"You're nuts," Luke informed his wife as he read the list she was making.
"Why?" she asked as she looked over her shoulder at him.
"Let's start with the fact that there are 10 little girls coming to this party. Plus April, Rory and possibly Lane. You are going to pump them full of sugar and every other kind of junk food imaginable before you set them loose on a scavenger hunt at the Dragonfly."
"On the grounds," she cut him off. "They won't be running around inside."
"And you are going to do all of this while pregnant," he finished.
"I'm barely 3 months along," she said with a wave of her hand as she checked over the list again. "You're bringing the burgers over?"
"At 4," he confirmed with roll of his eyes and shake of his head. "Fries too, curly, straight and spicy."
"Good man," she said as she checked that off her list. Sookie was already making two cakes, one white and one chocolate since Charlie couldn't decide what she wanted. The cupboards were bursting with candy and other junk food they had already bought, decorations, prizes and certain scavenger hunt items were already in her office at the Dragonfly. "I think we're set," she said as she read over her list once more.
"Wonderful," he said. "Can we go to bed now?"
"Fine," she said as she stood up from the table and followed him upstairs, turning lights out as she went. She opened Charlie's door on the way past. They had moved into the new house a few weeks ago, but Charlie still insisted on having the door open when she slept, just in case.
Lorelai smiled to herself as her eyes popped open a few minutes after 2 in the morning. Luke had asked her once how she always managed to do this without an alarm and she simply shrugged. She didn't know how she did it, she just knew that she always did. She threw off the covers and crept down stairs quietly into Charlie's room.
"Happy birthday baby," she muttered to as she kissed her forehead and stroked her hair to wake her up.
"Hi," Charlie said with a sleepy smile as she skootched over to make room for her mom. She snuggled into Lorelai's side and listened as she told the traditional birthday story.
"Any complaints?" she asked.
"Mmmm . . .I'd like there to be fewer boys at school."
"I'll work on that," Lorelai chuckled as she continued on with the well rehearsed ritual.
Luke could only shake his head as he watched the masses of little girls running around the grounds of the Dragonfly. While they were still on the scavenger hunt, there also seemed to be a game of tag going on. He bobbed and weaved around them as he headed towards the door.
"What exactly are they doing out there?" he asked Lorelai as he handed over the containers of burgers and fries.
"Well," she said as she stole some fries. "They were on the scavenger hunt, but you know how 5 year olds are. . . I think they're playing tag now. Or maybe Red Rover, I'm a little sketchy on the details," she finished as she headed to the dinning room with some of the bags. Luke stared at her for a moment before he followed her with the rest.
"Whoa," he said with he saw all the pink in the room. "Did a cotton candy machine throw up in here?" Lorelai laughed as she began setting places.
"Don't I wish," she replied. Luke shook his head as he began setting places as well. Just as he finished, Lorelai went out to call the girls in.
"I'll see you later," he said as he narrowly avoided stepping on a few pairs of little feet.
"Have fun Diner Man," she called to him as she, Rory, April and Lane jumped back into the fray of little girls swarming around.
"So, good birthday?" Luke asked as he carried a sleepy Charlie to the car.
"Perfect," she replied with a yawn.
"Good," he said as he tucked her into the booster seat while Lorelai, Rory and April packed the last of the gifts into the back of the jeep.
"We'll see you guys later," Rory said. She and April were planning on walking home and stopping in to catch the end of the movie at Black, White and Read.
"Have fun," Lorelai called. "Call if you want a ride home after the movie," she said, slipping April a $20 for more junk food at the movie.
"We will," they both said with one last wave before they headed off.
"I still say you're nuts," Luke said as he and Lorelai climbed into the jeep.
"Doesn't really matter though," she replied with a smile. "You're stuck with me now."
"I suppose you're right," he said with a grin as they headed home.
Charlie's 3
Lorelai left Charlie's room slowly, She closed the door almost completely before she took a step back. She stared at the door for a moment longer before she looked to her right and saw Luke just coming back into the house with coffee from the diner for her.
"Thank you," she said as she came into the living room an accepted the cup from him.
"Some day," he said simply.
"Some day," she said with a shake of her head. "Let's never have one like it again."
"Agreed," he said as the pair drifted off into silence for a moment.
The day had started out well enough. Things were moving along with the Dragonfly, in fact they had just finished the renovations on the barn so that Cletus and Desdemona could move in any time. Lorelai smiled as she showed Charlie the inside of the barn.
"A real hay loft?" the 3 year old had exclaimed.
"We're even thinking of putting in a big rope swing," Lorelai assured her as she led Charlie out of the barn.
