NOTE: I really wish these Gilmore Girls people belong to me but, sadly, they don't. I will have the power one day, though.
A/N: Well, here it is. The sequel to Play Ball. Some of you might not know of that story so you'll just have to go read it and enjoy. Now on with this oh, so lovely sequel.
CHAPTER 7
Luke had settled down in front of the TV, absent mindedly watching an old movie. Lorelai went over and sat next to him on the foot of his bed, after taking a quick peek at Rosa.
"She's so cute," Lorelai beamed at Rosa, who slept contently.
"She's annoying," Luke corrected.
"It's cute the way she's annoying," Lorelai revised her previous statement.
"How did I just know you were gonna say that?"
"Seriously, though, Luke," Lorelai said. "This must be really weird for you."
"What is?"
"The elephant lady who's coming to town next week," Lorelai joked dryly. "I'm talking about all of this with Jess."
"Oh," Luke sighed. "That."
"I mean, yesterday you were a regular guy who served coffee. Now you're a guy who serves carrot burgers to his six-year-old niece." Lorelai caught on to a look he wore on his face. "But you're not freaked."
Luke looked at her. "What?"
"Come on, Luke. This is unreal. Ever you, King Backwards Cap, should be freaking out over a bomb shell like this. It's just... bizarre. Big, fat bizarre-o."
Luke had to admit it. Through the woman's rantings, Lorelai had a point. Besides his general grumpiness, Luke had shown little emotion over the Rosa situation.
"Well?" Lorelai nudged. "Are you going to tell me?"
"I..." Luke had to think of the best way to put it. "I sort of saw this coming."
"You what?" Lorelai looked extremely confused.
"When I first heard Shane was pregnant, the first thing that shot through my mind was Jess. But I just pushed it back, thinking he was only using her to get with Rory and that they didn't actually..."
"Do the naked hat dance?" Lorelai suggested.
"Yeah, that," Luke said, thinking that was the bluntest way to put it. "So when Jess suddenly re-appeared with this kid... I just didn't feel the ultimate surprise. I mean, I was surprise but I wasn't... freaking out surprised."
"I get that," Lorelai nodded. "I also see that this kid is giving you a run for your money."
"She's a good kid," Luke admitted. "Just a little... mixed up, you know?"
Lorelai was about to agree, "Yeah, I—" A sudden wild moan from Rosa cut her off. She and Luke looked up to see what was happening.
Rosa rolled all over the cot she lay in. She moaned uncontrollably, as if something were attacking her. Rosa suddenly shot up and released a scream, loud enough to shatter windows.
"Hey, hey," Luke panicked, coming up to her, followed by Lorelai. Rosa just continued to scream.
Lorelai, motherly instincts taking over her, went to sit next to Rosa, pulling the girl towards her. "Rosa, shush. It's OK, honey," Lorelai attempted to sooth. Rosa finally stopped screaming and just panted lightly. "You were just having a bad dream."
"You OK?" Luke asked, not really knowing what to say.
"Mmhmm," Rosa nodded, her brown hair stuck to her face with sweat.
"Everything's OK now," Lorelai assured her.
"Yeah," Luke added. "Just... uh... go back to sleep."
"Uncle Luke," Rosa called, almost desperately. Luke turned back and glanced at her. "You have to stay with me. And Lorelai, too."
"Look, Rosa," Luke started. "Lorelai can't—"
"Sure," Lorelai cut him off, giving the little girl a smile. "I can stay. I mean Rory's out with your dad and they'll be here soon."
Rory, that name just seemed to bother Rosa but she did like Lorelai. Rory bugged Rosa because Jess, her dad, seemed to like her. That was not fair at all. Jess belonged to Rosa, and Luke, only them. Rory could not have him and Rosa would not let her.
Luke lifted Rosa up and put her in his bed, lying down next to her, hoping it would keep the kid quiet. Lorelai slid over the cot and got on it, lying opposite of Rosa.
"They come and get me at night," Rosa whispered. "They're gonna take me away from Daddy... forever."
Lorelai glanced up at him as if to ask, "What is she talking about?"
