Yale
Having left Liam and Olivia with Sookie for the day, Luke and Lorelai drove out to New Haven in Luke's truck with all of Rory's things. Rory left Stars Hallow earlier that morning so that she could unpack her car before Luke and Lorelai arrived. Lorelai called Rory as they were pulling into the parking lot and Rory saved them a close parking space. "Luke, over there," Lorelai shouts, pointing at Rory who's waving her arms at them. Luke nods, slowly pulling up the truck towards Rory. "Don't hit her!" Lorelai yells. Luke gives Lorelai a look.
"I'm not gonna hit her!" Luke shouts back.
"Well she's right there!"
"Lorelai!" Luke exclaims, slamming on the brakes to shut her up. Lorelai sticks out her bottom lip, pouting. Luke shakes his head as he pulls into the space that Rory has moved out of. Throwing the truck into park, Luke glares at Lorelai. "I didn't have to do this you know."
"Yes you did, your daughter put on her 'Rory face'," Lorelai reminds him. Luke glances over at Rory, who's grinning from ear to ear. Luke sighs resting an arm on the steering wheel. "Besides, you know that if you do this favor for me, I'll wear my new black dress and high heels out to dinner with you next week." Luke swallows hard.
"The new one?" Luke repeats, as if his tongue has swollen in his mouth. Lorelai arches her eyebrow flirtatiously.
"Yeah you saw it, the one with the slit up the side?" Lorelai teases. Luke takes a deep breath. Lorelai leans over and gives Luke a quick kiss and then jumps out of the truck. "Let's go, why are you still sitting there?" Luke shakes his head quickly, clearing the fog in his brain that had settled ever since the image of Lorelai in the black dress came into his mind. "Yo, bump on a log, let's go!" Luke takes a deep breath and gets out of the truck. They walk to either side of the back of the truck. "You really like the dress that much?"
"That's why you bought it, isn't it?" Luke responds, rubbing a hand over his mouth, making sure he's not drooling or something. Lorelai grins, pleased to have that power over him.
"Just wait until you see me in my wedding dress." Luke chuckles, breathing deep to keep his face from turning red.
"Now now, there's still over a month before that," Rory warns them, walking over. "My dorm's just over there, do you think you can get the couch?" Luke glances at the couch and nods.
"Sure we can, Lorelai?" Luke responds, making sure that Lorelai's going to help. He walks over to the back and opens the back of the truck. "You can do this right?" Lorelai raises an eyebrow at him, giving him a look like he's crazy. Luke sighs. "Lorelai…"
"I can't do that. I'm a delicate little woman!" Lorelai exclaims. Luke puts his hands on his hips, giving her a look. Lorelai shrugs. "Okay, fine." Luke climbs in the truck and pushes the couch towards Rory and Lorelai who grab the other end. "Ug!" Lorelai groans as she tries to hold onto her side. "Forget it, I wish I was pregnant again!"
"Is that the only way you think you can get out of this?" Rory asks. Lorelai nods. Rory looks over at Luke to see if Lorelai's right. He nods as well.
"Oh yeah, Mama didn't raise no fool," he responds. Lorelai grins at the reference. "Now come on Lorelai. You get in the truck and push and I'll take the other end," Luke suggests, motioning for her to get in the truck. Rory and Lorelai share a look.
"Go Mom, be a man!" Rory cheers her on. Lorelai shrugs and makes sure Rory has a hold on the couch before hoisting herself into the truck. She stands next to Luke staring down at the couch.
"You think you can do it?" Luke asks her. Lorelai nods slowly. He grins, pushing up his sleeves. "Okay." Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Luke pulls Lorelai towards him and kisses the side of her head. "I'll go get the other side." He jumps out of the truck and takes the other side from Rory. Lorelai bends over and pushes the couch towards Luke as he backs up until he's holding most of it up. "Okay now get down and make sure you have a good hold on the other side before lifting it." Lorelai purses her lips and then nods, climbing down from the truck. "You can do it Lorelai." Lorelai glances over at Luke and smiles.
"Si se puede, si se puede!" Lorelai exclaims. Rory giggles. Luke sighs.
