A/N: Thanks for waiting and sorry you had to. This chapter's not that long, I just have a long A/N. On with the show...
Family.
[Cut To: Independence Inn, potting shed, LUKE is on the bed near RORY and LORELAI is standing near it, there's been a knock on the door and they turn to it, but before LORELAI can answer CHRISTOPHER comes in. RORY jumps closer to LUKE and grabs his arm. The smile that was on CHRISTOPHER's face is now gone]
Christopher: What is this?
Luke: (shocked that CHRISTOPHER is here and at RORY's affection)I should...leave.
Lorelai: (to LUKE)No. (to CHRISTOPHER)But I know someone who should.
Christopher: What's he doing here?
Lorelai: What are you doing here?
Christopher: Are you...is he...?
Lorelai: (she walks over to CHRISTOPHER, pushes him out the door and closes it)
[Cut To: Independence Inn, grounds outside of the potting shed]
Lorelai: Why are you here?
Christopher: Are you dating him?
Lorelai: (sighing)No, I'm not dating him.
Christopher: Well what's he doing in your house? Is that your house? (laughing)Do you live there?
Lorelai: Look, I thought I made it pretty clear that we don't want you here. Go home.
Christopher: No!
Lorelai: Why not?
Christopher: Because...(he trails off)You left me!
Lorelai: (sighing)We did.
Christopher: And you didn't even say anything. Not even goodbye. I got nothing.
Lorelai: True.
Christopher: Why are you so calm about this? This is a major issue!
Lorelai: Chris, why are you here? Because I didn't say goodbye?
[Cut To: Independence Inn, potting shed, RORY is crying and LUKE looks uncomfortable. She's still clinging to him and he instinctively pulls her a little closer]
[Cut To: Independence Inn, grounds outside of the potting shed]
Christopher: You can't leave me, Lor.
Lorelai: Sorry, I didn't realize you owned me.
Christopher: We had a family.
Lorelai: (she walks away a little in anger, he follows her)A family?
Christopher: Yes. And you destroyed it!
Lorelai: We did not have a family, Chris! That's not a family!
Christopher: What is it, then?
Lorelai: It's nothing. It's a father who's gone too much and a mother who's far too young. It's a kid who was getting screwed over while we tricked ourselves into thinking this could work.
Christopher: This can work! We can be a family, really. I'll...I'll drop out of school...
Lorelai: No, you won't.
Christopher: ...and I'll get a job...
Lorelai: No, you won't.
Christopher: ...and we'll get married.
Lorelai: Oh, no, we definitely will not.
Christopher: Why not? I love you.
Lorelai: Chris, stop. Okay? Stop. We're gone, we live here now. Accept it.
Christopher: I can't.
Lorelai: You're going to have to learn how to.
Christopher: No! No, I won't. We should be together. You and me.
Lorelai: (confused)What?
Christopher: You and me, we belong together.
Lorelai: (slowly)And...Rory, right?
Christopher: Of course and Rory. She's mine.
Lorelai: (quickly)Ours. Um, but, you just said 'you and me.'
Christopher: I meant her, too.
Lorelai: But you didn't say it.
Christopher: Lor, you know I meant her.
Lorelai: Let's play a game.
Christopher: Isn't that what we're doing?
Lorelai: Guess how many hours a day I spend away from Rory.
Christopher: (confused)I don't know.
Lorelai: Okay, well, I'll tell you. None. No hours.
Christopher: So?
Lorelai: So there is no 'me' anymore. It's 'we.' Always. And then you come down here and completely forget her?
Christopher: I didn't!
Lorelai: She is not our puppy, Chris! She is our daughter!
Christopher: I know!
Lorelai: You cannot just forget about her like she doesn't matter.
Christopher: I didn't!
Lorelai: (sighing, tired)Go home.
Christopher: No. Let me see her.
Lorelai: Oh, no way.
Christopher: Let me.
Lorelai: No.
Christopher: I'm her father!
Lorelai: She deserves more than you could ever give her.
Christopher: I can give her everything she needs, and you know that. What, you can? Working as a maid and living in a shack? You're going to give her what she needs?
Lorelai: How did you know I was a maid?
Christopher: Your boyfriend told me.
