A/N: Insert Strong Bad voice:
Like a Phoenix, from the ashes
...she rises again!
One Good Milestone deserves another! Can you believe it! Over 600 reviews… for my humble little corner of the fan fiction world! I'm just glad you all like it!
Written in the Stars
By Gilmoregirl1979 (the reigning Quote Queen)
Provider of QUALITY Fan FICTION!
Rating: PG-13
Hi this is your friendly disclaimer: Once again, I don't own (DAMN IT! DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT!), No Harm No Sue. (JUST GIVE ME A JOB and we will call it even!)
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…?
Luvz: I miss you
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Chapter 22:
Time Heals All Wounds
Later that same day…(Saturday)
Luke was wiping down the counter, as was his habit when he wasn't busy waiting on a customer. Even though Lorelai had three "whole" days off, that didn't mean Luke could afford to cut out on his business, no matter how much Lorelai tried to persuade him to sleep in with her that morning. Lorelai mentioned some errands she had to do but he had hoped and dreaded that Lorelai would pay an all day visit, to annoy him with her free time and keep him company, especially now that they had made up...again. However, when the door chimes jingled, Luke was surprised to see Mia walk through the door instead.
"Afternoon Lucas," she smiled warmly.
"Hey Mia, it's been awhile since you came here."
"Well, I needed to get out of that damn office," she said flatly. Being too much of a lady to sit at the counter, Mia had her pick of tables and chose a small one by the window, where she could still see Miss Patty's gymnastics class, to watch the children practice their summersaults outdoors.
"Well order whatever you like, on the house," Luke smiled.
"Why thank you, Lucas, I may take you up on that," knowing that she came to the diner strictly on business, "But first, sit down a moment; I want to talk to you."
Mia was like a surrogate mother to him, so he couldn't avoid the feeling he may have done something wrong and Mia had the power to punish him. As he was told he sat across from her in the empty diner and asked, "What's going on?"
"I understand you and Lorelai had a little… misunderstanding… but you have worked things out?… and you are…" Mia seemed to choose her words carefully "… pretty serious with Lorelai."
Uh oh, Luke's stomach dropped, he knew Lorelai wasn't on good terms with her parents, but now he was going to have the "you better treat her right" speech from Mia… in the middle of the diner for anyone to walk in on. He had hoped that she strategically chose this time of day to save him the embarrassment of anyone over hearing. "Mia… you've known this for a while," and he wondered if Lorelai had told Mia, and Sookie, and half the town about their different points a view on marriage.
"I know you are quite fond of her…and Rory"
"I love her… both of them."
Mia only took a moment to recover from his honesty, and granted his confession a respectful nod, "all the more reason I speak with you…"
"Mia, I'm not rushing into anything." Luke hunched his shoulders forward, the way he used to when he got a lecture from his father; the weight of the old man's disappointment seemed to weigh them down.
"Luke I want you to have a full picture. Lorelai is a very special, very unique young woman"
"I know that…" he said shyly, he imagined that this is what a conversation would have been like with his own mother, had she lived.
"What has Lorelai told you about her family? Her parent's I mean."
Luke and a gut feeling he'd have to discuss Christopher in a minute too, "Nothing really," Luke shrugged, "she's not that close with them cause of the whole … getting pregnant thing…" and he sort of tripped up on the "p" word.
"Luke, maybe you should start asking about her family… get more of the details."
"What does that matter? We're just two people who… like to spend time together…and we're taking it slow any way," he defended, though he'd marry Lorelai tomorrow if only she'd say the word.
"It matters more than you know, where she comes from doesn't matter to her, but it's everything to her parents. She's made a different life for herself, a life she likes, away from that world… even though she may have removed herself from her former environment, it will always be apart of her, her parents will always want a connection with her and Rory, and if things continue… consequently to you." whether they like it or not.
Luke didn't know if Mia was trying to disclose that Lorelai was in fact an Alien as he had long suspected in jest, "Mia? What are you saying?"