"Stop quoting stupid Disney movies and do it. Rory, go get the door," Luke says, motioning with his head towards the door.
"Sure thing Pops," Rory replies and takes her key out of her pocket as she walks over to the door.
"Pops," Luke grumbles.
"Well that's better than a few words she could have used," Lorelai warns him.
"Just get the couch!" Luke snaps, not really angry. Lorelai laughs and gets a good hold on the couch. "You got it?"
"I have it," Lorelai responds timidly.
"Lift!" They both lift at the same time. Lorelai groans. "Lorelai?"
"I've got it, just move your tight buns mister!" Lorelai shouts. Luke begins to walk backwards towards the dorm with Lorelai barking orders as she keeps a tight grasp on the couch. Rory quickly opens the door and runs inside to get the lock on her room.
"Hey Rory," Marty says, coming up on the other side of her.
"Marty!" Rory exclaims, pausing her work on the door lock to throw her arms around him. Marty turns red but quickly hugs Rory back. "It's been so long, oh I'm so glad to see you!"
"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, you open that door or you're gonna find yourself without the rest of your suitcases including all your clothes!" Lorelai shouts. Rory quickly turns and unlocks the door, holding it open as Luke and Lorelai walk in. "Nice to see you again Naked Guy!" Lorelai calls as she passes by Marty, who turns red again.
"That nickname isn't going away any time soon, is it?" Marty mutters to Rory, who giggles. Marty and Rory walk in the room.
"Is this where you want it?" Luke asks.
"Cuz if it's not, you're gonna have to hire someone to move it, this Gilmore needs a nap," Lorelai adds quickly. They've pushed the couch in the middle of the room and are standing next to each other looking at it.
"You did good," Luke compliments her.
"Aw, thanks, you did good too for an old man," Lorelai kids.
"Old man," Luke grumbles, swatting at her playfully. But Lorelai's too quick for him and grabs his hand. Luke responds by quickly grabbing her waist with his other hand pulling her closer to him as the fingers of their other hands interlace. Lorelai cups the back of Luke's head as she pulls his lips to hers, kissing him roughly and passionately.
"Oh get a room!" Rory yells. Marty's mouth has dropped open and he looks embarrassed, but Lorelai and Luke notice no one in the room but themselves as they slowly pull their lips apart.
"I think we're embarrassing our daughter," Lorelai murmurs to Luke, who quickly kisses Lorelai's nose and pulls away completely. Rory folds her arms over her chest, tapping her foot. "Okay, okay, your movers just took a quick break, don't get yourself all in a tizzy." Marty chuckles. Lorelai smiles at him, appreciating someone who likes her jokes. "So Marty, are you living here too?" Lorelai asks. Marty nods.
"Yeah, I just came to tell you that," Marty says turning to Rory.
"Well that's great, easier to set up our study dates," Rory replies. Lorelai looks at Luke mouthing 'study dates' and putting air quotes around the words. Luke looks slightly ill. He clears his throat.
"Come on, Lorelai, let's go grab some more things," Luke says, grabbing Lorelai by the arm and pulling her out of the room.
"That's nice," Marty comments as he and Rory watch them.
"You mean my Mom and Dad?" Marty nods.
"I mean that he's so good to you and he's not your real Dad. My dad's not my real dad and I think that's the only reason he's nice to me," Marty tells her.
"You're really going to have to tell me that whole story sometime," Rory replies. "But I'm glad for them, that they're so happy together. Shows that there's always hope."
"Hope?" Marty repeats. Rory smiles, still watching Luke and Lorelai horse around as they unpack the truck.
"Yeah, that no matter what, you can always find that special someone. That it could just be someone who's right there." Rory shrugs. "That there's guys out there that will love everything about you, even children with a different father."
"Sure." Rory glances over at Marty and smiles. "You have children I don't know about?" he jokes. Rory laughs, turning to start unpacking some boxes.
"You know, I think I was jealous of my siblings for a bit. I mean Olivia and Liam. They get to grow up with two parents who love each other and are always there for each other, but I just have to remind myself that I also had it good," Rory recalls. "I mean, I was my mother's world for years and she was mine. And even though I didn't have a father, as I got older I had Luke, who was always there even when Mom wasn't. And I should just appreciate all that Mom's done for me."
