A/N- Ohhhh, I suck big time! I'm soooooooooooooooooo sorry! This past month has been ridiculously busy, I now have nineteen campers in my bunk and only two counselors, including me. My CITs all left. At the end of the day (When I'm not babysitting 3+ times a week), I'm simply too tired or too busy working on camp stuff to write. Or at least to write a lot. Hence, the fact that this chapter has been literally "in progress" for me for the past month. Hopefully, I'll be able to get the next chapter up soon. Camp ends this week, sadly. :(. I love camp. Plus, I love the fact that I got a $75 dollar tip from one of my campers who was only there for 7 weeks. Normally, senior counselors get $50 for a full eight-week camper, but I've been her counselor for three years and she and her parents love me. Good kid, too. Ok, I'm babbling.
A/N 2- This chapter is ridiculously long. Just thought I'd mention that. Sorry.
A/N 3- I loooooooooove the fact that I get reviews a month after my last update. Reviewssustenance. Remember that, people.
A/N 4- Questions! Ok, so it goes smoothly sometimes, but it's supposed to be a sweet, humorous story. There's going to be a lot of conflict in upcoming chapters... there's one chapter I've had planned for literally four months. I'm gonna hopefully update soon. Crosses fingers... Those of you insinuating about the breakup? Remember that Ryan/Rory is my personal favorite couple in this story. Also remember thatI like subtler clues as to who's gonna break up, rather than in-your-face "BEEP! BEEP! BREAKUP OVER HERE!" clues... Jess will NOT be leaving the story. At least, not permanantly. Jess is waaay too much fun to play with as a character... The whole "in character" thing is a difficult subject for me, with this story. I feel like they, as characters, would have changed with the different circumstances presented in this story. I'll try harder to keep them closer to character, though... There WILL be Ryan/Tristan confrontation. It will (hopefully) be un-Deanlike. I just have to figure out where to put it. No worries. No fears... I'm not sure where I would put in Christopher drama. I'll see if I can work it in... Ok, that was long. But that's what I get for a whole frickin month. Sorry :).
Dedicated to: Everyone who knew that the TV show in the last chapter was CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (The Las Vegas one). I watch that show religiously. That would be... a lot of people... rorgan fan, Kylie1403, BeatlechickSteph, BassClarinetSweetie, CommanderBubbles (Sorta), Bedros, Nindira, PeanutButterLuver1399, Harmmac82, Du Grey, Hold the Pickles! (Because I admire honesty), Queen of the Elven City, potostfbeyeluvr, Music4mysoul, my cousin Ally (Happy 14th bday, Ally!), Lali-chan, CrazyCanadianLLama, Rebecca, Dewster, and Sea4Shoes (Aka Chelsea, who apparently watches over my shoulder as I type). Holy crap, that was a long list.
New Challenge: What movie are Ryan and Rory talking about and quoting in the first scene of the chapter? Same rules. What's different? Nothing.
Disclaimer: I'm thrilled to get $75 from a camper of mine. You think I own The OC and Gilmore Girls? Doubt it.
Unexpected
"I think I've forgotten what you look like," Rory muttered into the phone, fingering through her cd collection.
"Stop," came the deep voice from the other end of the receiver.
"No, really. Are you the blonde one or the brunette?"
"Ror..."
"Ry, I feel like I haven't seen you in, like, forever."
"You sound like such a valley girl when you say that."
"I'm serious, Ryan," she pouted into the phone before realizing that her boyfriend couldn't see her; she frowned more before putting her cd into her stereo, Jason Mraz instantly babbling about something in rapid succession after she hit play.
"It's only been a week."
"Seven days of boredom."
"I have two more weeks to go before I get off of house arrest."
"Fourteen fun-filled days of wandering around town with my brother, Lane, and Ally, pulling a 'What do you want to do?'"
"You have other people to hang out with."
"Oh, right, let's see... There's Lane, who's constantly muttering something about how she misses Seth and 'Oh, I haven't seen his curls in a week. What if they're longer?'. Then there's Jess, who's been acting funny for days. I think he got into a fight with someone and he's not divulging any information. Ally's been acting weird around us since we started Chilton. Don't know what that's about. And I have to tell you, the twins? Believe it or not, they're not nearly as witty as you are."
"Surprising. I took that Josh for a comic mastermind."
"Not funny, Ryan. I feel like Bialystock without my Bloom."
"There, there," he waited for her to answer, which she did with an appropriate,
"Where? Where?" There was a short pause where neither one of them really had anything to say before Rory whined, "See, we're missing classic movie nights, too!"
"That movie will still be there come two weeks from now."
"Maybe. Maybe not. Did you see that episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm? Mel Brooks wanted to take it off Broadway! Who knows, maybe he'll pull every copy of the DVD in the tri-state area!"
"He was acting, Rory. He doesn't actually want to get rid of it."
"Says you." Ryan's eyebrows raised,
"Ok, let's move away from this topic because I don't like cranky Rory... anything interesting in your life lately?"
"If by interesting you mean disturbing..."
"I always do."
"I walked in on my parents making out on the couch the other day," There was a choking noise and Ryan coughing, "You ok?"
"Just gagged on my Coke there for a second... Hang on, I'll be ok," he coughed forcefully a few times before returning to the phone, "How'd you take it?"
"Freaked out. Ran out of the room. I believe I said something about how 'Four is enough and I really don't need any more siblings.'" Ryan laughed,
"Y'know, it could've been worse."
"Pray tell."
"They could've been having sex," Rory screamed into the phone and Ryan moved the earpiece away from his head, "Geez, Rory, warn a person before you break the sound barrier."
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!"
"What? It's not like you don't know they do it. Exhibits A and B come in the form of Hannah and Josh."
"I know that. I'd just prefer not to think about it, thanks... Just for that... You know that your parents have sex, too." There was another gagging noise and a long pause before Ryan choked out,
"I hate you."
"Love you, too. I gotta go."
"Love you, even though you're the spawn of Satan."
"That's going on the wedding invitations," she joked.
"Bye."
"Bye."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Seth, studying his Legion comic book (which he had carefully inserted into the history book he was supposed to be studying as part of his grounding), was startled by a knock behind him. He jumped up and pulled up his blinds, finding Lane's smiling face beaming at him from her seat on his roof.
Quickly yanking the window open, he stage-whispered,
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Seeing things from your point of view. I never thought I'd be the one climbing trees to see you." He pulled her in through the window and gawked at her in disbelief,
"My dad's home. If he sees you, we're gonna be thirty by the time we have our next date."
"I know... it's just... I miss you... Your hair's gotten longer."
"Has it?" She nodded and leaned in to kiss him for the first time in a week, smiling into his lips,
"I'd have called you, but I'm banned from using the phone for two weeks."
"What?" asked Seth, panicked, "Did your mom find out? Does she know about us? Is it over? Oh, G-d, I knew I shouldn't have let you put in Al Green! Nirvana is always the answer after nine at night!"
"SETH! Relax! Don't you think that I'd be grounded from everything and not just the phone for longer than two weeks if my mother found out that not only have I been dating a non-Korean boy and not only have I been dating him for two years, but that I spent the night with him the other day? No. That girl, Anna, from my Christian studies class saw me walking down the street eating a candy bar the other day. She told her mom and her mom told my mom. Very big scandal."
