Lorelai watched her husband with his son. He was an amazing father. Luke and Lorelai had been friends for eight years before actually getting together. They'd then dated for one year, and Lorelai had made an impromptu proposal, which Luke responded to with a definite 'yes'. They didn't have a long engagement; it lasted only four months. Their wedding was held on the lawn of the Dragonfly Inn, owned by Lorelai, with almost every townsperson in attendance. The newlyweds exchanged vows under the chuppah Luke had built and carved for Lorelai when she had almost married Max Medina, hating the fact that the love of his life would spend her life with another man. But she hadn't. She had called off the wedding after the realization that she was not in love with Max. Luke had never been happier when Sookie, Lorelai's best friend, had informed Luke that Lorelai was not going to be married to Max. At that time, Lorelai was beginning to come to terms with the fact that she may have feelings for Luke, but it still had taken two years after that for them to become a couple. Luke kissed Lorelai for the first time on the porch of the Dragonfly during the weekend of the test run. It had changed both of their lives.
After Lorelai Gilmore became Lorelai Danes, the couple shared their first dance as husband and wife, shared a piece of their perfect wedding cake baked by Sookie, the head chef of the Inn, and shared a nigh together in the honeymoon suite.
Will was born nine months and four days later.
The only unhappy event that had occurred so far in the marriage had been Rory's behavior for a certain period of time. She planned on dropping out of Yale and had fallen into an emotional slump. Lorelai had felt horrible and was unable to have a decent conversation while Rory remained depressed. But after Rory's friend Paris Gellar and ex-boyfriend Jess Mariano talked her into continuing her Ivy League education, she had a change of heart and went back to school and made amends with her mother.
Lorelai had given birth to Rory at the young age of sixteen, and had raised her daughter in the town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut after leaving her parents, Richard and Emily Gilmore, behind in Hartford along with their rich lifestyle. Shortly after her arrival in the small town, she got a job as a maid at the Independence Inn and began her life in the real world, with the help of friends.
Luke set Zach back on the ground so he could pick up plates of food and take them to their respective tables. Lorelai and Samantha discussed the upcoming annual Stars Hollow Fall Festival. Luke, overhearing the conversation as he filled another pot of coffee, groaned.
"You guys honestly want to go to that stupid festival?" he said in a tone that conveyed annoyance.
Eighteen years of marriage had not changed Luke completely. He still hated town events and had yet to go an entire day without giving Kirk or Taylor a hard time.
"You know we are, Dad," Samantha said. "We've gone every year for as long as I can remember. Complain all you want - we'll never give in to your ways of party hatred."
Lorelai laughed at this and gave her husband a look that stated 'You know you will always give in when it comes to our children.'
Luke chuckled.
Just then, Kirk came stumbling into the diner. "Samantha," he said began. "Did you bring that file?"
"Yes, Kirk, I did. I remembered today. You owe me five bucks - I win the bet," she said, holding out an open palm in front of him. He dug through his pocket and finally grabbed hold of the bill and handed to her.
"You may be five dollars richer, but at least you actually brought the file today," he stated.
She smirked. "Whatever," she muttered. She reached into her khaki messenger bag and pulled out a disk.
"Here you go, Kirk," she said, handing it to him.
"But you told me you were going to show me the ropes," he whined.
"Right, I remember."
She pulled out a white Apple laptop and placed it on the counter. As soon as she had it running, she inserted the compact disk and opened up a file. It was an editing program for home movies, where a person could hook up a video camera and customize and enhance the visual effects of their work.
As she explained the program to Kirk, he nodded every once in a while to show he was following along. Luke smiled. Sam was smart. Genius-level smart. She was the one in the house - the town, really - to go to for technological aid. She knew computers well, along with recording equipment and music systems.
What he didn't find so smart about her was that she had befriended Kirk, who had annoyed Luke to no end for years. She found him entertaining and sweet. Luke still just wanted to ring his neck. Ever since Samantha was six, she had a soft spot for Kirk Gleason. No one really understood why. Kirk hadn't had any real friends before her.
