Chances
Disc: All characters belong to the nice people at WB. Except for Jess, he's mine.at least, I offered to buy him but Amy-Sherman Palladino won't return my calls..
AN1: Yay, we finally saw the season finale down here in OZ.. Now the US is about to get the 3rd season.. I'm so jealous!
Part One ~ Impeccable Timing
"Aw crap," Lorelai Gilmore swore as water built up in the kitchen sink. She turned off the tap. A blocked sink was the last thing she needed this morning. While recovering from a hangover wasn't really the best time to find a new plumber.
After Sookie and Jackson's wedding ceremony she had spent last night drowning her Chris-induced sorrows in champagne. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now all she was left with was a splitting headache and some very alcohol-logged sorrows.
"Stupid sink," Lorelai muttered. She found a spanner and, despite having no idea what she was doing, began loosening pipes under the sink. What the hell, she was a self-sufficient woman.
"Stupid Chris," she continued to mutter, "stupid Sherry, why's she have to go and get pregnant?" Why did Chris have to leave her now? She really needed someone, not being able to talk to Luke the same way anymore. Stupid Luke, refusing to forgive her.
"All men are bastards," she declared loudly.
"Not entirely true," a male voice replied.
"Ah!" a startled Lorelai sat up and hit her head. She slid out from under the sink to see Jess standing at the door.
"You," Lorelai narrowed her eyes, "what are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for Rory," he replied.
"Rory?"
"Yeah, your daughter. Do you know where she is?" Jess asked. Lorelai seemed a bit out of it this morning, more so than usual.
Lorelai thought for a moment, she knew the answer to this one. "Washington!" she declared triumphantly. Rory had run out early that morning and gone to stay with Paris to prepare for their trip to Washington. Rory wanting to stay with Paris. If Lorelai were thinking more clearly she'd be wondering what was wrong with her daughter.
"I just saw her yesterday," said Jess, thinking Lorelai had finally lost it.
"Well she's only in Hartford at the moment," Lorelai explained, "stay away from her, Jess. My life is a mess because of you."
"Because of me?"
"Yeah, you're the reason Luke's barely speaking to me, and you're the reason Chris." Lorelai stopped, maybe she couldn't pin this one on his. But she'd certainly try, "If I hadn't been fighting with Luke I probably wouldn't have been so emotionally needy as to have slept with Chris, giving him a chance to break my heart again."
"My, I have been busy," Jess said sarcastically.
"Just go would you!" Lorelai waved her hand at him.
"Don't have to tell me twice."
Jess left. If Lorelai wanted to make him the scapegoat for all her man problems he didn't really care. All he wanted was to see Rory. Jess shook his head as he walked back to the diner, he must have fallen HARD to move back to this town and put up with all the people here. But since she had initiated their kiss yesterday Jess lived in hope. He honestly did feel bad about any trouble he had caused Rory. And Luke. They were probably the only two people who actually cared about him. And they both cared about Lorelai. Jess began to connect the dots..
Twenty minutes later, Lorelai was still miserable banging away at the pipes when Luke appeared.
"Hi," Lorelai said.
"Hi," he replied.
"What are you doing here?" Lorelai asked, "not that I'm not happy to see you," she hastened to add.
Luke held up Bert the toolbox.
"A little bird told you I might need some help?" she asked.
"If little birds wear Metallica T shirts, then yeah." Luke got to work on the sink and Lorelai watched in silence, pondering Jess' sudden attack of caring and helpfulness.
"All done," Luke reported a couple of minutes later.
"Thanks Luke, you made that look easy."
"Well consider it an apology."
"Really?" a hopeful smile appeared on Lorelai's face, "Luke, I'm so sorry about everything."
"Yeah, I know," Luke said gruffly, "can we just move on?"
"Right. No dwelling," Lorelai promised, "but can I hug you?"
Lorelai held on to Luke tightly, comforted by the warmth and security of his arms. She needed something solid and stable right now.
"Ah, I needed this," she sighed.
"What's wrong?" Luke asked, concerned, as they pulled apart.
Lorelai shook her head, "I don't really want to go into it right now, but I'm glad we're friends again."
