A Different Path
Chapter 6: Adjustments & Apologies
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: A story about how things could have gone different… LL
A/N: Hey guys, I'm so sorry about the wait. The holidays were just crazy at my house and I thought I'd have time for an update sometime, but I didn't. School got out at 10:00 on Wednesday and then I hung out with friends until 3:30 in the morning… Then Thursday, I basically woke up and had to hurry and get ready. I felt like Lorelai and Rory because I had to eat 3 dinners… Anyway, I didn't get home until 4 AM… Then, I thought I would be able to update on Friday, but my family decided to go to our vacation house in New Hampshire, so I was woken up and dragged into the car. Then, my computer at my New Hampshire house was being really weird and I couldn't login all weekend… Then on Sunday we came home and I had to watch the Patriots game…then I went over my friends house and didn't come home until late.
So, that is why you had to wait almost an entire week for this. I'm sorry!
Anyways… It's time to thank some people:
Marcel-Marceau-chicken: Thank you! Hope you like it!
GGFAN6: Yeah, I love your idea!It's great, thanks for the suggestion... I'm still not positivewhich way I'm going lol. I keep changing my mind!
BluJPlover: Oh boy! Statues and my own holiday! Sweeet... Lol the KIrk thing was hilarious. Sean Gunn is like my hero, he is great as Kirk. Thanks for the long review!
Gilmoregrl519: Yes, I guessed right about Chris! Yeah, I don't love Logan or anything... but I don't really have anything against him... I don't know lol. I think I like Jess the best tho.
Typhoon: Well, I barely ever sleep and it gets pretty boring around 3 AM when nobody is up and stuff... So I just write a lot then, and I don't know... that's basically it. And yes we have to wait 7 week. It sucks.
javarox: Yeah, I'm not a huge Lane/Zach fan... They always seemed like they were more like friends than boyfriend/girlfriend. Yeah I wish he'd just tell her!
Adam's Song-182: Lol. Puppies. Yeah I think it was in that eppy.
JJFanatic: Thank you!
bluedaisy05: Yup! It's in seven weeks... This weeek they are playing Wedding Bell Blues on Wednesay 9, though.
JoEySaNgEl1534: Thanks!
Luke'sGirl: I'll tryyy!
LoVeLuKe: Yeah well, we lasted 4 years, right?
S.Roman: Lol, I know.
charmedtomeetyou: Thanks so much!
Ronata: Oh, hope you're feeling better... The episode was ehhh... I don't know.
Menghis: You're welcome:)
ProFfeSseR: Wowww, that's crazy. I hope it was worth all the trouble
tom: Thank you so so much! Your review made my day.
JavaJunkieKris: Thank you... That's all I'm saying..
Javamaniac: Well, I hope you liked it! It was alright, I guess...
mhopeg: Yup, yup I know.
orangesherbert7: Yeah I have a friend Henry and I was talking to him on the phone when I was trying to figure out a name... Lol. Yeah, I try and imagine the actor or actress actually saying the line- to see if it's realistic or not... it usually works.
lukelorelai-en: Happy Birthday!
gilmoregirlsfanatic: Thanks, I liked it too.
Melissa: I try... This one took a little longer than expected, but I'm usually a good updater. lol.
Emma-Lizzy-Black: I know, I wish he'd just tell her!
Roxton7: Thank you!
trorychic: Thanks!
keeksta: Lol, thanks so much! Sorry the update took so long...
GilmoreHorseFreak04: Yeah I know. It sucks... Uhh bout the show, I'm just gonna trust ASP and hope it will all turn out really great and we'll be looking back at how we were so worried and just laugh. I'm just gonna trust her, you know? She hasn't let us down yet.
PsychoKitty: Me too, that'd be adorable.
Hamlets-pirate: Lol I agree... and yes I'm o-so lucky!
RogueHoney: Thank you!
Keep 'em coming, guys!
"Morning, Sookie." Lorelai greeted her friend as she walked into the kitchen.
"Hey!" Sookie said happily. "Want a muffin?" She asked.
"Nah." Lorelai said.
"Ooh, I made the double chocolate chip kind." Sookie said.
Lorelai didn't answer, she just continued playing with her hands.
"And-and I made the, uh kind with the cream on top. You love those kind." Sookie said.
She continued playing with her hands.
"Lorelai?" Sookie asked beginning to wave her hands around.
"Yeah?"
"What's up with you? You just said no to my food- my food. My muffins! You said no to my muffins!" Sookie told her.
