Presenting … Lucas Danes?
By GilmoreGirl1979 (the Reigning Quote Queen)
Provider of Quality FAN FICTION
R/R: yes please I love reviews, I wanna marry them (as previously stated, I have strange passions.)
Friendly disclaimer: I REJECT ASP's/DR's REALITIES AND SUBSTITUTE MY OWN! NO HARM NO SUE!
Dialogue borrowed from:
3.01 - Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days
written by Amy Sherman-Palladino
directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino
& (Drum roll please…)
2.22 - I Can't Get Started
written by Amy Sherman-Palladino and John Stephens
directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino
motivations and intentions changed by me to suit the master plan.
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Chapter 46:
I've Seen This Road Before
Lorelai was asleep in her bed when her alarm clock went off. Blindly swatting in the offense noise's direction, she finally made contact with the snooze button and shut off the alarm. Lorelai settled back in her bed to sleep a little longer, but not even a second later, several other alarms start going off around her bedroom, squinting her eyes open, Lorelai realized that she was surrounded by an army of alarm clocks. She sat up in bed and called out to the jokester downstairs, "You are hilarious!"
Lorelai got out of bed and went straight down the stairs to the kitchen wearing only her nightie, calling to her partner, "Okay, see, last night, when I said to you, 'Tomorrow, no matter what, make sure I get up at seven,' what I actually meant was, 'Tomorrow, no matter what, make sure I have the option of getting up at seven in case when seven comes, I actually wanna get up,' which – as it happened – I didn't. Therefore, you're currently responsible for the great alarm clock slaughter of 2002." When she entered the kitchen, she found Luke was making her breakfast at the stove. Lorelai automatically went to the freezer to pull out the container of coffee since he hadn't gotten to brew it yet while he busy with her bacon.
"No survivors?" Luke quipped as he poked at her bacon with a spatula.
"The one shaped like a bunny escaped with a mild decapitation," she giggled proudly, then he smiled faded when she sniffed and inhaled the aroma of the life giving coffee, "This is decaf."
"What are you talking about?" Luke dismissed.
"You switched my coffee again," Lorelai began to search high and low in the kitchen for the regular coffee.
Luke was chasing her around hoping she wouldn't find where he hid it, "I'm a busy man. I don't have time to sneak around switching your coffee. I have a diner to run, I have shipments to order, I have things to flip and fry. Will you stop that?"
Lorelai found it under the sink, and laughed triumphantly, "Ha, haha, hahaha! Under the sink, very clever, but not clever enough bucko; Next time try taking it out of the house."
Stupid, I should have put it in the trash outside, although, knowing Lorelai she'd still drink it, "Okay, fine, you know what? I give up," Luke swore as he rolled his eyes.
"Woo hoo!" Lorelai cheered as she emptied the REAL grounds into the coffee maker.
"Go one day without coffee," Luke instantly pleaded.
"That's not giving up," Lorelai shot back archly.
"I'll put a toy in your cereal."
"Dirty!" she exclaimed.
Luke put her bacon on her plate and handed it to her, "Fine, here, you win."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome," he grumbled, "Now you're up, you're fed, I'm leaving."
"Oh, hey, we need q-tips," she reminded Luke.
"I'll alert the media," he droned.
"See, that's better with the accent," she criticized.
"The reference is enough, you'll learn that one day. I'll be home early, anything besides the q-tips?"
"Um, cotton balls, world peace, Connie Chung's original face back."
Luke chuckled and kissed her, "Goodbye crazy lady," then Luke leaned down and talked to Lorelai's stomach, "Goodbye Sid and Nancy."
"Leopold and Loeb," Lorelai bit her lip.
"What?"
"I changed my mind, don't tell Rory."
"Decaf."
"Never," Lorelai scoffed.
"They'll both have two heads."
"More to love."
Luke kissed her again, grazing his hands at her thighs with his palms, pulling up the hem of her nightie a little just to tease Lorelai a bit, "Goodbye, crazy lady," he mumbled against her mouth, then Luke walked out the back door to go to work. Lorelai rubbed her stomach, satisfied to be carrying Luke's children.
Lorelai woke up with a start as she shot up in her bed, gasping for breaths as if she had been held under water, a wave of nausea took her and she tried to grasp what was reality again. She put her hand over her heart to stop it's pounding, but discovered she was wearing Luke's old blue and green flannel from her Luke box, her favorite, the one from that night in November where everything between them had changed.
