Firstly, on a personal note, I'd like to pass on my best wishes to anyone in Canberra, Australia, or anywhere in the surrounding areas, who has been effected by the recent bushfires. I, for one, have been terrified over the past couple of days, and the fires have been nowhere near me **knocks on wood**.

Okay, now to stuff about the story… I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update this. The reason it's taken so long is that it's just been a really really hard chapter to tackle, but I think I've done pretty well. I'd written a draft for this chapter a week ago, but it was really bad so I asked Len for some advice and I definitely got it! THANK YOU SO MUCH! You've totally made this chapter! So this is dedicated to Len – the legend! Hope you all enjoy it.

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CHAPTER 7: Potatoes and Proof

Sookie was screaming around Lorelai's kitchen like a woman on a mission. Lorelai had again asked Luke and Jess around for a "Welcome To Stars Hollow" dinner and they would be arriving any second. Sookie was, as always, stressing.

"Have you seen the potatoes?" she asked Jackson with panic in her voice.

Jackson began to respond before Sookie cut him off. "Potatoes?" her voice filling with tension, she stopped and addressed the room. "Potatoes? Has anyone seen the potatoes?"

Rory called from her room that she hadn't seen the potatoes recently, and Lorelai, who was standing by the fridge watching the whole ordeal unfold, pointed to Sookie's hands and said quietly "Honey, you're holding them."

Looking down, Sookie let out a very high-pitched giggle before returning to the bench and her cutting board.

Lorelai walked past Jackson and whispered "You know, we really shouldn't let her near knives."

Suddenly, Sookie spun round and, staring at Lorelai and Jackson with wide eyes and a knife in her hand, gasped: "What if he doesn't like pot roast?"

Lorelai and Jackson simultaneously rolled their eyes. "Well," began Jackson, "then they can have the chicken wings, the mashed potatoes," he raised his eyebrows to add emphasis before continuing "the four different kinds of salad that you're making in addition to the pot roast."

Lorelai almost laughed out loud. Despite all the differences that had occurred in the last few weeks, Jackson had still said pretty much word for word what he'd said the first time around.

Maybe, thought Lorelai, the butterfly effect is all a load of crap and nothing's changed. Before she had a chance to think about it any further, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" she hollered as she approached the door.

Luke and Jess were standing very uncomfortably on the other side of the door, waiting for it to open. Jess looked around, as if searching for somewhere – anywhere – else to go, and Luke kept looking at him with a look that said "don't you dare".

In her usual extravagant manor, Lorelai opened the door and gestured for the two men to come inside. "Hey, come in, come in. You're just in time to see Sookie have a melt down. I've only seen it once or twice myself, so count yourselves lucky, my friends!"

Luke smiled uncomfortably and Jess huffed slightly and said under his breath "yeah, real lucky."

Lorelai pretended as if she hadn't heard him and gestured for them to follow her into the kitchen. She leant against the counter and watched the others for a second before snapping out of the little trance she'd somehow gotten into. "Oh, yeah, sorry. I forgot, you guys don't know each other yet." Oops, she thought. That could've been interpreted a couple of ways! "Jackson, Sookie, I'd like you to meet Jess. Jess, this is Jackson and Sookie… obviously!"

Jess, who was intent on staring at the floor, lifted his gaze and nodded towards the two crazy townspeople in front of him. "Hi," he grunted before returning his eyes to the floor.

"Hi Jess. Pleasure to meet you. I'm Sookie," Sookie giggled, "but I guess you already knew that. I mean, I don't look like I could be called Jackson, now, do I?" Sookie found her own joke hilarious and she started giggling uncontrollably.

"Right, well, we'll leave Nutty Nora here to tend to her potatoes," Lorelai smiled and pointed to the living room. "How bout we go in here?" Lorelai and Luke headed into the living room, but Jess, who was about to follow stopped when he noticed Rory sitting in her room.

"Hey," he said, trying to get her attention.

Rory turned around in her chair and smiled. "Hey, I'm Rory. I'm guessing you're Jess." She smiled broadly as he leaned against the door frame.

"Yeah, that'd be me." Jess walked slowly into Rory's room and she tensed a little. "Wow," he said, gesturing to the bookshelf, "big reader, hey?"

"Yeah," Rory smiled, "I read a lot. A lot, actually. How 'bout you. Do you read?"

