Well I'm back again-- and I really need new opening lines because I'm very redundant now. Sadly, no one correctly guessed completely the movie quiz, but I will award 2.5 points to egbert and amelia for getting the series right. Yes it was the Karate Kid, but it was the second one and not the first.

Sneaking on and off the grounds was something she had mastered at a young age. Sneaking on the grounds and hiding a car at the same time was much more difficult considering it didn't exactly fit in with the other cars that had fancy names and high tags. Added to that was getting past what seemed to be the Emily Gilmore radar of if someone was in the front yard, so that left sneaking around the perimeter, which meant that she had to go barefoot as to not leave heel marks in the grass and wreck her perfect new shoes.

Lorelai had watched enough spy movies that she had learned a thing or two about being sneaky. But really it wasn't fair because most spies had to do the gruntwork to get in unnoticed; all Lorelai had to do was use her handy-dandy key, make sure she locked the door after she got in, and hide in a dark corner until after her target had arrived in order to get to business. The backfire was that most spies had an objective for breaking in an establishment; Lorelai's goal had been to just get in and wait.

She had never had much patience.

The only option that remained was find something quiet to do that didn't tip anyone off that she was here. That left about only two options: sitting quietly in a corner or reading quietly in a corner. The large bookshelf loomed before her and she stopped for a moment and looked out the window. She could almost imagine that Rory was standing out where she had been, looking in on her and what she planned for her future. Rory would see the immediate coffee cup, but would begin to notice the little things that time and distance let slip through the cracks. Eventually she would wear a ring, would suddenly have more flannel than anything else to choose from in her wardrobe, food in the refrigerator that had nothing to do with financial difficulties. She would make that extra set of keys, and the porch light would suddenly work again, the back door would no longer be accesible, the window wouldn't creak anymore when Lorelai opened it to smell for snow. It hurt to know that their worlds were splitting and she couldn't stop it. Raising a child to be independant held its disadvantages; it eventually led them to search for their own path, possibly leaving hers behind.

Lorelai didn't want to think about it. She wanted to be happy and share a happy moment with her daughter, and forget all of the crap that had surrounded their arguments of late. She missed the simplicity of telling her news and being able to have a raving party through the house with nothing but a Metallica cd and some frozen chocolate cake.

Her eyes scanned the shelves for something to hold her interest until whenever Rory got home for the evening. Some titles she recognized from home, others were new, and some she knew to be her father's, most likely on loan while he waited for her feedback on something or the other. She spotted The Illiad and The Odessy and thought for a moment about sneaking them home just to tease Luke a little bit. Hell, she even missed when her parents were doing crazy things with Luke and at least semi-participating in their relationship instead of being constantly dissapointed in her choices of late.

She began to walk the room, seeing bits and pieces of Rory's life scattered about. One thing she had learned from her mother was the art of only half-unpacking and leaving the rest on the floor. Obviously Emily hadn't been in here yet or the maid in charge of keeping the place tidy would have been long gone by now. She entered the bedroom and saw the new sheets that Rory had bought before sophomore year had started. On the top of the scattered sheets lay Kernel Plucker, along with Lorelai's amused thought of 'how did that end up here?'

She sat on the bed and leaned against the pillows, picking up the chicken. It had been a while since she had seen it, she acknowledged. Images of a 4 year old running around the inn with a chicken came to mind. A visit with Mia and her laughter at Rory's refusal to let the thing go. Packing it away just because Dean had touched it right before watching Willy Wonka.

This was her daughter's life; jammed away in a pool house in her parent's yard next to a pool that hadn't been used since she was sixteen herself. It was her things in a room that held no life; no memories. It wasn't a home. Rory had a home, and she belonged there. It was a trap Lorelai made for herself. By punishing Rory for her bad choice she punished herself as well, doomed to spend her summer days glancing at a room that should have held her young one in between bouts of movie marathons and pretending to eat grapefruits for extra Luke's coffee, despite the fact that Luke had a soft spot for the younger Gilmore anyway. This was one lie she couldn't shove away and deal with later; she missed her little girl.

"Mom. . . Mom wake up. . ."

"Uuuughh. . .early."

"No, it's late and you're sleeping in my bed."

Lorelai opened her eyes to see Rory standing next to her. "What time is it?"

Rory glanced at her alarm clock. "After eleven. Were you here this whole time? Luke has called me like five times now asking if I knew where you were and I just got home."

"Did you get my message?"

Rory wandered over to her desk and sat in the computer chair. It wasn't hard for Lorelai to tell that things were still going to be tense. "Life-changing news huh?"

"Yeah. . that's what I advertised."

Silence.

"You look well," Lorelai offered.

"I am."