"Wow!" she said, taking her mother's hand as they headed back towards the Inn. "Luke!" she exclaimed as she broke away and ran to greet the diner owner.
"I didn't think you were coming," Lorelai said as she wandered over to him.
"Well, you were pretty insistent about taking that investors tour, so, here I am," he finished with a shrug. She smiled and agreed that she had been before she began leading him and Charlie around the Dragonfly. Charlie, however, quickly grew bored of this. She had seen the Dragonfly for months now and was tired of it. As Lorelai and Luke stood in the dinning hall, talking about something, Charlie wander off. She stood outside for a moment, considering her options before a smile lit up her face and she took off.
Lorelai led Luke through a few more rooms before either of them realised Charlie's wasn't with them.
"Charlie?" Lorelai called out as she turned around and began retracing their steps. "Charlie!"
"Charlie!" Luke called as he trailed after Lorelai.
"CHARLIE! Michel, have you seen Charlie?" she asked as she came over to the front desk, checking to see if the 3 year old was hiding under it.
"No, should I have?"
"I don't know where she is," Lorelai watched as Michel got ready to say something. "You know how you'd feel if Paw-Paw disappeared? I'm approaching that," she warned him. Michel quickly headed to the back to look. "CHARLIE! It's not funny any more!" she yelled as she rushed upstairs to look. Luke continued to scour the bottom floor.
"Charlie! Now!" He called as he began sticking his head into random rooms that littered the bottom floor of the inn.
"Charlotte Abigail Gilmore!" Lorelai yelled again, startling a few construction workers. They all just stepped out of her way as she tore through the upper floor. "God Damnit Charlie!" she growled as she wiped at her eyes, trying to keep the panic tears at bay as she raced back down the stairs.
"Out side," Luke said as he grabbed her hand as she raced past. He took the lead, not letting go of her hand as they headed out side. "Charlotte Abigail!" he called out as soon as they got out side. Lorelai listened for a moment before she led them around the back to the large open field behind the inn.
"CHARLIE!" she yelled again.
"She wouldn't head for the woods, would she?" he asked, looking at the forest that bordered the Inn. Lorelai shook her head.
"No. Rory read her some book, I don't remember which, but she's convinced there are bears here. God Damnit! Charlie where are you!" she yelled again as she stalked back towards the front of the Inn. Luke took one last look over the field before he followed her. As she went to look in the jeep, just in case, Luke jogged over to the barn, wrestling the large doors open.
"Charlie!" he boomed, trying to make his eyes adjust to the dark faster.
"Charlotte Abigail, right now!" Lorelai yelled.
"What?" Came a little voice and both Lorelai and Luke whipped their heads up to the hay loft so fast, they should have had whiplash.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Lorelai yelled at her as she stalked over to the ladder that led up to the loft. "What possessed you to just run off like that and not tell any one?" Lorelai fought Luke for a moment as he pulled her off the ladder.
"Come down here right now," he said as he climbed about half way up. Charlie bit her lip as she crawled over to the ladder. She had never seen either of them this mad before.
"What were you thinking?!?" Lorelai demanded again as soon as Charlie and Luke were back on the ground. "God, I was terrified!"
"I'm sorry," the little girl said quietly as she looked from Luke to Lorelai. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. . . "
"I don't care about the sleeping! I care about the running off without telling any one!" Luke crossed his arms over his chest as he stood to the side. He'd step in if he needed to, if only to calm Lorelai down. "I turn around and you're gone! You're not with Michel or Sookie or upstairs, you're just no where!"
"I'm sorry!" she said again, starting to cry. "I. . . I was bored and you were busy and I only meant to be gone for a minute!" she balled as she rushed Lorelai and threw her arms around her legs. Lorelai stood for a moment before she scooped the little girl up and held her close.
"I'll, uh, I'll go and tell Sookie and Michel we found her," Luke said as he made a hasty exit. He took a moment out side the barn to collect himself before he went into the inn. This had scared him more than he would ever admit.
Charlie had spent the rest of the day glued to Lorelai's side, making no effort to do anything that her mother wasn't doing. By the time bed time rolled around, Lorelai and Charlie were both exhausted. Lorelai tucked Charlie in and headed to meet Luke who had just arrived with the coffee he had promised her. They'd eaten dinner in the diner before she had taken Charlie home for another lecture.
"Thank you," she said as she came into the living room an accepted the cup from him.
"Some day," he said simply.
"Some day," she said with a shake of her head. "Let's never have one like it again."
"Agreed," he said as the pair drifted off into silence for a moment. "Are you okay?" he asked her as he cradled his cup of tea in his hands, letting it warm them. Lorelai sat for a moment before she began to loose it. Luke quickly plucked the to go cup from her hands and put it on the coffee table with his before he gathered her into his arms and held her.