"Me too," said Luke, "actually, there's something I have to talk to you about."
Luke and Lorelai sat side by side on the kitchen bench, his left thigh brushing against her right one.
"Go ahead."
"I kind of met someone the other day. She's a friend of a friend and she asked me out."
"Oh," Lorelai felt a pang of jealousy. This wasn't supposed to happen. Luke wasn't supposed to meet anyone. He was supposed to just wait around pining for her. Hmm, where did that come from? "That's great," she said. At least he was sharing. That meant they were friends again. That was all she wanted right?
"I didn't say yes," Luke continued.
"What was it? Bad breath? Funny teeth? Laugh like a donkey?" Lorelai's jokes fell flat.
"No, she's attractive, great personality."
"So why not?"
"Because of you," Luke admitted, "I don't want to start anything while I'm hung up on you, but I don't want to miss an opportunity if there's no chance we'll ever be more than friends. So I need to know what's going on, if this is just one sided, cos I'm going crazy. I think I'm falling in love with you or something nuts like that!"
"Luke I-"
"Will you be quiet for once?" he cut her off, "I have to get this out or else I'll just keep it bottled up inside for who knows how long. Lorelai, I don't want things to go back to the way they were between us. I want more than that. I want to be with you and I need to know once and for all if we have a chance."
Wow, thought a stunned Lorelai, this was a very long speech coming from Luke. Now why was he looking at her like that? Oh yeah, she was supposed to respond. Lorelai moistened her lips, leant in and closed her eyes in anticipation.
"Hello, anyone home? Rory? Lorelai?" a voice interrupted them.
"Chris!" Lorelai leapt off the counter as he walked through the back door.
'Slut' she mentally admonished herself, two men in as many days? What was she doing?
"Hey Lor, oh, hi Luke," Chris greeted them.
"Christopher," Luke hopped down from the bench too. He could really kill that guy right now.
"Chris, what are you doing here?' Lorelai asked, flustered.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"I hear there's this great new invention called the telephone." What was it with people sneaking up on her today?
"You know this is important, is Rory home?" he asked.
"No, she's staying in Hartford."
"Uh, I should get back to the diner," Luke interrupted, looking uncomfortable.
"Oh right, ah, thanks for fixing the sink, Luke. I'll come by the diner later," she added meaningfully.
"Sure," Luke collected his tools and left.
"I didn't interrupt anything between you two did I?" Chris asked Lorelai when they were alone.
"Huh?" Lorelai was staring after Luke, "yeah you kinda did."
"Do you want to..?"
"No, it's okay. We just made up from a fight actually, I'll talk to him later."
"Good."
"Chris what's going on?" Lorelai demanded.
"Let's sit down," he suggested. They moved to the living room.
"So how's Sherri?" Lorelai asked as soon as they were seated on the couch.
"Sherri's fine. She's not pregnant."
"She made it up?" Lorelai asked.
"Not exactly. It was a false alarm, but Sherri knew that when she called, she just wanted me to come home. She rang again to apologise while I was on my way back."
"And?'
"I said I had to talk to you and turned around again."
"So where does that leave you and Sherri?'
"Over. It's always been you, Lor," Chris tried to move in to kiss her but Lorelai pulled her head away.
"Boy you have amazing timing Chris," she shook her head, "I do not believe this."
"What's wrong? The other night I thought you wanted this."
"Yeah and then you left again," Lorelai said angrily.
"I would have always come back for you and Rory. You understand right?"
"That doesn't mean it didn't hurt."
"What about me? What am I supposed to think when I walk in today and find you and Luke sharing who knows what?"
"Yeah I don't know what that was either," Lorelai admitted.
"It doesn't matter," Chris told her, "I love you Lor, I want us to be a real family at last."
"You have no idea how long I've wanted that for."
"And we agreed to give it another shot. You know we're good together."
"Yes we are. We always have been, we could just never get it together.'
"Well here's our chance."
Lorelai smiled suddenly, "you should have seen the look on my mother's face when I hinted that you might be around more often. She looked so pleased with me for the first time I can remember."