"So you're still allowed out?"
"Yeah. I'm just not allowed to use the phone to call anyone, including 'Rory, those Satanic boys that the Danes' girl insists on talking to, or Mr. Hershey'. It was oddly specific."
"Your mom told you not to call 'Mr. Hershey'?"
"Believe it or not, I think she actually thinks that I got a Wonka bar from Willy himself." Seth laughed, but stopped short as he heard his father's gruff voice call him from down the hall,
"Seth!"
"Uh-oh," Lane breathed, turning to the window. Seth helped her out and kissed her quickly,
"Must do this again sometime soon."
"Definitely."
"Love you."
"You too." Before Lane got the chance to climb down the roof, Sandy entered Seth's room, and she quickly disappeared behind the wall.
"Seth, your mother called. She wants you to make sure you set the table by the time she comes home." Seth groaned,
"Couldn't Ryan do it?"
"Ryan did it yesterday. Your turn." Sandy wandered around the room, seemingly looking for something.
"Dad, could you do it for me?" He pleaded, watching his father move about with conviction.
"I could," Sandy began, "But then I'd have to tell your mom that Lane was here," Seth's mouth dropped open as Sandy stuck his head out the window, "Hey, Lane."
"Hey, Sandy. How's it hanging?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
"Dad... how did you..."
"Please, Seth, I've known Lane since she was six years old. I know her voice when I hear it down the hallway," Sandy chuckled. Seth tiptoed,
"And you're not gonna..."
"What, ground you more? No. I understand that you need to see your girlfriend at least once a week. Ryan at least sees Rory during school." Seth found it wisest not to point out that a wave and a mouthed 'Love you' twice a day in the hallway barely constituted 'seeing each other during school' (Though they do get to see each other in the car or on the bus every day... He thought bitterly).
"Thanks, Dad."
"You're welcome. Now go set the table before I change my mind." Seth nodded, waved to Lane, and quickly ducked out of the room. Lane sat, grinning ashamedly at Sandy, who only asked,
"How did you manage that climb?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lorelai yawned as she flipped through the receipt books at the inn; Hannah had kept her up all night with a cold. She and Luke had taken turns comforting their youngest, even going so far as to move her crib into their bedroom, but to no avail. She had cried most of the night and spit up the infant Tylenol they had given her. Upon discovering that she had no temperature and calling the doctor, they decided just to allow her to stay with them for the night. Lorelai thought of Luke and wondered how he was doing with the twins at the diner; it was his day to watch them (They hadn't found a day care program that they liked yet).
The phone's lazy ring caught her attention and she quickly picked it up,
"Independence Inn, Lorelai speaking."
"Lorelai," came her mother's voice from the other end.
"Mom, hello," she instinctively sat up straighter, but then scolded herself for the reaction.
"I wanted to talk to you about the Christmas dinner this Friday."
"Ah, Christmas dinner." In the midst of Hannah being sick, Rory and Jess' hectic schedules, and making sure Josh didn't get sick as well, the prospect of the Christmas dinner hadn't entered her mind in nearly a week.
"You forgot," her mother sounded angry, but not surprised. Lucky Jess, she thought somewhat bitterly, has the freedom to decide whether or not he wants to go to this. The answer was obviously "no".
"Well mom, there's been a lot going on around here lately, your Christmas shindig's not exactly high on my list of things to obsess about."
"Well I'm sorry if the timing is bad, Lorelai, but the world doesn't always revolve around you." Someone's still upset that I never go with Rory to those dinners... Hey, mom, newsflash? It doesn't revolve around you either. Lorelai thought bitterly; her mother was always upset when she forgot "family functions" that inevitably consisted of very little family and very much function.
"Cocktails are at 6, dinner's at 8." I shouldn't be drinking, and you know it.
"We probably won't be there for cocktails."
"Why not?"
"Because I have to work. And Hannah has a doctor's appointment."
"You can't leave work early?"
"No I can't."
"And you can't reschedule the appointment?"
"No, mom."
"Why not?"
"Because the doctor was nice enough to squeeze Hannah in at the last second, and she needs to see a doctor. She has a bad cold." Without hesitation, her mother coldly told her,
"Well then, don't come." Lorelai stopped what she was doing,
"What?"
"Don't come. It's obviously an enormous burden for you." Oh-ho, you don't mean that.
"Yeah, but-"
"Just send Rory. And the twins if possible."
"You're telling me not to come to the Christmas party?"
"Well, you're obviously too busy."
"I had the German measles in the 5th grade, I still had to show up to the Christmas party."
"Lorelai, let's be honest here, you've been very stubborn lately with your refusal to come to Friday night dinners with Rory. You obviously don't want to be here, and I assume neither does your husband. Don't come."
"My polka dot dress matched my face and still, I had to sit through 12 courses."
"I am tired of forcing you to do all those terrible things that infringe upon your life and I do not have the energy to pretend that the way you've been treating me has been in any way acceptable."
"So you're uninviting me and Luke to Christmas dinner?"
"Yes I am."
"Fine," she said, feeling like a petulant three-year-old.
"Fine."
"Ok, anything else?"
"I believe that's all."
"Ok well, great, mom, it's been swell talking to you."
"Bye, Lorelai."
"Bye."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"What are you doing this weekend?"
"Sandy and I are taking the boys to see his mother in New York. Why?" Lorelai sighed,
"I just needed to relax with some people who actually like me, is all."
"What happened?" Kirsten fiddled with the seatbelt in her car, tugging to free it from capture between the seat and the door.
"My mother."
"Oh. Emily happened."
"Yeah, Emily happened. She actually uninvited Luke and me to the Christmas party."
"The Christmas party?" Kirsten gasped, "But what about the Apple Tarts?"
"I'll have to live without them this year, I guess." Kirsten laughed,
"Liar. You're sending Rory with a big purse so she can take some home for you, aren't you?"
"Kirsten Cohen, you can read me like a book."
"I know."
"It's just... I've never been uninvited before. Unwanted, sure, but never uninvited."
"You're really upset about this, aren't you?"
"Yeah! I mean, not only is it the twins' first Christmas..." Kirsten cut her off,
"Or their first two weeks before Christmas."
"Exactly. Not only is it that, and they should spend it with family and the apple tarts, but I feel like... what's really bothering me is that I think I want to go."
"No you don't. It's the inability to go that's making you want to go. I think you should just spend a quiet night at home with the twins and Jess and Luke and just relax. Ok?"
"But-"
"No buts. You're going to stay with your husband and children and that's final."
"Yes, Mommy Kirsten."
"Good. I have to go. I think Ryan and Seth are planning their escape from this weekend."
"Wouldn't be the first time."
"Bye."
"Bye."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lorelai whisked into the diner, unable to locate her husband. As the door slammed behind her (she hadn't meant to slam it, but when she let go to allow it to close, the wind had blown it shut), she heard Josh's stressed cries come from a bassinet in the corner of the diner. She quickly ran to him and picked him up,
"Hi, baby. You're ok. You're ok... Mommy missed you today, handsome," she soothed his cries, "In fact, mommy coulda used those baby blues of yours today. Too late now, though," she bent down and kissed her son's forehead as she heard Luke's bounding footsteps descend the stairs, "Hi."
