AN: So I know it took me a while but I got struck by a severe case of writers block. And then once I started I couldn't really stop and it kept going and going and going and I still wasn't satisfied. In the end I had to cut the chapter in two haha… So you'll be getting chapter 16 soon (although I have to stop making promises. Every time I do I either get writers block or life catches up with me. Lol) Chaos chaos chaos. I hope you like it. Nothing really happens in this chapter so sorry for that but it was fun to write (once it came lol). So in closing I thank you all for the wonderful (and abundant) reviews! You guys rock!!!! Well I'll be shutting up now haha. Please read and REVIEW!!!!!!
DisclaimerDon't own Gilmore Girls. If I did it most certainly wouldn't end this way!!! (It wouldn't be ending at all lol, but when it would it wouldn't be as depressing!!!)
Chapter 15 Homecomings I
"His wife didn't lose it!" Rory gasped. They had been arguing about the reason for Hemingway's lost book for good half an hour now.
"Yes, she did. Women…" Logan sighed changing lanes and taking the exit to Hartford.
"Oh my God!" Rory shrieked. "You are lucky you are driving, mister, otherwise I would so punch your daylights out."
He laughed.
"Punch my daylights out? My, my, Rory Gilmore has a vicious gene."
"You are so obnoxious today." She scoffed. "And Hemingway's wife didn't lose his book!" It seemed the guy had made it his mission to get a rise out of her.
"Yup that woman deprived us of a masterpiece."
"It probably was crap, if not she wouldn't have lost it."
"So you admit it!"
"NO! I'm willing to bet my…my…" Her eyes filled with a wicked gleam, "I'm willing to bet your sorry butt on it."
"I feel cheap and sad and unloved." he wiped away a fake tear. Rory rolled her eyes and hit his leg as they drove through the street, mansions popping out from behind the hedges as mushrooms after rainfall. He caught her hand in his, but soon let go to shift gears.
"See?" Rory bounced, "that is why an automatic car is more romantic. You can hold hands."
"An automatic is for women."
Rory turned her eyes to heaven. He was impossible.
"I'm involved with a sexist. What are you? The incarnation of Aristotle?"
Logan grinned and parked the car on the street one house away. Rory let out a laugh.
"Scardycat."
"Who? Me?"
"Yes, you."
"It's you whom I'm sparing." He said looking at her.
"And how is that?" she grinned.
"Well…did your grandparent's know that you are sleeping with me?"
Her jaw dropped. Did they know?
"Of course they didn't know! They still don't know! They will NEVER know! I'll be married with 2.3 kids and they still won't know!" she rambled the idea of her grandparents knowing that she was having sex was giving her a headache.
"Ace…"
"There is no sex in the Gilmore house! If I even think the word, the priest is standing on the porch the next day… They will NEVER know, do you hear me??? If they ask you and me are are…knitting."
Logan furrowed his eyebrows.
"Knitting?"
"Yes, knitting or something else non-sexual."
"Knitting…"
"Logan—" she whined.
He kissed her lips.
"Stop freaking out."
"I'm not…" she pouted.
"Yes, you are." Another kiss. "And you are very cute when you do so, but mind the blood pressure."
"What?"
He didn't answer, simply smirked and captured her lips with his, tracing her bottom lip with his tongue. Rory drew him closer and opened her mouth to welcome his.
"Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss," he smiled against her lips. She chuckled at the line; he was a walking quote book. She wondered sometimes what he would do if he really had the choice. Although he didn't seem that interested, he loved English, he loved to write and he had the same unsaturated hunger for books she had. And she knew he wrote more than just articles, but he had never let her read. There tongues met and she couldn't help but wonder how long this pink fluffy cloud they were on would prevail.
"What's on your mind?" he asked, nuzzling her nose.
She smiled, biting her lip.
"I was just wondering how it would be to kiss Hemingway."
"You are horrible you know that?"
"I do." She kissed him soundly once more and opened the car door.
He opened the trunk for her from inside and let the window down. As expected she came to the window.
"A cheeseburger and extra large fries please."
"Do you want a kiss with that?" Rory grinned leaning in.