"You know how it goes, Sookie. I'm pregnant… I'll just throw it all up later. Those pretty, little muffins don't deserve to end up in the toilet… Well, not as throw up anyway…" Lorelai babbled on nervously.
"You OK?" Sookie asked.
"I went to Luke's on Saturday night." Lorelai said.
"What happened?" Sookie asked.
"He opened the door and I hugged him… for a very long time." Lorelai said.
"Then what happened?"
"He held me… for a very long time."
"Oooh! I knew it would happen! You two are back together! This is so exciting! … Almost as exciting as when you got together in the first place… Oh, I should make some brownies!" Sookie jumped around excitedly.
"No, no, Sookie. We aren't back together." Lorelai said.
"But you just said-"
"I know."
"But then-"
"I don't know."
"I don't get it." Sookie said.
"Join the club." Lorelai said sarcastically. "I got Kirk to make the membership cards… There is even some talk about t-shirts. What's your opinion of hot pink?" Lorelai babbled.
"Lorelai?" Sookie asked.
"I don't know. I mean, I hurt him Sookie- I lied. I can't expect him to come crawling back to me… I didn't expect that." She corrected herself.
"I'm fine. I'm going to get over it. We're just friends, now… We are friends that are having a baby together." Lorelai sighed. "God, I feel like I'm on a soap opera… Tune in next week where Lorelai's long, lost sister comes home and spots the sexy diner owner. They have a wild night alone and she ends up pregnant with his baby, too…" Lorelai said in an announcer voice.
"Wouldn't that be like… incest?" Sookie asked.
"Sookie, it's a soap opera. Anything is possible." Lorelai replied.
Sookie nodded.
"So… You're OK with this? This- just friends thing with Luke?" Sookie asked.
"Friend-Luke is better than no Luke…" Lorelai said.
"OK…" Sookie said uneasily.
"I'll take that muffin now." Lorelai said, even though she wasn't hungry at all. She just needed something to distract her.
"I've been calling her house and cell all day, Richard." Emily told him.
"Well, maybe she's busy, Emily. She has an Inn to run." Richard told her.
"I'm sure they have lunch breaks at that Inn of hers… She's just ignoring me." Emily said.
"Well, what do you need to tell her anyway?" Richard asked.
"Richard! She's pregnant!" Emily said matter-of-factly.
"I know, Emily. I was there when she told me." Richard said.
"Oh, here we go!" Emily said loudly.
"What?" Richard asked.
"You just can't let it go, can you? You just have to keep rubbing it in my face that she told you and not me." Emily said. "Oh, Emily, she told me and not you cuz I'm the favorite." Emily said in a bad imitation voice.
"That's not what I said." Richard said.
"Might as well have been." Emily snapped back.
"Emily…"
"Don't Emily, me." Emily said angrily. "I'm going down there."
"Where?"
"I'm going to make her talk to me!" Emily said reaching for her coat.
"What?"
"I'm going to Stars Hollow, Richard. Don't wait up." She said putting her jacket on and then going out the door.
Lorelai walked down the street, trying her hardest to ignore the ribbons that were still pinned on the townspeople's clothes.
She and Luke weren't together, but they weren't not together… They weren't a couple anymore, but they were friends… friends… They were friends.
They would stop wearing the ribbons, right?
She kept walking, not really sure where she was going… she just kept walking.
The town didn't know yet… They didn't know about her little trip to the diner on Saturday night- it had been way past the town's bedtime. They didn't know about the hour that Luke and Lorelai had spent sitting in silence, just holding onto each other. They didn't know about the talk they had. They didn't know about the baby. For the first time, they knew nothing.
But, they were going to find out… They would definitely find out.
As she walked down the street, trying to ignore those stupid ribbons, she thought about the talk they had…
"Luke…" She said softly.
"I'm here. It's OK, I'm here." He told her.
"I know." She whispered.
He hugged her tighter and she let him- just wanting to be in his arms.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She told him, trying not to cry.
"It's OK. It's OK." He told her, rubbing her back.
"I'm sorry I lied. I never wanted to lie to you." She told him.
"I know, I know." He said, wondering if she was talking about Christopher or the baby.
"I was going to tell you… I was just so scared." She told him.
"Shhh… it's OK." He said continuing to rub her back gently.
"I was so scared… and hurt and sad and… and I was just so scared."
"You could have told me." He said.
"I was too scared." She said.
