The Fundamental Things Awry
By GilmoreGirl1979
(provider of Quality Fan Fiction..)
Now Part of the The Woulda Shoulda Coulda's GilmoreGirl1979 & LuvzAFunEThing collaboration series... ENJOY!!
Sorry had a bout of writers block, all better now…
Hi! this is your Friendly Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. No Harm, No Sue. dialogue has been borrowed from.... NO ONE, I wrote all of this one YIPPEE... but I do own the rights to SEDUCTIVE Luke (see Rory Interruptus)and expect to make big money this Christmas... (Luke under the tree, with backwards baseball cap, wrapped in a bow ... and nothing else.... it is a beautiful thing...)
Summary: The Fundamental Things Apply AU, what could have/should have happened!! (DAMN IT!! it's like a catch phrase or something !!) what we all wanted to happen, L/L action, R/R please! Now under the protective umbrella of the "Woulda Shoulda Coulda's" collaboration.
Previously on Gilmore Girls:
So far 6 & 7 are my mondo-fabulous fav chapters,
I LOVE LUKE,
I LOVE IT WHEN LUKE RANTS,
I LOVE TO WRITE LUKE RANTS (it's a talent I have).
As many of you have said that it's talent I have, so thank you for noticing this talent I have … Some of my favs from the show: the wedding rant(Juney and Momo), the Firelight festival(the town of stars hollow probably got it's name from the local dance hall prostitute.) any and all of them, Scott is so talented…!!
The shout outs;
Shouhei who betaed this!! thanks again babe, for telling me this wasn't crap.. lol
LuvsAFunEThing: the best writer un-blocker (is that dirty?) of them all …maybe you could be a plumber with those skills?? check out her stuff its just GREAT!!
Gcmel: A) nice to hear from you again!! it's like a tradition or something.. B) the sad thing is it's a true story, my dad was very mad that I slammed the door, and he just marched up the stairs with his tools and took the door off the hinges ... (hey I never slammed it again … so I guess the tough love worked!!!)
Kimmers: you said "cause without you around there is no writing" now that's something there…. That is like TJ DEEP!!! If there are no fans there is no fan fiction… so is fan fiction just an illusion….? Okay I'm no Etcha sketch King…. THAT is Why I write Luke rants instead…
Rebakathy who Anonymously reviewed Rory Interruptus ( have something to hide do we??) DAMN IT, you used my catch phrase…(it's also my fan club's password) LOL I tease thanks for being a fan don't be a stranger..
777777777777777777777777777777777777777
Chapter 8
Something Has To Change:
It was busy Sunday morning at Luke's diner. The entire town must have been in and out this morning. SAVE one. The only one I want to see. Hell, Kirk has been in three times already.
Luke hated that he had left the horoscope at Lorelai's. But maybe if she saw it, she would know how serious I am. Still, you hold onto something for 7 years, you're bound to be pissed when you lost it. I haven't lost it, I know exactly where it is, and when everything works out … I will get it back. Referring to both the Horoscope and Lorelai. The smart ass had to comment, My aren't we the optimist … SHUT UP!
Yet, it was hard to be optimistic when it was 11:30 am, and she hadn't come in for her first dose of "Luke coffee".She probably has drank all the coffee in her house. ... She would need a day, … or two …, to think things over. Yup, She will throw herself into her work. She has the Inn renovations to keep her mind off it till she is ready to think about it.
Luke had been a little curt with his customers all morning, so what else was new? But Dammit, I just can't give her space. While she is thinking I have to do something. I need to ... be productive. Last time he had those thoughts he made her the chuppah; Complete with flowers and grapes and goats. At the time, he was trying to keep himself busy, not think about her marrying someone else. This time, she was thinking about him. And he was just waiting. but I have to be … persistent, to prove my point; I will not let her down, I'm not going anywhere, be persistent, but not a stalker. He thought about Nicole and Rachel, How he never wanted that to happen with Lorelai. Something has to change. With his decision made, "Caesar, I'm taking my lunch break, you're in charge." he barked, and with that he went upstairs.
