A/N: Insert Strong Bad voice:
Like a Phoenix, from the ashes
...she rises again!
Written in the Stars
By Gilmoregirl1979 (the reigning Quote Queen)
Rating: PG-13
Hi this is your friendly disclaimer: Once again, I don't own (DAMN IT!), No Harm No Sue. WE just use the Gilmore Girls dolls during our slumber parties…. It's fun (shirtless Luke: with coffee pouring action, and the "Fry it and Buy it" Luke's Diner Play Set sold separately!)
R/R: yes please I love reviews; I wanna marry them (as previously stated, I have strange passions.)
Summary/ The Q: What if LL hooked up when they first met? What if things had moved … a touch more quickly…?
JEEPY: thanks for the beta!
A/N: as added penance for the sin that was the last chapter… here is a better chapter … 17 had to happen in order for Wonderful charming 18 to be… (Yeah keep telling yourself that)
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Chapter 18:
Misery Loves Company
The big day finally arrived.
It had been two weeks since Rory's generous offer, one week since their anniversary dinner, and it was decided that they should just get the first night over with, like pulling off a band aid. It was a Saturday, aka Movie night… and Luke was not going to go back to the diner at the end of the night. The couple did everything they could to keep the anticipated sleep over a secret from the gossips; Rory wasn't even aloud to tell Lane.
The stage was set, and Lorelai kept double and triple checking with Rory, kept explaining in different ways that Luke wouldn't be leaving till morning… and that Luke and her would be sharing the master bedroom. Rory knew all this, and assured her mother everything would be fine, but when there was a knock at the door, the true test began for all.
Luke arrived at the Gilmore house, and with a shy "Hi Luke," Rory greeted their guest as she opened the door for him, trying not to stare at the overnight bag he brought in with him. No going back now… you asked for this… and it will make mom happy.
"Hey… Rory…ummm would you mind… taking these…" handing her the Luke's take out bags, "I brought burgers…you know… for the movie…"
"Great," she smiled a little too broadly, to hide her nerves.
"Extra cheese just the way you like 'em."
"Thanks, ummm, I'll put them in the living room."
Rory had really grown to like Luke. He was nice to her mom, treated her like an adult despite the fact she was 11, and Luke considered her favorite things when planning a menu. She was comfortable around Luke, but tonight everyone's relationship was evolving. This was a big step for everyone and all parties were a little nervous, especially when they thought of how it would eventually get twisted and turned in the gossip mill.
"Hey handsome…" Lorelai took advantage of Rory being out of sight to steal a kiss form her fella. It still felt strange to be kissing a boy around her daughter. Especially if that boy was Luke, and seeing as it had been a while since they were intimate… well Lorelai didn't know if she would behave her self come bedtime.
Luke had never spent the night at a girlfriend's house before, usually he was the one imposed upon. When Rachel would just blow into town and crash at his place… disrupt his routine, and blow out of town just as quickly. Now he felt like he was the one intruding… even though he was invited, but he knew his own discomfort in the situation and hoped it would pass, he could only imagine how Rory really felt, but Lorelai seemed to cover everything with a smile. "So, what's the movie this week?" he asked.
"Ahhh a new Classic…" Lorelai smiled proudly at her taste in movies, "Misery…directed by Rob Reiner."
"Never seen it…" Luke shrugged.
"Why am I not surprised?" Lorelai rolled her eyes at her fella, and settled on the couch with him.
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With the movie to distract them, they almost forgot that Luke would be sleeping over. At one end of the couch, Luke had his arm around Lorelai, on the other end Rory was with her own personal bowl of popcorn. Rory sat Indian style with the bowl in her lap, and watched the movie, silently riveted to the screen, only occasionally slowly munching on her salty snack. She was unusually quiet which concerned Luke; he thought that Rory's stillness was because she was scared. There was a car wreck not even before the credits were done. Even though he argued that she was too young for this movie, Lorelai assured Luke, her daughter's silence was normal for a thriller. Lorelai knew that Rory had found the Shining to be laughable, so she thought Rory would be okay for this flick. Rory had to harshly shush them, scolding that they were missing the movie.
