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
CRACK WHORES: for an explanation of "AT MY WITS END!", as it came to be known, please look in reviews, if you care to know what happened!
FEATURING BETA: localizy, this girl can read at like 200 WPM … I just want to put her on display and sell tickets! BABY, you're the GREATEST!
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Chapter 24:
The Door
On Saturday, Lorelai woke up with Luke beside her. He had an arm around her waist, like usual, and Lorelai took in a deep content breath just to look at him over her shoulder. Lorelai smiled at how convenient it was for Luke to just sleep there, with her, since he didn't have any deliveries that day, and since their movies ended so late. Ben was covering the morning at the diner, so Luke could take his time and make breakfast for the girls.
Slowly Luke had been staying over more and more, never complaining about walking to work in the morning or the short drive if he brought his truck over. He never complained if Lorelai kept him up late, with movies… or other activities. Lorelai wondered if he realized how much he had been staying over… not that she was complaining, mind you.
Lorelai snuck out of his grasp, went to her dresser, and found some lingerie she had bought on the sly. She picked out three of her favorite new ones, and hopped back in bed with the garments to jar Luke awake, she shouted "Hey, Hey, Hey" as she bounced on the bedsprings.
"Hmmm… hey," he said still sleepy, rolling onto his back, he rubbed his eyes, "what's going on?"
"I want you to pick what I'm going to wear today," and she placed the sheer fabrics on his stomach to choose from.
Luke handled the dainty material, a little perplexed, "Umm you are going to walk through town in these?" he asked sorting through the scraps of colored fabric she placed in front of him.
Wanting Luke to have something to look forward to all day, "Well this is what I'm wearing for our date tonight… I want you to like what you see."
"Just as long as I'm the only one that gets to see..."
"You got a deal mister," Lorelai smiled and kissed him good morning.
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Luke was making breakfast, and eyed Rory's door suspiciously, it hadn't cracked open since he came down to make Lorelai's coffee.
Lorelai entered the kitchen, her hair still damp and slick from her shower, and only half dressed in her business clothes, "Man, I don't know what you did when you fixed that shower, but it's like a tropical vacation in there… if I wouldn't get all pruney, I'd stay in there all day…"
"Ummm yeah… it's the new shower head," Luke was still distracted by Rory's closed door.
"Well I love it… and I'll show you how much I love it once Rory's back in school and we can go in there together." When her suggestive tone hadn't gotten his attention or at least elicited an "Aw Jeez", Lorelai finally noticed what Luke was staring at, and joined in, but after only 15 seconds, she got bored, "is the door gonna do a trick?" she asked, but Luke still didn't' notice, "Luke?"
"Hmmm?" Luke was still looking at the door. If he had been Superman it would have burst into flames already, or at the very least he would have seen through the wood and had his curiosity satisfied.
"Luke my bacon is burning."
"What…" and he looked down at the pan, "Aw jeez, sorry…" and Luke disposed of the wasted breakfast meat.
Luke was not one to burn bacon, expert cook that he was, so naturally Lorelai asked "Luke? What is it?"
"It's just… Rory," and Luke voiced his concerns to his girlfriend, "she's usually up by now, isn't she?"
Lorelai smiled that Luke now had Rory's habits memorize, like a dad, "Luke… it's summer… she doesn't have school…and we were up late last night… she's probably just sleeping in…"
"I heard her moving around in there earlier…"
"So why don't you ask her if she wants some breakfast…"
"I did… but she said she already ate…"
At that, Lorelai's brow furrowed, "It's like 8 o'clock on a Saturday?" the only reason Lorelai was up on a Saturday is that she had to work.
"I know, it sounded funny to me too," Luke concurred.
Lorelai went to the door and knocked, "Rory? Honey, are you okay?"
Muffled through the door Rory answered, "I'm fine… just working on my book list for next year… very busy…"
Lorelai gave Luke a look, to which he only shrugged in response, "well, I'm gonna have breakfast…then Luke and I have to go to work? Can we drop you off at Lane's?" Lorelai was already tired of talking to the door.
