Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls and all it's characters and situations are property of Amy Sherman-Palladino and The WB/The CW. I do not own anything and will not make any profit from this story.
A/N: READ THIS: At the end, where there's a sort of switching scene thing, the Rory/Lorelai part is in normal font and the Jess/Luke convo is in italics. I did this so you can distinguish the two conversations better. Both conversations are taking place at the same time though. Sorry, if it's a bit confusing.
A/N: I found a complicated, long, tiresome way to update even though my laptop technically won't allow me to access my files. And all this trouble for you, my loveable readers. :D It's okay, you can repay me by reviewing. (hint, hint)
A/N: Sorry, once again, that updates take long. But I'd much rather it take a while and that you get a kickass-worth-the-wait chapter that makes you go "damn, that was good," rather than give you mediocre chapters every three days or so. Hope you enjoy! :D
Lorelai walked into the house, silent, her handbag clutched in her hand and swinging limply next to her. She put it down on the table and made her way to the stairs, all the while not saying anything. Luke closed the door behind her and followed her, understanding that what she needed now was nothing he could give her. But he would try anyway.
"Want some coffee?" He asked while she shuffled up the stairs.
Lorelai shrugged and headed for the bedroom. She kicked off her heels and put on her pyjamas, all the while not saying anything, looking emotionless.
"Lorelai.." Luke tried again in vain as she got into bed.
"Luke, please.." she said quietly. He nodded even though she couldn't see it and wordlessly got into bed with her, rubbing a comforting hand through her hair.
The next day Lorelai awoke with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She got hit with the news again, full-force and it sucked. She saw that Luke had already gone to work and was glad that she could be alone for a while. Getting ready, she pulled whatever plain skirt and blouse she could find and put them on. Same with her shoes. She drank some coffee, ate a pop-tart and headed off to work, all the usual morning hustle bustle of Lorelai Gilmore absent from this particular morning.
"Eugh. Lorelai! Thank God you are here," Michel said as soon as she entered the inn, "there are some annoying children running around and I cannot deal with it. They want to go horseriding but the horses are not ready yet, I need you to deal with them."
"Fine," she answered simply, sounding emotionally drained.
Michel looked a little surprised at how easily she had caved. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Lorelai shrugged, "I dunno, do I sound okay to you Michel? Do I sound cheery enough for you? I'll take care of the goddamn kids, okay? Jeez, what's with the interrogation?"
Michel's face turned cold. "I was just trying to be friendly-"
"Michel-"
"I didn't realize I would be snapped at like this-"
"Michel-"
"-but okay. I get it. Goodbye."
Lorelai hung her head and sighed. Today was going to be a long day.
"Hey, sweetie," Sookie greeted as Lorelai entered the kitchen.
"Hey," Lorelai replied without her usual gusto.
"Lorelai, what's wrong?" Sookie made the mistake of asking as she put down her cleaver.
"Nothing is wrong!" Lorelai snapped. "I'm fine, I'm just sick of everyone asking. Jeezes, can't I be entitled to not jumping up and down every day once a year? Why does everyone assume something's wrong? Nothing is wrong!"
"Allright, sweetie, nothing's wrong.. but you snapped at Michel-" Sookie replied gently.
"Oh, well, if Michel says something's wrong, then he must be right!" she dumped her mug in the kitchen sink and headed for the door, leaving a slightly flabbergasted Sookie in her wake.
She made her way to the broom closet, locked it and started to cry.
"Hey, Taylor, what'll you have?" Lane greeted as Taylor sat down at the Diner counter.
"Well, I'll just have a ham-cheese sandwich on wholewheat bread, please."
"Coming right up," Lane said, heading for the kitchen.
"So..." Taylor started as Lane came back out and started wiping the countertop.
"When is Ms. Gilmore returning with her delightful friend?"
Lane looked amused," Ms. Gilmore and her friend? Taylor, they're married. It's Mr. and Mrs. Mariano now."