A voice from behind Lorelai asked, "Was it the dream again?"
Lorelai looked back at the person sharing her bed, her daughter, Rory, whom had taken to sleeping upstairs with her wallowing mother since Lorelai's coffee drop breakdown, to keep vigil over the heartbroken Lorelai night after night, to get her mother more tissues or more mallomars, if Lorelai needed anything at all. Lorelai hated to admit it but replied honestly, "Yes. Only this time it was twins."
Lorelai's dreams were getting worse, or better, depending on your view of it. Rory sat up to hugged her mother, "Aw mom? It'll be okay, you'll see."
As her daughter hugged her, Lorelai saw Rory's cast again, the cast, the symbol and reason for the fight between her and Luke. Naturally Luke was brought to the forefront of her mind again; well still, he never really left her thoughts. Lorelai tried with all her might not to cry again, putting her hand over the cast, over the fractured wrist. No, it won't be okay, never again. The same dream had been haunting her every night since her their grand finale slap off. It seemed so real, so happy. Two people married and in love, starting a family. Lorelai recalled her distant dream from before the ball, Luke forging for watermelon for his pregnant, craving wife in the middle of winter, Luke talking to her stomach; the man would do anything for her… anything but give up on his family, on Jess.
Lorelai was overwhelmed with guilt over such a ridiculous request.
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Lorelai, Rory, Michel, and Sookie sat in the dining room of the Inn going over final details for Sookie's big day. As they were listening to music for Sookie to walk down the aisle to, she had picked, Ella Fitzgerald's version of "I Can't Get Started With You".
Needless to say the song was bringing down the room, except for Sookie who was humming and swaying with the tune. Lorelai in particular sulked, the song made her think of Luke, of Max, and of Chris, of her first kiss in middle school, and of Luke again, how she was doomed to wander the earth alone, without love. Sighing heavily over how much she had started with Luke, how much she wanted to finish it all with Luke, in fifty years and after several kids, buried beside him in Stars Hollow cemetery. Her thoughts were a little morbid, but it fit her mood. The verses reminded her of how much she wanted to be with Luke at that moment despite his venomous insult. Finally, unable bear another note Lorelai stopped the CD player, "Sookie, you've got to be kidding!" Lorelai said emphatically.
Ella's spell was broken and only then did Sookie sink to the atmosphere of the room, "Huh? What?"
"You cannot walk down the aisle to that," Lorelai decided.
"Why not?"
"It's depressing," Lorelai exclaimed since she was now an expert of the emotion.
"It's Ella. It's a classic song," Sookie defended.
"A classic song with lyrics about a woman who can't make her relationship work, whose life is filled with emptiness and regret and pain," if I had a TV show I would make it my theme song, then everyone could wallow with me in my misadventures week to week.
"Oh, who listens to the lyrics?" Sookie scoffed.
"Anybody not hanging out with Annie Sullivan by the water pump," Lorelai grumbled, she tried to keep her mood in check in company, but it was hard for her with all this love and devotion about her as she was a bridesmaid for her best friend's wedding, but Lorelai was determined not to let her situation with Luke get the better of her. She wanted to be happy for her friend, but it only reminded her of what was missing in her own life, as all weddings do.
Trying to silence her mother before she'd say something harsh and that she'd regret to Sookie, Rory noticed a few other CDs on the table, "What are these?"
Sookie waved off, "Oh, those are some alternative songs, but I really like this one the best."
Lorelai finally perked up, "Alternative songs," Thank God, "Good. Let's see," but she sunk again, as she dully read, "Hey Jude."
"Paul wrote it for Julian to cheer him up," Sookie smiled.
"Seasons in the Sun?"
"Oh, a sentimental favorite," Sookie cheerfully defended.
"Cat's in the Cradle?"
"Oh, it makes you re-examine your priorities," Sookie almost started welling up.
"Don't Cry Out Loud? Sookie, do you even like Jackson!?" Lorelai put her head in her hands, she was at her wits end, she knew Sookie was quirky but this was ridiculous.
"Okay, I have a wonderful suggestion," Michel finally spoke up, "How about I leave?"
"And then do what?" Lorelai scowled.
"That's it. I leave and I don't have to listen to this insanity anymore. What do you think, huh? Because I love it."
"Michel," Lorelai really wasn't in the mood for this, she gritted her teeth, "I am in the wedding, which means you have to run the wedding all by yourself, something you've never done before."
