Author's Note: I am in no way associated with ASP, the WB, Dorothy Park Drank Here, etc. This is for entertainment purposes only. Please R/R. Enjoy.
A House is not a Home
Chapter 8: Because it needed to be said…
Things had started out well at the dreaded Friday night dinner with Luke and Isabel. The little girl had won over Richard with her bright smile and pigtails, telling stories about all the books Rory had been reading to her and how her current favorite was Stuart Little.
Emily was equally enamored with her stories about ballet class and how much she loved dancing. She was especially pleased when Isabel showed an interest in watching her ballroom dancing tapes.
"She's good," Lorelai whispered to Luke and Rory as they watched Isabel follow Emily and Richard into the den to watch one of the competitions before dinner. "She hasn't even turned four yet and she knows just how to work Emily."
"She's a natural, that's not something that can be taught," Rory added.
"Yep, she's our little Pollyanna."
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Things had started out unexpectedly well, but when dinner was served it came with a hearty helping of Gilmore family feuding.
"Why is she crying?" Emily asked as Luke carried a hysterical Isabel from the dining room into the living room.
"Because you tried to serve her Donald Duck on a silver platter?" Lorelai quipped.
"It's Foie Gras."
"Not to a three year old!" Lorelai scolded. "I can't believe you, mom. Do you remember nothing from the Christmas '87 caviar incident?"
"I thought it was jelly and crackers," Rory said with a shudder.
"You shouldn't lie to a child," Emily answered defensively. "They have to go out in the real world sooner or later. They should know what they are going to face."
"Absolutely!" Lorelai exclaimed as she started to get up from her chair. "Excuse me while I go tell her there's no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny either. Might as well kick her while she's down. After all, the real world's a bitch."
"I spoke to Christopher today," Emily blurted out.
"But its got nothing on Emily Gilmore," Lorelai seethed as she sat back down in her chair and glared at her mother. "Wow, smooth segue, mom. Your ability to switch topics almost rivals your ability to scare small children."
"Hey Grandpa," Rory said as she turned to Richard. "You were telling me about that new book you wanted me to read. Do you think you could show it to me now?"
"Yes, I think now is a good time," Richard said quickly as he led Rory from the dining room and into his study. Both of them knew better than to stick around for the battle royal that was sure to ensue from Emily's inability to let things go, particular the subject of Christopher.
"You just can't leave well enough alone, can you?" Lorelai screamed.
"He sounded very unhappy Lorelai," Emily continued, ignoring the fact that Lorelai was obviously annoyed. "He doesn't want to be with that Sherry woman. He loves you. He's always loved you. He shouldn't be raising a daughter with her. He should be with you and Rory."
"Last time I checked, Rory was already raised, with no help from Chris, by the way."
"He would have been there if you weren't so damn stubborn and independent!"
"I'm sorry, I don't remember sending back all the child support checks he sent over the years because I was too stubborn and independent to accept them. As I recall, there were no checks! A few visits and some phone calls, but that was basically it," Lorelai said as her anger rose. "Do you know the one thing he has bought Rory in nineteen years, mom? The one thing he has given his oldest daughter? An Oxford English dictionary."
"Well, I am sure Rory enjoyed that. She loves reading and learning. It's a practical gift."
"Practical gift?" Lorelai repeated with utter contempt as she stared at Emily's pathetic defense of Christopher's less than stellar paternal ways. "Fathers don't buy their daughter's practical gifts, mom! They buy them Barbie dolls and roller skates and teddy bears! They don't ride in with a Volvo carrying a book that weighs more than twenty pounds and expect it to make up for seventeen years without a card or a present!
"Well, we can't expect everyone to be as perfect as Luke, can we?" Emily shot back angrily as she interrupted Lorelai's rant. "Luke who always has ice when you need it, Luke who fixes everything, Luke who…"
"Luke who does all of the things Christopher never did!" Lorelai interrupted as she banged her fist on the table. "Luke who was atRory's high school graduation and cried because he was so proud! Luke who baked her a cake and blew up balloons on her sixteenth birthday! Luke who made her mashed potatoes everyday for a week when she had the chicken pox and wouldn't eat anything else! Luke who helped move her mattress into her dorm and that got rid of the gross, used Yale mattress! Luke who does things because he wants to, not because he should! Luke who had his whole life turned upside by a little girl just the way Chris did, but who didn't think twice about being there for her because he wanted to be and he had to be and he is. Don't you dare compare Luke to Christopher, mom. There isno comparison."
For the first time that Lorelai could ever remember, her mother had been rendered speechless.
"There is I nothing /I that I didn't do for Rory. I gave her everything I could. I never stopped Christopher from being a father, he did that on his own. Luke didn't ask for my help, I offered it because I knew he wanted to make this work and in order for that to happen, I had to step up. I didn't do anything he wouldn't have done for me."
"It's a nice little arrangement you two have, playing house like this," Emily said as her ability to verbalize came back to her. "Making googly eyes at each other across the table. Whispering sweet nothings into his ear over drinks. You seem very comfortable…"
"Googly eyes? Sweet nothings?" Lorelai said in disbelief. "When did this become an episode of The Patty Duke Show?"
"A house is not a home, Lorelai," Emily said as she sipped her wine and rested back in her chair.
"Yes, Dionne Warwick taught me that," Lorelai quipped as she rolled her eyes.
"You shouldn't have that little girl believing in something that isn't real."
"And what if it is?" Lorelai asked with a sigh, tired of fighting and hiding and denying.
"I knew it!" Emily exclaimed, a smile of satisfaction spread across her face. "I knew it as soon as you sat down next to him. The way he looked at you…"
"How did he look at me?"
