Disclaimer: ASP's creation not mine. Don't own anything! If I did, I would want to own, Scott Patterson or Luke Danes. I'm totally fine with either! ;p Also, if I did own GG, there would be no such existence of the Nardini's, and LL would be happily married at the end of S6, while making Lorelai's dream in S3 become a reality in S7.
Author's Note: Yasss! You all rock! Loving the new insight and intrigue. I think I'm just as excited as you all for this story to keep going until it ends. Thanks a million.
Vital Company
Chapter 9: Destination Salutations
A magnitude of shades and hues of green and brown flew by as Lorelai drove past the countless trees in a blurred daze. The stone color of the concreted freeway blended with the massive aged greenery that decorated the roads backdrop, creating a beautiful array of affects.
Her body was on preset as her mind was far off in thought, contemplating the upcoming days she had ahead of her. Lorelai had only been on the road for fifteen minutes and throughout that short period of time, she continuously repeated the words, 'This is a good thing' as she plastered a bogus smile on her face.
She still couldn't help when she felt uneasy, immediately after she slipped the gearshift into reverse as she backed away from her home and Luke. The vast feeling of absolute emptiness flooded over her and she couldn't seem to tamper it down.
She linked that reaction to being the same emotion she felt when she was eighteen years old with a one and a half year old, Rory, attached to her hip as she escaped the clutches of the Gilmore's confinements, and left in search of freedom and a safe haven for her and her daughter.
Lorelai flicked her wrist to turn on her right blinker as she merged to take the cutoff ramp to Hartford. She inwardly ridiculed herself at the ironic situation of the turn of events as she ran away from the Gilmore's house then, and here she was seeking refuge in it now.
As she turned down the lane leading up to her parent's place, she couldn't help but silently be grateful for them. Although their timing in completely showing their support and acceptance towards her relationship with Luke was badly timed, they had ultimately gotten to that point on their own and their leap of approval had been very much appreciated by her. Especially, considering the past occurrences and turmoil they had caused between Luke and herself.
She still couldn't believe that she actually followed through with her plan. She knew she needed this, Luke needed this, their relationship depended on this. She felt if they didn't take it, there would be no doubt that she would slowly, but surely, be eased out of Luke's life, which was basically already happening.
She put the jeep in park as she rolled up to the front of the driveway. She looked over to the occupied passenger seat, where Paul Anka laid with his head on his paws.
"I'll just be a few minutes, buddy. Mommy has to go talk to Grandma for a bit." She gently ruffled behind one of his ears, "Now, don't go leaving without me." She joked as she unzipped both of the front windows slightly, allowing air to flow through for her dog.
Lorelai inhaled a deep breath, readying herself to face the inevitable questions her parents surely held. She sighed as she exited the jeep and made her way to the large front door. She raised her hand to ring the doorbell that announced her presence.
Shortly after ringing the doorbell, a middle-aged, woman answered and greeted her with a thin smile, "Good morning, ma'am. How can I help you?"
Lorelai had learned long ago not to be surprised by a new face each week when it came to her mother's help. She returned the small smile, "Hi, I'm Lorelai Gilmore, Richard and Emily's daughter, are my parents home?"
Before the woman could reply, Emily's voice broke through as she bounded into the entryway, "Marie, who was at the–" Her question died on her tongue once she got a glimpse of her daughter standing outside of the threshold. Her head tilted slightly as a small flicker of happiness showed in her eyes, "Lorelai! What a pleasant surprise."
Lorelai flashed her mother an apologetic smile, "Hi mom, sorry for just dropping in like this–"
"Nonsense." Emily waved off, "Come in." Emily conducted, then turned to the maid and furrowed her brows, "Don't just stand there, Marie, take my daughter's coat."
Marie scurried to take Lorelai's coat from her as she softly muttered, "Sorry, Mrs. Gilmore."
Emily wore a disapproving glare, which if possible, would've burned a hole through Marie's back. As Marie gathered Lorelai's coat, she quietly asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you ma'am?"
"No, Marie, that'll be all for now." Emily dismissed, holding the grimace on her face. Marie nodded her understanding, before she eagerly made her retreat out of the room.
As Emily turned to face Lorelai, her disapproving expression dropped as a small smile took its place, "Come, let's sit." She said as she led the way into the living room.
"I'm sorry I didn't call first, mom." Lorelai tried apologizing again, "I got your message last night and I kind of jumped the gun." She quickly explained as she followed her mother.
Emily stood in front of the drinks cart as Lorelai took a seat on the couch, "No need for an apology, Lorelai." Emily discarded "Would you care for a drink?" She asked pointing towards the display of water, orange juice and ginger ale pitchers.
Lorelai shook her head as she politely declined, "No thanks, I'm okay."
Emily nodded, "Very well." She replied as she took up her seat.