"Oh, please," Michel whined in his French drone, "Why don't you just say it; you have absolutely no confidence in my abilities."
Rory was all for changing the subject and suggested, "I'll tell you what, Sookie. How about Lane and I come up with a few more suggestions for you? Still melodic, but not quite as Girl, Interrupted."
"All right, fine," Sookie conceded, "impress me," she challenged.
"Great," Lorelai recovered and pressed on, "Michel, how's the RSVP list coming?"
"Well, I must say this has been especially challenging for me. I mean, when you are talking about a wedding with up to forty people all living within a five mile radius, how can one person be expected to keep track of all of that?"
"A simple an answer will do," Lorelai's leg began to fidget impatiently beneath the table.
"I mean, it got a little hairy there for a moment; I almost had to use a second sheet of paper, you know.
"You know, I'm not going to let you annoy me out of making you handle this," Lorelai threatened severely, "and if you keep this up, I will assign you ever single wedding anniversary party and bar mitzvah for the rest of my reign!"
"Mom, calm down," Rory knew her mother was crabby because the dreams were stealing any actual restful sleep from her mother.
Michel was actually taken aback by the mean streak in Lorelai's eyes and her clenched teeth; upset that Sookie had kicked him under the table. "Ow, what was that for?" he whispered harshly to the red head.
"How can you be so insensitive?" Sookie scolded. All at the table were concerned at Lorelai's mood, and had figured the reason was the recent rift between her and her boyfriend with the protruding ankles, and again the need to segue was evident, so Sookie cleared her throat, "Hey, my cousin Carl canceled so I have four empty seats. Anyone else you want to invite?"
Rory shook her head, "I've got Lane, I've got Dean, I'm good," Rory chanced a glance in her mother's direction.
Sookie delicately posed to Lorelai "What about …"
"Don't go there, Sookie…" Lorelai warned.
"What I'm not going anywhere, but I just thought…"
"No!" Lorelai said shortly.
"What? You don't even know who I was going to say…"
Lorelai's tone was annoyed and biting, "Yes, I do 'cause I'm clairvoyant. You were going to say… a person we aren't talking about anymore…"
"No, I wasn't… I was going to ask about… Emily and Richard?" Sookie knew better than to ask about inviting Luke. After all his invitation was understood being the boyfriend of one of the bridesmaids, however, given recent events who knew if his RSVP was still good.
"Emily and Richard who?"
"Your Emily and Richard."
"Oh, Sookie, you are way too sweet," Lorelai dismissed, hoping to cover for the fact that she had been thinking about Luke despite her assurances and promises and vows that she wouldn't.
"What? She wanted so much to help me plan the first phase of the wedding. I feel kind of bad."
Lorelai grumbled, "The crazy phase of the wedding," again thinking of Emily, and Lorelai's nonexistent winter wedding, and her jab at Lorelai and Luke getting married one day, Ha , what a cruel joke. Lorelai figured Emily must have really hated her daughter to dangle that whim in front of her like that.
"It was still sweet and I appreciated it. I mean, if it wasn't for your mother, I never would've settled on the color pink."
"Why is that?" Rory asked.
"Well, I wanted yellow and she said no," Sookie said meekly.
"Oh, with logic like that," Lorelai rolled her eyes, that sounds just like Emily. Hmph and she wanted to contribute to my wedding… ugh Lorelai, stop it.
"Come on, just ask her. I want you to."
Clearly not looking forward to advancing the invitation, Lorelai promised, "Okay, I'll ask her."
"Good." Sookie pressed play on the CD player again.
"What are you doing?" Lorelai moped.
Ella Fitzgerald's voice filled the air again, and Sookie insisted, "It gets happier the second time you hear it. Huh? Snappier, isn't it?"
"Ugh," Lorelai griped. Lorelai put her head on the table, Michel finally left in a huff, and Rory was merely trying to keep the peace and her mother functioning and sane, maybe the only one who had the most intimate picture of Lorelai's grief.
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Lorelai didn't know why she bothered. She knew it would be painful to invite her parents to Sookie's wedding, even more painful to have to socialize with them at said event. Every moment away from her mother and the Hartford life was heaven to Lorelai. Well, almost heaven since Luke was no longer in the picture.