"Oh, good, it's you." Lorelai gave him a puzzled look,
"You were expecting J.Lo?" He shook his head, readjusting Hannah in his arms,
"No, it's just that I heard Josh crying and then he stopped and I thought maybe someone picked him up. I was trying to avoid another Kirk fiasco."
"Oh, right. That was possibly the scariest five minutes of my life. I never want to relive my son having to dance in a sequin jumpsuit to 'I Will Survive' with the town odd-jobsman."
"Is odd-jobsman a word?" Lorelai shrugged and sat down,
"Don't know."
"Hey, are you ok?" Lorelai glanced up sheepishly at her husband,
"No."
"What's wrong?"
"Emily."
"Oh. What happened this time?" he asked, sitting on the stool next to her, bouncing Hannah lightly in his arms.
"We're uninvited to the Christmas Party." Luke nodded,
"Mm-hmm..." When no more came, he responded, "That's it?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"Lorelai, that's no big deal. We'll spend the night as a family instead. You, me, Rory, Jess, and the twins. Just sit around and watch TV together." Lorelai shook her head,
"Rory and the twins are still invited. Jess was never going to go. It's just you and me that are uninvited."
"Oh... I'm still not sensing the problem here."
"Look, it's just... I've never been uninvited. To anything. Ever. I was always forced to these stupid things and... I don't know..."
"Well... do you want to call her and talk about it?"
"No," she said forcefully, "If she doesn't want me there, I'm not gonna beg. I'm not gonna give her that satisfaction."
"So then we'll hang out together. I'm not sure what I can do about coverage for Saturday, but you can hang out upstairs and I'll stay up there with you, Jess, and the twins."
"Jess has plans with Ally."
"Then it'll be you, me, Hannah, and Josh. Unless they're going clubbing?"
"Hannah did mention something..." Luke cut her off with a glance, "Ok."
"Alright. Problem solved." He kissed her lightly on the lips and went back upstairs to put a now-sleeping Hannah in her nursery, hoping that Lorelai's downcast look would pass.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"But, mooom," Ryan whined as the car pulled up to the apartment where his grandmother and other senior citizens lived.
"No, Ryan."
"Mom, please..."
"No."
"It's not fair, though..."
"Ryan Nicholas, I said no. Now are you going to stop acting like a five-year-old, or do I need to spell it out on your Lite-Brite?" Ryan groaned and turned to his father,
"Dad?"
"You'll do as your mother says. You're in trouble enough as is. Don't push it." Ryan sighed exaggeratedly and leaned back against his seat,
"This sucks."
"Ryan, why can't you be excited about visiting the Nana?"
"Because she terrifies me."
"Seth's excited, and when he was little, he used to hide in a corner under a blanket when the Nana came to visit."
"Seth's not excited to see the Nana. He's excited to see all of his friends in 'Building 4A, for the young at heart'." Seth looked up from fidgeting with his iPod and punched Ryan in the arm,
"Hey, Sylvia's got the energy of a 60-year-old!" Ryan decided to go in for it one more time,
"Mom, I have no interest in Sylvia and her energy level. You don't want to be here either. You could go out and do something. Tell the Nana you took me out. You're sure you won't reconsider?"
"Ryan, you are sixteen years old and already grounded for spending the night with your girlfriend," when Ryan made a noise to protest, she added, "however accidental. You are not going to CBGB's alone on a Saturday night. And that's final." He grunted, folded his arms over his chest, and glared petulantly out of his backseat driver's side window. Just then, the car pulled to a stop and his father honked the horn to announce their arrival. His parents piled out of the car, going to the trunk to pull out their bags as the Nana came slowly out the front door.
"Making an old woman come to greet you? I suppose you'll make me carry the bags in, too?" Kirsten begrudgingly lifted the bags out of the trunk, an angry frown on her face as Seth stifled a laugh, Ryan remained motionless, and her husband turned to greet his mother,
"It's good to see you, too, Ma."
"Sandy, you look pale. Are you eating well? Sleeping well? Working well? Everything ok at home?"
"I'm fine, Ma. Kirsten's the miracle worker around the house, balancing everything and still managing to organize this trip to visit you," he pleaded without conveying it in his voice.
"Mm-hmm."
"Hello, Sophie. How have you been?"
"Old. Busy."
"Well... that's quite a life you live there..." Seth stepped out of the car,
"Nanelah!"
"Sethela, how are you, my grandson who never calls me or writes me?"
"Umm... behind on the times?"
"And where's your brother, who at least picks up the phone when I call, even though he passes it right off as soon as he picks up?"
"What?"
"Ryan. Where's my other grandson?" Kirsten peeked her head into the open window in the backseat,
"Your grandmother's looking for you, Ryan. You'd better get out here." He begrudgingly opened his door and stepped out, plastering on a fake smile,
"Hi, Nana."
"Ryan," she said, hugging her grandson, "How's living the fast life in Connecticut?"
"Quiet... but I like it." She studied his blue eyes,
"What's wrong?"
"Huh?"
"What's wrong? You don't look well. What's the matter?"
"Nothing, Nana. I'm fine."
"You are not. Don't lie to me."
"I'm not..." Kirsten cut him off,
"He's upset because I won't let him out on his own in New York City." Ryan carefully avoided everyone's eye, glaring at the sidewalk. Surprisingly, the Nana asked,
"Well, why not?" Ryan looked up at the Nana, his mouth agape in appreciative silence.
"Because he's sixteen."
"And? Sandy was wandering the streets of New York City when he was nine."
"Dad, you were a latch key kid?"
"Later, Seth."
"Kirsten, they're not going to be babies forever. You can't keep them that way."
"I'm not... he's not... I just thought he should spend time with you. He never gets to see you," she lied through her teeth.
"He can be a normal teenager if he wants."
"Thanks, Nana, I think I'm..." he stopped himself upon seeing the furious glare in his mother's eye; it was in his and Rory's best interests that he not piss her off, "just gonna stay and hang out with you. I mean, I can go out with kids my own age anytime."
"You're sure?" With a final glance at his mother, he nodded and sighed,
"I'm sure."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I wish you'd change your mind."
"It's not my mind that needs to be changed." Rory watched Lorelai sit crankily on the sofa in the den, flipping through a two-month-old copy of Vogue.
"I don't think she meant it."
"Oh, she meant it."
"Well maybe she thinks she meant it at the time, but I bet she won't mean it later when I show up there without you or the twins." Lorelai scrunched up her nose and stared at her daughter,
"And without a map to follow that reasoning I say, 'Take a hat, it's cold outside'."
"You just wanna hold a grudge." Rory disappeared into her room to grab her purse.
"Yes, it burns more calories. Dad's starting to encourage it."
"That's not true."
"Yes it is, how do you think your grandma got those legs of hers? She's not exactly a Stairmaster gal," Lorelai smirked to herself at the thought of Emily Gilmore dressed in workout shorts and a sports bra, sweat pouring down her back, her hair pulled messily through the back of a worn-in hat as she worked out on a Stairmaster with other sweaty women.
"Mom."
