Ch 13 Just a Moment Alone
It was Rory's first day back at Chilton and Lorelai heard the buzzing of the alarm already. Next to her Rory groaned and stirred awake. She lay watching her daughter yawn and slowly rise from the bed. Lorelai smiled, some things never change. Finally when Rory had cleared out of the room Lorelai got out of bed. Lorelai was proud of her daughter for not avoiding Luke's. The coffee would do them both good this morning.
Once they were all ready for their day they headed out the door. Riz strolled a little further behind the bantering Gilmore girls. Every few second Lorelai would glance back and make sure that she hadn't disappeared. There was something about Riz made Lorelai feel she had to watch out for her. In the past two weeks Lorelai learned that she could trust Riz but something told her that she still could get herself into trouble. In a small town like this it could be tempting to cause some havoc. After it was what Jess had done and he had taken care of Riz practically her whole life.
At Luke's they all took a seat by the door and ordered their breakfast. Half way through ordering Jess emerged from upstairs and Riz left the table. Lorelai watched her go from the corner of her eye. She was still upset with Jess for breaking her daughter's heart, even if it hadn't been intentional. Lorelai believed it had been though. That he had been playing with Rory's heart like a little puppet. "Lorelai," Luke snapped her back into reality, "You ordering anything?"
"Coffee," Lorelai replied still distracted, "and how are the eggs today."
"How would I know?" Luke asked.
"Did you ask them how they were?" Lorelai wanted to know, drawing her attention back to reality.
"No."
"Then ask them," Lorelai insisted.
"I'm not talking to eggs Lorelai," Luke sighed, "Just order."
"Get Bert to talk to the eggs," Lorelai suggested, "I'm sure he'd be willing to."
"No, I don't think Bert will get along with them," Rory joined in.
"That's right," Lorelai remained thoughtful, "Maybe the spatula then."
"Maybe..." Rory smiled, "Or the pan."
"Why do you encourage her?" Luke wondered. Lorelai and Rory just grinned.
"What about the pancakes?"
"No, the pancakes didn't agree with you last time," Rory reminded her.
"That's right," Lorelai remembered.
"What'll it be?" Luke was growing impatient, "I have customers."
"Toast," Lorelai ordered. Luke took it down and walked away. Lorelai and Rory burst into fits of giggles. Finally, both Luke and Riz returned and they began eating their breakfast.
"Got to go," Rory said finally taking one last bite of her pancakes and kissing her mom on the cheek, "Be good."
"I always am," Lorelai told her slyly. At this time Riz got up and joined Jess who was also ready to leave for school. Lorelai picked up her cup of coffee and moved over to the counter. "Hey Lu-uke," Lorelai called.
"Don't you have to get to the Inn?" Luke mumbled as he took down another order.
"No, I haven't had my usual consumption of coffee," Lorelai explained.
"Get it at the Inn."
"No, see I need to have three cup of coffee here," Lorelai began, "BEFORE I can drink any at the Inn." Luke poured her another cup of coffee. Lorelai quickly finished and held up her cup for more.
"No, you got two now go to work."
"Lukey," Lorelai whined, "I need three cups. Want me to spell it out? T-H-R- E-E cups."
"Lorelai when they say spell it out they don't actually mean spell it out," Luke informed her.
"Oh," Lorelai looked a little puzzled, "Well, too bad!" Luke shook his head defeated and poured another cup. "Luke?"
"No."
"You don't even know what I'm going to say," Lorelai pointed out.
"The answer is no anyway."
"How do you know it's really no? I mean I could be asking you something and you'd be missing out."
"Fine. What?"
"Take off your cap," Lorelai ordered.
"No."
"Please."
"No."
"Please." Lorelai proceeded to beg until Luke's patience ran short.
"Out!"
"Huh?"
"Go. To. Work." Luke demanded.
"You can't kick me out," Lorelai was shocked.
"I can refuse service to anyone. Now, out!" Luke pointed to the door. Lorelai glared and got up.
"Fine, but I'll be back," Lorelai warned, "and I won't be alone!"