"Ah, yeah, it's a little trick they taught me when I was about five," he noticed Rory roll her eyes. "But yeah, I like to read a bit."

While Rory and Jess started to get to know each other, Lorelai and Luke were in the living room.


"So," Lorelai started, "How's Jess liking his bed?"

"He doesn't say much about it, but I guess it's okay. I still don't understand why you were so damn insistent that I buy it."

Lorelai smiled, restraining the urge to laugh. "I have my reasons." She could hear Sookie and Jackson 'oohing' and 'aahing' over some lemons in the kitchen and decided that it was, again, a good time to intervene.

"Sookie! Step away from the lemon!" she called.


Sookie stuck her head in the room and, looking very puzzled, asked "how did you know I was eating a lemon?"

Crap. Lorelai's eyes widened every so slightly. "Um, is dinner ready yet?"

Sookie smiled. "Yeah, coming right up," she replied before bouncing back into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Lorelai, Luke, Sookie, Jackson and Rory were all gathered around the table, mountains of food spread before them.

"Hey Rory," Luke started, "where's Jess?"

Lorelai's eyes widened.

"Um, I think he's getting a soda," Rory replied.

Practically throwing down the plate she was holding, Lorelai almost shouted "I'll get him" before nearly running into the kitchen. Jess was nowhere to be seen.

"You gotta be kidding me," she said under her breath as she walked out the back door and onto the porch just in time to see Jess open a beer. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Jess, somewhat surprised to be caught but not really caring what this small town loony thought of him, looked up at Lorelai with contempt before scoffing "Climbing Everest, what does it look like."

Lorelai swiftly took the bottle from Jess. "Funny, funny guy. Next question – did you not hear my little rant the other day or did what I said have a bad reaction to your hair gel and go running for the hills?"

"Oh," he said sarcastically, "the one about how I'm supposed to fall madly in love with your daughter, and how I'd better make your darling Lukey-Pooky proud or else you'll kick my ass? Yeah, I heard that one, I just chose to forget it."

Jess glared at Lorelai briefly before he turned and started to walk away.


"Where do you think you're going?" Lorelai was furious that Jess had completely ignored what she had said to him on his arrival.


"Away from you," he called over his shoulder, not bothering to turn and face her.

"That little punk!" Lorelai hissed under her breath as she went back inside.

As Lorelai entered the living room, Luke asked "Where's Jess?"

Realising that Luke had to put up with Jess' crap all over again, Lorelai suddenly felt very sad and guilty that she was putting him through it all again. "He left, Luke. I'm sorry. I'm sure he'll be okay, but he didn't wanna hang around."

Luke looked down, half angry, half upset and then stood up slowly. "Excuse me. Thanks for everything guys, but I'd better go find him." He was on his way out when he noticed Bert sitting near the front door. He picked up his toolbox and left quietly. No one at the table said a word.

"Sookie," Lorelai broke the silence. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

For a second Sookie looked utterly confused, but then realised that Lorelai really needed to talk. "Sure. Excuse me," she said as she rose from the table.


"So, what's up?" Sookie said as she and Lorelai entered the latter's bedroom. Lorelai closed the door behind her and began to pace up and down. Sookie looked at her friend intently and noticed she was looking very serious. "Hey, honey, what's with the frown?"

"Eh, everything…" Lorelai had been perfectly happy to keep her whole 'Back to the Future' thing to herself until five minutes ago. Until she realised that Jess was still going to be a right royal pain in the ass and that things might just end up going as they had the last time and that she was reliving all this for nothing.

"You know, I read somewhere that it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile!"

"Yeah, well then you burn more calories frowning…" Lorelai decided to sit down and landed on her bed with a thud before bouncing up and down ever so slightly.

"Lorelai, are you okay? You seem kinda stressed." Sitting down next to her, Sookie studied Lorelai's face with great concern.

"You have no idea, Sookie." Lorelai looked at her friend warily before continuing. "Sookie, if I tell you something, you promise not to have me committed?"

Sookie laughed and slapped Lorelai playfully on the arm. "Of course not, silly," she giggled. Then she realised that Lorelai wasn't trying to be silly. She stared at Lorelai with deep concern and gave her a look that told her to go on.