777777777777777777777777
Lorelai tried to occupy herself with the design books she had picked up yesterday. Honestly, she was just sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through pages, just staring at Rory's door, … waiting. She kept thinking about the piece of paper that she had tucked safely in her jewelry box. She kept thinking about how well Luke knew her. How she didn't want to mess this up. It was true, … she was afraid, afraid of a life without Luke, but, … Something has to change.
Unable to take it any longer, Lorelai burst into Rory's Room at 11:45 am. How much sleep does a college kid need? Lorelai began shaking her daughter, "Rory, I need help"
Rory groaned "the Quigi board is in the closet, call Freud." Shooing her mother away.
"Rory, wake UP I'm ready to talk now."
"Not everything is on your schedule MOTHER!" a grumpy Rory whined, pulling a pillow over her head.
"Well, my issues are time sensitive, now wake up." She smacked Rory's butt, to get it in gear.
Rory removed the pillow, sat up reluctantly, rubbing her eyes, and then yawned a "WHAT?"
Lorelai sat down to face her daughter. "Rory, … I think I want to date Luke."
"Well duh, if making out on the couch didn't tell you that … "
"This isn't a joke, I think I want to be dating Luke."
"Well, you won't have your chance for long with how he left here last night."
"Exactly, hence the time sensitive nature of the topic, … I can't loose him."
Surprised at how worried her mother was, Rory was now taking the topic seriously . "Mom, It's okay, … what happened? … I mean, I heard some stuff, but…" sounding a little guilty.
"What stuff?" Lorelai eyed her mini-me.
"Well, … I didn't exactly understand the whole horoscope thing. And there was a comment about wishing you luck …"
"Ah yes, the horoscope." The now infamous horoscope, the one I will frame to show my grandchildren, if we have any, … wait? … What?
"Spill spill," Rory encouraged, noticing her mother's mind wandering again.
"You did hear Luke's little story time, right?"
Rory admitted, "Yeah, you gave him a horoscope, he gave you coffee, but that was years ago…"
"Last night, He gave me the horoscope."
"The horoscope?"
"THE HOROSCOPE!"
"NO way! he still had it?"
"He still had it, the exact same horoscope, my handwriting and everything. He's been holding on to it … for seven years, carrying it around in his wallet, like I told him too, … for seven years …" and Lorelai suddenly gasped "That means when he bought my picnic lunch at the basket auction, 'it' was in there." Oh My God, that's another one of those "moments" we've had, that whole 'this is nice' picnic, as it came to be known.
"Mom, focus, you want to date Luke."
"Yes, I want to date Luke."
"So what's the problem? Go tell him. Let your daughter sleep."
"But it's Luke."
"Yeah?"
"The Town Luke"
"Yeah?"
"Mr. Fix It Luke"
"Yes" Rory, now getting irritated.
"Coffee Luke"
"Already established"
"Good old reliable 'I'll always be around' Luke" There is another moment, his measuring contest with Max. Man, Luke must have hated him. And he made the chuppah anyway,… MAX! and Lorelai recalled the reason for her fears and lack of sleep.
"Again. I've got it.. state the problem."
"What if I mess this up?" Lorelai confessed quietly.
Now we are getting to it. "then don't"
"But I don't usually mean to mess it up, but then I … mess it up."
"Well, what do you think you are doing now? … GO … talk to him."
"I can't."
"Mom, Where is this coming from?"
Lorelai admitted "last night, in the few winks of sleep did get … I had a dream."
Rory sighed. "The doctor is in" as she leaned against her headboard.
"Okay," Lorelai settled more comfortably on the bed, "so Luke and I are married, I mean just married, the rice is still falling to the ground, birds are eating it and exploding … you know. My mother and father seem pleased, first clue it was a dream right there. Second was Luke in a tux, I mean, hello, come on.We did it outside, underneath the chuppah that he made for me, God didn't smite us, it was just beautiful andromantic, you know. Anyway, Luke and I are having our first dance at the reception. Again, I'm in a fabulous dress, Vera Wang or something. Then someone starts that whole clinking the fork on the glasses thing, cause they want us to kiss, you know. And Luke rolls his eyes, because public displays of affection aren't his thing; But he does it anyway, … cause he really wants to, and now he has an excuse. So then, a single glass keeps clinking … and I look over, … and it's MAX."
