AN: Thanks for the idea, Abster1. I already had the chapter written, but I
decided to change it a little to accommodate your suggestion.
It should've still been light out, but the sky was blackened with dark clouds. Luke seemed extraordinarily calm. He pulled a flash light out of a cabinet behind the counter. He stuck his head out the door to make sure that no passer biers needed shelter. Seeing that the streets were deserted, he flipped the sign to 'closed' and locked the door. He put some batteries in the kitchen radio and herded Rory, Lane, Caesar and Lorelai into the supply room. Two customers were there as well, and they too joined Luke in the back.
The other customers, a young couple from out of town, found a corner and started to make out. Lane and Rory were talking about band stuff. Caesar just sat there, seeming either very scared or very tired. It was hard to tell because he's always so quiet. Luke and Lorelai were the only two listening to the radio. "...A funnel cloud has been spotted twenty miles outside of Hartford. It is believed to be moving towards several of the small towns, including Stars Hollow...
The whole building was shaking. Lorelai and Rory each had their faces buried in one of Luke's shoulders. Everyone had squeezed under a sturdy table, and things were starting to fall off of shelves and onto said table. Lorelai was sitting near the edge, and she felt something heavy crash down on her right hand. It hurt a lot for a few seconds, but she thought it would be okay.
The radio said that it wasn't a very strong tornado, and that it probably wouldn't destroy any buildings. But from what they could hear, some serious damage was being done.
Somewhere nearby some glass was breaking. A car alarm was going off. Lorelai wondered if the cats she'd seen on her doorstep the other day were okay.
When all was said and done, three townspeople (Ms Patty, Ms Kim, and one other) had houses damaged badly enough that they had to move out temporarily. The inn, which was habitable although not yet open, became their residence. A tree that broke one of Luke's storefront windows also hit Taylor's truck. IT had flown straight through and smashed up the counter, breaking a few tables along the way.
Luke was the first one out of the storage room. Surveying the damage, he was speechless. Lorelai was right behind him. She wrapped an arm around his waist and turned him away from the damage and into a hug.
Standing behind Luke, Rory saw her mom's arms around his back. "Mom, your hand!" she exclaimed.
"What!" Lorelai broke away from Luke and they looked at it together. It was red and swollen to twice its side, and bleeding in two places. Lorelai realized that she couldn't move her pinky or ring fingers. She hadn't noticed the damage before because it didn't hurt at all, and she'd been more concerned with the condition of the diner. She wondered if the fact that it didn't hurt was a bad thing. Luke and Rory sat in the waiting room while the doctors operated on Lorelai's hand. They had to put all of the bones backing place and secure them with plates, and they had to clear away the damage that had pinched the nerves in her wrist.
Rory broke the slightly uncomfortable silence. "So...you and my mom."
"Yeah. Me and your mom."
Suddenly Rory felt very protective. She knew that, when Lorelai and Jason had broken up, her mom had really begun to worry about being alone forever and becoming a crazy cat lady. She also knew that, because of Jason, Lorelai was very vulnerable. So she asked Luke, "What are your intentions with my mother?"
"Wha..What? Luke hadn't seen that one coming.
Rory started to ramble. "You and she have known each other for a really long time and she's not getting any younger; I want her to be happy because everyone deserves to be happy, especially her. She's had a really hard life and don't you dare hurt her like Jason did and if you don't plan to marry her then don't lead her on. Let her be free to find someone who will marry her. She's a really great person who deserves a really great husband, and if you hurt her I'll never eat at the diner again!"
"Rory, breathe." Luke put one hand on her shoulder. "You are so much like your mother, you know that?" Rory nodded sheepishly. "The truth is, I would love to marry your mom, if she'd have me. And you're right, she deserves the world. But Rory, we haven't even been on a real date yet. Relax. I love her, and I have big plans for our future. I wanted to talk to you about it first. I guess now is as good a time as any. If we get married, I won't just be her husband. I'll be your step dad. Is that okay with you?"
Rory didn't answer. Instead, she gave him a big hug. Luke beamed. "You know," Rory said. "My mom had a dream about being married to you once. She was pregnant with twins and you were making her breakfast and talking to her stomach. Did she ever tell you about that?"
Luke started laughing. "No, no she didn't. That's great. I should use that against her sometime."
Lorelai was rolled out of surgery several hours later. The doctors said that her hand would be fine, although she wouldn't be able to do anything with it for a few months, and she'd need some physical therapy.
Richard and Emily arrived—separately, to no one's surprise—and as soon as Lorelai came out from under the anesthesia they all went in to see her. While Emily and Rory helped her get dressed, Luke and Richard sat outside having some sort of important conversation. 'The' conversation.
The women exited the recovery room. Emily announced, "Lorelai has refused to let me hire her a maid, so I am going to be staying with her for a few days, until Rory's term ends." She didn't say out loud that she would be bringing a maid with her anyway. She'd wait until after she had moved in so that Lorelai couldn't refuse.
"Well then, I hope you won't mind taking her home. Rory and I have something we need to do." Rory and Lorelai both gave Luke a puzzled look, but no one questioned him
The following Wednesday, Luke took her out for their first official date.
