Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Gilmore Girls blah, blah, blah.
A/N: Ok…I hope you guys aren't going to be upset, or think I'm jerking you around or anything, but it turns out that this will not be the final chapter of this fic.
I realized as I began this chapter that things needed a little more setup than I thought, and also there were a few more things I could include (I had a scathingly brilliant idea…and if anyone can name the movie that line is from, they have my undying respect forever, and I'll share Luke if I ever get him), so….I don't know how many more chapters there will be. We'll just ride this out together and see where we end up, shall we?
We're fluffy and a little angst-y as we move toward the end…hope no one minds…
I appreciate all your reviews, you guys Rock! But I do have to give a little shout out to EvenAngelsFall22. Your detailed reviews really make my day…oh and by the way, Get back to work! I'm waiting for your Operation: Win Lorelai update, Missy. ;)
This chapter will be in Lorelai's point of view. Thoughts in italics.
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Lorelai was feeling sneaky.
C'mon Viv, it's you and me, work with me here.
She crept carefully down the stairs, and past Rory's closed bedroom door.
Just a little further and we'll be home free!
At that moment she stumbled and a distinct swish was heard. Lorelai froze.
Viv, you're such a traitor, I never would have believed it of you…
"Mo-om" Rory sing-songed from her bedroom.
Maybe if I don't answer, she'll think it was her imagination.
She heard Rory's doorknob begin to turn.
Ah Fate, you are a fickle friend…
She grabbed the lampshade from the lamp on the table and stuck it on her head. From under the rim of the shade she could see a foot, covered in a striped sock, tapping impatiently on the floor.
"Nobody here but us lamps," Lorelai said, lifting the edge of the shade further to see her daughter smirking at her. In the three and a half months since Rory had moved back home, things had pretty much gotten back to normal.
Oh I am so never living this down…
"Mom, this has got to stop, this is the fourth time this week!"
She just doesn't understand about you and me, Viv.
"I know Rory, I can't help it," Lorelai whined "See, it's not my fault this time…it was Viv! She's tired of just hanging around all the time and she convinced me that we should make a break for it. I told her it wasn't a good idea. I tried to talk her out of it. 'Viv," I said, 'it'll never work. Rory will catch us and mock us and'—well you did and here we are--"
Rory held up a hand to stop the tirade. "You named your wedding dress Viv?" she asked, shaking her head.
"Short for Vivian, like in Pretty Woman--cause she's so pretty."
"Of course, it all makes sense now." Rory rolled her eyes. She stepped forward and removed the lampshade from her mother's head. "And where were you and Viv headed--another excursion to the Chuppah?" She asked knowingly.
Lorelai looked sheepish. "Just for a minute…"
"Lorelai Gilmore, what if Luke had come by and seen you?" Rory demanded.
"Luke is all the way at the diner, and the Chuppah can't be seen from the front of the house, so it's perfectly safe. Besides, what are the chances that Luke would come here--"
They heard the front door open and the gruff voice of a certain diner owner, "Lorelai--"
And the fates conspire against me yet again…
"Red Alert!" Rory screamed as Lorelai bustled past her into Rory's room. "Luke, don't move."
"Again?" he groaned, but the girls could tell from his voice he was grinning.
"Luke, what are you doing here?" Lorelai shouted from Rory's room.
It's the middle of the day…shouldn't he be doing diner-y things?
"I brought lunch," he shouted back.
Rory walked into the entryway to see Luke was holding a large brown paper sack. They grinned at each other.
"This is the second time this week," Luke said.
"That you've caught her," Rory replied. Luke's eyebrows shot up and his grin got a little wider.
Rory sighed. "Just you stop looking so smug, mister, and assume the position."
Luke turned and faced the corner by the door hinges, and Rory grabbed a sweater from the coat rack and draped it over his head. Standing over him to make sure he didn't peek, she shouted, "All clear, Mom!"
Lorelai ran through and up the stairs, her dress swish-swishing all the way.
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Lorelai hung the dress back up on its hanger and smoothed it, lovingly, with her hands.
Four more weeks, Viv, four more weeks.
She threw on some jeans and a t-shirt and bounced down the stairs and into the kitchen. Rory and Luke had their heads leaned in close together and were whispering conspiratorially. They jerked apart when she entered the room and began speaking in normal volumes.
Well, well, well…what do we have here? Secrets…
S-So…er Rory…everything all set for Yale? Luke stammered.
Real smooth, Danes…not buying it.
"Um…yeah, yeah, all set," began Rory awkwardly, "Grandpa pulled quite a few strings to get me re-enrolled in time for fall semester."
Ah yes, Yale. Definitely Top Secret stuff…
"Yes, well who better than the Puppet Master to pull strings….what's going on with you two?" demanded Lorelai, crossing her arms over her chest.
Two pair of overly innocent eyes looked up at her.
"Who us?" said Rory, batting her eyelashes.
"Nothing at all Lorelai," said Luke.
Riiiiight…
"Mmmhmm, ok, whatever. You two have your little secrets. So, diner man, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" Lorelai asked.
"Well, Logan called and said he had found the perfect place to get our tuxes, so I said I'd meet him here. And I brought lunch…and pie."
What a man!
Lorelai plopped down in his lap. "I knew I was marrying you for a reason," she said, smiling.
"And is that the only reason?" Luke looked deeply into her eyes.
Oh wow…too many reasons to count, but that look is high up there on the list.
She smiled seductively. "Well, there are a few others," she whispered as they continued to gaze at each other.
"And on that note, I'm going to go outside and wait for Logan," said Rory, grabbing a cheeseburger and heading for the front door.
