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.
R/R: yes please I love reviews; I wanna marry them (as previously stated, I have strange passions.)
Summary/ The Q: AW If you DON'T KNOW BY NOW! HURUMPH!
LUVZ: I miss you!
FEATURED BETA: Localizy, you and me are like PEAS and CARROTS!
A/N: QUALITY FAN FICTION? You tell me... R/R
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Chapter 42:
Find A Way That Is Right
When Lorelai walked back to the house, she met Liz in the living room. Liz looked as though she torn through box of tissues, Lorelai felt guilty for all she had said during her out burst, and announced her return with a timid greeting. "Hi Liz."
"Aw hey Lorelai," Liz sniffled a bit, trying to hide she had been crying.
"Look, Liz, I'm sorry for what I said before…it wasn't my place."
"No, no, actually, you're right… I'm hardly the world's best mom… world's coolest mom maybe…" Liz laughed lightly as she wiped her nose again.
"Okay, see again, I'm going to have to fight you on that," Lorelai argued in jest. Lorelai walked over to Liz and sat on the couch to help her out a bit, since no one had been there to comfort her.
Liz admitted, "I know I'm a mess and I know I always rely on Luke to clean it up… and he's said exactly what you said about a hundred times before, you know. I just thought it was him being all big brother and lecturing about right and wrong like daddy used to. I mean frankly that was why I left town so young. But, I don't know …hearing it from you… someone who's been there… it really hit home… for obvious reasons." Liz sighed again. "You're right, I have to take care of my boy… cause well, I don't want him to turn out like Jimmy… and Jess deserves someone really, really special to be that role model…"
Lorelai shrugged a shoulder, "Did you ever think… he has one already… in Luke?"
"What?"
"Well, Luke is already family and he's helped me so much with Rory. He sort of has a knack for it," as Lorelai recalled the scene on the bridge she had witnessed.
"Aw, Luke hates kids. That's why I'm so surprised he's dating you… no offense."
"Well, Rory is special, and from what Rory tells me…Jess is pretty special too."
Liz smiled at the thought of her son, "He's such a brainy little guy, who knows how he got that way with me and Jimmy as his folks…"
"Preaching to the choir," Lorelai raised her arms.
"It's true what they say, you know, still waters run deep. I mean, if you can get Jess to talk then he says these really poignant things sometimes, you know."
Lorelai assured Liz, having a brainiac on her hands herself, "Well, that brainy little guy is going to need someone to show him how to be a man… and well, frankly I think we could use more Lukes in the world."
"Yeah, we could."
"As for you, I mean, love doesn't happen in a few weeks. It took me 10 years to find a Luke and months before I even could admit that I loved him," Lorelai smiled, hoping her words were more comforting than depressing. "So? Fight over?"
"Fight over," Liz agreed. She was compelled to hug Lorelai, which surprised Lorelai but happy at the peaceful gesture. Liz had gotten some real clarity from Lorelai and it was then Liz decided she wouldn't mind having Lorelai as a sister in law someday.
Just then Luke and Jess came in together seeming to have had a nice long talk themselves and very buddy-buddy as Luke had become with Rory. Luke saw the two women in the living room hugging and had to ask, "Everything alright?"
"Aw yeah? Just getting to know your girl here," Liz said brightly again. "Did you find another book, baby?" Liz asked her son.
Sheepishly Jess told her, "Yeah, umm Luke got it for me…"
"I tell yeah this guy and his books, he goes through them like water."
"Oh yeah, Rory too," Lorelai smiled still sitting on the coffee table, "I had to bar her from going on Amazon because she kept fainting."
Luke was put at ease by how friendly the two women seemed to be now that they had apparently made up.
Liz stood up and hugged both her guys, "Okay well, Lorelai and I had a nice talk…" Liz looked pointedly at Luke, and with her hands on her son's shoulders, "I want to promise both of you that I will try to be better from now on," she looked at Lorelai, then she corrected, "I will be better."
Rory had missed most of the drama and came home with not a care in the world, pleased that she had orchestrated some quality time for Luke and Jess to get to know each other. She came in the house and automatically started dinner waiting for Luke to help too. Jess, Rory and Liz headed in the kitchen and Luke and Lorelai hung back in the living room for a chance to make up themselves. Once alone, Lorelai hugged Luke, "I'm sorry, Luke."
"Yeah, me too."
"It's just you know I speak my mind and the words fly out…and you're right I don't know Liz that well …"
"Well, I think you got a good handle on her…"
"But it wasn't my place…"
"Hey I've been saying the same thing for years…and if she has finally listened to you…than what more can I ask for?"