Lorelai shot a glance towards her father's study, "Is dad home?" She asked once her mother was settled into her chair.
"No. I'm afraid he left to the office for the day." Emily replied as she scrutinized her daughter's behavior.
"Oh okay." Lorelai nodded, "I'm sorry," She cleared her throat, "I can't stay long. I've got Paul Anka in the car waiting."
Emily's brows pinched together slightly, "You've brought your dog with you?" She questioned with puzzlement.
"Yeah." Lorelai shrugged, "I didn't want to burden anyone in asking if they could dog-sit for me and I think he'd be good to have as company, while I'm out there. I brought some food for him and some of his toys, so he's all set, plus I think he'll love it."
Emily nodded slowly, "I think he will too." She once again silently examined her daughter before she let out, "I'm actually on my way out as well, so I don't have much time either, but I'm glad you caught me before I left."
"Oh, good."
"I mentioned that I have that D.A.R. meeting–"
Lorelai nodded, "I remember."
"Yes, well as I also mentioned, Lorene has given me the keys to the home," Lorelai nodded in acknowledgement as Emily continued, "which is what I presume your appearance is in relation to?" Lorelai again nodded, "I figured so, which is why I too, seemed to have 'jumped the gun' and took the liberty in sending out a staff to the house a few days ago."
Lorelai's brows raised in shock, as did her voice, "A staff of people? Mom, I don't want a staff of–" Lorelai began to object only for Emily to cut in.
"They won't be there." Emily cut her off, "The place is empty now. I sent them out before you could get there. I had them not only stock the refrigerator, but clean the place and check on things that needed to be tended to." She explained, "I also had all the utilities taken cared of for the month, including sending out the cable company to be sure you have your television and internet accessibility, since I know you cannot function without either." She said, causing Lorelai to smile, "I also replaced any furniture and appliances that were outdated or didn't sit well with the rest of the decor."
"Mom–" Lorelai tried to speak, only to be cutoff once again.
Emily squeezed her eyes shut and fisted her hands, "Lorelai," She began, the frustration clearly coming out, "Just please let me have this one thing." She pleaded as her voice cracked a bit at the end.
Lorelai stood silently, allowing her mother to pick up again.
Emily reopened her eyes and pulled her shoulders back slightly before she continued, "I know you hate it when we walk your line of boundaries, but we wanted to do this for you. Your father and I did. We needed to be sure, – for our own sake – that you would be well taken cared of out there. We know it's only for a week, but we wanted to guarantee that you'd be comfortable. We know that this time away means a lot to you and we just wanted to help in any way that we could." Emily rambled on in her defense, "I'm not exactly sure what's going on with you and Luke, but I know it's nothing that can't be repaired. I know I don't always agree on your choices, but I also know that you love this man very much, and if there is anything that we can do to help you out of this rut, we want to do it."
Lorelai smiled gratefully, "Thank you, mom. This really does mean a lot to me, and the fact that both you and dad understand it, means even more to me." She spoke softly as she held Emily's gaze.
Emily allowed the moment to linger, before she nodded and broke the silence, "Wonderful. I'll go get the key and then we both can be on our way." She advised as she arose from her chair.
Lorelai followed her gesture and pointed towards the entryway, "I'll just meet you by the front door."
Lorelai had just retrieved her coat, when her phone began to ring. She rummaged around in her purse that was fastened over her shoulder, until her fingers came into contact with her cell. She pulled it out, but just as she was about to flip it open to answer it, her brows furrowed in confusion as she read the name that flashed on the screen.
Lorelai stared at the name for a moment, internally debating on whether or not she should accept the call. She knew she needed to stick to the rules – rules that she, herself had made. She knew the rules would be tough to bare, but she needed to abide by them if she wanted things within her relationship to change for the better.
Lorelai sighed regretfully, hating the awful feeling that tugged at her heart as she pressed the button on the side of the phone, sending the caller straight to voicemail, before she replaced it back into her purse.
Emily had rounded the corner a few moments ago and witnessed the scene that had just transpired. She hated that her usually bubbly and wit-filled daughter had been subjected to this awful situation that caused her pain and sadness.
Emily didn't like that the man Lorelai had chosen was the root of all of this, but she knew it was out of her hands. She also knew that she needed to restrain herself from meddling into her daughter's business too much – due to past experiences – especially if she wanted to keep on Lorelai's good side.
Emily determined that she should make her presence known, "Is everything alright?" She voiced, surprising Lorelai.
Lorelai's hand flew over her chest, "Oh my God, Mom!" She gasped, "You scared the crap out of me."
Emily's face screwed with distaste, "Honestly, Lorelai, your vocabulary astounds me, sometimes." She chastised as she shook her head in disapproval, "I apologize for startling you, but I called your name and you didn't answer. When I rounded the corner it looked as if you were upset." She explained coolly, then allowed her expression to soften, "Is everything alright?" She asked again, her voice full of sincerity.
