A Different Path
Chapter 4: Don't Stop Believing
Disclaimer: This is the part where I tell you that I don't own any of the characters or the show or anything of that stuff...and I also do not make any money off of it or anything like that.
Summary: This is how it all could have been different...
A/N:
GGFAN6: I know, I know. I feel bad about it, but I hope this makes up for it.
lukelorelai-en: I enjoyed them, too. But probably because I knew they'd get back together so it wasn't as upsettting for me.
tom: Don't worry, I promise that Lorelai is going to be the one to tell him... That's all the info I will give you, though. You'll just have to read to find out the rest.
Menghis: Haha, I love the lemon smelly markers...
JavaJunkieKris: Yessss it is. Sorry about that. I hope this chapter makes up for it.
Javamaniac: Oh cool, I heard it's really good... I had a half day at school on FRiday so I know a ton of people went to see it at like 10:30 cuz that's when we got out. They said it was really great.
orangesherbert7: Thanks! Hope ya like this!
gilmoregirlsfanatic: Thanks
charmedtomeetyou: You'll see...
Marcel-Marceau-chicken: Well here youu goo... Enjoy!
Luke'sGirl: Well thank you! I told you I'd update on Sunday and it's now 12:02 and I'll be posting this any second now...
Emma-Lizzy-Black: Haha thank you!
Typhoon: Well you definitely win for longest review award. Thanks so much. I actually thought about doing a lot of the things you said... but I finally settled on this... I was going to have her say it was negetive, but I decided against it...BTW I have a fic where I write added scenes for each eppy. It's called After it Fades, you can find it on my author page and stuff if you'd like to read it. You mentioned that I should write on like that, so I thought I should tell you that I already did. Lol. Yes I usuallly think it's really cheesy when people say Lorelai gave up coffee, but I decided that I'd write something like that... not really her giving it up, just her not wanting it so badly becuz it reminded her of him, you know? So anyway, thanks for the review. Enjoy!
ProFfeSseR: Well, you're in luck, I just got your reviews seconds ago... I'm going to post this right now, so enjoy!
Thanks to everybody who reviewed! Now, on with the story...
He was practically running down the hall towards the room that Billy had pointed to. Once he stood outside of it and looked in and found Lorelai sitting in the corner. She was just staring out the window, twirling a pen around with her fingers.
He knocked lightly on the open door.
She spun around and looked pretty surprised to see him.
"Luke?" She said, acting as if she didn't know he was here. "I didn't know you were here." She said.
"Yeah, well, you signed me up." He said walking closer to her.
"Sorry about that." She said.
"It's OK. It's actually sort of fun," he lied.
"Oh, well that's good." She said, very confused as to why he was talking to her.
He sat down in the chair that was beside her. He glanced at the notebook in front of her, covered in numbers and notes.
"Are you busy?" He asked.
"Um, no, no I'm not busy. It's snack break, after all… I guess I can take a break… Too bad I don't have a snack." She said, cursing herself afterwards for acting so stupid.
"I can get you something if you want." He offered.
"No, no, I'm not hungry." She said.
"OK." He said.
"OK." She repeated, getting increasingly nervous.
"I um, just wanted to talk to you." He said.
"About what?" She asked.
"Um… I just need to ask you something." He continued.
"OK, shoot." She said.
"Uhh… well, how are you?" He asked. He wanted to just ask her, he just didn't know how.
"Um… I'm fine." She said.
"Um, good, good." He said.
"Is that what you wanted to ask me?" She asked.
"No…" He said.
"What is it, Luke?" She asked starting to get a little annoyed. She didn't want to see him. She didn't like lying to him, but she just hadn't figured out how to tell him about the baby yet.
"Um… well…" He started.
She sighed and waited for him to get the nerve to ask whatever it is he wanted to ask her.
"Do you remember the day I bumped into you at the pharmacy?" He asked.
