Like Wildfire
By Ellie J.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these wonderful characters. I'm just playing with them.
A/N: I'm glad you guys are enjoying these. I tried to update last night, but my computer was uncooperative. So I'm doing it today at work. I will definitely be doing a Christopher chapter, buthe will be last. This chapter is not as quirky funny as the other chapters. But I adore Lane, and I wanted to talk a little about her no sex thing before marriage thing.
Part 5: Lane
I wake up slowly and turn around to look at my clock. It's 8:30. I've got to get up to go to work. Work. What a joke. I haven't had decent tips for the past week and a half. I've had to cut down on luxury items like snack foods and nail polish. I'm afraid if this keeps up, we're going to have to decide between the phone and cable.
I get dressed and leave my room to get some breakfast before I go to work. I used to just grab something at the diner, but Luke's food lately … well it sucks. I'm sorry, but it does. I love Luke like a really grumpy uncle, but he's been beyond grumpy for the past week.
I pour myself a bowl of Corn Pops and start eating my breakfast. I can tell by the almost empty fruit loops bowl, that Zach has already had breakfast and left. This would normally be way to early for him ("Getting up before 10am is so not rock and roll!"), but he's still a little freaked out by my confession the other night and is avoiding me while he's processing it.
I'm still a little freaked out about it. At first, I didn't understand where this decision came from. I mean I know where the idea came from: eighteen years of Mama Kim telling me that sex should only happen within marriage, and even then there was no reason that you should actually enjoy it. But I've been trying to figure out why I decided to listen to her (not the no fun thing – I totally plan on enjoying myself if and when I have sex).
I've spent the past day and a half trying to talk myself into having sex. It hasn't worked. I have to be honest and admit that at this point I can't imagine being comfortable with having sex outside of marriage. (God, I hope I don't turn into one of those Camden kids on 7th Heaven who get married just so that they can have sex).
After much thought, I'm starting to formulate a theory on why this particular Mama Kim teaching stuck. I am a romantic. Yep, that's me: a huge fluffy loving sucker for true love stories. I love watching movies where the guy and the girl fall in love, and you know that their love lasts forever no matter what difficulties they face. I want that. I don't want to fall in love, have sex, then fall out of love and move onto the next guy. I don't necessarily think it's wrong for anyone else to do that, but I just can't see myself doing it. A part of me wishes that I could. It would make dating much easier.
But most of me wants to hold out for that special someone. I don't know if that's Zach. I really like Zach. He's a great boyfriend. But I don't know if it's that 'til death do us part kind of love.
Of course, since I've formulated this theory there is this nagging voice asking me if there is any such thing as true love. I mean Rory and Dean said that they loved each other. They even had sex while he was still married to Lindsay, but I kept telling myself that it was okay, because they had that special love. But they didn't. He broke up with her a few months later, and now she's 'casually' dating Logan. A part of me envies that she can do that, but deep down I know that is just not something I could do.
But what if I'm holding out for something that doesn't exist? What if that true love that I'm dreaming about is just something that Shakespeare invented to sell tickets to his plays?
Look at Luke and Lorelai. I totally thought they had the true love thing going. I mean they glowed when they were with each other (and seeing Luke glow is quite a sight to behold), but now Lorelai is working sixty hours a week, and Luke is rapidly putting himself out of business. If they can't make it happen, can anyone?
I glance at the clock and realize it's time for me to head to work so I can try and save what customers we have left and earn my very meager living. I lock up the apartment and start to walk mechanically to work, my mind not paying any attention to my surroundings. My brain is full of thoughts about true love and sex and boyfriends and before I know it, I'm at Lukes.
When I open the door the first thing I see is Kirk sitting at a table with Taylor's big box of ribbons in front of him and he's yelling, "Ribbons here! Return your ribbons here!"
"Kirk, what's going on?" I ask.
"Luke and Lorelai have reconciled! Oh, happy day! The need for these ribbons has ended!" he yells so the whole diner can hear him.
"Kirk!" a familiar growl says. I turn around and see Luke coming from one of the corner tables. "Can you please not shout that every five minutes?"
Kirk answers something about it being a day of jubilee. I don't really pay attention because I'm observing Luke. His eyes no longer have that dead yet angry look about them. In fact, he's kind of glowing. Luke and Lorelai worked things out! True love conquers all! I'm so happy that I can't think about anything except how happy I am and without any thought, I give Luke a big hug.
"You guys worked it out! I'm so happy for you!" I squeal as I continue to hug him. At this point I notice that he's holding his arms outwhile he stiffly stands there. I remember just who I am hugging. I jump back and feel my cheeks getting hot. Luke just stands there with his arms still held out with a shocked expression on his face.
"I'm so sorry," I stammer. "I was just so happy. It's been hard watching the two of you be miserable."
His expression returns to normal as helowers his arms. "It's okay, Lane. I'm just not used to being hugged by … anyone."
"I can give you a hug," Kirk pipes in.
"No Kirk," Luke says quickly.
"I'll just run and get my apron and then I'll be right back to start taking orders," I tell Luke. He follows me to the back room and I turn to look at him. He has a serious expression on his face.
"Lane, I just want to thank you for everything you've done during the past week. I know I've been impossible to work for, but you were always here with a smile on your face. You put up with a lot more crap from me than many other people would, and I really appreciate that."
"Luke, it's okay."
"No, it's not. I'm guessing your tips have sucked for the past week or so?"
"Well, kind of," I admit.
"I'm going to put a little extra in your paycheck this week to help supplement that."
I'm amazed at his generosity. "Luke, you don't have to do that."
"Yeah, I do. I know that you depend on your tips to help make ends meet, and it's my fault that your tips haven't been as high as they should be. You're a great employee, and this is just my way of apologizing for all the times I yelled at you this week and for chasing the customers away."
"Thanks Luke," I tell him while fighting the urge to hug him again. I turn to go back to work. I'm suddenly feeling better about my life. We won't have to give up our phone. There's still Zach to worry about, but at least I know that I'm not holding out for something that doesn't exist.
A/N 2: BTW, I don't own 7th Heaven either (Yay!). I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but I really wished we had seen Lane in Pulp Friction, so here it is. The other chapter that I know I'm doing for sure will be a Richard chapter (Someone has to tell one of Lorelai's parents that Luke is just about perfect). There might be one more before the Richard chapter– again – if my muse is cooperative.