Lorelai pushed Luke out of her head again for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. Tried to focus on her parent's reaction to the 'pity invite' as they had deemed it. Lorelai rolled her eyes at the production Emily went on over the insulting invitation and having to bringing her own food. Oy with the poodles already, Lorelai sighed her new catch phrase, then she tried to focus on final details of Rory's dress and the last bit of embroidery she had to complete for their bridesmaids ensembles. However because of the one stop light in town, at that moment she paused by the diner again and thought of Luke for the thousand and first time that day. Lorelai's stomach lurched, she hadn't been eating much given her wallowing, and she felt queasy at the thought of her and Luke broken up for good how pathetic she was to be wallowing over such an ass; but he was such a wonderful ass, he had a wonderful ass. Pushing it aside yet again, Lorelai drove out of town to meet Rory in Hartford for her cast removal.
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Rory was far too busy for side trips. She had her heartbroken mother to take care of, a wedding to help pull together, and end of school year assignments and finals piling up, all with a cast on her arm; and now Paris wanted her to Join her campaign to take over student government.
Paris had exploited Rory's weakness, "Harvard loves this kid of crap. Being vice president is just one more thing to put you ahead of the rest of the hundreds of thousands of straight–A students who are applying for the same spot you are. Think about it. You say no, then comes the day when the letter from Harvard arrives. They've turned you down. Enjoy Connecticut State, sucker. Tell me you won't be thinking, what if I had just run with Paris? What if the one thing that could've ensured my place behind those ivy covered walls I just walked away from?"
Sold American! Rory grumbled to herself, on the car ride to the doctor's office, today was the day she was going to get her arm back, that was something at least. Rory sat on the exam table as Lorelai stood next to her.
"So, how do you feel? Sad at all?"
"About getting my arm back? No."
"Really? 'Cause I've kind of gotten used to Casty over here. I mean, we decorated him, we talked to him, we protected him from getting wet in the shower."
Rory knew her mother was just putting on the comedy show to mask her pain, given her state of mind Rory was concerned, "Okay, it's time to wean you off of getting attached to inanimate objects."
"Casty, no one understands you like I do. What? No, I did not know Mr. Band-Aid said that to you. Ugh, I will talk to him when we get home," Lorelai was determined to prove to her daughter she was fine, and would soon be out of wallowing world.
The doctor walked into the room, "Okay. So Rory, let's get this thing off your arm, huh?"
Suddenly there was a commotion outside the room, clear as day Christopher's voice could be heard yelling from hallway, "This one here? Wait, which one? Hey, you in the white, come on, point a finger."
"Dad?" Rory knew that voice.
Lorelai opened the door, "Christopher?"
"Aha, there you are. Is it still on? Did I miss it?"
"What are you doing here? Again!" Lorelai laughed.
"Oh, great, I didn't miss it. Hey, doctor," Chris offered his hand, "I'm the dad."
"Nice to meet you, Dad," the doctor chuckled while Rory frowned. He just comes riding in on a while horse like he had been there the whole time.
Lorelai was awestruck by the friendly face, "I can't believe you're here."
"Why? I told you last week I wanted to come down for the big unveiling."
"I know, but I didn't think you would drive all the way from Boston again. You were just here."
"You getting sick of me?"
"Frankly, yes," Lorelai feigned serious.
Dr. Sue thought he'd check, "Okay, is everyone here now?"
No, Luke isn't! Rory was uneasy around Chris, "I guess so." Chris had that smug smile and that wistful glint in his eyes.
"Okay, then let's do it."
"Great," Chris joked, "and doctor, if at all possible, we'd like to keep the arm."
"Oh, I'll try my best," the doctor assured, every one appreciated the humor, except for Rory who was suspicious of her father's intentions to her unveiling.
Lorelai laughed at Chris' joke, it was just like old times again, their old sarcastic times from high school.
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It was bittersweet for Rory to have her father there; during any other time in her life, she would have been glad to see her folks getting along so well, but given the current picture, Rory was afraid of her mother would get confused or fall prey to her father's evil master plan of swooping in and taking advantage of the heartbreak, despite Sherry in the picture. After all Lorelai was lonely, and there was a precedent of Chris being a source of comfort for her mother. Add that to Christopher's admitted wistful thoughts about Lorelai and her mom's wallowing single status, Sherry's recent distance; Rory felt trouble brewing in her newly healed bones.
Rory walked between Lorelai and Christopher as they made their walk down the street; determined to keep them apart for as long as possible.
"So where to next?" Chris said eagerly, "Anything you've really wanted to do with that arm the last few weeks? Round of miniature golf?"