Damn this was frustrating. . . and really hard to admit. Having the feeling of missing someone whose room she had been soley occupying before was overwhealming. Seeing the person she spent most of her waking life for and yet feeling so far away amplified the effect.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about the last time we talked. I know that you want what's best for me, but I'm not sure I know what I want. I just need some time to find out, and I fully intend to go back once I know where it is I'm going."

"I just don't want you to be what your father was, wandering around for years trying to get his life together."

"I don't want to be either." Rory stood and began to pace slightly. "I wish you could understand how hard it is for me to just stop everything I've been going for, and I don't expect you to."

"You know why I can't let you come home right? I don't want to push you away, but I don't want you to think that you can come running home everytime you hit a block in the road. I just can't accept that one man's opinion could shatter your dream this way; especially after all of the crap you went through trying to get on the paper in the first place." She stood as well, "I don't want to argue with you about this since we're never going to see eye-to-eye. Rory, I would hope that you know that I still love you and I don't want you out of my life."

"I do." They both smiled and hugged tightly. "So. . big news huh?"

The lights in the house were on when Lorelai pulled her jeep into the driveway. Still barefoot from sneaking into the pool house, she quietly made her way across the yard and onto the porch. As soon as she twisted the door handle and stepped inside, he was there.

"Where were you? I called the inn, the house, your cell which your answering machine is full by the way, Rory, and was about to try your parents when you walked in."

"I'm sorry, Luke. I just. . . I had to talk to Rory and I couldn't wait but then I ended up waiting in the pool house until she came home and I just fell asleep."

"You fell asleep?" Luke put his hands on his hips and looked away for a moment and sighed. Suddenly Lorelai found herself in his arms much in the way from when he had held her after their argument about Dean. "Just, call me next time and let me know you're okay. I know how to check my messages now."

She squeezed his chest tighter, whispering, "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Did you tell her?"

Lorelai smiled at him, "Yeah. She's excited; she's thinking of all the ways to corrupt you to our way of food thinking."

"Not a chance," he fired back, grinning as well. Luke finally pulled out of the hug and tugged her hand through the house, turning off lights as they went. Eventually they made it upstairs and got ready for bed.

"I need coffee."

"It's after midnight you are not getting coffee. All I'll get is you up and hyper at two a.m. while I'm trying hit the imaginary alarm clock."

"Please please please please--"

"No." Luke turned back the covers and got in, pulling her down with him to prevent her from going downstairs to search for the coffee. "Go to sleep."

She settled on his chest and was quiet for awhile, but her mind and the long nap would not stop, keeping her awake. "Luke?" she said into the darkness.

"What?"

"Have you had many women?"

"What?"

"Have you had many women?"

"Oh so it wasn't just me; you are nuts."

"C'mon, you seriously don't know what I'm talking about? This is not the first Dirty Dancing referance I have ever given you. 'Noboby puts Baby in a corner', classic, and you're clueless."

"Go to sleep Crazy Lady."

Luke came out of the back room and carried plates to a table. By the time he had reached the counter the door had gingled and he turned to see who came in. His hopes were dashed when it was not an attractive brunette, but rather a balding man with a beard who was humming a freakishly familiar tune. At first glance he tried to sneak away back into the storage room or even behind the curtain-- really he just wanted the closest thing he could hide behind.

"Oh Luke! Do you know what time of year it is?"

"Let me guess the time when all the lunatics come harassing diner owners?" His jaw was already tightening and he could envision himself grabbing that pan and throwing. . . but he couldn't even if he wanted to; Lorelai would never forgive him for missing that act a second time. That tune was just so damn annoying, along with the rest of summer, what with the festivals and the heat and the town group things. . .

Taylor put his hands together and announced loud enough for the whole diner to hear, "It's time for the annual Stars Hollow Summer Festival. And returning for another year is that wonderful courtet who sang our theme. 'Those lazy-hazy-crazy-days of summer. .'" he sang.

"And what makes you think that in any way I will be enjoying, attending, or recognizing said festival?"

"Well, as you are a member of the business community and directly in the line of sight of where the festival will be taking place, I thought it was my duty to come and ask you to do a little advertising. You know, a sign in the window, a few flowers on the counter-"

"No."

"Now Luke, would it hurt you to show a little love for Stars Hollow just once?"

He clenched his fists and looked for something to grab. That kitchen was just so, so close. "I don't know Taylor, I'm feeling a little strokey today. Maybe you should come back in about 50 years?" He spotted an empty pan sitting on the counter in the kitchen, waiting for Ceasar to use it. . . it was calling to him. A Lorelai moment ran through his brain and he saw himself as a mini-Luke with a ring of power (the pan), and the need to destroy the one evil, meaning Taylor.