Rory winced, "Oh boy, I have a bad feeling about this,"
Lorelai only nodded in agreement, with wide eyes that said "I know", and she continued, "So Max puts down his glass and starts clapping, then someone else joins him, … and its Chris."
"Dad?"
"Yes, both in tuxedos, both applauding us, and Max starts in this whole speech….."
- - - - - - - - THE DREAM - - - - - - - - -
I mean, Naturally, I was afraid of what they were doing there on the happiest day of my life. So, Max stops clapping and says,"Congratulations Luke, you did what neither of us could do."
Chris steps closer, "Yeah, you tamed the Gilmore Shrew ... she actually said 'yes' to your proposal …"
Max: "In all fairness, she did said 'yes' to mine, …"
Chris: "Sorry"
Max: "It's quite alright." Then Max turned his attention back to Luke and me with this creepy grin on his face " … she just never made it to the alter before."
Chris was also in awe of this fact, "That is impressive... Hey Luke, isn't this your second go down the aisle?? … Just checking … you know, I hear the third time's a charm… " and Chris offered his own story, "I don't know how true that is, after all, I asked Lorelai to marry me three times. ... Three times. and all I got was 'No'. I mean we have a kid together and she says 'No'. A chance to be with the father of her child, and she never wanted to complete our family."
And Max agreed, "That is not healthy."
So I had to defend myself. "Chris, we were 16, we wouldn't have lasted anyway."
Chris crossed his arms over his chest "Okay, that's one down, you got two more … "
"This is ridiculous, you are still very immature, couldn't hold a job, you were gone all the time, we had to come to you for Rory to visit, you were never there for Rory. Sherry was in and out of the picture. It would have never worked."
"Huh? Well, that didn't stop you from sleeping with me whenever I DID come to town."
And with that comment, Luke dropped my hand. "What?"
And Max didn't help things and when he said, "Oh yeah, … I heard about that…"
So there I am, on my wedding day in front of all of Stars Hollow and obscure relatives, having my Exes snitch on me to my, now, husband Luke. Wow, that sounds weird.
Anyway, Chris continued "Hey Luke, remember when she was supposed to help you paint the diner" and in this almost sinister whisper he finished "… That was ME!"
And Luke didn't say anything.
"And when you two were fighting about YOUR nephew getting OUR daughter in that car accident," in the same sinister whisper "...I was there too." his tone implying every dirty detail.
Luke just stood there, but you could tell the anger was just boiling inside him.
"Luke?" I tried to snap him out of it.
Max spoke up again, putting a sarcastic, cheerful spin on the whole conversation. "But hey, least you two are now married, right? You got what you always wanted and pined for. Although, now you'll have the endless joy of asking yourself 'how long till she changes her mind?' a few months?"
Chris followed the suit "Weeks?"
"Hours? … Luke did she ever tell you why it didn't work out between us? ...Well simply, she never really thought about our future? She is so … spontaneous, … you know that. Sometimes, a very attractive, exciting quality. But it's like she never … saw me as a permanent fixture, she didn't see that getting married would change things. I mean we were getting married, and to her it was "CAS". To her it was like any other day, like it wasn't a big, life altering deal. So casual about it. Then when she realized I was going to be apart of a new routine, she called it off entirely … She has commitment issues, Luke. She never thought about where my stuff would go, how we would spend our time together. I mean, she couldn't even make it through the night in the same bed with me. She was out the door too fast. Have you two thought about having kids? Where will you Live? Has the coupon drawer been designated yet?"
"Max, I wasn't In Love with you, I couldn't live a lie, that would have been unfair to you …"
"And yet you said repeatedly that you did Love me. Right up to the week of the wedding, and even then I didn't get a goodbye, all of Stars Hollow knew the wedding was off before I did … At least you made it through the ceremony this time…but Luke, just a little advice; I hope you know a good lawyer." and Max gave a knowing smile.