"Oh, you know what I mean," he waved a hand casually as if waving away his statement.
"They're coming back tomorrow evening."
"Delightful, delightful. They were in Australia, correct?"
"Yes, they went to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth."
"Aah, so you've spoken to Rory?"
"Yes, Taylor I have," Lane replied, wondering where the conversation was headed.
"And she sounded okay?"
"Taylor, if you're implying that Jess-"
"No, no, no. I mean she didn't sound sick or anything, right?"
"No, she sounded fine," Lane replied, confused. "Taylor, what-"
"And Jess, did he sound sick?"
"No, he's fine too- Taylor what's this about?"
"Well, as you may or may not know, this swine flu epidemic is sweeping-"
Lane rolled her eyes, "Oh my God, Taylor. Rory and Jess do not have swine flu. They're perfectly fine, okay?"
"Well, missy, you can never be too safe, and you never know. Maybe a quarantine of 24 hours would help-"
"Taylor! You are not going to quarantine Rory and Jess!"
"Excuse me but as town selectman-"
"No!" Lane yelled as Taylor looked at her in disapproval.
"Hey, Sookie. I came as soon as you called, where is she?" Luke said, barging through the kitchen door.
"She's locked herself in the broom closet," Sookie said worriedly. "Luke, is there anything I should know about? I mean-"
Luke shook his head, "No, no. It's just some family stuff. You know... Gilmore level."
"Ah," Sookie said, a look of understanding washing over her face.
Luke knocked on the door, "Lorelai, it's Luke. Can I come in?"
"No," she replied meekly.
"Lorelai, honey, please.." he pleaded desperately. All he wanted was to see her and make sure she was at least a tiny bit alright.
He heard the lock move and gently opened the door to see Lorelai sitting on a bucket, her eyes red and puffy. Closing the door behind him he knelt down and hugged her. "Lorelai..."
She brushed off his hug.
"It's going to be okay.."
"No, it's not. How do you know? Nothing is fine. Everything is wrong."
"Look, the doctor said-"
"Doctors screw up all the time."
"Lorelai-"
"Please go. I just want to be alone."
"But you don't have to be alone. I'm here."
"I want to be alone."
Luke nodded, "Alright." He closed the door behind him and saw Sookie and Michel standing there, concerned. Behind him he heard the door lock.
"So?" Michel asked.
"She wants to be alone," he replied before heading back to the Diner.
"I dunno... I've never seen her like that," Sookie said from her position on the couch where she was braiding Martha's hair.
"Maybe she was just having a bad day," Jackson replied. He was standing in the kitchen, chopping the vegetables for dinner.
Sookie sighed," No. There was something wrong. And she's not fighting with Luke, 'cause she talked to him. I just wish I knew what it was."
"Sookie," Jackson said, putting down his knife and walking into the living room," when she wants to tell you, she'll tell you."
"I know.. I just- What the hell is that?!" She placed Martha on the couch and stood up hurriedly.
Jackson spun around. "What?"
"That!" Sookie yelled and pointed towards the kitchen.
"What that?" Jackson asked exasperatedly. "Sookie, what are you pointing at?"
"I saw a mouse!" she squeaked.
"A mouse?" Jackson answered amused.
"A big, scary, icky mouse," she crawled on the couch next to her daughter," Jackson, your kids could be in danger and you're laughing?"
Jackson chuckled," Sookie, a mouse is harmless. For the kids at any rate, the food-"
"The food?!!" Sookie screeched. "Jackson... Get! That! Thing! Out of here!"
Jackson started laughing. "I'll go buy a mousetrap tomorrow."
"No, not tomorrow. Now! Do something now."
"Sookie, I can't do anything now. Not unless you want me to lie down and put cheese on my face."
"Yes, do that," she replied, eyes still fixed on the kitchen.
"Sookie, I was joking."