Her stomach dropped. Her heart started racing. She wasn't sure, but she thought her jaw may have dropped open. She tried to act normal, but it was hard. He couldn't be asking her if she was pregnant could he? He always had been able to see right through her. He could always tell when she was lying. She shouldn't have been so surprised. Of course, he knew she was lying…. He always did.
"UH, yes." She asked, praying for him to ask her something else. She wasn't ready. It wasn't the right time. They shouldn't have this conversation now, not here. Not with everybody around and probably listening. She hadn't planned it out, she didn't know what to say yet… Not now, just not now.
"Well, when I picked up your stuff, I saw the pregnancy test and I know you said it was for Rory's friend, but I- I'm not sure if I believe that. And I'm sorry if I'm totally wrong about this, I just need to know… I just need to know if it was actually for Rory's friend or if it was for, uh, you…" He said slowly and carefully.
She took a deep breath and opened up her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She had absolutely no idea what she was supposed to say. She didn't want to tell him, not yet. She just needed some more time to think, some more time to prepare.
She tried to think of a quick excuse or something. She didn't want to lie. She didn't want to tell him that she wasn't because if she did, she knew she would never get around to telling him the truth. If she lied it would complicate things even more, and she didn't want that.
What to say… What to say… What could she say?
"There you two are! Snack break is over! Get back to work!" Kirk said loudly as he barged into the room and interrupted them.
Lorelai sighed. Saved by Kirk.
"Alright, Kirk." Lorelai said.
"C'mon Luke, I need to talk to you about my wagon…" Kirk said taking his arm and dragging him out of the room.
Luke looked back at her as he was being pulled away. He searched her eyes for an answer, but she didn't give him one.
It's OK, he could talk to her after.
Once Kirk and Luke left, Lorelai sighed a huge sigh. She put her hands on her stomach and looked out the window again… She knew she'd have to tell him sometime, just not today.
She finished all of her measurements early, and took the long way to the door so she could avoid Luke. She knew he'd try and stop her and talk to her, but she didn't want to talk, not yet.
She sat in her car, turned on the heat, and rubbed her hands together for warmth. She turned on the radio, but nothing good was on, so she grabbed her CD case. She looked through the entire case, and couldn't find anything she wanted to listen to. Every CD, every song reminded her of Luke. She didn't even know why. He didn't really like any of those artists or the songs, but every single one reminded her of him. She could even find a connection between Luke and her favorite Clash CD.
She sighed, and started the car.
The drive home was short. After all, it was Stars Hollow. You could walk through the entire town and it wouldn't take longer than 15 – 20 minutes.
She got home and pressed the huge, blue button on her answering machine, so she could listen to her messages.
"Hey Lorelai, it's Sookie. I just wanted to see how you're doing… Um, I'm making that chicken you love so much for diner tonight, if you want to come by. Call me later."
"Hey, Mom, it's Rory. Call me back." Rory said.
"Hey, it's me again. Paris and Doyle have taken over my room, so I'm a lonely wanderer… I'm on the streets with nowhere to go… It's cold and lonely… Yup, I'm bored so please call…" Rory said.
Lorelai picked up the phone and dialed Rory's number.
"Hey." Rory answered.
"Lonely wanderer, huh?" Lorelai asked.
"Paris started asking me my opinions on role playing… and Doyle started talking about pirates. I'm never going back there, again." Rory said.
"Ah," Lorelai said as she sat down on the couch. "I always thought of him as more of an Aladdin, or maybe even a Santa's helper type of guy…" Lorelai said.
"Ah gross. Ew, ew, ew." Rory whined. "Thanks for ruining Christmas for me."
"Anytime." Lorelai replied.
Lorelai let out a small laugh.
"I think he's much more of an Aladdin, though… He's got that Aladdin head, and purple is definitely his color." Lorelai continued.
"OK, stop right now. I don't want these pictures in my head!" Rory complained.
"That's nothing. Did I ever tell you the time I walked in on Richard and Emily…"? Lorelai said.
"Ah! Stop! Eww!" Rory said.
"I could never look at whip cream the same way." Lorelai said dramatically.
"Oh my God! Are you serious?" Rory asked, completely disgusted.
