Act 2

Rory and Lane both dropped their bags into the corner of the hotel room with a thump. Rory allowed herself to flop backwards onto the bed by the window. Assuming that she'd claimed that bed, Lane sat on the second bed with a heavy sigh. "We have some time to kill before dinner tonight," Lane said. "What do you want to do?"

Rory shrugged. "I don't know," she smiled. "What do you want to do?" Lane shrugged in return and then turned on the TV. She put it onto MTV and turned to Rory.

"Okay, what's up?" she sat cross-legged and facing Rory's bed. "You've been weird since we picked you up. Even Dave noticed."

Rory sat up mimicking Lane. "Sorry," she apologized. "I'm just thinking."

"You're always thinking," Lane smirked and Rory rolled her eyes. "What about?"

"Mom, Dad.Luke," Rory sighed.

"What's going on?" Lane asked, obviously interested.

"Well, I'm seeing Dad tomorrow, the first time since Georgia was born.so the first time in about half a year," Rory started venting. "Did I see him at graduation? No! Was he at the airport at all? No!" she huffed. "Oh, and Luke is going with Mom to Grandma and Grandpa's tonight."

"What?" Lane cried out. "Are they."

"I don't know," Rory admitted. "I thought Luke was with Nicole, but they broke up. Oh, yeah! Mom gave him the hair twirl!"

"The secret move? That hair twirl?" Lane was excited at the thought of a Luke and Lorelai relationship. Rory nodded. "When?"

"Last month, in the diner," Rory said. "I saw it through the window, it was scary."

"Why was it scary?"

"Because it's my Mom.and Luke," Rory said. "It's creepy watching either of them flirt, but with each other."

"I see your point," Lane agreed. "It's like watching your parents hit on each other." Rory looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Yeah, except I don't actually get to see my Dad," Rory finally said.

Lane looked upset with herself. "I'm sorry Rory, I shouldn't have said."

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," Rory shook her head. "Mom and I had a conversation about this earlier, that's the only reason I'm cranky about it now."

"Well, if it makes you feel better," Lane added. "I never see my Dad either."

Rory smiled slightly. "At least your Dad doesn't have a choice, mine just chooses not to."

Lane wasn't sure what to say. Finally: "Well, that's why you have Luke."

"Yeah, I guess so," Rory smiled slightly, lost in thought. They were silent for a few minutes before Rory spoke again. "Are you bored yet?"

"God, yes," Lane sighed in relief. "Let's go get the guys." Rory nodded in agreement and they both got their wallets and keycards and left the room. The rest of the guys were staying in the room right across the hall. "Rory?" Lane asked her, wringing her hands the way she did when she was nervous. Rory looked over to her in question. "I think it's time."

"For what?" Rory asked and knocked quickly on the door.

"Tomorrow night, when you're gone to your dad's," Lane said hurriedly. "For me and Dave to." Lane cut herself off as Zac opened the door. "Hey!" Lane greeted him as he stepped back to let them in. Rory followed them and closed the door, a shocked look on her face.

* * *

"Are you ready yet?" Luke called up the stairs to Lorelai. She was presently getting ready to go to her parents' house for dinner. Luke fiddled with his tie and adjusted his suit jacket. After painting, they'd stopped by the diner while he showered and changed, and they were now a Lorelai's place while she got ready.

"Almost," she yelled down to him. Luke checked his watch and saw that it read six o'clock. They were expected at the Gilmore's at six thirty, and by all accounts, it looked like they were going to be fashionably late.

"We're gonna be late," he muttered to himself.

"Sorry dear," Lorelai mocked from the stairs that she was quickly descending. "We don't all have five minute showers like you do." She smiled at him. "I'm ready now."

Luke was speechless for about a second then tried to force himself to speak, not wanting to embarrass himself so early in the evening. Luckily, or unluckily, depending on how you look at it, she beat him to it. "How do I look?" she asked him and spun in a little circle.

"Nice, you look really nice," he said, hoping to sound at least slightly cool. Though honestly, he thought that 'nice' didn't even come close to summing up how she looked to him.