"Yeah." Lorelai cleared her throat quickly and nodded, "I mean, yes. Everything is fine." She fibbed as best as she could, praying that her mother would let her off the hook this one time as she pressed her lips together tightly, seizing it from permitting any more words to slip out.
Emily could easily read through her daughter's front, but in the end figured she would save her questions for a later time, "Okay, good." She replied and held out her hand, which held a set of keys, "Here."
Lorelai accepted the set and held it tight in her hand. She looked up to meet her mother's gaze as she said, "Thank you."
Emily gave her a small nod, "Of course." She responded.
Emily had just opened the front door and was about to exit, but stopped and turned back to look Lorelai in the eyes, "Lorelai" She began, getting her daughters full attention, "I hope everything works out for you. You deserve to be happy." Lorelai's face softened once again at her mothers words as Emily added, "You both do."
Lorelai's usually bright blue eyes had taken on a new steel shade of blue, which held a soft veil of light red as its backdrop, caused by the combination of her drowsiness and the stinging sensation from all of her salty tears constantly blurring her vision.
"Thanks, Mom." She responded softly, her voice full of appreciation
"Stay strong, Lorelai." Emily advised softly. Her carub colored eyes silently speaking words of its own, "It'll all work out." She added, causing Lorelai to nod. Emily inhaled deeply as she broke their gaze and looked at her watch that was fastened to her wrist, before looking back to Lorelai, "Shall we?" She offered as she gestured for Lorelai to proceed out ahead of her.
Lorelai nodded with a smile as she stepped out. Both women bid farewell to one another as they made their way to their respective vehicles and set off to their destinations.
According to Wikipedia, the word lovesickness has an immense amount of ways it can be used. In example, the word itself can refer to an informal affliction that describes negative feelings associated with rejection, unrequited love or the absence of a loved one.
Lovesickness has the ability to manifest itself with physical symptoms, as well as mental. They say that many people believe that lovesickness was created as an explanation for longings, but it can be associated with depression and various mental health problems.
In 1915, Sigmund Freud asked rhetorically, "Isn't what we mean by 'falling in love' a kind of sickness and craziness, an illusion, a blindness to what the loved person is really like". And long before Freud, in 360 B.C.E, Plato stated, "Love is a serious mental disease," and Socrates added that, "Love is a madness."
Whether it be the definition from one of the worlds most insightful websites, the quoted words from the well known psychologist, or either one of the legendary philosophers, Luke was experiencing each and every one of their interpreted meaning to the word lovesickness, which was due to Lorelai's departure.
It hadn't even been a full two hours, since Lorelai had left town, and yet Luke had accomplished the task of driving himself crazy within that short period of time. After he had unwillingly watched her drive off until her taillights faded into the streets, he sat on her porch for an hour, until he couldn't sit still anymore.
Luke desperately tried to diminish his doubts in the situation that had previously unraveled. He needed to move, he needed to get up, do something… anything. His hands wouldn't stop wringing together and his legs bounced anxiously. He looked at his watch on his wrist for the fifth time in the past half hour, as it read; 8:53am.
He needed to get back to the Diner. Ceasar would need his help with the morning rush, until Lane and Glenn came in, but the unknowing of Lorelai's whereabouts nagged at him. He knew they weren't supposed to have contact with each other, but he couldn't help it.
He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to make sure that she got to wherever she was headed to. He needed more than anything to hear her velvety soft voice, assuring him of her safety.
Luke swiftly reached into the front pocket of his jeans to retrieve his cell phone. His hands were shaking nervously as his fingers finally wrapped around the object and pulled it free. He clumsily held down the number 1, before pressing the green CALL button and impatiently waited for her to pick up.
He knew calling her was going against the rules, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to hear her voice. The phone rang and rang and rang. Each chime caused Luke's stomach to plummet further as his clamoring heart hammered against his ribs.
Lorelai wasn't picking up. Why wasn't she answering her phone? Lorelai always answered her phone. She had it on her at all times, in case there was an emergency involving Rory or himself, or even the Dragonfly.
When her voicemail sounded, he blew out a loud breath right before the beep as he then consented an infinite amount of words to flow out of his mouth. Once he was finished talking to her recorder, he pressed the red END button and slipped it back into its previous spot in his pocket.
His thoughts raced with the fears of what could happen to Lorelai while she was gone. He didn't know where she would be, whom she could be with or where she would go. What if something bad happened to her? No one would know. No one would be able to know that she was hurt or for them to be able to help her.
Although it took all his strength, Luke exhaled loudly as he stood up and turned to look at the house. He silently vowed to be back soon. He felt helpless. He had no way of contacting Lorelai and it was all starting to slowly sink in.