"Did you know she was from Hartford?"
"Yes,"
"You know how young she was when she had Rory."
"Yeah," Luke thought he'd show Mia how smart he was, "and that's the reason she's not on good terms with her parents."
Mia could see this approach was only agitating Luke, so she softened her tone, "Do you remember when I used go with you to see your dad, when he was in the hospital?"
"Yeah?" confused by the change in subject.
"Lorelai's grandparents built half of that hospital."
"What?"
"Her last name is Gilmore, they are a wealthy philanthropic family from the better half of Hartford," Mia said with a hint of sarcasm, "…though I suspect their good intentions go as far as the impression they make in the society section of the paper. They are snobs, Lucas, and I'm not sure how they are going to feel once they find out their only daughter is dating a humble self made diner owner, and that he is the only male role model in their grand daughter's life."
Luke leaned back against the window; it just didn't make sense to him. He tried to recall Lorelai's confession about Rory, and wondered if there was a subtle clue there, and he remembered was "Rory was my daughter … I wasn't going to have her raised in that house with my mother and party dresses or cotillion …to do what she wanted, not what was expected of her out of family obligation or just because everyone else had done it for years before her". So Lorelai was the society set's black sheep. Lorelai wasn't a snob, sure sometimes she liked things a particular way, but that was only because of her quirks, or the rules of movie night, or when she named one of her appliances. Lorelai was pizza rolls, not caviar, she was burgers and fries, not halibut and asparagus, "but… she's such sales hound… and barely gets her bills out on time…"
"She doesn't want any of their money, she's too proud, and she wants everything on her own terms… including you."
That seemed like a loaded statement, if Lorelai wanted everything on her own terms, maybe he'd have to wait till she proposed to him, "did she tell you? What we talked about?"
"Not a word to me, I know you had a disagreement of some sort, and worked it out. Oh, Luke, I've known you since you were a boy, the way you look at Lorelai is the same way you used to look at Rachel, and I think I had pretty clear understanding of your intentions then." Luke was embarrassed and habitually rubbed the back of his neck, regretting the assumptions he had made with Rachel. Mia continued, "Now you may not like it Lucas, but I want you to be prepared. It's a package deal, if you get Lorelai you get the daughter as well … and the grand parents, and maybe once in a blue moon the absentee father." Mia took a moment, and examined her surrogate son, and smiled, watched as he absorbed the new details of his girlfriend. Mia hopefully added, "If in the future, you feel you need your mother's ring again," Mia smiled, " just ask. It's still in the safety deposit box."
"Thanks Mia" he half smiled.
Mia reached across the table, and placed her hand on his shell shocked one, "You're a good one, Lucas, and if it means anything, you two have my blessing. I've never seen Lorelai as happy as she is when she's with you."
As if on cue, Lorelai quite exploded through the diner "Luke, Luke… Oh there you are Oh, hey Mia," and she forced a nervous smile, forced herself to calm her excitement, not sure how Mia would react to her latest brilliant idea and future competition.
"Hello Lorelai," Mia grinned at the typical display from her favorite employee, "enjoying your days off I see."
"I haven't been to the inn I swear," way to go Gilmore! Lorelai winced, having just dropped off Sookie there.
"Oh I know, I have my little network of spies. You know I really didn't get to take you out to lunch with your promotion… and since this is your favorite place in town an di know you don't have to work, would you like to join me now? Unless of course, you have something pressing to share with Lucas?" giving Luke the eye.
Luke chimed in, "yeah, is it Rory?" jumping straight for the worst-case scenario.
"No, no, Rory's fine… ummm actually it can wait. I practically ran here and you know how I hate exercise so I'll need a burger with extra cheese and bacon…"
"That sounds divine, make that two." Mia smiled.
Luke shook his head, "you both are gonna kill yourselves…"
"Fat and Happy," Lorelai smiled, "Ummm Actually can I borrow Lucas for just one minute, there is one thing that I need."