"Thank you," she replied almost shyly, moving her hips slightly left to right and causing her skirt to swish like a bell. Luke thought that she looked adorable. "You look nice too."

She smiled at him and he found himself smiling back, almost stupidly. They stared at each other for a moment before Luke shook himself out of it and handed her bag to her. "Let's go," he said and they left the house.

"You drive," she said and handed him the keys.

"No," he handed them back.

"Why not?" she thrust the keys into his hands again.

"Because you always whine for me to go faster! It's annoying," he sighed, dangling the keys in front of her. "You drive."

"No, you'll criticize my driving," she whined.

"I will not."

"Yes you will," she pouted. "Remember that time-"

"Because you cut that car off!" he cried.

"I only did that once," she pouted again. "Please Luke?" His face turned red in annoyance as he grumbled and stomped over to the drivers' side. She smiled, quite proud of herself, and climbed into the passenger seat.

They were silent until he pulled onto the highway and turned towards Hartford. "I'm bored," she whined. Luke looked over at her and rolled his eyes. He reached and turned on the radio.

"Listen to music," he told her.

"No," she replied and uncharacteristically turned off the radio; Luke looked slightly shocked. "Talk to me."

"About what?" he asked her.

"I don't know, something," she pleaded and smiled that special smile that she saved for him, knowing he couldn't resist it.

"Um," he paused. "Looks like rain."

"No! Weather's boring," she said. "Something else."

"Coffee will kill you one day," he smirked.

Lorelai gasped. "It will not! How dare you speak ill of my first love!"

"Your first love is coffee?" he rolled his eyes again and laughed slightly.

"Yes," she nodded. "It goes coffee, Rory, You Sookie and Jackson, then the rest of them." Luke nodded that he understood. "What do you love most?"

Luke hesitated, but decided to tell her the truth anyway. "Rory and Jess, You, then the rest of them." Lorelai looked surprised and thought that maybe she was blushing.

"What about the diner?" she asked him.

Luke shrugged. "It's just a business," he said. "It can be replaced.though I would miss it." Lorelai smiled at him.

"I think it's nice that Rory and Jess are at the top," she looked at her hands. Luke blushed and they were quiet the rest of the drive. They arrived at her parents' house at six thirty five exactly. Lorelai rang the bell as Luke tugged at his tie.

"Stop that," she scolded and reached up to straighten the tie, right as Emily opened the door. Luke batted her hands away and turned to Emily.

"Hello," Emily greeted pleasantly. "Come in. It's nice to see you again Luke, Lorelai." Emily shook his hand.

"You too Mrs. Gilmore," Luke replied.

"Oh, call me Emily, please," she laughed and shut the door. "Lorelai, you're late."

"That's because Luke drives so slow," Lorelai tattled.

"No, that's because you took so long to get ready," Luke elbowed her slightly, pointing the blame on her.

"That is more likely," Richard said as he entered the foyer. "Hello Lorelai. Luke, nice to see you again." He too shook Luke's hand.

"Hi Dad," Lorelai replied after Luke greeted him.

"Come on in you two," Emily led the way to the living room. "Lorelai, the Applebee's are here tonight."

"Really?" Lorelai sounded pleased.

"Who?" Luke whispered to her.

"The Applebee's," she whispered back. "Of all of my parents friends, they were my favorite. I watched movies with her, and he taught me to ride."

"Ride what?" Luke smirked.

"Dirty!" Lorelai gasped at him. "Horses, Luke! He taught me to ride a horse."

"Lorelai dear," a pleasant looking woman in her sixties called out as they entered the living room. Lorelai and Luke joined her and her husband by the piano. Lorelai gave the woman a hug and the man a kiss on the cheek.

"How are you dear?" the man asked her.

"I'm fine, thank you," Lorelai smiled. "How are you?"

"We're fine," the woman laughed, and then looked at Luke expectantly.

"Anna, Alistair," Lorelai began to introduce them. "This is Luke Danes."

