Chapter 5

Going Bananas

Lorelai held up the small shopping bag in her hand, "So, darling stores, check," She lowered the bag, "Clam Shack, check and by the way good call, Dad."

"Yeah, lunch was very good," Luke agreed.

Richard puffed out his chest and looked down at Emily "See, I told you."

"Best food I've ever had at a place with the word shack in the name," April said.

"Ah, grasshopper, have you never been to Tico's Taco Shack?" asked Lorelai in her best Kung Fu inspired accent.

April laughed at Lorelai and shook her head. "Noooo."

"No offense to the Clam Shack, Dad, because as shacks go it's top notch, but Tico's Taco Shack is really a five star kind of place," Lorelai explained.

"Five stars?" Luke asked incredulously, "on what scale?"

"Well, five Rolaids anyway," Lorelai replied then looked back at April. "We'll have to go there before you head back to New Mexico."

"Okay, I'm game," April replied.

"We'll see," Luke said with the hope that he could possibly derail that idea, but knowing deep down that it was futile.

"So, what's next on the agenda?" Lorelai asked brightly.

"I think perhaps something sweet is in order," Richard suggested placing one hand on Emily's back and gesturing up the street with the other.

"Richard, you just had a very heavy lunch," Emily protested as they began to walk in the direction he'd indicated the others following.

"I think you'll approve of what I have in mind, my dear," he assured her. "It's really quite healthy."

"Hmmm," she responded with an undertone of 'we'll see about that.'

They passed by a candy store, two ice cream parlors, and three coffee houses, Emily shooting him sidelong looks as the walked by each. Richard finally stopped in front of a small building painted bright yellow with a yellow and white stripped awning and he looked at Emily pointedly.

"Oh, I love frozen bananas," April said excitedly looking at the building which had a giant banana on the roof. She stepped up to the window to survey the options.

"Bananas, Dad?" Lorelai asked clearly disappointed, "I thought we were going to get something good. I mean we passed plenty of places." She gestured back they way they'd come.

"It's dipped in chocolate, Lorelai," Richard replied, "and you can even pick out what topping you want."

"I don't care if you put chocolate on it, it's still fruit," Lorelai countered with a pout.

"But you like bananas," Emily reminded her.

"You'll regret it if you don't at least give it a try," Richard warned. "Everyone else will be enjoying a delicious frozen banana and you'll be standing there empty handed, and I for one do not plan to share."

"Fine," Lorelai huffed and went to look at the toppings.

Richard stepped up to the window to order. "We'd like five of the large frozen bananas please. One with coconut…" He turned to his wife. "Emily? Almonds?" she nodded, "one with almonds, and whatever they want." Richard stepped to the next window and paid. The woman behind the counter handed him the two he'd ordered. Emily took some napkins out of the dispenser on the counter and wrapped the stick of her banana in one as Richard handed it to her. Then handed him some of the napkins and he did the same.

"Just plain for me," Luke ordered and quickly received his chocolate covered banana.

"Sprinkles, I want sprinkles, please," Lorelai said when it was her turn. "At least I can have candy on the outside." She looked at her banana like it might jump off the stick and bite her.

April ordered hers with crushed Oreos.

Lorelai watched Luke and April take small nibbles of the rock hard fruit and was about to try a bite when she noticed her parents were just standing there. "You're not eating yours. Is there something wrong with them?" she asked with concern.

"If you wait a few moments, they soften up some," her father explained.

Lorelai shook her head. "My parents, the frozen banana experts." She looked at Luke and shrugged but decided to follow their lead especially since she wasn't in any particular hurry to eat the thing in her hand.

A minute or so later Richard took a bite of his banana and proclaimed it "Outsanding." Emily had begun to take amazingly dainty bites considering the brittle chocolate, the loose nuts and the relative difficulty of eating a banana on a stick. Lorelai squinted uncomfortably at the image that leapt to her mind and quickly looked away before anyone could ask her what the problem was. Luke and April were half done with theirs.

"You really should give it a try," Luke told her. "It's surprisingly good." Lorelai took a tiny tentative bite. "You didn't even get any of the banana, take a real bite."

"Okay, okay," she said defensively. "I just want to ease into it."

She took a small bite this time getting banana along with the chocolate and sprinkles. "Not bad," she announced and took another bite.

"I told you it was good," Richard gloated.

"Okay, it's good," she admitted reluctantly then added, "but it's no hot fudge sundae."

Once everyone had finished eating their frozen bananas, Emily glanced down at her watch. "We really should head over to the grocery store, unless anyone has something else they'd like to do first."

Lorelai waited a moment, no one spoke up. "Looks like it's grocery time." She gestured for her mother to lead the way and fell into step next to her, Richard, Luke and April brining up the rear.

Emily glanced down at the shopping bag Lorelai was carrying. "We're walking by the car. You could put that in the trunk with your other purchases."

"Nah, I'm good," Lorelai replied.

Emily huffed in disapproval.