"You really should try that sometime," Lorelai adds, surprising Rory, who has her back to the door, as she walks in carrying suitcases. "Mother is always right, I've told you that time and again."
"Yeah, even when you told me to vote for John Kerry?" Rory teases. Lorelai grumps as she sets down the suitcases. Luke walks in carrying some boxes.
"You know what I'm always right about? Coffee time!" Lorelai exclaims. "Is that coffee stand near here?" Rory nods.
"Yup, right outside," Rory responds, pointing in the opposite direction from the truck.
"Lorelai, you had two cups before we left," Luke complains.
"Yeah and that was enough caffeine to get me through the half hour ride to Yale and the few minutes of exercise in getting that couch in here," Lorelai claims. Luke sighs. "Luke, how long have you known me?"
"About ten years," Luke answers.
"And how many times in all those years have I only drunk two cups of coffee?" Luke thinks for a minute.
"I can't think of a time when you did that other than when you were pregnant," Luke recalls. Lorelai nods, giving him an 'I told you so' look. "Okay, let's go get you some black death." Lorelai giggles.
"Come on Marty, you want something?" Rory offers. She and Marty follow Luke and Lorelai out of the room and she pauses to lock the door.
"Sure, large coffee," Marty says. The four all walk over to the coffee cart. "So when is the wedding?" Marty asks Lorelai as they wait for their coffees.
"It's gonna be in October," Lorelai answers as a guy walks by and slams into Marty. "Hey!" Lorelai exclaims, grabbing Marty's arm and pulling him out of the way. The guy who walked into Marty pauses as well as his two friends.
"Sorry, Mate, didn't see ya there," the guys responds.
"Well then you should open your eyes, Helen Keller!" Lorelai shouts. Marty looks down at the ground.
"Hey lady, I said I was sorry, don't need to act like this is a federal crime," the guy defends himself.
"Oh hey, I know you," one of the guy's friends says, pointing at Marty. "You bartended one of my parties." Marty nods.
"Yup, actually a few of them, one time I almost ran out of alcohol," Marty remembers. The guy chuckles.
"That wouldn't surprise me. Hey…" the guy shakes his hand as he holds it out for Marty to shake.
"Marty. Marty Stevens." The guys shake hands.
"Good then. I'm Logan Huntzberger. That's Colin McCrae. And Mr. 'Helen Keller' is Finn," Logan responds, winking at Lorelai when he introduces Finn. Lorelai shudders. "He's klutzy when he's sober."
"Maybe it's because he's killed most of his brain cells already," Rory notes. Logan smirks and glances over at her.
"Well aren't we the quippy one?" Logan kids. Rory folds her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, this is Rory Gilmore," Marty tells Logan.
"It's nice to meet you, Rory Gilmore. I do apologize for disrupting this moment of family bonding. I'll be sure to keep Finn on a leash when he's not drunk from now on," Logan says. Rory purses her lips glancing from Colin to Finn to Logan.
"You didn't interrupt anything," Rory finally replies. "But tell Fido that he'd better find a hobby that doesn't include drinking before his liver revolts." Logan laughs. He glances over at Finn who nods sheepishly. Logan winks at Rory.
"Done. Well, see you around Rory Gilmore. Marty, I'll give you a call about the next party," Logan says, snapping and pointing at Marty. Logan and the other boys saunter away. Lorelai wrinkles her nose watching them walk away, but Rory seems to have a curious expression on her face. Luke hands the coffees to each of them taking a tea for himself. Lorelai takes a sip of her coffee, glancing at Rory, who still seems distant. She lightly touches her daughter's shoulder.
"Come on, we've got a lot more unpacking to do and Luke wants to get out of here before Paris the Terrible shows up," Lorelai tells Rory. Marty laughs.
"Rory, did I ever tell you that I like your mom?" Marty asks. Rory and Lorelai share a warm look.
"It's a common opinion," Lorelai boasts lightly. "Come on Handsome." She wraps her arm around Luke's as they walk away. Rory smiles to herself, glancing back where Logan walked off and then glances at Marty.