Mia raised her hands, "Certainly, I'm not one to keep the love birds apart"
Lorelai pulled Luke behind the curtain that lead to his apartment, at the base of the stairs, before Luke could ask her "what's up"; she had cut off his words.
"Lorel…"
Her arms were around him in a flash and she gave him a kiss to remember. It didn't take long for Luke to get the message and press Lorelai against the back wall. Lorelai could have undressed him right there, but with Mia only a few feet away beyond the wall, she knew that wasn't a good idea. It seemed to last forever, but not long enough at the same time. When need for oxygen was pressing, they both had to pull away.
"You wanted to tell me something?" Luke panted.
"That's all I wanted to say for now," Lorelai mischievously smiled, truly excited for the first time at what their future held, a future with a possible new business and a long future in mind with Luke.
"We'll continue this later…" he promised.
Lorelai gave him another quick peck before returning to Mia's table, "Get Frying, Burger Boy!"
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The next day, Sunday, Luke prepared a picnic lunch as instructed by Lorelai. Rory was his helper, as always, she made sure all Tupperware lids were secure, and the sandwiches were wrapped tight. "Do you know where we are going?" Rory asked Luke… again.
"No idea, I just do as I'm told."
"And you are very good at it" Rory complimented with a nod, as she played with one of her braided pigtails now that her task was completed.
"Thank you," Luke smiled. "Okay we got water and soda, salad I know your mother won't eat," that comment got a giggle from Rory, "Sandwiches and snacks…"
Lorelai came in with her usual burst of energy and enthusiasm, "We all ready."
"Yes, but where are we going? "Rory begged unable to stand the suspense.
"And ruin the surprise? Never!"
The trio piled into her jeep with their picnic lunch, because Lorelai insisted on driving, because only she knew where to go. After only a 10-minute drive out of town, Lorelai pulled up a dirt road and parked her jeep near a disheveled building to which Rory exclaimed, "COOL!" going to some place new, and Luke muttered "what the?"
The three exited the vehicle, and Lorelai smiled as she saw the first reactions on the faces of the two people closest to her, and she introduced, "I give you the Dragonfly Inn." she watched them for another moment, and then laid out the blanket for a prime view of the Inn.
"Lorelai what are we doing here?" Luke had to know as he got the food out of the jeep.
Lorelai made herself comfortable on the blanket, "Well I thought that maybe… one day… I'd open my own Inn… with Sookie…"
Luke sat on the ground with her, even though he hated the idea of eating off the ground "What?"
Lorelai shrugged, "Well, you wanted me to start thinking about the future? And I think … I want to buy this place … fix it up… and open my own Inn, I'll manage, Sookie could be the chef..."
"Cool!" the plan and prospect excited Rory, not only was her mother now second to the boss, but she was thinking beyond the Independence Inn and would be just like Mia one day, minus the vintage blue coat, "Mom, can I look around?"
"Sure baby, take a sandwich, but stay where I can see you…"
Rory took the sandwich from her mother and ran off to explore the ruins, playing make believe that she would be writing a story for the New York Times, on the history of this place, and she was off looking for clues.
Luke stared after Rory, protectively watching, making sure she wouldn't get hurt. "When did you think of this?" he asked Lorelai.
Lorelai laid down on the blanket, propped up on her elbows, thinking of what colors she wanted to paint the outside of the Inn, My Inn "Well, I was thinking about what you said …that you wanted a real future with me and Rory, and well, I never really thought of the future before… you know like for myself. I mean when I was 16 I was supposed to go to an Ivy League school to graduate to do …God knows what… according to my mother, I really didn't have a say back then. And now… I'm an adult, and an idea sparked in my head… I have a goal, … something to work toward… an opportunity to make you proud." She smiled, "We could both be upstanding business owners contributing to the community, play footsy at the business owners' association meetings… "
I'm going to let go of Christopher… and focus on you.
