Hi guys.

As I promised you I would update if you hit the 55, andyou did, so here's a new chapter. I also cutchapter 16 in two, 'cause else way it would've been miles long. So here it comes.

Chapter 17: A cradle and a basket

Song: Rhett Akins, she said yes (continued from previous chapter)

Rory pushed Lorelai out of the door.

"Go celebrate!" she shouted at her before she shut the door. Lorelai was just standing there staring at the closed door. Just a few minutes ago her and Rory had been jumping up and down, but now… The door was closed. Rory had told she had to meet Dean, but usually she didn't bother if her mother was there, but now. Lorelai just smiled. Rory was a teenager, so it wasn't unusual, even though her name was Rory. And Lorelai didn't bother to spend the night with Luke either.

Suddenly her world was upside down, all in one day. She was actually getting married, married! And to Luke. It was some weird fantasy she didn't even knew she had until a few days ago when Sookie all over sudden started babbling about weddings. And then suddenly there she was. And engaged woman. She had to say the word "engaged" quite a few times before she finally understood what it meant. She had never been engaged before, even though two men already had proposed to her. It just hadn't been the right man.

And now she was glad that she'd never gotten married before. Of course she'd wondered what it would've been like if she'd married Christopher. What would her life have been like? Would she be living in Hartford? Sure she would. And Rory would have been at Chilton from the day she could walk and talk. As Lorelai thought back, she realized what a change it would have been in her life. First of all she would never have met Luke, Sookie or anyone else in the hollow. God, she was glad she had said "NO!" (Here there was supposed to be a flashback, but I made it to a story on it's own, so you can all read "A fresh gale of a young woman")

From that night on, the fire was burning
And they sure did shine in its light
And he knew as long as this old world kept turning
He wanted her by his side

Rory met Dean in front of Miss Patty's dance studio. He greeted her with a soft kiss. Together they went inside for the town meeting. The secret town meeting she actually was in charge for in some way. Of course it wasn't her idea, but she was their spokesman, the whole town's spy. She was Rory Gilmore, daughter of Lorelai Gilmore, who was dating the local diner owner Luke Danes. And this town meeting surrounded her mother and Luke. Over the last few days rumours had been running all over town, but nobody knew how much to believe. And when Lorelai had walked into the diner with her face covered in tears, that's when things went totally crazy. So crazy that flyers were handed out about a secret town meeting. Not very considered by the town, what if Luke or Lorelai had gotten one of the flyers, which wouldn't have been a surprise for Rory.

But luckily everything went smoothly and there they were. As Rory and Dean entered the dance studio everybody looked up and stopped their whispering. They were just waiting for Rory's sign, but she kept silent. In someway she felt a little guilty. She wasn't going to say anything about the engagement, but that would take that she lied to them, the whole town and it wasn't easy lying to Babette, Miss Patty or Taylor. Kirk was easy enough, 'cause he believed in every damn thing he was told.

"Town people listen!" Taylor shouted from his place on the stage. He waved his hands above his head to get everybody's attention, and it was easy to tell that people were very impatient.

"Okay, listen up please. Attention! We have something to discuss."

"We know Taylor, so if you would please let the little girl here talk!" Babette complained.

"Easy folks. Rory, please sit down so we can get started. Well, as you all know we're gathered here to discuss the matter of…"

"Luke Danes and Lorelai Gilmore possibly being engaged. We got it Taylor!" Gypsy broke him off.

"Correct Gypsy. We are… It's now around six months since they started dating. A very surprising thing for us people."

"Not for me! I knew there was a spark between them" Miss Patty added.

"Me too!" a lot of people answered to that comment.

"Very well, if you say so. It was a surprise for some of us then. During these last six months a lot of things have happened. They broke up and caused a split here in our beloved town. Some chose to be Luke's and other Lorelai's. But once again they surprised us by getting back together."

"They love each other, Taylor! Of course they would get back together!" Babette yelled as she jumped up from her seat. But this time Taylor decided to ignore the interruption.

"They got back together and they've been ever since. Everything seems to be normal, but then a rumour starts running around in town. And this rumour says that a wedding is coming up. Luke and Lorelai's wedding, people. And this town is very nosey, I most say that. But a rumour is a rumour and we could do nothing but watch the two people dangle around in town for a few days. But then, three days ago something happened. You all know Gypsy…"

"Of course we do Taylor!" Andrew yelled, but Taylor just continued.

"She was in Woodbridge to get some parts for a car, when she passed a jewellery shop. And guess who she saw in there. Luke!"

"We've heard it ten times already Taylor!" Babette said, but once again Taylor refused to listen.

