Author's Note: This is just a small note to apologize to anyone who was offended by my comments about the reviews. Honestly, I get the reviews sent to my email so I never check the website for them. I really didn't get any for a few days and then today I got 52. All 52 were the same review. If my talking about reviews makes you want to stop reading, I'm very sorry. I value everyone's opinions VERY much and I just worry about people liking the story. Thank you to everyone who did review. I am going to keep checking the website from now on, and while I will still be reading them, I won't comment on them anymore. I realize that I am incredibly lucky to get so many reviews so I am not going to complain anymore. I am just going to love the ones I get. If you would like to talk to me about anything story-related or otherwise and would like me to reply, email me at FroggyChic84@aol.com

P.S. I rewrote portions of this chapter to beef the Pro and Con list up a bit. Hope you like it.

On with the story. . .



Chapter 21: Pro and Con

A few days later, Lorelai walked into the strangely quiet Melville home. She came into the living room to see Sookie and Michel sitting on the couch staring at a soundless television. They stared intently at it and occasionally their shoulders would bob with laughter, but still no sound. Lorelai stuck her finger in her ear and wiggled it.

"Have I gone deaf?" she shouted. Sookie and Michel jumped.

"Be quiet!" Michel hissed. "We just got zee be`be to sleep." Lorelai noticed his French accent got heavier, the angrier he was.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Lorelai asked, taking a seat. "Aren't you supposed to be giving your mom a tour of the new inn?"

"What are you talking about?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"She called last week. She said she was coming to visit and she wanted a tour before it opened. I thought you were supposed to meet her an hour ago." Lorelai casually flipped through a magazine.

"She called?!? You never told me she called!" Michel's voice got louder and higher.

"Michel! Davie" Sookie scolded, nodding her head at the stairs.

"I swear I did" Lorelai said with wide-eyed innocence. "You'd better hurry."

"You are zee devil" Michel growled, before running out of the house. Both girls watched him leave and exchanged tense glances.

"That man is going to have a heart attack." Sookie shook her head. Lorelai's mouth spread into an evil grin.

"He will when he gets there and realizes the phone lines haven't been installed yet." Sookie's mouth dropped.

"You are the queen" she said bowing her head. Lorelai bowed hers back in response. "So how is everything, honey?" Sookie asked. "I haven't really gotten to talk you since our last little chat." Sookie raised her eyebrow and winked when she said the word "chat." Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"Sook, I haven't even had time to think about that." Sookie looked at her skeptically.

"Not even when you were working all day at the diner?"

"Okay, fine. Maybe I have thought about it a little." She looked at Sookie sideways. "But everything is too hectic right now."

"No, it's not" Sookie said knowingly.

"What?"

"Good men creep into your thoughts regardless. It's what they do."

"I liked it better when you'd freak out and I'd fix you" Lorelai pouted. Sookie smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. So?"

"So what?"

"So what are your thoughts on Luke?"

"My thoughts on Luke" Lorelai said slowly, pondering. "I think it's really weird to talk about him like that." Sookie gave her a frustrated look. "Well, I wouldn't talk about you that way." Sookie laughed.

"Okay, so let's not talk about him like a best friend. Let's talk about him like a man." Sookie took out a pad and pen.

"What are you doing?"

"What we normally do with any big decisions. We are making a pro and con list."

"Sookie . . . " Lorelai started to argue.

"No" she said sternly. "I know I said to go with what you feel and not overanalyze it but it's been over a week so now I think we should analyze a little." She held up her thumb and index finger, illustrating a small amount. "Okay, first. Looks?" Lorelai opened her mouth to pout, but Sookie looked at her firmly.

"Okay" Lorelai gave in. "He is good looking. He's got nice muscles, hidden under flannel. Nice hair, hidden under a hat." When Sookie looked at her annoyed, Lorelai giggled. "He's got a good arms and chest, pretty eyes, and a nice smile." Sookie smiled.

"I'll put that under pro."

"But he hides all of that under hair and clothes. Sometimes its fun to get dressed up and go out."

"But it's also good to feel comfortable, right?" Lorelai nodded. "Besides, he's dressed up before" Sookie added. Lorelai wrinkled her forehead in thought. "That's a pro then?" Sookie suggested.

"Yeah" Lorelai answered with a sheepish smile. Sookie smiled and went on.

"Next, Career." Lorelai looked at her confusedly. "I know we know what it is, but do you consider that a pro or con?" Lorelai thought for a minute.

"Well, he supports himself pretty nicely. He understands hard work. Of course, he'll never leave that diner."

"That a pro right?" Sookie asked unsurely.

"That's definitely a pro. I hated it when Jason had to go on trips all the time. I never want to leave Star's Hollow" Sookie breathed a sigh of relief and wrote it down. She took a minute to look at Lorelai. She was lost in thought, but didn't seem unhappy about it. She seemed to be taking this seriously.

"Ok, next comes car, house . . . Can we skip all the other material things please?" Sookie asked. "We never use them in deciding anyway. It's more just for fun."

"Yeah" Lorelai agreed, still staring off. "That's not really Luke." Sookie nodded.

"Okay just the main four left. Family, personality, Rory and you." This was always the hardest part for Lorelai. She looked to Sookie to help. Sookie nodded, understanding. "Well he doesn't really have much family." She wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"Not anyone close anyway. There was Jess" Lorelai said frowning. Sookie got a worried looked on her face. "But I can't really hold that against him." Sookie's face eased. "And Liz" Sookie cringed again. "But she seemed nice, if not logical."

"Pro please?" Sookie begged. Lorelai nodded.

"Personality . . . " she said thinking. "He's pretty surly most of the time" Lorelai admitted, her forehead wrinkling. "But, he can be sweet, when it really counts." She smiled at the memory. Sookie noticed.

"It only really counts when it's you, honey" Sookie pointed out softly. Lorelai looked at her curiously. It was a look that said, she had never really thought of that before, but it wasn't a look of fear. Lorelai nodded.

"Rory and I are all that's left" she said.

"Do we really have to think about those?" Sookie asked doubtfully.

"No. You're right. Those are both pros." Sookie clapped her hands together. Lorelai knew what she was thinking. No cons. "He's not perfect" she growled. She hated all signs to point one way and still be unsure.

"Of course he's not." Sookie soothed. "No one is. But he is really good where it's important." She looked at Lorelai hopefully.

"I know" she sighed, "but Luke isn't as simple as a list." Sookie nodded. "I just need to think a little bit. Let it run around in my brain for a bit." She sighed again, but the sides of her mouth twitched.

"Of course, honey." Sookie only nodded, though inside, she was doing cartwheels. She didn't want Lorelai to worry about this too much, so she tried to change the subject. "So what's the status of the fundraiser?" Lorelai perked up, eager to talk about anything other than Luke right then.

"Well, Paris and Tana are going to handle babysitting during the event." Sookie looked frightened at the idea. "Alone, Paris would scare them and Tana would lose them, so Rory agreed to help" Lorelai assured her. "Other than that, Andrew is taking care of the stage, and Rory and I are handling decorations. Which reminds me, I have to pick her up in an hour so I'd better scoot." She bent down to hug Sookie.

"Bye hon." Sookie said as Lorelai walked away. She stopped and turned at the door.

"Sookie? Keep that list handy." Sookie just smiled to herself as the door closed.