She loved the way his eyes lit up with a smile as she kissed his cheek.
"When are you getting back? Monday?"
"Yeah. Tuesday maybe. Not sure. I'll call you."
She nodded.
"Thank you for last night." She said leaning again to kiss him once more.
"I think we are making your grandparents' neighbours sick…" Logan grinned.
"Why?"
"Because of all the…" he kissed her finishing the sentence, "And you're welcome. Thank you too."
Rory smiled wiping a stray eyelash away from his cheek.
"Bye."
"Bye, have fun." He winked.
Rory watched as the black SUV drove down the street and picked up her overnight bag. With a sigh she started walking towards her grandparent's house.
"Rory! You weren't just going to leave, were you?" Emily Gilmore chimed coming her way as she put her bag in the back of her car. Rory sighed and forced a smile.
"No, grandma, of course not. I was just putting the bag in the car."
"Ah well dear, come on in. Have some tea."
"I…mom…we…she" she looked at Emily, who was not taking any of it and gave in.
"For a little while then." She sighed.
"Good! So tell me all about that boy and Valentines Day. You do know that he is a Huntzberger. His father is a very important person in the newspaper business." She went on and Rory sighed as the woman was pushing her through the door.
"Fruit of my loins!" Lorelai exclaimed, making her way down the porch, "What took you so long?!"
"Grandma…" she said. "I feel weak."
"That much hanky panky yesterday??"
"Ew! MOM! NO!"
Lorelai raised her eyebrows.
"You want me to believe that you didn't reward that boy after he entered the Gestapo headquarters out his own free will?"
Rory blushed.
"HA! Thought so!"
"Can we please not discuss my sex life?" she rolled her eyes. She could talk to her mother about everything but there was a definite censorship when it came to sex.
"Is the boy still able to walk?"
"Oh my God! I'm going back to grandma!"
Lorelai laughed.
"Ok. Ok. Let's go! We have a jam-packed schedule!"
"We do?"
"Yes! Where is your laundry?" the woman bounced.
"I don't have any."
"You don't have any? How is that possible? You always have laundry!" she squinted, "Have you become one of those nudists?"
"Mom?"
"Which would be a good thing, because Kirk, if he gets elected, wants to start a nudist camping. Very lucrative business."
"I haven't been here for too long…" Rory gaped at her mother. This town had reached a new height of insanity. "And to answer your question; I did my laundry at Logan's."
"I'm becoming obsolete." Lorelai pouted. "At first you came home because you loved me…then because you had to do laundry somewhere and now…"
"Mom, stop it. Me sparing you the stinky socks doesn't make you obsolete."
"Fine…Let's go. First stop Luke's. We are already behind schedule!"
"What schedule?!" Rory inquired once more trying to keep up.
"Rory! How are you?" Luke greeted as both women entered the diner, the bell above the door cheerfully announcing their arrival. "Haven't seen you in ages."
"Hey, Luke." Rory smirked, "I'm good. You?"
"Oh you know-" he suddenly stopped, his nostrils flared and it seemed as if steam was escaping his ears.
"Taylor!" he yelled. The whole diner fixed their eyes on the window separating Luke's and the Soda Shoppe where Taylor was hanging up campaign posters.
"Get them down!" he roared.
Taylor motioned that he couldn't hear him and resumed what he was doing, half the window now covered in Taylor's portraits. Luke, red with fury jumped over the counter and stomped towards the door, the bell now dangling in a state of panic, as the man made his way to his neighbour. Taylor scurried to the door locking it and threatening to call the police.
Rory unbuttoned her coat and sat down next to her mother who was attentively watching the show.
"I really should visit more often," she snickered.
"You should—" Lorelai started when Luke now re-entered the diner carrying a bunch of boards and a hammer, dropping them in front of the window murmuring. He took one and started hammering it to the window frame.
On the other side of the window an incensed Taylor was knocking on it.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Luke yelled and resumed hammering.
"I love Stars Hollow." Rory sighed.
Lorelai stood up and got the coffeepot.
"Hey!" Luke exclaimed, ceasing his hammering, "Stay away from the counter!"
