Title: Expect the Unexpected
Chapter 22: Friends?
Disclaimer: Don't own Gilmore Girls. Sorry to disappoint all of my wonderful fans!!!
~~~~
"Hey." Lane entered Luke's and took off her hat and coat.
"Hey!" Rory looked up from behind the counter where she was working. "So, how's the family?" Rory plopped a coffee cup in front of Lane.
"Paul's sulking because we forgot to bring his Game Boy, Edie's chatting on the phone to her boyfriend 24/7, and Henry's on his last nerve."
"Hanging out with me today?"
"Yep."
"When're you guys heading home, anyway?"
"Why, looking to get rid of me?"
"Yep. In secret I can't stand you."
"Yeah, I figured." Lane smiled at Rory and turned around to face her as she set about serving people. "We're off for another week."
"Wow, you even got the kids out of school for that long?"
"Winter break."
"Ahh." Rory set a plate of pancakes in front of Lane, and then looked up as the bell over the door signaled that someone had come in.
"Hi." Margaret said awkwardly.
"Hey!" Rory smiled as she got another coffee cup. Lane didn't say anything, just sort of smiled.
"Oh, those look good. Can I have some pancakes, too, please?"
"Sure." Rory yelled into the kitchen for pancakes and Margaret looked around the diner.
"You're too friendly," Lane mouthed to Rory.
"She's nice," Rory mouthed back.
"She's Dean's wife."
"So?" Rory shurgged. Lane shook her head and kept eating.
"Hello, dear, I'm Patricia." Miss Patty introduced herself to Margaret. "Who are you?"
"Miss Patty, that's not very polite." Rory playfully scolded.
"Rory, sweetie, don't forget who you're talking to."
"It's okay, Rory. I'm Margaret Forester," Margaret answered Miss Patty.
"Oh, the wife of the little troublemaker himself." Patty's gossip radar picked up a nice juicy story.
"Oh, the diner incident. Rory and I have already made amends."
"Oh, really?"
"Miss Patty, please, we've had enough gossip about Jess, Rory, and Dean to last us a lifetime. Why don't you try Kirk? His mom won't let him out of the house again." Lane spoke up.
"No wonder Taylor was so on edge this morning. I need to have another talk with that man." And with that, Miss Patty walked out of the diner and immediately pulled out her cell-phone. When Lorelai opened the door and walked into the diner, Rory, Margaret, and Lane could all hear her yelling at Taylor.
"Hey, babe! Three coffees to go, please." Lorelai slapped her hand on the counter.
"Mom, that didn't make Luke go any faster, it won't work on me, either."
"Hey, you be careful how you talk to your mother. I'm poorly under-coffee-nated. My arm might slap you of its own free will."
"Coffee-nated?"
"Yes, my darling daughter. And not just coffee-nated, under-coffee-nated."
"Okay." Rory got three to-go cups.
"Hey, it's Lane! And...I'm sorry, I don't recall your name," Lorelai said to Margaret.
"Oh, that's okay. I'm Margaret Forester. My family and I are staying at your inn. It's very nice, by the way."
"Well, thank you, my daughter's first love's wife. Hey, look at that, I played Four Degrees of Seperation of Lorelai Gilmore."
"Only you, Lorelai." Lane sipped her coffee.
"Hey, only you could have children named Edie Brickell Cho and Paul Simon Cho."
"You're just mad because Edie didn't come out before you had Rory."
"Shush. Didn't your mother ever tell you to talk to your elders nicely?"
"Well, she told me not to talk to you at all."
"Oh, that's right."
"Here you go, Mom. Three coffees to go." Rory placed the three cups on the counter.
"Thanks, sweetie." Lorelai started looking in her purse for money.
"Uh, Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"You wanna tell us who the coffees are for?"
Lorelai looked up to see the three girls staring at her. "No," she said simply before paying and walking out the door.
"That woman's up to something." Lane muttered.
"Yep." The other two agreed simultaneously.