"Don't worry, ... he does." and it was Nicole, out of no where, enjoying a glass of champagne, ... our Wedding champagne.
I was about to lay my case out for the group. "You don't know anything about us? How dare you, ANY of you, come now and try to ruin today …"
When Luke broke his silence."They're right, Lorelai…"
My head shot in his direction."What?"
"They … are right… "
"Luke ... you can't be serious,"
"Do you ever mean what you say? … I mean everything is a joke to you … you say one thing and do another …you say your gonna marry Max, and then you run away. You say you've given up on the 'Christopher pipe dream' but you turn into a giddy 16 year old whenever he comes back to town .... how can I turst you with my heart?"
"Luke … we just got married!!! … I've never been this happy before, … we are together, ... finally together, and … I mean, … there is cake and music, and a chuppah … and you" At this point, I was having trouble breathing," …you promised, … you said you wouldn't let me down, those were your words … "
"Promises were made to be broken. You promised your parents you would go to Harvard."
"That is not fair ... "
"You promised Christopher you'd love him forever,"
"That was in high school."
"You promised Max forever, too"
"I wasn't in love with him …"
"You promised me … forever…"
"Luke … I want this, I want you…"
"But do you love me…?"
I wanted to say it. I did. But my mouth wouldn't work.
"Lorelai, do you love me?"
My brain kept saying 'say it, say it or you will loose him' … but I couldn't get the words to come out…
Luke took a few steps away from me, and nodded, as if he had expected this. Luke then turned to his first wife, "Nicole, ... I'll be in touch with your firm ..."
"I'll be waiting" and she took another sip from her glass.
And then Luke turned away and left… with Chris and Max, he left. I couldn't even call out his name to stop him. So there I was, in the middle of the dance floor, alone, in this gorgeous dress, crying, with the whole town and my mother, and Nicole judging me.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - End DREAM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"You need that translated?" was all Rory could say.
"What?"
"It's pretty clear…"
"Rory?"
"Mom, Max and Dad listed out all your mistakes for you, mistakes you are subconsciously aware of. Now, with Luke you have a new start, a clean slate, but you are scared of making those same mistakes again. In your dream, Luke was right, you did promise one thing but you did another. And you even said, you wanted to say you loved him, to keep him from leaving;… but you didn't, so he left, and you screwed up again…"
"Okay this is not helping…"
"Wait, here's the pay off, Mom that was a dream, this is real life… you still have a choice, you can still change… you have to treat Luke differently, treat him better than anyone before, because he really matters, you really care.Think about it. You been friends for years. Luke is already a permanent fixture, already part of the routine. Luke, his coffee, even his dry humor are basic needs, necessities; right up their with oxygen and 8 hours of sleep… "
Lorelai was still very quiet from having to relive her painful nightmare, but found some comfort in her daughters words … they made sense. How did she get so smart?
"Mom? the key here is follow through. I think you need to treat him differently, start by not avoiding him. Then, at the right moment, you two should talk, … really talk. This time, you have to say what you mean, and mean what you say."
Lorelai nodded, it did make a lot of sense. She got up, to finally take a shower and further meditate on Rory's words.
"Hey mom?"
She turned to face her daughter "Yeah?"
"Do you think you ... Love Luke? I mean , you said in your dream... "
Lorelai cut off that logic train... "I don't know yet, ... I know, there is something there, ... something good, and different..." I never felt this with Max or Christopher.
"and completely obvious for the last few years?"
"Hey,... "
"Mom, last night Luke told you how long he's been wanting you. Just ask yourself, how long have you been wanting Luke?"
7777777777777777777777777777
Still on his lunch break, Luke was upstairs in his apartment, barking at a punk kid over the Phone. "Alright, how soon can you guys get it here."
"Ummm, we usually do deliveries 12-5pm, but you just ordered it today, … SO,… "
"Are you one of the delivery guys, Jimmy was it?"
"Yeah?"
"Make you a deal, Jim, you deliver it today, and I'll throw in a $100 tip."