"You didn't have to be scared. I would have helped you." He said.
"I know." She said. "I was going to tell you… I never meant to lie… I just didn't want to tell you there, not with the town and everybody… and you looked so mad, and I was scared." She babbled on.
He didn't say anything, he just tightened his grip on her body.
"I'm having a baby." She whispered to his chest.
"We're having a baby." He said pulling away from her and looking into her eyes..
She looked up at him with a little hope in her eyes and a small smile playing in the corner of her lips.
"I'm not going anywhere." He told he.
"I know." She nodded.
"I'm going to help you. I'm here for you- for you and the baby." He said.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"No matter what happens or… has happened… I will always be here." He told her.
"I know." She said quietly.
He hugged her again and she rested her head, just wanting to enjoy the moment for a few more seconds.
"I better get going." She told him.
"Oh, OK." He told her.
"I'll see you later." She said.
"Yeah, you will." He told her confidently.
"Bye."
"Bye."
And with that, she walked back out of the diner.
Bing.
She suddenly jumped out her trance, realizing where she had ended up- Luke's.
She could feel the people staring at her. She felt their eyes burning a whole through her. She could hear all of the whispers. She could feel her face turning red and her hands beginning to shake. She looked nervous and she knew it. Her eyes wandered all over the diner, looking for an empty table. She found one in the corner and practically ran to it.
She picked up a menu and opened it. She began studying it, even though she still knew the entire thing by heart. She just needed something to cover up her face, so maybe everyone would stop staring at her.
She knew what they were thinking.
What's she doing here? Are they together? Is she trying to get him back? Is she crazy?
If only they knew…
"Coffee?" She heard him ask. Her head shot up to look at the man standing next to her. He looked so much taller today. He always looked tall when she was sitting, but today- he looked even taller.
"Umm… no." She said quickly.
His eyes widened a little bit. "No?" He asked.
"You wouldn't want your uh…. uh…. Actually, sure, I'll have some." She said nervously. They both knew what she had almost said and they were both feeling extremely weird about the situation.
"Uh. Ok." He said awkwardly, knowing what she had almost said. He poured her some coffee and then left.
She watched as he moved around the diner, pouring coffee for the customers. She used to always watch him. When they were together, she'd sit at the table or the counter and watch as he moved around the room. Before, it was sweet… Now it seemed a little stalker-ish.
She sighed as she stirred her coffee that she knew she wouldn't drink. She just didn't feel like it. Plus, Luke would probably yell at her later for doing it- or he would have if this whole thing wasn't so weird.
If they weren't broken up, he would have argued with her all day about not having coffee. He would never give her coffee, not when she was pregnant with his kid. If things were normal, he would have given her decaf if anything. After all, she was having his kid and he wouldn't want a crazy, hyper, coffee addict kid with four heads.
It was like that dream she had, all those years back. She still remembered it perfectly. She was pregnant and Luke hid her coffee. It was sweet.
The thought actually made her smile a little bit.
His kid… Her kid… Their kid…
It would have been such a cute, little family…
If only things had worked out that way.
She decided she might as well take a sip. She hadn't had coffee in a pretty long time… why not?
She took a sip. It was hot, but not that burn-your-tongue type of hot.
It was decaf.
She looked up at him to see what he was doing. But, he was watching her now.
She smiled. He smiled back.
It was decaf.
"Oh wait! You should get some pickles, too." Lorelai told Rory over the phone.
"So… Pickles, Lucky Charms, string cheese, and Saltines?" Rory said as she walked through the cereal aisle at Doose's.
"Don't forget the Ho-Ho's and the lime popsicles!" Lorelai told her daughter.
"Interesting assortment…" Rory said looking inside her grocery basket.
"Well, I am pregnant." Lorelai shrugged.
"Yep…" Rory said nervously.
"So, you'll be home in like twenty minutes, right?" Lorelai asked.
"Yeah, I'm just going to stop at Lane's." Rory said.
"Bye." Lorelai said.
"Bye." Rory said before hanging up the phone.
Lorelai hung up the phone after Rory. She sat down on the couch and waited. She sat there for about 2 minutes before she got bored.
She turned on the TV and flipped through the stations, but nothing was on. She sighed. She was bored.
Suddenly, she heard a car pulling up in the driveway. She figured it was Rory, so she got up and went to the door. When she opened it, she saw that it was in fact, not Rory. It was Luke. Luke was there.
"Oh. Uh, hey." Lorelai said nervously. "Hey, uh I hope this is OK." He said referring to his visit.