Luke just shook his head, clearly not understanding.
Half an hour later, Lorelai and Luke lay in each other's arms, fast asleep. Rosa lay stretched out by the apartment's door, also sleeping.
Unknown to any of them, Jess and Rory were coming up the stairs. Rory busily rummaged through her purse until she pulled out a thick book. Jess glanced down at the book and shook his head, amused.
"Can't go anywhere without bringing a book," he commented.
"Takes one to know one," Rory shot back, glad that they had made up since their small spat.
"Yeah, but I'm willing to seek help. Are you?" Jess asked, taking hold of the doorknob.
Rory just smiled at him.
Jess opened the door of the apartment and clicked on the nearby light. The first thing the duo saw was Luke and Lorelai cuddled up on the cot and Luke's bed, sleeping all too peacefully.
"Oh, my God!" Rory exclaimed, causing both Luke and Lorelai to shoot up.
"I saw that sweater first," Lorelai moaned sleepily.
Luke sat up with a groan.
Jess smirked, "So what happened here?"
"What do you mean?" Luke asked, turning his attention to his nephew then realized how close Lorelai was to him at the moment. "Whoa!"
"Whoa," Lorelai said equally, immediately getting up from the bed. "We didn't—"
"No, we didn't. We just fell asleep because..." Luke trailed off.
"Because what?" Rory nudged, folding her arms, a smile on her pretty face.
"The... the... elephant lady," Lorelai quickly replied. "That's... coming to town next week." She muttered the last part.
"Does that story ever work for you?" Luke questioned, getting up from the bed. "Look we were sleeping here with Rosa because the kid had some type of dream."
"She had a dream?" Jess asked quickly. He knelt down to his sleeping daughter and nudged her awake. "Hey, wake up."
"Hey," Rosa smiled up at him through her tiredness.
"Hey," Jess returned the greeting softly. He picked her up into his arms and rubbed her back, which her long hair covered. "You had a bad dream, huh?"
Rosa nodded into Jess's shirt, which she did often. "Yeah," she whispered.
"I'm here now," Jess said. "Everything's going to be OK."
Lorelai looked at Jess, amazed. She just could not believe the interaction she was watching. The sight of Jess Mariano nurturing a small child was one image that had never floated into Lorelai's mind before.
"Yeah," Rory said to Rosa with a smile. "Don't even worry about it."
Rosa glanced down at Rory's hand and glared. "You took it!" she snapped at Rory.
"What?" Rory looked confused.
Rosa scrambled down from Jess's arms and snatched at the book Rory held. "You stole my A Little Princess," Rosa accused.
"No, I didn't," Rory said, still confused.
"Yes, you did!" Rosa insisted.
"Rosa, calm down a little bit—" Jess started.
"No!" Rosa snapped at him. "She stole the book you gave to me. I've been looking all over for it and she took it."
"No, I didn't," Rory said again.
"It's mine and you stole it," Rosa continued as Jess walked off. "Go away! I don't want you here."
"I..." Rory really didn't know what to say.
"Hey." Everyone turned their attention to Jess, who held a book in his hands. "Is this what you're looking for?" he asked his daughter.
"A Little Princess," Rosa read the cover.
"It was in the drawer," Jess explained, clear annoyance in his voice.
"Oh." Rosa took her book sheepishly.
"Now what are you going to say?" Jess asked Rosa.
"I'm sorry," Rosa whispered, giving Rory her book back.
"Could you say it a little louder?" Jess nudged. "You know, the way you did when you thought she stole from you."
"I'm sorry, OK?" Rosa shouted.
"It's fine," Rory said, not really sure. She looked up at Jess and said, clear hurt in her voice, "I'll, um, see you later." Rory turned and walked down the stairs.
"Rory," Lorelai called after her, following Rory down.
Luke just sighed deeply.
Rosa floated her eyes over to Jess, who looked extremely upset that Rosa had hurt Rory's feelings that way she had. Rosa formed a pout and stared down at the floor. She had screwed up again.
A/N: I wanted to post this yesterday but I fell asleep. So I decided to make it longer to make up for that. Please review.