Disclaimer: I don't own them
A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, I've been really busy for the past few days. To all you guys who reviewed, thank you so much! It's amazing what a review can do for a person's creative juices. :) Keep it up! And those of you who haven't reviewed, please do. I'd hate to do this, but if I keep getting as few reviews as I have been (again, thanks a million to those who did!), I might have to do a "five reviews or no new chapter" thing, or whatever. So, keep that in mind. Thanks again!
Lane sat in her room, trying not to get upset. It had been two days and she hadn't heard anything from Rory about her meeting with Dave. She was getting very antsy. She was dying to see him. She was tempted to pick up the phone and just call him, but she knew that if she did that and was caught, she'd be in deep trouble. She got up from her bed and paced around her room.
"Lane!" her mother yelled up the stairs. "Rory is at the door. Be quick!"
"Yes, Mama!" Lane shouted back, hurrying downstairs to let Rory in. The girls ran up to Lane's room and shut the door. "So, Rory, what's the deal?"
"Man, do you have any idea how much you owe me? So many people could get in trouble for this. It's unbelievable."
"Yeah, I know," Lane said. She tried to give Rory her most pitiful face. "Please, Rory, I need to see him. This has been killing me."
Rory tried not to smile. "Ok, Lane, calm down. You're coming out with Jess and I tomorrow night. We're going to see a movie, and there you'll meet Dave. Jess and I will go into the movie and try to cover for you if we need to."
"Or you'll make out," Lane interrupted, eliciting a frown from Rory.
"Hey, you have no room to make fun of Jess and me, Lane," Rory teased. "Considering you have to have secret meetings arranged for you to see the guy you like."
Lane looked at her feet. "I'm sorry, Rory, continue."
"Anyway, you and Dave can go off and do whatever or stay and watch the movie with Jess and me. It's up to you guys. You will, however, be back at the movie theater, ready to split from your Prince Charming by the time the movie is over. If you're not, I am no longer responsible for covering your tracks. Understood?"
"Understood." Lane paused before throwing her arms around Rory. "You're my hero, Rory Gilmore."
"Lane! Rory needs to leave!" Mrs. Kim shouted up the stairs.
Lane rolled her eyes. "Ok. I'll see you tomorrow night."
"K. I cleared this whole thing for tomorrow with your mother, so just tell her you're coming to my house at five. She knows you're going out with Jess and me, so you should be all set. She said that as long as Jess and I are both there, you can come. Like Jess is a good influence." Rory shook her head. "I'll never understand your mother. One minute she hates Jess and me for going to see you, the next she won't let you out without us."
Lane chuckled before leading Rory downstairs and out. She went back up to her room and flopped on her bed, thinking about the next night.
Rory strolled down the street, towards the diner, where she knew her mother would be. She walked in and saw Jess behind the counter. He looked up and smiled at her. "Hey," he said as she approached the counter.
"Hey," she said back, smiling. She sat next to Lorelai. "Mom, you know that Lane, Jess, and I are going out tomorrow night, right?"
Lorelai thought for a second. "I think so. This is to meet the elusive Dave, right?"
"He's not elusive. It's Lane who's not allowed to see him. Not the other way around."
"Right. I forgot. So my wonderful daughter who can do no wrong is teaming up with her best friend, whose Bible-toting mother is paranoid, and with the resident bad boy of Stars Hollow-"
"Hey!" Jess said in protest.
Lorelai held up a hand and continued, "to sneak said best friend on a date with the not-so-elusive Dave. Is that right?"
Rory thought for a second. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Jess, coffee."
Jess rolled his eyes in true Luke fashion before pouring Rory a cup of coffee. He went into the back.
"How did you enlist him into this cause?" Lorelai questioned as soon as he had disappeared.
"Easy," Rory replied. "I asked."
