Title: Back In Stars Hollow

Chapter 2: Water And Wind Are Forces To Be Reckoned With

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Don't actually own the phrase "blah blah blah fishcakes" I used last time either—that belongs to Television Without Pity.com. That's a cool website. They use it a lot, usually on "Dawson's Creek" recaps. Cause Dawson just goes on and on and on and on and on…..

Kinda like the disclaimer.

Okay, so, A/N: I actually have reviews I need to respond to. Those are the good kind of reviews!!!!

First of all, I would like everyone to say hi to IloveJess, who is joining us from "What Sam Says". She reviewed almost every single chapter of that story, and reviewed with about five paragraphs for the last chapter. I know for sure that she's a new addition, and I just thought that—since she's the type of hyper friend we all want—we should all say "Hi!!!!" So…. "HI!!!"

Okay, so, second of all: the "Hello, pot? This is Lorelai. You're black" line. This goes with the little line…cliché…something, I dunno what you'd call it—a saying, I guess—"well, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black." See, the line came right after Lorelai goes, "You don't have to be so sarcastic." Then Rory says "Hello, Pot? This is Lorelai. You're black." Actually, it's kind of from Friends, too, cause there's this episode where Monica says that Ross is competitive, and Phoebe makes her hand like a phone and goes, "Hello, Pot? This is Monica. You're black."

So, basically I was having Rory point out the fact that Lorelai is a bundle of sarcasm, when she wants to be, and yet she was pouting because Luke was sarcastic.

Confusing, still?

Oh, and the cultural reference for this one is Jon Lovitz as "The Liar" from SNL. See, he always used to say, "Yeah, that's the ticket" when he lied. And the other cultural reference is from "The Graduate". See if you can figure that one out!!! I bet you can.

I think that's it. Anyway, now I guess I should get started on the actual story. Watch me get started!!!

Here I go!!!

I'm going!!!!

Right now!!

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"Lorelai, open a window," Luke complained, waving his hands around her wet nails, hoping to get rid of the god-awful smell.

"Don't wave so much," Lorelai commanded, shielding her hands from his with her body. "You'll mess up my nails."

"Oh, and that's so important."

"But it is. See, I've had the best idea for an outfit stashed in my closet for the past week, but I haven't worn it cause I haven't had a chance to completely coordinate my outfit. And then yesterday I found the barrette I've been looking for for, like, a month, and so I figured today would be the best day to do the outfit, but only if I painted my nails. And aren't they pretty?" Lorelai held her nails up to Luke. In Luke's opinion, they were pretty ugly. They were alternately neon green and black, with a black stripe down the green and a green stripe down the black.

"I guess."

"Oh, wow, they must be good! You sound so unenthused, like normal!" Lorelai took her hands back and blew on them a little. "What movie should we watch next?"

"Can't we just sleep? Your explanation has me wishing I could lie down."

"Don't be rude, Luke. Let's watch the second Matrix again. You can see Keanu's ass!"

"Oh, and that's your wonderful argument to get me to want to watch it. Again." Luke rolled his eyes.

"No, you want to watch it cause of Monica Bellucci. And the kick-ass fight scenes. Hell, I like the kick-ass fight scenes."

"Lorelai, we've already seen it. We watched it last night."

"Uh…no…that was…the other one. Yeah, that's the ticket."

Luke laughed. "All right, Jon Lovitz. Let's watch the second Matrix again."

"Yay!" Lorelai jumped up and searched through a mountain of videotapes for the movie.

Luke leaned back into the couch. "Next time we need to see the third movie."

"Yeah, I agree, but I haven't gotten around to getting it yet."

"I'll bring it next time. I've got it."

Lorelai settled onto the floor as the movie started playing. "Get down here," she said harshly to Luke, pointing to the floor next to her.

Luke rolled his eyes. "You're so weird. You have a couch, yet you don't sit on it."

"I sit on it. It's just not the best place to watch movies."

"Oh, of course."

"Shut up! I love this preview!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Lorelai shot him a look, and he pantomimed closing his mouth with a key. She nodded, and then they turned back to the movie. Neither noticed how close they were sitting, how their bodies were slightly touching in different parts—shoulders, hips, arms, legs. Neither noticed anything strange when Lorelai settled herself so that her body was held up by Luke's, or when Luke's arm somehow wound its way around Lorelai.

And both seemed to ignore the earlier comments about Luke returning to Lorelai's…as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

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Jess woke up late the next morning, jet-lagged and still dead tired. Underneath his interlaced fingers was movement, and at first he freaked out, before realizing that his hands were resting on Rory's stomach, and the movement was the baby. He grinned, pulled her body closer to his, and slowly drifted back into sleep, the rain pattering the window helping to lull him there.

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Luke and Lorelai awoke at the same time, sleeping on the floor in front of her couch. Luke's arm was around her shoulder, with his hand resting on her hip, and her head was on his shoulder. Slowly, as they regained consciousness, they realized where they were, and who they were with. They both jumped up and apart at the same time.

"So," Luke said, his eyes focused on the floor.

"Yeah," Lorelai said, her eyes on a spot on her couch.

"I guess I should go."

"Probably." Lorelai nodded.

"Yeah." Luke looked up, and Lorelai also looked up. They caught each other's eyes for a second, and grinned, and then ducked their heads again, blushing. "Bye, Lorelai."

"Bye." Lorelai nodded from her spot, her eyes on the floor. Luke nodded, and then walked past her, to the door. He opened the door, stood there for a second, and then closed the door again. When he walked back into the living room, he was dripping all over the floor.

"It's raining like hell out there."

Lorelai finally looked up and giggled. "So I see."