"Luke!" Rory called from the kitchen.
"Yeah Rory?"
"Could you help me chop the vegetables, please?"
Lorelai and Luke chuckled at how life could get back to routine after such a turbulent, but constructive fight.
Before Luke could get away, Lorelai kept hold of his hand. "Wait," and Lorelai kissed him meaningfully, "We will make up officially later," she winked.
"I like the sound of that," Luke grinned.
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The following week, Ben and Caesar again had the diner under control while Luke took Liz back to New York for a few job interviews. Lorelai was happy to let Jess stay over and they adopted the slumber party arrangement in the living room again. Jess couldn't go back to school in New York just yet, since they didn't know where they would be living, but they got permission from Rory's teachers to let Jess tag along in her class so he wouldn't be far behind.
Lorelai came home after work and was going through the mail. She had a small smile on her face as she saw the mirrored table where she put her keys and purse, thinking of Luke because of the table, and missing him again. Lorelai ventured into the living room finding Rory and Jess watching a movie, slouched on the couch with a bowl of popcorn between them, their feet propped up on the coffee table.
"Hey guys? What are you watching?" Lorelai's shoulders sunk, "Stalag 17… again!"
Rory defended herself, "Jess has never seen it…now quiet you've already disrupted our flow," Rory turned to Jess, and finding the remote. "Do you mind if we go back? I don't want you to miss anything," as Rory began to rewind.
"No," Jess was on the edge of his seat. "Who's the traitor if it's not William Holden? Is it Duke? I mean, he's the one pointing out Sefton the loudest."
Rory grinned, "I'm watching the same thing you are," not wanting to spoil the surprise ending.
"Can we watch this again when Luke comes back?" Jess stared intently at the screen, as if he would see the stoolie who was knotting the lamplight as the signal.
Lorelai laughed at the pair of them on the couch. Lorelai knew Rory missed Luke being so involved with helping Liz, so she was watching their movie…again. Rather than cry or complain, Rory was understanding and made a new friend with Jess.
The kids had about another half hour left in the story before they had to order dinner. Therefore, Lorelai decided to unwind and went upstairs to their room, reached under her pillow, and found the shirt Luke left for her under her pillow. She had been sleeping in the snowflake bottoms he had given her at Christmas, but recently paired it with the blue and white flannel shirt Luke had inadvertently given her the night of Liz's call and Lorelai vowed never to give it back. It was soft and smelled like him, but it was hardly a replacement for the real thing. She lay on her bed, trying to relax her day away, merely holding his flannel for the moment, missing him, but determined to wait until after dinner to try to call him. She hoped everything was going well in New York so she wouldn't have to share him much longer.
Lorelai changed into civilian clothes, then ordered the kids some Chinese food for dinner, since Al was having his "Buy Three Get One Free" special. Rory had warmed Jess up and he was now talkative, so Lorelai tried to get to know Luke's nephew a little better. Lorelai begged them not to watch another war movie. Jess and Rory agreed to Indiana Jones, since it had Nazis for the kids and a lack of a war theme for Lorelai, but then the phone rang and Lorelai's eyes shot to the phone. I win! He called first.
"Hello?" Lorelai answered smiling.
"Hey, it's Luke. How are you?"
"Fine, we miss you guys, how's the job hunt?"
"Great, actually. Liz got hired on her third interview."
"Aw yeah, where?"
"A shop called Beadazzled, it's like a jewelry shop… jewelry making… crafty…bead shop… I don't know, but Liz took to it instantly…and the manager took to her instantly and well now, she starts on the first, which hopefully gives us enough time to get a new place."
"Aww, that's great!" Lorelai exclaimed, "Hey why don't you put Liz on and I'll put Jess on and she can tell him herself. Hey Jess, your mom is on the phone."
The news perked up both kids on the couch and Rory stopped the movie. Liz told Jess about her news, while Rory and Lorelai waited to talk Luke. Lorelai got a warm feeling when Jess told his mom he missed her and that he was happy to be moving back to New York. Jess talked with his uncle for a while then passed the phone to Rory who was thrilled by the news as well, but was sad her new friend would be moving away again. Rory talked to Luke herself for about 20 minutes, "Luke, I've got a special surprise for you when you come home!" Rory assured, "but we have to have Jess here too…"
"Okay, I'm looking forward to it. Hey, put your mom back on."
Rory handed Lorelai the phone and started the movie again, since Jess had been so chivalrously waiting for her to finish her conversation with Luke.
"Hey," Lorelai smiled already climbing the stairs to their room.
"Hey, I really miss you."
"You do huh?"
"I don't like sleeping alone in a hotel," Luke confessed.