Luke sighed in relief. Finally, she was gone. The awkwardness had gotten better over the period of two weeks. Their conversations were almost like they used to be. Yet, Luke couldn't help but wonder if she ever thought about that kiss. He knew he did. He didn't know what had come over him that day, what led him to kiss her. All these years he had known her he loved her. Her heart belonged to someone else though. He just wished she could move past that.
Lorelai stood outside the Inn for a moment before going in and just stood there breathing. This was the start of another school year. A year in which she would have to get used to the idea that Rory was going away to college and leaving her in Star's Hollow alone. It didn't help that at the exact moment she walked into the Inn Michel told her she had a telephone call. Answering the phone Lorelai was overcome by Chris' voice on the other end. She had taken great care in not talking to him since Rory's return. She hadn't even listened to the messages he'd left. "Hey," she sighed.
"Lorelai, I need to tell you something," Chris sounded serious.
"Go ahead."
"First I need you to know that I love you." Lorelai didn't say anything. She just hoped what was coming next wasn't as bad as she felt.
"Go on," she finally managed.
"And secondly that Sherry and I have decided to get married because we think it's best for the baby."
"OH," Lorelai's voice was mixed with surprise, sadness and hurt.
"Will you tell Rory for me?" Chris wanted to know.
"No," Lorelai replied, "I always do. When Rory was little and you'd say you were coming and didn't show up I vouched for you. When you found out Sherry was pregnant and had to go, I told Rory. Now, you're on your own." With that Lorelai slammed the phone down and walked towards the door.
"What are you doing?" Michel asked looking up.
"Taking just a moment alone," Lorelai replied bitterly and stepped out of the Inn again. People brushed passed her but Lorelai took no notice. This day didn't seem to be looking up for her, not one bit. Surprised as she was that Christopher Hayden was actually settling down she was hurt that he had said he loved her and more sad that he wasn't going to be with her. Just a moment alone, that was all she needed, Just a moment alone.
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A/N: All right, I took this chapter to give us a little more insight into Lorelai's thoughts and to get her a little more closure between her and Chris because I felt that she was still holding on to the fact that they could be together. Don't think that he's gone just yet. You can't get rid of character that easily. They're all still going to make appearances to complicate life. Hope you enjoyed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was Rory's first day back at Chilton and Lorelai heard the buzzing of the alarm already. Next to her Rory groaned and stirred awake. She lay watching her daughter yawn and slowly rise from the bed. Lorelai smiled, some things never change. Finally when Rory had cleared out of the room Lorelai got out of bed. Lorelai was proud of her daughter for not avoiding Luke's. The coffee would do them both good this morning.
Once they were all ready for their day they headed out the door. Riz strolled a little further behind the bantering Gilmore girls. Every few second Lorelai would glance back and make sure that she hadn't disappeared. There was something about Riz made Lorelai feel she had to watch out for her. In the past two weeks Lorelai learned that she could trust Riz but something told her that she still could get herself into trouble. In a small town like this it could be tempting to cause some havoc. After it was what Jess had done and he had taken care of Riz practically her whole life.
At Luke's they all took a seat by the door and ordered their breakfast. Half way through ordering Jess emerged from upstairs and Riz left the table. Lorelai watched her go from the corner of her eye. She was still upset with Jess for breaking her daughter's heart, even if it hadn't been intentional. Lorelai believed it had been though. That he had been playing with Rory's heart like a little puppet. "Lorelai," Luke snapped her back into reality, "You ordering anything?"
"Coffee," Lorelai replied still distracted, "and how are the eggs today."
"How would I know?" Luke asked.
"Did you ask them how they were?" Lorelai wanted to know, drawing her attention back to reality.
"No."
"Then ask them," Lorelai insisted.
"I'm not talking to eggs Lorelai," Luke sighed, "Just order."
"Get Bert to talk to the eggs," Lorelai suggested, "I'm sure he'd be willing to."
"No, I don't think Bert will get along with them," Rory joined in.
"That's right," Lorelai remained thoughtful, "Maybe the spatula then."
"Maybe..." Rory smiled, "Or the pan."
"Why do you encourage her?" Luke wondered. Lorelai and Rory just grinned.
"What about the pancakes?"
"No, the pancakes didn't agree with you last time," Rory reminded her.
"That's right," Lorelai remembered.
