Fades to Black

Chapter 13: Friday Night's Alright for Fighting

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or the characters; they belong to the wonderful creators of Gilmore Girls.

Summary: My version of what happens after the screen fades to black…

A/N: Well, well, well… Some eppy, huh? I really loved those damn WB promos… making everybody think that Rory is pregnant or her and Logan eloped or something crazy like that. Of course, I know better… but whatever.

So, if you haven't already, you should really check out my new story: If One of Us Had Been a Frog… It's basically Fades to Black, but the season 5 version and a much better title. I'm trying to find one like that for this story… but no luck so far. But yeah, look out for a title change… if I ever think of a cool one.

And don't forget to review.

"I just don't get it." Rory said.

"Had a little too much to drink at the grandparent's tonight, Rory?" Lorelai asked, somewhat nervous.

"But why don't we just go to Luke's?" Rory asked.

"I told you, Rory." Lorelai persisted.

"Mom we did this like what… twice before? Luke won't make us pay, and his coffee is so much better." Rory said.

"Rory, it was a tradition… a nice one. A little change of scenery is nice once in a while." Lorelai said.'

"But Mom… Luke's doesn't have kitty cat salt and pepper shakers." Rory said holding up one of the salt shakers.

"I should really talk to him about that." Lorelai said, sipping her coffee. God, Luke's was much better.

"Are you and Luke fighting?" Rory asked.

"No." Lorelai answered a little too quickly.

"Then what's with the Weston's?" Rory asked, gesturing all around her.

"It's tradition, Rory." Lorelai said, and Rory of course didn't buy it.

"Mom." Rory said, letting her to know to stop making stupid excuses and to talk to her.

"April's probably there." Lorelai said, not looking her daughter in the eye.

"So?" Rory asked. "You don't like her?" She asked.

"I don't know her." Lorelai replied.

"What?" Rory asked, confused.

"I wonder if she even knows about me." Lorelai said, not really talking to anyone.

"Of course she does." Rory said.

"I never introduced myself… I never said 'hey I'm going to be your step-mommy. Maybe Luke hasn't told her about me… I mean, I didn't know about her for two months. Maybe she doesn't know about me." Lorelai said.

"She knows about you, Mom."

Lorelai sighed, and crossed her arms.

"C'mon, let's go to Luke's. I need a cheeseburger."

"I can't." Lorelai said.

"Why not?" Rory asked.

"April might be there."

"Didn't we already talk about this?" Rory asked.

"Luke and her need their alone time." Lorelai said.

"What?"

Lorelai shrugged. "They need their alone time. He needs to get to know her. I have to stay away."

"Luke said that?" Rory asked.

"He might as well have." Lorelai said.

"I don't get it."

Lorelai shrugged. "I haven't met her yet… I haven't met the mother either. All I know is that April likes reading… and geometry… and Anna is beautiful and amazing… and her and Luke were so serious about each other." Lorelai mockingly.

"Luke told you that?"

"Miss Pattie and Babette."

"Mom." Rory said like Lorelai was stupid.

"What?"

"It's just Pattie and Babette… They don't know anything, they just think they do… Mom, you are beautiful, and you and Luke are getting married! That's serious about each other. You don't have anything to worry about."

"Were." Lorelai said.

"What?"

"Were getting married. We aren't any more remember?" Lorelai said.

"You are getting married… Just a little later than originally planned. You're still getting married."

Lorelai shrugged, and began studying the floor.

"Mom." Rory said, getting her attention. "Luke loves you… He's just… overwhelmed. He has a daughter, he wants to get to know her… 12 years is a lot of time to make up for. Things will be back to normal soon."

"Yeah." Lorelai said. "I get that he needs alone time, Rory. I really do. I completely understand. I mean, I wasn't planning on being the third wheel all the time. I'd give them alone time… I just… I'm going to be her step-mother, right? Why can't I know her? I mean, I should at least met her… officially, you know? Even if it's just for an hour or 15 minutes or anything. Why doesn't he want me to met her?"

"He does." Rory said.

"Uh… no. He doesn't."

"Mom, just give him time… It's Luke. You love Luke. He loves you. Things will be OK… you just have to be patient."

"I suck at being patient."

"Do it for Luke." Rory said, patting her shoulder.

"Mhm." Lorelai grumbled.

"OK, so I really have to get back to Yale. You OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lorelai said.

"Bye Mom."

"Bye Rory."

As she walked down the streets of Stars Hollow, she rubbed her temples and tried to ignore the throbbing headache she currently had. She had forgotten about these headaches. She used to always get them. It was just a normal Saturday morning type of thing. She hardly ever noticed them.

But, since she fortunately hadn't been to a Friday Night Dinner in an incredibly long time, these Saturday morning headaches were not something she was used to.

Her eyes must have been closed, or maybe she just wasn't paying much attention, because let's face it, she had a mosh-pit of thoughts dancing around in her head, but she accidently crashed into someone. A book flew out of the girl's hand and fell on the ground. Lorelai quickly bent down to pick it up, without even looking at the girl she bumped into first.

"Sorry." She said with a smile, as she stood up and got a look at just who she had bumped into. April. Of course, who else? "Oh hi, April." She said, trying to flash a Betty Crocker type of smile. Or maybe it was more of an Aunt Jemima type of smile.

"Hi." She said, taking her book from the woman's hands. "Lorelai, right?" She asked, having a little bit of trouble pronouncing the name right.