There was the occasional flinch from Rory as James Caan's injuries were revealed… and as they worsened… and quick intakes of breathe whenever Kathy Bates would start suddenly ranting in anger. All in all Rory was quietly taking in the movie with large eyes, unable to believe how such a sweet lady could get so nutty. Lorelai also noticed how Rory would peak over at Luke and her, the impending sleep over no doubt weighing on her mind, or maybe it was just to see if they reacted as she had to the scene before them.
Rory didn't seem to mind that Luke and Lorelai showed moderate affection. Luke and Lorelai recently got the courage to try to hold hands, and give brief pecks hello and goodbye around Rory, all had passed without Rory flinching. But this was the night, the first night a man would stay in the house, and Lorelai knew if it was weird for her… it had to be weird for Rory too.
After the Movie, they had a spacer of late night TV to distract from the looming fact that Luke didn't have to go home tonight. None of the three of them knew how to address the subject of going to bed when they were finally getting drowsy.
Rory didn't seem tired, but Lorelai knew she should make the effort, and she tucked Rory to give her the opportunity in private to voice any uneasiness, "Goodnight Angel," but Lorelai could tell Rory was still anxious about something, "Is everything okay?"
"Yes," Rory said shortly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Anything you want to confide in dear old mom?"
"No."
"Rory," Lorelai knew she was lying, she could tell in her eyes, "you know Luke doesn't have to stay tonight… if it's too soon… or if you are uncomfortable… we can…"
"No! He can stay." Rory said quickly.
"You sure?"
"Yes, absolutely, he has to stay!" Rory insisted.
"Okay then…well, Luke and I will be upstairs if you need us."
"Okay," Rory nodded in understanding, still wide-awake.
To Lorelai, Rory looked so small with her covers up to her chin. Lorelai knew her daughter had to be just a little bit uncomfortable with the idea of a man being in the house. Lorelai began to wonder if Rory was forcing it, just so Lorelai would be happy with her beau, although this sleep over had been Rory's idea, maybe now that the night was here, she was having second thoughts, but Rory still insisted Luke had to stay; So, Lorelai accepted that, turned off the lights, and went up stairs.
Luke was wearing a T-shirt and sweat pants, he also seemed uneasy, "you got everything you need?" Lorelai asked seeing him on the bed.
"Yeah, I'm fine. … ummm I'm done with the bath room so you can… you know."
"Thanks." She took her PJs in with her and changed there, weird, considering he's already seen me naked, maybe her own discomfort was coming out in the tell tale action.
Lorelai returned to the bedroom after brushing her teeth, and Lorelai noticed Luke was still awake on "his side" of the bed. She adjusted under the covers to be close to him, "What is? Is the movie gonna give you bad dreams?"
"No, I 'm just … this is different for me… I mean …"
Lorelai noticed the same frustration in Rory when she couldn't find the right words, "What?"
"… This bed is so big," Luke finished.
"The better to do all things dirty," she snuggled closer to him, but seeing he wasn't in the mood for her humor, "What?"
"I'm serious, this is a different place, I mean… I've slept in the same room …alone… for … 7 years…. It's just … weird. Plus Rory is down stairs..."
"Luke, it was Rory's idea, she wants you to stay… I want you to stay… "
"I want to stay too, but I just … I have to … get used to this…. "
"I know." With a glint in her eye and a kiss on his cheek "What will make you comfortable?"
"I … just need a few nights…" he got out decidedly.
"You are so cute."
"Jeez," but holding her in his arms was all too easy. With their combined comfort and body heat under the covers, they fell asleep quickly.
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Lorelai took in a deep breath, and opened her eyes and they were met with the face of Luke, which was weird and wonderful at the same time. She had never had a man stay over in her bed all night before; it was… kind of nice, just as the sleep over at Luke's apartment had been; His arms around her, keeping her safe and warm.