"Never saw her on the running track." Again, a funny image of her mother covered in sweat entered her mind.
"Ok," Rory tried to stop her mother.
"I don't remember the country club organizing a Tae-bo class." That was the funniest to Lorelai; her mother kicking into thin air, being led by an overly-muscular man named Burl? Very unlikely. And very amusing.
"Fine, forget it. Should I put your names on Grandma's present?"
Yes, sign it 'the inn keeper formally known as her daughter, her blue-collar husband, and their indigent children'." Rory sighed,
"Indigent?"
"Can you think of a better word?"
"You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think you're acting a little immature."
"Well, then, your brother and sister are rubbing off on me."
"Mom, why are you acting like this?"
"I'm not acting."
"Well, what about the apple tarts? You wait all year for those apple tarts."
"I can live without the apple tarts."
"You've made up songs after eating five of them with lyrics that contradict that last statement."
"Rory..."
"You've pissed off dad to the point of him not giving you coffee for a week after telling him that he doesn't have the talent to make the apple tarts."
"Ro..."
"I once asked you which you loved more, me and Jess or the apple tarts, and it took you ten seconds to answer with a very hesitant 'me and Jess'."
"Oh, you know what? You have to go, you're late."
"You really won't come?"
"What? I'm sorry, is somebody speaking? Couldn't be Rory, she's already halfway to Hartford."
"Fine, I'm going. Give Josh and Hannie a kiss for me."
"Drive carefully. Watch out for ice. And bring me back one of those," but before she could finish her sentence, the door slammed closed. To Rory's now invisible back, she screamed, "Tarts!"
A half an hour later, Rory arrived at her grandparents' house, sans family, lugging a large gift up to the front door. She rang the doorbell and was quickly answered by the door swinging open to reveal her grandparents and four of their friends.
"Rory, come in. You look lovely."
"This is from me, mom, dad, Jess, and the twins." That list has gotten long.
"Well, aren't you thoughtful. I'll just put it under the tree."
"You know, mom actually picked it out." Emily ignored her,
"Hannah and Joshua didn't come?"
"Umm... no, Hannie was sick all week and mom and dad didn't want Josh getting sick in the cold." Emily nodded,
"That's a shame... Rory, do you know Holland Prescott?"
"I met her last year." Her grandmother led her into the den, to a woman sitting, sipping her drink on the sofa,
"Holland, look who's here."
"Hello, Rory." In the background, Rory could hear her grandfather arguing in aggravation with his business associates, but tried to stay out of his work-related conversation. After a moment, Emily made her presence known,
"Richard, Alan, look who's here."
"Hello, Rory."
"Hi." Alan scanned her up and down, as if appraising her (She knew, had her family been there, Jess would've been laughing, her father would've whisked her away, and her mother would've made a comment about being "sent out for shipping".),
"Where's your mother and father?"
"Oh, well, they..." Rory stammered, but Alan ignorantly answered his own question,
"Over by the apple tarts, I assume." He gave an arrogant, hearty laugh as Emily answered,
"Lorelai and Luke couldn't come tonight."
"They couldn't?" She didn't tell Grandpa? Not what I expected...
"No, the babies weren't feeling well. They decided to stay home and make sure they were alright."
"Shame. I wanted to meet the babies. I heard that little girl looks a lot like you." Rory blushed,
"Oh, well, she looks more like my dad..." Richard gave Emily a perplexed glance,
"But couldn't Luke have taken care of Josh and Hannah? Why couldn't Lorelai come?"
"Oh, well, she had to work late also." Rory noted how seamlessly her grandmother lied as her grandfather ranted,
"Ah. Speaking of which, I'm going to give that man a call." Grandpa's really worked up over whatever's going on. She zoned out on their conversation before she realized that Emily was beginning out of the room,
"Grandma, could I talk to you alone, please?" Emily breezed past the request,
"You need something to drink."
"I want to explain about mom and dad..."
"Rory, please, this is a party."
"They're just really busy," she forged on, "with me, and Jess, and Hannah and Josh, and the inn and the diner, they just really don't have time to take one day a week..." Emily stopped her,
"This is not the time or place to discuss this, your parents should have taught you that."
"Please don't be mad at them."
"I'm not mad at anyone. Now go back in and join the party."
"But..." Emily cut her off, waving her hand and thrusting a silver object of some sort into her hand,
"And take this to Gigi on your way back."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ryan, Seth, Sandy, Kirsten, and the Nana sat around the Nana's cramped dining room table. As the adults talked, Seth continually tried to get Ryan to converse in whispered, silent conversation, but Ryan's perpetually bad mood seemed to be determined to stay in place (unless talking to the Nana, in which case it was replaced by a forced smile and false politeness).
"I don't see the point of reality television," Sophie grumbled, "There is no way in any reality that sixteen people would get stranded on a desert island together and then vote each other off the island."
"Ma, it's called 'reality television' because they're 'real' people. It's unscripted to some extent. The reality of what they're saying is what's reality."
"I still think it's a waste of time and programming. I..." suddenly, a Musak version of Queen's Bicycle Race grew louder from under the table. The adults all looked at Seth, who raised his hands in defense,
"Mine plays Fat Bottomed Girls."
"Good song," nodded Sandy as Ryan grinned in embarrassment,
"That's me, sorry," he pulled it out and saw Rory flashing from the screen. He shot a pleading glance at his mother, who shook her head vehemently,
"Shut it off, Ryan. Call her back later."
"What? Who is it?"
"It's my girlfriend, Nana. I haven't seen her in a few days and she's probably just calling to say hi," As angry as he was, Ryan was still one of the most obedient teenagers either of his parents had ever met; when his mother said no, he listened and covered if anyone was looking on, "I can talk to her later."
"No, pick up the phone."
"What?" asked both Ryan and Kirsten at once, both in incredulity and confusion.
"Pick up the phone. If your girlfriend is calling you, she obviously needs to talk to you."
"Oh, no, Nana, it's really ok," he knew his mother would not be happy should he pick up the phone in the middle of dinner with his grandmother.
"Nonsense. I said pick it up. Now pick it up. Go into the kitchen, though; we don't need to hear the kissy noises you make to her." With a parting, sorrowful glance at his mother, who looked defeated, he flipped open the phone and wandered into the kitchen,
"Hello?"
"Hey."
"Hey, what's up?"
"I'm sorry to call you when you're with your nana."
"It's ok."
"I mean, I'm sure she's not happy to let you pick up the phone when you're supposed to be with her."
"You'd think that, wouldn't you? I think, because my mom's trying to stay on her good side, she's saying the opposite of what my mom's saying. So she told me to pick up."
"Oh... how's Kirsten handling it?"
"Not well. She'll need to talk to your mom when she gets back."
"She should talk to my dad. He knows the cranky, angry in-law thing better than anyone."
"Dinner with the grandparents not going ok?"
"I'm hiding in the library. Anytime anyone mentions mom or dad or even the twins, Grandma gets all defensive and starts lying about why they aren't here. And mom won't even talk to Grandma."
"Ror, it's always been this way."
"Not this bad. To some extent, yeah, but at least they used to be able to talk to each other without the look in their eyes they get when they see a dead spider."
"Can you talk to them?"