~~~~
"Chris, get out of that room! Jen, I've got coffee!" Lorelai yelled through the door to Rory's former room. The door opened and Chris walked out, sheepishly smiling. "Hey, I told you last night that she could stay if there was no hanky-panky!"
"There wasn't! I swear!"
"Well, you're Jess's kid, so I wouldn't believe you with that stupid I-had-sex grin on your face, but you're also Rory's kid, so, you're off the hook."
"Thanks, Lorelai."
"Hey, that's 'sexy aunt Lorelai' to you!" Lorelai called to Chris's back. He waved an arm as he headed to the living room. Lorelai pushed the door to Rory's room open and waved the cup of coffee. Jen groaned in the light.
"Did I hear someone say 'I've got a hangover please give me coffee, you incredibly young grandmother of my sexy plaything'?"
"If it gets me coffee, yes." Jen held out a hand and Lorelai put the cup of coffee in it. Jen took a big sip and smiled. Lorelai smiled back and started to leave when Jen called out. "Hey."
"Hi."
"Thanks for letting me stay here last night. I hate to think what would have happened if my parents had found out."
"Crying, screaming, general disappointment."
"Probably. How'd you know?"
"That's the way it was at my house when I came home late; then again, one night I came home late and pregnant, so there was a lot of screaming and crying then, but you're not gonna have that problem, because you're not gonna get pregnant for many many years. I don't recommend getting pregnant before you're forty."
"Yeah, I know. My mom was young when I was born."
"Oh, really? How young?"
"Eighteen when I was born, seventeen when she got pregnant."
"You're seventeen now?"
"Yeah."
"How old was your dad?"
"Lemme think. Uh, twenty-five, no, twenty-six when I was born."
"Really? Huh." Lorelai shut Rory's door, and left Jen alone. She saw Chris on the couch, watching one of Luke's movies. Luke was off somewhere; Lorelai couldn't remember where. Sookie was watching the Dragonfly; it was Lorelai's day off. She had nowhere to go, but plenty to think over.
~~~~
"Oh, I've got to go pack." Margaret checked her watch and then put her coffee cup down. "Sorry."
"You're leaving?"
Margaret nodded as she wrapped her scarf around her neck. "Actually, not till five tomorrow, but I like to be ready early."
"Ah, a girl after my own heart." Rory smiled. Margaret nodded and opened the door. "Hey!"
"Yeah?" Margaret let the door softly close.
"Are you busy tonight?"
"No, just packing."
"Do you think you and your daughter would like to come to my mother's house for a movie night sleepover thing?"
"Well, I don't know...."
"Well, I'll be there, and my mom, Mom's friend Sookie, Sookie's daughter Karen, and Lane and her daughter Edie." Rory waved a hand towards Lane, who shot her a dirty look.
"Uh, I guess we can come. Is it like a slumber party thing?"
"Yeah, I guess so. We're watching five movies, I think, so, you might wanna spend the night."
"Okay, so I guess Jen and I'll be there at seven?"
"Six."
"Okay, bye." Margaret finally made her way out of the diner. She was a little surprised that Rory had been nice enough to ask her.
~~~~
"Rory, what the hell are you doing?" Lane, still sitting at the counter in Luke's, stared at her friend.
"What do you mean?"
"You're inviting that woman to our one and only slumber party? I see you once a year and we have one slumber party and you're inviting Dean's wife?"
"She's a genuinely nice person, and I would like to get to know her."
"Why? Why do you want to get to know Dean's wife?"
"She's not 'Dean's wife'! She's Margaret Forester, the mother of the girl my son's in love with."
"Chris is in love with Dean's daughter?"
"Yep. I would love to get to know the girl Chris loves."
"I didn't realize Chris loved her. I guess...it's okay."
"Okay. So we'll see you and Edie at six tonight?"
"Yeah, I guess so. I should probably...go."
"Yeah, I'll see you later."
"Sure. Bye."
"Bye." Lane walked out of the diner, the bell over the door ringing.
