Written in the Stars
By Gilmoregirl1979 (the reigning Quote Queen)

Rating: PG-13

Hi this is your friendly disclaimer: I REJECT ASP's REALITY AND SUBSTITUE MY OWN! 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…?

FEATURED BETA: localizy, thank you for putting up with my compulsive persnickety changes…

Localizy, What Can I Say…

No seriously go read localizy's fic what can I say…. read this first… then go to her's! PS THANKS FOR THE LAST MINUTE BETA on the afore mentioned persnickety changes!

A/N: I hope this was worth the wait!
A/N: 30? Are you kidding me? Thrity? I made it to chapter 30?
A/N: I love alliteration!

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Chapter 30:
Dial D for Daddy

A few nights later, it was time for bed in the Gilmore house and Luke was sleeping over. Lorelai made it a point to wear something sexy… just for him. She entered the bedroom in her pale lavender nightgown, and crawled in bed with him, scooting as close as she could to Luke and he automatically opened up his arms to her so he could hold her.

There wasn't much pillow talk at bed time since the postcard arrived, just the silent gesture of their arms around each other to say, "I love you, I'm with you, nothing bad will happen" as they held each other, both dreading the uncertainty of tomorrow… and the result and consequences of Rory's phone call.

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The following evening, Luke and Lorelai left Rory alone in her room. She wanted to make the phone call on her own terms.

Rory was still hesitant about calling the number at all; she didn't know what she would say to the man who obviously had no interest in her. She knew she couldn't leave her room without making the phone call since Luke and her mother were waiting right outside her door. She wondered if she could wait it out in her room. Just 15 minutes, then go and say she made the call. She knew she couldn't lie very well and her mother might discover she hadn't called from Christopher, or worse…on the phone bill.

Rory slowly dialed the number as if giving Christopher the chance to go out to the store or become violently ill and thereby unable to answer the phone. Rory caught herself chanting, don't pick up, don't pick up, don't pick up, please, please don't pick up as the line was ringing, but he did.

"Chris Hayden?"

"Umm, hello?" Rory's heart was thudding in her chest; the last time she was this unnerved, was her first time speaking in front of a large group of her peers when she had a presentation in her third grade history class.

"Yes? Who is this…?" Chris asked impatiently.

"Umm, it's Rory."

Chris' tone changed in an instant, "Rory! Hey kiddo, how's my girl?"

Rory furrowed her brow, already annoyed, I am not your girl, if I am anyone's girl I'm Luke's girl! "Umm, fine… how are you?" she asked politely.

"Fine, can't complain… you know paying the bills…"

I'm 11, how could I possibly relate to that? "Sooo, are you still in California?"

"Yeah, its great here… lots of sun…when the fog doesn't roll in."

The weather? You haven't talked to me in months … and you want to talk about the weather? It was worse than Rory expected. "Yeah… well, mom already can't wait for snow…"

"Yeah, I remember… so how's your mom?"

"Fine" Rory said shortly, wondering if she kept her answers short the phone call would end faster.

There was a long pause. Rory didn't feel like talking to him anymore, and she was already feeling guilty for the long distance charge on her mother's phone bill, and for what… nothing… I knew this was a bad idea.

Chris didn't know what he was getting into when he asked the standard small talk, "So… read any good books lately?" knowing his daughter was a bit of a book worm.

After the initial awkwardness, and broaching her favorite subject, Rory's tongue untied, and she was actually happy to talk to her father again. She told him about some of her favorite books, warning him to avoid Dorian Gray if at all possible. After the thoughtful gesture of Christopher remembering her birthday was coming up and asking what she wanted, Rory decided to share some of the memorable events that her father had missed "…and over the summer I had the chicken pox, Mom said that I looked like a connect the dots page, but she felt sorry for me and said I could eat whatever I wanted, so I ate nothing but mashed potatoes."

Chris had to laugh at his daughter's perspective on the illness, and wondered how Lorelai managed that for a week, considering she was only a gourmet of coffee. "So, anything else new?"

Rory thought about the schedule for the week, "Well, I have a book report due on Thursday, which is easy since I already read the book over the summer … and a test on Friday in Math. Oh and this weekend we're gonna help Luke paint," she said causally lying back on her bed.

"Luke?" Chris' brow furrowed, "Whose Luke?"

"Mom's boyfriend," Rory offered quickly, then as soon as she said it, Rory's eyes went wide, and she began wondered if she should have mentioned that detail. Sure, her mom wasn't keeping Luke a secret, and Lorelai didn't have feelings for her dad anymore, but did Christopher still have feelings for Lorelai? Would he be jealous of what she and Luke had? Would he come to town and ruin everything? A few months ago, Rory would have loved for Christopher to ride in on his motorcycle and steal her mom's heart away. As much as she had wanted her parents together, Rory didn't want Luke to go away now … despite her early reluctance to the relationship. Luke was great and he had done so much for her; Luke had stayed over with the slumber party arrangement for a week, he made the mashed potatoes Rory wanted while she was sick, built her bookshelves for her room, and even painted little daisies on them to make them girly. She loved Luke and as a plus Luke made her mom so happy.