Lorelai: You talked to him?(understanding)Oh, so that's what that was all about.
Christopher: Yeah, and he told me you don't have money, either.
Lorelai: What? No, I have money.
Christopher: Enough to pay for food? 'Cause I hear differently.
Lorelai: He doesn't know what he's talking about.
Christopher: So...you're really not dating him?
Lorelai: No, I'm really not.
Christopher: So there's still a chance.
Lorelai: For...?
Christopher: Us.
Lorelai: Not again! No, there isn't.
Christopher: Why not?
Lorelai: Go home. We're fine. Go back to school, you have to be missing a lot.
Christopher: I don't care.
Lorelai: Well, your parents will.
Christopher: I don't care about that, either.
Lorelai: Please, just go.
Christopher: You haven't given me a chance.
Lorelai: You haven't deserved one.
Christopher: Are we forgetting who left who?
Lorelai: Oh, 'cause we were so close before?
Christopher: We were!
Lorelai: You came and saw us once a week, if we were lucky.
Christopher: I couldn't get away, you know that.
Lorelai: I do. I know that.
Christopher: It'll change.
Lorelai: No, it won't. It'll be exactly the same.
Christopher: Listen, if you just left because I didn't come enough, then-
Lorelai: We didn't leave because of you.
Christopher: You didn't?
Lorelai: No. You weren't enough of a reason to go.
Christopher: (sighing in relief)Okay, good.
Lorelai: You weren't enough of a reason to stay, either. (she turns and walks back to the potting shed)
[Cut To: Independence Inn, potting shed, LORELAI walks in and is surprised that LUKE is holding RORY]
Luke: She was already crying. It wasn't me.
Lorelai: (smiling)I know. Here. (she takes RORY)
Rory: Mommy?
Lorelai: Yeah, baby?
Rory: I don't like Daddy.
Lorelai: Well, I don't, either.
Rory: He's goin' home, right?
Lorelai: I hope so.
Rory: (burying her face in LORELAI's shoulder)I don't like Daddy.
Lorelai: I know.
Luke: (quietly)I'm gonna go.
Lorelai: Oh, you don't have to.
Luke: Yeah, I know.
Lorelai: Thanks, Duke.
Luke: No problem.
Lorelai: I'll see you tomorrow, okay?
Luke: (smiling)Okay. (he leaves)
Lorelai: Rory? (RORY looks up)Are you okay?
Rory: No.
Lorelai: Want some...(thinking)crackers?
Rory: No.
Lorelai: Want to read?
Rory: No.
Lorelai: Okay. (LORELAI lies down on the bed and puts RORY next to her)
[Cut To: Independence Inn, potting shed, LORELAI is up and is dressing RORY]
Rory: We're up early.
Lorelai: Well, we've gotta go to breakfast.
Rory: (hesitantly)At Mia's?
Lorelai: No.
Rory: Not Luke's.
Lorelai: Yes, Luke's.
Rory: No!
Lorelai: You like it there!
Rory: No.
Lorelai: (sitting RORY down on the bed and kneeling in front of her)Honey, we can't do this.
Rory: (innocently)What?
Lorelai: We can't hide out just because Chris is in town. And I won't. We're not afraid of him.
Rory: Them.
Lorelai: We're not afraid of them, either. They're nice, baby, you know they're nice. If they say things, they don't know that they're being mean.
Rory: No.
Lorelai: Eggs.
Rory: No.
Lorelai: Waffles.
Rory: No.
Lorelai: Okay, last resort. Strawberries.
Rory: On...pancakes?
Lorelai: (in a sing-song voice)With chocolate milk.
Rory: And whipped cream?
Lorelai: And whipped cream.
Rory: (smiling)Let's go!
[Cut To: Luke's Diner, RORY sits at a table]
Lorelai: I'm gonna get some coffee.
Rory: Okay. (LORELAI goes up to the counter)
Lorelai: Dear God, give me the caffeine.
Luke: (pouring her a cup)Hello to you, too.
Lorelai: (drinking the coffee)I mean, Mia's nice and all, but that inn coffee, lemme tell 'ya, it sucks.
Luke: I'm sure it doesn't.
Lorelai: (quietly)Service ain't so great, either.