It should've still been light out, but the sky was blackened with dark clouds. Luke seemed extraordinarily calm. He pulled a flash light out of a cabinet behind the counter. He stuck his head out the door to make sure that no passer biers needed shelter. Seeing that the streets were deserted, he flipped the sign to 'closed' and locked the door. He put some batteries in the kitchen radio and herded Rory, Lane, Caesar and Lorelai into the supply room. Two customers were there as well, and they too joined Luke in the back.
The other customers, a young couple from out of town, found a corner and started to make out. Lane and Rory were talking about band stuff. Caesar just sat there, seeming either very scared or very tired. It was hard to tell because he's always so quiet. Luke and Lorelai were the only two listening to the radio. "...A funnel cloud has been spotted twenty miles outside of Hartford. It is believed to be moving towards several of the small towns, including Stars Hollow...
The whole building was shaking. Lorelai and Rory each had their faces buried in one of Luke's shoulders. Everyone had squeezed under a sturdy table, and things were starting to fall off of shelves and onto said table. Lorelai was sitting near the edge, and she felt something heavy crash down on her right hand. It hurt a lot for a few seconds, but she thought it would be okay.
The radio said that it wasn't a very strong tornado, and that it probably wouldn't destroy any buildings. But from what they could hear, some serious damage was being done.
Somewhere nearby some glass was breaking. A car alarm was going off. Lorelai wondered if the cats she'd seen on her doorstep the other day were okay.
When all was said and done, three townspeople (Ms Patty, Ms Kim, and one other) had houses damaged badly enough that they had to move out temporarily. The inn, which was habitable although not yet open, became their residence. A tree that broke one of Luke's storefront windows also hit Taylor's truck. IT had flown straight through and smashed up the counter, breaking a few tables along the way.
Luke was the first one out of the storage room. Surveying the damage, he was speechless. Lorelai was right behind him. She wrapped an arm around his waist and turned him away from the damage and into a hug.
Standing behind Luke, Rory saw her mom's arms around his back. "Mom, your hand!" she exclaimed.
"What!" Lorelai broke away from Luke and they looked at it together. It was red and swollen to twice its side, and bleeding in two places. Lorelai realized that she couldn't move her pinky or ring fingers. She hadn't noticed the damage before because it didn't hurt at all, and she'd been more concerned with the condition of the diner. She wondered if the fact that it didn't hurt was a bad thing. Luke and Rory sat in the waiting room while the doctors operated on Lorelai's hand. They had to put all of the bones backing place and secure them with plates, and they had to clear away the damage that had pinched the nerves in her wrist.
Rory broke the slightly uncomfortable silence. "So...you and my mom."
"Yeah. Me and your mom."
Suddenly Rory felt very protective. She knew that, when Lorelai and Jason had broken up, her mom had really begun to worry about being alone forever and becoming a crazy cat lady. She also knew that, because of Jason, Lorelai was very vulnerable. So she asked Luke, "What are your intentions with my mother?"
"Wha..What? Luke hadn't seen that one coming.
Rory started to ramble. "You and she have known each other for a really long time and she's not getting any younger; I want her to be happy because everyone deserves to be happy, especially her. She's had a really hard life and don't you dare hurt her like Jason did and if you don't plan to marry her then don't lead her on. Let her be free to find someone who will marry her. She's a really great person who deserves a really great husband, and if you hurt her I'll never eat at the diner again!"
"Rory, breathe." Luke put one hand on her shoulder. "You are so much like your mother, you know that?" Rory nodded sheepishly. "The truth is, I would love to marry your mom, if she'd have me. And you're right, she deserves the world. But Rory, we haven't even been on a real date yet. Relax. I love her, and I have big plans for our future. I wanted to talk to you about it first. I guess now is as good a time as any. If we get married, I won't just be her husband. I'll be your step dad. Is that okay with you?"
Rory didn't answer. Instead, she gave him a big hug. Luke beamed. "You know," Rory said. "My mom had a dream about being married to you once. She was pregnant with twins and you were making her breakfast and talking to her stomach. Did she ever tell you about that?"
Luke started laughing. "No, no she didn't. That's great. I should use that against her sometime."
Lorelai was rolled out of surgery several hours later. The doctors said that her hand would be fine, although she wouldn't be able to do anything with it for a few months, and she'd need some physical therapy.
Richard and Emily arrived—separately, to no one's surprise—and as soon as Lorelai came out from under the anesthesia they all went in to see her. While Emily and Rory helped her get dressed, Luke and Richard sat outside having some sort of important conversation. 'The' conversation.
The women exited the recovery room. Emily announced, "Lorelai has refused to let me hire her a maid, so I am going to be staying with her for a few days, until Rory's term ends." She didn't say out loud that she would be bringing a maid with her anyway. She'd wait until after she had moved in so that Lorelai couldn't refuse.
"Well then, I hope you won't mind taking her home. Rory and I have something we need to do." Rory and Lorelai both gave Luke a puzzled look, but no one questioned him
The following Wednesday, Luke took her out for their first official date.