"I only ever lost Rory once," she finally said when she began to calm down. "But we were in a department store and by the time I realised she was missing, she had already gone to customer service and had them page me."
"She's fine now, they both are," he whispered to her. "It could have been so much worse and I bet she'll never wander off again." She sniffled as she clung to him, glad to have someone to hold her up for once. Luke sighed as he sat on the couch with her wrapped in his arms. With out really thinking, he kissed the top of her head before he tucked her under his chin. They sat for a moment longer before Lorelai realised what had happened and she sat back and looked at him for a moment.
"What?" he asked, almost in a whisper. She studied his face for a moment longer before she brought a hand up to his face and leaned in and kissed him. Luke was shocked, but quickly ignored that as he pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. They pulled apart after a moment, neither really sure what to do.
"Thank you," she eventually said, not really sure what else to say.
"No problem," he replied as he let go of her and she stood up. He jumped to his feet a moment later. "I should, uh, probably go."
"Oh, okay," she said with a nod as she picked up his cup and handed it to him. "It is kind of late."
"Yeah. Early deliveries tomorrow."
"Right. Hazard of the business," she said with a nod as she followed him to the door.
"So, uh, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, tomorrow." They looked at each other for a long moment before he ducked his head and she dropped her gaze to her hands.
"Night," he said as he slipped out the front door.
"Night," she repeated after he was gone. Things had just gotten significantly more complicated.
"I'm home!" Rory called out as she tossed her giant laundry bags by the door. "Hello?" she called again.
"Rory?" Charlie called from the kitchen.
"Hey Short Stuff!" she said as she came into the kitchen. "Are you cooking?" she asked immediately when she saw Lorelai and Rory in aprons.
"Of course not," Lorelai said as she stepped away from the counter. Rory wandered over cautiously.
"Finger painting?" she asked when she saw the long sheet of paper that covered the counter.
"Yeah!" Charlie said excitedly. Rory couldn't help but giggle at the paint smeared on her face. "How long are you staying?"
"The whole weekend," she assured Charlie before heading to drop her book bag off in their room. "Hey!" she exclaimed as she came back out just in time for Lorelai and Charlie to both smear a different colour on her face. The art class quickly descended into anarchy after that.
"So, when are you going to tell me what's going on," Rory said as she and Lorelai sat hunkered down on the couch, watching movies.
"What do you mean?" Lorelai asked, playing it cool.
"I've been in town for 12 hours and we haven't been to Luke's yet. What's going on?" she asked again, reaching for the remote to mute the TV. Lorelai grabbed it away from her before she could get it.
"I was giving Luke a tour of the Dragonfly yesterday."
"Okay."
"And Charlie wandered off. So, after about a million years of frantic searching, Luke found her in the hay loft of the barn."
"She was okay?" Rory asked quickly.
"Fine. I was a nervous wreck, but she was fine. Anyway, he came over after she went to bed, he brought me coffee and we were just sitting on the couch, and talking and everything that happened today finally hit me."
"And you lost it. . . " Rory filled in.
"And I lost it," Lorelai confirmed. "And he just, I dunno, gathered me up and held on for the ride and then. . . "
"Then? Then what?" Rory demanded.
"He kissed the top of my head and when I realised what was going on. . ."
"What?!?"
"I kissed him. On the lips." She shut her eyes and waited. "Well?"
"What did he say?"
"Nothing," she said. "Well, about the kissing. We both just kind of mumbled excuses and he left."
"And now you're avoiding him."
"That was a period at the end of that sentence."
"It was. I believe I pointed out at the beginning of this conversation that I had been in town for 12 hours and hadn't set foot in Luke's yet." Lorelai sighed and looked away from Rory, focusing on the TV. "You can't leave him hanging like this! We'll never be able to eat in Luke's again!"
"Rory, it'll blow over in a few days."
"And what about Charlie? She's so little and can't fend for herself! If anyone needs Luke, Charlie does!"
"And when am I going to deal with this?" Lorelai asked as she finally turned to look at Rory. "This defiantly can't be done with a diner full of people watching."
"Go now," Rory said simply with a bit of a shrug.
"But, You and Charlie. . "
"I can stay here with Charlie and chances are good that I'll still be up when you get back so we can analyse. Unless things go really well . . ."
"Rory!" she admonished.
"Go!" she said with a smile, plucking the remote from Lorelai's hand.
"Traitor," Lorelai muttered as she unfolded herself from the couch and headed tot he door, grabbing her coat and putting on her shoes.
