Author's Note: Summer is flying and the premiere is soon upon us! I will try to write faster! :)
Chapter 9
"The Talk"
Rory made her way down the familiar main street and noted that it hadn't changed. Although it had only been a little over a week since she'd moved in with her grandparents she somehow expected the little town she knew so well to look different. It certainly felt different to Rory. There was no reason that it should, yet it did. She crossed the square and made her way to her destination.
The little bell above the door clanged a familiar tone and Rory breathed deeply the smell of fries and cheese, with a hint of grease, the scent of Luke's Diner. She scanned the diner and noted that, as she'd hoped, the crowd was thin. Gypsy sat at the end of the counter finishing scrambled eggs and a man Rory didn't recognize sat in the corner reading the paper. Rory made her way over to the counter.
"Hi Gypsy," Rory said.
"Rory," Gypsy said looking over at her. "Are you finally home from school?"
"Uh, no," Rory replied. Had Lorelai simply told everyone that she wasn't finished with school yet? "I finished classes last week. I've been looking for a job in Hartford though so I'm staying with my grandparents."
"Well, we all knew you'd outgrow us eventually," Gypsy said with a smirk as she stood up. "When Luke comes back tell him the money is under the plate will you? Good to see you Rory."
"You too," she called as Gypsy left the diner. Rory wondered what she'd meant by her comment. 'They knew she'd outgrow Stars Hollow eventually.' Why had they thought that? Rory certainly didn't. Although, the situation being as it was, she wondered if maybe she hadn't grown restless with the town. She'd always found the festivals and fights endearing, but lately, she didn't feel as amused by the antics of the town.
Luke exited the kitchen without looking around the diner. "Hi Luke," Rory said startling him.
"Rory," he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" He was very surprised to see her given the events of Friday night dinner. "That came out wrong," he said taking a breath and walking over the counter. "I mean, how are you? Is everything okay? Is something wrong?"
"No, no, everything is fine," Rory said perching on a stool. "I just…" She wasn't sure how to approach the subject. She had questions for Luke, but she didn't know how to bring them up. Yes, he was dating her mother and yes, he had been in her life since she was roughly twelve, but starting the conversation seemed odd.
"I was hoping I could talk to you for a minute," Rory said finally.
"Sure," he replied taken aback. He wiped his hands on a rag that was lying on the counter until it became a compulsive action. Once he realized it he dropped the rag back on the counter. "Should we—do you want to talk somewhere private or this okay?"
Rory scanned the room. The only other person there was the man she didn't recognize, but even though it was quiet now, it didn't mean that Kirk couldn't enter at any given moment. Plus, Rory wasn't sure she wanted anyone to see her. If Lorelai found out that Rory had been in town without seeing her it might create more tension.
"If we could go upstairs that would be great," Rory said.
"Okay," Luke nodded. "Caesar, I'm going upstairs for a few minutes."
"Sure thing boss," Caesar called from the kitchen.
Luke gestured to Rory and she started to walk up the steps to his apartment. She felt a bit weird. She'd been in Luke's apartment many times with Jess, but this visit was nothing like that. She had set out to have very serious, very grown-up conversation with Luke and this felt much different.
"So," Luke said as he shut the door behind them. "Are you thirsty? Hungry? I don't have much up here right now. I haven't been to the market in a while."
"No, I'm fine," Rory said taking a seat at the kitchen table. "I was hoping I could talk to you about my Mom."
The words relieved and terrified Luke at the same time. He finally felt like there was something he could do about the situation between Lorelai and Rory, but at the same time he didn't have a clue how to fix it.
"Okay," Luke said taking a seat across from her at the table. "What can I help you with?"
"My grandparents were talking this morning and I kind of overheard their conversation," Rory admitted sheepishly. "I was listening to them through the door actually, but they seemed to be talking about you and my Mom."
Luke nodded and Rory continued.
"They seemed to think that you two were going to be getting married," Rory finally said. "I know, it's crazy and they're paranoid sometimes, but it made me wonder."