The next night
Lane showed up at Rory's house the next night at five o'clock on the dot. The movie didn't start until six, but they figured they'd get to the theater at about five thirty, so Lane could have some time to talk to Dave if they decided to stay at the movies. Jess arrived ten minutes later, and the three set off.
When they got to the theater, Dave was standing just inside the doors, looking around anxiously. Lane grinned, and it was all she could do not to run up to him and throw her arms around him. Jess and Rory exchanged looks behind her back. Dave spotted Lane, and a matching grin spread across his face. Lane walked a little faster than Jess and Rory, and when she reached Dave, he hugged her. It looked like a friendly hug, the kind friends give one another when they haven't seen each other in a long time. Rory knew better. Jess, on the other hand, wasn't quite sure what was going on. He figured he'd ask Rory later on.
"Dave, I'm so sorry for this whole thing," Lane said, still wrapped in his arms. She sighed contently. I could so stay like this for a long time, she thought with a smile. "My mother is crazy."
"Don't worry about it," Dave replied. He let go of her and took a step back. "Do you want to see a movie? 'Cause we can go hang out somewhere else if you want."
Lane hardly skipped a beat. "Let's skip the movie tonight," she said. Dave nodded. Lane turned to Rory and Jess. "We'll be back before the end, I promise," she said, her eyes shining. With that, she and Dave left the theater and headed down the street.
Rory shook her head. "I hope they don't get caught," she muttered to Jess as they bought their tickets.
"What exactly is the deal? I think somehow you got me in on this, and I'm still not quite sure what it is I'm in on," Jess said.
"Well, Lane put out an ad saying that she was a drummer looking for a band to join. Dave showed up in Stars Hollow a few days later, and they got to talking. She decided to join the band – thank you," Rory said to the person behind the concession counter. She and Jess headed into the auditorium. "She did really well, and she hit it off with every member of the band. She went and got herself a huge crush on Dave, who likes her back. He showed up at the dance marathon to visit her, and ate one of those revolting egg salad sandwiches. He told Mrs. Kim that they were awesome and that he was going to give one to his parents. He made a big deal of telling them, Lane mostly, that if he wasn't back in twenty minutes with his parents, he'd be at the church. It was very cute. Then Lane got caught with the band and was forbidden from seeing Dave."
"Sounds too much like Romeo and Juliet for me."
Rory gave Jess a strange look. "Ok. Not exactly what I thought of, but ok."
Meanwhile, Lane and Dave were walking down the street. They came to a bench that was kind of in a secluded spot, and sat down. "I'm probably going to sound like a moron," Lane started, "but I don't know how I got through the last couple of weeks. It would have been bad enough without Rory before I knew you, but since I met you, it was even more difficult. I don't know what I would do without you...and the band. I have so much fun playing with you guys, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive my mother for doing this to me." Lane sighed.
Dave smiled. "Lane, you're awesome. I don't want you to get mad at me, but I think you should talk to your mom."
"Are you nuts? I can't do that. Believe me, it won't work. I've tried...sort of. I kind of yelled at her..."
"Well, maybe that's your problem. Maybe she was mostly reacting to your yelling. You should try talking to her. You know, civilly."
"I think you lost me."
"Well, tell her where you're coming from. Maybe if she understands your point of view better, she'll be more lenient."
"Dave, you obviously don't know my mother. She won't be nicer. She thinks bands come straight from hell. And she thinks that any boy except ones that are Korean and future doctors are completely wrong for me."
"Again, Lane, I don't want you to get mad at me, but maybe you don't know your mom as well as you think you do. You should try her. She might be able to go easier on you if she knows where you're coming from. Please, Lane? Talk to her. For me?"
Lane rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll talk to her. But if it gets me in worse trouble, I'm blaming you."
Dave grinned. "Thank you," he said, leaning forward and giving her a hug. They stood up and walked down the street. Dave tentatively took Lane's hand as they walked. A little smile appeared on Lane's face.
I sure hope he's right, she thought to herself, or I am so screwed.