When Sam finished helping Kirk he took the disk, thanked her, and exited the diner. Just as Kirk was leaving, Will and Jake were crossing the street, headed towards Luke's. Will was walking while simultaneously reading a book, and Jake was on his skateboard, as usual. He wasn't too bad. He had decent coordination and a generous amount of motivation to achieve his goal of becoming a professional skateboarder. But despite his relative talent, everyone knew he wasn't going to be signing with Element anytime soon.
Jake was first in the diner, dropping his skateboard on the ground, standing atop it and rolling over to the counter.
"Jake! How many times have I told you not to skateboard in the diner? You're going to ruin the floor," Luke stated angrily.
"Geez, Dad, sorry," he said. He picked up the board and leaned it against the counter, taking a seat next to his sister.
"He's so touchy sometimes," he muttered to Sam. She chuckled.
"That's definitely an understatement," she replied. Jake smiled.
"I heard that," Luke said, smirking.
"So you caught on to our passive aggressive behavior?" Sam inquired.
Will looked up from his novel and smiled. He enjoyed being the oldest Danes kid. He liked the power that came with the number of years he had over his siblings. Will was smart, as were all the children, but especially insightful. He was a lot like his father. He knew how to take care of himself. He was mature, trustworthy, and responsible, like both Luke and Lorelai.
Luke was the luckiest man alive. He was married to the love of his life, and had four - make that five - wonderful children. Back before he'd met Lorelai, before they had gotten together, he never thought he would have this. A wife, children. A life. He had expected to spend his life alone, his diner being the only thing he had, since his parents were long since gone.
But he'd met Lorelai and fallen in love with her just five minutes after she had entered his diner, his life in a caffeine frenzy. She was crazy, spontaneous, exciting. He never thought he'd fall for a woman like her. But he had. He had fallen hard, and there had been no turning back.
After the kids had finished their breakfasts, Will left for a friend's house, and Jake resumed his skateboarding. Zach was due at soccer practice. Lorelai picked him up off the stool and set him on the ground.
"You ready for soccer, hon?" she asked. He nodded vigorously in reply. He had already dressed for the occasion before he left home and was now clutching a water bottle. Lorelai took hold of his small hand.
"Sam, I want you to take me too!" he urged.
"Okay, bud," she replied with a smile, taking his other hand.
Lorelai caught Luke's eye. "I'm taking Zach to soccer. After that I'm going to the Inn for a few hours. I'll be back for a late lunch." She leaned over the counter and softly pecked his lips.
"I love you," he said, looking at her with eyes full of love.
"I love you, too," she replied, followed by a sexy smile. She leaned in so her children wouldn't hear her next comment. "I'll show you just how much tonight," she whispered huskily.
He softly groaned, and felt his face go warm.
"I'll hold you to that," he whispered back.
They both smiled again, and Lorelai headed out of the diner with Samantha and Zach behind her.
After Lorelai and her daughter left the soccer field they went their separate ways; Lorelai was headed for the Dragonfly, Sam for the diner.
As she walked back to Luke's, Samantha thought about the movie Sleepless In Seattle, which she had watched last night for quite possibly the hundredth time. It was her favorite romantic comedy. It was a charming yet simple story of a man and a woman living separate lives in separate parts of the country. Sam found it interesting, the fact that two people who had never spoken face to face until the end could feel such a strong connection to one another throughout the entire movie. It was fate, destiny that brought them together. Chance. She found the idea very appealing.
Sam hadn't had a boyfriend yet. It wasn't that she didn't want one - it was the fact that she had not found anyone she actually wanted to be her boyfriend. Sure, there were boys at school that were okay, but only that. She wanted someone better, someone different.
It was then that she crashed into a boy carrying two large grocery bags.
He hadn't been looking, and she hadn't been looking. He was trying to remember the location of his street. He had just recently moved to Stars Hollow and had offered to go to Doose's Market, knowing it was in the middle of town, across from the gazebo. He hadn't bothered to remember the route he'd taken to get there from Peach Street.