"No, Lane is coming over here… I'll be fine, consider it a dry run for your date tonight…"
Lorelai retreated from the door, "okay, you're right, that was weird."
"I tell you…something's up…"
"Luke, she's 11 and a complete angel…what could possibly be up?"
"I don't know… I just have this gut feeling… something is wrong."
Lorelai thought again, like a dad, but forced it out of her head this time, not wanting to get ahead of herself. We are taking things slow… one month at a time…However she did admit "I love how you care so much…" and Lorelai felt guilty that it wasn't an "I love you, Luke".
"Yeah well, she's grown on me."
"I know" Lorelai whispered, unable to stop thinking of the plans Luke had, of the future he wanted with the Gilmore girls.
"Well okay… so here comes bacon, take-two…" and he went back to making breakfast, and Lorelai took over staring at the door, while pretending to read the paper.
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Luke and Lorelai left for their respective places of work still without seeing Rory. Lorelai was sorting through the Inn's mail at the front desk, avoiding paper cuts, trying not to think about Rory's behavior, but looking forward to her date that evening when the phone rang around 2:30pm.
"Independence Inn, this is Lorelai speaking…"
"Lorelai? It's Luke."
"Hey Hon, what's up?"
"Did Rory come there for Lunch?"
"No, I haven't seen her…"
"Me neither, that's the problem."
"Luke," Lorelai tried to ease both of their worries, "she said Lane was coming over, right? And she's such an expert cook now… maybe she made something in our now well stocked kitchen"
"Great now I'm gonna be worried about there being a fire," he shot back.
Just like a dad, "Luke, you've taught her well, she'll be fine…maybe… they went to Weston's, you did give your permission to visit the competition."
"Yeah," he conceded.
"Or at the Bookstore or the Library… working on the CD cubby project…"
"You're probably right," Luke sighed, if Lorelai's not worried yet, I won't be either, Rory is her kid, "I'm probably just getting worked up over nothing."
"Yes, but you know how I live for your rants. It's why I keep you around."
"Oh yeah," Luke ducked in the kitchen to flirt over the phone, "I thought you just wanted me for my body…" referring to her suggestion of their impending intimate date.
"… That too, don't worry, she's fine," but Lorelai began to doubt her self, "I'll see you later."
As Mia walked through the Lobby, she saw the distant look on her favorite employee's face as Lorelai hung up the phone, "Something wrong?" Mia asked.
"What? No, oh no, just … you know…"
"No, I don't," Mia smiled, "Is it Luke?"
"No"
"Rory?"
Lorelai decided she needed to get some parenting advice from her surrogate mother, "Mia, do kids just suddenly flip into… I don't know … that whole independent… don't bother me-teenager thing?" Lorelai honestly couldn't remember how it started with her and Emily, there just always seemed to be a wedge between them.
"Aw Lorelai, I suspect that you were born that way."
Lorelai smiled, "No I mean… Rory was fine last night… and this morning she wouldn't even come out of her room… insisting that she's busy…" and then Lorelai was starting to brain storm ideas, and gasped, "you don't think she's discovered boys do you? Oh God, is there a boy? She's only 11," obsessing over moisturizer after swimming, shutting me out of her room and thusly her life.
"Lorelai" Mia's tone told Lorelai she should calm down before she jumped off a ledge and hurt herself, "the only boys she is interested in are dead, leather bound, and in the library."
"Well she went swimming with Lane… you know how boys are… playing splashy-splashy to get the girls attention…Oh No…" and she gasped again as another idea came into focus.
"What is it?"
"What if … you know… my little girl… you know…" it was almost painful to even think about, "What if she's a …woman now…"
"Lorelai, please…you are jumping to conclusions…" Lorelai was the closest thing Mia had to a daughter of her own, and tried to sooth, "she's still a bit young for that, don't you think?"