"But you –" Lorelai started defending her actions.
"No! Your place there," he pointed at the table Rory was occupying, " My place there!"
Lorelai pouted.
"I need my coffee, coffee-man!"
"Then you wait till Cesar or me give you coffee."
Rory watched the exchange between the two and couldn't help but feel that something had changed. The way Luke eyed her mother, and the way she looked at him with sparkling eyes. It reminded her of something. She snickered when it hit her. Months and months of sexual tension.
"Ha!" Lorelai plopped back down on her chair and filled her mug passing the coffeepot to Rory.
"Ooh! What is that? New bling bling?"
Rory looked down at her locket pendant, and smiled.
"I got it yesterday."
Lorelai smiled.
"Tell me all about it!"
"We had a living room picnic. It was really nice. And he gave me this necklace."
Lorelai leaned in and fingered the beautifully engraved locker.
"He said he loved me."
"Aw…he did. I'm happy for you, kid. Although him showing up at the Gilmore's said enough, don't you think?"
"Yeah. If I look back…lots of little things did."
"So wow. Big night."
"Even bigger morning." She mumbled.
"How? He asked you to marry him?" Lorelai laughed .
"Not exactly…he asked me to move in with him."
"I'm sorry LUKE HAMMERING makes it impossible to hear." She shouted, "Did you say move in?"
"Uhu."
"Big indeed. Are you?"
Rory looked down. A part of her wanted to scream yes. Another was afraid that it would backfire. They hadn't been together together for all that long and now they finally got in this nice slumber… Would them moving in together be a step too many? It had been a rollercoaster ride since that day in New York not too long ago and one thing she didn't want. She didn't want the ride to be over in mere seconds. She wanted it to be a Ferris wheel stuck on its highest point.
"I don't know yet," she smiled, "I'm still buzzing from his I love you and then this on top…it's like there is so much whipped cream on this cupcake that I'm afraid it's going to fall off if I move."
Lorelai gave her a smile.
"I wish I could help you, kid."
"I wish you could." She sipped from her coffee. "So tell me more about that schedule of yours."
"Well… today we have the voting. We are after all proud Stars Hollow citizens, then we have dinner at Sookie's, I thought we could rent movies before the voting, but since we are behind, we will do that after dinner… Then you go to Doose's, I go to get the movies, we meet at Luke's for a burger. Then it's Godfather I, Lord of the Rings II, and Bring it On III."
"There is a Bring it on III?"
"Yes there is. Don't interrupt mommy."
"Then tomorrow: Who won the elections? Exciting, exciting!!! We have a quick lunch at Al's Pancake world, then…manicure, pedicure and every other cure there is. Then… we order in dinner and watch—"
"Glitter II?"
"No." Lorelai demonstratively rolled her eyes, "We watch Sofia die over and over again."
"Oooh…a night well spent." Rory bounced.
"Indeed and then it's bedtime, but not before we have watched at least 5 I love Lucy reruns."
"I like this schedule… Not sure about 'Bring it on III', but –"
"We start out with a masterpiece! Leave the gun, take the cannoli! Then there is something… epic. The one ring to rule them all… And last but not least something to mock." Lorelai explained.
"But we mock Lord of the rings too…" Rory tried to reason.
"Well something to mock even more, then!"
"Ok…so what do we now?"
"We," She pulled out buttons saying Kirk #1 and Kirk for mayor!" are going to vote!"
"Are we really going to vote for Kirk? The thought scares me." Rory asked as they exited the diner and made their way to Patty's dance studio that now was transformed into a voting room.
"VOTE KIRK!" someone yelled and all eyes turned towards a vision in American flag speedos on a pink bike with tassels on the handle bars.
"VOTE KIRK!" Kirk yelled again, ringing the bell to emphasize his point, just barely missing the gazebo and killing a couple bushes.
"No…" Lorelai grinned, "But it's fun to watch Taylor get as red as the red stripes on his red-white striped suit."
"You're evil." Rory snickered.
"No, I'm not, the horns are only there to keep the halo in place."
"No your horns are holding the halo hostage."
Lorelai gasped as they climbed the stairs.
