Incoming

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. Not even the computer I wrote it on.

Summary: Jess shows up at Richard and Emily's vow renewal. Luke has something to say about it. Rory is less than happy. Lorelai has to deal with Christopher. And the day is definitely not everything Emily hoped it would be.

Feedback: Reviews are fun. Like a barrel of monkeys. Why anyone would put monkeys in a barrel…I don't know, but it's supposedly a lot of fun.

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"Hey, Taylor." Jess said as he and Rory walked into the Soda Shoppe.

"Ah, Rory." Other than while they were working on the Twickham house, Taylor had taken to ignoring Jess completely since the window incident. "How would you like some ice cream?"

She grinned. "Still not talking to Jess?"

"He painted my window."

"I painted our side." Jess said. "You can still see through your side."

"All I can see is paint."

"Well, that's what's on the other side."

"Uh, Taylor." Rory interrupted the argument. "Could you do us a favor?"

He looked over at Jess. "Take the paint of the window."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"No paint or no deal."

"Fine." He ground out, narrowing his eyes.

Taylor smiled happily and faced Rory. "What would you like me to do?"

"I need you to call an emergency town meeting but Luke and my mom can't know about it."

"Well, I can't really call a town meeting and not tell the whole town." He said hesitantly.

"You started that one meeting early and didn't tell me, Mom, Luke, or Jess."

"It's important, Taylor." Jess added.

"Oh, alright. I guess I can make an exception just this once. What is this about anyway?"

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Lorelai walked into the inn and immediately went to the front desk to bother Michel. "Guess what."

He didn't bother looking at her. "I do not care."

"Guess what."

"I still do not care."

"Guess what. Guess what. Guess what. Guess what."

Michel picked up a walkie-talkie from the desk. "Sookie." He said into it.

"Yes, Michel?" She answered

"Come get this crazy woman away from me."

She walked into the lobby a minute later and looked curiously at Michel. "What crazy woman?"

"I'm sorry. I did not realize you have gone blind."

"Lorelai?" She asked him.

"Very good."

"Guess what." Lorelai said.

Michel rolled his eyes. "Must you do this again?" He whined.

"You're joining the circus?" Sookie guessed.

"No."

"Richard and Emily aren't your real parents?"

"No."

She gasped. "'Michel's not really French!"

"No."

She let out a sigh. "I'm out."

"I'm getting married!"

"Oh my God!"

"I know!"

Sookie threw her arms around Lorelai and they jumped around like teenagers.

"You are going to scare people." Michel told them nonchalantly.

"Let me see your ring." Sookie said excitedly.

"I don't have it."

"Why not?"

"We're not telling people yet."

"Good job." Michel said.

"Sookie doesn't count.

"How did it happen?" Sookie asked. "Did he get down on one knee?"

"I asked him."

"You proposed! Oh my God! Don't tell your mother that."

Michel sighed as he looked over the registration book. "You two are annoying me."

Sookie glared at him then turned to Lorelai. "You're gonna go through with it this time, right? 'Cause last time, when I had to throw out Clyde, I was pretty traumatized."

"Who is Clyde?"

"Clyde was your wedding cake."

"Oh, Sookie. You named my wedding cake. You said you forgot about the cake."

"Well, I lied." She sighed sadly. "He was a good cake. I miss him."

Lorelai hugged her tightly. "Aw, Sook. That's only kinda weird."

"Thanks."

"And I promise you can get as attached to this cake as you want. Until the wedding at least. I don't want you freaking out when we cut it."

"Yay! Keith is gonna be the best cake ever. Oh my God! I need to start planning. Keith is not gonna bake himself." She giggled happily as she ran back to the kitchen.

"Your insanity is rubbing off on her." Michel said.

She smiled at him. "I'm getting married."

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Jess and Rory sitting on the floor of the gazebo drawing a flier for the emergency meeting when Rory's cell phone rang. "Hello?" She answered.

"Hey, it's Luke."

Her eyes went wide and she threw herself on the flier. "Hi Luke. What's up?"

"What are you doing?" Jess asked, amused. "He can't see us from the diner."

"Is Jess with you?" Luke asked. "I tried him on his cell but it's not on."

"Yea, he's right here."

"Can I talk to him?"

"Yea, hold on." She went to hand him the phone but pulled it back at the last minute. "Uh, Luke, umm, I forgot to tell you this morning that I'm really happy for you and Mom. Also, if you ever hurt her, I will kill you slowly and painfully. Here's Jess."