Lorelai reached into the bag, "Come on, Mom, I don't know why you don't like him," she pulled out a small stuffed bird. "He even sings." She demonstrated by squeezing the body of the bird which started warbling its bird call.

"I do not know why you insisted on bringing that ridiculous toy into the restaurant with us at lunch," Emily stated in consternation. "I can't for the life of me understand why you even bought it."

"It's a painted bunting and it's from the Audubon Society. It's very educational, that's its real call it plays," she explained squeezing it again and setting it off.

"What are you going to do with it?" Emily asked as they crossed the street.

Lorelai shrugged. "I liked it, so I bought it, that's all. Not everything has to have a purpose. Maybe I'll give it to Paul Anka."

"Well, if you won't put it in the car, at least put it away," Emily instructed as they entered the grocery store.

Richard broke away from Luke and April outside the front of the store. Inside, Emily walked directly over to the produce section and began looking at vegetables. Lorelai stood frozen a few yards into the store next to a large display of strawberries, watching her mother. Luke and April stopped next to her. When she saw her father enter with a shopping cart and walk up to her mother she couldn't hold back any longer. "Am I going crazy? Have the body snatchers landed and replaced my parents with pod people? Maybe this is Stepford and not Cape Cod. Quick make a break for it before they get us too."

Luke was used to her dramatics and he was unflappable, but he had to agree to a point. "It is a bit odd, but everything seems to be going well."

"I don't get it. What's the big deal?" April asked oblivious to anything out of the ordinary other than Lorelai's meltdown.

"You were at my parents' house for dinner last Friday. That was normal. This is not normal. They do not shop and cook and do the dishes," she turned to Luke. "My mother actually did the dishes this morning?" She seemed to need confirmation so he nodded. She turned back to April still trying to explain, "They do not do these things. They have people to do these things. They have maids, and cooks and gardeners, and …and people." She seemed to have run out of steam and breath at the same time. She took a deep breath.

"Um… I think your mother wants you," April said nodding over to Emily who was standing next to the broccoli motioning for them to come over.

Luke leaned in and asked quietly, "You okay now?"

Lorelai took a few more deep breaths. "Yeah, just needed to get that out of my system I guess."

Luke nodded and placed his hand on the middle of her back gently propelling her in the direction of her parents.

"So what does everyone like? Carrots? Broccoli? Green Beans?" Emily asked gesturing to the assorted vegetables.

"Yeah, all of those sound good," Lorelai answered. "Whatever you want, Mom."

Emily looked to April who replied, "I'm easy, I like all vegetables."

"I thought we'd grill steaks tonight. Everyone likes steaks, don't they?" Richard asked.

"Yeah." "Sure." Luke and April answered at the same time while Lorelai nodded.

"Fine then," Richard nodded "I'll just go pick out the meat. Luke, care to join me?"

Luke shrugged, "Sure."

Richard turned to Emily. "We'll find you when we're done."

She gave him a quick nod and selected a bunch of carrots then some green beans and put them into the cart. "Lorelai, would you get some potatoes? I thought we'd have baked potatoes with the steaks tonight."

"Sure," Lorelai answered quickly then added, "um… how do you pick out potatoes?"

"I'm on it," said April and she went over to get the potatoes.

"Need anything else Mom?" Lorelai asked.

Emily shrugged, "Well, you could pick out a few of those salad mixes if you want."

Lorelai smiled, "That I can handle."

They had been up and down almost every isle in the store and the cart was filled up with more than enough food for the next few days. Lorelai glanced down as they passed the cake mixes and Jello-O boxes. "Ooh, marshmallows!" She bent over and picked up two big bags and placed them in the cart her father had resumed pushing.

"What are those for?" he asked.

"Well, you told me about that cool fire pit you've got on the patio. We could fire it up and makes s'mores," she said eagerly.

"What are sum ores?" Emily asked.

"Oh, you'll see," Lorelai taunted her eyes gleaming. "April, go get like ten, twelve Hershey bars," she eyed her mother and remembered that she liked almonds, "get some with nuts." Then she turned to Luke, "Graham crackers, like two aisles back on the left near the bottom."

"I'm not even going to ask how you remembered that," he responded and then walked away shaking his head.

"Lorelai, what is all of this for?" Emily asked growing impatient.

"I can't really explain it, Mom, you just have to try one. Sticks, I don't suppose you have sticks lying around the house…oh, I know. Meet you guys in the front," she called over her shoulder as she hurried off.

"Sticks? What is that girl up to?" Emily asked her husband.

"I don't know," Richard answered with a big grin and draped one arm around her shoulders, "but she seems to be very excited about it."

Emily smiled back up at him. "She does, doesn't she?"

Notes: Thanks to everyone who has posted reviews since the last chapter: GilmoreGirlsnOCRock, lilienprinzessin, Mary, Miss GoodManners, pjt-gg, Valerie, J.Stone, gilmorefanforever, gilmoregirlsalwaysforever, and LorLukealways. I really appreciate knowing what you like and that you're still reading. Makes my day.