"Well she's ahead of every one else her age academically, why not … in that respect too?"
Mia shook her head, "You know Rory likes to handle problems herself at first, and when she is ready, she will ask for help."
"But this is her… woman hood… I've been there, I know… I can help and guide her and tell her how to avoid accidents…to always carry something just in case and how to save her favorite swimsuit and clothes from…"
"Lorelai, just give her a day," and Mia raised a hand to keep Lorelai from going on another tangent, "24 hours… is all I ask, let her come to you."
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When Lorelai came home from work, The Door, as it came to be known, was still closed. Rory was still in her room. Did she stay in there all day?
Lorelai went to the door and announced "Rory? I'm home."
"Okay" was muffled through the door.
"Rory, is anything wrong?"
"No, everything's fine," she quickly assured.
"Okay?" Lorelai said hesitantly, "I'm gonna get ready for my date with Luke… I'll be upstairs…"
"Okay" was still muted through the door.
Lorelai went to the stairs, but waited for a few moments, hoping Rory would come out and maybe then Lorelai could tackle her and make Rory tell her what was wrong; but the door never opened and Lorelai knew Luke was on his way, so she went up to change.
With Rory's mood still on her mind, Lorelai was all dolled up and ready for her date in a miraculous 20 minutes. She was fastening her last earring to her lobe and she was outside The Door again, "Rory? I'm all ready…" thinking of anything to get the door to open, "Can I come in? I need a second opinion," and Lorelai tried the handle but it was locked. It had never been locked before.
"Umm I'm sorry I'm in the middle of something that requires my full attention," Rory called on the other side of The Door.
Oh God, I'm loosing her, and Lorelai suddenly became terrified her daughter was growing up too quickly, was already an independent woman without her "Rory?"
Then Luke came in the house, looking rather dashing in his jacket, dress shirt and slacks, he came into the kitchen to see Lorelai knocking on Rory's door. She looked absolutely beautiful, in a dark navy dress; it had a v-neckline and an askew looking skirt that Luke thought looked funny in the magazines when Lorelai pointed it out, but fantastic on his girlfriend live and in person. He almost couldn't wait to see what she had planned for their evening; it was never a dull moment with Lorelai. "Hey?" seeing the concern on her face he asked, "What's wrong?"
Lorelai found Luke could be a new angle to get Rory out of her room, and tried to entice "Rory? Luke's here, we are going on our date now? Don't you want to come out and say good-bye? Wish us a good evening?"
"Goodnight… Have fun", came through the door.
"She's been in there all day?" Luke asked, trying to assess the situation.
"I guess. She hasn't come out since I've been home… I don't see any sign that Lane's been here…we can't leave her like this…"
Rory's voice came through the door again, "yes, you can."
Now knowing Rory was eavesdropping, Lorelai felt as if she was having an Emily moment, "Rory, open this door!"
"No, this is supposed to be a test of my independence, you go on your date."
"Rory this is ridiculous," and Lorelai was exasperated with her daughter at the moment, this is my mom and I. This isn't … us, Rory, silently pleading with the door, wondering how a wedge was suddenly put between them.
Knowing they both could be stubborn, Luke wanted to end the stalemate and ease his girlfriend's mind, "Okay, wait right here," and Luke went outside on the porch, and when he came back inside a few minutes later, he shook his head, "she's locked her windows… I couldn't get in."
"But she is still in there, right? It's not like a robot or something to fool us?"
"I saw her duck under her bed of all places… I didn't think she had room under her bed with all the books she has."
"Well you see this really great guy built her these book shelves… to organize them and get them off the floor."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah," Lorelai nodded; happy they could still flirt, even in a crisis.
"You'll have to give me his number; you need more room in your closet."
Lorelai smiled briefly, then remembered her self-exiled daughter behind the door, "Oh man, what are we going to do? We can't leave her like this…"
Bookshelves? And something clicked for Luke, "where are my tools?" as he examined the door.
"What?"
