Chapter 8
A/N: hello again! Back with another chapter! Thanks for the reviews (not as many as I'd hoped for… but I suppose I'm preaching to the converted here!) Anyway, just a quick thanks to those that did:
MM Vermelha: ohhh the tests are never over my friend, their never over… I hope this chapter is long enough for you!
Miss-Lionesse: We'll see how we go with 'What if…' inspirations is currently striking for other fics… thanks for the review!
ProFfeSseR: nice to know I have such a loyal reviewer…
X-Mas in July: ohhhhhh it is nice to be back… thanks for the review!
fandomsareloveGG: thanks!
gilmoregirlfreak: will do, thanks for the review
marva: quite frankly, I can't imagine them having so many kids either. Not now, anyway. Maybe if they had got back together way back when (like in this story), they'd have a handful… but meh, the more the merrier!
Expect the unexpected my dears… and I have a checklist of ends that need to be tied and things that I want to bring up in this story, so I'm sensing out chapters ranging into the low teens… just so you know… on with the story!
5 years, 10 months before the birthday
"Lorelai, I'm just taking Dan and Hew up to the Elementary School to play some baseball," Luke called to his wife as he and his two sons headed to the front door of their house.
"Mkay! We'll be back from shopping in a couple of hours!" Lorelai called back.
"Try not to spend too much money!"
"That's a pointless demand Luke!" Rory called from upstairs.
"Bye!" Luke, Dan and Hew escaped out the door, and Jay sat on the couch her knees hugged to her chest, a pout on her face. She wished she could've gone too, but as usual, she was stuck with shopping. Lorelai and Rory came down the stairs, all ready to go.
"You ready to go hun?" Lorelai asked Jay. She nodded, and got up. Amie came out of her room at that moment with a smile, and headed out shopping with her mother and sisters.
2 weeks before the birthday
Jay threw the tennis ball hard against the wall of the Elementary School, and caught it quickly as it came back to her. She threw it just as hard again, and caught it. She kept throwing and catching, throwing and catching, a monotonous pattern that calmed her and helped her think. She often came out here, to be alone with her thoughts, a thing she'd been needing recently.
"Sick of it yet?" A voice said, approaching her. She looked to her right, and there was Tom, walking towards her with his hands shoved in his pockets.
"Not nearly," she replied, throwing and catching the ball again.
"You're pretty good," he commented. Jay chuckled.
"What makes you think that?"
"You haven't dropped a catch in 20 minutes. And you're throwing with your left hand."
"Well I'm left handed."
"No you're not," he replied. Jay laughed.
"Yeah you're right, I'm not. Have you been watching me?" she asked coyly.
"I had to drop my little sister off at her concert practice," he explained, only turning a little red.
"I see," Jay replied, still throwing and catching away.
"You do this a lot?" he asked, sitting down and leaning against the wall.
"Sometimes, when I want to clear my mind," she replied, concentrating on what she was doing.
"Why here?" he asked, pulling his knees up to his chest.
"When I was younger, my dad and brothers would always play baseball on the front lawn and my mom, sisters and I would watch them from the porch. I always wanted to join in, but never did. After a few broken windows, dad decided it was best to move the activity to the Elementary School, and mom, Rory, Amie and I would always go shopping or something while they did so. I wanted to go play baseball with my dad and brothers, but because I was a girl, I had to go shopping instead. See, I was a tomboy as a kid, I liked sports and stuff, but never really got a chance to do them. If I asked dad to go he'd say it was a 'guy thing' and I should go shopping with my mom and sisters. That's why I started coming here. I liked throwing a ball around, and this way I could, without the hassle of my family," Jay said, stopping her throwing and going to sit down next to Tom.
"I'm suddenly feeling very lucky having a small family," Tom replied. Jay let out a small laugh and smiled.
"Don't get me wrong, I love them all, but sometimes you just sorta get lost in the bustle of it all."
They sat quietly for a moment, both just taking in their own thoughts. Jay smiled a little and leaned against Tom, nudging his shoulder.
"But hey, that's enough unloading from me today," she said playfully, as Tom turned his head to look at her. Their eyes locked for a moment, and Jay wanted nothing more than for him to kiss her. But he didn't, and she turned her head away, embarrassed. She looked straight ahead, and walking towards her was a familiar figure. A huge grin broke out across her face and she got up, rushing towards them.
"Jon!" she cried happily, and threw her arms around his neck. He laughed and spun her around before pulling back.