"So we placed people all over town and…"

"Taylor!" Suddenly everybody turned around and looked at Rory, who was standing up. Having everybody's eyes on her reminded her of the town meeting just before her and Dean got back together. Just standing there made her uncomfortable, but she just couldn't stand to hear more about how the town was spying on her mother and Luke. It was too weird. Yes, she knew this town was filled with lunatics, loonies, weirdoes, simply filled with insane people, but there was a line. There was always a line no matter what kind of discussing matter it was. And now they'd definitely crossed that line by many feet. So there she was standing, ready to end this madness.

"People of Stars Hollow, my mom and Luke are not engaged, and if you would excuse me. Will you just leave them alone? They've been through a rough patch, and they're trying to work everything out. You know, start over. So please dump the spying thing and just let them live their life. When, and if, they get engaged they will tell you whenever they're ready for it. So it's up to them, not you, okay?" Rory looked at Taylor before she left the dance studio, followed by a smiling Dean.

So with a ring
And a nervous smile
And some lines that he'd rehearsed
He said the sweetest words that she'd ever heard

Lorelai was staring at herself. She was standing in front of the mirror in her room. Her face was covered in smiles (if that's possible) and kisses (that too). She looked over her shoulder and saw Luke lying in the bed. His head was deep into the pillow, but she could still see his mouth, he was smiling too. One of those "could things be better" smiles, and Lorelai loved those smiles. Especially on his lips. She loved her lips on his and she loved him. And she loved Rory too, 'cause if she didn't, she wouldn't be standing there at 6 am in the morning on a Saturday. But she did love Rory, and she did love Luke so that was the reason for her going to Christopher's wedding. In someway she still hated him for breaking her and Luke up, but she knew deep inside that she couldn't hate him forever. But she couldn't love him forever either. She thought that over a few times, and then came to the decision that she actually never really loved him. So there was no 'forever' there.

As she went through every single piece of clothes she'd ever owned just trying to find and outfit that would say "I'm cool with everything and I'm happier than ever". That was the outfit she was going for. But she didn't seem to find it. Time passed by and soon Luke started moving in the bed behind her.

Luke opened his eyes and found Lorelai going through all of her clothes. Most of it was on the floor, but there were also some in the bed and a few pieces left in the closet. Luke didn't get up, he just watched her. Her every move made him happy. The way her untidy morning hair moved when she tore another dress out of the closet. Though he didn't really get the freak out, he didn't bother to stop her. After a while she'd totally emptied the closet she turned around, just to find Luke with a smirk on his face.

"What?" she asked annoyed. How could he be so calm.

"You"

"Me, what? What are you smiling at?"

"You" he repeated.

"Luke" she cried.

"You just look funny, when you're tossing around like that."

"Like what?"

"You know that. And what's up with all of the clothes? Don't they look good enough on the hangers, in the closet?"

"Stop it! You know very well that we're going to Christopher's wedding and I just can't find the "I'm happier that ever" look here!" she pointed at all her clothes.

"Thank me then!" somebody, who turned out to be Rory, suddenly said. Lorelai jumped onto the bed, looking at her daughter with the "don't you ever do that again" look on her face. Rory just ignored her mom's manoeuvre and threw a dress on the floor. Lorelai gave a questioning look.

"Grandma" Rory said and then left the room. Slowly Lorelai picked the dress up and for her surprise it was just what she'd been looking for. It wasn't to0 much, but it wasn't boring either. A simply V-cut combined with a light blue dress and some pearls here and there,

"I like it, I actually like it. How did my mom… I didn't know she could pick a dress." Luke just smiles at her, and she sighs deeply. She know she has to think her mother sometime.

And she said yes
To his whole-hearted request
And they'll hold on
For dear life
'Til the last stars fade

He was smiling. A great smile when he saw her. She was wearing a white dress and a veil on her head. She was smiling too. Lorelai looked carefully at Christopher's face. He really looked like he was sincerely happy, and there she realized how good it was that they weren't together. There would be nothing to hold on to. It would just be two weak souls walking around pretending. But now they'd both found someone special, someone to love and someone who loved them back. Lorelai then turned her attention to Sherry. Luke was right, she really did look like Barbie. But a cute Barbie.

Lorelai sighed, and then started to picture herself there. Walking down the aisle, but not towards Christopher, but Luke. Suddenly she realized she had to find a dress, they had to set a date… God, there was so much to do that she wasn't aware of. It was actually a wedding she had to plan. And finding a dress. That would be the hardest part. For some reason she was reminded of "Runaway bride" though she hadn't been almost-married three times. And it was Luke she would be marrying, not Richard Gere. Luckily! Lorelai's thoughts were interrupted by Christopher's "I do"

"And I now declare you husband and wife" the priest said and everybody clapped their hands, well everybody except from Lorelai, who was in her own world.