Chapter 22: Friends?
Disclaimer: Don't own Gilmore Girls. Sorry to disappoint all of my wonderful fans!!!
~~~~
"Hey." Lane entered Luke's and took off her hat and coat.
"Hey!" Rory looked up from behind the counter where she was working. "So, how's the family?" Rory plopped a coffee cup in front of Lane.
"Paul's sulking because we forgot to bring his Game Boy, Edie's chatting on the phone to her boyfriend 24/7, and Henry's on his last nerve."
"Hanging out with me today?"
"Yep."
"When're you guys heading home, anyway?"
"Why, looking to get rid of me?"
"Yep. In secret I can't stand you."
"Yeah, I figured." Lane smiled at Rory and turned around to face her as she set about serving people. "We're off for another week."
"Wow, you even got the kids out of school for that long?"
"Winter break."
"Ahh." Rory set a plate of pancakes in front of Lane, and then looked up as the bell over the door signaled that someone had come in.
"Hi." Margaret said awkwardly.
"Hey!" Rory smiled as she got another coffee cup. Lane didn't say anything, just sort of smiled.
"Oh, those look good. Can I have some pancakes, too, please?"
"Sure." Rory yelled into the kitchen for pancakes and Margaret looked around the diner.
"You're too friendly," Lane mouthed to Rory.
"She's nice," Rory mouthed back.
"She's Dean's wife."
"So?" Rory shurgged. Lane shook her head and kept eating.
"Hello, dear, I'm Patricia." Miss Patty introduced herself to Margaret. "Who are you?"
"Miss Patty, that's not very polite." Rory playfully scolded.
"Rory, sweetie, don't forget who you're talking to."
"It's okay, Rory. I'm Margaret Forester," Margaret answered Miss Patty.
"Oh, the wife of the little troublemaker himself." Patty's gossip radar picked up a nice juicy story.
"Oh, the diner incident. Rory and I have already made amends."
"Oh, really?"
"Miss Patty, please, we've had enough gossip about Jess, Rory, and Dean to last us a lifetime. Why don't you try Kirk? His mom won't let him out of the house again." Lane spoke up.
"No wonder Taylor was so on edge this morning. I need to have another talk with that man." And with that, Miss Patty walked out of the diner and immediately pulled out her cell-phone. When Lorelai opened the door and walked into the diner, Rory, Margaret, and Lane could all hear her yelling at Taylor.
"Hey, babe! Three coffees to go, please." Lorelai slapped her hand on the counter.
"Mom, that didn't make Luke go any faster, it won't work on me, either."
"Hey, you be careful how you talk to your mother. I'm poorly under-coffee-nated. My arm might slap you of its own free will."
"Coffee-nated?"
"Yes, my darling daughter. And not just coffee-nated, under-coffee-nated."
"Okay." Rory got three to-go cups.
"Hey, it's Lane! And...I'm sorry, I don't recall your name," Lorelai said to Margaret.
"Oh, that's okay. I'm Margaret Forester. My family and I are staying at your inn. It's very nice, by the way."
"Well, thank you, my daughter's first love's wife. Hey, look at that, I played Four Degrees of Seperation of Lorelai Gilmore."
"Only you, Lorelai." Lane sipped her coffee.
"Hey, only you could have children named Edie Brickell Cho and Paul Simon Cho."
"You're just mad because Edie didn't come out before you had Rory."
"Shush. Didn't your mother ever tell you to talk to your elders nicely?"
"Well, she told me not to talk to you at all."
"Oh, that's right."
"Here you go, Mom. Three coffees to go." Rory placed the three cups on the counter.
"Thanks, sweetie." Lorelai started looking in her purse for money.
"Uh, Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"You wanna tell us who the coffees are for?"
Lorelai looked up to see the three girls staring at her. "No," she said simply before paying and walking out the door.
"That woman's up to something." Lane muttered.
"Yep." The other two agreed simultaneously.