Hoping to cut down the hanging out time, Rory excused, "Um, actually, We have to get home. I have to review my campaign platform." Maybe if you had called first; you inconsiderate jerk.
"Campaign platform?"
"Yes, our little Hilary Clinton here is running for student body vice president."
"Wow."
Rory noticed how suddenly Lorelai was using 'our' in reference to 'their' daughter again, "Elections are on Friday, but I can honestly say that I'm very torn about which way I want it to go."
"I spent four hours making picture buttons. You want to win."
"But if I win then I have to be vice president next year. Plus, I'll have to spend my summer in Washington for some junior leadership program, which means six straight weeks of me and Paris together in a dorm room."
"Aw, come on. You know you want to win so you can spend your whole summer in Washington far away from me."
Rory didn't want to leave her broken hearted mother alone, especially with buddy Christopher lurking in the wings just a relatively short drive away in Boston, "Please, don't even talk about Washington. It gives me a stomachache."
Me too, Lorelai thought she'd be encouraging, "It might be wonderful."
"Good, then you and I will go someday," pointedly excluding her father from the family vacation.
"Aw, look at you, trying to make Mommy feel like you don't spend every night tunneling out of the house with a spoon."
Chris couldn't help but feel a little left out of their fun, close relationship, and noticed how he was left out of the DC invitation. He decided to remind the girls of his presence with, "Hey, how about this? I'll come back here on Thursday night and I'll take you guys to dinner, and then we'll break into Chilton and tamper with some votes."
"We can't," Rory said quickly.
Lorelai was more apologetic, "Thursday's Sookie's rehearsal dinner."
"Oh well, I guess you'll just have to put your trust in a democratic system. Good luck with that."
Lorelai then got a fabulous idea, "But if you're going to be in the area Thursday night, you can come with us to the dinner."
Rory's head snapped toward her mother, her eyes wide, What?
"But its Sookie's rehearsal dinner," Chris grinned.
"Oh, she would love it," Lorelai assured, "She's cooking for a thousand. It'll be fun. Right Rory?"
The stomachache Rory had doubled, "Um yeah, I'm bringing Dean."
"I mean, if you can't do it, then. . ."
"What about your boyfriend?" Chris tested.
Chris noted the reaction in both Rory and Lorelai; Lorelai looked at Rory, the ground then back at Christopher.
"He's …not coming," Lorelai said evenly. It was the truth. Luke Danes would not be in attendance, sure he could make it to graduations before he accused people of really insulting falsehoods; however his schedule for the next few months looked lonely and full.
"What time?" Chris smiled.
"Seven thirty."
"I'm there."
"That's great. I'll tell Sookie." Lorelai was actually looking forward to spending time with her old friend again; get reacquainted now that they were adults, relatively speaking, of course.
Rory looked between her two parents, she'd seen that look a hundred times in the movies, and a thousand times when Luke and Lorelai would flirt. Rory couldn't help but sense something terrible was about to happen.
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In no time the night of Sookie's rehearsal dinner had arrived and half of Stars Hollow was at Sookie's house. Lorelai was smiling as Chris mingled, Miss Patty seemed particularly interested in why Christopher was there escorting Lorelai Gilmore when there hadn't been an official confirmed report of a breakup between Luke and her. Lorelai didn't care. Chris was her friend and escort, and didn't make blanket accusations about Lorelai being a slut, like delusional, paranoid men who wear backward ball caps.
"You okay hon? You look a little pale?" Sookie asked.
"Yeah fine," Lorelai nibbled on a carrot stick, generously dripping with Sookie's famous dip, "but if I get food poisoning it will definitely be on you," Yeah it's Sookie's fault I'm so depressed … not because I miss… a certain someone. Stop thinking about him, that bridge is burned.
"And what is Christopher doing here?" Sookie said, obviously a bit annoyed.
"Hey Rude!" Lorelai said through her mouth full, forcing herself to eat knowing that the only way to keep her strength up for the next few days was to keep her stomach full.
"Lorelai your ex-boyfriend is right across the street."
Lorelai was quick to defend, "Luke is my …boyfriend," she realized she mumbled the last word halfheartedly, wondering why it was still so automatic to think of Luke that way. Lorelai couldn't even admit to Christopher that they were broken up. Afraid that her old friend would tease her, or worse bash Luke. Especially after how Chris had discovered Luke and Lorelai in November, literally at the onset of their relationship, how adamantly Lorelai insisted to Christopher that Luke wasn't just a fling only to have it ruined a few months later.