"Are you really my child?"
"Kirk! Kirk!" Taylor ran over the lawn, his puffy cheeks almost purple. "Stop this nonsense at once! Stop it!" He stopped after reaching the gazebo and took a few deep breaths wiping the sweat off his forehead with a hanky.
"I will not! We live in a free country and in a free town! And if the people want nudity, they will get nudity! Lulu!" he looked around, "Lulu?"
"No you can't! I am still the mayor and I say that this has got to stop! This is an honorable community!"
"LALALALALA I can't hear you…" Kirk put his fingers in his ears.
"Oh very mature!" Taylor scolded.
The two women snickered and continued their way into the dance studio.
Logan dug his hands deeper in his pockets and looked at the cold mansion that seemed to get bigger with every second passed, while he was standing on the driveway. Home sweet home. He walked around it and took the servants entrance.
His childhood home in New York had been big, but it had never resembled a mutation of Buckingham Palace and the Louvre. This house freaked him out. He constantly had the feeling he had to walk around crumbling bread in order to not get lost. His mother had never been too keen on the modern castle kind. He smirked. Neither had his father. He didn't know the man at all. They shared a last name but that was about it. He greeted a maid on his way through the servant quarters.
"Mister Huntzberger, it's been a while since we saw you here."
Logan turned around as a familiar voice reached his ears.
"Mister Saunders, how are you?" A genuine smile tugged at his lips as he greeted the butler. This man had been as big a part of his childhood as his parents. At this point a bigger one.
"I've been well. Thank you."
"Where are the King and Queen?" he asked.
"Mister Huntzberger is on a business trip to Chicago and won't be back till tomorrow. Missis Huntzberger is shopping, sir."
"And –"
"Miss Huntzberger is at a friend's house and will be back before dinner."
Logan smirked. Trust Angus to know everyone's whereabouts.
"Can I offer you a cup of coffee?" he asked.
"Only if you are going to take one too." Logan answered.
Angus' stern face softened as his lips curled into a smile.
"If you insist."
"I do." Logan laughed making his way into the kitchen.
"So how have you been….Logan?" Angus asked putting on the coffee and Logan installed himself at the cooking island.
"I've been…well. Really well."
"You do seem quite cheerful." The middle aged man looked at the blond man sitting not far from where he was standing, and found it hard to believe that it was indeed a man and not the boy he had loved as a son, but one that nonetheless could make him completely crazy. He missed him in the house. And he missed his mother. Libby Huntzberger had been more than an employer; she never treated him as a servant. She was his friend. So much had changed since her death. The house, the lady of the house and even mister Huntzberger, who almost never was there anymore and if he was he was distant, not the Mitchum Huntzberger who told Lena bedtime stories or took Logan sailing.
"Angus! Old age catching up with you?"
Angus raised his eyebrows returning from his trip down memory lane.
"Who are you calling old?"
Logan smirked.
"I was asking about your granddaughter."
"Oh she is doing fine. I saw her last week. Senior year, so she is busy. Beautiful girl and sweet. "
"Is she now?"
Angus furrowed his eyebrows.
"Not for you to mess with!" he warned.
"Relax, Angus," Logan laughed, "I am taken these days."
"Taken? You mean possessed by the Devil and too occupied to chase after girls."
"Very funny. No, I'm taken by a girl… sometimes I do think she's the devil." He mumbled the last with a chuckle, accepting the mug of coffee.
"A girl you say. One?"
"Yes, one." He laughed, "It's hard to keep up with this one."
Angus installed himself at the cooking island as well.
"I knew you would find your match sooner or later. Who is your lady?"
Logan smelled the coffee and smirked.
"She is beautiful, smart, slightly crazed and she loves me." That statement almost came out with surprise.
"She is sweet, she is the sweetest person I know." He then smiled.
"Sweet?" Angus squinted, "I would call her a Saint if she is willing to put up with your sorry butt."
"I missed you too, Angus." Logan laughed. Just then the door swung open and two laughing girls stumbled in.
Both Logan and Angus raised their eyebrows.
