Chapter 5-Coming Back
Story:Certain Things About You
Chapter:Coming Back
Author:JavaJunkieForever
Rating: T
Pairings: Luke/Lorelai,Rory/Jess,Emily/Richard.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore girls in any way,shape or form. No harm,no sue.
Now on with the chapter!
Chapter 5-Coming Back
"Bliss." Rory Gilmore reminded herself.
After she had called Colin and Finn to move out all her stuff from Rory's place Logan had really been hitting her with the phone calls,emails,flowers,chocolate,buying her two coffee carts;one for the morning and other for and I quote 'late night cramming sessions' which she had discarded of,given back or gave to her mom crossing of the Logan and writing in huge letters RORY.
Right now another basket of danish's had arrived and all of them looked completely delicious and delectable but she had control herself.
"No." I ordered myself after picking up the note which again ended with the sentence 'I love you and I'm sorry'. In that order.
I stared at the note for a few seconds and then crumbled it up and threw the the paper fruitlessly in the basket and let out a suppressed groan.
I had just finished a ten page essay and I had no energy to handle the Logan problem. I made it to my bed with some struggle and plopped down on my bed as my dreams were occupied the greatest man in my opinion. A Jess Mariano.
I grinned and fell deeper into sleep.
Many,Many hours later.
"Hey Lorelai." Sookie's voice playfully came through the room as she opened the door and entered the room.
"Hi sook!" I heard my voice strike across the room. "I have so ready to get out of this hell hole!"
"Lorelai! Language." Sookie scolded firmly and then broke into a huge smile. "Hey. You're coming home. To the hollow!"
I furrowed my brow, "Slang or Taylor?"
"Taylor. He sent me a whole kit on how to treat you after your 'traumatic experience'." Sookie rolled her eyes pitifully and sat on the chair next to her bed.
Lorelai grimaced and wrinkled her nose. "Yikes!" She said laughing .
"Yikes is right," Sookie agreed. "So your parents have only signed the paperwork and you are ready to go as soon as your doctor Ellen West sees you off." Sookie recited running her hands through her,for the moment,open light brown almost red hair.
I groaned and sat back in my bed. "It wasn't enough for me to drilled to a bed and casted I also have to see that moronic woman." I grumbled scowling furiously.
Sookie looked at my expression and gave a light laugh. "Ellen's the best in hartford honey. Your parents made sure of that."
"But she's so basic!" I complained pitifully
Sookie jabbed me in the arm. "She'll be here in a minute. Any updates?"
"Oh yeah. Yesterday I had a kind of flashback?" I said raising my brow ever so slightly. The truth was I didn't know what that was.
"What?" Sookie shrieked "Why didn't you tell me?"
I gave a mini shrug. "I wasn't sure if it even was a flashback!" I protested pitifully.
Sookie moved her chair closer to me. "Spill." She said simply
"Okay so it starts in the independence inn's kitchen okay. You handed me a cup of coffee and I took a sip of it and it was the most delicious thing ever. So naturally I asked you how did you make it and then you said you didn't."
"I didn't?" Sookie interrupted loudly
I threw Sookie a look.
"OK. Continue." Sookie released a breath and looked at me elated.
"So I asked you where you got it from and you said it was from mike's or duke's or something and you said that it had the second best food in town because duh. So then I asked you where it was and you said it was a building with a Williams Hardware sign? Isn't that weird?" I laughed as my eyes met hers. "Right?" I echoed when i saw that she wasn't laughing.
"Yeah,totally." Sookie said distractedly and gave me a half smile eyes not meeting mine.
"So then I told you I was taking my fifteen and headed to the town to this mikes or.."
"Luke's." Sookie said suddenly interrupting me
"What?" I asked her bewildered beyond belief
"That's the only place to get decent coffee in stars hollow."
"Oh. Okay. So anyways get reach the diner,enter the diner and I see a guy," I said my speech animated
"Really?" Sookie said jumping up,at me cheeks flushed.
"Um yeah. So anyways before I can see his face I wake up. I don't even don't know what this means!" I finish tirelessly.
"Honey." Sookie said gently reaching for my hand and stroked it with her thumb. "I think you had a flashback of the guy."