"Well… the thing is…" Lorelai struggled with how to tell her friend what she desperately needed to say. "You're the only person I can tell this to, Sook. I need you to believe me, okay? I really just need someone to talk to about this, and telling Rory's just not an option…"

"Honey, you can tell me anything, you know that," Sookie replied gently.

Lorelai searched for the right way to start. "Well… the thing is… okay, I know I sound like a crazy person, but…" Lorelai exhaled quickly and said very quickly "I've done all this before. I know it sounds all very Marty McFly, but I've been here before and know what's gonna happen… to a point, anyway. To June 23rd next year, actually…"

Sookie, eyebrows raised, tried to look as if she believed Lorelai, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't help thinking she's finally lost the plot…

"I know I sound crazy, Sookie, but I can prove it… ask me something… anything about what's gonna happen!"

"Alright…" Sookie tried to make the conversation light. "Are there flying cars in the future?"

Lorelai sighed pensively and Sookie, who had been smiling just a second ago, grew suddenly grim. Despite how crazy Lorelai sounded, Sookie was going to have to go along with this or risk really hurting her best friend.

"Um… okay… what happens with me and Jackson this year?"

Lorelai smiled widely and Sookie's eyes widened. "What? What? Why are you smiling like that?"

"I don't know if I should tell you… it won't be a surprise… I might screw it up for you!"


"Nooo," Sookie smiled and smacked Lorelai's arm playfully, "Tell me!"

"Well, if things turn out like they did last time, you're gonna get married next May."

Sookie's eyes widened even more, as did Lorelai's smile.

"NO! No! Oh my God, really?" Sookie's voice got higher and higher as she got more and more excited.

Lorelai nodded quickly, happy that she'd made her friend so happy. "But don't let Jackson know that you know… and I'm not gonna tell you when or where he's gonna pop the question cos then it'll ruin it for you, but let me tell you this," Lorelai paused for a second and leaned in closer to Sookie. "You looked amazing in your wedding dress!"

Sookie came crashing down to earth with a thud and looked at Lorelai with a look on her face that reminded Lorelai of the time she had to explain to Rory that Mrs Farrell's dog had gone to the big bone factory in the sky. Lorelai's heart broke. She doesn't believe me.

"Look, I know, I know… maybe that wasn't the best example… What about something that's gonna happen really soon. Like… um…" she wracked her brains for something – anything – to suggest. Then it hit her. A sly smile crept across her face. "Tomorrow, meet me near the bridge at 3 o'clock."

Sookie looked puzzled, but followed Lorelai out of her room and downstairs, where after a few glasses of wine, she forgot all about the conversation in the bedroom.

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At exactly 3 o'clock the next afternoon, Sookie met Lorelai beside the lake. Lorelai had been waiting for Sookie and had found the perfect position – hidden behind some bushes, with a clear view of the bridge. Sookie stood next to Lorelai for a few seconds in silence before asking "Lorelai, honey, what are we doing here?"

"Shhhh!" Lorelai quickly hushed Sookie. "They'll be here in a second."

No sooner had Lorelai said that, Luke and Jess came marching around the corner. They stopped suddenly and had a heated argument. Lorelai and Sookie couldn't tell what was being said, but the Danes tradition of waving ones hands around during a mad rant had definitely not been wasted on Jess.

"Okay, this has gotta be quick." Lorelai broke her gaze and quickly looked towards Sookie. "First: Luke and I haven't planned anything – you can check with him in like twenty minutes when he comes to my place to freak out at what he's gonna to do in like thirty seconds. Second: Jess is about to get very wet."

Sookie's eyes widened and she quickly switched her gaze to the two arguing figures not sixty feet away. Jess and Luke soon stopped arguing and headed towards the bridge, both still very obviously pissed. Suddenly, Luke raised his arm and with one small push, caused Jess to fall off the bridge and into the lake.

And that was all the proof Sookie needed. "I'm getting married in May!"

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Okay, whoever suggested that Lorelai tell Sookie, I hope you enjoyed that. I had a lot of trouble finding a reason for her to open up to Sookie, but eventually the words just tumbled out. And for those of you who didn't like my earlier attempts at Jess, I hope I've redeemed myself. I know he's being nice to Rory, but at least he's still being an ass to Lorelai. Please review with any suggestions – I'll try to add them to my story. Thanks to everyone who's already reviewed, and a special thanks again to Len! [PS – the pond scene is one of my favourites too!]