"Hi," Lena said wiping the tears out of her eyes. Logan looked at her flushed face and steered his gaze to the girl standing next to her.
"Hey." She said draping her long red hair over her shoulder letting her eyes run over him, "I'm Melissa."
"Yeah, this is Melissa." Lena bounced, "Mel, this is my brother Logan."
Melissa bit her lip with a smile.
"Hey…" Logan greeted, his eyebrows still raised. Was she trying to pull off sexy here? "What have you two been up to?"
"Nothing really. You know we hung out. Glad you came." Lena smiled.
"So what do you want to do now I've graced you with my presence?" he asked finishing his coffee.
"We kind of wanted to go out." Lena bit her lip.
"Go out where?"
"Just…out."
"Lena, are we talking forged ID's here?" he asked.
"Oh come on! As if you haven't done that?! We want to go to the Brickyard café." she exclaimed.
"Brickyard? I—That is besides the point."
"Logan!"
"No! Seriously! Go see the new Winnie-the-Pooh movie or paint each others whatever."
"Logan… we are not 8 anymore."
He sighed. No, she wasn't, but somehow he was still stuck in the baby sister phase.
"Fine then I'm coming with you."
"I don't need a babysitter! I can't see Conner with my brother tailing behind me."
"HahÁ! So we are talking boyfriends here. You two are back together?" Almost an evil grin spread over his face.
"Loohooogan!" Lena whined. "Yes we are."
"Nononono… You most certainly need a chaperone." He laughed.
"What? No! Logan that's not nice!"
"Whoever said I was nice?" he stuck his tongue at her, "Besides, the lovely Melissa here will need some company."
The girl started beaming so brightly, that it seemed as if she had transformed into a 100 Watt light bulb. Angus shook his head lightly. Kids.
"Dinner is at 7. Logan, I'll see to it that your room is ready. Will Miss Melissa be staying over?"
"Yes she will."
"I'll make the arrangements."
"Thanks, Angus." Lena smiled, "And you," she pointed at Logan, "I'm not so fond of at the moment."
"You love me!" Logan laughed exciting the kitchen. Now he was here he could as well take a swim in the large indoor pool.
He dove in, gliding as far as possible in a streamline position before resurfacing and wiped his eyes. Once his vision was restored he noticed Melissa sitting on one of the chairs, clad in a white bikini.
"Hey," she said. That girl kept amazing him with her vocabulary.
"Hey."
"So you go to Yale?"
"According to rumours I do."
"Cool."
Oh for heavens sake.
"Are you coming in or are you going to keep staring at me?" he smirked, causing her to change 10 shades of red.
"I'm coming in," she then replied. She was beautiful no doubts there. Long red hair, big eyes, a slim body. Finn would defiantly need a drool bucket. By far not his type though. He smirked, not Ace.
"Me too!" Lena screamed hitting the water like a blue whale.
"Classy." Logan laughed evading Melissa who decided that the blue whale needed company. Lena let herself float on her back
"So how is Rory?"
"I think the shrimp are rebelling." Rory rubbed her belly walking down the lit Stars Hallow streets in the direction of Luke's diner. Lorelai opened her mouth to respond but slipped just in time clutching a lamp post and barely keeping her poise.
"I'm so the Next Pussycat Doll," she stated and let out a burp.
"Oh yes, very graceful" Rory rolled her eyes suppressing a belch herself.
"Sookie outdid herself with those outback steakhouse coconut shrimp." Lorelai burbled as the two women resumed their journey," I think we have salmonella poisoning."
"You can't get that from shrimp."
"Why not?"
"Because a shrimp is not a chicken."
"So?"
"It's also not an uncooked mammal."
"Again…So?"
"I need to stop." Rory took in a deep breath, willing the nausea away.
"Oh oh! Do we need to run?" Lorelai rubbed her daughters back.
"No. No. Definitely no running. Don't want to make the rebelling coconut shrimp seasick. Oof. I think it passed."
They started moving again.
"I wonder what the remedy for salmonella poisoning is." Lorelai mused.
"It's not salmonella!"
"Why not?" Rory rolled her eyes.
"Because a shrimp is not a chicken, mammal or vegetable!"
