Disclaimer: I've come to the stunning realization that I will never gain ownership of the Gilmore Girls or any of the related characters.
A/N: Thanks to all that reviewed! And I know that the Chris situation was pretty melodramatic but I truly hate Christopher (for reasons I'll explain on another occasion) and that's the way I wanted it to happen. So, here we go- the monumental (or not so much) chapter 18!
Chapter 18
Hurricane Emily- Phase Two
Rory Gilmore glanced at the clock in her bedroom. It read 8:30 a.m. It should be illegal to be up this early! Rory thought to herself, Jess isn't even up yet!
Knowing full well how to fix that little problem, she quietly entered Jess's room, pausing at the foot of his bed. She smiled to herself, happy to know that she's the only one that's ever seen this side of him. He's so peaceful and caring, his hair's going in about a million directions, and nobody ever sees him this way.
Rory proceeded to his bedside and lay down next to Jess, pulling the covers up around her. She rolled over to face her sleeping fiancée.
Jess started to stir, feeling Rory's presence in the room, but he didn't open his eyes. Rory noticing he had awoken, whined, "Je-ss… wake u-up!"
Jess finally opened his eyes and locked them with Rory's. He brought a hand to her cheek. "Ror it's early."
She smiled and let her fingers entangle themselves in his messy hair, "I know. Will you make me coffee?"
Jess rolled his eyes and pulled Rory a little closer to him, "That's all you want from me? Coffee? Hey, I can do that!"
Rory smiled again and leaned in to kiss him. Jess immediately responded, deepening the kiss and wrapping his arms around her small frame. Several moments later, they pulled apart.
"Coffee." Rory whispered, sitting up.
Jess began to sit up too.
"You're dressed." He said surprised.
"Yep."
"Before nine?"
"I think we're in for some bad weather."
"Ah yes, isn't that hurricane supposed to come back?"
"That's what I hear."
"I guess I should get dressed too then." Jess decided, getting out of bed and going to his closet.
"But- Jess!" Rory pouted, "Coffee!"
"Baby, I bet you can make your own."
"Not like Luke's!" she insisted.
"Do I look like Luke to you?"
"Well…"
"Don't answer that!"
Rory laughed, "Come on Jess, you're the best at making quasi Luke coffee."
Jess quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt and then led Rory to the kitchen.
"Here we go… grab that." Jess said once they'd arrived, pointing to a very decorated coffee can labeled 'Luke' in sequins and glitter.
Rory picked it up and handed it to Jess. It had been a Christmas present from Luke and Lorelai- Luke supplied the coffee beans, and Lorelai decorated the can. Jess opened the can and set it on the counter. He pulled a spoon from the drawer and held it out to Rory.
"What do I do with that?"
"You use it to scoop out the coffee Ror."
"What? I thought you were making me coffee!"
"No, I'm teaching you to make coffee."
"I know how to make coffee."
"Then I'm teaching you to make Luke coffee."
"Quasi Luke coffee." Rory corrected.
"Indeed. Quasi Luke coffee."
A few minutes later Rory and Jess sat at the kitchen table, each with a mug of coffee and doughnuts. Rory was beaming.
"I made Luke coffee!" She said excitedly.
"Quasi."
"Whatever."
Just then they heard their doorbell sound.
"You think that's her?" Jess asked.
Rory simply nodded. "Last chance to run and hide."
Jess stood up from the table and pushed the intercom button by the door.
"Hello?"
"Good morning Mr. Mariano! You have a visitor."
"Okay."
"A Mrs. Emily Gilmore."
"Yeah, you can send her up."
"Yes sir."
Jess turned back to Rory, who had gotten up to refill her coffee cup, "She's on her wa-"
KNOCK, KNOCK
"That was fast." Jess said before turning back around to open the door.
"Good morning Jess."
"Hi Mrs. Gilmore. Come on in." Jess said sarcastically, after Emily had entered the apartment.