"Oh… your mom has a …boyfriend?"

Rory could hear it in her dad's voice; the surprise "Umm yeah," Rory was now treading cautiously, trying to gauge Christopher's intonation over the news. "He's really nice, and he taught me how to cook…cuz you know... he runs the diner in town… and umm well, he's nice…" Rory didn't know where she was going with the conversation now.

"Well … I think that's great," Chris finally said.

"You do?" that sounded funny to Rory.

"Yeah and you like him?"

"Yeah I … Like him," Rory confirmed, I love him.

"So what happens… you know when they go on a date?"

Rory was a smart girl and she now knew Christopher was pumping her for information, using her as his spy, but she didn't know how answer him. Rory looked at her closed door, wishing Luke or her mom would come in and say "time's up" and help her out of this situation. "Well, I don't know really… some times I go with them…"

"…but other times you don't?" Chris finished knowingly.

"No," Rory said honestly. "I mean, yes, they go to movies and dinner, traditional date stuff…but most of the time… Luke and I cook at home and we watch movies together… or we go to the diner… Umm, we go to festivals and things…" Rory was trying to sell Luke to Christopher; that Luke was a good guy and her dad shouldn't worry, but she felt all warm and nervous like she was betraying Luke and Lorelai the longer she talked and more details she gave. "Umm, I have to go… I don't want to talk too long... long distance and all…"

"Oh sure kiddo… umm I'll call you next week for another update."

"Really?" Rory couldn't believe it, but now she didn't know if he was calling because he had enjoyed talking to her for 40 minutes… or if it was the last 5 minutes regarding Lorelai and Luke that had piqued his interest. The whole time she was afraid that Christopher was going to screw things up for her and her mom; instead it was Rory who gave him too much information, and now Christopher had the upper hand on her mom's relationship. "Umm, okay, I'll talk to you then… Bye," she hung up quickly afraid she'd give away more.

Rory hadn't noticed her panicked panting, and knew that would be a dead give away something was wrong to the adults outside her door. She swallowed her fear and wondered if she really did do anything wrong? Her mom had said there was nothing between her and Christopher… not for years. Surely, he felt the same… if he still felt anything at all he would have been here. Mom has Luke now… and they are soul mates, Rory told herself. What was between Luke and Lorelai was too strong, something that could not be broken simply because Rory told her dad about her mom's relationship. Rory wouldn't let it be broken. She decided she would do damage control for now, and see what came of his next phone call. At that moment, Rory wanted to spend some quality time with those who were genuinely interested in her.

Rory came out of her room and both adults had mixed expressions. Their eyes on her Rory only gave a small shrug and a shy smile, as if to say "that's that".

"Everything okay?" Luke asked, seeing how quiet Rory was.

"Mm Hmm," she nodded, except I told Christopher about you and mom dating.

"Do you … want to talk about it?" Lorelai offered, "I mean it couldn't have been so bad… you were in there for an hour."

Rory confessed, "The first fifteen minutes was me working up the nerve to actually dial," she shuffled her feet.

"Still you guys talked the rest of the time right?" Luke asked.

"Yeah? It was… kinda weird… he sounds different."

"Well, he's changed a lot… you know, maybe his picked up the California lingo…" Lorelai smiled.

"No, it's not that kind of different."

"What do you mean?" Lorelai leaned forward at the kitchen table, concerned her old friend had taken a turn for the worse.

"Well, it's more of a 'he's not Luke' kind of different…" Rory observed.

Luke and Lorelai exchanged a look, "Well, everyone talks differently," replied Luke.

"But you've been my… male perspective for so long now… it's weird to hear from someone new."

"Well, you know how Sookie and I are different," her mom explained. "And Taylor and Kirk are different, It's just like that…"

"I guess. He called me kiddo," Rory winced, "I'm almost a teenager…" and she added an eye roll.

"Almost…" Lorelai smiled, "but not yet. It's a pet name… like Ror."

"I don't like that one either. I like it better when you call me kid," Rory said to Luke.

"There's not much difference…" Luke pointed out.

There's a huge difference, Rory thought, "I wanna do something… together…" as a family.

"Sure what?" Luke shrugged.

"I don't know…I'm happy with our usual dinner and a movie," Rory suggested longing for something normal with her parents; that is, with her mom and Luke.

"Willy Wonka?" Lorelai suggested.

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On the other side of the country, as Chris Hayden hung up the phone, he decided he had to meet this Luke. After all, if anyone is gonna be hanging out with my daughter I have the right to approve, or disapprove no doubt

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DUN DUN DUN

TBC

in light of recent spoilers… I'm updating again… STAY TUNED!

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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...