"Like you've given him a lap dance. Honestly, Lorelai if you're only doing this for…"
"Oh my God!" Lorelai exclaimed in frustration as she got up from the table and walked over to Emily's seat. "Get up."
"Excuse me?"
"Get up!" Lorelai repeated as she grabbed Emily's forearm and began tugging her from her chair.
"Stop that!" Emily shouted as she swatted Lorelai's arm away and slowly rose from her seat as Lorelai led her into the doorframe of the living room. "What are you doing?"
"Look at that," Lorelai instructed as she pointed to Luke who sat on the sofa with a sleeping Isabel on his lap, her head rested on his chest as he stroked her hair lovingly. "That's what I am doing this for. That's the kind of man I want. I know it may look a little odd to you because this isn't a scene out of the country club or the DAR or anything you've ever seen your beloved Christopher do for Rory, but that's my life. Luke and Rory and Isabel and us together are what makes me happy."
Emily felt tears well up in her eyes. "Lorelai, I…"
"I don't want to hear it right now," Lorelai said, cutting her mother off. "I'm tired of arguing with you. I am tired of not feeling good enough. I'm at a good place right now and I don't want you to ruin it. So, if and when you're ready to accept that, I'll come back to Friday night dinner. But please, no French delicacies next time. For Isabel's sake and mine."
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"Rory!" Jess exclaimed in shock as he opened the door to of Luke's apartment to find the younger Gilmore girl standing on the other side.
"So it is true," she said with a smile. "You have been Howard Hughes-ing it up here."
"You're making me break Luke's rules, you know," he warned as he let her step inside the apartment.
"Since when do you follow rules?" she asked.
"Since when do you break them?"
"Touche!" Rory grinned. "I just came to tell you that you don't have to sneak around town like Boo Radley for my sake. I can handle you coming to visit Luke while I'm around."
"Thanks," he said with a shy smile. "I know you're supposed to be staying here for the summer and I'm sorry that I'm taking it from you tonight. Actually, I'm sorry for a lot of things."
"I know," she nodded as she walked back to the door. "I didn't come here for an apology, Jess. I didn't come here to talk, I just came to tell you that I can deal with you being around and to thank you."
"Thank me for what?"
"For giving Luke the push he needed to go for it with my Mom," Rory explained. "They're both really happy right now."
"What makes you think it was me?" he asked as he leaned against the doorframe and she stepped outside of the apartment.
"Wasn't it?"
"Maybe, maybe not," Jess shrugged. "I mean, isn't it possible it just happened on its own?"
"Do you really expect me to believe it just happened on its own after what, seven or eight years?"
"Some things defy explanation."
"Like how James Carville and Mary Matalin are married," Rory joked.
"Or the fact that James Carville is married at all."
They both laughed together and then stood in silence for a few minutes. Rory had expected this encounter to be awkward, but it wasn't. She and Jess hadn't exactly ended on the best of terms, but their banter seemed to still flow easily. It was nice to be able to talk to him again, and maybe someday they could at least restore the friendship that started it all.
"Exactly," Rory smiled. "Well, I better go to Lane's before it gets too late."
"Right," Jess said as he stood up from the doorframe. "Good night, Rory."
"'Night, Dodger."
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"She's finally asleep," Lorelai said to Luke as she walked into her bedroom and shut the door.
"Good," he answered as he sat down on the bed. He had changed out of his suit and into a t-shirt and sweatpants.
Lorelai watched sadly as he rubbed his temples and sighed. He had been quiet on the ride home and she was sure it had been because he heard the fight between her and Emily. She'd wanted to talk to him about it, but Isabel was wide awake by the time they made it back to the house. She'd offered to put her to bed so Luke could go change and he accepted politely, but something about his tone was cold. She silently cursed her mother for making it sound like he wasn't good enough for her. He was good, so good, maybe too good. She needed to reassure him of that.
"Luke I.."
But before she could finish he was on his feet and coming towards her. She didn't have time to think before she felt his hands on her waist as he pulled her towards him for a desperate kiss that made her shiver with its intensity.
"I love you," he whispered breathlessly as he pulled back and looked at her with a bright smile. "I love you even though you drink ridiculous amounts of coffee. I love you even though your eating habits drive me crazy because I want you to be healthy. I love the way you flip your hair and pout to make me give into you. I love how you taught Isabel to pout so now I can't deny her either. I love how motherly you are with her and Rory. I love how you jumped in to save me with those lawyers. I love the crazy outfits you wear and the crazy things you say even though I have no idea what you mean half of the time. I love your crazy music. I love how you name inanimate objects. Most of all, I love you, Lorelai because I've never met anyone like you and I don't think I ever will."
"Luke," she said through tears as she placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled his lips down to hers for a tender kiss. "You don't have to say those things to me…"
"Yes I do," he said as he kissed her again. "It needed to be said. I have spent years not saying it to you and I don't want to do that anymore. I heard what you said tonight to Emily. I heard how you defended me and it made me realize how much I want this to work and I am going to make it work."
Lorelai nodded as he wiped the tears from her cheeks and she kissed him again. "I love you, too, you know."
"Lorelai, you don't have to say it…"
"Yes I do," she insisted as she ran her fingers through his hair and he pulled her closer to him. "I'm saying it because I mean it and I said everything I did to Emily tonight because it needed to be said."
"Okay," Luke nodded as he leaned in to kiss her again. "I do have one question."
"What's that?"
Luke grinned as he leaned down to nuzzle her neck.
"Did I hear something about a lap dance?"