"Let me take a good look at you," he said holding her back so he could look her over. "My, my haven't you grown up Jayne Danes!"
Jay blushed a little and laughed, swatting his shoulder, "Jon Ruski what are you doing here!"
"I just dropped my little sister off at production practice. She somehow managed to land herself the lead, again. But that's our little Michaela, hey?" Jon said.
"No, I mean what are you doing here, in Stars Hollow!" Jay demanded, still gobsmacked that her old friend was here.
"We're back from California for six months. Dad was temporarily transferred to the Hartford branch, and we still had the house here… so… here I am!" Jon explained.
"You'll be going back to Stars Hollow High I presume?" Jay asked, still grinning widely.
"Of course. We're not all rich snobs like you Jay," he said playfully and she gasped and slapped him on the arm.
"You have not changed a bit," she laughed.
"It's been a while. A year," he said.
"Too long," she replied, before wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. A cough broke them apart, and there was Tom, standing there rather shyly.
"Oh, Tom!" Jay said, "this is my best friend Jon Ruski, Jon, this is Tom Ritter."
"Always nice to meet new friends of Jay," Jon said, sharing a warm smile. Tom just smiled and nodded. They were silent for a minute, and Jay could start to feel the tension.
"So, um, Jon, Tom goes to Stars Hollow High," she commented.
"Oh, you like?" Jon asked. Tom shrugged.
"It's a school, you know?"
"Yeah I get what you mean," Jon nodded. They stood there in silence for another moment.
"So, ah… I better get home," Jay said.
"Yeah me too."
"Yeah."
"Welcome back Jon," Jay said hugging him tightly and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Good to be back," he smiled.
2 weeks after the birthday
"What have they done now, Principal Marcy?" Luke asked as he entered the Principal's office at Stars Hollow Junior High, to find Hew and Larissa Doose sitting down, arms crossed, and Larissa's mother (also Taylor's daughter) Patria, by her side. Luke had always found the divorced Patria a rather attractive woman, long wavy blonde hair and deep brown eyes. There had been many a time in his younger days that he had considered asking her out, but she was Taylor's daughter, and Luke did not want to spark any voluntary involvement with Taylor. He still found her appealing, the forbidden fruit, but he loved his wife dearly, and knew that no daughter of a Doose could make him half as happy as Lorelai did.
"It seems Mr Danes, that your son and Miss Doose were coming to blows in the schoolyard over a poster," the principal informed Luke, sitting back in his chair, his arms crossed and his heavy brow furrowed.
"A poster?" Luke said, appalled.
"It was about another stupid festival," Hew spat, his arms still crossed tightly. Larissa stuck her tongue out at him, and he returned it.
"Matthew! Larissa! That is enough!" the principal barked. "You're acting like a pair of six year-olds! If these fights continue, I shall have to suspend the both of you! Mr Danes, Ms Doose, I trust you shall take appropriate punishment for your respective children into your own hands. As for you two," Principal Marcy said, peering over his thick rimmed glasses, "back to class!"
Both children got up sheepishly, and Patria gave Luke an apologetic smile before steering Larissa out the door.
"I'm sorry Principal Marcy," Luke said leaning in his direction, "this won't happen again."
"It better not," Marcy threatened, before Luke took a grip of his sons shoulder and directed him outside. Once safely out of the office, Luke turned to his son his face contorted with anger.
"What exactly is going on!" he demanded. Hew crossed his arms defiantly.
"Larissa tried to put up a stupid poster about a festival," Hew pouted.
"On a school noticeboard?"
"Yeah."
"Then what the hell is your problem! I've told you, you can get angry if she tries to put them up in the diner, but not a public noticeboard! Know when to pick your battles!" Luke yelled in a whisper.
"She said she was gonna put one up on the diner door after hours!" Hew protested.
"That's an obvious bluff! You know the Doose's are always in bed by 9pm."
"She said she was going to sneak out!"
"A Doose breaking the rules? I don't think so," Luke said.
"Well… she's stupid!" Hew protested.
"You're lucky your mother was busy and I came instead – she would have blown a gasket!"
"And that's not what you're doing right now?"
"Don't get smart, son. If this happens again they'll be no softball for a month."
"WHAT!"
"I mean it! This has got to stop. Now go on, get back to class. I have a diner to run," Luke said, pushing his son off in the direction of his classroom.
"Sorry," Hew muttered, before skulking off.
A/N: did you like it? did you not like it? are you indifferent? Let me know without a sweet sweet review! Hehehehe! Yay! Please review…