"Oh," she replied, "you sure you can't-"
"Sookie, I will not lie down with cheese on my face!"
"Hey, honey. I brought you a cheeseburger from the Diner!" Luke yelled when he heard the front door slam shut.
Lorelai shuffled to the kitchen and smiled softly, "I'm not very hungry, but thanks."
"Lorelai-"
"Luke, please, not now," she replied tiredly and made her way to their bedroom.
"Lorelai, you need to eat, you need to talk, you can't shut down like this!"
She threw her bag on the bed more forcefully than she intended and spun around to face her husband. "Luke, I just found out my mother has cancer. She might die! So forgive me if I don't feel like being Miss Merry Sunshine for a while!"
"That's not even what this is about. I'm not asking you to do cartwheels around town-"
"Glad we cleared that up."
Luke ignored her. "-I'm just asking you to talk to me. To eat something. Don't shut yourself away like this!"
"If I want to shut myself away for a couple of days then I bloody well will. She's my mother! I have the right to shut myself away!"
"Not when you have friends who care about you! Not when you have a husband who cares about you! A family who cares about you!"
"Luke, seriously, stop it! I don't need you to try and fix this!"
"Why not?!"
"Because what if it can't be fixed, huh?! What if there's nothing anyone can do?! Huh?!!"
"Lorelai-" Luke said more gently.
"I'm going to take a shower," she cut him off and locked the bathroom door behind her.
"Guess I'm sleeping on the couch tonight," Luke muttered before heading downstairs to sulk. Where was his goddamn, nephew when he needed him?
"Luke, I would like to order a grilled cheese sandwich, please," Kirk requested politely to the grumpy diner owner.
"Fine," Luke replied gruffly.
"But it has to be white bread, I have wheat allergies-"
"Fine, Kirk."
"No, you don't understand-"
"I said, "fine", Kirk," he repeated firmly.
"And no crust."
"Okay."
"And it has to be cut diagonally, into a triangle shape. Mother always-"
"Kirk!" Luke yelled.
"Luke, this is all vital information. If I eat wheat, I die-"
"I honestly don't care, Kirk!" Luke yelled, "If you have such specific criteria for your sandwiches maybe you should just ask your mother to make it for you!" Luke yelled before storming off to the storeroom.
Kirk nervously looked around the Diner at the other customers. "Mother says it's very important I don't eat wheat. I could die."
"Aah, home sweet home," Rory said, a big smile gracing her features as she and Jess walked through the town square. They had arrived that morning and had taken a nap from the jetlag. Now it was evening and they had decided to go get chinese at Al's Pancake World.
"What happened to 'Jess we have to move here!'", Jess replied, mimicking Rory's voice.
She swatted his upper arm as he reached for her waist," I do not talk like that."
He kissed her temple, "sure you don't."
"I don't," she said indignantly, knowing fully that he was just joking around.
"Admit it," she said with a cheeky smile, "you missed it too."
"I missed Luke and April and your mother. I did not miss Kirk's night terrors, Taylor's glares or Miss Patty pinching my ass."
Rory gasped, "she still does that? Doesn't she know you're a married man now?"
"Haha," Jess answered, holding open the door for her as they reached, "very funny."
Rory smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "I thought so."
"Hey, Taylor," she greeted as they approached the counter.
"Oh, hello," Taylor replied without his usual jovial Rory-greeting, and taking a few steps away from them.
"Taylor."
"Jess."
He continued to eye them suspiciously, causing Jess to smirk and Rory to ask politely, "Is everything alright, Taylor?"
"Everything is just peachy," he replied.
"You okay?"
"I think the question is are you guys okay?"
Jess shot Rory an amused look. "What do you mean, Taylor?" He asked.
"I mean, do you feel feverish, a slight headache maybe? Perhaps you have a little sore throat?"
"No," Rory replied, now genuinely confused. "Taylor, what's going on?"
"Nothing, nothing, have a nice evening," he took his food and practically ran from the restaurant.