Lorelai chuckled to herself recalling the rant about hotels, a certain report on 60 Minutes involving a black light, and their recent conversation on mattresses. Lorelai teased, "Well, you're in New York, I'm sure a hot guy like you could have his pick of girls…" as she settled on the bed for along conversation, pulling out his flannel shirt again.
"Okay, I pick you."
"I'm not in New York silly."
"I don't care. You're the one I want."
"I like hearing that," smiling at the ceiling satisfied with his response.
"Hey, umm I wanted to run something past you?"
"Yeah?" Lorelai wondered if Luke was going to suggest they do something dirty over the phone.
"Well, we have to get their stuff and out of storage and into their new place before she starts working… maybe we all could come down to help?"
"Umm sure?"
With a general plan laid out to help Liz move, Lorelai and Luke talked about everything and nothing for an hour only until both were too tired to hold up the phone.
"Good night, I love you."
"I love you, too."
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It was a Sunday when Luke and Liz returned to Stars Hollow.
Rory and Jess were sitting on the couch, each leaning on opposite arm rests while facing each other, debating the pros and cons of Dorian Gray.
"Okay," Rory conceded, "I will grant that his soul and deeds being reflected in the painting is great imagery and metaphor, but you have to admit that he did trap Sibyl with that ultimatum…"
"How was he supposed to know she was gonna off her self!"
"But she wouldn't have had to if he hadn't put her in that awkward position right before their wedding!" Rory argued back, "To just assume that she is not virtuous because she waited for a man she really loved… a man she was going to marry anyway…"
"Hey guys?" Lorelai smiled. "The strangest green truck just pulled up…What's that about?" she said sarcastically.
Luke and Liz they were warmly greeted and tackled by their respective kids. Jess even hugged Luke to welcome him home. Lorelai waited till the kids were inside to really kiss Luke, which ended up being so passionate, as Luke had Lorelai flush against a porch post with Lorelai's arms around him, that it only ended when Babbette called from her own porch in her raspy tease punctuated with a cackle, "Get a room."
Once inside the welcome home/congratulations party could begin. Rory insisted that Luke rest from his long drive while she enlisted Jess' help with dinner, "He is been a very good student all week," she smiled proudly, dawing her Luke's apron again.
After dinner, Jess and Rory settled with their dessert on the floor using the coffee table to hold their plates, leaving the couch for the adults. They watchedSixteen Candlesbecause both Rory and Lorelai thought Liz would enjoy it. After the movie Liz returned to the diner to get some sleep from the long trip. Jess and Rory insisted Luke had to stay where he was on the couch. When he asked why, Rory held up a tape and he smiled.
"What is it?" Lorelai asked hesitantly.
"The Great Escape," Luke chuckled.
"Luke! I told you no Steve McQueen!"
"I picked it!" Rory defended, "I've been saving it for you to come home," Rory told Luke. "I've never seen it and neither has Jess …"
Lorelai looked at the tape, "It's like three hours!"
Rory countered, "That's what makes it great!" Rory leaned in to whisper to Luke, "Plus Jess wants to watch Stalag 17 again."
Lorelai let them have their bonding over movies. She was in the kitchen for a while flipping through magazines, and by the time Steve McQueen joined the effort for tunnel Tom/Dick/Harry, she went up to bed early knowing at least tonight she would have company again.
She was just dozing off when she felt the mattress shift and someone necking her, someone with an affinity for flannel. She rolled over and crashed onto his lips.
Luke pulled away to observe, "You're wearing my shirt…"
"You wanna take it back?" Lorelai grinned seductively, hopeful that Luke would start unbuttoning the shirt and would show her just how much he missed her too.
Later that evening, "Hmmm, welcome home," she snuggled close to him, naked under the covers again.
Lorelai turned to Luke. "I'm really happy you came home today."
"Hmm, me too," Luke was glad that his most recent obligation to his sister was nearly over.
"No, I'm really happy that you came home… today," Lorelai stressed.
"Why?"
"Well, I didn't expect you to remember with all that's been going on lately but…" Lorelai shyly looked at his chest, "today … is the day we met."
Luke seemed to remember and laughed himself.
"It was at Luke's, it was at lunch, it was a very busy day," she curled his chest hair with her finger, "…and this person … came into the diner just jonesing for coffee…" and she pecked his lips again.
Luke pulled her closer, "I remember it well." They kissed passionately again.
When Lorelai pulled away, she looked him in the eyes again. "If anyone…like Miss Patty had pointed you out to me a year ago and predicted 'Lorelai, you see that man there, well in a year's time not only will you be in love with him, but he will be in love with you, and will be living with you and be almost like a father to Rory'…. I would have said… 'Well sure he's cute… but living with him, in love with him, what kind of crack are you smoking and can I have some?'."
