Oh, she's sick.
Luke: Is she okay?
Lorelai: She's fine. Just a bad cold, but I convinced her to stay home. (Shot of JESS absorbing the information.)
Luke: Do you want me to check on her during the day? (LORELAI looks surprised; he looks embarrassed and pours the coffee.) I mean, if you're too busy at the inn, or something.
Lorelai: I think she'll be fine. (takes the coffee) Oh, speaking of which, you're probably going to have a lot more customers today.
Luke: (suspicious) Really? Why?
Lorelai: Well, since Sookie's gone, we have a replacement chef. And he accidentally poisoned all the guests yesterday.
Luke: (chuckles) You're kidding.
Lorelai: No, it wasn't pretty. And they're probably not going to be flocking to the inn's dining room any time soon. (smiles) Anyway, I should get there, you know, hear how many people are suing us.
Luke: Good luck. (turns, smiling, to see JESS watching him) Aren't you supposed to be at school?
Jess: (deadpan) Probably.
(They watch each other for a minute, then JESS leaves.)
(LORELAI is standing at the front desk of the Independence Inn, stamps stuck to each of her fingers; she's busy addressing envelopes. MICHEL is beside her. The phone rings.)
Lorelai: Michel, could you get that please?
Michel: I don't want to. (phone rings)
Lorelai: Sweetie, please. (wiggles her stamp covered fingers to demonstrate her inability to answer the phone)
Michel: You deserted me last night. (phone rings)
Lorelai: It was my day off yesterday and I was here for four hours! You were supposed to work the night shift! (phone rings)
Michel: You left me alone with those diseased people! (dramatically) I could have died! (phone rings)
Lorelai: Oh, I'm going to get you later. (awkwardly answers the phone) Hello, Independence Inn, Lorelai speaking.
(SOOKIE is sitting in her hotel room, wearing a floral sun dress. The window shows a shot of the Hawaii flora and fauna.)
Sookie: Hey you!
Lorelai: Hey, how's it going?
Sookie: Good. How's every—uh, how are you?
Lorelai: I'm fine. (starts carefully peeling off the remaining stamps while she talks) Okay, I'm living vicariously here, so tell me what you're doing right now. Sunbathing? Getting a massage?
Sookie: No, right now I'm waiting for Jackson so we can go down to breakfast. (to JACKSON) Come on! We're going to be late!
Jackson: (off camera) I'm coming!
Sookie: (rolls her eyes at him) So, anything new at the inn?
Lorelai: Well, actually, funny story. I was here late last night, and guess who shows up?
Sookie: Who? Oh, was it somebody famous? Don't tell me I missed someone famous! Although the other day I thought I saw Darryl Hannah in the lobby but it could have been— (realizes she's rambling) I'm sorry, sweetie, who was it?
Lorelai: Well, it was this old high school classmate of mine.
Sookie: Girl or boy?
Lorelai: Boy.
Sookie: Ooh, cute?
Lorelai: Definitely.
Sookie: Sounds good! What's his name?
Lorelai: Samarjit Prassad.
Sookie: Exotic name, better and better! Does he have a sexy accent?
Lorelai: Not unless you count a midwestern one. He moved to Minnesota sophomore year. (pause, while she debates whether to say it or not) You know what's weird? (tucks hair behind ear) He left before I got pregnant.
Sookie: Yeah, but he probably heard about it.
Lorelai: (trying to keep her tone light) Actually, I don't think he did.
Sookie: Well, did you fill him in?
Lorelai: (defensive) We didn't really rehash our entire lives, Sookie.
Sookie: (doubtfully) Oh. Okay.
Lorelai: Tell you what, if I see him again, I'll give him my entire life history, okay? I promise. Now, I really need a coffee break, so I'll talk to you later.
Sookie: Wait, before you go!
Lorelai: What?
Sookie: Ask this one out, okay? Cause, sweetie—you really need to get some.
Lorelai: Hanging up now.
Sookie: Bye. (She hangs up. JACKSON enters wearing ridiculously colorful Bermuda shorts.)
Jackson: Do these shorts make me look fat?
Sookie: You are not wearing those to breakfast!
(LORELAI goes walking briskly through the nearly empty dining room.)
Sam: (off-camera) Excuse me, waitress, could I have another soda please?
(LORELAI stops, smiles to herself, then turns and walks back to SAM's table, where he has tilted his head back to watch her.)
Lorelai: (pretending) Diet or regular?
Sam: (pleased with himself) Actually, I just wanted you to come over here.
Lorelai: (mock offended) Well, don't you think highly of yourself? You know, I am a very busy person with an entire inn to run, full of angry guests with stomach problems! I don't— (SAM grabs her wrist and pulls her into the chair next to him. She's startled for a split second, then she grins broadly.) —have to be anywhere else for a few minutes. (sits sideways in the chair, legs crossed, arm on the chair back) How'd you sleep?
