"Are you okay?" Jess asked when they got outside.
"I just needed some air." Rory replied. "Maybe a hug."
"That I can do." Jess wrapped his arms around her.
"Sorry about Mom."
"She's always entertaining to watch."
"Where did Luke disappear to?"
"It smelt like burnt marzipan." Jess replied. "I'm guessing he went to investigate."
"I'm not sure Grandma will like that."
"It's Luke." Jess shrugged.
"Do you want to sit down for a while?" Rory asked. "They'll call us when dinner is ready."
"Sure." Jess agreed.
GG
"You just need to keep them moving and as soon as they start turning golden brown take them off the heat otherwise they burn." Luke told the maid.
She noticed Lorelai creep in, but Lorelai held a finger to her lips to tell the maid to keep quiet.
Lorelai blew on the back of his neck.
"Lorelai." Luke jumped slightly.
"The stove called to you did it?" She inquired.
"Here you go." He handed the skillet to the maid. "Done."
"Thank you Mr Danes."
"Are you taking orders?" Lorelai asked. "I'll take a burger, fries and a diet coke."
"Funny. I was just helping with the almonds for the salad."
"Almond salad?" Lorelai questioned.
"I burnt the first batches of almonds, please don't tell Mrs Gilmore." The maid pleaded.
"Mrs Gilmore can't cook frozen pizza, so I think you'll be okay." Lorelai told her. "But Luke you can't hide out in here any more, your absence is conspicuous, especially since Rory and Jess left the room."
"Where did Rory and Jess go?"
"Outside, I think she didn't want to talk about the money."
"It's a lot of money for a kid."
"Rory is sensible, so is Jess these days surprisingly." Lorelai stated. "Let's go."
"Okay."
"Dinner will be another five minutes." The maid informed them.
"Sounds great." Lorelai replied. "Smells great too. I'll just get diner-man here out of your hair."
GG
"Do you know what's strange?" Rory asked.
"What?"
"If Mom hadn't run away, I would have grown up here and my life would have been totally different." Rory remarked.
"Would you have liked to have grown up here?" Jess inquired.
"No, I think I would have rebelled against it like Mom did. Besides I like my life, I have good friends, I live a great town where I know everyone, which has its good and its bad points, I wouldn't have met you, and Mom wouldn't have met Luke."
"True." Jess sighed.
"We had this class at school and we were talking about how everything that happens to you shapes who you are. Your experiences, good or bad, the people you meet, the things you see or read or hear, it makes you who you are."
"The whole nature versus nurture debate."
"Do you think you'd be the same person you are now if you'd grown up in Stars Hollow or somewhere like this?" Rory inquired.
"Hell no."
"Exactly."
"Meeting you was the best thing about moving to Stars Hollow."
"You know tell a hormonal pregnant woman something sweet like could bring tears." Rory pointed out.
"I'll take my chances."
They both looked over as the door opened.
"Dinner's ready." Lorelai told them.
"We'll be right in." Rory replied.
"Good because you don't want to miss Luke trying to explain to Mom why he needed to go help the maid toast almonds for the salad."
"You left him with her?" Rory asked.
"If he can handle Kirk and Taylor." Jess pointed out with a shrug.
"But he has a well developed tolerance level for them which was developed over many years." Rory rambled. "This is Grandma. We should go and rescue him."
TBC