Disclaimer: I don't own them, don't sue me.

Authors Note: I just wanted to thank everyone who is reading this fiction and especially thank those who are reviewing…they are what keep me wanting to write! Keep them coming. Also I want to thank Fred for her help with story line and for always being willing to read 'just one more part' before I post, I love ya! Enjoy all!

Miss Wallow

Chapter 11: It's a Town Conspiracy

Almost two months had gone by since little Lorelai Emily Gilmore came home from the hospital. It had been a busy few months between the baby, and the holidays the family was just starting to settle into a normal routine. Rory stayed home with Ellie in the mornings and went into the paper to work about three, at that point she took Ellie to Lukes on Mondays and Tuesdays where he watched her after much coaxing by both Lorelai and Rory that he was indeed capable of the task. From there Lorelai would pick Ellie up on her way home from the Inn at about five just before Lukes dinner rush began. Rory joined the three of them there for dinner around seven. Rory knew there was a reason she loved working at the paper, in addition to Mr. Oliver (her boss) having a soft spot for both Rory and the baby he was happy to help by working with her schedule, he had even promoted her from fact check to writing a girl on the street type column twice a week. She reported on fun happenings around the town and surrounding areas.

Wednesdays Rory had off so she stayed home with Ellie and on Thursdays Ms. Patty, Babbette and even Lane took turns with the three to five shift with her and Lorelai again took her until Rory got off from work. And on Fridays Rorys only nine to five day, Emily would come and pick Ellie up from Lorelai at the Inn in the mornings and keep her until the girls joined them for dinner that night. It wasn't always perfect and there were days when to everyone's amusement Luke danced around the diner with a crying Ellie strapped to his front in a snuggly, and there were those days that someone would be late for their pick up or drop off time, but as they say it takes a village and this particular one had a soft spot for their Gilmore girls as more and more residence had taken to calling the trio.

It was one such Monday afternoon that Rory walked into the diner pushing Ellie in her stroller, to be dropped off with who despite his lack of any formal relation to her had been deemed Papa Luke. Rory was surprised to find Luke in mid-heated dispute with Caesar over what she could only guess.

"People normally close doors to indicate the need for privacy! It is not an invitation for you to come knocking bugging me with questions you already know the answer too!" Luke yelled.

"Whoa Luke what is going on."

"Caesar decided to pick today of all days to forget how to make an omelet."

"I ran out of eggs." Caesar said in his own defense.

"Come on…" Rory said half dragging Luke into the store room where Ellies portable crib was set up.

"What is really the matter, did you and mom have a fight or something when she came over for breakfast?"

"No, your mom and I are fine, in fact, I was planning on giving her this…" He said pulling a ring out of his pocket. "But, Tattoo over there kept interrupting 'the eggs boss, the eggs' and then she had to go so I had to put it off again!" Luke said.

"Oh my God Luke, you were gonna ask mom to marry you?" Rory said hugging him.

"I have been trying since the night Ellie was born, but something always happens and we are interrupted, and I want it to be special and romantic and all that stuff it is supposed to be, I mean Max gave her a thousand yellow daises how do I compete with that." He said flopping down and looking down at Ellie. "It has to be perfect you know…I don't know why I thought I could do it in here anyway, I just, I want to ask her…I want to marry her." Luke said.

"Then you will. Don't worry about what Max did, she loves you Luke, anything you do will be perfect you could hide it in one of Ellies diapers and she would love it."

Luke looked at her with a look of 'that might work' on his face.

"I was totally kidding, it was just a more disgusting example of how much she wouldn't care how or when."

"I know, I know it wouldn't matter to her, but it matters to me, I want it to be something she will never forget, you know, I want it to be big and spectacular and I want it to be better than a thousand fricken' daisies. She deserves it."

"Do you want my advise?"

"At this point I would take her advice." He said gesturing to a cooing Ellie.