"Mom!" Rory whispered, and Lorelai suddenly realized where she actually was. She just smiled at Rory and clapped shortly. Luke was sitting beside Lorelai, and it was obvious that he didn't exactly felt comfortable. Lorelai couldn't help it, but laugh a little. Just looking at his face for two seconds would make it easy to see that he wasn't much for a classic church wedding, for his luck Lorelai wasn't either.

"You're gonna look cute in such a tux" Lorelai teased. Luke just grumbled and took her hand.

They won't let go
It's beyond their control
They lit a flame with the match God had made
When she said yes

The music was playing and the white teeth combined with the very white dress were twirling around at the dance floor. And the white dress' eyes were staring into the tux's eyes. Lorelai had tried to explain her view of the newlywed dancing couple, but nobody seemed to get it. The saw the white dress as Sherry and the tux as Christopher. When the music stopped, a blond woman went over to the microphone. She picked it up and smiled. Her teeth were just as white as Sherry's, maybe even more.

"Hi, and welcome! My name is Eliza Tinsdale, that's right I'm Sherry's sister. And as you've probably already guessed I'm going to say a few words to the happy couple. I remember the day Sherry was born, I was six. Our mum and dad hurried to the hospital and I had to stay with Mrs. Callously, our old neighbour, who we never really liked. But well. In the middle of the night the phone rang and it was our dad. He was actually crying when he said that I had a little sister and she was beautiful as the sky on cloudless day. I wasn't exactly the brightest person back then, so I pictured a blue baby with a sun as a face. But it wasn't a sky, it was my little sister, my beautiful baby sister. When she was named Sherry, I though I might be able to eat her, but I got over that too."

"Well, as years past by she grew older and started school. Every of my friends where talking about how beautiful and how cute she was, and instead of saying that she was a little devil I started bragging, 'cause I loved my sister. And we got through school, college and then we both started working. Then I met Victor, got married and had three amazing kids. But my sister was still alone. Well, she'd dated Damian from high school and eleven years out in the future, but one day it was over. My little Sherry was devastated, but with my help, she got over him. Then one day I was sitting in my office doing some paper work, the phone suddenly rings. And guess what, it's my dear Sherry who calls to tell me that she has found him. The one. And now she stands there in front of me all dressed in white. Oh thank you God for letting my sister find happiness!"

Sherry was crying hardly. And almost every guest shed a tear, except from the Gilmore girls and Luke.

"And now I want to give you a song, because every couple needs their own song. So please, everybody join the couple at the dance floor to their song: If that's what it takes"

Again the music started playing and Christopher and Sherry started dancing. Little by little people starting joining them, and Lorelai looked at Luke, who immediately shook his head.

"Oh, come on… We have to practice" she joked and that caused Luke to roll his eyes.

"Come on Luke. If you want a chance with my mum you better do it!" Lorelai looked thankful at her daughter as she and Luke made their way out on the dance floor. Slowly they started following the music rhythm. As they followed the music, Lorelai couldn't help it but look in Christopher's direction. It was so weird seeing him twirling around with some weird lady, but on the other hand she was glad. She was glad that there would no longer be any "meant to be" left to say. It was over with the little romance they'd always had. She had Luke and he had Sherry. Life wasn't so bad at all.

As time passed by more and more people went home. They were running out of food and beverage and a few guys had become pretty wasted after one to many beers. But neither Rory or Lorelai had said a proper hello to the couple. Rory hadn't said much at all, and Lorelai understood why. Seeing her dad getting married to some woman she didn't even no, that couldn't be the most pleasant thing in life. But after a suitable time had passed by, Christopher was the first one to break the pattern. After dancing to "because you loved me" he grabbed Sherry's hand and let her over to their table

"Hi guys.. We didn't see you there at all" Sherry said. Lorelai just smiled and then looked at Rory who was regarding her carefully.

"Rory, right? I'm so glad to finally meet you!" Surprisingly she bent down and hugged Rory tight. Lorelai looked at Christopher. She tried to get eye contact, but he didn't even look in her direction. Apparently he was still embarrassed about the thing that happened the last time they met.

"And Luke, hello. I'm glad you could come after the circumstances. And you must be Lorelai. Christopher has told me so much about you when you and your inn."

"He has? Well, it's not my inn, but no more work talk. Congrats!"

"Thanks… Lore…" Christopher said after a while. Finally they got eye contact and she smiled. Things were just as they were supposed to be. They were both happy with the way their life had turned out


They lit a flame with the match God had made
When she said yes

A/N: And I'm out of words. I know this wasn't the best chapter, nor the longest, but it was all I could come up with this time. I know if kind of promised you the announcement of their engagement, but that has to wait until next chapter. And when that chapter are going to be posted, well that's up to you. We're on 59 reviews, 6 more and I will post chapter 18 as soon as possible. Come on guys, you did it last time, you can do it again. While you're waiting for me to update again you can read my newest one-shot called: "A fresh gale of a young woman"

Go, go hit the button… Asta