After a girl had run into him, he found himself sitting on the ground, the contents of the sacks scattered about him.
"Oh my god!" Samantha exclaimed. "I am so sorry!"
She crouched down next to him.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
And then the two froze. Neither had seen someone quite like the other in their lives. It was as if time froze. It was a moment perfect for a movie. It was unreal, unbelievable.
Sam had never seen a more handsome boy in her life. The boy had never seen a more beautiful girl in his life.
"Yes…I-I'm fine," the boy stated nervously. Sam noted his accent.
"That's…good," Sam replied. "I'll help you pick up your, uh, groceries," she said. She began gathering cereal boxes and pudding. He joined her, and it didn't take long for them to get all of the items back into the bags.
"I don't believe I've seen you around here before. You must be new," said Sam.
"Ah, yes, I moved here about a week ago," said the boy. They were staring at each other.
"Oh! I'm Samantha Danes," she offered, sticking out a hand.
"Sean Finnigan," he replied, shaking her hand.
"Are you…British?" she inquired, frowning.
"Irish, actually," he replied.
"Wow, that's not exactly nearby," she said, laughing.
He smiled.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Sean said. "Um…I don't mean to trouble you, but would you be willing to help me find my street?" he asked.
Sam nodded. "Sure. Which one is it?" she asked.
"Peach?" he said, almost like a question.
She laughed. "Let me carry one of those bags."
Luke had watched the scene through the large window on the left side of his diner. Samantha had been walking across the street, crashed into a boy he didn't recognize, helped him pick up the spilled groceries, and walked off with him, carrying one of the sacks. Luke frowned, confused. He was positive he'd never seen the kid before.
Jake had been back in the diner for about ten minutes. Flipping through a comic book, he briefly glanced up to find his dad staring outside.
"What's up, Dad?" he'd asked, then followed his gaze.
He saw his sister outside, walking away with a guy Jake was pretty sure he didn't know.
"Jake, who is that walking with Sam?" Luke answered, keeping his eyes on the two teenagers getting further away from the diner, then looking over at his second youngest son.
"I was just about to ask you," said Jake. "I know I haven't seen him before. Must be new." He shrugged, drawing his attention back to the comic book.
After Lorelai arrived at the Dragonfly, Sookie greeted her cheerfully.
"Hey, sweetie! How are Luke and the kids doing today?"
"Fine, Sook. What about Jackson, Davy, and Martha?" Lorelai inquired.
"Not bad. Jackson took Davy on a manly fishing outing, and Martha's at a friend's house. You know, she has quite the crush on that oldest boy of yours. So handsome - the spitting image of his father," Sookie remarked, nudging Lorelai's arm with her elbow.
Lorelai laughed.
"Well, the age difference might be sort of an issue, what with Will being eighteen and Martha being thirteen," she said.
"Very true," Sookie replied. "Well, I'm going to get back to finishing up the preparations for lunch. I'll talk to you later, hon."
Lorelai advanced to the front desk, to find Michel sitting on the stool and scowling.
"You're late again," he said, annoyed, with his French accent prominent as ever.
"Michel, how many times do I have to tell you that since I'm the owner, it is not possible for me to be late?" she asked.
"I don't care what you say, it is not fair that I am forced to be here much earlier than you," he grumped.
"You can be Oscar the Grouch all you want, but I'm not changing my hours, Michel. I have a husband and children. I have more responsibilities than you," she stated simply.
He scowled yet again and moved to answer an incoming call.
Lorelai walked off, smiling and shaking her head.
Will was leaving Parker's house as he began to think about Catherine Fairmont, whom he wanted to ask out but was still working up the courage. Sure, he had dated other girls, but Catherine was different. She was smarter and more interesting than the others, that was for certain. She intrigued Will.
He was shy, Will Danes. He didn't talk incessantly like Lorelai, Samantha, or Zach. He was much quieter, like Luke and Jake. Sarah, Abby, Courtney, and Kristin had all pursued him. Technically, Will had not directly asked a girl out on a date. But he knew Catherine was not going to pursue him. In fact, he believed she didn't even know he existed. Which made the situation relatively difficult.