Luke knew she was a fly by the seat of her pants, kinda girl, very spur of the moment all the time… but this was border line on nutty, not to mention out of character. Luke picked up the hints of her background and took Mia's advice, "What about your parents?" he asked directly.
"What about them?"
"Won't they be proud? Don't you think they'd want to know their daughter owns a business? Is an upstanding citizen?" And Luke made it a point to pay close attention to the way she talked about her parents.
Lorelai stared at the old inn intently, "Oh this would be beneath Richard and Emily, they wouldn't even stay at a place like this much less come to see it, even if I ran it… maybe that's part of it's appeal… I mean sure my dad has worked for the same firm for years and years, but this is like blue collar work to them. You should have seen their faces the first Christmas I came to visit with Rory, after I … ran away … I told them I got a job, 'really Lorelai what job?'" Lorelai had changed her voice to tell Luke that this was an impression of Emily. Lorelai's eyes seemed to fog over, as is she was back there, in that house, in that moment with her snobby mother. "Well mom, I'm a maid …at an Inn, 'Really Lorelai, that is fascinating with all your brains and talent you are the one who scrubs the commode, tell me how many commodes do you scrub a day you think?' well mom I guess all of them, 'Really? All of them? You must get up very early in the morning.'" Lorelai broke her character, for the comfort of sarcasm "trust me she was thrilled, her grand ideal plan for me to … I don't know, take over the D.A.R. sufficiently foiled so I could be a pillow mint fairy…"
Her candid way of speaking about them seemed to tell Luke that if he wanted to know anything, all he had to do was ask. Seeing her so relaxed on the blanket something seemed different about her, like she was at peace with their relationship. His honesty the other night scored him points, and now she was really considering the future… even though she said she wanted to take things as they came.
Luke could tell to talk about that period of time was painful for her, and he took Lorelai's hand. And she smiled up at him, her eyes refocused on the present and her exciting future, "but now… thanks to you mister, my muse, my little inspiration… I have my own plan."
"Me?" figuring she was giving him way too much credit for her idea.
"Yeah… you keep telling me all those perks about owning your own business, and I made a mental note to own my own business one day, and you know I really can be bossy cause I learned from the best… my mother!... and here we are…I finally got around to that little mental post it! … you know how cluttered my brain can be."
"Yeah I know…" in the sunshine she was beautiful, and Luke leaned down to kiss her, which she happily accepted given their romantic locale. She slowly laid down further, and cupped his face to keep him close. It was a perfect moment, a romantic picnic, making out with her handsome boyfriend in the middle of the woods, her daughter exploring the Inn property giving them just a little privacy. Lorelai was getting comfortable with the rhythm of their pecks, and having thoughts of bringing Luke up to this location for an adult alone type date, and the thought made Lorelai smile through the kiss.
Luke only pulled away, and Lorelai could see the absolute love in his eyes, and liked the idea of having him look at her that same when she opened her Inn. She played with his curls that peeked out of his ball cap as he asked, "What's the DAR?"
Lorelai only giggled, "shut up" and pulled him in again.
Then suddenly, their moment was cut short with a shriek from inside the Inn's structure, and both Luke and Lorelai sat up on the blanket, and their heads shot toward the building. Neither saw Lorelai's pigtailed counterpart, "Rory" they said in unison, and they sprang up off the ground and they raced toward the Inn together.
Luke was first inside, practically pulling the ancient door off its hinges with superhuman strength. Lorelai was close behind him, and in the darkness they found Rory on the staircase, her leg had fallen though one of the stairs. With the light flooding in the front door, they could see tears streams glistening down her face, her eyes filled with pain, "I'm stuck," she squeaked, haphazardly grasping the broken banister.
"Its okay, Rory we're here," and Luke carefully went up the stairs. If it buckled under little Rory, the whole place might come down with his weight. With her hair braided in pigtails and her lean leg disappearing into the stair, she looked even younger, smaller even though her eyes were huge and scared. He looked Rory in the eye, "okay we are gonna get you out, I want you to push on my shoulders, okay? It may hurt… but I'm gonna guide your leg out. Okay?"