He reached over and took the phone from her. "Luke?"

"Wow. That was actually frightening."

"Yea."

"I need you to work tomorrow."

"Why?"

"I'm playing hooky with Lorelai."

"Can't you ask Lane?"

"Lane can't cook. You can. So unless you looking for all my customers to get food poisoning, I need you there too."

"Caesar?"

"He's out of town for a couple days. Please, Jess."

He really had no problem working the next day, in fact in made what he and Rory were planning that much easier, but Luke would've known something was up if he hadn't argued a little. "Alright."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

"Great." He nodded. "I got some customers so I'm gonna go."

"Okay"

"Bye."

Jess hung up and smiled at Rory. "Guess what."

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"Dragonfly Inn. Lorelai speaking."

"Mommy, what are your plans for this evening?"

"Luke's coming home early so I can have my way with him."

"That's just what your daughter wants to hear. How early?"

"I don't know. Eight-ish. Why? Got a hot night with Jess planned?"

"Do you really want to know the answer to that?"

"Not so much."

"I threatened Luke." She blurted out.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

"I told him I was going to kill him slowly and painfully."

"Rory, hon, as much as much faith as I have in you, I don't think you could take Michel in a fight."

"I could so take Michel."

"Yea, okay. So, what brought on this new, violent Rory?"

"Well, I was telling him I was happy for you guys and I got all protective."

"Ahh, so it was a 'hurt Mommy and die' kind of thing."

"It was mean. I should apologize."

"It's alright. I'll take care of it."

"I just don't want Luke to be mad at me."

"Hey, hon. I gotta go. Michel's having a fit 'cause I'm at his desk. Love ya, kid."

"Love ya, Mom." Rory hung up and headed to Taylor's where Jess was talking to Kirk.

"And make sure Luke and Lorelai don't find out. Do not let them see a flyer. Got it?"

Kirk nodded. "So, if I pass these out and don't let Luke or Lorelai find out your plan, I get free breakfast four days a week for a month?"

"Yes."

"Okay." He took the stack of papers from Jess and walked out of the store.

"What did Lorelai say?" Jess asked when he saw Rory standing by the door.

"Luke's heading home around eight so she can have her way with him."

He cringed a little. "That's just a little bit more than I needed to know."

"Yea. But it means they are completely out of the way tonight."

"True. And they're completely out of the way right now, so…" He looked at her suggestively.

She kissed him quickly, the fact that Taylor was right behind the counter not escaping her attention. "I would love to, but I can't. I have class in an hour."

"Do you want me to drive you?"

"No. I don't want to make you drive all the way there and then all the way back and then all-"

"Ror. I got it."

"Right." She took his chin in her hand and brushed her lips against his. "See you tonight." She said softly then kissed him again. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

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Kirk walked into the diner at seven-thirty and sat at the counter. He sat the few fliers he had left in front of him and looked around for Luke.

"Hey, Kirk." Luke threw his towel over his shoulder as he walked out of the kitchen. "I'm heading out at eight, so make it quick."

"Ham on rye. That's one of the faster sandwiches to assemble."

"I know Kirk." He looked at the small stack of paper on the counter. "What's with the fliers?"

Kirk's eyes went wide as he panicked and ran out of the diner, the fliers clutched tightly in his hands.

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Luke got out of his truck and walked up the front porch at Lorelai's house carrying two bags of food. He tried to open the door but it wouldn't move. "Lorelai!"

She stuck her head out of the upstairs window. "Yea?"

He backed off the porch until he could see her. "Your door's stuck."

"No it's not. I put a chair in front of it."

"Why?"

"So you couldn't get in. Hold on. I'll move it." When she disappeared back into the house he walked back onto the porch and waited for her to get downstairs. "Hey." She said after she moved the chair and got the door open.

"Hi." He walked inside and shut the door behind him.

She reached over and took one of the bags from him. "Sorry about all that. I was working on the plans for my dress. I didn't want you to see."

"Ah," He nodded as they walked into the kitchen. "So, I can expect the thing with the chair a lot?"

She smiled happily at him as she unpacked the bags. "Just until we're married."

"And how long do you think that will be?"

"Okay, wow." She put the to-go boxes down. "Uh, I thought we'd wait until after dinner to do this, but okay." She walked into the living room to get the calendar.