"Oh, it's fine." She said, opening the door and gesturing for him to come in. After all, she needed some company until Rory got back.
"Thanks." He said as he walked past her.
"Uh, here, I'll get your coat." She said awkwardly.
"No, I got it." He said taking off his coat and hanging it up.
"So… What brings you to this neck of the woods?" She asked, kicking herself afterwards when she realized how stupid that must have sounded.
"Um… I just thought I'd stop by… and uh, see how you were… I brought food." He told her holding up a Luke's take-out bag.
"Yeah… uh, thanks." She said.
"No problem." He told her.
"OK." She said. "Uh, you wanna watch TV or something? I'd offer you a beer, but Rory threw it all away… crazy kids… I'll already be super fat from the pregnancy, I don't want a beer belly on top of that." Lorelai said nervously.
"Rory's here? I'm sorry… I interrupted-"
"Oh, no. She's at Doose's… trust me, you're a lifesaver. I've been so bored." Lorelai said.
"Well… um, yeah let's watch TV." Luke said as they walked over to the couch and sat down. They were both careful not to sit too close to each other.
Lorelai turned the TV on and flipped through the stations a little bit. She finally decided to leave it on some stupid show she didn't actually want to watch, but there was nothing better on anyway.
They both pretended to be interested in whatever it was that Lorelai had chosen, but they were both just focusing on what the other one was doing.
Luke finally broke the silence. "It's weird, isn't it?" He asked.
"Excuse me?" Lorelai asked.
He gestured towards her stomach. "That our child is inside you… growing and I don't know… but, it's weird to think about, don't you think?" Luke asked.
"Yeah, I guess." Lorelai said, the situation was getting a little awkward.
"I was just thinking about it." He said shrugging.
She nodded and they both went back to pretending to watch TV.
"Are you, uh, scared?" He asked after a minute or two of silence.
"What?"
"To have a baby… Are you scared about having another kid? I mean… did you ever think you'd have another one?" Luke asked.
"I guess… I mean, if I ever got married… I'd think about it… I mean, the first one didn't turn out so bad…" Lorelai said with a nervous laugh.
"Do you think you would have had kids with Max… if you had gone through with the wedding?" He asked.
"Uhhh… Maybe... But I think if we had gotten married… We probably wouldn't have been married for too long… I mean, I didn't love him, you know? I don't think it would have really worked out for the long run." Lorelai said. She paused for a moment, as if she was thinking, but then started again. "I don't think I was ever really going to marry him. I mean, we had the date and everything… everything was all set, I even made room for him in my closet, but in the back of my head… I think I always knew that we wouldn't get married. So, really…kids would have never been… I mean, I doubt there would have been kids…" Lorelai said. "What about you? Did you ever think you'd have kids with Nicole?"
"Nah… I mean, she was always working and… even if she wasn't we never would have worked out." He said.
"Yeah…" Lorelai sighed.
"I'm kind of excited about this, you know." Luke said.
Lorelai looked up at him with a confused expression.
"I know, it's weird and everything… We aren't married… We aren't even together… and we're having this baby… but, I kind of like the idea of having a kid." Luke said.
Lorelai decided to ignore the beginning of the sentence and only focus on the latter part. She smiled. "I thought you hated jam hands."
"Well, if they are my kid's jam hands… I think it'll be OK." Luke smiled.
"You're not going to make it each vegetables are you?" Lorelai joked.
He rolled his eyes. She hit his arm playfully.
"What about turkey burgers? I mean, I can deal with a string bean now and then… but a turkey burger?" Lorelai said.
"How about, I won't feed it turkey burgers if you don't give it coffee?" Luke said.
"I'll think about it…" Lorelai said.
Luke rolled his eyes again.
"You know, I'm sick of calling the baby and 'it'…" Lorelai said.
"I know I'll regret asking this…. But, what the hell… What do you want to call the baby?" Luke asked.
"Hmmm…" She thought for a while. "…How about Henry?"
Emily sped all the way to Stars Hollow. She had gotten there in less than 20 minutes, it was probably a new record. But once she had gotten in the town, she drove around awhile. She wasn't sure what to say yet, which was weird because in reality… she had so much to say.