Then Lorelai realized what had woken her up at the late hour. There was a persistent poking in her back, and she rolled over to see the two twinkling spheres that were daughter's eyes. "Rory? Ummmm can I … help you…?" Lorelai self-consciously pulled up the covers, not sure how Rory would react to actually seeing her mother in bed with Luke, despite their respective PJs.
"I'm sorry but… can I sleep in here tonight?"
"What?" Lorelai whispered low, as to not disturb Luke.
"Can I sleep with you … guys?" Rory made sure she acknowledged Luke's presence.
It had long been decided that once Rory hit the double digits she was too big to sleep with mommy, particularly now since mommy had a boyfriend. "Why?" Lorelai had to ask, curious at just how small Rory's voice sounded.
Rory took a deep breath and confessed quickly, "I tried to be a big girl and not be scared, but every time I close my eyes I see Kathy Bates chasing me with a sledge hammer."
"Awwww honey…" seeing her daughter was truly upset; "you were fine during the movie…"
"Yeah, but I had you and Luke there to protect me… but now it's dark and quiet, and…I was all alone in my room… all I can think about is do I really want to become a writer just so I can have a crazy stalking fan kidnap me and nurse me back to health in the off chance I'm in a car crash? …Please, can I sleep here?"
"Of course you can," and Luke pulled the covers back to leave, "I'll go down stairs…" the couch is like camping.
Lorelai was surprised that Luke was up and secondly that he was leaving, "What? No!"
"Lorelai, its okay…you two should be alone…" and Luke got out of the bed, and Rory was about to climb up next to her mother.
"Wait a second," Lorelai knew there had to be a way to comfort her child without kicking out her boyfriend. Come on Lorelai think fast.
Luke stopped at the foot of the bed wondering what she could possibly say to change his mind. There was no way he was gonna let her choose him over her own terrified daughter.
Rory just wanted to go back to sleep with the safety and security of her mother, but she could see that her mother's mind was frantically racing to compromise their sleeping arrangements.
Lorelai knew that the three of them together in the same bed would only add to the anxiety and discomfort of the situation. Then a brilliant idea struck Lorelai, "how about we all go down stairs?" she suggested. "We can all sleep in the living room, and… make a real slumber party of it."
Luke didn't know how comfortable he'd be with a … slumber party, he was a grown man after all, but Rory completely ran with the idea.
Rory seemed to catch a second wind, "Yes, and you can to protect mom and me," she smiled at Luke.
"What?" Luke repeated.
"You look like you could take Kathy Bates, Mom, doesn't he look like he could take her?"
"Ummm sure…" Lorelai shrugged, happy one of them had liked the idea. "Oooo and we could make s'mores, Luke you know how to build a fire, don't you?" My camping fishing wilderness man…
"Well umm yeah?" unable to believe these girls were shanghaiing him into a slumber party.
"Great it's settled," Lorelai smiled.
"Cool, I'll get the blankets," Rory hopped off her mother's bed, "Come on Luke you can give the down stairs the once over."
"The once over?"
"Yeah, check the locks, Ooooo and the closets and make sure Kathy Bates isn't here… and maybe if she sees you through the bushes, she'll think twice!"
"I think Kathy Bates has better things to do…" Luke clarified as Rory pulled him down stairs to go along with the idea.
Lorelai heard her daughter's voice fade down the stairs, dragging Luke down the steps with her. "… But … I'm scared, and the house is creaky and dark, you have to protect mom who will in turn protect me… and…"
Lorelai was surprised by this turn of events, what a way to bond her boyfriend and daughter… a Stephen King movie. She gathered up all the blankets in her room and realized that earlier, Rory was more scared of the movie than of Luke spending the night. The young girl had his male presence to rely on for protection. When Lorelai came down the stairs, Rory was watching as Luke prepared the fireplace.
"Make it look like a volcano", Rory suggested.
As requested, Luke piled the kindling into a funnel shape, and then he coiled up a piece of newspaper and lit it, and threw it up the floo.