"Uuuhhhh, Sir,we usually don't … accept tips. It's against company policy."
"I won't tell if you won't"
"uuhhh I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks"
777777777777777777777777777
At 3:30 pm, Lorelai was making progress, she was out of the house. She was on her way to the Inn, because Tom had some figures for her to look over. She still didn't have the nerve to talk to Luke. The confession of his seven year crush was exciting, but still put her on edge, as did her dream. As did Rory's Final Question. How long have you been wanting Luke?
In avoidance of answering that question, Lorelai came up with many others to occupy her mind. Could they make it work? Would things stay the same? Would things be better than before? Would they be like friends with benefits? Would she have to tip him or would that now be dirty? Would the banter that built their relationship last? It was a lot to consider. She didn't have the luxury of beer clouding her thoughts, as it did on movie night. No matter how much she wanted to move forward, run her fingers through his hair and kiss him till they both were blue. A little ahead of ourselves aren't we. Rory was right, she had to treat Luke differently, take this seriously.
Her conversation with Rory had soothed her only slightly, her dream was still full of fear and sins of the past. Rory, of course, recommended the direct approach. "Just go and tell him....dinner movie, get the ball rolling, something, now go!!"
Lorelai wasn't quite ready for that. This was a delicate process, two friends were crossing that line you are never supposed to cross. A line where things will never be the same again. I just need a day,... or two to get my head in order. She didn't even want to say hi to the trio gossips at Hello Magazine; For fear that somehow they knew already about the little movie night make-out session, and would begin to judge her, point fingers, warn her not to break Luke's heart under penalty of tar and feathering. At that moment, she was content, pretending to read a magazine at the news stand, across the street from the diner. There was comfort in knowing he was in there, Doesn't matter what time it is, I'll always be around. Luke would be barking at Kirk, or giving directions to tourists. She could just picture it. She was too far away to actually see him, but the Williams Hardware sign still made her smile. How do I tell him? Hell, how do I talk to him now? he was Right he's not just any other guy ... he's Luke..? Luke, who thanks to a few beers, has already seen me in my bra. Suddenly her attention was taken by the speculation of the gossiping biddies a few feet away.
"Luke would never move away." Babbette insisted.
Luke? Move? And so, Lorelai eavesdropped.
"All I know is that a moving truck just showed up and it's been there for a good 30 minutes," Mrs. Cassini, divulging what she knew, then leaned into whisper, "They are using the back entrance."
How very conspiracy theory? But the reasonable voice was trying to be logical, of course they are using the back, he runs a diner. He can't serve food with Mr. Zero intimidating his customers, … but why does he need movers to begin with?
Patty offered her goodies. "You know, Nicole was there the other night … after hours…" the last phrase oozed with suggestion.
Babbette pressed, "Are you sure, Honey?"
"I know her license plate, and she parked right in front of my studio, I was locking up, and I looked at the diner and there she was, having a heated discussion with her … husband?" Patty then gasped " Oh My God, the divorce is off?"
"but, You just said they were fighting?" Babbette offered, naturally confused by Patty's logic.
"The best sex usually is after a big fight. And this looked BIG."
Luke and Nicole, having sex on the counter. Lorelai shuttered at her accusations of the other night but soon realized, Huh? Luke was right. Pay Per View missed out BIG.
"But Luke? Moving away? With Nicole?" Babbette riding Patty's logic train. "Man, I thought we'd have to bury him in that Diner."
"but with Nicole?" Patty scowled disappointed, "Not who I pictured him with," her tone almost directly aimed over her shoulder, at Lorelai a few feet away. "I mean Luke hates Lawyers. And she's soooo … skinny." Patty complained bitterly, she was never fond of the match.
"Well, if he's happy?" Babbette offered sympathetically.
"Oh please have you seen a smile on his face since he came back from that cruise …"
Babette returned "when have you ever seen a smile on his face?"
Mrs.Cassini refocused the girls to problem at hand, "the question is, … why the truck?"
"I suddenly have the urge for a Caesar salad" Patty thought devilishly.
"Oh Patty, like Luke will give ya anything" Babette scoffed.