"What guy Sookie?" My voice had turned a couple decibels higher and my eyes had the guarded look that I had inherited from my mother.
Sookie smiled sadly. "The one you love."
"I hate you right now." I relented voice soft and fragile.
Sookie grasp on my hand grew firmer. "I would to hon. I would to."
In A Luke's Lull
I stare at the clock and when the hands of the clock on the wrist that April had given me reach 11:00 PM I lunge for the phone. Rashly I dialled Rory's number. I needed to know about Lorelai. I swearer that I would stay away but I needed to know if she was coming back. I needed to just catch a glimpse of her with her brown lustrous curls and her piercing smile that could make heads turn.
Rory picks off the phone and let out a honk. "Come on let me in!" I could already sense her hostility. I grimaced and gave a gruff monosyllable to Rory.
"Hey."
"Luke?" Rory asked in surprise. "Is something wrong? Do you need help?" Her brow knit closely together she asked.
" like that. But..um I just want to know if your mom is coming back to the stars hollow today. I heard patty and Babette talking about it and wanted to confirm it with you."
Crickets.
"I know I'm not supposed to ask about her at all. But I have to know. So that can I prepare." I pressed on
"Mom's coming today yeah. She'll probably want coffee and will come to Luke's so if you are not ready keep Luke's closed from five to eight. But Luke. Mom misses you." Rory blurted out.
"What?" I said stupidly. "How can she? She doesn't even remember me? Rory," I started sternly. "What aren't you telling me?"
"She had a flashback Luke. A flashback about you. Not me,not Sookie,You. So a little nudge from you can help." Rory heaved a sigh. "Look Luke I don't know what happened between you two but all I know that it isn't good but help her remember. Help her fall in love with you again."
With that Lorelai 'Rory' Gilmore pressed the bright gree button and left Luke in blinding daze with Rory's words hitting him one by one.
A flashback about you Luke. Not me,not Sookie,you.
I don't know what happened between you two but all I know that it isn't good.
Help her fall in love with you again.
The two solemn words echoed like a symphony in my head.
In love.
What the hell should I do now?
"Sookie! Come on give me a clue!" I begged Sookie practically on my knees begging.
Sookie' slips were held together in a firm,straight line not budging.
"A picture? A little picture. Come on what'll will be the harm?"
Sookie gave me a pointed look and raised her arm. "I pledge the fifth," my best friend told me soberly.
"Tease."
"Impossible Girl."
"My Greek name I believe. My mother took one look at me smuggling the chocolate under my five hundred dollar chiffon 'ensemble' as a baby and said 'oh Richard I got a name for her!' Oh my,oh dear!"
Sookie shaked her head from one side to another and then throwing her head back and laughing hysterically at my Emily Gilmore imitation.
I joined her in hysterical laughter. A knock fell at the door and I hollered out while furrowing my brow furiously at the thick paperback at my feet. What was that? Sookie brought it over for some reason. I'll find out later I coaxed myself dutifully and brought my eyes to the door where my Rory emerged.
"The fruit of my loins! Here to spring me from here loin fruit?"
My daughter wrinkled her nose and cocked her head as her eyes sharpened.
"Loin fruit?" She asked sitting down at the side of the bed leaning on the frame of the bed.
"It's all the hype right now!" I protested giving her a pout
Rory gave out the lightest of laughs. "Hey I got a surprise for you!" The brunette said excitedly
"What?" I asked baffled for a second as a knock fell at the door again. "It's always open!" I whisper-yelled. Well more yell than whisper.
A thirty seven maybe eight year old opened the door. At first glance she looked unfamiliar. A head of smooth brown almost blackish hair with bright sparkling eyes green which flecks of gold stricken in. She has wearing a uniform white doctors coat. Across a smile has plastered over her face and I couldn't misplaced that smile anywhere else.
"Lexi?" I said shocked. I hadn't seen her seen Rory was nine months old. Alexia or Lexi as I call her,was one of my actual friends in Hartford.
Ever since the eight grade till the eleventh grade we had been inseparable. We met in second period science class-chemistry to be exact.
