NOTE: I own Rosa and any other Gilmore Girls characters I make up. The rest belong to the wonderful WB.
A/N: You guys have been so sweet about the reviews. I thought you would have given up on this story by now, but you haven't. That means a lot to me. Thanks!
CHAPTER 11
Luke looked up from where he stood at his usual spot behind the counter to see Lorelai, Rory, Rosa, who clung to Jess, and Emily and Richard who towed the line of them. Luke sighed deeply. Wouldn't this make for a fun Thursday evening activity?
"What's going on?" Luke whispered to Rory, who approached the counter.
"Family dinner," the young woman replied.
"Oh, honestly, Lorelai," Emily's constructive voice could be heard. "You really want us to have dinner in the diner?"
"It'll be great, Mom," Lorelai told her for what seemed like the millionth time.
"I just don't understand why we can't have it tomorrow night like our normal family dinners," Emily reasoned.
"Because tomorrow is Friday," Lorelai reminded her. "And we all have a thing. So let's make with the bonding on this fine Thursday night already."
"I'm with you, Lorelai," Richard chimed in. "Let's bond away."
"That's the spirit, Grandpa," Rory smiled at him.
"I think I have officially stepped out of my front door into a new, creepier world," Jess whispered to Rory.
"Be nice," Rory nudged.
"Well, I suppose we could at least start putting these tables and chairs together if all of us are going to eat," said Emily.
"You want to join us?" Lorelai asked Luke.
"I get to cook the food and be a part of the experience. Oh, joy," Luke grunted out.
"Come on," Lorelai prodded him.
"Fine," Luke sighed as they began to move the tables and chairs around. "What are you all having?"
Rosa climbed on top of a stool, facing Luke. "I can handle it, Uncle Luke. I'm almost six and a half."
Luke sighed again and picked up a pad of paper so as to write down the order. "What'll it be, kid?"
"Double cheeseburgers and fries for Aunt Rory, Aunt Lorelai, and Daddy." Rosa turned her head back towards Emily and Richard. "What do you guys want?"
"I suppose I'll have a plain hamburger with lettuce," Emily said.
"Ooh, way to live, Mom," said Lorelai with her usual cheerful sarcasm.
"Rosa, I think I'll cancel my living tonight," said Richard. "Give me a large coffee."
"OK, Grandpa Richard," Rosa said then turned back to Luke.
Richard stood stunned for a moment. "Grandpa Richard?" he repeated to himself. He smiled brightly. "I can get used to that."
"And I want a carrot burger with fries, Uncle Luke," said Rosa.
Luke sighed for the third time that night as he finished writing down the orders. Once he had tried to give Rosa a burger with carrot sticks on the side. She ended up turning it into a world famous carrot burger.
"What's to drink?" Luke asked.
"Coffee," Lorelai and Rory said in unison.
"Coke," Jess said.
"Coffee as well, please," said Emily.
"Just water for me," said Richard.
"I want the chocolate milk," said Rosa.
Luke lowered his eyes towards her. "You need something healthy."
"OK, OK." Rosa thought for a minute. "Oh! Bring me some regular milk and put a little chocolate in. That tastes better, anyway."
Luke just shook his head and went to take care of the orders.
"Quite the ingenious little girl you are, Rosa," Richard complimented.
"Thank you," Rosa smiled proudly, joining them at the tables everyone had set up. She was squished between her dad and Rory.
"So what are everyone's big plans tomorrow that they can't make dinner?" Emily asked.
"I have to review like a gazillion files for a gazillion students," Rory replied.
"We're overbooked at the inn," Lorelai said. "Sookie and I are interviewing new maids."
"That reminds me," said Jess with a sigh. "I have like a ton of papers to grade tonight and I need a conference with Vick-o's parent's."
"Vicky Peterson?" Rory asked. Jess nodded. "You're still having problems with her?"
"And getting more annoying," said Jess.
"Oh, that makes me think of something, too." Rosa took a folded up piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Jess. "It's for school. You have to sign."
"Fine," Jess shrugged, picking up a nearby pen that someone had left on one of the tables. He immediately began to put his signature down. "So. what am I signing?"
"Field trip," Rosa said quickly then snatched the paper from Jess' hand. "Thanks, Dad."
"Hold on a minute," said Jess. "What field trip? Where?"
"Just the Denver science museum," his daughter replied. "It's tomorrow."
"Wait a minute." Jess thought for a second. "Who's playing chaperone?"
"My teacher," Rosa told him.
"Not that Adams guy," said Jess, shaking his head.
"What's wrong?" Rosa asked.
"No." Jess shook his head once more. "I don't want you to be near that guy."
"What?" Rosa didn't understand what the problem was. "Why?"
"He just." Jess forced himself to use the parent line he promised himself he would never use. "Because I said so, that's why."
Luke returned with the food in time to hear his nephew talking.
"That's not even a real reason," Rosa argued. "That's stupid."
"Now, Rosa, you shouldn't disrespect your father," said Richard.
"That's right," Emily agreed. "I'm sure he has a perfectly good reason."
Lorelai started, "Mom-"
"I'm not disrespecting anybody," Rosa suddenly snapped, sounding very unlike herself. "You're being unfair, Daddy. I hate it."
"Rosa, knock it off. Now I said you can't go," said Jess.
"I don't care," Rosa shot back. "I want to go."
"No," Jess rose his voice at her. "Look, tomorrow you go to school and you stay there. Don't go anywhere with that Adams guy. Do you hear me?"
"No, I don't hear you," Rosa replied, obviously angry. "I don't want to hear you, either."
Rory reached out and stroked Rosa's hair. "Easy, honey. Calm down."
Rosa snatched away from Rory. "No! Leave me alone."
"OK, that's enough," Luke finally chimed in.
"I said, leave me alone," Rosa shouted at the top of her lungs, banging her fists down on the table.
"You know what? That's it." Jess stood up from the table and towered over Rosa. "Get up." When she glared at him he added, "Now would be good." Rosa, her arms folded tightly across her chest, finally stood up. "Be right back," Jess said to the others.
Rory stood up and said, "Jess, wait-"
"I got it," Jess assured her.
Rory just nodded, gave Rosa a soft look, and returned to her seat.
Jess took hold of Rosa's hand and pulled her out of the diner, only having time to grab their coats. After slipping on his own coat Jess knelt down to Rosa and tried to help her with hers.
"Now what is your problem, kid?" Jess asked her, gentleness yet firmness in his voice.
"You," Rosa mumbled.
Jess finished zipping her coat and said, "Look, I know this sounds crazy to you. But something is really off with that teacher guy. I don't like you near him."
"I don't care," Rosa argued. "That's just you."
"Rosa, you remember how I said I wouldn't do anything to hurt you?" Jess asked her. Rosa just nodded. "Well, I won't let someone else hurt you, either."
Rosa just refused to listen. "I'm going on the field trip," she mumbled.
Jess' face turned firmer than before. "Rosa, you aren't going anywhere. You're going to school, that's it. But you won't be going anywhere near that field trip. Even if that means that I have to take you over my knee and really give you a butt burner." Rosa's eyes grew in shock. "I'm serious. I don't wanna do that, but I will. Are we clear?"
Rosa slowly nodded her head, looking sad. "Yeah," she whispered.
Jess couldn't resist the natural urge to reach out and hug her. He pulled back after a couple of seconds and said, "Come on. It's freezing. Let's go back inside."
Rosa nodded again and watched Jess go back into the diner. Before she went in as well Rosa took something from her pocket. It was her permission slip. She was going and no one would be stopping her.
A/N: I'm feeling a weird sort of happy dizzy over me. It's cool. Please review!
