Chapter SEVENTEEN

Lorelai walked up to the Kim's house exhausted, still in her now-wrinkled Independence Inn uniform. She took a moment to catch her breath before knocking. Once she did, she was greeted by the short Mrs. Kim.

"Oh hello, the girls are just finishing their wind-down parable reading in the living room. I'll go get her," Mrs. Kim explained.

"Okay," Lorelai nodded.

Mrs. Kim returned about 2 minutes after, with Rory and Lane following behind.

"Hi," Rory waved, hugging her mom's leg.

"Hey kid," Lorelai replied, patting Rory on the head, and then turning to the Kims," Well, thank you for having Rory over. See you around."

"You are welcome. And Rory is welcome over any time. She is very quiet," Mrs. Kim nodded.

"Well, okay," Lorelai smiled awkwardly.

"Bye Rory!" Lane waved.

"Bye Lane!" Rory chirped.

Then Lorelai nodded once more before they turned and made their way back home.

"So, how was it?" Lorelai asked.

"We read the Bible," Rory scrunched up her nose. "But I had fun."

(A/N: I'm not dissin' the Bible, I'm just saying that I doubt it would be a toddler's number one choice of reading material)

"Good. So you wanna go back?"

"Yeah," Rory smiled. "How was work?"

"Well…I had to make beds, and talk to people, and arrange towels, and clean rooms, and slay dragons, and meet the president, and have tea with Queen Elizabeth, and-"

She was interrupted by Rory's giggling.

"Can we get coffee?" Rory pleaded.

"Sure honey, then I have to take this to the dry cleaners," Lorelai explained, pointing to her shirt.

Lorelai and Rory wandered over to the diner and once they entered Lorelai collapsed into one of the chairs.

"Luuuuuuuuke!" She called out desperately.

"So how was your first day?" Luke asked in reply, rolling his eyes at her antics.

"Good, but I'm dying here," She whined.

"Well Rory seems to be having no trouble keeping calm," Luke said, crossing his arms as though he was speaking to a 4 year old.

"But she- and I- and Rory didn't-…" Lorelai sputtered, trying to come up with an excuse but kept getting reprimanded by Luke shaking his head.

Rory watched this exchange, it was odd. Luke was talking to her mom like she was a little kid. Like he was her babysitter. Rory didn't know much about Luke's babysitting skills, but she knew that whenever the maids babysat her they let her play doctor. Maybe her mom and Luke would play doctor, too.

Luke sighed and went to get the coffee pot, pouring two mugs and placing them carefully in front of them.

Lorelai inhaled the steam rising from her beverage and closed her eyes for a minute, letting the vapor warm her face. Rory blew on the mug haphazardly, causing coffee to nearly slosh out of the sides. Luke came over and carefully dropped an ice cube into the cup, causing Rory to smile gratefully. Lorelai began downing her coffee once it had cooled more, as did her daughter. Luke stood, watching the scene, a little disturbed, yet still in awe of the two females that had changed his life.

Lorelai finally finished her coffee and stood up, grabbing her daughter's hand.

"Lucas Danes, you are a lifesaver," She sighed.

"Yeah, I'm a regular Superman," He quipped dryly.

"Thanks for the coffee, bye," Lorelai smiled, shaking her head at his sarcasm.

"Bye! Thanks Luke!" Rory added.

"Bye," Luke replied to them both as the small bell announced their exit.

He sighed and cleared the tables, taking his time wiping all of them down and cleaning the counter. He sorted out all the bills and checked the register. He was in no rush. There was no need to hurry up and get to bed, since tomorrow would be no different. It was the same thing, day after day, over and over. He tossed the towel over his shoulder and took one last look at the diner before switching off the lights and sluggishly heading up the stairs. He felt his way around the dark apartment and found the lightswitch, then took a seat at his small kitchen table.

He remembered when he was young. When everyday was something new, a new challenge. How exactly had he now fallen into this rut? Once the initial chaos of opening the business had subsided he was grateful for the peacefulness. But little did he know it would be like that every single day. There was the occasional…okay, pretty much daily squabble with Taylor, but that was it. He was always into routine, not big on change, but the current mind-blowing level of boredom was driving him crazy. He needed something, anything, to make just a small change in his current living style. And he had a feeling that change would come in the form of Miss Lorelai Gilmore. He could just feel something coming. He didn't know what, but the feeling was there.

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Lorelai sighed tiredly once more as she and Rory slowly made their way down the small town streets in the evening darkness. They were in no rush, and took in the night sky. Lorelai was now holding her black pumps in her right hand, and Rory's small hand in her left. They finally ambled into their apartment and Lorelai changed out of her uniform. She picked up Rory and they left once more, to make their way to the 24 hour Laundromat.

She wearily popped the quarters into the machine, while 'What's Love Got To Do With It" played very faintly on the crackly radio positioned on the counter. It had gone unattended, but nobody cared. Lorelai leaned against the machine and glanced at her watch. She could tell Rory was getting tired, so she picked her up and let her lay on the counter. After standing around and tapping her toes to whatever song came on the radio, the clothes were finally done, and it had felt like a lifetime. She picked up Rory and slung her uniform over her arm and carried the two back to the apartment. She knew one thing- she really needed a car.

Author's Note: I'd like to address the fact that I've been giving Rory skills high above her age level. I know that's not exactly true to life and I'm thinking it over more carefully now. Sorry that this one was short-ish. And that I haven't updated in such a long time. I've just been majorly swamped. I'm working on it though! Soon I'll have more time to update.