Luke growled as he made his way back towards the Diner. The two now most hated words to him, continuously replayed in his mind; One week, it was so close and yet so far.
The faint sound of rocks crunching under her tires could be heard as Lorelai pulled up the length of the gravel path leading up to her new home for the next seven days. She parked her jeep and got out to take in the beauty of the estate.
It was exactly what her mind had conjured up in her dreams. The property was endless. The backyard alone was bigger than her and Babette's spaces combined. The house itself was truly remarkable. It was huge, the off white color allowed the dark gray accents to standout.
The outside appearance alone had her swooning. The large wrap around porch was decorated with comfy outdoor furniture and off towards the back was a small pond that had an enormous tree with a rope that hung from its largest branch.
Paul Anka jumped down out of the jeep and began trotting towards the house with Lorelai in tow. He climbed the steps and stopped to sit in front of the door. Lorelai followed and fetched the key out of her pocket before she opened the door.
"What do you think, boy?" She asked as they both stood on the outside of the threshold.
Paul Anka tilted his head slightly as if thinking about her question as his eyes took in the house. After a moment, he let out a soft bark and sauntered in sniffing out a place to settle himself.
"I guess you like it too." She laughed as she closed the door behind her.
She permitted her eyes to rake over every detail in the home. The pictures on the boards at the realtor's office didn't nearly do the place justice. She couldn't figure out how in the world she had dreamed of this exact place, when she hadn't ever been there before.
Was something like that even possible? Either way, everything she was currently observing, was the exact same things she foreseen in her dreams.
Lorelai gradually strolled through the tiny hall and peered into the doorway, which revealed the massive open kitchen from her Thanksgiving morning dream. The stainless steel appliances and the gas range stove that was centered on the granite island, was incredible.
There were dark leather stools, which rested on the opposite side of the bar, and off in one corner of the room was an open archway that led to the dinning area where a large adjustable maple wood table sat in the middle of the room.
Lorelai let her hand languidly brush over the stove as she passed it on her way over to the fridge. She was curious to what exactly her mother had told the help to stock it up with. As Lorelai opened the double doors, she literally thought she heard the angelic chorus playing in the background, because the fridge was loaded.
There was food galore. Some stuff she knew she probably wouldn't touch, because it caused for it to be cooked, but there was so much food. She smiled as she inwardly thanked her mother before shutting the door and turned to head back towards the living room.
As she entered, she smiled when she spotted Paul Anka curled up next to the gray stone fireplace. She turned and saw a hallway that led to more rooms, then she glanced upward at the beautiful maple staircase, which she recognized immediately.
She turned back to Paul Anka, "You gonna come exploring with me, boy?" She asked him.
Paul Anka didn't even bat an eye as he curled deeper into the plush carpet.
"I guess this is a one man kind of journey then, huh?" She joked.
She opted to go with familiarity as she headed towards the staircase. Just as she took the first step up, her phone began to ring. She stepped down and headed back to the couch where she had dropped her purse. She instantly grasped the ringing device and checked the screen.
Lorelai squeezed her eyes shut as she read the same name that had flashed on the front less than a few hours ago. Her stomach twisted as she mandated herself to repeat her actions from earlier and pressed the button on the side of the device, silencing it at once.
She sighed heavily as she stared at the phone for a long moment, secretly berating her heart from trying to take over her mind. She needed to stay strong. No going back. This week needed to happen. She again replayed those five words from that morning, This is a good thing.
Lorelai slid the phone into her back pocket and took in a deep breath before continuing on her journey to explore her new home. When her foot made contact with the landing, her phone sounded again. She groaned in frustration as she retracted the phone from her pocket and confirmed it was indeed the same caller.
How was this supposed to work if he kept calling her? He needed to stick to the rules. This wasn't fair to her, she was doing everything in her power to be strong and he was making it nearly impossible to do so.
She again silenced it and replaced the phone into her back pocket. She sauntered over to the first door, which presented a nice sized bedroom. The walls were painted heather gray, matching the color scheme of the gray stone fireplace in the living room.
Although, usually gray is more often used as a bland color, for some reason Lorelai felt it warming her from her insides, out.
Lorelai turned to see an open door that led to a full sized bathroom. It looked to be newly renovated with a more modern look, which she actually liked. She saw a door adjacent to the one she entered in from, easily pegging it as a Jack and Jill bath, so she walked towards the other entrance.
As she opened that door it exposed a replica of the first room. She immediately thought of the two children from her dreams and had to swiftly shake those craved images away as she removed herself from the room to continue on with her tour.
At the end of the hall, on the opposite side, stood bright white double doors. Lorelai grasped both handles and easily swung it open. She gasped at the immaculate master bedroom. It forced her to have déjà vu. The space was enormous. There were even the same sheer navy blue curtains that hung from the large paned windows.