She wanted to yell at her. She wanted to ask her what she was thinking. She wanted to tell her how stupid it was to go out with that diner man when she could have had Christopher. She wanted to ask if she even knew what birth control was… or maybe even a condom… because obviously, that whole concept hadn't been working out for her. She wanted to scream at her and tell her how stupid this was. She wanted to tell her how disappointed she was… yet, again. She wanted to ask her why she turned out this way- why she was such a disappointment. She wanted to tell her this is not how she raised her to be… running around having unsafe sex and getting pregnant before she was married. She wasn't supposed to have sex before marriage- that's how she was raised. She wanted to yell at her so badly.
But she knew she couldn't say any of that. Because none of that would do anything… Lorelai was gone. Lorelai had pushed her out of her life once again, and telling her all of those things would only push her even further.
It was then, she saw Rory. She was holding a few grocery bags and walking across the street, towards that stupid gazebo.
"Rory!" Emily called.
She saw Rory freeze and it hurt her a little. She walked towards the car, almost nervous.
"Rory." She said again, only quieter this time.
"Grandma?" Rory asked as she walked up to the car. She wasn't at all surprised to see her, she figured Emily would turn up sooner or later. She figured grandpa would tell her and she'd come by, wanting to give Lorelai a piece of her mind.
"Hi Rory." Emily said, turning off her car. "Could we talk?" She asked.
"Um, sure." Rory said.
Emily got out of the car and they both walked over to a bench, nearby. It was the bench, affectionately known by Lorelai as the Meltdown bench.
They sat down, not too close to each other.
"I assume you've heard." Rory said.
"Yes, I've heard." Emily said.
"Stay away from Mom." Rory said.
"Rory… I-"
"No, look, she's going through a lot right now. Her and Luke broke up and now she's pregnant… she's under a lot of stress. She doesn't need the added burden of you coming and telling her how much you hate her right now." Rory said angrily.
"I do not hate her, Rory." Emily said, somewhat offended.
Rory rolled her eyes.
"Her and Luke broke up?" Emily said.
Rory nodded.
"God, I knew it." Emily said. "I told her that he was no good… He finds out she's pregnant and he just goes and bolts…" Emily said.
Rory's jaw dropped. "That's not how it went!"
"What?" Emily asked.
"Luke didn't bolt." Rory said sternly. "They broke up because of what Christopher said at the wedding… the wedding you invited him to! They broke up because of you!" Rory said.
"Rory… I-"
"Luke was the one…" Rory said. "He was supposed to be the one… He makes Mom so, so happy. I just wish you could have seen that… I wish you could have seen that and I wish that would have been enough." Rory told her.
"Why does money even matter? Why does all of that social status stuff matter? Luke makes Mom happy… that should be enough for you." Rory told Emily.
"Rory…" Emily began.
"All Dad has ever done is hurt us… Mom and me, both. Dad hurt us and Luke always fixed it. You know, one time when I was sick, Luke came and brought me mashed potatoes for an entire week… and on my 16th birthday, he made me a special coffee cake and he blew up balloons… and he brought the ice! He helped me move into my Yale dorm, and he came to my graduation. He was always there for me." Rory paused.
"And he makes Mom so happy… I had never seen her like that before. When Luke is around her face just lights up. She smiles and laughs more when he's around. She loves Luke and he loves her. Luke would do anything for us… He was the one." Rory said.
"But you messed that all up." Rory said resentfully.
"And now Mom is hurting… and Luke is hurting. And I'm hurting, too…" Rory said.
"Rory I was just doing what I thought-" Emily began.
"I don't want to hear it." Rory said, cutting her off.
Emily was shocked. She had never seen Rory like this, so angry and hateful. She really didn't like it.
"I just don't understand why you think Christopher is so much better than Luke… Dad was never there and Luke always was." Rory said, staring to rant again.
"I'm sorry." Emily said softly.
"What?" Rory asked because she didn't hear her.
"I'm sorry." She told her again.
Rory looked at her for a second, then turned away and rolled her eyes. Sorry doesn't fix anything…
"Tell your mother that I really am sorry." Emily said as she began to stand up. "I'm so sorry." She repeated. "For everything."
Rory nodded, beginning to feel a little bad about yelling at her before.
"And tell Luke thank you." Emily said.
"For what?" Rory asked.
"For everything." She said.
OK, So I feel like that really, really sucked… If so, I'm sorry! Lol. Uh, I'll try and get another update by Wednesday at the latest.
I also promise that next chapter will be better!
This story is so hard to write because I keep changing my mind about it. There are millions of ways I could go with the story and I keep changing my mind about it… So suggestions would be very helpful! Thank you!
Please review.