"You want it big and spectacular; I think I can help you…" Rory said laying out her plan to him in the store room.

He was so excited about the idea, he put her to work right away to start the planning, they didn't have a lot of time, the winter carnival was fast approaching and they were planning the biggest surprise in town history.

Rory went to work that day with a great new idea for her column the next week, this would be one of the biggest stories that she had written yet.

It had been a week since Luke and Rorys meeting in the storage closet. It took all they could to keep this one from Lorelai and the whole town was in on it from Taylor, to Sookie, to Kirk, everyone knew that this years winter carnival was one that no one would soon forget. The closer the carnival came the more nervous Luke got.

The bell rang as Lorelai entered the diner the day before the carnival. She sauntered up to Luke and surprised him by wrapping her arms around his waist causing him to drop the plates he was holding.

"Okay, see…now that…is strange." Lorelai said as he turned around.

"You just surprised me that's all." Luke said kissing her hello.

"Yeah, you are like the millionth person that I have just surprised today. It is weird everyone is acting so weird lately."

"I think you are paranoid."

"Kirk won't even look at me, if he sees me coming he turns and goes the other way."

"It is Kirk what do you expect?"

"I suppose, but Taylor and Patty and Lane they all are acting the same way they did that year they played that April fools joke on me."

"Yeah, that was good." Luke said with a chuckle. "But I don't think that they are out to get you this time."

"What makes you so sure?"

"No one in this town can keep a secret especially Patty, one of us would have heard something by now."

"Maybe I am just being paranoid, so how was El today?"

"She was great in fact she started her nap right on schedule for once and she is in there sleeping now."

"You are getting the hang of this whole baby thing aren't you."

"She is a good baby, she makes it easy."

"She is a good baby." Lorelai said with a smile going to check on her.

As soon as Lorelai was out of sight Kirk walked into the diner.

"Luke, I need to talk to you about the sign…" He stopped short of finishing when Lorelai emerged holding Ellie. Just as quickly as he had entered Kirk turned and rushed out of the diner.

"What is he talking about?" Lorelai asked as she shifted Ellie from one arm to the other.

"I dunno its Kirk maybe is seeing signs now…"

"I tell you he is acting more strange than normal."

"So she was up?" Luke said trying to change the subject.

"Yeah she was just laying in there looking around."

"Hey gorgeous…did you sleep well." Luke said kissing the top of Ellies bald head.

"I swear Luke, you are going to ruin your rep." Lorelai said with a laugh.

Later that night at home Lorelai brought the snacks into the living room where Rory was waiting with Paris on the couch.

"Paris it has been a while, what is new in the wide world." Lorelai asked as she entered.

"My professors are all idiots, half of them are children and I could teach better, I haven't heard from any of the hospitals that I have sent letters of intent to and I am going to kill Tana, other than that things are peachy."

"Yeah I still don't understand how you agreed to let her move in with you in the first place."

"She needed a place to crash, I had the space, I guess her first semester roommate was a bigger spaz than she is, and I don't know, I guess I feel kind of protective of her for one reason or another."

"Oh, Paris, did you go see the wizard? Finally get that heart he promised." Rory teased.

"What about the fellas?" Lorelai pried a bit.

"What about them a bunch of drunken frat boys…I don't think so, and all of the graduate students are losers too, I swear the Ivy league doesn't mean anything anymore they let anyone in."

"Ahh now there must be someone…" Lorelai pushed.

"Mom, she says there isn't anyone I am sure there isn't anyone."

"Well there is one guy…"

"Who?" Rory said jumping on the chance for details.

"I can't tell you, you will laugh."

"Tell me, tell me, please! I haven't had any good material in a while." Rory Begged.

"Hey I tell you stuff about me and Luke…" Lorelai said defensively.

"I mean Yale stuff. Who is it do I know him?"

"Yeah."

"Who."

"Doyle."

"Doyle? Doyle? I walk around the news room like Mel Gibson from that Brave heart movie Doyle?"