She walked over to the master bathroom and immediately fell in love. There was a huge jacuzzi tub, as well as a large glass encased shower. The shower had a waterfall head and gray stones that coated the interior, which also matched the fireplace in the living room. There was his and her sinks with a mirror that stretched along the wall.
The place was extremely magnificent.
Just as she was about to exit the room, her phone began to chime once again. Lorelai's head dropped to her chest as she dreaded yet again to have to reject her caller. She pulled her phone from her back pocket and looked at the screen, only this time it read a different four-letter name.
Lorelai flipped open her cell and smiled, "Hey kid!"
"Hi mom!" came Rory's voice, "I'm on my way out, but I can't find my black converse's. Can you check if I left it in my room, please?"
Lorelai winced at the realization that she hadn't told her daughter about what was going on. Rory knew how Lorelai was feeling and knew of the predicament she and Luke were in, but she hadn't told her that she actually followed through and left town for a while.
"Um–" Lorelai cleared her throat, "Sweets? Don't be mad, okay?"
Rory halted her scurrying around at hearing her mother's tone, "You starting a sentence with; 'Don't be mad' makes me nervous, because it hints that I might just do that." Rory tried to joke, but quickly ditched that idea at hearing silence from her mother's side. "Mom?"
"Hmm?"
"Is everything okay?" Rory asked, beginning to get worried.
Lorelai bobbed her head slightly, "Yeah." She answered hesitantly, "Everything's fine…" She said unreassuringly, then added, "Sort of."
"What do you mean; 'sort of'? What's going on, Mom? Are you okay?" Rory shot off in a rush.
"Rory, honey, calm down. I'm fine. Everything is fine." She comforted her daughter as she made her way out of the room and began descending the stairs.
"But– but, you can't be fine, you just said 'sort of' and sort of is not fine." Rory rambled.
"Sort of doesn't mean not fine, hon. Sort of is sort of." Lorelai stalled.
"Mom?" Rory's voice was evident with a great deal of concern, as well as a slight edge of anxiousness, which caused Lorelai to sigh in defeat.
"How much time do you have to spare?" She asked as she made her way over to the large, plush L-shaped sofa and plopped herself down.
"Lots. Tell me what's going on." Rory said as she sat down on her bed and leaned back against the headboard.
Lorelai inhaled deeply as she then began to inform her daughter about every situation that had taken place since the last time they had seen each other at Lane's wedding. She updated her about everything.
She even told Rory about Billy. Rory – like Sookie – was suspicious about him, but Lorelai was quick to assure her daughter that the man was happily married, and was a friend and would stay just a friend. She assured Rory that Luke was and would always be the only man for her, no matter what difficulties they were going through in life.
Lorelai went on to explain how Billy was there for her a handful of times and resembled a father-like figure, which comforted her during those tough times. Lorelai continued her report and said that Luke didn't want her to leave, but she did anyway, because she knew it was the right thing to do.
She told Rory that she was now residing at the home that her parents planned to purchase for Luke and herself as a wedding gift. And before ending, she added that she and Luke were not to have any sort of contact with each other for a minimum of one week.
Lorelai blew out an exhausted breath after finishing as she waited to hear what her daughter would have to say in return. Rory had listened quietly as she absorbed all the information that was given to her. She had construed that she was on her mother's side on this one.
"Alright, kid, the silence is killing me." Lorelai said, breaking through her daughter's train of thought.
"Sorry, I was processing."
"Well, process faster. Mommy needs to know what you think about all of this."
"You want my honest opinion?"
"Of course. Be nice, please." Lorelai squeezed her eyes shut as she anticipated her daughter's next words.
Rory made a big show of inhaling an exaggerated breath before she said, "I agree with you."
Lorelai's eyes snapped open, "What?"
Rory smiled on her side, "I agree with you, Mom."
"Really?" Lorelai asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. A hundred percent." Rory confirmed, "I really do think that this break thing is a good idea. Luke has been constantly shutting you out and that's not okay." Rory explained, "You've been more than happy to step in and help with April, but he won't accept it, so that's on him." Rory inputted, "He pushed you out on a limb that was about ready to snap, without the intention of being on the ground to catch you when you fell. Luke of all people should know better than to take his loved ones for granted, not only considering his parents, but knowing that he pined for you for eight years, should be the eye opener in itself." She sighed, "You know I love you and Luke, but he keeps telling you that he needs time? Well," Rory shrugged easily "he wanted it, and now he's got it."
Lorelai sighed, "That's exactly what Billy said."
"You know, I'm liking this, Billy guy more and more." Rory joked lightly, "But seriously, mom. I think this is good. For both of you." She said softly, "Everybody needs a wake-up call every now and then."
Lorelai nodded, "I guess."