"I guess that's it then, I know you'd never do anything that your mother approved of," Chris hung his head momentarily, "but I doubt the second part of my proposal will please her. I want you and Rory to move to Boston with me."
"You want us to move to Boston?" Lorelai repeated.
"Yes," Chris could sense her protest, "just hear me out, I've got a good job there."
"What about my job?" Lorelai interrupted.
"You can find another one, you can play housewife and actually be around when Rory gets home from school, you can sit in a café all day, whatever you want."
"What about Rory?"
"There's good schools in Boston. She'd be close to Harvard. Think about it, what would happen if I moved here? Rory would be off to college in a year and we'd never see her. We'd be stuck with each other. Not that that wouldn't be fantastic. But, come on Lor, I know how close you guys are. With Rory away at college, what is there to keep you here, really?"
"I love this town, Chris."
"Okay, I know I sprung this on you, I know you need time to think about it."
"And talk to Rory," Lorelai said, 'and Luke' she added silently.
"So that's fine. I'll stay at the Inn for a couple of days," Chris continued, "do you have a contact number for Rory?"
Lorelai nodded and got up to find it. When she handed the slip of paper over, Chris captured her hand in his and massaged her palm with his thumb, "I'll make you happy," he promised.
"Whose to say I'm not already happy?" Lorelai challenged.
Chris leant in and kissed her, "that happy?"
"That's pretty good," she admitted.
"You don't mind if I call Rory, do you?" Chris asked as Lorelai walked him to the door.
"No, that's fine, tell her to call me whenever she wants to talk about it."
"Will do. Bye Lor," he said softly, giving her a special smile.
Lorelai smiled too as he left, but quickly crashed back to Earth. What the hell was she going to do now? When she was with Chris he almost had her convinced that everything would be perfect. She could just see it, the two of them and Rory. In Boston. Boston? That had never been part of the plan. It would make sense for Rory. But to leave Stars Hollow? All their friends? And Luke? Ah, unfinished business. 'Step one, talk to Luke,' Lorelai thought.
TBC
AN2: This is first real take on writing something with more drama and less fluff, so please review and let me know how I'm going.
Disc: All characters belong to the nice people at WB. Except for Jess, he's mine.at least, I offered to buy him but Amy-Sherman Palladino won't return my calls..
AN1: Yay, we finally saw the season finale down here in OZ.. Now the US is about to get the 3rd season.. I'm so jealous!
Part One ~ Impeccable Timing
"Aw crap," Lorelai Gilmore swore as water built up in the kitchen sink. She turned off the tap. A blocked sink was the last thing she needed this morning. While recovering from a hangover wasn't really the best time to find a new plumber.
After Sookie and Jackson's wedding ceremony she had spent last night drowning her Chris-induced sorrows in champagne. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now all she was left with was a splitting headache and some very alcohol-logged sorrows.
"Stupid sink," Lorelai muttered. She found a spanner and, despite having no idea what she was doing, began loosening pipes under the sink. What the hell, she was a self-sufficient woman.
"Stupid Chris," she continued to mutter, "stupid Sherry, why's she have to go and get pregnant?" Why did Chris have to leave her now? She really needed someone, not being able to talk to Luke the same way anymore. Stupid Luke, refusing to forgive her.
"All men are bastards," she declared loudly.
"Not entirely true," a male voice replied.
"Ah!" a startled Lorelai sat up and hit her head. She slid out from under the sink to see Jess standing at the door.
"You," Lorelai narrowed her eyes, "what are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for Rory," he replied.
"Rory?"
"Yeah, your daughter. Do you know where she is?" Jess asked. Lorelai seemed a bit out of it this morning, more so than usual.
Lorelai thought for a moment, she knew the answer to this one. "Washington!" she declared triumphantly. Rory had run out early that morning and gone to stay with Paris to prepare for their trip to Washington. Rory wanting to stay with Paris. If Lorelai were thinking more clearly she'd be wondering what was wrong with her daughter.
"I just saw her yesterday," said Jess, thinking Lorelai had finally lost it.
"Well she's only in Hartford at the moment," Lorelai explained, "stay away from her, Jess. My life is a mess because of you."
"Because of me?"