Mr.Brightside on the other side of the counter was just choosing not to notice the increasing agitation in Luke. It was just too early in the morning to deal with this crap. The bell rung again. Thank God! It was Lorelai.

Now any violent action that would be taken could have an eager audience. . .

"Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking."

"Oh my God it's not true is it?"

Lorelai picked up her coffee cup from Luke's and smiled. "Sookie, it all happened, right down to the second broken window in the diner."

"Details, I need details!"

Lorelai continued talking as she walked into the kitchen, mentally preparing for Sookie's later drilling of how the kitchen staff was working, how the food was, what the taste test rating was, etc. "So I walk in, and Taylor and Luke are already arguing about Luke decorating for the summer festival."

"He hates decorating. He hates town functions."

"A well known fact among the general Stars Hollow population. So here he is getting more and more hostile, and Taylor just keeps talking about coloring this and flyers that. . "

Sookie walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, "Ah, I can just see Luke's face tightening and his fists clenching for something to throw."

"An impulse he is not very good at controlling I'm afraid. I come over and sit in a stool to watch the action, and Taylor turns to me and asks me to make him see reason. As if my opinion on town events is ever going to convince that man to enjoy them. Luke just goes nuts and begins pacing the floor, ranting about 'stupid town this' and 'annoying Taylor that'; really I should've sold tickets."

"It's like watching The Real World live."

"So for a while he gives up and goes back to the ice cream shoppe, but then five minutes later he appears at the door and begins taping up a sign promoting the festival."

"Did Luke lose it? I bet he lost it. Oh, morning Jackson. . yes just talking to Lorelai. . . Luke and Taylor had another argument again," Sookie said muffled in the background.

"He went upstairs and got his sledgehammer and began chasing Taylor around the square with it. Eventually they lapped back to the diner where Kirk had since finished his breakfast and was leaving. Taylor ran up to him and began to hide behind him while Luke was talking crazy ax-man talk-"

"Wouldn't that be crazy sledgehammer-man talk?"

Lorelai picked up a muffin and took a bite before continuing. "Probably, but here we have a virtual hostage situation going on, Kirk as the hostage, when he reaches over and grabs Taylor's cardboard sign and begins to use it as a shield. Luke begins to swing the hammer but Kirk backs up and since it's really heavy he couldn't just stop swinging- wham! Into the door window."

"Exciting."

"And I got the best seat in the house. After which, Luke walks in and calmly goes about his business. I think bashing things is a stress reliever for him."

"Remember that next time you call me and Rory asking what to do about birthday gifts. So, I called for a reason; give me the daily news."

Lorelai continued munching on the muffin while a server brought a plate to her and she began to inspect it. "Score is 10 out of 10 for appearance, 10 for taste, 10 for being food, and 10 all around so you can stop checking in everyday. Everything is fine here and you just need to relax and take care of those babies."

After a few more grumbles and expressions of threats to the kitchen staff if things are messed up, Lorelai promised another report tomorrow and hung up. She put the phone down and continued eating her breakfast, picturing Luke's reaction to her eating fruit. It was for Sookie, she justified. She was keeping the woman sane by eating the fruit, and not in any way because she liked it. It went against all proper principals she had set reguarding healthy food, and she only had one: don't eat it.

The ringing of the phone startled her and it took her a couple of seconds before answering it, "Dragonfly Inn."

"How many people know?"

"What about your violent morning while Kirk was held hostage?"

"Yeah about that."

"Sookie just called asking for details and she hasn't left the house but for a couple of times since Martha was born."

"Ah jeez."

"Hey don't worry about it; just think of it as comic relief for the rest of us, safe in the knowledge that as long as the movies coming out continue to get worse and worse, having you and Taylor duking it out is a great backup."

"That's just what I want to be, a living, breathing, walking, Black White & Read theatre." He picked up a rag and continued cleaning the counter as he talked. The glass was cleared and Kirk had already been escorted away by the town's only paramedic for a case of hyperventilation. "So, are you busy tonight?"

"Well I was thinking of going around and selling advance copies of the DVD of your fight but I guess I could squeeze you in. What have you got in mind?"

"You'll see. Dress casual and tennis shoes. Pick you up at six-thirty?"

"Alright. Do you want me to bring my own baseball cap and then we can look like twins out in the batting cages and the juice bar."

"Sorry but the patented 'Luke Danes night of romance' is not going to be occuring this evening. I'll see you tonight?"

"Bye Sledgehammer Harry." She clicked the phone off before she could hear his reply.

Well I do believe that will end this installment. The next should be the date and things that happen after, although I really have no idea where this is going to go. I'd like to finish before the season premiere starts since this is obviously AU but. . .

RnR

Snow