Title: Back In Stars Hollow
Chapter 1: Arriving
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em. If I did, well, long paragraph you don't care about, blah blah blah fishcakes, belong to A S-P even if she was stupid enough to give Jess the spin off and not Dave and the band, whatever.
Summary: This is a sequel to "What Sam Says", which you must read in order to get this. If you don't feel like reading all eighteen chapters (they're short, though) I'll try to recap them here.
*takes deep breath*
Okay, so Rory started going out with this guy named Mark, but he started to control her life and cut her off from her family. Right after Lorelai's birthday, Mark took Rory away and left her stranded in Paris with Tristan as her driver. Tristan turned out to be Mark's best friend, and thoroughly annoyed Rory throughout the entire story. Tristan took Rory to New York, where she ran into Jess, who is getting his life together by being the writer/director of his own movie. His best friend, a lesbian named Baylor, is the star, while their friend Perry, who we've never met, is the producer. Baylor and Jess dated before Baylor realized she was gay. Jess basically lived in California, not that far from his father, his father's girlfriend, and his father's girlfriend's kid. While Rory was with Mark, she ran away to Maine with Jess—as just friends—to see the snow, but when Rory told Jess the story of all the strange places that Mark had taken her, he figured out that Mark was controlling her life, especially since Mark wouldn't let Rory call Lorelai. Jess suggested that Rory pretend to be pregnant. She took the suggestion one step farther and got artificially inseminated. She then took five pregnancy tests—four were positive—and left them in the hotel room in New York before running away from Tristan and Mark. She wandered around the country for five months, and then finally made it back to Stars Hollow, where she told her mother the story. Lorelai convinced Rory to tell Jess that she (Rory) loved him. Rory flew to California. Luke took her to the airport, and then told her he was proud of her. She whispered to herself that he was just like a dad. Lane and her band are famous. Lane and Dave are getting married. Rory hasn't talked to Lane in a very long time. Rory ended up sitting next to Paris on the flight to California. They expositioned about the fact that Rory and Paris at least went to Yale together, and then they parted ways and Rory promised to call. Rory met Sasha, Lily, and Jimmy. Jimmy's fun to write. Just imagine Rob Estes when you read it. Especially the scene in "Say Goodnight, Gracie" where he mentions that Jess is doing the staring and the frowning thing. Anyway. The story. Jess told Rory that he thought he loved her. She responded immediately that she loved him. They kissed. Lots. Baylor has a new girlfriend. Rory lived in Seattle at one point. It probably rained a lot there. Rory's baby has kicked Lorelai, Luke, and Jess so far. Rory's scared to find out what sex the baby is, so she's using the generic "he". Jess gave Rory his car, so he and Rory are flying back to Stars Hollow. Luke and Lorelai watched TV and Lorelai ate junk food while waiting for Rory to call when she went to California. They fell asleep on the floor in front of the couch. Lorelai leaned on Luke's shoulder, and then whined in her sleep about food. Luke told her it was nine thirty in the morning. They yelled about coffee and he went to work. He ran into Lorelai's boyfriend, Tom, on the way out of the house. Tom was a bad boyfriend to Lorelai, apparently, cause he hadn't met Luke before. Lorelai lied and said that she and Luke were married and had an open relationship. She then thought aloud about giving Luke sexual favors and freaked Tom out. Then she slammed the door in his face. Tom is now gone. Luke complimented Lorelai about how strong she is, and she cried. This entire recap was only slightly in order. You get the gist of it, though, right? Good.
I have no idea how long it takes to fly to Connecticut from California. I'm gonna go with six hours and then figure out the time difference from there. Six hours from nine is…that's right, three.
It is now six in the evening in Hartford, and Luke and Lorelai don't know that Jess is coming home with Rory. They are both going to pick her up at the airport, though. They bickered the entire way to the airport. In the car. All the way there. Lorelai stopped at a clothing store to buy really cute baby clothes, even though Rory's only five months pregnant. I'll shut up now and get on with the actual story.
Okay, so Actual Summary: Jess and Rory return to Stars Hollow in the midst of "we love each other and yet have nowhere to live" love, Lorelai just broke up with her boyfriend, and Rory thinks of Luke as a father to her and grandfather to her unborn baby. And things are about to get a hell of a lot more complicated.