"Have you ever tried to talk Lorelai Danes out of something she's set her mind to?"
"Yeah. Remember the time she wanted to get your dad to go to New York City to get her a deep-dish pizza when she was pregnant?"
"How could I forget? It was two hours of 'Thin crust? No Cheese? I think not! Luuuucas!'" Ryan laughed,
"That was a good day."
"That it was."
"It's just... she gets it from my grandma. They're so similar. I'm convinced that it's why they fight so much."
"Probably."
"So... any advice?"
"I don't know... fake your own kidnapping? That'd have to hit home with them both, maybe strike a similarity cord?" Rory shrugged,
"I don't think my dad would appreciate that. Hannah would be going on dates before I would be allowed to again." He sighed and paused as he was thinking,
"I'm not really sure what to tell you to do..."
"That's ok," he could hear that she was disappointed, but there was nothing he could do about it, "Just having you to talk to helps... having anyone to talk to who isn't biased helps."
"Ok. I should go. I'll tell the family you say hi."
"Thanks. Love you."
"You too."
"Bye." He flipped the phone closed and reentered the kitchen, where his family was sitting expectantly.
"So?"
"So what?"
"How's Cori?" Ryan rolled his eyes slightly,
"Rory, Nana. Her name's Rory."
"She's ok. She's just having some family stuff." Kirsten and Sandy looked concerned,
"What's wrong?"
"Is Luke ok? Is Lorelai ok? Are the twins and Jess ok?" Kirsten's voice became more high-pitched with each word she spoke.
"Everyone's fine."
"Then what's wrong?"
"It's an Emily thing." Kirsten sighed,
"Makes sense. Did she get into a fight with Luke again?"
"No. Lorelai this time. Said she didn't want her coming to the Christmas dinner." Sandy gasped,
"What about the apple tarts?"
"Don't worry. I'm sure Rory's bringing some home for her," chimed Seth. Sophie's eyes went wide,
"I'm sorry, who are we talking about?" Ryan looked at her,
"Oh, sorry Nana. It's my girlfriend's family."
"Who are the twins? And Jess?"
"Her brothers and sister."
"What? When did her parents have more kids? When I met her a few years ago, she was an only child. How old are they?"
"The twins? Hannah and Josh are three months old."
"And Jessica?"
"Jess, Nana," Seth corrected.
"He's a month older than Ryan, Seth, and Rory, ma," Sandy answered her question."
"He?"
"Yeah. Her brother, Jess."
"What kind of a name is 'Jess' for a boy? And how can he be a month older than them?"
"It's Jess like 'Jesse', Sophie. They just left out the 'e' at the end."
"And he's actually, biologically, Luke's nephew. But they took him in when he was ten and they're going to adopt him."
"Oh. That's wonderful. And I remember, last time I was there, the house was clean and the girl was well-behaved. Is it still the case?"
"Yeah, ma."
"How nice. Maybe they could help you, Kirsten."
Seth and Ryan's eyes went wide and they stole a look at each other, communicating silently.
Oh crap.
This won't end well.
"Ma!" Sandy's eyes blazed with fury.
"I mean, don't get me wrong. The boys are well-behaved. It's just the house..."
"Ma, that's enough!" Sophie was taken aback at the tone in her son's voice,
"Sandy!"
"Ma, you can't talk to my wife that way! Kirsten works herself to the bone day in and day out and the house is always spotless!" Sophie stared at Sandy, mirroring the determination evident in his eyes,
"Last time I was there, Seth's room was incomparably messy."
"Seth's room is Seth's responsibility. He knows that. He cleans it, a big clean-up job, once a week. You came for a surprise visit and he hadn't cleaned his room yet. If it's not clean, then he loses privileges. He and Ryan both know that. But don't you blame the boys' messy rooms on Kirsten. We both work too hard, at two full-time jobs each to be on top of them for every little thing. Kirsten does the best she can and I must say, I'm impressed. It's turning out better than I thought it would before we opened the ice cream store." There was silence for a moment as the boys stared at their plates in shock at their father's outburst, Sophie glared at a clock ticking lazily behind Sandy's head, and Kirsten's hand reached over and quietly found Sandy's under the table.
Everyone was startled as Sophie spoke,
"I'm sorry, Kirsten. That was out of line... I apologize."
"That's ok, Sophie." Another awkward pause.
"So... how is Kandy's doing, anyway?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Hey," Lorelai greeted grumpily as she entered the diner.
"Hi," Luke responded, leaning over to kiss her hello lightly, "Jess just brought the twins back. They're upstairs, asleep."
"Ok," she said without enthusiasm.
"He told me he brought them over to Ally's. He said she's been distant lately. Maybe you should talk to him about that? Girl problems, I mean." She shrugged,
"I'll ask him about it."
"Hannah smiled at me today when I said her name."
"Really? Good." Every word she spoke lacked exuberance; Luke became irritated,
"Lorelai, you really need to get over this."
"Our daughter smiling? Yeah, I should," She joked flatly.
"You know what I mean. You're both hurt. It'll blow over and you know it."
"Yeah... maybe... I don't know." He sighed and turned away,
"I'll get your burger."
"Wait. Can I see a menu?"
"You need to see a menu?"
"Yes."
"You come here every day. Technically, half of this is yours. Our three-month-olds know what's on the menu already." She sighed,
I know, but I usually get the same thing, and tonight I'm in the mood for something a little different." He rolled his eyes at his wife,
"Menu."
"Piece of paper, list of food offered."
"Ok, here," he reached behind the counter to grab menu and handed it to her, "It's not in Japanese."
"Don't you have any kind of holiday special? Something festive?"
"I just got some Grey Poupon. That's French." She sighed again,
"I'll have a burger."
"Coming right up."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rory sat quietly at the dinner table, playing a new game she'd invented. What if They Were Here involved anyone she'd rather spend time with. In any situation, she replaced her grandma's pretentious friends with her own friends and family.
She envisioned her mother making faces at her and Jess across the table whenever Emily wasn't looking, looking angelic as soon as Emily turned around. She imagined her father talking business and life with Richard, shooting threatening, yet joking glances occasionally as Rory and Jess tried to distract him from behind Richard, jumping up and down and dancing. She thought of how Ryan and Seth would play silent games under the table, how Sandy and Kirsten would pull Luke and Lorelai over repeatedly to tell them their sarcastic observations on the party, and how the twins would be passed from person to person, though they'd become fussy and the teenagers would excuse themselves to take care of the babies in her mother's old bedroom.
As it was, however, she was the only one under the age of forty at the party, and she was bored out of her skull at the dinner table as the adults made polite conversation,
"Emily, you've outdone yourself yet again."
"Yes, I can't imagine the hours you spent slaving over a hot stove."
"You're teasing me, Alan." Rory tapped her foot nervously, if only to keep herself entertained.
"It's delicious, Emily."
"A compliment for my chef is a compliment for me, thank you Alan."
"Your father's a chef, isn't he, Rory?" asked Gigi.
"Well, he owns a diner, but he can cook gour..." Richard cut her off,
"I, for one, would like to know where Henry is at this hour. Probably gallivanting around London like a bull out to stud."
"Richard, please," Emily glared at him.