"Right," Sookie challenged, "That's why you haven't been on a date in weeks, haven't talked to him in weeks, you've been moping around for weeks. That's why one of my friends can't come to my wedding."
"Would you like me to alter the bridesmaid's dress so he can wear it? If I start now I might make it before the ceremony; though I don't know if Luke will have the time to get his legs waxed. Maybe we should call him so he can pretty himself up." The image of Luke getting his legs waxed, ranting and railing about the insanity of the process, 'why would you do this voluntarily' made Lorelai grin; maybe that would hurt him as much as he hurt her.
"Honey, it's hard on all of us," Sookie said finally, speaking for the town, "You two had finally gotten together and now…"
Lorelai hadn't really thought of town impact of the relationship, she had been so busy with her personal mourning and wallowing. "He can still come…I'm not stopping him," Lorelai shrugged pretending to be indifferent toward the diner man; still appear strong without him. Lorelai didn't know what was wrong with her. She wasn't some weak-kneed lovesick girl. She wasn't a teenager anymore where you could flunk a few finals while you mourned that the football captain dumped you for another cheerleader. She was an independent woman; Confident, Strong, Self Reliant. She had survived those years before she knew Luke, she could survive again without him, right?
"Right, because that is so Luke, he was only going to come before because you were dragging him…"
Lorelai frowned, "Sorry I didn't realize you two were that close."
"Aw, honey. Both of you are my friends, okay. Now with your situation, I picked my side, but it's my wedding day, no second chances."
"Tell that to Elizabeth Taylor."
"Still, I intend on doing it once and I wanted all my friends to be there. So, what exactly is the story anyway, everyone is asking me if I know what's going on with the two of you," and if can it be fixed in the next 72 hours, "…and frankly I don't."
"Nothing is going on," Lorelai said honestly, technically they hadn't broken up, no one actually said the words, although that slap across Luke's face spoke loud and clear.
"If you ask me, there is your problem. Even if Luke did come how is he going to feel seeing you with Christopher," Lorelai hadn't told anyone about what Luke said to her. Even though they were apart she didn't want people to think of him as a villain. Even though they were apart Lorelai felt the need to protect Luke's reputation and her own. After all, no one needed to know about the ridiculous accusation that was made, how Lorelai slept with Christopher every time he came to town. For the last few months Christopher had been visiting and Lorelai hadn't slept with him once… she danced with him… but that was so not the same thing. Wait did everyone in town think she was now dating Christopher; Just because he was playing escort??
Then Jackson came up to Sookie needing to have an emergency discussion about his wedding attire.
Lorelai had to laugh, she wasn't with Christopher. Though that was the root of Luke's hateful words, maybe Luke would be proud that the town shared his absurd suspicions. Nosey neighbors assuming things.
Kirk started tapping on his glass, and Miss Patty gasped, it was the only way she would have let Christopher escape the interrogation she was laying on him. "Ooh, ooh, a toast, everybody, a toast!"
Kirk of all people took the floor, "Ladies, gentlemen, honored guests. Who owns the silver Volvo 'cause you're blocking me in?"
Once free of Patty, Chris sidled up beside Lorelai, "How long before I move the car?"
"Hm, give it another ten minutes," she shrugged.
"Come on, I've gotta go. My mom is waiting. This isn't funny!" Kirk cried.
"Okay, that's it, I need some air," Chris leaned close to Lorelai's ear, "Grab the bottle."
Up to that point she was playing it safe with soda, figuring she would be driving Rory home, but Dean was a good kid and would get Rory home on time and home was just a stroll away anyway. Lorelai followed Chris out with the bottle and got a little of her feminine self-confidence back due the attention Chris was giving her.
Outside, Lorelai sat with Chris on the front porch. If the town wanted the storybook ending, of father and mother of Rory reunited… maybe she should give it to them.
"Wow. I hope the second act's as good as the first one," Chris filled his glass.
"Oh, well, it's a wedding. Things are supposed to be horrible."
"When Jackson came out holding that kilt – man, I felt for him."
"I know, so did I."
"Please, you were counting up how many Brigadoon references you could come up with to torture him with at a later date."
Lorelai scoffed, "How dare you accuse me of…"
"How many references?"
"None," she feigned.
"How many?"