"What'll it be?" Luke was growing impatient, "I have customers."
"Toast," Lorelai ordered. Luke took it down and walked away. Lorelai and Rory burst into fits of giggles. Finally, both Luke and Riz returned and they began eating their breakfast.
"Got to go," Rory said finally taking one last bite of her pancakes and kissing her mom on the cheek, "Be good."
"I always am," Lorelai told her slyly. At this time Riz got up and joined Jess who was also ready to leave for school. Lorelai picked up her cup of coffee and moved over to the counter. "Hey Lu-uke," Lorelai called.
"Don't you have to get to the Inn?" Luke mumbled as he took down another order.
"No, I haven't had my usual consumption of coffee," Lorelai explained.
"Get it at the Inn."
"No, see I need to have three cup of coffee here," Lorelai began, "BEFORE I can drink any at the Inn." Luke poured her another cup of coffee. Lorelai quickly finished and held up her cup for more.
"No, you got two now go to work."
"Lukey," Lorelai whined, "I need three cups. Want me to spell it out? T-H-R- E-E cups."
"Lorelai when they say spell it out they don't actually mean spell it out," Luke informed her.
"Oh," Lorelai looked a little puzzled, "Well, too bad!" Luke shook his head defeated and poured another cup. "Luke?"
"No."
"You don't even know what I'm going to say," Lorelai pointed out.
"The answer is no anyway."
"How do you know it's really no? I mean I could be asking you something and you'd be missing out."
"Fine. What?"
"Take off your cap," Lorelai ordered.
"No."
"Please."
"No."
"Please." Lorelai proceeded to beg until Luke's patience ran short.
"Out!"
"Huh?"
"Go. To. Work." Luke demanded.
"You can't kick me out," Lorelai was shocked.
"I can refuse service to anyone. Now, out!" Luke pointed to the door. Lorelai glared and got up.
"Fine, but I'll be back," Lorelai warned, "and I won't be alone!"
Luke sighed in relief. Finally, she was gone. The awkwardness had gotten better over the period of two weeks. Their conversations were almost like they used to be. Yet, Luke couldn't help but wonder if she ever thought about that kiss. He knew he did. He didn't know what had come over him that day, what led him to kiss her. All these years he had known her he loved her. Her heart belonged to someone else though. He just wished she could move past that.
Lorelai stood outside the Inn for a moment before going in and just stood there breathing. This was the start of another school year. A year in which she would have to get used to the idea that Rory was going away to college and leaving her in Star's Hollow alone. It didn't help that at the exact moment she walked into the Inn Michel told her she had a telephone call. Answering the phone Lorelai was overcome by Chris' voice on the other end. She had taken great care in not talking to him since Rory's return. She hadn't even listened to the messages he'd left. "Hey," she sighed.
"Lorelai, I need to tell you something," Chris sounded serious.
"Go ahead."
"First I need you to know that I love you." Lorelai didn't say anything. She just hoped what was coming next wasn't as bad as she felt.
"Go on," she finally managed.
"And secondly that Sherry and I have decided to get married because we think it's best for the baby."
"OH," Lorelai's voice was mixed with surprise, sadness and hurt.
"Will you tell Rory for me?" Chris wanted to know.
"No," Lorelai replied, "I always do. When Rory was little and you'd say you were coming and didn't show up I vouched for you. When you found out Sherry was pregnant and had to go, I told Rory. Now, you're on your own." With that Lorelai slammed the phone down and walked towards the door.
"What are you doing?" Michel asked looking up.
"Taking just a moment alone," Lorelai replied bitterly and stepped out of the Inn again. People brushed passed her but Lorelai took no notice. This day didn't seem to be looking up for her, not one bit. Surprised as she was that Christopher Hayden was actually settling down she was hurt that he had said he loved her and more sad that he wasn't going to be with her. Just a moment alone, that was all she needed, Just a moment alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: All right, I took this chapter to give us a little more insight into Lorelai's thoughts and to get her a little more closure between her and Chris because I felt that she was still holding on to the fact that they could be together. Don't think that he's gone just yet. You can't get rid of character that easily. They're all still going to make appearances to complicate life. Hope you enjoyed.
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