So, thanks for all of the reviews I have received so far. You guys made my day. For those who had questions:
Dreams-of-Oompa-Loompas: No, currently Luke does not know about Chris; however, I think that if Luke really thought he's lost Lorelai that he would be this distraught. I think Luke is a lot deeper than we GG fans give him credit.
LorLukealways: Thank you for all those reviews! And yes, sorry if Lorelai's sad but I think she deserves to be; Luke treated her badly but sleeping with Christopher? Also, where Jess and Luke are going isn't particularly secretive.
LeagallyInnocent: Haha, I hope I didn't say that "deserved" more reviews. I only meant that I'd like more feedback to improve the story.
To everyone else: I know that my chapters are pretty short; I'm starting to think that that's just how I write (much like the way I excessively use semi-colons). Additionally, I know that my Rory seems a bit immature in her reactions to Jess but that is intentional.
One final warning: I have a different background than Rory and Lorelai so my references are distinctly reflect of that… just wait and see, I can't help how badly I shine though, I swear! The delusional reference will probably be recognized by any mugglenet frequenters (Harry Potter). I just couldn't resist.
EDIT: I couldn't change this title, I just liked it too much!
Chapter 5 - Protection"Hey babe. Are you at the diner?" Rory could barely hear Lorelai's quiet voice over the cell phone.
"Yes, but he's gone," she responded, not bothering to clarify who "he" was.
"Oh." There was a long pause on the other line, and Rory waited patiently for the question she knew was coming. "Did you see him?" Lorelai finally asked, though Rory thought it had actually sounded painful for her mother to form the words.
"Actually, yeah. He was leaving as I was entering. We sort of talked. Jess is back for the summer. The two of them went somewhere together, but I don't know where." Rory hoped her mention of Jess sounded casual, though after the chemistry-filled encounter they had shared, she wasn't quite sure she knew how to properly speak anymore anyway. "Um, Mom. Luke… well, he looked miserable."
There was another long pause on Lorelai's end and Rory wondered if she had made a bad choice in telling her mother about Luke's present condition.
However, after a minute or so, Lorelai responded. "Well, stop eating whatever you are eating and wait for your mother. No excuses. I gave you the gift of life, you know." Her voice sounded stronger, and Rory chuckled slightly as Lorelai hung up. She hoped her mother was strong enough to face the diner, even if it was without Luke; the Gilmore Girls had shared a lot of memories with him in that diner so this was not going to be a pain-free experience.
Rory entered the diner, enjoying the familiar tinkling bell as she swung the door open. She greeted Kirk, the only customer present, who was finishing peanut butter jelly sandwich at one of the tables.
As she settled at the counter to wait for Lorelai, Rory contemplated pretending to "thoughtfully" browse the menu to give her mother a shock but this thought was interrupted when Kirk promptly sat next to her.
"Uh, what are you doing, Kirk?" she asked, unable to fully hide the amusement in her voice. Rory sometimes found Kirk very annoying but she knew that a part of her—a part that would adamantly deny this confession if anyone actually asked—really liked Kirk and his eccentricity. If she ever wrote a novel detailing her life in Stars Hollow, she was certain he would provide more than enough colorful stories.
"Well, I don't know if you have been informed of this, but a certain hoodlum from your past has resurfaced and I think you should be concerned for your safety." Kirk's face was completely serious, and Rory stifled both a groan and a laugh.
"Now, I don't know if you know this either, but I have a black belt in karate and am well practiced in the art of protection. Therefore, I'd like to offer my protection services to you while Jess continues to reside in Stars Hollow." He leaned forward and handed Rory a card.
Rory carefully inspected the card for Kirk's sake and found it to be a fairly typical Kirk-designed card, until she read the "agency's" motto: "The pioneer in kicking Stars Hollow's criminal rear."
She couldn't help it, but Rory laughed out loud. Kirk seemed to believe this was due to her approval of the motto, as he responded, "Mother said it was too 'wordy', but I think it has a real ring to it."
In the middle of formulating a polite response, the diner's small bell sounded, and Rory flashed a smile at her mother as she entered.
"Hey Mom."
Kirk bounded up from his chair as Lorelai approached. "Lorelai, now, I know you aren't at as high of a risk as Rory, but I do think one of my smaller programs would offer you the perfect amount of protection."
Lorelai shot Rory a confused look as she made her way the counter and Rory simply shrugged, wondering how her mother would react.
"Well Kirk, condoms have been working for me just fine. Well, except for a small accident resulting in my darling daughter here… But besides that-"
This time, Rory didn't even bother trying to hold in the laughter as Kirk's face twisted up in mild disgust. He silently handed Lorelai a card and made a hasty exit, and Lorelai promptly began laughing as well when she realized her mistake.
The two spent almost 10 minutes just laughing, which eventually summoned Caesar from the back room, but neither of them were in any condition to explain or order.
After the laughter had finally subsided, Rory's stomach ached terribly, but all of those anxious feelings she'd felt in her and Logan's apartment had finally disappeared completely.
"Hey Caesar, can we order now?" Rory called, and Caesar made his way to the pair.
After ordering the standard burger, fries, and apple pie, Lorelai stated thoughtfully, "You know, I have to give Kirk credit. His motto is catchy. I'm a sucker for rhymes."
"So was Juliet and look how her story ended. I'd beware of Kirk from now on," Rory warned.
"Ah," Lorelai smiled. "But haven't you noticed how much Juliet and I have in common? Overwhelming disappointment to parents… tragic fate… ability to capture Leonardo DiCaprio's heart."
"Ha, more like Leonardo the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle."
"Excuse me?" Lorelai exclaimed. "You know that the only cartoon male I am interested in these days is Wolverine. But only because Hugh Jackman played him the movies."
"You really need to stop forming strong attachments to fictional characters, cartoon or otherwise, based on the actor's appearance," Rory admonished.
"Oh, I do no such thing."
"I offer up one word for you: Aragorn."
"Well, that's what you said about inanimate objects, but that hasn't stopped me from naming every single appliance in the house," Lorelai said in a singsong voice.
"You are delusional. I should have you committed."
"No more delusional than any remaining Harry/Hermione shippers… Are you going to commit all of them? I wonder how one would go about rounding up all the Harry/Hermione shippers…"
The rest of the afternoon continued in that manner for Rory and Lorelai; they left the diner after an hour or so in order to forage for the most artery clogging snacks and worst mafia movies for another infamous mother/daughter movie night.
Rory knew it was wrong, but she'd barely given Logan any thought since returning to Stars Hollow. I hope his flight went all right.
All in all, Rory couldn't complain about her return to Star's Hollow. A brief, but charged meeting with Jess, a funny encounter with Kirk, and a horrible movie fest with her mother were all making her feel more like the old Rory already.