"Yeah, you're the reason Luke's barely speaking to me, and you're the reason Chris." Lorelai stopped, maybe she couldn't pin this one on his. But she'd certainly try, "If I hadn't been fighting with Luke I probably wouldn't have been so emotionally needy as to have slept with Chris, giving him a chance to break my heart again."
"My, I have been busy," Jess said sarcastically.
"Just go would you!" Lorelai waved her hand at him.
"Don't have to tell me twice."
Jess left. If Lorelai wanted to make him the scapegoat for all her man problems he didn't really care. All he wanted was to see Rory. Jess shook his head as he walked back to the diner, he must have fallen HARD to move back to this town and put up with all the people here. But since she had initiated their kiss yesterday Jess lived in hope. He honestly did feel bad about any trouble he had caused Rory. And Luke. They were probably the only two people who actually cared about him. And they both cared about Lorelai. Jess began to connect the dots..
Twenty minutes later, Lorelai was still miserable banging away at the pipes when Luke appeared.
"Hi," Lorelai said.
"Hi," he replied.
"What are you doing here?" Lorelai asked, "not that I'm not happy to see you," she hastened to add.
Luke held up Bert the toolbox.
"A little bird told you I might need some help?" she asked.
"If little birds wear Metallica T shirts, then yeah." Luke got to work on the sink and Lorelai watched in silence, pondering Jess' sudden attack of caring and helpfulness.
"All done," Luke reported a couple of minutes later.
"Thanks Luke, you made that look easy."
"Well consider it an apology."
"Really?" a hopeful smile appeared on Lorelai's face, "Luke, I'm so sorry about everything."
"Yeah, I know," Luke said gruffly, "can we just move on?"
"Right. No dwelling," Lorelai promised, "but can I hug you?"
Lorelai held on to Luke tightly, comforted by the warmth and security of his arms. She needed something solid and stable right now.
"Ah, I needed this," she sighed.
"What's wrong?" Luke asked, concerned, as they pulled apart.
Lorelai shook her head, "I don't really want to go into it right now, but I'm glad we're friends again."
"Me too," said Luke, "actually, there's something I have to talk to you about."
Luke and Lorelai sat side by side on the kitchen bench, his left thigh brushing against her right one.
"Go ahead."
"I kind of met someone the other day. She's a friend of a friend and she asked me out."
"Oh," Lorelai felt a pang of jealousy. This wasn't supposed to happen. Luke wasn't supposed to meet anyone. He was supposed to just wait around pining for her. Hmm, where did that come from? "That's great," she said. At least he was sharing. That meant they were friends again. That was all she wanted right?
"I didn't say yes," Luke continued.
"What was it? Bad breath? Funny teeth? Laugh like a donkey?" Lorelai's jokes fell flat.
"No, she's attractive, great personality."
"So why not?"
"Because of you," Luke admitted, "I don't want to start anything while I'm hung up on you, but I don't want to miss an opportunity if there's no chance we'll ever be more than friends. So I need to know what's going on, if this is just one sided, cos I'm going crazy. I think I'm falling in love with you or something nuts like that!"
"Luke I-"
"Will you be quiet for once?" he cut her off, "I have to get this out or else I'll just keep it bottled up inside for who knows how long. Lorelai, I don't want things to go back to the way they were between us. I want more than that. I want to be with you and I need to know once and for all if we have a chance."
Wow, thought a stunned Lorelai, this was a very long speech coming from Luke. Now why was he looking at her like that? Oh yeah, she was supposed to respond. Lorelai moistened her lips, leant in and closed her eyes in anticipation.
"Hello, anyone home? Rory? Lorelai?" a voice interrupted them.
"Chris!" Lorelai leapt off the counter as he walked through the back door.
'Slut' she mentally admonished herself, two men in as many days? What was she doing?
"Hey Lor, oh, hi Luke," Chris greeted them.
"Christopher," Luke hopped down from the bench too. He could really kill that guy right now.
"Chris, what are you doing here?' Lorelai asked, flustered.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"I hear there's this great new invention called the telephone." What was it with people sneaking up on her today?
"You know this is important, is Rory home?" he asked.