Luke turned when he heard the knock on the diner door. He had always called out that they were closed, but who ever it was hasn't noticed. When he realised that it was Lorelai, he came over and opened the door before high tailing it behind the counter.
"Hey," she said as she wandered towards the counter.
"Hey," he replied as he simply stared at her.
"Any coffee left?" she asked as she slid onto a stool.
"Uh, yeah, sure," he said as he quickly grabbed a cup, filled it and set it in front of her. An extremely awkward silence fell over them.
"So, how's Charlie?"
"Good, she's good. She actually let me be today, so I think she's going to be fine."
"Good."
"Yeah." She played with the rim of her mug as he fumbled for something to do with his hands.
"Look, this is ridiculous," he said as he tossed down his cleaning rag. "We need to talk about this."
"About what?" she asked innocently.
"About last night, we kissed," he muttered.
"Yeah, I've been thinking about that. I mean, if you want to just ignore that it ever happened, that's fine with me."
"Oh," was all she could say.
"Yeah, I mean, you have Charlie and a new business and a kid in college. . . "
"Ok," she said, slightly confused about what Rory being in college had to do with anything. She shook her head as she realised that Luke was still rambling. "It wasn't horrible," she finally blurted out.
"What?"
"It wasn't horrible."
"Huh," he said as he relaxed for a moment. She chewed on her lip as they tried to figure out what to do next.
"Where are you going?" she asked when Luke shot around the counter "What?" she asked as he plucked the coffee cup from her hand and pulled her to her feet. He looked at her for a long moment before he brought his hands up to frame her face and dipped his head, capturing her lips in a long, slow kiss. "Wow," was all she could get out when they finally pulled apart.
"So, uh," he started but was quickly cut off as she closed the gap between them and kissed him again. As things began to heat up quickly and she followed as he led them up the stairs and into his apartment. "Wait," he said, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "Charlie. . ."
"Is at home with Rory," she assured him. "Unless you don't want to . . ."
"No, I do I just wanted to. . . "
"Thanks," she said as they quickly picked up where they left off.
"I really have to go," she muttered against Luke's lips as she tried to leave the apartment. "You're going to open soon and I need to get home to my kids," she said as he pulled her down to the bed again.
"You'll be back?"
"Rory would kill me if I kept her away for another day," she assured him. She kissed him hard one last time.
"Sneak out the back," he warned. "Eyes are everywhere." She smiled as she grabbed her purse and slipped out the door and headed home. She slipped in the front door, slipping her shoes off before she headed for the stairs.
"Well, hello there," Rory said casually from the couch.
"Gah!" Lorelai exclaimed as she jumped.
"So, good talk?" she asked with a knowing smile.
"Oh yes," she said, a smile pulling at her lips.
"And we can still go into Luke's?"
"Definitely," she said. Rory nodded and voiced her approval before Lorelai continued on her way upstairs.
Charlie's 4
"You're not paying attention," Sookie said with a chuckle as she and bustled around the kitchen in the Dragonfly.
"Sorry?" Lorelai asked, looking up from the fruit on her plate that she was playing.
"I asked how much longer Luke is going to be in Maine?" Luke was still up in Maine helping his sister and TJ after their car accident.
"No idea, he'll phone and say in a couple of days and then that turns into a week or 3 or 6," she said with a roll of her eyes which quickly turned into a frown as she began to consider some recent events.
"What?" Sookie asked when she saw Lorelai furrow her brow.
"Oh damnit!" she said as she rushed out of the kitchen and towards the desk, Sookie watched as the stool Lorelai had been on teetered on it's legs. Lorelai frantically flipped through the reservation book, looking at dates and counting weeks. "It's gotta be stress," she muttered to herself. After all, trying to hold together a relationship, open a new business and deal with Rory and her break up with Ryan, her first college boy friend, wasn't exactly a walk in the park. But, there was still that niggling feeling in the back of her head. It had been there when her debutante dress hadn't fit and it had been there again when she forgot to buy tampons . . .
"What was that all about?" Sookie asked as Lorelai wandered back into the kitchen.
"Remember how you told me you and Jackson bought in bulk?" she whispered to Sookie. Sookie got a confused look on her face. "Before Davy came along?"
"Really?" she asked when she finally got it.
"Here's hoping I have an over active imagination," she said as she headed to her office. She tried to remember if she and Luke had used anything. She was always on the pill these days, especially after Charlie but, it was never 100. "I've really got to stop living up to my mothers expectations," she muttered after closing the door to her office.
"You're quiet," Luke commented as the pair shared a late night conversation after she had put Charlie to bed.