"He paints his face blue?" Lorelai asked.

"Very proud, constantly rallies the troupes." Rory said. "How did this happen?"

"Well, I went to a speed dating thing and all the guys weren't worth my time. Doyle was there, we got to talking and the next thing I know…he is wearing my robe." Paris said embarrassed.

"Whoa now there is a visual I didn't ever need to have." Rory said shaking her head.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Have you seen him again?"

"Are you gonna marry him any time soon?" Lorelai teased drawing a odd reaction from her daughter she thought.

"I don't know, we have seen each other a couple of times since, I am not sure. Anyway how are you?" She asked Rory.

"Good, good, I am writing a girl on the street column now which you know, and I have a baby now, so that is new, I have started sleeping less, and smelling worse…life is good." Rory said with a laugh.

"Marty keeps asking about you." Paris said.

"Really?"

"He says you won't take his calls." Paris went on.

"What?" Lorelai said surprised that Rory would be avoiding anyone.

"I just, he and I…I don't want to…Marty is a great guy, and he was a great friend but, I don't want to give him the wrong idea about things…and with Ellie, and everything, I just didn't need the complication."

"Oh hon, you can't just shut people out like that it isn't right."

"You did."

"Excuse me?" Lorelai said.

"You did, you shut people out, you avoided them to keep it from me, to keep my life level. I just want that for Ellie too."

"But, you and Marty were just friends weren't you." Paris said.

"Yeah, but he, I could tell he thought that we might eventually be more than that, and I just don't feel the same way about it, and even if I did I have El now and the paper, and I help mom at the Inn from time to time and I wait a table or two at Lukes if he needs a hand. I am just trying to make enough money to keep Ellie and I self sufficient. Even, if I did think of Marty in anyway but a friendly one, with my schedule here and his there, it would never happen. It is best to just ignore it."

"I ignored my feelings for Luke for eight years, see where that got me?" Lorelai said trying to make a point.

"Maybe, once El is a little older, once my feet are on the floor a little more permanently I might think about it, but no not right now." Rory said.

"I guess that is okay for you, but I still don't think it is fair to poor Marty." Lorelai said.

Ellie started to cry and Rory got up to get her, thanking her under her breath for the welcome interruption.

"Here she is…Ellie yes, you wanted to see your aunt Paris huh…here she is." Rory said bringing out Ellie and trying to hand her to Paris.

"What are you doing?" Paris said standing and moving away from Rory.

"I was going to let you hold her." Rory said.

"Yeah Paris don't you want to hold her?"

"No." Paris said matter of fact.

"Why not?" Rory asked a little offended.

"Because, I am just not that kind of girl that needs to hold every baby, I am fine just looking at her while you hold her. I can keep my composure avoid the need to talk to her as if she were an idiot in high pitched helium voices. I don't want to inflict that kind of damage on her little brain."

"Damage?" Lorelai asked confused.

"Talking baby talk to babies has been thought to cause some speech problems in later life." Rory said explaining Paris' point.

"Well then she is gonna hab a whot ob damage, won't she? Ess she will…" Lorelai said to Ellie mocking the girls theory.

"All right, that is enough…what are we watching?" Rory asked Lorelai.

"Oh, tonight we are in for a real treat, it is a Julie Andrews double feature, Sound of Music and Victor/Victoria." Lorelai said with a smile.

"Oh boy." Paris said with a grimace.

"What is the matter Paris?"

"I am not a big fan of musicals."

"You don't like, babies or musicals…hmmm…are you sure you are a girl, cause…"

"Just put the first movie in." Rory begged, her mother and Paris could get into kind of tug of wars of words and neither would budge for hours and Rory was hoping to get a good nights sleep before tomorrows big event.