Luke took off his jacket and put it on the back of a chair at the table. He found his toolbox on the back porch, and Luke was back in the kitchen and working on Rory's doorknob with his Philips screwdriver. He removed the knob and unlocked the door.
"You are amazing you know that?"
"Thanks," Luke smiled and they entered Rory's room together, her bed hadn't been made, and there were a stack of books on her nightstand.
Luke knew Rory was under the bed, cause he had seen her hide there through the window "Rory? What's going on?" he asked her mattress.
But Rory remained quiet, hoping they would think she wasn't there and just go on their date.
Luke gave Lorelai a look then crouched down at the foot of Rory's bed. "Rory?" he asked again, wanting to give her one more chance to come out on her own, but she stayed silent. Luke reached underneath the bed and grabbed one of Rory's ankles, "No, Luke, DON'T!" she cried from under her mattress.
Luke did. He pulled her out from under the bed, and in her pajamas, Rory slid out easily on the hardwood floor. Luke and Lorelai were in shock of what they saw.
"Don't look at me!" and Rory put her arms up over her face, like a vampire shielding herself from sun light.
Luke was closest to her so he pulled her arms down, to show Lorelai her daughter's condition. Rory was covered head to toe with a burning red rash and pock marks.
"Aw baby," Lorelai kicked off her heels and knelt down with her boyfriend to comfort her child, "what happened?"
Now that her horrible secret had been discovered, Rory was on the verge of tears, "I don't know… I woke up looking like this…"
"Come on let's get you in bed," and Luke helped her up off the floor, "Rory if something was wrong you should have told us?"
"I know… I'm sorry; I was going to, honest. But …well, you guys were going to leave me in charge of myself…"
"Rory," Lorelai smiled at how eager her daughter was to please, so eager to take on new responsibilities, so cute, despite the redness on her face, "we only wanted you to be alone for a few hours… we didn't ask you to move out? You don't have to pay rent and be Independent Woman yet… you are just a kid… and now you are sick... you need your mommy," and Lorelai grabbed the comforter to tuck her daughter in.
As Rory crawled under her covers again, she explained "Well I didn't want you to worry…I didn't want you guys to miss your special make up date…"
"Rory we can always reschedule our dates…" and Lorelai sat with her daughter on the bed, "and we've already made up anyway."
"I know, but…I don't want you fight cause of me … and you look so pretty tonight" Rory smiled up at her beautiful mom, her white teeth a stark contrasted to her red pock marked skin.
"Well you only know that because we finally got the door open, and we won't fight cause of you…" and Lorelai stroked her daughter's cheek, "Oh My God you are burning up…"
"Mom, I feel fine…really, well minus the itching."
"Well you feel like I could fry an egg on your head."
Rory winced, "please don't try," now that Luke taught her about all the qualities of raw eggs, she didn't want a salmonella infection on top of her current illness.
Lorelai could hear Emily's scolding tone again, "why have I never bought a thermometer…?" she said out loud.
Luke cleared his throat.
"You snuck a thermometer in here too?" she asked her resourceful fella, thinking of his preparedness with the first aid kit.
"Yeah" he admitted sheepishly, wanting to be prepared when Rory was first showing signs of her cold a few days ago, since he was already in the cold medicine aisle.
"Get it," Lorelai requested.
Luke returned a few minutes later, and Rory frowned as he came back to her side, self-conscious around the man of the house, "I'm so ugly!"
"Rory, you are not ugly," Luke assured as he sat on the bed.
"Well I'm certainly itchy…"
Lorelai made the horrible realization that Rory might have been scratching all day long, that was why she looked so bad, "Don't you dare scratch anymore, you'll get scars…I'll hold your hand the whole night if I have to," and as promised, Lorelai grabbed both of Rory's hands and held them, happy to finally know the reason for her daughter's mood, happy that she was still a kid, and happy that as a mother she was still needed.
"I'm sorry I ruined your plans… I was going to tell you after your date… honest…you should go out any way… I'll be fine. I'll still be in charge."