"Hey Grandma, you want some coffee?" Rory asked.
Emily raised an eyebrow in concern.
"No, Jess helped me make it- it's almost like Luke's!" Rory said proudly.
"Alright, I'd love some."
A while later, Rory, Jess, and Emily were seated at the kitchen table with empty coffee cups in front of them.
"Now Rory, I've found a wonderful wedding planner right here in Boston, and I think we ought to go see him right away."
"Grandma…"
"He's the best Rory- he did all of that Jennifer Lopez's weddings."
"Grandma…"
"I believe he did Julia Roberts's most recent one too."
"Grandma!"
"What?"
"I don't want a wedding planner."
"Why not?"
"Because I want to plan my wedding!"
"Oh Rory, I know, but it's just such a huge task! And with Harvard, I didn't think you'd have the time."
"Well, fortunately, I'm not Jennifer Lopez and I'm not going to have a massive wedding."
Emily breathed a heavy sigh, and glanced at Jess. She could tell he was in total agreement with Rory.
"Alright," she said, "We'll do this your way. What do you have in mind?"
A little while later, with the colors and flowers decided, Emily unknowingly brought up a touchy subject. She scanned her list.
"Now, you've told Christopher have you not?"
"Yeah." Rory said quietly, wishing Jess hadn't run out to do some errands.
"Wonderful. So he'll be giving you away- one less thing to worry about."
"No."
"What do you mean no?"
"Dad's not going to give me away." Rory explained, staring at her hands, "He's going to be away on business and well, he's not coming."
"Nonsense! I'll just call him right up and explain how important this is!"
"Grandma?"
"Yes?"
"I think… I think I'd rather have Luke give me away."
"Luke? Luke the diner man?"
"Yeah."
"But Rory, he's not your father."
"I know Grandma, not technically anyway. Listen, Luke's always been there for me. He was there when I was growing up- Dad wasn't. He's always been like a dad, and I really do love him like one… So, since Dad's bailing, I want Luke to give me away."
Emily was surprised to say the least. She's assumed that Rory would keep on fighting her father to try to convince him to come to the wedding. Maybe she already did. And she was right. Although Emily didn't like it, Luke Danes had been more of a father to her granddaughter than Christopher Hayden had been.
Emily took a deep breath, "Okay. Have you asked him yet?"
"No, not yet."
"Be sure to do that."
"I will."
Emily glanced at the clock on the microwave oven. Noticing it was already mid-afternoon, she decided to go on home.
"Rory, honey, you keep planning okay? I'll call you sometime next week."
"Okay Grandma. Thanks."
Emily let herself out of the apartment and closed the door behind her. She approached the elevator just as Jess stepped out of it.
"Done already?" he asked.
Emily nodded, "For today."
"I'll see you then?"
"Yes. Make sure Rory calls Luke hm?"
"Of course."
Emily went into the elevator and the doors closed. Jess went on to the apartment and let himself in.
"Honey, I'm home!" he called.
"Jess!" Rory smiled going to him.
"How'd it go?"
"Okay." Rory said, kissing him, "Can we go to Star's Hollow this weekend?"
Jess raised an eyebrow, "Why this weekend?"
Rory smiled, "I've got a question for Luke."
Jess smiled too and kissed her again, "We surprising them or calling now to let them know we're coming?"
"Surprising."
"Deal."
Three days later Rory and Jess threw overnight bags into the back of the car and made the drive into Star's Hollow Connecticut. Seeing Lorelai's Jeep parked outside of the diner, Jess pulled into an empty spot next to it.
Rory bounded out of the car and up the steps, grabbing Jess's hand on her way up and dragging him along with her.
"Can I have a danish?" Lorelai questioned Luke, beginning their familiar banter.
"It's not good for you."
"You let other customers eat danishes and drink coffee! Why can't I?"
"Because Rory would kill me if you died of too much sugar-intake."
"What if I die of a lack of sugar?"