Luke: So you're back.
Lorelai: Yes we are.
Luke: What do you want?
Lorelai: Oh, pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. And one for me, bacon and sausage. Chocolate milk and coffee times a million.
Luke: Chris?
Lorelai: No, it's Lorelai.
Luke: Is Chris the reason for the strawberries?
Lorelai: What are you talking about?
Luke: Last time she needed the strawberries, it was Chris.
Lorelai: (changing the subject)I hear you talked to him.
Luke: Yeah, I did.
Lorelai: And that's why you thought we weren't coming in?
Luke: Yeah.
Lorelai: I'm sure what you said wasn't bad.
Luke: Nothing bad about you, I swear. (LORELAI smiles)I'll bring your food over.
Lorelai: Thank you.
A/N #2, because now that the chapter's over, I can ramble. Feel free to ignore this: Caffeine is a hard word to spell. What happened to 'i before e'? Hmm? Where did that go? And then they added all that other nonsense, all that 'or when sounded like ay as in neighbor and weigh.' And still, I am not told how to spell caffeine. Is there a more important word in daily life than caffeine? Well, considering this isn't a two-way conversation, I will answer. No. No, there isn't. As if they i/e thing wasn't hard enough, we're making exceptions? Ha, no. I don't think so. This phonics stuff, this was supposed to be in the past. And now I find out, all those horrible years of that awful class, and I still can't spell? I'm too old for this! Okay, I'm annoying, I know it.
Answers:
Sparks1977-Yes, I did know that. Mia says "with a tiny baby in her arms." However, many people refers to children as babies no matter how old they are. My cousin's six, she's still my baby. And Emily said that she didn't trip over Rory's stroller. Now, three is about the oldest age that a child could still be in a stroller, so her age does actually fit. Three is an acceptable age for carrying (Mia's comment), for strollers (Emily's), and for being called a baby (everyone's). I'm really glad that you asked, though, it's good to know that people are thinking about my story.
jerseygirl318-Oh, I wish I could JJ it up. But you know when they get together. I've got to keep them apart for another 16 years! That's not easy. But there's nice little flirtations thrown in there for you all.
Family.
[Cut To: Independence Inn, potting shed, LUKE is on the bed near RORY and LORELAI is standing near it, there's been a knock on the door and they turn to it, but before LORELAI can answer CHRISTOPHER comes in. RORY jumps closer to LUKE and grabs his arm. The smile that was on CHRISTOPHER's face is now gone]
Christopher: What is this?
Luke: (shocked that CHRISTOPHER is here and at RORY's affection)I should...leave.
Lorelai: (to LUKE)No. (to CHRISTOPHER)But I know someone who should.
Christopher: What's he doing here?
Lorelai: What are you doing here?
Christopher: Are you...is he...?
Lorelai: (she walks over to CHRISTOPHER, pushes him out the door and closes it)
[Cut To: Independence Inn, grounds outside of the potting shed]
Lorelai: Why are you here?
Christopher: Are you dating him?
Lorelai: (sighing)No, I'm not dating him.
Christopher: Well what's he doing in your house? Is that your house? (laughing)Do you live there?
Lorelai: Look, I thought I made it pretty clear that we don't want you here. Go home.
Christopher: No!
Lorelai: Why not?
Christopher: Because...(he trails off)You left me!
Lorelai: (sighing)We did.
Christopher: And you didn't even say anything. Not even goodbye. I got nothing.
Lorelai: True.
Christopher: Why are you so calm about this? This is a major issue!
Lorelai: Chris, why are you here? Because I didn't say goodbye?
[Cut To: Independence Inn, potting shed, RORY is crying and LUKE looks uncomfortable. She's still clinging to him and he instinctively pulls her a little closer]
[Cut To: Independence Inn, grounds outside of the potting shed]
Christopher: You can't leave me, Lor.
Lorelai: Sorry, I didn't realize you owned me.
Christopher: We had a family.
Lorelai: (she walks away a little in anger, he follows her)A family?
Christopher: Yes. And you destroyed it!
Lorelai: We did not have a family, Chris! That's not a family!
Christopher: What is it, then?