"We both know that Luke takes longer than most to process things, which is one of his very few downfalls, but what we also know and seem to forget is that no matter what…" She paused to take a breath, "Luke always comes through."
"Yeah, I know, but–" Lorelai tried to disagree, but Rory was quick to interrupt.
"No second guessing, mom. Luke is probably going crazy as we speak, because he doesn't know where you are."
Lorelai breathed out a small laugh, "Maybe."
"Oh there's no doubting that. He definitely is." Rory laughed a little.
"He's been calling me non-stop since I left and it's unbelievably hard not to answer him. I feel like I'm doing something wrong, but I know I need to stick this through."
"Yeah, but you're doing the right thing. Stay strong." Rory nodded, then added, "Or maybe just turn off your ringer, that way you technically don't know when or if he's calling, which takes away the guilty feeling."
"Oh, that's good. I'll still feel bad, but at least it won't come until after I actually look at my phone, which I'm going to try not to do too much."
"Yes, that's good. Do that." Rory encouraged, "It'll work out."
Lorelai stayed quiet for a moment, silently praying that it would in fact turn out that way.
"So one week, huh?" Rory said breaking the silence.
"Yeah."
"You want company? I can come out and spend the week with you, if you want?" Rory offered.
Lorelai smiled, but shook her head, "Thanks, hon, but it's okay. You stay at school and spend as much time with Logan before he has to leave. I'm gonna work from out here a little everyday and just relax and enjoy the house for the rest of the time. I think I need to do this one alone."
Rory nodded her understanding, "I get it, but you'll let me know if you change your mind, right?"
Lorelai smiled at her daughter's concern, "You'll be the first to know."
"Good. Well, I'm gonna head out, but just call me if you need anything, even if it's just to talk."
"Yes, mom." Lorelai teased.
"Okay. I love you, mom."
"I love you too, kid." She said as she ended the call.
After Lorelai hung up, she figured that she would take Rory's advice. She didn't want to turn her phone off, just in case of an emergency, but she figured silencing it would allow her to avoid having that knotted feeling in her stomach when she 'missed' the call from the person that she intentionally needed to avoid. So she turned off her ringer and deposited her phone onto the end table next to the couch and decided to finish up her tour of the downstairs area.
Luke was beyond frustrated. He had called and left more messages for Lorelai than he could remember. He was going insane. After getting back to the Diner, he washed up and got ready for work. His body was physically there, but his mind wasn't. He had finally pulled himself away, because he was no help to his staff.
He paced his apartment numerous amount of times, trying to rack his brain on what he should do. He tried to keep calm, but he had Lorelai on the brain and it wasn't letting up. He continuously called and left message after message in hopes that she might answer or call him back, but it was to no avail.
He was getting desperate. Everything and everywhere reminded him of Lorelai. This wasn't healthy right? Luke needed some fresh air, so he grabbed his keys and left his apartment, exiting out through the back.
Luke's mind ran frantically with so many thoughts. He needed to come up with a plan. He needed to mend that bridge – that Lorelai had mentioned – between his two worlds that he had wrongfully built separately. He needed to set aside some rules with Anna and make sure she knew he meant business, no matter what she tried to throw back at him.
He couldn't lose Lorelai over something that he could've easily prevented and he was going to make sure no one stood in the way of that. His happiness, his future, his reason for living was literally being stripped from him and he was the only one to blame for it.
Luke hadn't realized just how long he had been walking for, until he looked up and was met with the backside of the Dragonfly. As Luke walked up the stoned path towards the Inn, he could see Sookie marching back and forth doing different tasks. He shook his head and was about to turn, just before a thought struck him.
"Sookie." He breathed out in hope.
Sookie was Lorelai's best girl friend, but more than that, she was her business partner. She surely would have to know where Lorelai was. He practically sprinted the rest of the way up to the back entrance of the Dragonfly's kitchen and stormed through the door.
"Sookie!" He called out to her as he entered.
Sookie looked up at him from her position by the island as she paused mid stride from cutting the head of a raw duck off with a butcher knife.
"You!" She pointed the knife at Luke, causing him to rear back fast.
"Whoa, Sookie, watch out with–" Luke began to warn, but was cutoff.
"Don't 'whoa, Sookie', me. You are the reason my best friend has been miserable for months and you are the reason she's gone now." She said waving the knife around, causing her staff to duck and weave with every wave, "I don't know where she is, if she's okay, if she's being fed." She finished with a huff as she roughly slammed the knife down chopping the duck's neck off clean.
Luke winced visibly with a little bit of fear, before he registered her ending sentence as he pushed, "Wait. You don't know where Lorelai is?"