Later that night…after Paris had gone and she put Ellie in bed, Rory went back into the living room and watched from the couch as snow fell softly outside the window. She allowed herself to get lost in her thoughts. She loved her daughter more than she thought possible, and every day with her was something new and amazing and she couldn't imagine her life any other way, and didn't wish to change a thing about the way things had worked out. Ellie had a way of changing everyone she met she started with Rory the moment she opened those eyes. She changed Lukes mind about babies for sure, now he would baby talk to her right in front of you, he didn't even wait until he thought you were out of earshot any more.

For as much joy and happiness and pride that Rory had where her daughter was concerned, she still had those moments where she would wonder what might have been had she stayed at Yale. Would Marty have still wanted to be her friend, would everything have changed? Would she have been able to stay or would she as she feared have to drop out because between Ellie and school it was all too much.

The moments were fleeting and as soon as she laid eyes on her daughter again, they always vanished in the knowledge that she had done the right thing. She had made the same decision her mother had made for her years before, the decision that her daughter came first and everything else was an after thought. But, right now, sitting watching the snow, allowing her mind to drift, Rory wished to call up Marty and talk and laugh and see what might happen…she wanted to know. In a moment of exhilaration at the idea of him being excited and happy to hear from her she picked up the phone and dialed his number.

As soon as he picked up on the other end Rory hung up the phone, realizing that wondering what might have been and asking were two different questions and the answers may not be ones that she could handle into her life right now.

"What was that about?" Lorelai said coming down the stairs to see her daughter haphazardly toss the phone on the end of the couch as she hung it up quickly.

"I dialed the wrong number." Rory said covering herself.

"Who were you trying to call?" Lorelai asked.

"Marty." Rory said letting out a sigh. "And it was the right number, I just…I don't know if I want to know why he is asking."

"You really like him don't you?" Lorelai asked.

"I don't know. I mean, we are just friends there is a line there, and he isn't…I don't know he isn't the kind of guy I normally go for…you know."

"No honey, I have no idea, there was Dean all-American- apple- pie, then there was Jess hell-on-wheels, I don't see that you have a clear type forming here."

"I mean, I…I have to think about Ellie now, you know."

"Oh, I know." Lorelai said.

"I know you know, and I don't want to lead him on, thinking that I am ready to do anything but be friends, my life is too day to day right now."

"Then you should tell him that."

"How did you keep it from me?"

"What?"

"I know you dated when I was younger, but I rarely if ever knew about it. How did you keep it from me?"

"Very carefully, and I wasn't so good at first. I made a few mistakes that you probably don't remember, but then one night, when you were about five or so, I came home from a date with this guy, he was he was my Jess, he was dangerous and fun and he had taken me to a concert Metallica, and we had a lot of fun. I drank too much, I even had a couple cigarettes."

"What?" Rory said amazed she had never heard this story before.

"So I came home, and I paid the sitter and I had almost made it into the bathroom with out waking you…when you caught me red handed. You came out and you looked at me, and you seemed confused and I hugged you and you looked at me, and you said 'Mommy you smell funny.' And I decided right then, you weren't going to meet or know about any of them until I knew that they were pretty permanent and I was more responsible about what you saw after that."

"See I don't want her to get attached to anyone, and then have them turn and burn on us." Rory said.

"She is so small now Rory, she won't remember if that happens, and I do think Marty is much the turn and burn type. You have to decide this one kid, you have to decide how you are going to work the whole situation for the two of you, just because it worked for you and I it doesn't mean it is the best or the only way to do things." Lorelai said kissing her daughter forehead and standing up.

"So you will meet me and Ellie back here to go to the carnival tomorrow?" Lorelai said.

"Yeah." Rory said with a smile.

"I will be glad when it is over…people are acting so strange about it this year and have you seen that thing in the square covered with the tarp? Apparently there is some big unveiling…I swear it is just what this town needs…another historical monument."

"Yeah really." Rory said agreeing with her.

As Lorelai walked back up the stairs, Rory couldn't help but smile. She knew that tomorrow was a day that no one in the town would soon forget.