"Okay" Rory sniffled.
Lorelai was frozen to the spot, unable to help; her child was hurt, in danger, and there was nothing she could do. She could hear her mother's voice scolding why weren't you watching her, and Lorelai watched in awe as Luke took charge of the situation.
"Okay Rory … on three I want you to push on my shoulders, One… two… three."
Rory gasped as pain shot through her leg, and it came free of the staircase, and fresh tears came town her face, her arms automatically wrapped tight around Luke's neck, clinging to her hero for dear life.
"Lorelai…Lorelai?" Luke was trying to get his girlfriend's attention.
"Wha?" Lorelai snapped out of her trance.
"Get some of the water bottles." And Luke carried Rory out of the inn with the ease of a fireman.
"Right," she said distantly, and Lorelai ran ahead to the picnic blanket and got the water out of the basket, twisted off the cap, and waited to hand it to Luke as he set Rory down on their picnic area.
"There should be some napkins in there too…" and Luke opened the bottle and poured the water to clean the wound.
"It hurts," Rory winced, pulling up her shorts cuff to not get wet.
"I know…" And Luke took the napkins from Lorelai; he cleaned away the blood, and checked for splinters in the bright noontime sun. "It will be all right. I think we should head home and get a real bandage on this…"
"Okay," Lorelai agreed, and unconsciously grabbed their picnic supplies. As she stood up, she froze again, and took one long last look at the inn that hurt her child unsure of what that meant.
"Lorelai let's go," Luke called overseeing Rory buckling herself in the back seat.
Lorelai threw the stuff in the back, and climbed in the back seat with Rory to hold pressure on her knee and stop the bleeding.
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The ride home was quiet, except for a few sniffles from Rory, and Luke drove as quickly and safely as he could. Once home safe in Rory's room, Lorelai could only watch, biting her nails, as Luke tended to her daughter's injury, while Rory tried to relax on her bed.
"Lorelai could you get the first aid kit…"
"I don't have a first aid kit..." Lorelai was unprepared, and could hear her mother's scolding again, Honestly Lorelai…in 11 years as a parent you never bought a first aid kit?
"Yes you do," Luke eased, "I snuck one in here a few months ago…"
"It's in the hall closet," Rory informed.
Lorelai saw the knowing glance Luke and Rory shared, no doubt smiling at how they snuck it past Lorelai those few months ago, and how she never saw in all that time. She thought if funny that the two of them had their little secret, and she wondered what other things they shared, she had to smile at their unique bond.
Lorelai found the large plastic case, and smiled as Rory found relief when Luke properly cleaned and dressed her wound with a large band-aid from the first aid kit he had snuck in the house.
"That stings!" Rory grimaced and hissed as Luke swabbed her knee with alcohol pad.
"I know… I'm sorry,"
"Will I have a scar? How am I gonna were dresses?"
"You won't have a scar… if you want I'll see what I can get for you at the drug store." Seeing the frown still on her face, "Here, you wanna change mine?" and Luke offered his injured hand, the hand he cut when changing her windowpane.
Rory had a half smile as she got to be Luke's nurse too. She made sure she used an alcohol pad too, "I've got to clean it," she insisted. From the corner of her eye, Rory saw how worried her mother was, practically chewing off her hand. "Mom, I'm sorry I ruined your picnic."
And Lorelai came round to the other side of the bed, and hugged her daughter "No Sweets, I'm sorry that mean old inn hurt you," she kissed her daughter's forehead, "if that's the first impression it makes on my kid… well I may have to rethink about buying it… won't I?"