"If me and your mother really are getting married?" Luke clarified.
"Yes," Rory said quickly. Luke took a second to compose his thoughts, but Rory took it as a sign of avoidance and she stood up quickly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you that. It was a really personal question that you probably don't want to answer," she said hastily backing away from the table and toward the door. "I don't know why I came here to ask you that. It's just that things with me and my Mom are really weird right now and I couldn't believe that she wouldn't tell me something like this, so I came to talk to you. I'm sorry. It was a mistake."
"Rory wait," Luke said standing up. "Please don't leave." Rory stopped where she was, but instead of coming back to the table she just stood with her arms wrapped around her as she scuffed her foot against the floor. Luke thought she looked like she was a child again.
"That is a personal question," Luke admitted. "But I have no problem answering you. Lorelai and I are not engaged."
Rory finally looked up from the floor and looked Luke in the eyes. She could see he was telling her the truth. "Please, come sit?" he asked.
Rory finally gave up her position and came back to the table and took a seat. "But if you're not engaged then why do my grandparents think you are?" she asked Luke.
"I think what I said last night might have scared them," Luke replied with a sigh. He wasn't sure he should tell Rory about his conversation with Emily and Richard. He hadn't even told Lorelai about it, but that was more to avoid a fight. She didn't like to tell her parents many details about her personal life and he was worried she'd think he'd revealed too much, which was probably true.
"I'm going to tell you something that I haven't even told your mother," Luke began. "While the two of you were outside last night I had a chat with your grandparents. They were talking about things involving my relationship with your mother and I kind of snapped. I think they were still hoping I was a phase your mother was going through. I wanted to let them know I'm not."
"I'm sorry about the way they treat you," Rory said. "They're really not horrible people. They just have specific feelings on certain issues."
"It doesn't bother me anymore," Luke said. "I'm more concerned about how it affects your mother. Your grandparents have very definite plans for her future and they don't include me. I wanted them to know, and you too, that I care about your mother very much."
"I know, but why were they talking like you were engaged?" Rory asked.
Luke's face reddened slightly. He'd hoped she would just let it drop, but it seemed the journalist in her didn't die just because she'd dropped out of school. He really didn't want to be the one to tell her that Lorelai had proposed and he still hoped he could avoid it.
"Your mother and I talked about it," he said evasively.
"You talked about getting engaged," Rory said as a statement rather than a question.
"Yes," Luke replied.
"Did you ask her to marry you?" Rory asked.
"No," Luke replied honestly.
"But you talked about proposing?" Rory pressed.
"Actually your mother brought it up."
"She brought it up?"
"Yes."
"That doesn't sound like her at all," Rory said to herself more than Luke. "What did she say?"
"I don't really remember," Luke lied. "She brought it up and we had a conversation about it. You should know that it was a serious talk though."
"So you're going to get engaged?" Rory asked.
"One day I hope so," Luke replied. "I hope that's okay with you. I know that it might a little weird because we've known each other for a while--"
"No, it's not weird," Rory reassured him by cutting him off. "I mean, it was a little at first, but now it's not. I don't think I've ever really seen my Mom this happy."
"I'm glad," Luke replied a little embarrassed.
"I think it's great, really," Rory said absently as she thought. "I'm just surprised that she was the one who brought up marriage. I guess I thought she would say something to me if she was thinking about getting married."
"You shouldn't feel left out or anything," Luke tried to explain. "The conversation was very spur of the moment. I don't even think she'd thought about it before she brought it up."
"But she still hasn't mentioned anything," Rory argued.
"Well you two have had a hard time talking to each other lately. I'm sure she just didn't know how to bring it up. Besides, the whole conversation was put on hold. We're more concerned about you right now. She wants to help you."
"I'm fine without her help. She thinks I'm making a mistake, but it's mine to make," Rory said a little insolently.
"I understand that," Luke offered. "You mother understands that you're old enough to make your own decisions too. I just don't really think she understands why you've decided to drop out of college when going to an Ivy League school was always your dream."