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"Lorelai doesn't know I'm coming?" Jess asked for what had to be the ten thousandth time since Rory had hung up with her mother.
"For the last time, that's right. She has absolutely no idea." Rory stopped walking to kiss Jess softly on the lips. "It's going to be a wonderful surprise."
"Not all surprises are wonderful," Jess said cynically.
"This one will be. I promise." Rory kissed Jess again, and then started to walk toward baggage claim. Jess grabbed her sleeve and pulled her back.
"Mmm. Kiss me one more time, and I'll be ready."
"Glad to oblige," Rory grinned.
"Lorelai, she's only five months pregnant." Luke started for the fiftieth time since Lorelai had bought the tiny little wardrobe of baby clothes twenty minutes ago.
"Shush. The baby doesn't know that."
"Okay, first of all, the baby's not here, seeing as it hasn't been born yet, and Rory isn't even around, and second of all, she's only five months pregnant!!"
"Don't yell at me!"
"Don't tell me not to yell at you!"
"I can do however I please!"
"Lorelai!"
"Luke!"
"Mom!" Rory called. Both Lorelai and Luke turned, Lorelai with a huge grin on her face, and Luke with the glare left over from the yelling match he'd gotten into…with Lorelai…in the middle of a crowded airport. Luke glared at Lorelai again, this time over the fact that she'd made him embarrass himself. Jess walked over to his uncle as the girls hugged and squealed over the baby clothes.
"Lorelai make you make a fool of yourself again?" Jess asked, recognizing the glare on his uncle's face.
"Yes. God, she's just so annoying sometimes."
"The Gilmore girls are good at making the men who love them make fools of themselves."
"I don't…love her," Luke protested, forcing the word "love" from his mouth as if he'd never heard it before.
"Oh, sure. I don't love Rory either. I just followed her all the way across the country cause I like her kisses. Oh, and did I mention she's pregnant? With what is definitely another man's baby?"
"But I don't love Lorelai. I've never even kissed her."
"Right." Jess groaned disgustedly. "When did we move into a soap opera?"
"About the minute you fell in love with Rory."
"And we got renewed for another couple of years when she met her spy boyfriend."
"And then another year when you both decided you loved each other at the same time. And you decided to move back here."
"Yep." Jess nodded. "We have no place to live."
"Why are you so cheerful, then?"
"Like I said, I like her kisses."
"Luke!" Lorelai squealed, running back over to him and Jess with Rory. "Jess is back!"
"Thanks, Lorelai. I hadn't noticed that when we had an entire conversation about how he was back."
Lorelai frowned. "You don't have to be so sarcastic."
"Hello, pot? This is Lorelai. You're black," Rory said. Lorelai frowned more.
"Why are you all ganging up on me?"
"It's so easy to make fun of you," Rory grinned.
"I agree." Luke nodded.
"Jess!" Lorelai yelled, pulling on Jess' arm as she noticed he was quiet. "You still like me, right?"
"Of course, Ms. Gilmore."
Lorelai dropped his arm and pushed him away. "You're annoying."
Jess grinned as he was pushed into Rory and put his arm around her. They grinned at each other like idiots, causing Lorelai to sigh and start complaining to Luke.
"They're gangin' up on us, Luke. They're getting all lovey-dovey."
"Yeah, I know. It's sickening."
"Yet somehow sweet."
"Nope, just sickening."
"Come on, lovebirds, let's get back to Stars Hollow." Lorelai grabbed one of Rory's arms and one of Jess' arms and started pulling them towards the exit with her. Luke shook his head and followed.
*****
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When Luke drove them all back into Stars Hollow, he invited Jess and Rory in to the diner for dinner. Jess wanted to refuse, because they'd eaten on the plane, but Rory was hungry again. She somehow convinced Luke to make her a stack of pancakes and a plate of chili fries, with a side of endless decaf coffee. Lorelai then settled at the counter next to her daughter and proceeded to complain about how mean Luke had been in her absence. Luke would emerge from the kitchen periodically to roll his eyes and refill Rory's coffee cup.
At one point he interjected that he had spent the night with Lorelai the night before, keeping her company—therefore, he wasn't mean. This elicited raised eyebrows from Jess and "whoo"s from Rory. Luke and Lorelai both blushed….