"You'd be surprised at the subtle clues you can pick up by how a man carries himself. A late Lunch ladies?" and the trio made their way to the Diner.
Luke with Nicole? Luke with someone else? Luke with Anyone that isn't me? Now that the gossips were gone, Lorelai whipped out her cell phone.
"Hello?" Rory answered her cell, needing a breakfrom packing her car to head back to Yale that evening.
"Since Rachel."
"What?"
"Since Rachel, not when she came back. Before, when I bought her sweatshirt at the rummage sale."
"Okay I'm gonna need a clue here."
"You asked me how long I've wanted to be withLuke. Well, Since before Rachel, ... like when stella got out..."
"Mom?"
"Well, since your16th birthday ... Maybe"
"Mom."
"Oh God, do you remember how horrible the coffee was when she was around?"
"Mom,What happened?"
Lorelai's mania only pausing momentarily, "He's moving!" She stated matter-of-factly.
"Who's Moving?"
"Luke, he knows I'm gonna break his heart, and he is gonna run off and make his Surviving Ted Nugent dream a reality … "
"Mom, calm down, did he say to your face 'Lorelai you will break my heart, so I'm moving away'?"
"Not in so many words?"
"In any words…?"
"Fine, in no words, but the gossips were speculating about the truck."
"The truck?" Rory naturally out of the loop.
"Yes, the truck," Geez, Why can't she keep up with me today?!?!? "The moving truck with big smelly movers who , … you know, … moving things, … far, far away from me…"
"Mom, calm down, he's not moving."
"Then why the truck?"
"Mom, he just told you last night how he was in it for the two of you, he would stay and fight for you, that he wouldn't let you down."
"Wow, you did eavesdrop."
" I learned from the best… and he was, … you know ..shouting… kinda hard to miss."
"Yeah, I was there"
"And yet you didn't listen."
"I heard him…"
"Yes, but listening and hearing are two totally different things. This is exactly what I'm talking about, you get a little info and you take these leaps. Just calm down, go to the Inn, and stay away from gossip."
Lorelai pouted as she hung up. Well, she was no help. Lorelai walked down the side walk with her new magazine and paused when she saw it, the truck in question. At the back entrance of Luke's, just as reported. Then she saw Luke come out of the back door with the movers, whom Lorelai named Tiny and the previously only pictured, Mr. Zero. She decided to observe, and see if should could tell anything by how Luke carried himself, as Patty had suggested.
Tiny looked nervous, while Mr. Zero closed the back of the truck. Damn, didn't get to see what they were moving. Luke pulled out his horoscope-less wallet, and paid Tiny. It seemed Luke was giving Tiny extra for the work he'd done. Luke thanked them again, and waved as the truck drove off. Luke had a strange satisfied smile on his face. It was nice to see him happy, but what was he happy about? Dammit, I dont' have Patty's sight... Lorelai innocently spied as he went to his green truck, and got in and drove in the opposite direction from the moving truck.
Now what is He up too?
7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777
My Fav Prats/lines:
"the Quigi board is in the closet, call Freud."
-hello - THE DREAM...in it's entirety damn proud of that...
-Chris: "Huh? Well, that didn't stop you from sleeping with me whenever I DID come to town."
And with that comment, Luke dropped my hand. "What?"
And Max didn't help things and when he said, "Oh yeah, … I heard about that…"
-he is gonna run off and make his Surviving Ted Nugent dream a reality … "
-Luke pulled out his horoscope-less wallet...
A/N: It's contest time again... can anyone name where Mr.Zero is from?? hhhhhhhhmmmm? Name that reference...
77777777777777777
Hhhhhmmmm If Luke reviewed this piece what would he say?
LUKE's review: "That was all God-given talent."
777777777777777777777777777777777777777
R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,
"...Remember this is for posterity, ... so be honest."
Please be specific with R/R; name one(or as many as you can think of or want to mention..…) at least specific thing you like please!!! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)
Hence the Rant option below.
Insert Rant here V
A/N: Satisfation Garanteed , if not please return unused portion of this chapter for a full refund...