A/N: I know the timeline might not fit with this film release but I still wanted to post this. I love this film it's one of my favorites and when you think about it like I wrote in this story The Gilmore Girls and Luke are like the main characters, I also wanted to write a story about the time Rory had chickenpox and only eating mashed potatoes and Luke looking after her, I like this one. Not JavaJunkie as such but hope you still like it.
Just Keep Swimming Kid
Luke knocked at the back door and Lorelai threw it open, ushing him inside quickly, looking close to tears.
"She won't eat anything, I have tried everything soft and she keeps refusing it," the woman said overwhelmed because her daughter was sick. "She wants mashed potatoes but I bought all the one's they have in Dossie's and she won't eat them" Lorelai choked out this time crying a little.
"Don't worry" Luke said touching her shoulder "I bought some of my homemade ones, well technically it's my mum's old recipe but when my sister and I were sick she always used to make them, hopefully, Rory will eat them too" Luke replied, grabbing a plate from the cupboard and putting some of the potatoes on it from the plastic tub he had bought them in.
"Come on," Lorelai said leading him into the door on the left, she knocked and Rory moaned before she walked in.
"Hey kid, Luke is here he bought you some mashed potatoes," Lorelai told her ten year old. Luke smiled and followed with the plate.
"Hey Rory, feeling a bit under the weather?" Luke commented
"It's so itchy," Rory said trying to scratch the chickenpox but Lorelai stopped her.
"If you scratch you will scar your skin later on," Lorelai told her. Luke handed her the plate and she picked up the spoon, licked the contents then ate it.
"Wow Luke your mashed potatoes are amazing," Rory said eating some more. Lorelai smiled relieved she was eating just as the phone rang.
"Excuse me a moment," she said going to take the call
"Chickenpox suck" Rory complained
"I am lucky, I was a toddler when I had them so I don't remember them" Luke commented as Loreli returned flustered.
"A fight or something is going on at the inn, I couldn't understand Michel his accent was thicker, I should go check on things, I need to call Babette but she's out of town," Lorelai said.
"I can watch Rory" Luke offered kindly. Lorelai sighed wondering what to do.
"It's not that I don't trust you but...I won't just leave Rory with anyone, she is my whole life, if anything was to happen..." Lorelai said knowing it had taken her over a year to let Babette watch Rory without her and that was only to run to Dossie's and get some plasters.
"I would let something happen to me before her Lorelai" Luke replied. Lorelai bit her lip not knowing what to do.
"Look if anything was to happen I would call Babette, or Sookie or you, though of course if you are uncomfortable I respect that, I don't understand people who leave their kids with someone they barely know, I mean after all that's you most precious possession," Luke told her.
Lorelai knew Rory would be safe with Luke, she had been to the diner loads of times without her and he had kept an eye on it, it wasn't she didn't trust him she was just worried he would be overwhelmed if something happened he didn't have the luxury of asking for help to the people in the diner, and Luke didn't know much about kids.
"I'll be fine with Luke mum, I'm sick it's not like I am planning on throwing a secret party whilst you are out" Rory replied knowing she wouldn't be moving much. Lorelai grabbed Luke's arm and dragged him out the room.
"That girl is the reason I get up in the morning, I love her more than I have ever loved anything or anyone, I am trusting you to watch her, please watch her," Lorelai said knowing he wasn't stupid and wouldn't be going out and leaving her but she had to let him know.
"I know...I care deeply for Rory don't worry, I know Rory well we will be fine" he reassured her.
"Alright, I will be as quick as I can," Lorelai said feeling a bit odd about leaving a man in charge of her daughter, even if she trusted said man with her's and Rory's life.
"Take as long as you need, I can stay," Luke told her. Lorelai nodded and patted his arm in thanks before going back to Rory.
"Luke is going to watch you, be good, don't be too hard on him," she said kissing her head.
"I won't mum" she promised as Lorelai left grabbing her coat on the way out.
"If something happens..." Lorelai said worried
"I will call 991 then you in that order" Luke reassured her before she left through the back door. Luke was nervous now he was purely alone with a child,
"LUKE" the girl screamed. He ran in and smiled.
"I'm still hungry can I have more mashed potatoes?" she asked.
"Of course I need to heat them so they will take a few minutes," Luke told her.
"Can I watch a film, I am bored" Rory replied.
"Yes why not, as long as it's kid-appropriate," Luke told her. She stood up, carrying her blanket with her.
"I will pick," she said heading to the front room.
"Watch yourself don't trip," he told her seeing the blanket was dragging on the floor. He made sure she couldn't trip them stood in the doorway watching as he waited for the mashed potatoes.
When he entered the front room he found Rory putting a VHS in the player.
"It's Disney so fine for kids," she told him showing him the box.
"Finding Nemo never heard of it," he told her as he sat next to her, handing her the food.
"It's my favourite," Rory said excited
"Oh, what's it about?" Luke asked knowing these films were normally about a princess falling for a prince.
"It's about love really, the big fish loses his son and he swims the entire Australian ocean to find him" Rory replied
"Oh...that doesn't sound too bad" Luke admitted.
They watched the film. Luke was shocked the beginning started with a shark attack and Marlin lost his wife and kids all except one and he was heartbroken when Marlin lost his son when he was caught by a diver.
"I wonder what would happen if I got lost," Rory said aloud
"You know your mum would search the entire globe until she found you" Luke replied truthfully.
"Mum would...but my dad wouldn't sometimes I think he regrets that mum had me," Rory said sadly in response.
"Well that's his lost, you know I would help your mum search non-stop until we found you right?" Luke replied. Rory nodded.
"That's why I like this film, you're Marlin, you're a little strict and serious and worry a lot but soft and lovable and kind, mum is Dory, a bit loopy and worries a lot but we love her and she cares so deeply and loves with all her heart, and I'm Nemo, sometimes a little lost and thinking I know everything but I need looking after really" Rory replied. Luke nearly started crying about how deeply this child spoke.
"I think you're right, it's us in fish form" Luke replied causing Rory to laugh.
"Mum noticed it not me, she calls it Finding Rory and she calls Marlin and Dory Luke and Lorelai" Rory admitted
"Does she?" "I see it too" Luke replied smiling, knowing in a way the girls weren't officially his, but he knew they had been for years.
When the film finished Rory had fallen asleep on Luke's shoulder. He stood up lying her down on the sofa and putting the blanket over her.
"Just keep swimming Kid," Luke said as he walked in the kitchen to leave her to sleep, feeling in a way they were family. He would search the world for either of them, he loved them so deeply and he hoped they never stopped swimming.