~~~~
"Chris, get out of that room! Jen, I've got coffee!" Lorelai yelled through the door to Rory's former room. The door opened and Chris walked out, sheepishly smiling. "Hey, I told you last night that she could stay if there was no hanky-panky!"
"There wasn't! I swear!"
"Well, you're Jess's kid, so I wouldn't believe you with that stupid I-had-sex grin on your face, but you're also Rory's kid, so, you're off the hook."
"Thanks, Lorelai."
"Hey, that's 'sexy aunt Lorelai' to you!" Lorelai called to Chris's back. He waved an arm as he headed to the living room. Lorelai pushed the door to Rory's room open and waved the cup of coffee. Jen groaned in the light.
"Did I hear someone say 'I've got a hangover please give me coffee, you incredibly young grandmother of my sexy plaything'?"
"If it gets me coffee, yes." Jen held out a hand and Lorelai put the cup of coffee in it. Jen took a big sip and smiled. Lorelai smiled back and started to leave when Jen called out. "Hey."
"Hi."
"Thanks for letting me stay here last night. I hate to think what would have happened if my parents had found out."
"Crying, screaming, general disappointment."
"Probably. How'd you know?"
"That's the way it was at my house when I came home late; then again, one night I came home late and pregnant, so there was a lot of screaming and crying then, but you're not gonna have that problem, because you're not gonna get pregnant for many many years. I don't recommend getting pregnant before you're forty."
"Yeah, I know. My mom was young when I was born."
"Oh, really? How young?"
"Eighteen when I was born, seventeen when she got pregnant."
"You're seventeen now?"
"Yeah."
"How old was your dad?"
"Lemme think. Uh, twenty-five, no, twenty-six when I was born."
"Really? Huh." Lorelai shut Rory's door, and left Jen alone. She saw Chris on the couch, watching one of Luke's movies. Luke was off somewhere; Lorelai couldn't remember where. Sookie was watching the Dragonfly; it was Lorelai's day off. She had nowhere to go, but plenty to think over.
~~~~
"Oh, I've got to go pack." Margaret checked her watch and then put her coffee cup down. "Sorry."
"You're leaving?"
Margaret nodded as she wrapped her scarf around her neck. "Actually, not till five tomorrow, but I like to be ready early."
"Ah, a girl after my own heart." Rory smiled. Margaret nodded and opened the door. "Hey!"
"Yeah?" Margaret let the door softly close.
"Are you busy tonight?"
"No, just packing."
"Do you think you and your daughter would like to come to my mother's house for a movie night sleepover thing?"
"Well, I don't know...."
"Well, I'll be there, and my mom, Mom's friend Sookie, Sookie's daughter Karen, and Lane and her daughter Edie." Rory waved a hand towards Lane, who shot her a dirty look.
"Uh, I guess we can come. Is it like a slumber party thing?"
"Yeah, I guess so. We're watching five movies, I think, so, you might wanna spend the night."
"Okay, so I guess Jen and I'll be there at seven?"
"Six."
"Okay, bye." Margaret finally made her way out of the diner. She was a little surprised that Rory had been nice enough to ask her.
~~~~
"Rory, what the hell are you doing?" Lane, still sitting at the counter in Luke's, stared at her friend.
"What do you mean?"
"You're inviting that woman to our one and only slumber party? I see you once a year and we have one slumber party and you're inviting Dean's wife?"
"She's a genuinely nice person, and I would like to get to know her."
"Why? Why do you want to get to know Dean's wife?"
"She's not 'Dean's wife'! She's Margaret Forester, the mother of the girl my son's in love with."
"Chris is in love with Dean's daughter?"
"Yep. I would love to get to know the girl Chris loves."
"I didn't realize Chris loved her. I guess...it's okay."
"Okay. So we'll see you and Edie at six tonight?"
"Yeah, I guess so. I should probably...go."
"Yeah, I'll see you later."
"Sure. Bye."
"Bye." Lane walked out of the diner, the bell over the door ringing.