Bravery & First Steps
Chapter Eight: Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don't Leave Me)
Thank you so much to everyone who's read my story and posted reviews. The only reason I had not posted new chapters in such a long time was that I was tied up with work-related nonsense - it left me very uninspired. I haven't abandoned the story and I plan on keeping it going with several new chapters that I'll be posting here one at a time.
TITLE: Bravery & First Steps
Chapter 8: Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don't Leave Me)
AUTHOR: medeagddssaol.com
DISTRIBUTION: Please ask permission first.
SPOILER: None yet.
RATING: PG13
PAIRING: Luke/Lorelai, Rory/Dean
SUMMARY: Right after Rory & Lorelai's return from Europe, Luke decides he needs to talk to Lorelai about taking their relationship further. Christopher and Sherry have broken up and he also shows up in Stars Hollow wanting to attempt a reconciliation with Lorelai. Rory, crushed after Jess abandons Stars Hollow becomes close to Dean once again. Dean starts to realize his wedding is a mistake. Stars Hollow erupts.
Lyrics: "Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don't Leave Me)" by Nina Simone
Night was the hardest time of the day to be alone. Even though she came home exhausted from the extended workhours spend at the Dragonfly, it was still difficult for her to sit down and relax. Lorelai sat on the couch, reached for the remote control and nearly knocked over her glass of wine in the process. She'd been knocking things down and breaking things for weeks now, ever since the situation with Rory.
She just had to think about that fiasco and the glass of wine connected with her coffeetable making a huge puddle that threatened to soak her new Lucky magazine. What the hell was Rory thinking? Dean was a week away from getting married and Rory just decided that she was madly in love with him again? It made absolutely no sense to her, but they hadn't talked about it. In fact, they'd been distant and reserved towards each other a thought which utterly despressed Lorelai. It was like creating a prelude to a new Emilyesque mother-daughter relationship.
Making her way over to the kitchen where hopefully she still had paper towels, she stubbed her toe on the ottoman and proceeded to do the limp dance.
"Dammit, dammit. I can't even be a funny klutz. I'm just a bad one."
Just then there was a knock on the door. Please don't let it be Sookie. Lately her friend had been coming over at the oddest times with Davey in his carriage. It seems he had a wanderlust issue - he would cry only at home, but when he was out and about in Stars Hollow, he was an angel of quietness. Ordinarily she didn't mind, but on her way home that evening she had run into both Taylor and Mrs. Kim who innundated her with parental advice, warnings and condescending sympathy. It was horrible.
"Lorelai, I know you're in there," Luke said, "I can see your shadow hopping around like a rabbit for some reason I'd rather not know."
Slowly, she limped over and opened the door for him. The minute he was inside she laced her hands behind his neck and hugged him softly.
"Was it something I said," he whispered into her ear, "because I need to do that more often if it was."
"No," she sighed, "but you're the good end to a bad day. A very bad day. No, a horribly, despicably bad day."
"Taylor got to you?"
"And Mrs. Kim."
"Tagteam?"
"Big time."
"Damn. That sounds painful. Are you OK?" He started to remove his coat and place it on his customary hook.
"Nothing that a few glasses of wine won't temporarily cure," she said as she plopped down into the couch, looking right at the mess she'd made only a few minutes before.
"That is of course," she continued, "unless the coffeetable drinks me under.....well, itself."
Luke shook his head and smiled. "Stay there. I'll get it."
He came back with a roll of paper (probably her last one) and cleaned up the mess. Lorelai was amazed at how much support she'd gotten from Luke throughout the attack of Stars Hollow. Just the other day, she heard that he threatened to stick Kirk's head in one of Al's deep fryers if he made one more "Runaway Little Girl" song parody. The only thing they had disagreed on was the status of their relationship, which was for the time being undecided.
"Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you mad at me for the whole 'put the relationship on hold' situation I've got you in?"
"Well, it's not helping me sleep well at night, if that's what you mean," he laughed from the kitchen, tossing out the soiled towels.
Luke walked back into the living room and sat by her on the couch. "It's like I told you already, I understand what you're going through and I'm not going anywhere. The only thing I am worried about is the fact you and Rory are conducting this maternal Cold War. You've got to make a move."
"I know, I know, but honestly this whole situation leaves me stupified. What do I say to her? Nice man-stealing skills, kiddo, chip off the old block?"
"You steal men?"
"How does it feel being the butt of jokes at every Stars Hollow location? What's the safest bet to place - two months or four? I'd like to double my money."
"Alright, you have got to stop watching bad television on NBC. Now you're talking Sting-like."
"Lead singer of the Police who now sings bad music and swings?"
"1960's movie starring Paul Newman."
"I knew that."
"I know."
They were quiet for a moment. Lorelai leaned over and put her head on Luke's shoulder as he hugged her to him. It was nice to be with someone who let you go off on a tangent but never let you forget what needed to get done.
"I'm scared Luke because I honestly don't think I can support her. I think Rory's just scared."
"Of what?"
"Of getting hurt again," she confessed. "so she's going back to the guy that made her feel safe. That's not a relationship; that the reverse of one. She's going to destroy Dean and then she'll feel horrible about what she's done."
"You won't know that until you talk to her," he said, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead, "which you know already."
"Yeah, I know. Knowing doesn't exactly bring the words to mind though."
"The only thing that will is actually going to see Rory, Lorelai. Stop putting it off."
Sighing, she hugged him tightly and said only,"Okay."
===============
After Luke left, she tried calling Rory on her cellphone, but only got her voicemail. Taking a deep breath and summoning all of her willpower, she stopped putting it off.
"Honey, it's me.......I wanted to talk to you but you're not there........you haven't been there and I haven't been here and I'm so tired of it being weird between us.......can we get together and talk...........Call me soon, baby, Ok?"
Dean was sleeping next to her, when Rory felt her phone going off on her nighttable. Picking it up and dialing her voicemail, she listened to her mother's message a dozen times. The sounds of her sniffling woke Dean up.
"Rory, is something wrong?"
"No, nothing like that," she stuttered,"It was....that was.....Mom."
He smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. "That a good thing, Rory. You two need to talk."
"But-"
Dean placed a finger on her lips,"No more excuses. I can't stand to see how hurt you are. I'm not going to tell you what you should do, sweetheart. I just don't want to see either one of you in pain like this."
"You're right," she sighed. "I'll call her first thing in the morning."
"You sure you'll be able to sleep?"
She thought about that for a moment, jumped out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. Looking over towards him as she slowly closed the door, she mouthed the words," Love...you....thank you."
He smiled, turned around, lay his head on the pillow and attempted to get back to sleep.
=================
Ne me quitte pas
Il faut oublier
Tout peut s'oublier
Qui s'enfuit d?j?
Oublier le temps
Des malentendus
Et le temps perdu
A savoir comment
Oublier ces heures
Qui tuaient parfois
A coups de pourquoi
Le coeur du bonheur
Don't leave me
We must forget
All we can forget all we did till now
Let's forget the cost of the breath
We've spent saying words unmeant
And the times we've lost hours that must destroy
Never knowing why everything must die at the heart of joy
Don't leave me don't leave me
Don't leave me don't leave me