"You won't."
"I could!"
"No."
"Coffee!"
Luke grumbled to himself and poured a mug and handed it to Lorelai.
"Success!" she shouted bringing the cup to her lips, only to spit out the contents.
"THAT," she screamed, "was DECAF!"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"DECAF! NO CAFFEINE!"
"Lorelai you don't need it."
"Yes I do!"
Lorelai frantically scanned the crowded diner. She pointed to a random patron, "You! Do I need caffeine?"
"Aren't you Lorelai Gilmore?" the puzzled customer asked.
"Yes."
The man turned to face Luke, "You gave her decaf?" he asked incredulously.
Luke rolled his eyes, "Fine! Fine Lorelai, you win!" he said, frustrated, taking back her cup and refilling it with regular coffee.
"That's better." Lorelai decided, "You will pay for that Luke." She said looking back up at him. Noticing the smile on his face, and his gaze fixed upon the door behind her, Lorelai spun around on her stool to see Rory and Jess entering the diner.
"Gilmore!" Rory called.
"Little Gilmore!" Lorelai responded, getting up to hug Rory, "What'cha doing here?"
"Just visiting." Rory said, "I want to go dress shopping."
"Oooohh! Yay!" Lorelai gushed as Rory and Jess took seats at the counter.
Luke handed Rory a cup of coffee.
"Mmm thanks!" Rory said drinking it slowly.
"Not fair!" Lorelai pouted.
Luke, and everyone else for that matter ignored Lorelai's whining.
"Mom, I wanna talk to you." Rory suddenly announced, standing up.
"Oh, okay." Lorelai got up too and the two Gilmore Girls left the diner.
"You know what that's about?" Luke asked Jess.
He nodded, "Yup."
"And?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
Luke shrugged and went back to serving his customers.
(Lorelai and Rory are at the gazebo- sitting down and talking. Rory just dropped the bombshell that Chris wouldn't be coming to her wedding.)
"You've got to be kidding me!"
Rory shrugged, "I've thought about it a lot Mom. And, well… I want Luke to give me away."
Lorelai's jaw dropped open.
"Cause really, when you think about it, Luke's been like my dad all these years anyways."
"You're right."
"I am?"
"Of course. You get that from me."
Rory laughed, "So, I should ask him?"
"Definitely."
"What do you think he'll say?"
"Are you kidding Ror? He'll do it- of course he will."
The Gilmore Girls stood up and left the gazebo.
"Well I've got to get to the Inn. I'm sure Michel and Sookie have already caused plenty of chaos for the day."
Rory smiled and hugged her mom, "I'll see you tonight then." And then returned to the diner to find Jess behind the counter refilling coffee cups.
"Back to work already?" Rory giggled.
"Yeah well, that Luke's a slave driver."
"I heard that!" Luke bellowed, "And I did not make you work- you asked if you could give me a hand and I said sure…"
"Hey Luke?" Rory asked once his tirade had died down, "Can I talk to you for a second? I mean, once you get the chance?"
Luke immediately noticed the seriousness in Rory's voice and his own softened, "Jess can you look after the diner for a minute?"
"Sure thing Uncle Luke."
Luke led Rory up the stairs to the apartment and they sat down on the couch.
"What's up?"
"Well, I was wondering… um if you'd…"
"If I'd what Rory?"
"If you'd give me away." Then noticing Luke's dazed expression, she tried to clarify, "At my wedding."
"Wh-what… isn't that usually the father of the bride's job?"
"Well yeah, but when the bride's father isn't even coming to the wedding, a lot of times, she'll realize that the one man that really was like her father for her whole life really should be the one to give her away. And so she'll come back home with her fiancée and ask that guy- the one that's always been there, no matter what…"
"Rory." Luke said, interrupting her babbling, "I'd be honored."
"Really?"
"Really."
Rory smiled brightly at him and gave him a hug, small tears forming in her eyes, "Thanks Luke."