Lorelai: It's nothing. It's a father who's gone too much and a mother who's far too young. It's a kid who was getting screwed over while we tricked ourselves into thinking this could work.
Christopher: This can work! We can be a family, really. I'll...I'll drop out of school...
Lorelai: No, you won't.
Christopher: ...and I'll get a job...
Lorelai: No, you won't.
Christopher: ...and we'll get married.
Lorelai: Oh, no, we definitely will not.
Christopher: Why not? I love you.
Lorelai: Chris, stop. Okay? Stop. We're gone, we live here now. Accept it.
Christopher: I can't.
Lorelai: You're going to have to learn how to.
Christopher: No! No, I won't. We should be together. You and me.
Lorelai: (confused)What?
Christopher: You and me, we belong together.
Lorelai: (slowly)And...Rory, right?
Christopher: Of course and Rory. She's mine.
Lorelai: (quickly)Ours. Um, but, you just said 'you and me.'
Christopher: I meant her, too.
Lorelai: But you didn't say it.
Christopher: Lor, you know I meant her.
Lorelai: Let's play a game.
Christopher: Isn't that what we're doing?
Lorelai: Guess how many hours a day I spend away from Rory.
Christopher: (confused)I don't know.
Lorelai: Okay, well, I'll tell you. None. No hours.
Christopher: So?
Lorelai: So there is no 'me' anymore. It's 'we.' Always. And then you come down here and completely forget her?
Christopher: I didn't!
Lorelai: She is not our puppy, Chris! She is our daughter!
Christopher: I know!
Lorelai: You cannot just forget about her like she doesn't matter.
Christopher: I didn't!
Lorelai: (sighing, tired)Go home.
Christopher: No. Let me see her.
Lorelai: Oh, no way.
Christopher: Let me.
Lorelai: No.
Christopher: I'm her father!
Lorelai: She deserves more than you could ever give her.
Christopher: I can give her everything she needs, and you know that. What, you can? Working as a maid and living in a shack? You're going to give her what she needs?
Lorelai: How did you know I was a maid?
Christopher: Your boyfriend told me.
Lorelai: You talked to him?(understanding)Oh, so that's what that was all about.
Christopher: Yeah, and he told me you don't have money, either.
Lorelai: What? No, I have money.
Christopher: Enough to pay for food? 'Cause I hear differently.
Lorelai: He doesn't know what he's talking about.
Christopher: So...you're really not dating him?
Lorelai: No, I'm really not.
Christopher: So there's still a chance.
Lorelai: For...?
Christopher: Us.
Lorelai: Not again! No, there isn't.
Christopher: Why not?
Lorelai: Go home. We're fine. Go back to school, you have to be missing a lot.
Christopher: I don't care.
Lorelai: Well, your parents will.
Christopher: I don't care about that, either.
Lorelai: Please, just go.
Christopher: You haven't given me a chance.
Lorelai: You haven't deserved one.
Christopher: Are we forgetting who left who?
Lorelai: Oh, 'cause we were so close before?
Christopher: We were!
Lorelai: You came and saw us once a week, if we were lucky.
Christopher: I couldn't get away, you know that.
Lorelai: I do. I know that.
Christopher: It'll change.
Lorelai: No, it won't. It'll be exactly the same.
Christopher: Listen, if you just left because I didn't come enough, then-
Lorelai: We didn't leave because of you.
Christopher: You didn't?
Lorelai: No. You weren't enough of a reason to go.
Christopher: (sighing in relief)Okay, good.
Lorelai: You weren't enough of a reason to stay, either. (she turns and walks back to the potting shed)
[Cut To: Independence Inn, potting shed, LORELAI walks in and is surprised that LUKE is holding RORY]
Luke: She was already crying. It wasn't me.
Lorelai: (smiling)I know. Here. (she takes RORY)
Rory: Mommy?
Lorelai: Yeah, baby?
Rory: I don't like Daddy.
Lorelai: Well, I don't, either.
Rory: He's goin' home, right?
Lorelai: I hope so.
Rory: (burying her face in LORELAI's shoulder)I don't like Daddy.
Lorelai: I know.
Luke: (quietly)I'm gonna go.
Lorelai: Oh, you don't have to.
Luke: Yeah, I know.