"Right." Lorelai smiled. "Where's Luke?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh uh, he's back at the diner. I offered to deliver some lunch to Andrew… I had to talk to him about this book I'm reading anyway." April shrugged.

"Oh what are you reading?" Lorelai asked, just trying to connect with this girl in anyway she could. After all, she was going to be her step-daughter, right? Right, Lorelai… Right.

"Bud, Not Buddy." April replied, showing her the cover of the book. "It's a Newbury Award Winner." She said.

"Ooh." Lorelai said. "I'll have to ask Rory if she's read it… She probably has… She's read just about everything." Lorelai said.

"Rory is your daughter, right?" April said.

"Yeah." Lorelai said, happy that Luke had seemed to mention them to his daughter a few times.

"So, um, are you going back to the diner?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah. Luke said I had to be back by 2 or he'd start looking for me… I think he's afraid I'll get kidnapped or something."

"In Stars Hollow?" She asked. April shrugged. Lorelai smiled. It sounded just like Luke. Over protective, loving, looking out for the people he loved… That used to just be Lorelai and Rory… and then Jess and Liz. The list was getting a little bit longer now, huh?

She wondered if Anna Nardini was on that list, too. She cringed.

"So, uh I was just about to head over there." Lorelai said.

"OK." April shrugged, and they began walking again.

"So… You're in 6th grade?" Lorelai asked, trying to make conversation.

"I'm in 7th, I skipped 2nd grade."

"Oh, wow." Lorelai said, and April shrugged. "So… What do you think of our lovely town?"

"I love it. The people here are so funny. You know Kirk, right?" April asked.

"Do I." Lorelai said.

"Well this morning, he was trying to teach Mrs. Fisherman's cat how to ring the doorbell… but then it started attacking him. I think Lulu took his to the hospital."

"Oh Kirk." Lorelai said. "Just isn't a cat person, I guess."

"That has happened before?" April asked.

"Well… Kirk had a cat a few years ago… He named… Cat Kirk."

"Creative." April said.

Lorelai nodded, and continued. "The poor thing had bandages all over him for weeks… If he so much as looked at that cat, it would attack him. It was sort of hilarious… Reminds me of the time he got 3rd degrees burns from pizza cheese."

"Is that possible?"

"It was a very big pizza." Lorelai said.

"So… do you usually go to the diner?" April asked.

"What? Of course. All the time." Lorelai said, confused by the question.

"Well, I've been there for the past three days, and I've only seen you once… I kind of thought you just didn't want to meet me."

"Oh, no… I really wanted to meet you, April… I've just been… Well I… I just wanted to let Luke have some time alone with you… to uh, get to know you." Lorelai said.

"Right."

"But I'm really glad I got to meet you. Luke talks about you all the time."

"Yeah well, Luke talks about you all the time, too." April smiled.

"He does?" She asked, trying to make it seem like it was no big thing. But really, she was touched. She was jumping for joy in the inside. Maybe he wouldn't leave her for that Anna woman. Maybe he did love her. Maybe they would get married after all.

"Oh yeah, all the time. Sometimes he changes the subject and talks about Jess, but mostly it's about you and Rory."

Lorelai smiled. She wanted to run, find Luke, and kiss him forever. He told April about her. He talked about her all the time. He still loved her. He still wanted to be with her. He still wanted her in his life.

Things would be OK. They would work things out.

She'd get along with April. Luke would get to know her. Luke would be there for her. He'd make up for the past 12 years. She'd be there for him while he did. She'd meet Anna and try her best not to hate her.

She'd go home tonight and finish canceling their wedding.

She was going to marry Luke, even if wasn't exactly when they planned. She was going to cancel their wedding, and she was OK with it. She knew they'd get married. He loved her, and she loved him, and things would be OK.

And really, they didn't need the perfect date, in the perfect church, with the perfect flowers and invitations. They didn't need any of that.

They needed each other. They needed their families, their friends.

"Hey Lorelai?"

"Uhuh?"

"I like your scarf." April said, and Lorelai smiled.

Yeah, they'd get along. They'd get along and things would work out.

She'd get married.

So yeah, I'm really sorry that it sucked so much. I know it did. I just had no idea what to write. This one was hard. I knew I could write Luke and Lorelai talking about all of it and everything, but it's been done, you know? I thought this would turn out better.

Next week will be better hopefully.

The episode was good. I loved the scene in the ice cream shop, with Kirk, Babette and Miss Patty. Everyone being like 'oh my gosh, luke's kid reads?" I don't know, I thought it was funny.

Cept poor Lorelai. They were all going on about how pretty Anna was, and how much Luke loved her and stuff. Jeez.

I liked the newspaper thing. It was nice. Paris is crazy, but we all knew that. She's still funny though.

The answering machine message from Luke was sad. Lorelai's reaction. I felt bad for her. She feels excluded, but she doesn't want to say anything because she knows Luke needs space. Plus, she's not used to being #2 in Luke's life. She's always been #1 to him. She could call him and he'd always come rushing over. It's sort of like that whole Nicole thing. When he moved in with her and stuff. It's a little like that. But she'll adjust. Everything will be OK. They'll get married. I believe. Lol.

I really want some Lorelai/April stuff next episode. And I wonder if we'll get to see Lorelai meeting Anna. I'd love that.

FND was cool. I sort of wish we got more of it, but I liked it. I liked Lorelai acting out what happened when she came there for help with Rory. That was funny. And why does Rory want to be in the DAR so bad?

Anyways, please review. Thanks.