"Well, how is he supposed to negotiate the contract tomorrow morning if he's been out at all hours with some cheap tramp?"
"Knowing Henry, she wasn't cheap," Alan joked as Rory giggled.
"This is wildly inappropriate dinner conversation especially in front of a young lady." Richard began to fiddle with his collar,
"Is it unbearably hot in here?"
"Richard, don't loosen your tie at the table."
"So, what are your plans for the Christmas holidays, Rory?"
"I'll probably just be hanging out around Stars Hollow. My mom and I have some shopping days planned, just the two of us."
"Oh, it's such a shame she couldn't come, she's always such a kick."
"Lorelai wasn't feeling well, so I suggested she stay home." Rory noted Emily's slip in her lie, but couldn't point anything out as Richard muttered,
"It is hot in here, I'm going to lower the thermostat."
"Poor thing, what's wrong with her?"
"She has a touch of the flu. Richard, forget the thermostat!" Gigi apparently noticed Emily's mess-up,
"I thought you said she was working?"
"Well she was supposed to work, but then she caught the flu, so one way or another she couldn't have made it."
"Tell her we missed her. And that we wanted to see those babies."
"I will." I can't promise she won't make fun of you, though.
"Richard! For heaven sake," Emily got up to go retrieve her husband, "Richard!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lorelai looked up as her husband slid a hamburger under her nose. She couldn't help but giggle as she took in the sight of the burger and bun,
"What did you do?" Luke shrugged,
"You wanted something festive." She looked at him, admiration evident in her eyes,
"You made me a Santa burger." He shook his head,
"It's not big deal."
"He has a hat and everything."
"Yeah, I just cut a piece of wonder bread, you know, poured a little ketchup, piped on a little cream cheese." She grinned at him and kissed him lightly,
"No one has ever made me something quite this disgusting before."
"You gave birth to my kids. It's the least I can do, to make you something that will make you vomit later."
"Thank you, honey."
"You're welcome." As she smiled down at the Santa burger, her cell phone began to ring from her purse. She grimaced as Luke pointed to the 'No Cell Phones' sign,
"What?"
"Outside!"
"Are you kidding? It's like the North Pole out there."
"Hey, this sign isn't just a decoration."
"I remember. You were the one who put it up when we were redecorating."
"When you made me redecorate."
"It disturbs the other customers."
"But the other customers didn't give you the kids."
"Yeah, and the kids you gave me kept me up half the night last night."
"So, what you're telling me is that our children are worth a Santa burger, but not a mild interruption?"
"Lorelai..." he said warningly. She stuck her tongue out and ignored his glare, going to pick up her phone, though it stopped ringing,
"Perfect, Now I have to check my voice mail." Luke's angry gaze was redirected momentarily, though, as Taylor and a group of carolers entered the diner, singing joyously.
"Whoa, what's going on?"
"Well we were caroling around town and we got a bit chilly and we thought maybe we could trade you a song for some hot chocolate." Luke's eyes got narrow,
"You want free hot chocolate?"
"No, no, we'll sing for it, any tune you like. Or maybe your wife would like to choose?"
"You sing and then I give you free hot chocolate?" Taylor nodded,
"Yes."
"Not a chance. You want hot chocolate, you pay. I have four kids, all growing, and songs don't pay for anything." Luke jumped as Lorelai gasped behind him,
"Oh my G-d!" Taylor ignored Lorelai's shock and forged on,
"These are your neighbors, Luke!"
"Shut up, Taylor," he turned to his wife, "What's going on?" She looked up at him, tears threatening to spill over,
"My father's in the hospital."
"What?"
"Yeah, he collapsed or something. I don't know. I need to go... I need to go to the hospital... I need to talk to Rory... Where's the phone? I need... can anyone give me... I'm holding a phone."
"Lorelai, you need to calm down, honey."
"No. I can't calm down. I need... I need to use your car. Where are the keys? Did you forget them at home? Are they upstairs? And the twins... and Jess... Where are all of my kids!"
"I'll take you." She shook her head,
"But, there's food and there's people and there's a burger with a face." Luke shook his head and quickly ran upstairs, returning in a moment with Hannah and Josh in their individual carseats in each hand,
"Ok, everybody out! We're closed, let's go. Food's on me," he turned to Lorelai and placed the carseats down on the counter, "Put on your coat, wrap the twins up, and get your stuff," he turned to Taylor, "Taylor, have your hot chocolate and then lock up," he turned back to his wife, "C'mon, the truck's out back."
"What about Jess?"
"We'll go pick him up. Call his cell phone."
"Luke, I'm..." He cut her off, taking Josh's carseat in his hand,
"I know. Let's go."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lorelai sat anxiously in the front seat of the truck, Jess, Hannah, and Joshua in the back seat,
"Look." Luke glanced at her in frustration,
"Relax."
"We're being passed by senior citizens."
"I'm going as fast as I can."
"Bye, Grandma, bye."
"There's ice on the road, those people aren't being safe. Our children in the car. You don't want them getting hurt, do you?"
"No, but only three are in the car. I'd like to get to the fourth before she thinks we forgot her."
"Mom," Jess said tentatively, "It's not safe. We'll..." Lorelai cut him off,
"Jess Michael Mariano, you do not want to finish that sentence. I am very nervous right now and you do not want to mess with me." Jess raised his hands in defeat and leaned back to comfort Hannah, who was fussing slightly in her seat.
"Lorelai, c'mon, I know you're nervous, but Jess is trying to help..." Lorelai ignored him as she dialed her voicemail again, "You checked it five times already, I've listened to it twice, it's not changing." Lorelai made a noise of disgust,
"'Grandpa's in the hospital, please come.' No details, no info. Who taught her to leave a message like that?"
"She was in a hurry. She was nervous."
"Was it you? Did you teach her to leave a message like that?"
"Lorelai..."
"A person needs details. Why is he in the hospital? How bad is it? What are the circumstances involving him being in the hospital? These are simple questions."
"We'll be there very soon and we'll know everything."
"What if he's dead?"
"He's not dead."
"How do you know?"
"I know.
"Oh, you're psychic now? You're suddenly getting visions while you're driving 20 mph in the oldest truck known to man?" There was an awkward pause in which Luke was sure he heard Jess whisper to Josh and Hannah 'Mommy's lost her mind tonight. I'm sorry, guys.' After a moment, Lorelai reconsidered, "I'm sorry. You're killing yourself to get me there and I'm yelling at you. I don't mean it."
"I know. Trust me, I know when you mean it."
"I don't want Hannah and Josh to miss out on having a grandfather. I mean, if I needed him, he was always there for Rory. I don't want him to not be there for the twins," she paused before admitting, "I feel like this is one of those moments when I should be remembering all the great times I had with my dad, you know? The time he took me shopping for a Barbie or to the circus or fishing... and my mind is a complete blank."
"You must have at least one of those memories," he thought of the way Richard was with the twins- caring and always willing to play.
"No, I don't. We never did any of that. He went to work, he came home, he read the paper, he went to bed, I snuck out the window. Simple. He was a very by-the-numbers guy. I was never very good with numbers."
"He loves you."
"Y'know... my dad is not a bad guy."
"No, he's not."