"Do you really want to know?" She asked.
"No, please, let's change the subject." Rory begged.
"OK." Lorelai agreed.
"How was Fiddler on the Roof?" Rory asked.
Lorelai sighed. "Oh, it was you know…" Lorelai said, not finishing her sentence.
"Was Kirk hilarious?" Rory asked.
"Well it is Kirk…" Lorelai said.
"Right, of course it was hilarious." Rory said.
"Oh yeah." Lorelai agreed.
"You OK?"
"What?"
"You just sound really sad all of a sudden… Did something happen?"
"Oh yeah something happened." Lorelai said.
"What?"
"Luke was there."
"What? Why?" Rory asked.
"I signed him up a few weeks ago."
"And he still went?"
"I guess so."
"Why?" She asked.
"I have no idea," Lorelai said flipping through a magazine, but not bothering to even look at the pages.
"Maybe he wanted to see you."
"Nah."
"Why else would he go?"
"Well… Bradley probably pulled the inhaler bit… Or maybe Kirk did something… Kirk-like."
"Mom, Luke can say no to everyone." Rory said. "Except you and me."
"Whatever."
"So what happened?"
"I avoided him and everything was perfectly fine until snack break…"
"Snack break?" Rory repeated.
"Yup, I stayed in my little measuring room, so I wouldn't see him, but then he came and found me."
"He did?"
"Yup."
"What'd he say?"
"He knows." Lorelai said as if Rory was supposed to understand that.
"He knows what?"
"He started asking me about the pharmacy… He didn't believe my whole pregnancy test story."
"Well, it wasn't very believable."
"Yeah, yeah. So, he started asking about it and I had no idea what to say."
"Why didn't you just tell him?" She asked.
"Not there, not then… Not with everybody around, listening. I needed to prepare what to say, you know? I needed time. I just need some time…"
"So what'd you say?"
"Kirk interrupted us."
"Of course." Rory said.
"Thank God, I don't know what I would have said."
"You're going to have to figure it out." Rory said.
"I know, I know."
"Soon." Rory said.
"I know, I just… I need to figure things out."
"Like what?"
"Like how to tell him…"
"How about, 'hey Luke, I'm pregnant.' It's straight forward, right to the point…" Rory said.
"Rory, that's not how you tell a person that… He is going to be a father… He is going to have a kid… My kid… Our kid… I can't just do that."
"Why not?"
"Rory, this is life-changing news…" Lorelai said.
"The longer you wait, the harder it will be." Rory told her.
"I know, I know. I'll tell him, I just need a little time." Lorelai said.
"Good".
"Yeah." Lorelai said.
"Hey, Mom?" Rory asked.
"Yeah?"
"You OK?" Rory asked. "I mean, with this whole… baby thing… I just, how are you doing? You know… with the break up?" Rory said gently.
"Oh, I'm fine." She lied.
"You sure?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, I just… I need to get over it. I've been dumped before. It takes a little time." Lorelai said.
"I know."
"It's a process, Rory, you know that."
"I know, it's just… It's Luke." Rory said, not trying to rub it in her face, just trying to get Lorelai to open up.
"I know." Lorelai said. "It's Luke." She said softly, not meaning it to be aloud.
"Are- are you sure that it's really over?" Rory asked.
"I'm sure."
"How do you know?"
"He made it pretty clear, Rory." Lorelai said. "He's out. He's definitely out."
"I just can't believe that." Rory said more confident, then sad.
"What?"
"Mom, c'mon… He waited so long for you…"
"Rory…" Lorelai said. She didn't want to talk about this.
"He waited so long, he's not just going to let you go like this… He's not…" Rory told her.
"He did, Rory. We're over. We are so over." Lorelai said.
"You can't seriously tell me you're over it." Rory said.
"He's over it." Lorelai said.
"Not he's not, he can't be."
"He is." Lorelai stated.
"Mom…"
"Please, Rory. Can we please change the subject?" She begged, standing up and grabbing her coat.