"No! Don't do that!..." Rory didn't want her mother to give up her new dream cause she only scarped her knee, "it wasn't structurally sound… and you are going to fix it up anyway… how about we get an exorcist! Like that nice Indian shaman from the second poltergeist movie … or an evangelist… 'Evil demons, be GONE!'" Rory did her best preacher voice to make her mom smile and ease her concern, I'm still Rory… I'm still okay.
And Lorelai smiled… "We'll see…"
"Okay," Luke interrupted, "why don't you take it easy?" Luke suggested to Rory, patting the uninjured knee of his favorite 11 year old.
"Luke!" Rory Droned, "I feel fine… all cleaned and covered…."
"Just for a half hour? Okay?"
"Okay" Rory folded her arms, and considered how much pampering she could milk out of this after all she was her mother's daughter.
"You want a book?"
"Ummm the picture of Dorian Gray… it's on my book list for next year."
Luke found it on the "books I haven't read yet" shelf, and handed it too her, smiling that even though it was summer vacation, she still missed school more than anything, and that she had already bought next years books.
"Okay we'll see you later," Lorelai smiled and made a quick exit.
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As Luke closed the door of Rory's room, he could tell Lorelai needed some comforting too, "Lorelai?"
Lorelai had braced herself against the kitchen sink, stared at the kitchen table, was shaking her head and biting her lip, "It's a sign."
"What?" Luke's brow furrowed under his ball cap, trying to see where she was going?
"It's a sign;" she was trying to hold back tears, "I'm not supposed to strike out on my own, I'm not supposed to own my own business."
"It's a sign that we should have paid closer attention to Rory," as he came closer and took her into a hug, instead of making out in the woods.
"Exactly I'm a horrible mother, what damage could I do to my own business if I can't even look after my only daughter," she said with self-pity into his shoulder. "Hell there are women out there with four kids, and they are so frazzled and crazy that one is always missing."
"Lorelai, you are making a big deal out of nothing… kids scrap their knees all the time."
"Not my kid. And what did I do… huh? I just froze… I just freeze up when she needs me the most? When she is in pain and trapped with that place ready to fall in on top of her… how could I live with myself… if anything happened to her? And what am I gonna do when she's old enough to drive a car… and gets into an accident."
"Lorelai…"
"I couldn't even help her… I was just so caught off guard."
"Hey you can't plan for everything," Luke reasoned.
"I didn't even have a first aid kit… in the car… or in the house… and I was just soo… stupid and … I couldn't even put a band aid on her… I couldn't even comfort her..."
"You don't like blood, so I did it. It's fine…"
"And you…." Almost like she was gonna turn against him too.
"Me?" what did I do?
"You…"and her voice finally softened, "… were so calm and level headed… and wonderful…" and that strong feeling of affection for Luke grew inside Lorelai's chest again, "She could have lost her leg… and you saved her…" she couldn't help but cry.
"I just got her out from being stuck…"
"And humble too… and still wonderful…" her arms wrapped around his neck. "What would have happened if you weren't there?"
"You would have snapped out of it and helped her yourself…" he rubbed the sides of her arms, "and maybe it's a sign…that… it's not supposed to happen yet? That you need to step back and plan… maybe not next week… but in a few years…save some money …who knows…"
"Yeah who knows," she smiled as she pulled back slowly. Thinking every single thought she had in the last three days all at once. That Luke wasn't Christopher, that it was okay to think of a future with Luke, it was okay to explore all her options and have a dream of her own. And she knew the weight of the compliment she was about to bestow, "You were really great with her…" she rubbed her hands on his chest.
"Thanks"
Lorelai focused on the buttons of his shirt, "very… fatherly…"
"Lorelai…" he didn't want her to think he was trying too hard. " I didn't mean to …" over step my bounds.
"Ssssshhh…" and she put her hand on his lips, "just take the compliment…Okay?" and rested her head on his chest, in the comfort and warmth of his arms.
And his words from the Inn echoed, I think we should head home, he said it with out realizing it… he had said it because the Gilmore house was slowly becoming his house too; the Gilmore girls were already his home.
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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...