Alone at last.
Their lips met, and for awhile, lunch was forgotten.
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Later they sat sharing a piece of apple pie. Lorelai began to get fidgety and nervous.
I have to ask. It's his wedding too.
"Luke," she began, speaking softly.
"Mmm?" he didn't look up from the pie.
"You know, I love my chuppah."
The chuppah that you built me…
"Mmhmm," he grunted again, still not looking up.
"And I think it's the perfect place to get married. After all Sookie and Jackson used it, and they loved it, and they're still married, and--"
Luke dropped his fork and looked up at her. "Lorelai, where exactly are you going with this?" he interrupted, sounding frustrated.
This is what I was afraid of.
She looked down at her hands fidgeting in her lap. "Luke, I love the chuppah, but as much as I love it, we don't have to use it."
When, after a moment, he didn't speak, she raised her head to look at him and saw on his face shock and a little hurt. "You don't want to use the chuppah?" he asked quietly.
Ugh…stupid, stupid me…Okay Lorelai fix this.
She reached out and took Luke's hand in both of hers. "Luke, I absolutely want to marry you under that chuppah, it would be a dream come true, but--"
Luke looked confused, "Then why--"
"—But I would marry you anywhere, anytime, and I completely understand if you don't want to use the chuppah--" she looked down at their joined hands. "--because you made it for me when I was engaged to Max."
Luke sighed and looked at the floor. He stood up, still holding her hand, and walked toward the kitchen door. "Lorelai, I need to show you something."
He led her out the door, and to the item in question. He sighed again. "Lorelai, what I'm about to tell you and show you, I'm not real proud of, and I just hope that you'll understand and not be upset."
Upset? What would I have to be upset about?
He began to pace. "When I built you this chuppah, I thought that my chance was over, that I had missed it, and I was angry. I was angry at myself for not acting sooner. I was angry at you for—I don't know—for not really seeing me, I guess, and I was angry at Max for saying and doing all the things that I wanted to say and do with you." He stopped and searched her face. "I thought I'd lost you forever."
I still don't understand why I never saw it…ok, that's not true, I saw it, sometimes, but it scared the bejeezus outta me so I ignored it.
He paced some more. "I started building this partly because I felt guilty for being so angry, and partly because I wanted to give you something, something beautiful, so that at least you'd know I cared in some way. I didn't have what it took to come to you and tell you how I felt. I just couldn't…it wouldn't be fair to you. You had made your choice, and I had to respect that. You were going to belong to him, but I needed something. I needed it to be acknowledged in some way--recorded; so that it was real…it couldn't fade away. I was selfish." He looked down at the grass and sighed, while reaching up to the set of leaves above Gilbert's head, and pushing with his thumb. To Lorelai's utter shock, the leaves slid and rotated up, revealing a smooth space of wood with something engraved on it.
I can't believe I didn't know that was there! Just when I think I have him all figured out…
"I can't see what it says," she told him softly.
He stepped behind her and she felt his strong hands on her waist, lifting her. A little thrill went through her that he could lift her so effortlessly. She held onto the arch of the chuppah for stability and bent her head to read the inscription.
For my Lorelai,
With all my love,
Luke
Oh my god…I am such an idiot…all that time wasted!
Her hand flew to her mouth and she choked on a sob. Suddenly she was sliding down Luke's body and his arms were around her, holding her tight. "I'm sorry. Please don't cry, I'm so sorry--" he was whispering in her ear.
I'm the one who's sorry…
She spun in his arms and silenced him with her lips. He was hesitant at first, until she grasped his bottom lip with her teeth and caressed it with her tongue. Then he took over, gently invading her mouth over and over, making them both tremble. They clung to each other as the world spun out of control and time crashed to a halt. When their lips reluctantly separated he whispered, "I guess you're not mad…"
Mad about you…
She grinned, "Oh I'm mad…totally furious at all the time we wasted dancing around each other when we could have been doing this." She kissed him again. It was a shorter kiss this time. "So I guess you don't mind using the chuppah then?" she asked.
"As far as I'm concerned, it has always been our chuppah." He said, kissing the upturned corner of her mouth. He reached back up and slid the leaves back into place.
Just then Logan and Rory came out through the door. "There you are!" Rory exclaimed, "We didn't know where you were, and we were afraid to check the bedrooms." She winked.
I have taught her well…
"Aw Geez, Rory." Luke grumbled as Lorelai laughed.
"Grandma called, she's coming over with some more floral samples for you to look at." Rory said.
Ugh…I still can't believe I let her back in…all the wedding sentimentality making me go soft, I suppose. Still, she has been behaving surprisingly well. No fighting about the wedding location, and surprisingly, no digs about the groom. But more flower samples…Ugh
"You ready to go, Luke? Richard is meeting us there, but we still need to pick up Jackson, and we don't want to be late." Logan said.
Lorelai fell to the ground at Logan's feet. "Take me with you! Please, have mercy kind sir!"
"Yep." said Luke, as he stood her up and faced her toward the house, giving her a swat on the butt to start her moving.
I can't believe he just did that! I am such a bad influence on him. She stuck her tongue out at him.
He leaned over and whispered 'Later' into her ear, causing her to blush. Out loud to Logan he asked, "You sure this is the place to go?"
A really bad influence!
"Oh yes. It's the best." Logan assured with an odd smirk.
Now what is he up to?
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A/N: Ah…I do so love the fluff. Next stop…Tuxes.
I know that I'm not keeping the same order as to whose turn it is to have their thoughts heard. I just have to go with whoever's thoughts it makes sense to go with for the chapter.
Please review!