"No!" Sookie waved her arms out, this time without the clever in hand, "She said she would call, but she hasn't yet. I'm baking everything in sight, because I don't know what else to do while I wait." She said as she gestured to all the pans scattered in various places throughout the kitchen, "I baked every kind of dessert you can think of, plus anything that was in the fridge, salmons, pork, beef, chicken, you name it. I even baked poor Greg's necktie thinking it was eel. That's how worried I am." She paused to take a breath, "And now, I'm on to duck. Duck?" She picked up a handful of chopped onions and threw it at him, "Duck!" She cried as she swiped her cheek with the back of her free hand then pointed an accusatory finger at Luke and said weakly, "And this is all your fault."
Luke stood rooted to the spot. Sookie was right, he had recently just blamed himself too, but now he was back in square one. Sookie didn't know where Lorelai was and if she was okay either. He was running out of options and didn't know what to do.
"I know, Sookie. You don't know how much I've been beating myself up, especially this past couple of days, but I need to know where Lorelai is, or at least if she's safe. You think this is crazy?" He asked, gesturing towards all the pans, "I haven't been able to work, let alone form a comprehendible sentence to anyone, because my mind is solely focused on if Lorelai is okay." He shook his head sadly, "I hate that I don't know where she is and she won't answer any of my calls. I know she wanted no contact, but I need to hear her voice. I need to know she's okay." He informed, his voice cracking uncontrollably.
Sookie could see that Luke was indeed beating himself up for this and began to feel bad for the guy. She was always in Luke's corner when it came to Lorelai's suitors, and she still was. She could see that he knew he messed up, but him being there in the state that he was in only confirmed that he was in fact trying to fix things.
Sookie knew that both Luke and Lorelai were meant for each other, she had been rooting for them for longer than she could remember. She looked at Luke and could clearly see that he hadn't gotten any sleep, and knowing him, he probably hadn't eaten anything either.
Sookie exhaled a defeated sigh as she dropped her angry façade, "If she calls, I'll let you know."
Luke nodded thankfully, "Thanks." He said gaining a nod from Sookie, "I'm gonna go walk a bit more, try to clear my head."
"Good. You've got a lot of work to do." She said, but smiled, showing him she was still in fact rooting for him and Lorelai.
"See ya, Sookie." He bid as he exited out of the back door.
Luke walked a little ways away from the Inn towards the bench that sat on top of the hill, overlooking the Dragonfly's property. He plopped himself down and pulled his phone out of his front pocket, dialing the same number once more.
He raised the phone to his ear and hoped to God that he would hear the soothing voice of his fiancée. The phone rang and rang some more, until Lorelai's voice finally did come over the receiver, but not in the way Luke had hoped for.
Luke sighed, deeply disappointed. He felt the heat building quickly in his eyes at hearing her recording. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and once again left yet another message that he prayed she'd return.
Luke dropped his phone back into his pocket and looked down at the bench he was sitting on. The last time he was sitting on a bench was almost two years ago, when he and Lorelai weren't even together. It was the night she had asked him out to dinner, only for it to be cancelled to due her Grandmother accusing her about not being successful.
He remembered he felt both enthralled and pissed that night. He was upset because their dinner was cancelled and he wasn't going to get to spend time away from the town alone with her. He was also mad that someone, let alone a family member would even have anything bad to say about Lorelai.
He was overjoyed because she came to him. He was there to lend his shoulder for her to cry on, he was there to comfort her and he was the one that got to hold her tight and reassure her that she was not failing. Not only was Lorelai upset about the thought of failing, but he remembered she was sad that she hadn't been able to get into contact with Rory.
Luke's eyes widened with the connection, "Rory!" He exclaimed and hurried to dig his cell back out of his pocket.
He frantically dialed Rory's number, hoping by chance that she would have more information. Luke's heart pounded in his chest with anticipation, just when he was about to give up, the receiver clicked.
"Hello?" Rory shouted over the loud noise that was in her background.
"Rory?" Luke answered back, trying to speak loud enough for her to hear.
The background noise drew quieter as Rory walked out of the bar, "Luke?"
"Yeah, it's me." He confirmed, his voice returning to his normal volume, "I'm sorry to bother you. Is this a bad time?"
"No, it's fine." She assured, "Are you okay?" She asked, her tone leaked with concern.
Luke nodded, "Um yeah" then he shook his head, "No." He answered honestly, "Things aren't really the best right now between your mom and I, and I've been trying to get a hold of her, but she's not answering."
"I thought you guys couldn't have any sort of contact for one week?" Rory questioned, a bit confused.
"Well, yeah, but– wait a minute, does that mean that you've spoken to her?" He asked hopefully.
"Yeah, just a little while ago." Rory confirmed.
Luke slumped back onto the bench, "So she is just dodging my calls." He stated disappointingly.
"No, Luke, she's not dodging your calls. She's having a really hard time, but Mom is just trying to stick to the rules." Rory informed him.