"Lorelai, wait. We can do this later if you want." He said as he followed her.

"Uh-uh. Sit." She led him over to the couch and sat next to him. "We should pick a date."

"Oh," He said remembering something. "Wait a second. I have your ring." He took the box out of his pocket and opened it. "Do you want me to…" At her nod he took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. "I expect it to stay there this time."

"For the rest of my life." She promised. "You'll have to pry this baby off my cold dead fingers."

"That's a nice thought." He said sarcastically. "Pulling the engagement ring off my wife's dead body."

Lorelai wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "Mmm, that sounds nice." After a second she added, "Well, the wife part."

Luke laughed. "Let me see the calendar."

She picked it up and handed it to him. "I think we should do it while Rory's off from school, so she doesn't have to miss any classes."

He nodded and flipped a few pages. "July 21st."

"July 21st?" She questioned.

"Well, Rory's off from school, it's soon, and it's a full moon which means it won't get too dark."

"July 21st." She nodded. "What day is that?"

"Uh, Thursday."

She sat up and grabbed a note pad and pen off the coffee table. "Umm," She handed them to Luke. "Here. Write this down."

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After he made sure everyone had turned in their fliers and was seated at Miss Patty's, Jess made his way to the podium, where Rory was waiting to start the meeting. "We ready?" He asked her.

"Umm, I think so." She turned to Taylor. "Can we..."

"It's your meeting."

"Okay." She went to the podium and spoke into the microphone. "Excuse me. Hi. I'm sorry to have dragged you all here on such short notice but Jess and I need to talk to you about something."

"C'mon!" Kirk yelled. "Mother wants me home by nine."

Rory looked at him funny. "Kirk, you don't live with your mother."

"I know."

She shook her head. "Okay, uh, my mom, Lorelai, and Luke are getting married." She looked over at Jess when everyone started talking.

"Finish up." He said seriously. "Kirk's gotta get home."

She smiled and went back to the podium. "I have one more thing to ask." She said loudly, getting everyone's attention. "We are…well, it was Jess's idea…but we're planning a surprise engagement party and we have to do it tomorrow and we need help from all of you to put it together."

"Of course, dear." Miss Patty said. "We'll do anything you want."

"Yea, babe." Babette agreed. "You girls are family. And Luke and Jess are…well, they're grumpy and grumpier, but we love 'em anyway."

Rory smiled at Jess then looked back at the town. "Okay, we need food, music, decorations, uh, drinks….."

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"Alright, alright." Lorelai said as she finished her dinner. "Read me the list."

Luke sighed. "One: Close the inn the 17th-23rd. Two: Make dresses. Three: Rent tuxedos. Four: Ask Lane if the band will play at the wedding. Five: Get invitations. Six: Make plans to move the chuppah to the square-don't you think we should ask if we can get married in the square before we move the chuppah?"

"Uh, no. Keep going."

"Seven: Pick a song for the first dance. "Eight: Hire a photographer. Nine: Kirk-proof plans."

"Put a star next to number nine."

"Lorelai…" He put the list on the table.

"What?" She asked worried that he was changed his mind. "What's wrong?"

He grabbed her arm and pulled her onto his lap. "Tell me this is really happening."

She held his face in her hands and leaned her forehead against his. "It's happening. We're getting married."

"Sometimes I think this is all just another dream and that I'm going to wake up in my apartment, alone." He looked hurt when Lorelai started to laugh.

"Sorry." She said. "I just…we're not usually this insecure. You'd think getting engaged would make us more…"

"Secure?" He offered.

"Yea. I guess we'll have to work on that." Her hands slid down to his chest and she turned her body to straddle his lap. "So, I was thinking..." She said as she kissed along his jaw.

"That's never good." He teased.

She pulled back and pretended to be insulted as she started to climb off his lap. "Mean."

He grinned as he caught her around the waist and pulled her back down. "Uh-uh. You're not going anywhere." He laid her down on the couch and kissed her hard before trailing his lips down her neck. "So, what was it that you were thinking about?"

"I…I don't…" She breathed in sharply when he bit down lightly on her shoulder. "Luke." She moaned.

"I know I said tomorrow, but…"

"Upstairs." She tightened her grip on his arms.

"What was that?" He asked, wanting to torture her a little.

She squeezed his arms a little too tightly as she growled, "Upstairs. Now."

He laughed but picked her up and started for the stairs.