Next Chapter…
I'm warning you…I was really tired when I wrote this so I'm not sure if it makes any sense. I hope that it does though because it took me forever to figure out how to make this chapter work. Enjoy!
It was the epitome of awkward. The situation that had been feared and avoided had now presented itself. Luke felt the change instantly. This is bizarre.
As soon as his daughter walked into the room, he knew that this was going to be one hell of a weekend. He had to change the mood and quickly. I gotta do something.
"Rory…" Luke walked toward his daughter and gave her a hug, which she returned, grateful to have a distraction from Jess' stare.
"I'm glad you came home. How's work?" Whoa, I'm talking kind of fast. The other three noticed this as well and they all shifted uncomfortably.
"It's good…good. Um, you know, something happens and I get the scoop, write it down, and then tell the rest of the world about it."
Luke nodded and led her to the couch where he and Lorelai were previously seated. Okay, getting better.
"Sit down, and take a load off. Are you hungry at all?"
Rory sat on the couch and looked up at Luke's shadowed form.
"No but I'll take a drink. Do you have any white wine?" Rory asked again tucking her hair behind her ears.
"Um…no actually. Since we found out your mom was pregnant we took all the alcohol out of the house. Just to avoid temptation." Ain't that the truth?
All four chuckled nervously and Lorelai went to sit next to her daughter on the sofa.
"I'll just take water then."
With that Luke began walking to the kitchen. As he walked he looked over to Jess and began to subtly gesture with his head for him to follow. Come on Jess… Jess gave him a confused look, unsure of what his uncle was suggesting that is until Luke waved his hand toward himself signaling for him to 'come on'. Get your ass in here! Jess got the picture and quietly excused himself from the living room.
Once in the kitchen Jess took a seat at the counter while Luke grabbed glasses out of the cabinet.
"So, this is a little more awkward than I thought it would be." Luke admitted putting the glasses on the island before placing his hands on the counter and leaning forward. Way more awkward.
"Yeah, well…yeah. This is weird." Jess agreed running his hand over his short black hair.
"What do we do? I mean…Do we ignore it? Or talk about it?"
"I have no clue! How the hell should I know? It's not like I've ever had an ex girlfriend who is also a cousin…"
Luke looked perplexed. Cousin?
"I never thought of it like that before. Huh? That is weird. Extremely weird."
Jess nodded. Luke sighed.
"I haven't seen her since I asked her to go away with me."
Away with…Luke looked up from the counter with a shocked expression.
"You asked her to go away with you? When was this?"
Jess got up from his chair and opened the refrigerator door.
"After Liz's wedding. I went to Yale and found her there with Dean. I told her I wanted to be with her but not here. Not…This can't get any worse."
Jess closed the refrigerator and glanced at Luke who was currently shaking his head, his eyes closed, and his head low. This is bad.
"If only you had gotten it together sooner."
Jess slid down the front of the refrigerator and sat on the floor. His head hit the appliance with a thud.
"Yeah…If only." He replied.
They had turned in early that night. Not wanting to prolong the embarrassment any longer. After both of the young adults had gone to bed, Luke and Lorelai finally made their way upstairs to their room. Lorelai went into the bathroom to brush her teeth while Luke took off his clothing and changed into his pajamas.
"Well, this has been an eventful evening." Lorelai's muffled voice came from the bathroom.
"Yeah…eventful." Luke replied slipping on his black T-shirt and his gray sweats. Eventful doesn't even begin to describe it. First with the odd conversations, then with the spilling of the water, then with Rory telling us that David had moved out…
Lorelai came out of the bathroom to find her husband already laying on his back across the bed, his arms over his eyes to shield out the bathroom light.
"Luke…Is there something wrong?"
She sat next to him and rubbed his forearm. He moved his arms above his head so he could look at her. Yeah there's something wrong. He could see the concern in her face and he knew the only way to remove it was by telling her the truth.
"This situation is worse than we thought."
She nodded knowledgably at his and gave him a half smirk.
"I know."
"You…" Right she and Rory talk about everything. Of course she knows!
"She doesn't hate him for it. Not at all. It's just kind of different for her to see him now. After everything they've gone through, so far away from one another. Both are very different people from what they use to be but there's that past, that history. And it will always be there, and seeing one another will just remind them of that."
If anyone knows, it's her.
Luke nodded and rubbed Lorelai's knee comfortingly.
"He's her Christopher." She confessed moving to lie against the headboard.
Luke looked up at her then with a thoroughly confused face.
Huh?"He wasn't ready for what she wanted. Wasn't ready to commit to her, to be there. He wanted to be free from strings and attachment but he still wanted her. He had to chose between leaving or having her, and when he found out he couldn't have both, he chose the one that he thought would be easier, not knowing that it was going to be twice as hard. Then he came back, and he asked for her to be with him, to change herself to be with him. But since he wasn't willing to change for her, why the hell should she change for him? If he couldn't get it together…then it wasn't going to work. And now he's here, and he's gotten it together, and he's right where he should be, but it's too late, she's moved on. Just like it was with Christopher and me. I moved on, with you. I found what I had been looking for, and I wasn't going to give it up for something that was in the past."
God, I love her.
He propped himself up on his elbow and found her lips with his own. When they broke away Lorelai was crying.
"Hey, sweetheart? What's wrong?"
She shook her head and settled herself against his chest.
"I don't know if Rory has moved on."
Luke took her in his arms and held her close. She still worries…
"I think she's still in love with him." She divulged snuggling into his side.
"He's still in love with her." He kissed the top of her head lightly and remained there.
"I just want it to work out. It's all I ever wanted for her. I don't want her heart to be broken again. It's happened too many times. Dean, Logan, David…I just want her to happy."
"Me too, honey. Me too. I just want them both to be happy." He felt her kiss his chest, before she relaxed completely. Happy…together?
"Do you think it will happen?" She whispered stroking his stomach.
He held her closer and sighed.
"Yeah…I do…I really do."
A/N: Hope you liked that chapter. I'll get the next one up on either Thursday or Friday. There will be a Rory/Jess scene and also a little bit of Richard and Emily. Let me know what you think! I'm going to watch tonight's episode now! YAY!
Rusty