"He lived his life the way he thought he was supposed to. He followed the rules taught to him by his non-fishing-non-Barbie-buying dad. He worked hard. He bought a nice house. He provided for my mom. All he asked in return was for his daughter to wear white dresses and go to cotillion and want the same life that he had. What a disappointment it must have been for him to get me."
"Lorelai, you are not a disappointment."
"You've bought Barbies for Rory... well, I mean, the teacher Barbie. She never was really into that, was she?" Luke couldn't help but grin,
"No, she wasn't."
"See, you're a great dad."
"You're a great mom." He caught Jess nodding slightly down at the twins out of the corner of his eye as she scoffed,
"Yeah. It's just the uh, daughter part I don't have down yet." Luke sighed,
"We're almost there... That Camaro is dust."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Mom!" Lorelai called, rounding the corner as Luke and Jess, pushing the babies' stroller, panted behind her. Emily's eyes went wide,
"Lorelai!"
"What's going on? How is he?" Emily seemed shocked,
"You came!"
"Of course we came. How's dad?" Emily rolled her eyes,
"That's what I've been trying to find out but this woman keeps pestering me with idiotic questions like 'What's the number of my insurance policy and how long have we had it?'" The nurse looked pleadingly at Lorelai,
"I need to get this information."
"You need to get sensitivity training!" spat Emily as Lorelai jumped in,
"Well, what if I fill out this information and you can go find someone who can tell us how my dad is."
"I'm not supposed to..."
"Or, I could go and you can stay here and continue to discuss this with my mother." The nurse looked at Emily with guarded malice before agreeing,
"I'll go."
"Thank you." Emily watched on in amazement as the nurse's retreating figure became smaller,
"You got rid of her."
"Yes, so tell me what happened."
"That's amazing."
"Mom, please..." Emily noticed that her daughter was completely serious and began to explain,
"I don't know what happened. He was hot and he went to turn down the thermostat and then..." she seemed to have noticed Jess, Luke, and the twins for the first time, "You brought the children?"
"What?"
"The twins and Luke's nephew. You brought them?"
"Yeah, mom. We were spending the night, me, Luke, and the twins. Then we went and picked up Jess from his..." She saw Jess' glare, "friend's house and we came right here."
"Which is her way of saying we brought the kids."
"Is there a problem with that?"
"No, it's just... it's a hospital. It's not the safest place for them to be."
"Mom..."
"I mean, it's very germy..."
"Mom..."
"They can get very sick..."
"Mom, they were born in a hospital three months ago. There's doctors on-hand. It's safe for them if we keep them close."
"I just assumed..."
"I wasn't leaving my kids home. Not tonight."
"Alright."
"Is the doctor here?"
"Yes, Joshua got here a while ago. He was supposed to come back the minute he knew something but he hasn't been back yet." Jess looked puzzled and asked Luke,
"Dad? Josh is a doctor?" Luke shook his head and cuffed his son lightly,
"Shh. Your mother's in crisis mode."
"Well, let's go find him," Lorelai said confidently. Emily shook her head,
"You can't find him! You can't find anyone! Everyone just keeps disappearing behind those doors!" Lorelai glanced back and forth from the doors to her mother,
"Well, c'mon, let's go." She forged through the doors as Emily watched after her in shock,
"I didn't know you could do that," she followed her daughter through the doors as Luke said,
"We'll wait here." Just then, Rory appeared through the elevator doors, shocked at what she found,
"Dad!" Luke looked up and stood up to greet his daughter, wrapping comforting arms around her,
"Hi, princess. Are you ok?"
"I'm fine... Why are Jess and the twins here?"
"Your mom's losing her mind a little and she wanted us all in one place tonight."
"Oh... ok... Did they find out more about grandpa?"
"Not yet, but mom and grandma just went to go find out," For the first time, she looked directly into Luke's eyes, and he noticed the tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, "What's wrong, Ror?"
"I don't want him to die, daddy." He hugged her tighter and kissed her head,
"He won't, princess. He's got you and your siblings to live for. He loves you all too much."
"I'm... I'm scared, daddy."
"It's ok. You can be scared. I won't tell anyone." He winked at her and she allowed herself a quiet laugh,
"Thanks." Just then, Lorelai burst back through the double doors,
"Rory!"
"Mom!"
"Hey, you! Hi."
"It was horrible! It happened so fast," she wriggled out of her father's grip and ran to her mother, throwing her arms around her.
"They're about to bring him out of the big test room any minute so just hang in there." Luke sat back down and picked up a now-awake Joshua, rocking him slowly, looking only into his big blue eyes.
"Where's Grandma?" Lorelai grinned,
"Kicking some patient out of the room with the good view." Rory's eyes went wide,
"Really?"
"You're surprised?" Rory chuckled sadly before asking,
"So... how long before they bring him back?"
"Very soon."
"I'd like to do something..."
"Like rollerblade?" Lorelai saw Jess laugh quietly and pick up Hannah, placing a bottle in her mouth.
"Like get some coffee or make phone calls or do something that isn't standing here waiting."
"You could play with your brother and sister."
"I want to help Grandpa."
"Go ahead. As partial as I am to the phone, I'm voting for the 'get coffee' idea."
"Ok, good. Daddy, Jess, tea?"
"Ah, peppermint preferably," her father said, his eyes darting quickly from his youngest son to his eldest daughter. Jess shook his head,
"Soda, Ror." She nodded,
"I'll be right back." Lorelai grabbed Rory's hand before she walked away,
"Hey, he's gonna be fine."
"I was just getting to know him." Lorelai nodded,
"I know."
"Hannie and Josh will miss out if he..."
"He won't."
"I don't want him to..."
"He's not," Luke and Lorelai said together, Luke having just moved behind her, staring intently at Rory. Lorelai smiled at her daughter and instructed her,
"Go get your coffee," as Rory left, she plopped down in Luke's now-vacated seat, "Oh man!"
"You're being very brave for her."
"Yeah, well it's my turn. G-d, this sucks."
"Hey, come on, you gotta think positive here - bright side, good thoughts. Hannah, Josh, rainbows, unicorns, clowns, little cute...furry... ok, I'm out." Jess couldn't help but snigger,
"Rainbows and unicorns, dad? You couldn't have added Barney and Teletubbies?"
"Well, I'm done now."
"Thank G-d." Emily rushed in and mentioned something about securing Richard a room before whisking away, a haze of Chanel and Burberry. It was then that Lorelai realized Luke's pallid complexion,
"Jeez, are you ok?"
"Yeah... I'm just... I'm just not big on hospitals- you know, the smell, people being wheeled by with tubes sticking out of them, you know, drainage, fluids, gaping holes..." Jess winced as Lorelai mentioned,
"Not four months ago, you were here when the twins were being born and you were fine."
"Yeah. That was a completely different area. Babies being born doesn't reek of... fluids."
"Well, it does, but..."
"Ugh, mom, that's disgusting!" Jess gagged slightly and Lorelai swore she saw him contemplating putting the baby back in her carriage,
"Ok, listen, why don't you go home?"
"You want us to go?"
"You don't look so good."
"Yeah, dad," Jess teased, "You don't look so good."
