A/N: thank you so much so much so much beyond infinity for all your wonderful reviews. To the Delaware-ian: I truly didn't mean to offend you with my milkman line. I don't really know anything about Delaware, and I didn't mean it as a joke or stereotype of Delaware-ians as being all farmers or whatever. I just picked a random state and a random profession so that it would sound almost exaggeratedly normal. Sorry if u took offense.
Ok, this is it. Part two. Enjoy!!!
Part Two
After working diligently for five days, Rory and Jess were ready to perform. Each skit was about five minutes long, and there were eleven pairs in the class. On Friday, Rory and Jess came into the diner after school and informed Luke and Lorelai that there was a performance and party the next day at school from 5 to 7 and they were invited.
"It's the surprise, Mommy!" cried Rory.
"Oh, I can't wait !" cried Lorelai, equally as excited as her daughter.
"Uncle Luke, can you bring coffee for the grown-ups at the party?" asked Jess.
"Sure, no problem," Luke replied.
"Yum, coffee!" Lorelai grinned, looking like a Cheshire cat.
The four shared a laugh, and Rory and Lorelai headed for home.
The next day, Lorelai woke up at 9:03 AM to the sound of birds twittering. She lay in bed for a few minutes. She was really looking forward to the performance later that day; Rory had maddeningly refused to tell even one little detail of her and Jess' skit. She also couldn't wait to see how Luke looked. Rory had told her that the adults were supposed to get dressed up.
Lorelai got out of bed and began to rummage through her closet, mind still on Luke. He didn't dress up all that often, but the few times she'd seen him in a suit, he'd actually looked pretty good.
Lorelai picked out a denim knee-length skirt and a hot pink shirt with little buttons at the top. Satisfied, she went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She left her blue flannel pants and pink tank top in a little pile on the floor and stepped into the water, humming "By The Sea".
When Lorelai went down to make breakfast, she found Rory already up, eating some bread with apple butter.
"Mommy, you look bea-utiful!" Rory proclaimed with a British accent.
"A-thank you, m'darling. But what did Mummy tell you about getting up before ten o'clock on a Saturday?" Lorelai imitated Rory's accent.
Rory attempted to hold back a giggle. "I was much too excited to sleep", she said, dropping her Queen Victoria act.
Lorelai smiled and pulled her daughter into a hug. "Come on, Sweetie, let's go to Luke's."
Rory was so wound up that she skipped halfway to the diner before she became tired. When they were almost there, Jess burst out the door, letting it slam shut behind him, and ran towards them. He had not bothered to put on a jacket over his Batman tee shirt, and Lorelai instantly put her own blue parka around his shoulders. Ordinarily, this probably would've embarrassed him, but today he was talking too fast to notice.
"Rory!" He shouted. "It's today! It's today! We gotta rehearse- costumes- come quick!"
Rory got her second wind and ran full out to the diner with Jess. The door slammed once more, and Lorelai suppressed a giggle, imagining Luke's face at all the commotion. She walked into the diner and made sure to close the door gently behind her.
"Thanks," Luke said to her as she walked up to the counter. "I don't think I would've been able to take another deafening bang. Oh, I meant to tell you, forecast is light snow flurries 'round six, six-thirty."
"Oh! Great!" Lorelai loved snow. Magical things happened when it snowed.
"So- looking forward to tonight?" asked Luke.
"Oh, yeah. I can't wait to see what those two came up with."
"Yeah, me either. Should be kinda cute."
"Ah, Luke! But are you happy about dressing up?"
He smirked at her. "Am I ever?"
At four twenty-four, Rory stumbled down the stairs, clutching a coat about her to veil her costume from her mother. She yelled through the house, voice trembling with excitement.
"Mommy! Jess is here! We just have to, um, get something! We asked Babette to supe'vise. I'll be back really quick!" And with that, she ran out the door. She and Jess eached grapped one of Babette the neighbor's hands and dragged her towards the candy shop for some very important props….
Five minutes to five, and Rory, Jess, Luke, and Lorelai met outside the school. Luke looked so different and somehow sort of dashing in his suit, and Lorelai couldn't help staring.
"Wow," she murmured, impressed.
Luke looked up at her sharply, and she blushed. "I meant," she stammered, "you, well, I don't often see you- without a cap- all, y'know, cleaned up and fancy-ish- you look different. And good."
He smiled. "Thanks. You look- really nice- also-" he stumbled awkwardly over the words, "you do."
The normal Lorelai returned in a flash, giggling. "Someone's bashful," she joked playfully.
"Look who's talking," he shot back, and smiling, the walked in together, another Moment avoided.
"Thank you all for coming!" beamed the teacher. "I'm so glad you all could join us here tonight. I am sure you will all be proud of your children. They have been busy little bees this past week, and- er- most of them seem very excited." She avoided looking at a cross pair of boys who refused to look at each other.