"OK." Rory gave in. She didn't want to upset her Mom, but she knew it wasn't over- it would never be completely over.
"I think Doyle is Jewish." Rory said.
"Oh, well, I guess that scratches Santa off the list." Lorelai said going back to her cheery self, even though they both knew it was only an act.
"He's definitely more of an Aladdin." Rory agreed.
"Definitely." Lorelai said as she slipped on her shoes and went out the door, locking it before she left. Luke would be proud.
"Alright, that's all for today. I'll see you all in two days for the Dress Rehearsal." Carrie announced.
Luke packed up his toolbox, Bert, as Lorelai and Rory affectionately called it. He searched around the crowded room for her. It was full of kids and parents, and he couldn't see her anywhere.
"Hey Lulu, have you seen Lorelai?" He asked her.
"Oh, she left 20 minutes ago."
"Why?"
"She finished getting all of the measurements, so she went home." Lulu explained.
"Oh." Luke said, trying to act as if it was no big deal.
"You OK, Luke?" Lulu asked.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." He said.
"Alright, see you on Friday."
"Yup, see you on Friday." He said.
He picked up Bert and left. He walked over to the diner, went up the stairs and opened to door as the familiar ding filled the room. There were only a few people in because it was getting near closing time.
"Hey Luke," Cesar called from the kitchen.
"Hey." Luke replied.
"If Taylor happens to tell you that I was eating out of the pie plate, don't believe it." Cesar said.
Luke glanced at him, but he didn't feel like an argument, "OK".
Cesar sighed, but looked confused by his reply.
"Can you close up, tonight? I have an errand to run." Luke asked.
Cesar didn't want to be on Luke's bad side, especially after he let the pie thing slide, so he agreed. "Yeah, sure." Cesar said.
"Thanks." Luke said. He put Bert on the steps going up to his apartment, and then left the diner.
He got into the truck, started it and pulled out his new CD to play. It was a Reggae CD. He hadn't opened it yet. He wasn't even sure why he had gotten it. He just didn't like the quiet. When things were really quiet, it forced him to think about things. He tried putting on his other CDs, but they all reminded him of Lorelai. Every CD he had, she had made fun of, or told him to buy. She would never tell him to buy this CD, so he bought it.
He turned it on and played it softly in the background.
Before no time, he was pulling up in her driveway. He got out and stood in front of her house for a minute or two.
He finally, walked up the stairs and knocked on her door. He waited a few seconds but nobody answered. He rang the doorbell, and still no one answered.
He walked around the porch, glancing through the window. Some lights were on, but he couldn't see if she was inside.
Her car was in the driveway, but it didn't look like she was home.
He rang it one more time, but then turned around, went back in his car, turned on Reggae Fever and drove home.
"Hey are you driving?" Lorelai asked with a smile.
"Oh, stop it." Rory said.
"What?" Lorelai asked innocently.
"You know exactly what."
"No I don't. Where are you driving to?"
"Oh, stop."
"What?"
"You know where I'm going, Mom."
"The library? The movies? Logan's? Oohh are you coming to see Mommy? You should have told me, I would have showered." Lorelai said.
"Mom." Rory groaned.
"What?"
"I'm going to Grandma and Grandpas for Friday night dinner." She said.
"Ooooh, right…" Lorelai said. "I forgot… Did you bring something sharp? That way you will be completely prepared when you feel the need to stick something sharp into your eyes. A number two pencil should work out fine."
"Don't be silly, Grandma always has at least four sets of forks at every place at the table."
"Ah yes, the Emily Gilmore theory- Use a different fork for each bite, Lorelai, that's how the Queen eats, it's more polite" She said in a mockingly tone.
"Why do you always imitate Grandma with a British accent?" Rory asked.
"Oh, I don't know… Don't you think she'd be a good English woman?"
"I guess…" Rory said.
"I can't believe you aren't coming with me. I have to face Grandma alone." Rory said.
"Yeah well, it's your own fault."
"Yeah, yeah… I just thought, you'd want to uh, tell them…"
"HA!"
"Mom…"
"Never."