Lorelai: Thanks, Duke.
Luke: No problem.
Lorelai: I'll see you tomorrow, okay?
Luke: (smiling)Okay. (he leaves)
Lorelai: Rory? (RORY looks up)Are you okay?
Rory: No.
Lorelai: Want some...(thinking)crackers?
Rory: No.
Lorelai: Want to read?
Rory: No.
Lorelai: Okay. (LORELAI lies down on the bed and puts RORY next to her)
[Cut To: Independence Inn, potting shed, LORELAI is up and is dressing RORY]
Rory: We're up early.
Lorelai: Well, we've gotta go to breakfast.
Rory: (hesitantly)At Mia's?
Lorelai: No.
Rory: Not Luke's.
Lorelai: Yes, Luke's.
Rory: No!
Lorelai: You like it there!
Rory: No.
Lorelai: (sitting RORY down on the bed and kneeling in front of her)Honey, we can't do this.
Rory: (innocently)What?
Lorelai: We can't hide out just because Chris is in town. And I won't. We're not afraid of him.
Rory: Them.
Lorelai: We're not afraid of them, either. They're nice, baby, you know they're nice. If they say things, they don't know that they're being mean.
Rory: No.
Lorelai: Eggs.
Rory: No.
Lorelai: Waffles.
Rory: No.
Lorelai: Okay, last resort. Strawberries.
Rory: On...pancakes?
Lorelai: (in a sing-song voice)With chocolate milk.
Rory: And whipped cream?
Lorelai: And whipped cream.
Rory: (smiling)Let's go!
[Cut To: Luke's Diner, RORY sits at a table]
Lorelai: I'm gonna get some coffee.
Rory: Okay. (LORELAI goes up to the counter)
Lorelai: Dear God, give me the caffeine.
Luke: (pouring her a cup)Hello to you, too.
Lorelai: (drinking the coffee)I mean, Mia's nice and all, but that inn coffee, lemme tell 'ya, it sucks.
Luke: I'm sure it doesn't.
Lorelai: (quietly)Service ain't so great, either.
Luke: So you're back.
Lorelai: Yes we are.
Luke: What do you want?
Lorelai: Oh, pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. And one for me, bacon and sausage. Chocolate milk and coffee times a million.
Luke: Chris?
Lorelai: No, it's Lorelai.
Luke: Is Chris the reason for the strawberries?
Lorelai: What are you talking about?
Luke: Last time she needed the strawberries, it was Chris.
Lorelai: (changing the subject)I hear you talked to him.
Luke: Yeah, I did.
Lorelai: And that's why you thought we weren't coming in?
Luke: Yeah.
Lorelai: I'm sure what you said wasn't bad.
Luke: Nothing bad about you, I swear. (LORELAI smiles)I'll bring your food over.
Lorelai: Thank you.
A/N #2, because now that the chapter's over, I can ramble. Feel free to ignore this: Caffeine is a hard word to spell. What happened to 'i before e'? Hmm? Where did that go? And then they added all that other nonsense, all that 'or when sounded like ay as in neighbor and weigh.' And still, I am not told how to spell caffeine. Is there a more important word in daily life than caffeine? Well, considering this isn't a two-way conversation, I will answer. No. No, there isn't. As if they i/e thing wasn't hard enough, we're making exceptions? Ha, no. I don't think so. This phonics stuff, this was supposed to be in the past. And now I find out, all those horrible years of that awful class, and I still can't spell? I'm too old for this! Okay, I'm annoying, I know it.
Answers:
Sparks1977-Yes, I did know that. Mia says "with a tiny baby in her arms." However, many people refers to children as babies no matter how old they are. My cousin's six, she's still my baby. And Emily said that she didn't trip over Rory's stroller. Now, three is about the oldest age that a child could still be in a stroller, so her age does actually fit. Three is an acceptable age for carrying (Mia's comment), for strollers (Emily's), and for being called a baby (everyone's). I'm really glad that you asked, though, it's good to know that people are thinking about my story.
jerseygirl318-Oh, I wish I could JJ it up. But you know when they get together. I've got to keep them apart for another 16 years! That's not easy. But there's nice little flirtations thrown in there for you all.