"It's really bad. There's wind, and lightning, and I'm surprised we haven't heard any thunder, and the lights haven't gone—"

Luke was cut off by a huge clap of thunder, simultaneous with a streak of lightning big enough to light the house. Which was good, cause the lightning caused the power to go out.

"—Out," Luke finished.

Lorelai glared through her grin. "Luke, you know better than to tempt the fates."

"I did not tempt the fates."

"Yes you did. With your stupid 'I'm surprised we haven't heard any thunder, and the lights haven't gone out' comment." Lorelai moved from between the couch and the coffee table, intending to walk to the kitchen. As she neared Luke, she tripped over something in the dark, and fell face forward onto Luke. Being pitch-black, as it was, Luke didn't realize she was coming until she hit his chest with her face. He didn't have a chance to brace himself, so he fell backwards, holding Lorelai's arms with his hands and pulling her with him.

"Shit, Lorelai, do you just like to make me miserable?"

"Yes, I was miserably heading to the kitchen, so I could light some miserable candles." Lorelai said sarcastically, putting her hands on the floor on both sides of Luke, so she could push herself up. But her hand slipped in the puddle Luke had left, and she fell into him again.

"Oh," Luke groaned as her chin slammed into his chest.

"Tell me about it." Lorelai groaned back.

Both lay there for a minute, waiting until their breathing slowed.

"Hmm. Maybe you should just roll off. Slowly." Luke suggested.

"Good idea." Lorelai tried to nod, but she was still lying on his chest. He just grabbed both of her arms and started to slowly roll her to his left side. Realizing what he was doing, she slid, helping him, and after a minute, Luke and Lorelai were lying on the floor, side-by-side, in a rapidly spreading puddle of water, Luke's arm under the crook of her neck, and one of her arms slung across his chest.

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Jess started out of sleep with a "Whoa!" as a huge clap of thunder shook the Inn. Rory glanced over at the bed from her spot in the armchair by the window.

"Afternoon, sleepyhead. I see the thunder finally shocked you awake."

"Oh, right," Jess nodded, sliding from under the covers and walking over to her. "And what woke you up?"

Rory smiled as Jess stood behind the chair and slid his arms around her. "Thunder. But thunder half an hour ago."

"Ah." Jess finally noticed the fact that the lights were out and Rory was bathed in candlelight. "What's with the candles? Are you trying to seduce me, Miss Gilmore?" he whispered into her ear.

She grinned, yet rolled her eyes. "The power went out, Dustin."

"Really?"

"Yep. It's a pretty powerful storm. The candles were dropped off by Sookie."

"Nice of her," Jess commented, settling into the other armchair. "Called your mom?"

Rory shook her head. "The phones are out, cause the power's out, and I can't find my cell."

Jess started to stand up. "I'll try to find mine."

Rory grabbed his arm and forced him back into the chair, her eyes remaining on the window. "Let's watch the storm for a while, first."

"Okay," Jess agreed, wrapping both of his hands around one of hers. She watched the pouring rain with content, and he watched her.

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"I'm tired," Lorelai yawned, leaning into Luke.

"Me, too. I guess we just haven't woken up yet."

"No, I'm awake, I'm just tired. I feel like I've gone through a hell of a lot over the past three days. My long-lost daughter showed up, pregnant, and then told a long story about how she'd been artificially inseminated, and then she decided she was going to California to declare her love for Jess, and then they came back together, and I broke up with my boyfriend, and my daughter slept with a man in the same bed."

"Mmm." Luke tightened his grip around Lorelai as she curled into him. "Why'd you break up with Tom?" he asked after a minute.

"God, not this again." Lorelai groaned, although she was a little amazed that Luke had finally gotten the name right.

"You don't have to answer, I guess. I was just wondering…is it cause of me?"

Lorelai paused. Was it? She used to be sure of the negative, but now she felt a little wishy-washy.

"No, no, you don't have to answer. Forget I asked." Luke shook his head, and then sat up. "We should probably get those candles, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we should." Lorelai sat up next to him. "Help me up?" she asked, holding out her hands. Luke groaned as he pushed himself from the floor, careful not to slip in the water. When he stood he grabbed Lorelai's hands and pulled her up. Their arms went around each other's waists as they tried to steady themselves in the puddle. Then Lorelai started walking carefully to the kitchen, and Luke grabbed her hand to keep her steady as they walked together.

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"Found it!" Jess yelled, holding his cell phone up in triumph. He walked from the corner they'd thrown their bags in the night before back to Rory in her armchair by the window. "Here you are, madam."

"Thank you much." Rory tried to turn the phone on repeatedly, but nothing happened. "Uh, Jess? There's not much goin' on here."

"What?" He took the phone from her hand. "Shit." He grinned sheepishly at her. "Sorry, but I forgot to charge it."

Rory shrugged. "We probably wouldn't get any service, anyway." She gestured at the window, where the wind was forcing a tree across the grounds to practically bend over.

"I see what you mean." Jess nodded, and then stood there for a minute, just staring at Rory. "Hey."

"Hmm?" Rory asked, still gazing out the window.

"You know what it'd be fun to do today?" Jess kneeled down and crossed his arms on top of the arm of the chair, and then settled his head on his arms, so that he was eye-level with her stomach.

"What?" she asked, looking down into his eyes.

"I should head downstairs and see if they've got any food, and then bring whatever they do have back up here, and then we can get in bed and just watch the storm."

"That sounds wonderful." Rory smiled, and Jess leaned up to kiss her lightly.

"Great." He grinned. "I'll go do that."

"You go do that."

Jess kissed Rory one more time, and then walked out of the room.

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A/N: I…am a big old softie. And really anxious to get this up quickly, especially since StephieM was just yelling at me to upload this. So I'm doing it. But more for me than her.