"Why did you do that?" Rory asked, never really knowing how the fireplace worked.
"Well by putting the burning paper up there, it will make the air in the chimney warmer …and the warm air will pull the smoke out of the house …"
"… Because heat rises", Rory finished.
Still marveling how smart she was for an 11 year old. "Wanna … help me … light it…?" He didn't know what else to say but thought he'd offer if she wanted to try something new.
"Okay."
Luke lit a long fireplace match and helped Rory set fire to the kindling around the base of her "volcano".
Lorelai smiled at the scene, as she went in to the kitchen for s'more supplies, one of the more perfect comfort foods.
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"Mom, fresh s'mores are definitely better than microwave s'mores."
"Yeah?" she smiled at her little girl.
"Yeah, their all… smoky tasting… Luke did you have one yet?"
"I don't like s'mores."
"How can you not like s'mores? The only thing more perfect than s'mores... are Mallomars. Cause … they taste like s'mores… with out all the work…"
"...And both are unbelievably unhealthy…"
Then Rory argued, "But marshmallows are a fat free food."
"It's not the fat … it's the calories and sugar that get you…"
"Come on Luke" Rory encouraged, and she took her freshly toasted marshmallow off her metal skewer, and sandwiched it with the chocolate and graham crackers, "I made this one special…. Just for you… you have to eat it now…"
"Is that the rule?" Luke asked.
"Yes! Now, come on..."
It almost annoyed him how much like her mother Rory was. Luke reluctantly took the sugar sandwich to please the young girl, and took a bite, begrudgingly chewing since he was being closely watched.
"And… how is it?" Rory asked.
"Not bad."
Rory was definitely better with food to distract her, and adults to protect her, "Hey you want to help me finish the Count of Monte Cristo?" Rory found her book on the pushed aside coffee table, and handed the book to Luke.
"What?"
Lorelai chimed in too, "yeah Luke, read to us."
Looking back and forth between the two Gilmores, Luke couldn't say no to those big blue eyes that were so much like her mothers, "If you insist."
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They had enjoyed Alexander Dumas' masterpiece. Much to the amusement of Lorelai, Rory would correct Luke's occasional mispronunciation, but both girls loved the story time by the fire with Luke's soothing voice.
Rory had quickly fallen asleep to the sound of that voice and Lorelai knew she was in danger of falling in love. Luke was so good, so understanding, trying so hard and being such a sport to do all this for Rory, just so she wouldn't be scared. In the remaining firelight, Lorelai watched him shift about in his make shift bed on the floor, trying to get to sleep.
Luke was on his back, Lorelai was on her side, and Rory was huddled close to her mother between the two adults, flanked with peace of mind and protection. Luke seemed to feel Lorelai's eyes on him, and briefly met her gaze, then only smiled back at her.
Then suddenly Rory woke up, gasping to escape the nightmare, out of breath calling, "Mom."
"I'm here, baby," trying to stay quiet, hoping she'd go back to a peaceful sleep.
Rory vowed through heavy slits, "I am never watching that movie again…"
"Okay," Lorelai met Luke's eyes again.
"Poor Buster…" and Rory mourned the loss of loveable sheriff from the movie.
"Good night girls," Luke said gently to remind them that it was now time for sleep.
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A/N: I LOVE THIS Chapter Title! It just came to me… I don't know how I do it! Just another brief shining brilliant moment!
A/N: does anyone else remember in Star Crossed Lovers and other strangers how Lorelai mentioned to Richard that Rory was terrified of the movie misery… and couldn't sleep alone for a week… then their was that awkward conversation about the elder Gilmore sleeping arrangements? no just me… okay then….
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"That was all God given talent..." why thank you Luke!
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R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,
"...Remember this is for posterity, ... so be honest."
Please be specific with R/R; name one (or as many as you can think of or want to mention..…) At least one specific thing you liked
Please! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)
Hence the Rant option below.
Insert Rant here V
A/N: if not completely satisfied with this chapter, please return unused portion for a full refund …