She continued. "For our 'realistic fiction' project, we try to give the students a taste of reality and fiction combined. Though the skits you are about to see are not technically what realistic fiction is known as in terms of the genre, they combine a fictional plot with real characters in the actors' lives. I'm sure you will enjoy the show. Now- first up are Jackie Stronheim and Marny van Latzen. Take it away, girls!"
And then things began to get, well, boring. The first pair of girls had their moms win the lottery and buy a zoo together. Next, a boy and girl who could barely be heard found some sort of magic apple. The two cross looking boys got into a fight about which one of them got to kill the evil crocodile and had to be taken off the "stage", which was really just the front of the room.
Luke and Lorelai became very curious. Was it the two of them that Jess and Rory would be portraying? What kind of plot had they come up with? Lorelai was jerked back to reality when she realized Lane was going. Lorelai caught her eye and smiled sympathetically as Lane sat quietly as Lindsey's sister while Lindsay, as her mother, punished her for breaking a lamp, finally saying, "Now Megan, why can't you be more like Lindsay?" Lorelai snorted, but managed to successfully turn it into a cough. Then it was Rory and Jess's turn.
"Hi," Rory said cheerfully. "I will be playing my mom, and Jess will be playing his uncle Luke, who's kinda like a dad to me, and my mom's kinda like a mom to Jess. Our plot's not as exciting as some others, but we tried to set up a sitch-wation instead. Anyhow, um, here it is."
Rory dropped the coat that was still around her to reveal a much-too-big tank top and skirt, and huge heels. She walked up to a piece of paper on the board labeled "Diner", and stepped in front of a table, behind which was Jess in a flannel shirt (his size) and jeans.
"Lu-uke!" she sang out. "Please give me coffee." She pouted.
"Even though it'll kill you someday?" asked Jess.
"Even though." Rory flashed a million dollar grin.
After a couple more minutes of banter, 'Luke' said, "Hey Lorelai, what would you do if I said I loved you?" Lorelai and Luke froze in their seats.
Rory pulled off a very convincing look of shock. "I- um- I guess I'd say- well… that I love you, too."
"Awww!" went most of the audience. Lorelai, aware that some people would probably be looking at her, tried to smile and "aw" too, but it was very difficult. She didn't dare look at Luke.
Luke sat stiff, face burning. Why were they doing this? To embarrass their mom and uncle? Because they thought it would be cute or funny? Did they secretly want Luke and Lorelai to fall in love? Or- did they know? He didn't dare look at Lorelai.
"Will you marry me?" Jess was asking.
Aw, shi- thought Luke, but his inner, er, musings were cut off by Rory's response.
"Only if I can kiss you."
Oh god, thought Luke. Though he had to admit, that was a very Lorelai-type line.
On stage, Rory tried to hide the small paper bag she held, but Luke saw the words "Candy Shoppe" printed on it. She and Jess quickly put little fake wax lips over their own so their mouths wouldn't actually have to touch. Then they leaned in and kissed.
Lorelai was suddenly very aware of the heat Luke's body was radiating next to her. Finally Rory and Jess broke apart.
The audience clapped and all the kids bowed and the teacher made some cheesy thank-you-for-coming comment and cameras flashed and people got up and headed for the food. The room bustled with activity, but Luke and Lorelai just sat there right in the middle of it all. Finally, they both turned to look at each other. They smiled nervously.
"Hey- that was- inventive- what they did," said Lorelai.
"Very," agreed Luke. "Hey- it's noisy in here, wanna go for a walk?"
"Okay."
So they left the building and strolled through the parking lot.
"Lorelai." Luke interjected suddenly.
She stopped and turned her body to face him. He gently put his hands on her arms. She looked up into his eyes.
"What would you do if I said I loved you?"
"I- I-" she laughed softly. "I can't remember the line. I- um, well- uhh- I-" she swallowed. "I-" She'd been sort of examining the white parking line under her foot. Now she glanced up at Luke. She nodded. And they both knew what her action was saying, twenty times louder than words.
Luke fought a quick inner battle with himself not to kiss her in the middle of the elementary school parking lot and won. Smiling, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Hey, he didn't say which side of him won.
Lorelai snaked her arms around his neck and he enveloped her with his arms and pulled her close.
They finally broke apart, though his hands still rested on her waist. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, panting slightly. After a moment, she raised her head and opened her eyes. She stroked his face with her fingertips.
"Oh, Luke," she murmured, and they leaned in for another kiss as a light snow began to fall.
Inside the school, Jess and Rory stood apart from the crowd, noses pressed against the glass of the window, watching Luke caress Lorelai's hair as the kissed.
"Hey," said Jess, "maybe someday we'll do that, without the fake lips!"
"You never know," laughed Rory. Grinning, they went to get some cookies.
THE END
Well it's over, folks. I really hoped you liked it, that it made you laugh. Thanks so much for all the reviews. Bye now!