Lexi was shy and timid and was as fate had it seated next to me. When I first noticed her she didn't look like someone like me. Unlike me she wasn't loud,she actually had a filter and didn't look like a slacker.
With her thick rimmed black glasses and the way she had slipped a pen on the base of the behind of her head as a knotted high ponytail,the truth was she looked like a nerd.
Before the class started she didn't take this time to talk or gossip with her friends or even flirt with a guy but as an alternative she opened a thick book with the title 'How Maya Got Kissed,Got Wild And Got A Life.'
I immediately heard the whispers of my 'friends' gossiping about her and I noticed with all the more heinous things they would say she flipped the pages with more force and even more energy almost tearing the page.
Throwing my so-called friends a look I tapped her on the shoulder. She looked at me with a questionable look and removed her thick rimmed glasses and said in her edgy,guarded voice "Yes?" Her voice was more matured and sophisticated than ninety percent of the class.
The class dropped to stage whispers and hushed voices and stared as they watched I,a so called popular girl talk to a nerd. She didn't looked very fazed and adopted a comfortable position.
"Well I was just wondering about that book.."
The brunette raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"
"I was wondering where you got it. It's looks pretty cool."
Cue the gasps from the class. I threw the entire class a look and everyone fell silent.
"Well actually my mom wrote it." The girl who was now smiling at me warmly.
"Really?" I asked shocked. Most people's mom here were stay at home moms.
"Yeah. It's kinda a best seller." The brunette said gloatingly modest.
We both broke into a silly smile and I stuck my hand out at her. "Lorelai Victoria Gilmore." I said to her
"Alexia Amelia Anderson. But call me Lexi please." Lexi smiled at me.
"Wow. Your mom is an alliteration freak isn't she?" I said jokingly
Lexi jabbed me in the arm and that was the start of our friendship.
"It's been a while hasn't it?" Lexi said to me eyes shining brightly bringing me out of my little bubble.
"Shut up and give me a hug you idiot,Lex!" I cried out to her as she leaned towards me and gave me a bear hug.
"What are you doing here?" I asked her. "And why on earth are you wearing a doctors coat?"
"Don't worry. I didn't go doctor on you." Lexi answered playful. "My sister needed someone to cover her shift today and I happened to get a defacto medical degree because my sister is a senior doctor. Ah good old Doc."
"Good old Doc." I repeated remembering her even more nerdier sister.
"So when I found out what happened to you and what room you were in,I begged Ellen to give me all your details."
"Please tell me it worked." I pleaded.
Lexi pouted, "Still a worry wart I see."
I gave her a look. The one that said 'I'm actually serious'
"Don't worry. I asked her and she was too busy getting knocked up by my sister's intern anyways." Lexi shrugged.
My face creased up in laugher. "I see you are just as crude as before." I teased her.
"Now on with the thingy." Lexi changed subject to which I stuck my tongue out at her.
"So I'm just reading west's notes which are so boring. Just written in 'serious' pencil." The brunette rambled.
"Lex."
"But everything seems to be in good shape physically. You have to wear a cast for six to eight weeks and you're coming in with your daughter for physical therapy on Tuesdays and Thursdays for two weeks after you get the cast off." Lexi said pointing at me then Rory then me again.
"But I know you have amnesia which is not a textbook situation but as long you make an effort to try remembering and you adapt back into your usual environment you should be fine. Any progress on that my little sparky?" Lexi asked her eyes glinting.
"Sparky?" I asked her in a wry tone. "You're still calling me that?"
"Yup." She answered popping the 'p'.
I threw my head back and laughed. "None really. A had a kinda thing but I didn't really."
Lexi let out a small snort. "Can you be a bit more detailed?"
"I had kinda of a flashback but I knew all that stuff already. Does that make sense?" I asked Lexi shifting in my seat.
"Sure. Did you see anything new to you?" Lexi asked twirling a poppy bright pen between her fingers.
"Well a diner thing but other than that nada. None." I said despairingly.
"Don't worry. Flashbacks to as fast as they come I'm sure you'll get another any minute now. So if you don't have any more questions we can sign you out." Lexi took a deep breath. "That felt very doctor like. Ish." Lexi finished.
I let out a huge laugh. "Only you lex. And I'm ready so..let's go to..to the hollow." I cried out pointing at the door causing everyone to laugh.