"No, she's staying in Hartford."
"Uh, I should get back to the diner," Luke interrupted, looking uncomfortable.
"Oh right, ah, thanks for fixing the sink, Luke. I'll come by the diner later," she added meaningfully.
"Sure," Luke collected his tools and left.
"I didn't interrupt anything between you two did I?" Chris asked Lorelai when they were alone.
"Huh?" Lorelai was staring after Luke, "yeah you kinda did."
"Do you want to..?"
"No, it's okay. We just made up from a fight actually, I'll talk to him later."
"Good."
"Chris what's going on?" Lorelai demanded.
"Let's sit down," he suggested. They moved to the living room.
"So how's Sherri?" Lorelai asked as soon as they were seated on the couch.
"Sherri's fine. She's not pregnant."
"She made it up?" Lorelai asked.
"Not exactly. It was a false alarm, but Sherri knew that when she called, she just wanted me to come home. She rang again to apologise while I was on my way back."
"And?'
"I said I had to talk to you and turned around again."
"So where does that leave you and Sherri?'
"Over. It's always been you, Lor," Chris tried to move in to kiss her but Lorelai pulled her head away.
"Boy you have amazing timing Chris," she shook her head, "I do not believe this."
"What's wrong? The other night I thought you wanted this."
"Yeah and then you left again," Lorelai said angrily.
"I would have always come back for you and Rory. You understand right?"
"That doesn't mean it didn't hurt."
"What about me? What am I supposed to think when I walk in today and find you and Luke sharing who knows what?"
"Yeah I don't know what that was either," Lorelai admitted.
"It doesn't matter," Chris told her, "I love you Lor, I want us to be a real family at last."
"You have no idea how long I've wanted that for."
"And we agreed to give it another shot. You know we're good together."
"Yes we are. We always have been, we could just never get it together.'
"Well here's our chance."
Lorelai smiled suddenly, "you should have seen the look on my mother's face when I hinted that you might be around more often. She looked so pleased with me for the first time I can remember."
"I guess that's it then, I know you'd never do anything that your mother approved of," Chris hung his head momentarily, "but I doubt the second part of my proposal will please her. I want you and Rory to move to Boston with me."
"You want us to move to Boston?" Lorelai repeated.
"Yes," Chris could sense her protest, "just hear me out, I've got a good job there."
"What about my job?" Lorelai interrupted.
"You can find another one, you can play housewife and actually be around when Rory gets home from school, you can sit in a café all day, whatever you want."
"What about Rory?"
"There's good schools in Boston. She'd be close to Harvard. Think about it, what would happen if I moved here? Rory would be off to college in a year and we'd never see her. We'd be stuck with each other. Not that that wouldn't be fantastic. But, come on Lor, I know how close you guys are. With Rory away at college, what is there to keep you here, really?"
"I love this town, Chris."
"Okay, I know I sprung this on you, I know you need time to think about it."
"And talk to Rory," Lorelai said, 'and Luke' she added silently.
"So that's fine. I'll stay at the Inn for a couple of days," Chris continued, "do you have a contact number for Rory?"
Lorelai nodded and got up to find it. When she handed the slip of paper over, Chris captured her hand in his and massaged her palm with his thumb, "I'll make you happy," he promised.
"Whose to say I'm not already happy?" Lorelai challenged.
Chris leant in and kissed her, "that happy?"
"That's pretty good," she admitted.
"You don't mind if I call Rory, do you?" Chris asked as Lorelai walked him to the door.
"No, that's fine, tell her to call me whenever she wants to talk about it."
"Will do. Bye Lor," he said softly, giving her a special smile.
Lorelai smiled too as he left, but quickly crashed back to Earth. What the hell was she going to do now? When she was with Chris he almost had her convinced that everything would be perfect. She could just see it, the two of them and Rory. In Boston. Boston? That had never been part of the plan. It would make sense for Rory. But to leave Stars Hollow? All their friends? And Luke? Ah, unfinished business. 'Step one, talk to Luke,' Lorelai thought.
TBC
AN2: This is first real take on writing something with more drama and less fluff, so please review and let me know how I'm going.