Lorelai then yelled at Luke for ten minutes as he left her to deal with the young adults on her own. Somehow in the conversation she managed to mention that she'd broken up with Tom. This was news to Luke.
"You and Timmy boy broke up?" he asked, serving Rory her chili fries.
Lorelai rolled her eyes at Luke's nickname for Tom. "Yeah. I just all of a sudden realized that…I basically didn't like him."
"How'd you do it?" Rory asked, slapping Jess' hand as he tried to steal a fry. "Get your own."
"Sorry."
"I'm not gonna tell you how I broke up with Tom." Lorelai scoffed as if it were the most ridiculous thing in the world.
"Oh, why not?" Luke asked, placing Rory's pancakes in front of her and then standing with his arms crossed, staring at Lorelai.
"I—Be—Just because." Lorelai stuttered.
"I bet she mentioned you in her break-up," Rory teased Luke, looking up at him from under her eyelashes with a childlike look on her face.
"I did not!" Lorelai said a little too quickly and defensively.
"She did!" Jess exclaimed, distracting Rory enough so he could steal a fry.
"I'm gonna get it out of you eventually," Rory said, admitting defeat for tonight. "Did you steal a fry?" she asked suddenly, turning to Jess.
"Of course not."
"You're lying."
"Through my teeth."
Rory grinned. "At least I got it out of you."
"And quickly." Jess grinned, too, and then they kissed. Lorelai watched for a second, and then turned to Luke.
"I didn't mention you."
"I think you did."
"I didn't, I swear!"
"Does it really matter?"
"I—Well—I don't know," Lorelai admitted.
"Yeah. So stop denying and go ahead and admit it."
"But I didn't!"
"Hi, excuse me, sexual tension headquarters, but we need to figure out where to sleep tonight," Rory butted in.
"Jess'll sleep here." Luke said matter-of-factly.
"And you'll sleep at home."
"Yeah. Well, about that…."
"Rory. Sweetie. Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
Rory blushed slightly and nodded. "But, we're not gonna do anything. We slept together last night, but it was fully clothed, nothing happening, practically only best friends sleep."
"But you kiss. And there was probably hugging," Lorelai said.
"Nothing's gonna happen!"
"Whatever, sweetie. But still, your bed's too small for two people, especially when one's pregnant, and Jess' bed here is too small."
"How do you know?" Luke butted in.
"Hello, I've been in your apartment."
"Oh, right."
"Anyway, where would you guys sleep?"
"We were thinking about the Inn," Jess answered.
"The Inn. My Inn?"
"Yeah." Rory nodded.
"You guys want to get a room together in my Inn." Lorelai stated, as if to get the facts right.
"Yeah," Jess nodded.
"I can't believe I'm gonna do this, I can't believe I'm gonna do this," Lorelai muttered. "Fine."
"Thank you, Mom."
"Uh-huh. I'll take you guys over there right now. Bye, Luke." Lorelai stood from the stool.
Rory swallowed the last of her pancakes. "Bye, Luke. Thanks for driving me to the airport yesterday. And for picking us up today."
"No problem."
"Bye, Luke." Jess nodded, and followed both Gilmore women from the diner, his arm around Rory's waist. Luke sighed and started cleaning up.
*****
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"Okay. So you guys get room 205, one bed, big enough for both of ya, complimentary breakfast in the morning, cooked by Sookie, of course, and no sex at all." Lorelai said as she led Rory and Jess up the stairs of the Dragonfly Inn to their room, dangling a key in front of them.
"Mom!" Rory exclaimed.
"What? No sex." She pointed a finger first in Rory's face, and then in Jess', and sent Jess a glare. Rory rolled her eyes and stole the key from her mother's hand.
"I love you, you're crazy, I'll see you in the morning." Rory kissed Lorelai on the cheek and headed into the room, pulling Jess with her. Jess gave Lorelai a two-finger salute goodbye, and then the door slammed shut on Lorelai's face. She pouted, walked back downstairs, and then made her way behind the front desk.
"Hi, Tobin!" she greeted the night manager, who she'd hired from the Independence. "I'm gonna use the phone."
"Go ahead, Lorelai."
"Thanks." Lorelai angled the phone so it was facing her, and dialed a very familiar number. Luke picked up on the second ring.
"Lorelai, she's growing up. Let her do that. I'm not going to spend the night at your house one more time. Stop calling after ten."