"Yeah, well, those rules are stupid. I don't know where she is, what she's doing, who she's with, if she made it to wherever she was headed to safely or if she's even okay? I mean, I'm losing my mind here, Rory."
"Well if it helps, she did make it to her destination safely. Where that is exactly? I'm honestly not sure, because I didn't bother asking. She sounded sad, but overall okay. She's taking it slow and said she'd call if she needed anything."
"That's good news, I guess, seeing that she's okay, but no one knows where she is?" He asked seriously bemused.
"Nope, sorry. The only thing I know is that she's in a house, not too far away from town, but where exactly? Again, I don't know. Plus, I probably couldn't tell you even if I did. It's against the rules, remember?" the corner of her lips lifted a bit.
Luke growled softly, "Stupid rules." He mumbled, "I just–" He paused, trying to not sound too weak before he continued, "I just want her to come back."
Rory loved Luke, she didn't like knowing that her parents were in pain and were sad without the other, but she also knew that they needed to fix things between each other and they both would do anything to fight til the end for the other.
"I know. She will. But in the mean time, I hope you're using this time apart wisely."
"Not really." He answered openly, "I haven't been able to concentrate on anything except your mom." He sighed heavily, "But I will, with great difficulty." Without Lorelai by his side, he felt like his whole world had turned upside down.
"Good. Slow and steady always wins the race." She encouraged lightly.
"Yeah, let's just hope for my sake, I'm not too late." He said dejectedly.
Rory smiled, "It's never too late for you and mom, Luke."
"I hope so." Luke said warily.
"Can I give you a piece of advice?" Rory asked calmly.
"Please." He jumped at the chance to getting Lorelai back faster.
"Don't just say what you think mom wants to hear just to get her to settle, because that won't last. Whatever you promise, whatever you decide and whatever you say you're going to do, do it. You can't be all nice one day, only to push her out the next, Luke. You need to openly communicate, no matter how much it goes against your usual monosyllabic ways. I talked to her too and she has things to think about as well, but I'm counting on you, Luke. You're the only one that can make mom happy again, but if this isn't what you want–"
"This is. She is." He interjected without a doubt.
"Good. That's good." She nodded on her side, glad to hear the same sureness in his voice for her mother, "Just make sure you're ready for when she gets back. And don't give up, Luke. Just… keep fighting for her." She exhaled, "She's never loved anyone, until you came along."
Luke blinked hard at hearing her confession. He knew exactly what she was talking about, because it was the same for him. He didn't know the meaning of real love, until he met Lorelai. She was the only person that he couldn't let go of. She was forever engraved into his bones. She was it for him and he needed her to know that once and for all.
"I will. You have my word." He promised, "Thanks, Rory."
"I'll see you soon, Luke."
Luke ended the call and slipped his phone back in its rightful place. He began to feel numb to everything and everyone around him. The only thing coming in on his internal reception was the slicing sound of static. Knowing that Lorelai was safe had at least put his mind at a little ease, but he was still set on keeping his promise to her and doing anything he could to fix their relationship.
He blew out a deep breath and slumped further onto the bench. It was happening. The world was still continuing on as if nothing went wrong, even though it felt as if his life had been put to an end. He felt absolutely helpless to the horrid full effect of life without Lorelai Gilmore. This week would without a doubt be the worst week of his life, and it was only the first day.
After Lorelai had got off the phone with her daughter, she had continued her exploring of the rest of the house. She had discovered two beautifully spacious rooms each with a bathroom next to it, a half bath was tucked right off of the living room area and there was a nice sized office are near the library, Lorene had mentioned, which she knew her daughter would love.
The house was truly incredible. Her thoughts already had her thinking about when she could properly move in. She didn't want it to only be seven days, she wanted this house so bad. This house was definitely too good to give up, and the fact that this was only the second time in almost a century that it was up for sell, proved it.
Lorelai had made her way back towards the living room, where Paul Anka still rested, "Hey buddy." She said as she crouched down and cleverly clipped his leash on his collar, "You wanna go for a walk?" She asked as she stood.
Paul Anka hopped up and pranced towards the door with Lorelai in tow. She opened the door and exited. They descended down the stairs and began strolling down the small path along the pond. Paul Anka sniffed the ground and kept on as if he smelt something familiar.
He tugged forward, eagerly trying to pick up the pace, "What is it, boy?" She asked as she looked upward to what caused her dogs reaction.
Lorelai could slowly make out a male figure a little ways in the distance. The pulls from Paul Anka as well as her raw curiosity drew her to the form. As they got closer, Lorelai's face lit up as her lips spread in a huge grin. She easily recognized the man on the dock at the end of the creek.
"Billy" She breathed.
Author's Note: T.H.A.N.K. Y.O.U. A.L.L. I'll be back very soon!