"What was his deal?" Jess asked as they waited for Al to find their order.
Rory shrugged, "this town is full of weirdos."
"What happened to home sweet home?" Jess asked cheekily.
Rory groaned, "not again."
"Rory-"
"Hey, mom!" Rory said excitedly as she heard her mother on the other end of the line.
"Kiddo, you need to come over here now."
Mom, what's wrong?" Rory asked, suddenly very worried. Jess shot her a concerned glance as he unpacked the food.
"I just need to tell you something important."
"But you're okay, right?" Rory started getting her keys.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"I can heat the food up," Jess said from the kitchen, "you go."
"You were gonna eat?" Lorelai asked, having heard Jess through the telephone.
"Mom, it's okay though, I'll be right over."
"Okay, see you in a bit sweets."
"Bye."
Rory walked into the kitchen, "you sure you don't mind?" She asked Jess.
He smiled at her, "I don't mind at all. I'll go help Luke close up and when I come back and you're back we'll heat up the food and watch a movie. Sound good?"
Rory smiled and gave him a long, deep kiss. "It's a date."
He kissed the bridge of her nose, "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Mom," Rory panted as soon as she shut the door behind her former childhood home, she had run all the way from her current house to her old house.
"In the kitchen!" she heard her mother's reply.
"Mom, what's wrong? What happened?" Rory bombarded her mother with questions while hugging her and looking her over.
Lorelai smiled, "you didn't believe me when I said I was fine?" She teased her daughter.
"With you you never know," Rory replied, relaxing now she saw her mother was fine.
"So how was Australia?"
"Australia can wait, mom. Tell me. What happened?"
Lorelai took a deep breath, "okay, sweetie, while you guys were gone, we received some bad news."
Rory paled. "What do you mean?"
-
"Hey," Jess said as he entered the Diner.
"Hey, kid!" Luke greeted brightly. "How was Australia? Still there?"
Jess nodded, "still floating around somewhere."
Luke gave his nephew a hug. "So what're you doing here?"
"Came to help you close," Jess replied, moving behind the counter and grabbing a wet dish rag.
"The day you come back from your honeymoon, after a 12-hour flight, you decide to come close up the Diner?" Luke shook his head," I don't buy that."
Jess shrugged," Lorelai called Rory and said she had something to tell Rory. Something that didn't sound too good, so Rory went and I came to see you."
Luke sighed. He knew what Lorelai was going to do.
Jess noticed the change in his uncle's demeanor. "Something I should know?"
-
"I have some bad news regarding your grandmother," Lorelai said gently.
"What about her?" Rory asked, fearing the worst.
-
"It turns out Emily has breast cancer-" Jess' eyes widened in disbelief and his uncle nodded in confirmation to his silent question "-and the first doctor said she only had 6 months to live-"
-
"-so she went to see another doctor and he said that if they start treatment immediately that she had a prefectly good chance of surviving."
Rory sat back in her chair in shock.
Lorelai looked at her daughter sympathetically, understanding fully how she was feeling right at this moment.
"Honey, say something. Talk to me. How are you feeling?"
"I-" Rory started crying.
"Oh, sweetie," Lorelai made her way to Rory and engulfed her in a hug.
"It's gonna be okay," she whispered to her daughter the same words she had tried so hard to avoid these past two days.
-
Jess sat down on one of the stools. "Wow, that is some serious shit."
So that was it. I also made it longer than normal. The next chapter should also be quite long. There'll be a LOT happening, trust me.
Anyway, I hope you guys liked it.
Quick question: do you guys like it when I include snippets of the other residents of Stars Hollow? That was kinda' the point of this story. Although it does revolve mainly around Jess and Rory. Don't worry, there'll be more Lit. coming, I know there wasn't much now.
But, do you guys like me including large portions of the lives of other SH residents or not?
Review and let me know what you guys think. I love feedback! :D