"Nice to meet you," they both shook Luke's hand.

"Lorelai," Anna began. "How is Rory doing? Emily was telling us that she'd been accepted into three Ivy League schools."

"Yes, she was," Lorelai said proudly, as Luke smiled just as proud. "Princeton, Harvard and Yale."

"Where does she plan on attending?" Alistair asked.

"She's going to go to Yale."

"Oh, that must make Richard very happy," Anna laughed and Lorelai's smile turned slightly fake. "I remember when you were younger you wanted to attend Yale so badly, just like your father.

Lorelai's fake smile widened even more. Luke noticed and rubbed his hand soothingly over the small of her back for a moment. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and noticed that her smile looked genuine now.

"I thought that you wanted to go to Vassar?" Luke asked her, trying to steer clear of Yale.

"I did, remember Anna?" Lorelai smiled and laughed slightly at the memory.

"Oh, yes," Anna laughed. "When you were, what was it thirteen, we watched that old movie and you decided to be a Vassar girl."

"Dinner's ready," Emily announced, breaking up the college talk. Lorelai led Luke into the dining room and took her usual place at the table. He sat in the chair beside her while Anna and Alistair took the other side of the table.

Emily had requested Duck l'Orange for dinner, and the cook did a marvelous job on it. To please Lorelai, Emily even made her favorite apple tarts for dessert. Dinner passed pleasantly, and Lorelai only talked to her food once, which caused Anna and Alistair to laugh fondly at the memories of her doing the same when she was younger. After dinner, everyone retired to the living room as the maid cleaned up.

Luke and Lorelai stood chatting with Richard and Alistair after dinner. She almost laughed out loud at the image of the three men drinking brandy like a stereotypical movie character, but held back for Luke's sake. She thought that if one of them pulled out a cigar she might double over.

"So Luke," Richard began pleasantly. "Rory told me once that you were quite the athlete in your day."

Luke blushed. "Not really," he replied modestly.

"He's being modest," Lorelai smiled at him. "He was the star wrestler, and didn't you play baseball too?"

Luke nodded. "I was pitcher," he explained. Richard's face lit up.

"Really?" he asked and Luke nodded again. "Well, my company is participating in a charity softball tournament next month and we could really use a pitcher who knows how to actually throw the ball."

"You're going to play softball?" Lorelai asked, holding back a snicker.

Richard looked uncertain. "I'm going to participate.probably a manager. But we do have several employees that excel at the game. All we need is a good pitcher. What do you think Luke?"

Luke looked embarrassed. "Don't I have to be a member of the company to play."

Richard waved his hand. "No, you're practically family," he told Luke and smiled at Lorelai, one of those rare smiles that he had given her in the last few years. Lorelai's heart clenched a little as she saw her father look at her that way, as if for a moment he forgot that she ruined all of his hopes for her life. "Just think about it, let me know. It's not until next month anyway."

"I will," Luke nodded. He had noticed the look between Lorelai and Richard and wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Would anyone like a refill?" Emily asked as she came and stood beside Lorelai. The three men shook their head's that they didn't, but Lorelai's wine glass was empty. She excused herself and followed her mother to get more drinks.

"So Lorelai," Anna joined them at the drink cart. "How long have you and Luke been seeing each other?"

Lorelai sputtered slightly and Emily smiled in amusement. "Oh, we're not together," she assured Anna as Emily's smile widened. "We're just.we're friends."

"Oh," Anna nodded that she understood and shared a secret smile with Emily. "You just act like you've been married for years." The three women laughed, though Lorelai's laugh sounded more like a strangled yelp.

"We're just good friends," Lorelai said again. She looked over to where Luke and Richard were laughing at something Alistair had just told them. He noticed her watching and smiled at her, which she returned. She watched him for a moment after he turned back to his conversation, and then returned her attention to Anna and her mother.

Commercial break.

A/N: I replaced this chapter because I kept calling Richard Edward by mistake, don't know how I missed that! Sorry. Thanks SaraKate for pointing it out. :0)