I smiled at my mom as she groaned and complained as her friend Lexi tried to get her into the wheelchair.
"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore!" Lexi cried out while her face was twisted up in anguish. "Get in this wheelchair right now or else!"
My mom pretended to think for a few seconds. "Or else what?" She challenged Lexi.
Lexi gave a huge sigh. "You forced my hand Lorelai. I have no choice." She braced herself and then proceeded to pick up my mom very carefully.
"What are you doing?" My mom tried to kick Lexi in the shin but missed just in time as Lexi placed her on the base of the wheelchair.
"Meanie." She complained and scowled at Lexi as Lexi gave a large laugh.
"You'll thank me one day." Lexi said to my mom pushing her in the wheelchair out of the hospital.
My mom pouted and crossed her arms across her chest as Lexi pushed her through the hospital. We greeted a few people who were walking the floors who we had met and a couple of guys flirted with my mom and Lexi and they brushed the comments easily.
"How do you do that?" I asked Lexi after she rejected another man after being asked out on a date. "Just reject them like that?"
Lexi grinned at me. "Well you have take into account that I have a boyfriend named Scott who I been living with for three years and the fact that I'm not a flirter." She explained.
"Same with me." My mom agreed. "If you omit that Scott part." She said smiling brightly as we moved into the lift which was empty which was not surprising at all for a Tuesday afternoon.
"I wasn't either until I met Jackson." Sookie said with a dreamy look on her face at the mention of Jackson.
"Jackson is Sookie's husband." I explained to Lexi.
"That's so nice!" Lexi gushed as she pressed the G button the panel which had writing on the side sayin R.
"Lexi can be a romantic when need be. What happened to the Lexi who was like 'I don't believe in marriage or even one night stands?'" My mom said teasingly
Lexi grinned. "Well that Lexi didn't know Scott Alder did she?" The brunette said a dreamy look taking over her face.
As they continued talking and Lexi walked us to the car and gave mom a huge hug with the promise of a visit to stars hollow. We all climbed inside the car and waved goodbye to Lexi.
The chatter continued as my mind drifted away to a certain man.
Jess Mariano. Ever since that day in the hospital we had been growing closer. But not..romantically. We were slipping back into our lost routine that we had established in high school.
We talked about Hemingway and Tolstoy and Yale and New York and even mom and
Luke. We hadn't made a decision about that yet.
I wanted mom to stay away from Luke for a while while Jess thought that I needed to tell her immediately.
Well we will had to see how that goes then no?
The car ride was mostly made up chatter from me and Sookie as she told what was new in stars hollow. Which was included but not limited to town meetings,the newest festivals and the rumour that Taylor was dating someone in stars hollow.
"No!" I recoiled as Sookie told at Miss Patty was a possibility.
"I know. Imagine how they're kids would be like?" Sookie cringed visibly.
After that we talked about everything from the inn to Michel to the new hot guy in town.
"Even though I am married and a mom I have to admit that guy is hot!" Sookie admitted laughing.
"Amen to that Sookie." Rory added solemn.
"Hey look." I said suddenly as I pointed out the window. We had just past the blue stars hollow sign.
In the next few minutes I sat in silence wary of how I was going fit back into stars hollow.
"Mom?" Rory said quietly breaking the bony silence.
I turned my head to see my daughter who was sitting in the drivers seat. "Yeah?"
She smiled brightly showing her dimples."We're here."
I raised my head and looked out of the window and then my mouth widened in surprise.
"Oh my god." I said slowly enunciating each word.
The entire population of stars hollow maybe more were gathered in gazebo with tables full of chocolates and coffee and pop tarts and even biscotti left over from our Europe trip. I had no idea how they managed to salvage that.
There were about a dozen of banners with the words 'WELCOME BACK LORELAI' and 'WE MISSED YOU'.
I struggled out of the chair and Rory helped me to get into the wheelchair which had stashed in the back.
I smiled and wheeled myself to the middle of the gazebo and saw everyone again. Miss Patty. Babette. Lane. . Taylor and even East Side Tillie.
The only person missing was one of the most important ones in my life.
But I didn't know that.