"Don't you think they'll notice?"
"Not if I never see them again."
"What about Grandpa, you're not even mad at him."
"Fine, maybe I'll tell him."
"But he'll tell Grandma."
"So then neither of them will know. I'm fine with that."
"Seriously?"
"Ohh yes." Lorelai said.
"You'll never tell them about their other grandchild? Never?"
"I don't think they'll be too thrilled about it anyway."
"Well they weren't too thrilled about me…"
"Rory…"
"Don't you think they'd want to know?"
"No."
Rory was silent.
"I never want to see Emily again, Rory." Lorelai said. "Not after what she did."
"I know."
"I'll never forgive her for what she did."
"I know."
"I'll see Dad, but not her."
"I know."
"Alright." Lorelai said.
"I'm mad at her too, just so you know."
"I know."
"OK." Rory said. "I just think they should know…"
"I don't." Lorelai said.
"So, what are you doing tonight?" Rory asked.
"Ah, I get to spend my first free Friday night watching Kirk jump around in a funny costume and Carrie falling out of her shirt."
"Ah, Fiddler on the Roof." Rory said
"Yes, sir." Lorelai said.
"So, you're going to see Luke?"
"I guess so." Lorelai sighed. She had thought about it. She knew she would see him. She just hoped she'd be able to avoid him.
"Are you-"
"No, not yet."
"Mom…"
"Not yet."
Luke trudged over to the school, toolbox in hand, and winter coat wrapped tightly around him. It was a cold night. He walked up the steps to the school and opened one of the doors. The school was decorated with millions of streamers, signs, and balloons. The decorating committee was almost finished getting ready for opening night tomorrow.
He opened the door to the auditorium and went towards the stage where Kirk and Carrie were discussing something. He walked right past them, not bothering to notice what they were even talking about. He walked up on to the stage and set his toolbox next to the two boys.
"Luke, my mother is coming tomorrow! She's a lesbian you know…" The little boy told Luke excitedly.
Luke gave him a nice, fake smile and patted him on the head. "That's great." He mumbled. "I'll be right back." He told them.
He walked past them and down that hall, towards the room that she had been in before.
He looked inside and she wasn't there. He looked down the hall once more, and then went inside.
He took a seat in the chair that he had been sitting in two days before and he waited.
"Lorelai!" He heard his voice when she walked into the room. She practically hit the ceiling when she jumped. Her hand was over her heart and she took a few deep breaths.
"Sorry." He apologized.
She looked up at him, into his eyes. His beautiful blue eyes… She had been so relieved when she hadn't seen him. Although she did think she saw Bert out there. He was waiting for her… That's why he wasn't out there, he was waiting for her.
"It's OK." She said putting her things down.
"Can we talk?" He practically begged.
"Not here, Luke." She said.
"What?" He asked.
"C'mon, there's going to be talk… I don't want to deal with questions." She told him.
He didn't understand. He didn't understand what she was saying at all. "I don't get it…" He said.
"If people see us talking all the time…" She started. "There will be talk." She explained.
"I don't care." He said in this voice that made her think- just for a moment- that everything would be alright.
"Luke…" She started in this sad, yet hopeful way.
"Lorelai…" He said.
"It's fine." She said, knowing that he wouldn't understand. She didn't really get what she was saying, herself.
"What?" He asked.
"The test… It's fine." She said.
"You're not?" He asked.
She shook her head, before she even realized what she had done. She suddenly stopped, and her eyes looked very scared. She searched his eyes for a reaction.
Did he look disappointed? He did. He looked a little disappointed.
"Luke?" She asked.
"I don't believe you." He said.
We'll there is chapter # 4 for you. Sorry for the wait and the cliffhangerness last time... I hope this chapter makes up for it... But since she still hasn't said anything this, it probably won't. But don't worry, there's going to be an update before the new episode airs... soo that means you'll have to wait like 2 days at the most. Man, I think that's pretty good.
Alrighty... So, please review! Suggestions/Ideas/Anything you'd like to say...
Thank you!