"I wouldn't talk, Jess, cuz you looked not-so-good when I mentioned baby fluids." She grinned as he turned the slightest shade of green,
"Thanks." Lorelai turned to her husband,
"That's not what I meant. You know you always look good."
"Yeah?" She saw the self-satisfied smirk that graced his lips,
"Yeah... We're married, Luke. I can tell you that you look good. Would I have married you if you didn't?"
"That sounded very shallow, mom."
"You shush."
Though Lorelai kept an eye on Luke, they sat quietly for a few minutes, each contemplating the situation they were in before they brought Richard out. Lorelai decided not to go into the room where they took her father and was discussing finding Rory with Luke (though Luke would've rather found out why she was avoiding going in), when their daughter reappeared,
"Hey, the coffee machine wasn't working, so I got us some chicken soup and some Pez." Jess looked at his sister with unwavering curiosity as Luke grinned and Lorelai joked,
"Aw, just like our wedding night dinner, honey."
"Very funny."
"We were just coming to look for you."
"Why? Is everything ok?"
"Oh, yeah, they just brought your grandpa up," Luke told her.
"Really? Oh, I'm going in to see him now... I can go in now, can't I?"
"Yeah, you can."
"Are you guys coming?" Luke shook his head,
"I'm not. Not quite yet."
"Mom?"
"I'll, umm... I'll meet you up there."
"Ok, well, hurry up." Rory ran off and Jess told his parents that he was going to the waiting room they'd passed on the way in with the twins; Luke watched his wife skeptically,
"Who are you going to find now?"
"Stop it."
"How about Jimmy Hoffa, huh? That'll take a while."
"Luke..." she said warningly.
"Or JD Salinger? Nobody knows where he is. That could take years."
"Luke..."
"Or Bobby Fischer? I mean, you're not into chess, but it can't hurt."
"Lucas..."
"Lorelai, I'm not one of the kids you can scare by using their full name."
"Luke, leave me alone. I have things to do," she made a move to walk past him, but he gently grabbed her shoulders,
"No you don't. You're procrastinating going in there. Why?" Lorelai stared icily at him for a moment before breaking her gaze, tears rolling down her cheeks,
"I can't, Luke. I feel like I barely know him. I feel like there are so many lost opportunities and things that we've never shared that all fathers and daughters should. Like, that bond that you and Rory have? We don't have that. We don't understand each other the way you two do. And we should..."
"So then go in there. Go in there and try to make it. It doesn't need to be perfect. But you should take a step towards a bond like that." She sniffled,
"You're right... Thanks," she kissed him softly before asking, "When Rory comes out, can you take her and the rest of the kids home?"
"Sure thing."
"I love you."
"You too."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"You can't stay another day? It's been nice having company... different."
"The boys have school in the morning, Ma. And Kirsten and I have work. We just can't." Sophie looked downcast momentarily, but quickly disguised it,
"Ok, well... drive safe. Don't crash, because I don't think I have the time to come visit you all all the time... Just remember, it wouldn't be so terrible if you came to visit once in a while." Sandy raised his eyebrows,
"I thought we were nuisances?"
"Well, you are, but I like to see my grandsons." Seth grinned,
"Aww, we like to see you, too, Nana," he hugged her goodbye.
"You stay out of trouble, Sethela."
"I'll try."
"Try, try, fail, fail."
"What can I say? I search for ways to get in trouble."
"Call me sometime," she nudged.
"867-5309, right?" The Nana rolled her eyes,
"Be safe, Seth." They let go and Seth hopped into the car. Ryan slowly wandered into his grandmother's waiting arms,
"Keep in touch, right Nana?"
"Always, Ryan... Hey, Ryan... don't give your mother a hard time..."
"That's your job?" Sophie laughed,
"Yeah, but also because everything she does for you, she does because she loves you. Believe me, for everything that's ever happened with Kirsten, with all my criticisms, the one thing I've never criticized is the way she loves you and your brother." He sighed,
"I guess you're right."
"Be good, Ryan."
"Love you, Nana."
"Ditto."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
By ten o'clock, the Cohens had returned home. As Sandy and Seth waved a good night to their family, Kirsten stayed up to do the wash. She turned around, and was shocked to find her son standing in the doorway,
"Ryan, geez! Scare the life out of me, why don't you?"
"Sorry, mom..."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She looked puzzled,
"Then what are you doing here?" He sighed,
"Helping you?"
"You want to?"
"Yeah... I've been... kind of a major pain lately..."
"No kidding."
"I wanted to make it up to you. I've sucked big time and this is the least I can do." She paused and eyed him curiously,
"This isn't just a clever ploy to maneuver out of your grounding?" He feigned shock,
"Kirsten Cohen, I am outraged at such an insinuation!" She grinned, but watched him warningly, "No. Just trying to make up for being a royal jerk."
"Ok, then... You can separate the darks from the lights."
"This is job preparation, right?"
"Three years of Chilton and you'll work in a Laundromat or be a butler? Sounds right to me."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
After Luke had dropped off Jess and the twins at home (Rory, after watching the interaction between Lorelai and Richard, decided to go help Luke at the diner; he had to go back and clean up, even though Taylor had locked up), the diner phone rang,
"Hello?"
"Hey." Luke breathed a sigh of relief,
"Lorelai, thank G-d. Why are you calling so late? You said you'd call as soon as you left!"
"I am."
"You are?" Luke repeated, puzzled, "You're first leaving now?"
"Yeah."
"What have you been doing there all this time?" He could hear a shift in her voice. She no longer sound tired, but rather proud,
"Well, I spent a little while just sitting with my dad. We had a nice long talk about the twins and Rory and Jess and the adoption and you. And then... I had dinner with my mother." His eyes narrowed to slits,
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"And you're... ok?"
"Yeah..." Luke watched as Rory entered the room from the storage room, a case of napkins in hand, "It was actually... really pleasant."
"Wow... ok, I'm glad you had a good time."
"Well, I wouldn't exactly a good time, but it was better than usual."
"Well then I'm glad you had a better than usual time." Rory's voice startled him,
"Daddy, is that mom?"
"What? Oh, yeah. It is. You wanna talk to her?" Rory nodded as Luke spoke into the receiver, "Here's Rory. She wants to talk to you."
"Luke?"
"Yeah."
"Thanks for tonight."
"Anytime." He handed the phone to his daughter, who picked up with nervous excitement,
"Mom?"
"Hey, sweets."
"How is he?"
"He's good. He will live to see another bowtie, I can tell you that much."
"So, he'll be ok?"
"He'll be fine."
"Good..." she breathed a sigh of relief and changed the topic; she could press the issue of her grandfather's health in the morning, "So, what'd you do tonight, when I was at dinner?"
"I came to the diner. And your dad made me a Santa burger."
"A what?"
"Ask him." She moved the receiver away from her mouth,
"Daddy?"
"What, Rory?"
"Santa burger?" He shook his head,
"Over there." Rory walked to the spot where her mother had been sitting and found the Santa burger sitting there, cold, the cream cheese icing slowly dripping off,
"That might be the most disgusting thing I've ever seen."
"Yes, and only a man who will truly loves you would do that for you." Rory grinned,
"I'll get Ryan to make me an Easter Bunny hot dog in a few months."