"If anyone pointed you out to me… I would have said… 'She's out of my league'…"
"Well, I am happy, on occasion… to be wrong…" Lorelai pressed her forehead against Luke's. "I love you."
"I know. Me too."
Lorelai settled in his arms again. She was happy to have her preferred, perfect pillow back where he belonged. "Oh God… where's Jess sleeping?"
"Relax; I took him back to the diner already."
"Did he like the movies?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Did Rory like the movies?" she almost scowled in the dark.
"Yes."
Lorelai was starting to dose off again but she could tell Luke was still awake and thinking. "Luke? What is it?"
"Lorelai…" he seemed almost hesitant to bring the subject up, "Has… Christopher made contact again, while I was gone? Or at all for that matter?"
"What? No, why?"
"And does he have, you know, any custody of Rory? Visitation, anything?"
"Well, no… I have sole custody. We always tried to work out visitation ourselves."
Luke considered the information, "Well, say something happened to you, what would happen to Rory?"
"Well, I guess she would go to my parents, I haven't really thought about it," Lorelai had to know, "What has you thinking like this?"
"Well, Liz has been thinking more seriously…about the future, thanks to your little talk… and well she asked me if anything happened to her... to take care of Jess, like I'd be his guardian."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, we even got it taken care of when I was in New York, and well, it got me thinking about Rory and if anything happened to you…I couldn't stand to loose you, either of you."
"Luke, you are worrying over nothing?" Lorelai soothed.
"How do you know? It's not like your mother would let me see her, not after what happened at Christmas. And people get hit buses crossing the street."
Lorelai had to chuckle, "Maybe in New York not in Stars Hollow, we don't even have a stop light."
"Well, doesn't that make it more dangerous?"
"Luke, I'm not going to be hit by a bus. Nothing is going to happen to me," and Lorelai noticed how Luke flinched at her words. "What?"
"That's just… that's just what my dad said. A month later we found out he had cancer."
"Luke, I'm not going to die of cancer," she tried to ease his pain again.
"How do you know? You don't take care of yourself."
"I have you and Rory to take care of me. You don't think I haven't noticed the occasional decaf coffee, or the ground turkey instead of ground beef. You are teaching Rory to take care of me and because I have both of you, I will be around a long, long time."
"So will I."
"Good. We need you."
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By the last weekend in January, Luke, Lorelai, Rory, Liz and Jess all went to New York City to help move Jess and Liz into their new place. Both Lorelai and Rory were very excited by the big city, but Rory reminded her mother they were there to help, not to sight see. However, Rory observed that now that they knew people in the city maybe they could visit and sight see at a later time, like with Luke's baseball games.
Luke hired a few guys from a legitimate moving company to handle the heavier furniture while the girls and Jess focused on the boxes. First thing Luke did in his sister's new place was to set up the dead bolts and add more security to the door. That first night in the new apartment reminded Rory of Misery Week, and, since Luke was busy hooking up the TV, Rory told Liz and Jess the story of how they camped out in the living room because she was scared of Kathy Bates.
Before they left Sunday afternoon, Luke made sure the phones worked, the power was on, and two months rent was paid in advance. With everything for the kitchen in place, the big furniture was happily situated, leaving only a few boxes left for Jess and Liz to unpack them selves, Luke hugged his sister before saying good-bye. "You are my hero, my big brother," Liz said, tears in her eyes.
"Just… stay on track this time…okay?"
"I got a great job, a great kid, a great brother… life is good." Liz patted Luke on the back and whispered in his ear, "Don't wait to long?"
"For what?"
"To make me a sister in law," Liz winked at her brother. Then, she went to say goodbye to Lorelai.
"Hey Lorelai," and Liz hugged her new friend. "I just know you're gonna make some one a great sister-in-law some day…" Liz nudged, planting the seeds wherever she could.
Lorelai chuckled and shyly looked at Luke who was saying goodbye to Jess. Rory also hugged Jess; the new friends had exchanged addresses so they could be pen pals and keep each other up to date on the goings of their respective parents.
Lorelai, Rory, and Luke piled in the van Luke had rented to return to Hartford. Lorelai kept an eye on Luke as he drove on the highway, grumbling about the crazy drivers around them. Rory had fallen asleep on her mother since she was tuckered out from the hard labor of moving. Lorelai just kept staring at Luke and wondering about Liz's words, wondering if one day they would make it all official and when she would be ready for that.
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"That was all God given talent..." why thank you NON-POD 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...