Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the story idea
A/N: Jade-Tessier has again contributed so much to this story. Thank you! And thanks, too, to all the reviewers (Nutter, so glad you love the FSCs, too!) who keep me motivated.
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About a week later, Lorelai was about to leave for Sookie's on her way to the Dragonfly, when the telephone rang. Normally she'd let the machine get it as she was terribly late, but Luke was at the diner and he refused to not only use cell phones, but to call them as well. Thinking it might be him, she grabbed the handset and punched the button.
"Hello," she said quickly.
"Good morning, Lorelai," said Emily brightly.
Lorelai leaned heavily into the nearest wall and scrunched up her face in misery. Without thinking, she replied in the best imitation of her mother's voice that she could come up with, "Who is this?"
"Lorelai, it's me."
"I don't know any 'me's'" she responded dryly.
"Lorelai, this is your mother, how are you today?" replied Emily with great patience, as if she were speaking to a slow person.
"Fine, Mom. I'm just on my way out the door, though, so what can I do for you?" Lorelai drew a happy face in the dust on a picture hanging on the wall next to her.
"Very well, I'll make this brief. Thanksgiving is late this year. Did you notice?"
"Uh, I don't think – " began Lorelai, staring at the ceiling with a frown.
"Never mind, it doesn't matter." Emily brushed her off, getting to the point. "I'm calling about Thanksgiving dinner."
"Oh?" replied Lorelai. She really didn't want to go to Thanksgiving dinner at her parents. Things in that world were very fragile. Dishes, candlesticks, feelings, relationships…. She would much rather hang out at the diner, eat too much of whatever Luke prepared (because let's face it, she wouldn't be cooking no matter where they spent the holiday.), and then go home to fall asleep early so that she could get an early start on Black Friday.
"Yes. I thought it would be nice to have a small, intimate family affair this year."
"You never do that," Lorelai choked in disbelief.
"There is a first time for everything. Your father and I had such a nice time with Luke when you came for dinner and at the party. We'd like to keep things low-key this year."
"When have you ever used the words 'low' and 'key' together in a sentence?"
"Do I have to spell this out for you, Lorelai? Your father and I would like to spend Thanksgiving with you. In an effort to entice you over, we've decided that there will not be a big to-do this year since you don't usually enjoy them."
Emily heard the sound of absolutely nothing on the other end of the phone. Lorelai was trying desperately to think of something to say that could either be construed as witty or, at the very least, childish. She wasn't used to her mother bending over backwards (on in any direction for that matter) to make her life more enjoyable.
"Lorelai? Are you still there?" A hint of irritation had crept into Emily's voice.
"Yes, Mom, I'm here."
"Well, do I have to beg you to come?"
"No," Lorelai sighed, rolling her eyes. "You don't have to beg. I have to talk to Luke. I haven't made any other plans, but before I can accept your invitation I have to make sure that he hasn't either."
"All right, that sounds fair. Let me know as soon as you can."
"I will. G'bye."
"Good-bye."
Lorelai hung up and immediately thought to herself, Danger Will Robinson, danger! Why had she accepted even on a conditional basis? It was like she was begging for punishment. On the other hand, she thought, Mom did say all that stuff at the party that night. Maybe they really were trying to be…considerate. Lorelai shivered. It would just be so completely against what she knew of them. She needed to talk to Luke.
