Author's Note: See Disclaimer and Title in Chapter One. Sorry for the long wait everyone. I needed this chapter in order to explain a few things but I didn't have any real events for it so I got major writer's block and had some problems. I finally got a light bulb tonight so here it is. Let me know if it sucks and I can totally re-write it. The title works on two levels. It has to do with Lorelai and Rory's conversation, but it's also what this chapter is for the story. I wanted to let everyone know where we are on some things. Sorry, if this chapter's sub-par and sorry for the long wait. I am totally impatient when it comes to other people's stories so I understand how my not updating is. Anyway, next chapter will be the movie night. It will also be really long, so hopefully you will forgive me.

On with the story...

Chapter 17: Status Report

As soon as Lorelai got home, she dialed Rory. She had just talked to her daughter the night before but so much had happened since then. Lorelai danced around impatiently as she waited for Rory to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Rory?" Lorelai said out of breath

"Who else would be answering my phone?" Rory asked sarcastically.

"Right okay." Lorelai rushed on. "You busy? Because I have so much to tell you."

"Nope, I'm all ears."

"Okay, Status Report first" Lorelai stalled. She knew Rory would want to know about movie night but Lorelai wasn't ready to deal with Rory's insinuations. Rory took a deep breath

"Paris has been studying all week. She hasn't gone out once and she turned her cell phone off so the phone in our room has been ringing off the hook, but the person always hangs up" Rory said with disgust.

"Ugh. He calls your room now?" Lorelai said. She could imagine the awkwardness for Rory knowing exactly who was calling.

"Unless I have a raspy-breathed stalker" she sighed. "Anyway, since Paris is around all the time, she has noticed Janet's new hobby so there was a lot of yelling yesterday. Now they are making Lane run back and forth delivering insults." Lorelai remembered Lane had been staying with Rory since she had been kicked out. She worried about her, but Lane was a tough kid.

"How's Lane doing?" she asked.

"Okay, I think." Rory sounded worried too. "I know she misses her mom, but she has taken over mom-status here."

"That's good, I guess. At least she has you." Lorelai said comforting herself and Rory.

"Yeah, and I have her," Rory said with affection. "I am trying to get her to drop Paris and Janet's fight and look out for Tana. She forgets what day it is, and this is the second week in a row that she has gone to her class a night early. She sits there for an hour waiting for people to show up, then calls and asks us to check the calendar." Rory said exasperated.

"How does she survive on her own?" Lorelai wondered at the odd girl.

"I think there are men with white coats involved" Rory surmised. "Your turn." she said wondering what Lorelai had to tell her. Lorelai was still turning over thoughts in her head. She was quiet for a minute.

"Okay, well Michel is handling reservations now that we have a phone at the inn." she finally said. Rory was confused but went along with it. "So far I have only had minor complaints but Sookie is having problems with Davie so she can't help out at all."

"Oh no" Rory moaned forgetting Lorelai's strange evasiveness.

"It's just a little colic, but she is dealing with it all by herself, so she is starting to channel Tana" Lorelai said sadly.

"Where's Jackson?"

"He bought a greenhouse somewhere and he is always there. He said it's top secret produce stuff but I think he going all mad scientist. Controlling the weather and such" Lorelai said conspiratorially.

"Well be nice so we can have good weather for the fundraiser," Rory warned. "Speaking of which, how's that going?"

"I wasn't done with my status report" Lorelai pouted.

"Sorry, please continue."

"Hmm what else? Oh! Morey and Babette got a new kitten and it has gotten loose all over town so now Taylor wants to institute an animal limit on the town, even thought Babette and Morey are the only ones it will affect. He plans to bring it up at the next town meeting. It'll be a good show. I will be bringing popcorn" Lorelai rambled quickly. Rory could tell she was avoiding something.

"I'm sure. Anything else?" she pressed.

"Nope, I think that's it" she said casually. Rory gave up. She knew her mother would tell her when she was ready.

"Ok, back to the fundraiser" she sighed.

"Kirk is begging me to be the entertainment" Lorelai laughed.

"Oh god" Rory said horrified.

"I told him he would have to go through auditions so that he would give up, but then he passed a sign-up sheet around the town so auditions are next Tuesday" Lorelai moaned. Rory laughed.

"Tape them please."

"I wouldn't dare not to." Lorelai paused for a minute. "Hey, here's a funny question."

"Shoot." Rory hoped Lorelai would be getting to the real reason she called.

"You wouldn't have happened to know about Nicole asking Luke to move in?" Crap, Rory thought.

"I might've" she said guiltily.