"Twelve, including a few bars of I'll Go Home with Bonnie Jean," Lorelai laughed at how well Christopher still knew her, despite them having maturing into adulthood so very far apart.
"Well, I'm begging you, take plenty of pictures of this wedding because I have a feeling it's going to be a classic." without asking, Chris had taken Lorelai's empty glass out of her hand and started to fill it to the brim with wine, to which Lorelai raised an eyebrow. That seemed to be part of their old pattern, good humor, good times, … booze…sex. Lorelai shifted on the step a bit, suddenly uncomfortable with her past, when Luke had been her future.
Even so, the words came out of Lorelai's mouth, "You know, if you're going to be in town for the day, you should just come with us and" she took back her full glass, ". . . Thanks . . . see all the fireworks for yourself." Was she flirting with Chris? Well why not, since it was her tradition to sleep with Chris whenever he came to town, if that is what Luke thought of her.
"What about your guy?"
Lorelai was slightly alarmed, despite their playful flirting; Chris remembered she had a boyfriend. Lorelai decided to be honest with him since he had been dancing around the issue so well all evening, "Well, he may no be my guy anymore," Lorelai said sadly while staring deeply into her wine glass.
"What happened?"
"Just one of those things, " she really didn't want to relive the details again. Those hateful things Luke said about her and Christopher. If that's the past precedent, why not go with it? But Chris was mad in love with Sherry though. Unlike Lorelai, Chris was still in a relationship, or was he?
"Okay, you've got an escort."
"Okay?"
"Yeah."
"Just like that, okay?"
"Well, if Sookie doesn't mind and if you can get me a room at that swanky Inn of yours."
"What's going on with you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, mister 'suddenly I'm everywhere'; you've been popping up here and there. How come you can just agree to come to the wedding?"
"Because I can."
"Don't you have to check your appointment book?"
"It's on a Sunday."
"Don't you have to check with Sherry?" Lorelai saw something in his face, "Chris, what's up?"
"Nothing. Sherry's not in town, and even if she was, I still don't think she'd mind if I went."
"Because she's the coolest chick in the world?"
Chris sighed, "Because things aren't going too well for us lately."
"Oh, no."
"She had this big business trip planned and before she left, we had a talk."
"Yikes. Talking to someone you love," Lorelai almost envied him.
"Yeah, we tried to come up with some answers but we couldn't think of anything, so she left and we said we'd take this time apart to think."
"What have you been thinking?"
"About finding an apartment."
"Wow, um, that's so weird," my relationship is over; his relationship is over, what are the odds? "I don't know what to say."
"No, there's nothing to say. It's nobody's fault. It just isn't, you know, IT," Chris admit ably was laying the groundwork. Maybe a few more weeks of visits over the summer and he could convince Lorelai and Rory that he really wanted to be with them.
Lorelai shrugged a shoulder, "Well maybe this is a good thing?"
Chris felt encouraged by that, "Yeah?"
"Yeah, I mean maybe if you and Sherry are…no together anymore," Lorelai worded delicately, "it will relieve some of the tension between you and Rory."
"Yeah, me and Rory."
"You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks. What about you? Are you okay?"
"Well, Luke and I didn't have the relationship talk per se… but there was some….yelling…maybe…" she didn't want to remember their final words to each other.
"Wow, you two seemed really together last time I was here?"
"Well, never mind that now," Lorelai dismissed to hide her broken heart, "It's over and it's decided. You'll come to Sookie's wedding as my guest and you'll make sure I stop one or two Brigadoon-isms shy of Jackson taking me out with a bagpipe."
"It would be my pleasure," Christopher clinked glasses with Lorelai. Since Lorelai hadn't mentioned the diner man at all, Chris took it as a very good sign that their fight had escalated and they had broken up. Technically he and Sherry weren't officially separated, merely geographically and emotionally.
Lorelai was about to raise the wine glass to her lips, when she saw the diner. Suddenly, she wasn't so spiteful toward Luke. It wasn't until that moment sitting on Sookie's front porch, near the town square, that she realized how close the diner was to her best friend's house, how small the town was, almost everything of interest within sight of the square. The diner seemed to be blatantly staring back at her, it might as well have been Luke himself, glaring at her, confirming his ridiculous accusation. She was just innocently talking and drinking with Chris on the porch. Lorelai put her wine glass down, as if to lessen the crime.