"Going to Harvard was always my dream," Rory corrected him.
"Is that the problem?" Luke asked. "If you went to Harvard would that make a difference?"
"No," Rory replied a little too forcefully. "I'm sorry, I just—I already explained this to her. She just has a problem with me making my own choices. Maybe we're too close. She feels like she needs to know every detail of my life."
"I could see how that could be a problem," Luke said quietly, giving Rory time to continue her thoughts.
"I mean, she didn't even tell me that she was thinking of getting married," Rory continued. "She doesn't tell me everything, why should I have to justify my actions to her?"
"I think this is all just a little sudden for her," Luke tried to defend Lorelai. "Between the boat situation and dropping of college and then moving in with your grandparents--"
"She told me if I dropped out I couldn't come home," Rory cut him off. "What was I supposed to do?"
"I don't know," Luke admitted honestly. "I think she was just surprised by everything. She didn't know about the internship. Maybe if she'd known things weren't going well she'd have been more prepared."
"I thought things were going well until that night," Rory said. "I thought I was doing a good job until Mr. Huntzberger pulled me aside."
"And you don't think he might have had other motives for telling you what he did?" Luke tried to ask gently.
"Of course not," Rory replied aghast. "But why should I expect you to take my side right? You're always on her side."
Luke knew he had to tread lightly now. He didn't want to alienate Rory, but he did want to try to help mend her relationship with Lorelai if he could.
"I wouldn't say I'm always on her side," Luke said recalling a few times when he vehemently disagreed with Lorelai, most infamously, the car accident involving Rory and Jess. "I just want to fix things between you and your mother if I can. I'd like to try to explain to her your side of things."
"I doubt she'd want to listen," Rory said pouting again.
"I think she might surprise you," Luke said. "She wants to make things right between you Rory. I know it might not seem like it right now, but she does."
Rory stared at Luke for a moment. An awkward silence ensued as neither knew what to say next. Rory didn't fully believe that her mother cared to make things right between them. She suddenly felt very foolish and out of things to say.
"I shouldn't have come here," Rory said suddenly. "I'm sorry I bothered you Luke."
She stood quickly and made her way over to the door before Luke realized she was abruptly ending their conversation. He stood up and followed her as quickly as he could.
"Rory, wait, please don't go," he said. "I really want to help you and your mother to work this out."
"I appreciate that," Rory said sincerely. "But there's really nothing you can do. This is between me and her."
"Why don't you stop by for dinner sometime this week? The two of you could talk a little more," Luke suggested hastily as Rory cracked the apartment door open. It was apparent that she was planning to leave very soon.
"I don't think so," Rory declined his offer. "I really do hope things work out for you and my mom. You make her happy."
"She makes me pretty happy too," Luke said fully aware that this conversation was ending. He decided to add, "Hey, if you ever need anything or you just need someone to talk to, you know you can talk to me." He shuffled his feet, slightly embarrassed. He wasn't the emotional type and he never quite knew how to articulate his feelings.
"Thanks," Rory replied. She was touched by his offer and also slightly amused by the crimson shade his cheeks turned. "I'll see you around Luke."
Luke watched Rory as she bounded down the steps as fast as she could. Once again that feeling of helplessness crept into his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to fix what was broken between Rory and Lorelai, but after the conversation he had with Rory he realized that he was utterly clueless as to how to help. Luke scratched the back of his head and sighed as he shut the apartment door. He needed a moment to think before he went back to work.
Rory made her way quickly down the steps in an attempt to evade getting involved in another conversation with Luke. She thought that visiting him and discovering the true nature of his relationship with her mother would help, but it didn't. Instead Rory felt even more lost and alone. It was clear that their relationship had progressed to a point where even Luke was thinking about marriage and Rory was completely out of the loop. Of course it didn't help that she also felt guilty for being angry about it. Luke seemed genuinely happy and she felt like a heel for her anger. She sighed as she made her way to her car. Whatever happened, she knew she was going to have to face it alone.
TBC