"And you didn't tell me because?"

"I promised him" she said. She knew it was thin. The only part she had left out was knowing for sure.

"You might as well have come out and told me. All that crap last night about you needing him" Lorelai said, annoyed. She wasn't sure why she was annoyed but she didn't like that Luke hadn't told her. She knew she probably couldn't have helped because she didn't like Nicole but she liked when Luke told her things. He didn't share things with other people and it made her feel special.

"That wasn't crap" Rory yelped. "I do need him" she said stubbornly. "I just wanted you to think about it. I knew you wouldn't let him move" she said haughtily.

"And what makes you think that?" Lorelai argued.

"Because you and Luke are . . . You and Luke." Rory said softly. "It's just how it is. You can't have one without the other." She wasn't arguing anymore, but she sounded upset.

"I thought that was cookies and milk?" Lorelai joked.

"Mom! You always deny it, but I know you know that you can't be without him. I'll bet you went first thing this morning and told him not to move." Rory sounded smug again.

"I did not! Besides, he and Nicole broke up."

"They did?" It was Rory's turn to feel unknowing.

"Yep, Miss Patty heard and hung around the diner all day watching him" Lorelai said suggestively.

"How's Luke?" Rory asked.

"He's fine, he instituted that 'Look, Don't touch' policy on her a long time ago" Lorelai joked. When Rory didn't say anything, she assured her, "Really, he's good."

"How are you?"

"I'll be fine. Nicole and Luke worked out a custody schedule for me. I will visit her every other weekend." Lorelai said sarcastically.

"You're relieved." Rory sounded much like Emily, when she told Lorelai how Luke looked at her.

"I am not."

"You're positively jumping up and down" Rory teased.

"I don't think she was right for Luke" Lorelai said defensively.

"Uh-huh."

"I don't like where this conversation is going. What about you and your guy?"

"My guy?" Rory asked, confused.

"The date with the naked guy." Lorelai reminded.

"Marty" Rory corrected. "And it was fine. He took me out for ice cream."

"Good man" Lorelai said impressed. "Second date?"

"Looks like it. Nothing set yet." There was a hint of excitement in Rory's voice. Lorelai was happy for Rory. She told herself it would be wrong to bother Rory with her semi-guy problems, when she was just starting to get back into dating.

"Good. Get any action?" she cracked.

"Mom!"

"I meant, did he kiss you?"

"A little one. It was nice." Lorelai could hear Rory's smile in her voice.

"Good."

"So anything else?" Rory tried once more. Lorelai was quiet for a long moment.

"Nothing that I can think of" she finally sighed.

"Okay" Rory said slowly. "Well I have to study. I will see you on Friday."

"Friday" Lorelai repeated.

"I love you, Mom" Rory said sincerely.

"Love you too. Bye, honey."

As Lorelai hung up, she and Sookie's conversation was wringing in her ears. She had fully planned to tell Rory about her plans with Luke but after talking to Sookie, she thought better of it. She had told Sookie quick versions of the weeks past events. She explained that she was having some weird feelings about Luke, but hadn't delved into them. She wasn't sure she was ready to share them. She wanted to have time to analyze them herself before she asked for others' opinions. Normally, she would spill everything right away. Her and Sookie and Rory would talk for hours about the tiniest remark. But Lorelai didn't want to do that this time. She wasn't sure there was anything anyway, but what was there was good. Definitely good. She wanted to savor it a little.

She had told Sookie about Nicole and the upcoming movie night, however. At first, Sookie had made a big deal out of it. From Rory's recent comments, Lorelai fully expected her to react similarly. After Sookie had calmed down, she told Lorelai what she thought of the situation based of the few details Lorelai gave her. Sookie told her, that the timing was perfect. Both Lorelai and Luke were now single and neither were very broken up about it. They were getting along better than ever and with Rory and Jess gone, both had a lot of free time. Lorelai couldn't argue with her there. Lorelai had mused every once in a while about her and Luke. She had entertained the idea but never considered it seriously, because there was always something in the way. Now there wasn't really any reason to hold back. Lorelai always worried about the friendship but Sookie convinced her that it would be a stronger relationship because they were best friends. She told Lorelai not to worry about 'what ifs' and just to go with how she felt in the moment. She also pointed out how many times he had taken care of Lorelai in the past. More than any boyfriend would, and how great his relationship with Rory was. Lorelai had to admit, she had been thinking about those things recently herself. She left Sookie's still unsure of her feelings and the future but a lot more confident that everything would work out all right. She decided to not tell Rory just yet, but couldn't help but look forward to tomorrow night.