"Hey, Luke and I are both here… for you…we will have other dates."
"Yeah… you come first, kid," Luke agreed with a smile, "now open up," offering Rory the thermometer.
Rory rolled her eyes, but let Luke put the thermometer in her mouth, and she balanced the stick under her tongue.
"I'm gonna make you some tea? Would you like that?" Luke offered, to which Rory nodded 'yes'.
Luke went into the kitchen to put on the kettle, and after a few minutes, Lorelai removed the thermometer and gasped, "100.25?"
Rory tried to reason with her mother, so she wouldn't worry "that's only like 2 degrees above normal…"
"Well two degrees above normal is known as a fever…" and Lorelai called out, "Luke, could you go up stairs and get my lotion from my dresser."
"I'm on it."
Lorelai turned back to her daughter, "well you may look like a 'connect the dots page', but you will smell amazing."
"Aw man I hate being sick…this summer sucks," but Rory was pleased to be pampered by her mother; she didn't know why she felt so self conscious to hide being sick from Lorelai all day, or why she felt she had to handle it on her own. Just because she was gaining certain privileges, didn't mean she had to get carried away, I'm only 11; maybe my fever is affecting my judgment? Her symptoms at the forefront of her mind again, and with her mother there to comfort and reassure her, Rory finally had the courage to ask, "Mom? What's wrong with me?"
Lorelai was always honest with her daughter, "Well I think you have chicken pox," knowing Rory had never had it before, and she did go swimming the other day and got exposed to God knows what by God knows who.
"Whew" Rory visibly relaxed in bed, "I thought it was leprosy, or like the Black Death or something…"
"No, the Black Death is puberty…. Fortunately, both are only temporary."
As Luke came back in the room, he was just in time to hear a relieved Rory say "and how fortunate that it happened over the summer and not during school, so I won't miss anything."
Lorelai knew Rory was the only kid in Connecticut who would be happy about that.
Luke was glad that Rory had her smile back, "do we know what the problem is?"
"Yeah I think its chicken pox…" Lorelai informed, and suddenly realizing how contagious it was if you had never been exposed to it, "Oh God, have you had chicken pox?" she asked her boyfriend, wondering if she'd have to take care of both of them, then trying to imagine her boy friend with the red sores from head to toe, and having to lotion him and her daughter.
"When I was 6?" Luke shrugged dully "you?"
"8, you win," Lorelai teased, and seeing the bottle in Luke's hand Lorelai asked "Umm Lotion?"
"Oh umm right…" and Luke suddenly felt uncomfortable, "I'm just gonna... go… get that tea ready…" and Luke left and closed the door as best he could since the knob was still off.
Rory thought that his speedy departure was funny, "that was weird", considering the face Luke made before he left.
Lorelai smiled. "I think … he wanted to give you some privacy… since you know… you are a girl… and I have to lather you up with lotion."
"He's so cute sometimes…" Rory giggled, "I don't even have boobs yet…" Luke is so silly.
Lorelai's smile went from a "isn't Luke cute", to a nervous smile in an instant, "hee, hee yeah, boobs", and Lorelai made a note to talk with Rory about the change into womanhood another time; let's not have her grow up too quickly.
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A/N: If you have a big one you don't need a small one? 23 and 24 were merged together… but with the help of my BETA, localizy! We broke it up… otherwise this chapter would have been like 6000 words… and while that is amazing (I don't know how I do it!) you may need a rest room break from time to time.
A/N: I am so malleable, seriously… every time I re-read this chapter… DUDE I got itchy… I was sympathy scratching for Rory… how about you? The POWER of suggestion, huh?
A/N: I know… I used the door knob bit again… well an Ax would totally be over reacting … and Luke just fixed the window!
A/N: My Fav Parts:
I love this metaphor
- Luke was still looking at the door. If he had been Superman it would have burst into flames already, or at the very least he would have seen through it and had his curiosity satisfied.
I'm so proud of it!
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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...