"Says who?!"
"A whole entourage of established scientists."
"And who says we have to listen to them?"
"They do." At that she clasped a hand over her mouth and frantically looked around her. It was the pavement in front of the knitting store that got the honours and Lorelai held her hair as she was sick.
"I really really don't feel good." She said meekly wiping her mouth with a tissue, "And I threw up in the middle of Stars Hollow! That's just…" Another wave of nausea hit her and she doubled over once again.
"…disgusting." She finished, "I want to go home."
"Yes… I think Bring it on III is not going to happen tonight." Lorelai sighed slinging an arm over Rory's waist and slowly guiding her down the street.
"Don't make me more sick than I already am, please."
"Are you two finally ready?" Logan yelled, glancing at the clock, "What can take you two so long! Michelangelo did the Sistine Chapel faster than you two your face!"
"Coming!" a muffled response reached him. The 10th one. He sighed, pulling out his phone and punching some numbers.
"Hello?" a weak voice filled his ear.
"Ace? What happened to you?" he furrowed his eyebrows, worrying a little.
"Outback steakhouse coconut shrimp."
"Excuse me?"
"The revenge of the Shrimp on Rory Gilmore III instead of Bring it on III."
Now he was completely lost.
"Are you drunk?"
"I wish I was. Food poisoning I think."
"Seafood?"
"Yup. I ate the cockroaches of the sea and this is my castigation. I've been hugging the toilet for hours now. Oh and when you do come to Stars Hollow some day, remind me not to take you past the knitting store."
He chuckled.
"Do I want to know?"
"No."
"What about Lorelai?"
"She is hugging the toilet now. We take turns. More efficient that way."
"Do you want me to come? If you are both sick…"
"No. No. This is officially a leprosy hospital. Stay away. Besides Luke is here."
"Poor thing. I wish I could de-shrimp you."
"Could you make sure that my name is spelled right on my epitaph?"
"Here lays the love of my life. Shrimp took her life too soon."
It was quiet on the other side for a little while. He realised what he had said and cleared his throat.
"R.I.P. will do too."
A faint chuckle.
"Just don't let Finn do it...What are you up to tonight?"
"I'm supposed to go out with the Powerpuffgirls here…but they are reconstructing their faces. It can't be any other way…they've been grooming for over 2 hours now! Seriously how much time does it take to put on mascara?"
"Logan? You will never understand the psyche of women. You might know how to get in their pants, but you won't get in their heads, so simply reconcile with it. There is – Oh God…" he heard rustling and frantic footsteps.
"Ror? Are you there?"
Silence. He sighed waiting for her to come back.
"Logan?"
"Lorelai?" he straightened up unconsciously.
"Rory is otherwise occupied at the moment ."
"Man, you got it good, didn't you."
"That's shrimp for you."
"Well I guess I'll call back later. Will you tell her that?"
"Noted."
"Get well soon. Both of you."
"Thanks."
He hung up just as 2 girls in high heels and sparkly tops finally excited the room. Logan raised his eyebrows.
"2 plus hours and this is what the result is? Where are your skirts?"
Lena rolled her eyes.
"This is called a mini, Logan. And before you even open your mouth: you love minis."
He furrowed his eyebrows almost pouting.
"That's a belt…" he mumbled and followed the 2 down the stairs.
"Ugh…I'm dying." Rory plopped down on the bed again and searched for her phone.
"He hung up." Lorelai said leaning against the doorframe and smirked at her daughters pout.
"He said he didn't want to kiss you ever again and that you shouldn't call him."
"Mooom."
"Fine fine…he said he would call back later."
"Girls!" Luke shouted, "I have chicken soup for you!"
"Come on, fruit loin." She reached out, "Lets get pampered."
Rory sighed getting up and following Lorelai into the kitchen.
"If you insist…. You know…technically, we could get Salmonella poisoning from chicken soup…"
"I so didn't need to hear that."
"Hey at least it's not shrimp soup." Rory offered sitting down at the kitchen table as Luke filled their bowls with steaming soup, "Seriously, what a homecoming..."
"I hear ya sister…"
TBC