Sam: (surprisingly earnest) Will you go out to dinner with me tonight?
Lorelai: (to no one) Give the man marks for subtlety!
Sam: Will you go out to dinner with me tonight?
Lorelai: What, lunch isn't good enough?
Sam: Will you go out to dinner with me tonight?
Lorelai: (tempted) I...can't.
Sam: (disappointed) Why not?
Lorelai: I promised someone I'd come home early.
Sam: (leans back) Oh god, you have a boyfriend. I'm sorry, I'm being such a jerk.
Lorelai: (hesitant to explain) No, no, I don't have a boyfriend.
Sam: Just getting over a serious relationship?
Lorelai: No, unfortunately I've been available for quite some time.
Sam: You're kidding. (teasing) Are you sure there's not some terrible flaw you're hiding from me?
Lorelai: (too quickly) No.
Sam: No weird fetishes, bizarre obsessions?
Lorelai: Well, I do have a, uh (pause, where it seems like she's going to tell the truth) ...dangerous coffee addiction. (laughs nervously)
Sam: (He places his hand over hers on the table. Their fingers are a sharp contrast, his warm brown tone against her lighter skin.) How is someone like you still single? You were never that way in high school.
Lorelai: (Stiffening when he says high school, she withdraws her hand.) Let's not talk about what I was like in high school, okay? (starts to stand up) I really should—
Sam: (worried he's offended her) Wait, wait, I'm sorry if I came on too strong. I didn't mean to—
Lorelai: (trying to reassure him while backing away) No, it's not that. I just, uh, have to go check on thing in the kitchen. We don't want any more problems, right? (bumps into a chair) Anyway, enjoy the rest of your lunch and I'll talk to you later, okay?
Sam: But—
(LORELAI turns and walks away, her face registering shame. She clenches her hands into fists and doesn't allow herself to look back.)
(A history classroom at Stars Hollow High, maps and posters cover the walls. Pan across the kids sitting and listening while their teacher, MRS. HAMLIN, lectures. DEAN watches intently, taking notes. LANE, wearing her cheerleading outfit, sits next to JANIE FERTMAN and looks bored. JESS, in the front row, has a notebook in front of him but isn't writing anything down.)
Mrs. Hamlin: ...so basically, the home climate during the Vietnam War was completely different from that of World War II. The struggle was not only in the foreign battlefields, but in our towns and homes as well. Can anyone give an example of this conflict? (DEAN raises his hand.) Dean?
Dean: Kent State?
Mrs. Hamlin: Right. Who can explain what happened at Kent State? (JANIE raises her hand. MRS. HAMLIN nods at her to answer the question.)
Janie: (tentative) Um, didn't the soldiers shoot a bunch of students, for like, no reason?
Mrs. Hamlin: Well, they had a reason, Janie. Whether or not it was a valid one is—
Chuck Presby: (to everyone) Hey, those kids got what they deserved.
(A couple of kids say and LANE, who's sitting in front of him, turns around furiously. The ensuing argument happens very fast.)
Lane: How can you say that?! Some of the students shot weren't even protesters!
Chuck: (obnoxiously) Whatever. All I know is that they were sitting around in college while real men like my dad went and fought to protect them!
Jess: (raises his eyes to the ceiling and looks annoyed) Shut up, Chuck!
Lane: Well, while your father was there, he probably helped drop napalm on innocent Vietnamese civilians!
Chuck: Defending your people, huh?
Lane: (disgusted) I'm Korean, you moron.
Mrs. Hamlin: Okay, that's enough. If you want to debate this later you can do it on your own time, but the test is tomorrow and we haven't even discussed Watergate. Can someone give a brief summery of what happened? (JESS raises his hand.) Jess, you want to explain?
Jess: No, I want to go to the bathroom. (This comment provokes a small wave of laughter.)
Mrs. Hamlin: (resigned) The pass is by the door.
Jess: Thanks. (No More No Less by Collective Soul begins to play. He stands, grabs the pass, and leaves the room, stopping only to shoot DEAN a quick smile. DEAN looks suspicious. JESS walks quickly through the hall, out the front doors of the school, and down the front steps. He looks both ways before crossing the street.)
(Lyrics in the song begin as scene cuts to RORY curled up on the couch, reading a book. Knocking on the door startles her, and she gets up slowly, clearly not feeling well. She opens the door to reveal JESS holding a Doose's Market bag and a video. Music fades to quiet.)
Jess: (calmly) Hey.
Rory: (startled) Hey.
Jess: Can I come in? (She steps back to let him inside and he enters the house. The door closes.)
(second commercial break)