"Who's Lorelai?" Lorelai asked in a very fake deep voice. "This is Robert. I wish to speak to…Bob. Uh, wait, I'm Bob. I wish to speak to Bill."
"Lorelai," Luke sighed. "You need to let your daughter go. You've got to face it at some point. She's twenty-three and pregnant. She's in love. She—"
"Has no place to live," Lorelai interrupted in her own voice. "She dropped out of her last month of Yale because of a guy. She's young. Too young to have a baby. I…I can't handle her being old, Luke."
"I know," Luke said softly and understandingly. At least, for him. "But it's going to happen whether you can handle it or not."
"Just one more night." Lorelai pleaded. "I promise, we'll watch some horrible man movie you want to watch, and eat only carrots and lettuce."
"I'm not a rabbit, Lorelai."
"Is that a yes?"
Luke sighed. "Fine."
"Yay!"
"I'll be right over."
"So will I." Lorelai grinned. "I'm at the Inn. I'm heading home right now."
"Call me when you get home."
"No way you're getting off that easily, mister. You are going to head over to my house right now. If I don't get there…wait for me."
"Lorelai," Luke sighed.
"Stop sighing and saying my name. It's starting to really get annoying."
"It's one of my only real personality traits."
Lorelai grinned. "See you in a few!"
"Uh-huh," Luke said unenthusiastically.
"Bye." Lorelai hung up and then walked out of the Inn, grinning.
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"Ahh, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!" Lorelai yelled as she exited her Jeep and ran up the steps of her front porch. "I'm sorry I'm late," she said breathlessly as she ground to a halt in front of the porch swing, where Luke was sitting with a very annoyed look on his face.
"Fifteen minutes, Lorelai," he said slowly, glaring. "I've been waiting for fifteen minutes."
"I know." Lorelai grinned. "I waited till I was sure you'd be here, and then I left the Inn. And then I drove around the town about three times, and now here I am!"
Luke stood. "Look, do you really want me here?"
"Yes!" Lorelai grabbed one of Luke's arms with both of hers and started steering him to the door. "I suspect, Luke, that you and I will be practically family before long. We'll be like the parental units of both Rory and Jess, not to mention the grandparental units of little unborn baby Gilmore."
"Why would I be a grandparental unit?" Luke asked, stumbling a little over the word, "grandparental."
"Because," Lorelai stated simply as she searched through her purse for her keys.
Luke rolled his eyes. "Perhaps you'd care to elaborate?"
Lorelai continued digging through her purse. "Rory sees you as practically a father, I think you're a better father for her than Chris ever was, and you're like a dad to Jess, who will be like a dad to the baby, who will see you as a grandfather. So, you're gonna be my partner in crime." Lorelai stopped digging for a second and grinned at Luke. "Ah, it's gonna be so much fun. We can spoil the kid all over before finally sending it back to the parents. It's like being an aunt, except old." Lorelai pulled a face, and then turned back to her purse.
"You can spoil it, I'll do the opposite. Besides, I have a feeling Rory'll be able to corrupt it to love coffee within a year."
"If she's my kid, she will. Ooh, found 'em!" Lorelai emerged triumphant from her purse, holding her keys.
As she unlocked the door, Luke hoisted his overnight bag to his shoulder and said, "And then the kid'll visit you, and you'll force feed it so much chocolate that it'll sneeze brown."
"Oh, but I bet, if it's a girl, she'll be able to look up at you with those big beautiful blue eyes, and charm you out of anything." Lorelai grinned as they stepped into her kitchen. "I know you, Luke, and I know that she'll be able to get anything from you, just like Rory did when she was younger."
Luke sputtered. "She did not."
"Oh, yes, she did. You want something to drink? We've got water and," Lorelai opened the empty refrigerator, "water."
"No, thanks, I'm good."
"You filled up before you came here, didn't you?"
"No. I'm still full from last night."
Lorelai grinned. "You're such a wuss. Come on, let's go watch movies. Ooh, and we can play Monopoly!"
"No," Luke protested as he followed Lorelai to the living room.
"Oh, you know you're gonna end up playing anyway, so why don't you just stop protesting. I get to be the boot!"
"Damn, there goes my strategy," Luke said sarcastically.
"Shit, you figured out mine."
Luke rolled his eyes as Lorelai grinned and set up the board on the coffee table.