Lorelai saw the lights of Luke's apartment were on; she pictured him in his apartment all alone, without Jess, wondering if he regretted sending his nephew away so soon. Wondered if now that Jess was gone, what was the problem? Still they both said things they didn't mean while emotions were high, hurtful horrible things; why couldn't they apologize, forget everything that was said and just pick up where they had left off. Lorelai began to wonder if Luke could see her there with Christopher and her stomach flipped again as she became very self conscious. She wondered if Luke would get the wrong idea… get jealous… or finally get fired up to act, to want to win her back; Or if it merely confirmed his suspicions and he would leave town, for good this time.
"You know I think I've gotten enough air; let's go back inside." She couldn't bear to have the diner in her sight; it was too much a reminder of him, he was probably in his apartment and just beyond her reach.
Before Lorelai could grasp the door handle, the door flew open, and Rory was there, "Hey whatcha doing?" she seemed out of breath like she had fought across the crowded house rather quickly.
"Nothing, we were just coming back inside kiddo," Chris eased, he felt like his father had caught him sneaking out of the house again.
Lorelai noticed the scowl Rory sent in her father's direction and grabbed her mother's hand, "Come on, I need you…for something."
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Rory had been reluctant to go home with Dean, but it was a school night. Lorelai got Chris a cab back to his hotel since she was concerned for his safety, she assured him that his Volvo would be safe on the side of the street till morning, much to Kirk's dismay.
Lorelai had helped Sookie clean up, cleaning all the dishes by hand.
"You know I have a dishwasher," Sookie observed.
"I know, and her name is Lorelai, " Lorelai teased, scrubbing very hard and very intently, as if this was her penance for some terrible crime.
"Lorelai really you don't have too…"
"Sookie, your loading chart for the dishwasher is way to complicated; this is fine really." Lorelai needed time to think. Things had gone topsy-turvy in so short a time. Somehow Luke was the jackass and Christopher had become the hero? It didn't make any sense which only made Lorelai grab another dish. Christopher had a girlfriend, yet Lorelai was still flirting and teasing him with adolescent humor and suggestive comments as if they were still in high school. Had it been Luke, he would have given her a trademark "Aw Jeez", rolled his eyes publicly, but still enacted on the comment in private, as if it was their little romantic secret; Lorelai loved that about their relationship. Chris however would have returned the suggestive comment with one of his own, the look in his eyes almost a game of chicken, a dare for Lorelai to up the ante. Plus Sherry and Chris seemed to be on the outs and Lorelai didn't know what to make of the situation.
When all of Sookie's dishes were clean, her pillows fluffed, her trash taken out, Sookie finally had to insist that Lorelai go home and get to bed herself. Lorelai said she would go home, but she took a detour, a few. She walked around the square, ever mindful of the diner and its hermit inhabitant, doing her damnedest to sort out her feelings once and for all. Lorelai looked around the square as she morosely strolled, recalling their sleigh ride through the square, the basket auction where Luke Danes publicly staked his claim on one Lorelai Gilmore. Dozens of festivals she had wrangled Luke into helping out with even before they were dating and the countless times she had crossed the square to get her favorite brew from her favorite diner man.
Lorelai lost count of how many times she circled the square, each time she came to the diner, she debated about going in. To what end, she started to wonder. To be yelled at and insulted again? Would Luke still be cruel and upset? Luke was very clear about what he thought of her. Did Luke even trust her if he was such a absurdly jealous man?
Maybe it was time to really let go. Lorelai had gone through all the natural steps of a break up. Anger, Denial, Bargaining, Wallowing, Ice Cream, Sappy Movies… maybe it was time to accept that what her and Luke had had been wonderful while it lasted, but they were no more. Maybe some distant day, like on a bad TV show, they would get together again; some crazy scenario …like they were both miraculously trapped at the same ski lodge during a snow storm and they would have to huddle close together to keep warm because they ran out of firewood; all their old feelings would come up and they would make love and reconcile again. It was clear all the Lifetime Movies she had been wallowing over were having an effect on her.
Yet, the ridiculous fantasy, that long off hope of someday somehow made it easier for her to finally leave the square, finally head home at the late hour, finally leave behind Luke Danes, … well maybe.
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"That was all God given talent."
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R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,
"...Remember this is for posterity ... so be honest."
Please be specific with R/R; name one (or as many as you can think of or want to mention…) At least one specific thing you liked
Please! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)
Hence the Rant option below.
Insert Rant here V
A/N: if not completely satisfied with this chapter, please return unused portion for a full refund...