He was heading back home when he saw Jake attempting to grind a bench with his skateboard.
"Dude, what the hell are you doing?" Will asked his brother as he crashed to the ground, the skateboard rolling away from Jake towards Will. He stopped it with his foot.
"I'm trying to grind the bench," Jake stated, still sprawled on the pavement.
"Trying and consistently failing," Will remarked.
Jake scowled. "Shut up, I almost had it that time!" he said confidently.
"Whatever you say, little man," Will replied. "I'm heading back home. Are you going to sit there on your ass all day, or are you going to get up?"
Jake shrugged. "I guess I'll head back with you."
Will helped him up off of the sidewalk and the two brothers headed back to their home, which was the former Twickham house.
After Luke and Lorelai had become engaged, both tried to purchase the Twickham house without the other knowing. They were in a real estate battle against each one another, completely unaware of the fact that Luke was trying to take hold of the property at the same time as his fiancée.
When the couple realized the situation they were in, they laughed and were finally able to purchase the house, together.
"You know, before my parents got married, my mother and half sister lived in that house right there," Sam commented, pointing to what Lorelai had once referred to as the Crap Shack. Sam had always thought it wasn't that bad of a house. She didn't know why Lorelai thought it to be so unappealing.
"It's neat," Sean replied. "Connecticut is a whole different world compared to my homeland."
"Do you miss Ireland?" she asked, hoping it wasn't too personal.
"Yes, but the U.S. isn't too bad so far," he commented, smiling at Sam.
She blushed.
They continued walking for a short amount of time, arriving in front of Sean's house in less than five minutes.
"Well, this is it," he stated, completely unnecessarily. It was obviously his, due to the fact he'd stopped in front of it and there were several boxes stacked on the wraparound porch.
"Are you busy right now?" Sam asked.
He shook his head.
"Nope, I'm free for the afternoon," he said, smiling.
"Do you like coffee?" she inquired.
"I love coffee. It's pretty much my water," he replied.
She laughed.
"Mine, too. My mom's as well. My dad has been trying to break us of the habit for years," she told Jack. "So I was wondering, do you want to go get some coffee at my dad's diner?"
Sean grinned. "I'd like that very much. Let me take the groceries inside, and I'll be back out in a minute," he replied.
Sam smiled shyly and watched as he headed into his house. There was definitely something about him. He was interesting, easy to talk to, unbelievably attractive. She wanted to make him feel welcome in America, show him the ropes. She was captivated by the fact he was foreign - she'd never met anyone who hadn't lived on the East Coast.
Sean headed back outside shortly after, and they proceeded to walk back in the direction in which they had come.
Jake was heading back out of the Danes house into the gorgeous day when he spotted Sam walking with the same redheaded boy she had been with earlier. He dropped his skateboard on the pavement and pushed off, hurrying to catch Sam. He wanted to know who this boy was. Jake was going to kick his ass if he ever hurt his sister.
Just a couple of feet behind the two, Jake called out to Sam. "Hey, sis. What's up?"
Samantha and Sean turned around to face the boy. Sean took a good look at Jake. Even if Jake hadn't referred to Sam as his sister, Sean would be able to tell right away the younger boy was related to her. He had the same startlingly blue eyes and dark brown hair. He was on a skateboard. They didn't exactly skateboard in Dublin, but Sean knew of it.
Jake shook his shaggy hair out of his eyes.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, Sam?" he asked sweetly.
"Yes. Jake, this is Sean. Sean, this is my brother Jake," she said.
"Nice to meet you," Sean stated.
Jake took note of the accent, as had his sister upon first meeting Sean, and a slightly surprised look appeared on his face.
Sean noticed Jake's reaction to his foreign accent. He knew people would be reacting this way - he might as well get used to it. "I'm Irish," he explained. Jake's confusion lessened.
"That's awesome," he replied, impressed. "We don't get many people from out of the country coming here to Stars Hollow."
Sam did find the situation a little odd.