"Stuff on my mind," she said, trying to sound cheerful when in reality, she was freaking out about the little plastic stick sitting in the bathroom.
"Inn stuff?" he asked.
"Not exactly," she said hesitantly.
"Then what?" Luke was met only with silence. "Lorelai?"
"I'm late," she blurted out. "And that same feeling I had after forgetting to buy the tampons is back."
"What?" was all he could say.
"Late Luke, and not the kind of late that is excusable after an apology!" This time she was met with silence.
"But we never. . . without anything . . . how?"
"I don't know for sure. It might just be stress and I'm over reacting." The both fell quiet as they heard a ding in the back ground.
"Please tell me that's dinner," he muttered.
"Well, it's definitely an oven timer," she said as she trudged upstairs and into the bathroom. "Oh Thank God," she said when she picked up the stick and it was negative. "I have finally failed one of these damned things," she muttered as she tossed it in the garbage. She heard Luke breath a sigh of relief as well.
"When I get home, we are having a serious discussion about this," he said firmly.
"About what? I think we both know where babies come from."
"About protection!" he whispered harshly.
"You don't want any kids at all?" she asked him as she left the bathroom.
"I don't know," he said quickly. "Charlie's only 4 and we're still pretty new . . ."
"And now is not good," she agreed.
"Not good at all. And honestly? I think this just took 5 years off of my life." She chuckled a little as she headed downstairs and towards the kitchen.
"You and me both," she said as they fell into an easy, light conversation.
Charlie's first birthday
"Okay, birthday week planning. How do you plan a birthday week for a one year old?" Rory asked as she and her mother sat at the kitchen table.
"Very skilfully," she said with a smirk as she glanced at Charlie who was napping in the play pen in the living room. "A trip to Luke's, for one. the park, a day of horrendous TV shows that she seems to like. . . stuff like that."
"And cake," Rory said, jotting that down on the top of the list.
"But of course," Lorelai said. "What is a birthday without cake?"
"Just another day," Rory noted as she started to work out a schedule. "What about Grandma and Grandpa?"
"What about them?"
"Are we including them in this?"
"Your grandmother is already making her own plans. She called to ask if Charlie still looked good in pink the other day."
"Oh no."
"Oh yes." They both shuddered a little as they thought about this. This meant some kind of ridiculous party. The pair sat at the table, working everything out until Charlie announced her presence in the front room. "You finish up," Lorelai said as she went to get Charlie. "Hi sleepy head," she whispered to the baby as she picked her up. Charlie rubbed at her eyes for a moment before she settled against her mother. Lorelai made herself comfortable on the couch as she held Charlie close, enjoying the warm, sleepy baby as she woke up.
"I think it's done," Rory said as she came out of the kitchen a few moments later.
"Hear that baby, birthday week is a go," Lorelai said as she held Charlie while she stood on her thighs. Charlie beamed before reaching out to Rory. "How's the guest list looking?"
"Good," Rory said as she took Charlie from Lorelai before she rattled off everyone they were inviting. "I think this is not so much a party for her as it is for us," Rory said as she realised there was no one under 17 on the guest list.
"Parties don't really become for the kid until they're about 3," Lorelai reasoned. "It's just the way of things. Besides, we're way too cool for those gymboree babies."
"But of course!" Rory agreed as she deposited Charlie on the floor so she could go and play.
"Where's your sister?" Luke asked Rory a week later.
"They're coming. Why?" she asked.
"You guys are early. Come back in 10 minutes," he said as he shooed Rory towards the door.
"What?"
"Go, 10 minutes," he said, pushing her out the door. Rory looked over her shoulder at him again before she wandered off to find her mother and Charlie, who were currently talking with Patty and Babette.
"He said to come back in ten minutes," Rory said with a shrug as she joined the conversation.
Meanwhile, Luke rushed around the diner. He tied the balloons he got to the high chair and put the lone cupcake he had bought from Weston's on the table, their table, in the back corner before he returned to the counter, looking cool and collected when the trio finally came back in.
"Lucas!" Lorelai exclaimed when she saw what he had done.
"What?" he asked. "It was like that when I got here." They all knew he was lying, but she didn't really say anything else. Charlie was oblivious to the whole exchange, all her attention was focused on the balloons that were still out of her reach. She squealed a little and kicked her feet until her mother obliged and brought her over, sitting her in the chair before he came over and presented all three of them with Chocolate Chip pancakes.
"Oh Luke, you old softie," Rory chuckled as they all dug in.
"You keep that to yourself," he said, pointing a finger at Rory.
"Too late," Lorelai said when she saw Patty and Babette come in and immediately start pointing at the balloons.