Authors note: Hey everyone hope your enjoying the fic and may I say I am totally blown away by the support everyone as given me, all the reviews are really sweet!
Chapter Two
Lorelai walked into the Inn after her lunch with her mother very worried. She had no idea how to convince Luke to be her date to the Charity Ball let alone have the Independence Inn ready for inspection. Lorelai would simply have to hope everything worked itself out without needing too much effort. Sighing Lorelai went behind the desk where Michael was standing.
"What time are the inspectors coming?"
"How should I know?" Michael replied.
Lorelai gave him a look that must have shown Michael that Lorelai was in no mood to argue.
"They arrive at 9am on Saturday and leave the following morning at 11am."
"Thanks. Now call all staff members into the kitchen I need to talk to them"
"Let me guess, the traditional clean-up-or-I-will-kill-you-because-inspectors-are-coming speech?"
"Hit the nail on the head, now hurry up"
After scaring the living daylights out of all the staff members, excluding Sookie and Michael, with her clean-up-or-I-will-kill-you-because-inspectors-are-coming speech Lorelai spent the rest of the day insuring everything was in working order. Near the end of Lorelai's checking everything expedition she found a tap that was dripping. Sighing she turned the tap only to find that no matter how much she turned, the tap continued to drip and drip and drip and drip which was driving Lorelai insane. Giving up, Lorelai went down stairs and wrote next to Room 5 in the computer Do Not Let People Stay In This Room (the tap needs to be fixed). Lorelai then headed toward the door past Billy Thomson the six-year old from room eight and left to go home and have a nice long hot bath.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rory left the diner ready to enjoy her half day by finishing her book in the park. Rory had been strolling in the park for a few hours reading when a hand was placed over her mouth she instantly elbowed the boy in the family jewels but when she heard the boy swear she instantly regretted it. Turning around slowly Rory winced when she saw Jess doubled over in pain.
"Sorry Jess I didn't know it was you"
Jess slowly straightened himself. "Remind me never to scare you from behind again"
"Sorry"
"It's o.k."
"Well in that case, don't scare me like that!"
"Sorry"
"It's o.k."
"I sense we are going in circles" Jess stated as he put his arm around Rory's waist.
Rory and Jess strolled together for a while chatting about anything and everything when Rory remembered the Annual Charity Ball.
"Um Jess?" Rory asked tentatively
"Yes"
"Do you like Ball's?"
"As in the round things or dances?" Jess chuckled.
Rory affectionately slapped him. "Dances silly"
"Well I think they are stupid and pointless and are really boring, why do you ask?"
"Oh" Rory paused "Never mind"
Jess sensed something wasn't right. "Rory"
"It's nothing"
"It's not nothing", Jess stopped walking which stopped Rory as well. Turning Rory to face him he said. "What is it?"
Rory sighed then took a deep breath and said, "My grandmother is hosting a Charity Ball on Saturday that I have to attend and she said I have to bring a date but since you obviously don't like Balls I will now have to go with some guy she sets up who will be really boring and I will have a really crap time." Rory knew she could get him to go by telling him about the other date she would have to go with, but to seal the deal she gave him the famous Gilmore pout.
And it worked.
"Fine I will go to the Ball, but only because I don't want you hanging out with some dweeb."
Rory was so happy she jumped up and down and gave him a long kiss, which Jess happily accepted. Rory knew the real reason Jess was coming was because he didn't want her to have a crap Saturday evening, and knowing this made her smile.
"One more thing, you need to wear a tux."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Mum I'm home!" Rory called as she walked into the Gilmore house later that afternoon.
"I'm in the kitchen!" Lorelai called back.
Walking into the kitchen Rory saw her mother in her bath robe with a large mug of coffee and a half eaten tub of ice cream that Rory suspected was full when her mum first started eating it.
"What's wrong?" Rory asked as she took out a spoon from the draw and began eating some ice cream.
"Inspectors are coming to the Inn."
"Oh" Rory knew how her mother got when inspectors came. She cleaned and stressed and cleaned and worked for ridiculous hours and did I mention cleaned? "When?"
"Saturday"
"But the ball's on Saturday."
"I know. I'm don't know how I'm going to get the inn ready for inspection and get Luke to be my date to that stupid Ball. Why did the ball have to be on the same day?"
"Mum don't worry you will figure something out. This might be a bad time to mention this but we need dresses to."
"I need more coffee"
While Lorelai was filling her mug the phone rang. Rory jumped up. "I'll get it"
"Hello"
"Hi Sookie."
"Oh hi Rory, how are you?"
"I'm good."
"Is your mum there?"
"Yeah, she's just eating ice cream and drinking coffee."
"Oh no, that doesn't sound good. Can you put her on?"
"Sure." Rory walked back into the kitchen and handed the phone to her mother mouthing Sookie. Rory then went into her room to finish her book.
"Hi Sookie."
"Hey honey. Why the ice cream?"
"How did…?
"Rory" Sookie answered.
"Oh."
"So..." Sookie tried to get the problem out of Lorelai.
Lorelai spent the next twenty minutes explaining to Sookie what was wrong, including the stuff about Luke, her mother, the inspectors, the Ball, the dresses she didn't have and the dripping tap at the Inn.
"Lorelai you need to relax because I have a solution."
"What's that?"
"Take Saturday off to make the dresses then go to Luke's tomorrow and ask him to fix the tap and at the same time ask him to be your date to the Ball. Don't worry about the inspectors I have it under control and try not to let your mother get to you."
"But Sookie…"
"No buts just do it."
The tone of Sookie's voice told Lorelai she would be wise to listen. "O.K"
"Good"
Hope you liked it and please review!