Chapter Eleven: My dark heart lit up the skies…

Jack hitched his book bag onto his shoulder, turning away from the field. He suddenly felt very lonely. The coach was sending him home, telling him it was Friday, go get some rest since he couldn't practice and had been there for every practice that week. Natalie was at her voice lessons and then had to babysit her little brother. Will was still at his school, at his football practice. And Laylee, well, being around Laylee with her brave face and itchy pink cast made him feel uncomfortable and undeniably guilty.

He sighed and started off towards home. Before he could get very far, though, a horn honked. Jack looked up to see his father's green truck, Luke leaning out of the window.

"Get in the car."

"What?"

"Get in the car. Put your backpack in the back and get in the car."

"I can walk home; I'm not an invalid."

"No, just moping. Get in the damn car; we're not going home."

"Where are we going?"

"Fishing."

"Why?"

"Because you might think you've fooled the world, but I know you won't get behind the wheel of a car and can't be around your niece for more than a second at a time. Get in the car."

Jack sighed and complied. He knew when he was caught. He threw his bag in the back, noticing the tackle and overnight bag in the back, and walked over to the passenger side. As he slid in, Luke threw a cell phone at him.

"Call your brother. Tell him to meet us at the cabin after practice. Assure him we'll be back before both games tomorrow so we don't have to listen to him freak out."

Will finished listening to the voicemail from his brother and flipped the phone onto the passenger seat, turning just in time to see Headmaster Medina approach his car.

"Will! Are you headed home?"

"Nah. Dad's taking Jack and me fishing tonight and tomorrow."

"Your mom's not going along?" Max asked with a grin.

"After that unfortunate bass incident of '15, she's been banned from all outings involving tackle…"

"I can only imagine."

Despite his admiration and, some might say affection, for the older man, Will was uncomfortable whenever his mother came up in their conversation. He quickly changed the subject.

"Do you need me for something, Headmaster?"

"Just wondering if you're willing to give a tour for some prospective students on Monday. We've got a family with three highschoolers coming in, and you are the best tour guide Chilton has."

"Just because I'm the only one who doesn't have a stick up my ass," Will smiled. "Sure, not a problem. Which period?"

"Third."

"Your office?"

"You got it."

"Alright. Well, I better get on my way. Are you coming to the game tomorrow night?"

"I'll be there."

"The clan's coming in from the Hollow, except Jack. The hyper little girl with a bright pink arm, screaming at the other team will be Laylee."

"What would Chilton do without Gilmores to liven us up?"

"What would any of us do?" Will grinned, sticking the key in the ignition and turning over the engine.

"Did you finish your sixth reading of The Sun Also Rises?"

"Last week."

"And?"

"Just as good as always. Jack's read it eleven times. He reads faster than me."

"How is he doing?"

Will sighed as the engine idled. "He's alright. Hasn't driven a car since. Rory's car was totaled, so he's insisting on paying whatever insurance doesn't cover for a new car. Laylee, eternal optimist at ten, is excited about picking out a new car. She's hoping for a 'Stang."

"Your niece is too Gilmore."

"That she is. Have a nice weekend, Headmaster Medina."

"Tell your family I say hello," Max nodded, stepping back as Will backed out of the parking space and took off out of the parking lot.

Will grabbed the cell phone as he pulled onto the interstate, hitting speed dial three.

"Hello, Dragonfly Inn. This is Michel speaking."

"Hello, Michel, it's Will. How are you?"

"Your mother is annoying me once again, William."

"Well, I'll have to have a talk with her, then. Is she there?"

"Right here. Lorelai, your less flannelled progeny is on the phone."

"Well hey there, Piano Man. Aren't you supposed be at the cabin with the monosyllabic duo?"

"Hey there, Mom. I'm headed out there right now. I just thought I would call and check in before going into exile. They pull the whole 'no cell phones' rule when it's the three of us."

"Emergencies only, I know. How was practice today, sweetie?"

"Good. I'm pumped for tomorrow night's game. I'm glad the crew's coming out. We might even get Grandma out there."

"I'm sure she'll be there; I just won't be sitting near her."

"Mom…"

"Will, don't lecture me. I have good reason this time. This isn't a 'gee, I haven't fought with Stalin recently' moment. This is a 'oh my God, I can't believe she can say that out loud' moment. Let me settle down."

"You're going to have to see her Sunday night. In Hartford."

"All the more reason for me not to see her tomorrow night."

"All right, Mom… You're not going to be too lonely without Dad, Jack, and me, are you?"

"I'll somehow survive, Will. Make sure they come home tomorrow afternoon."

"Got it. Oh, crap."

"What?"

"I had a date tomorrow morning."

"Julia?"

"Of course Julia."

"Well, Will, you never know with you… Are you two serious?"

"Ish."

"Meaning?"

"I won't ask anyone else out on a date until I've seen if this is going anywhere."

"And going anywhere constitutes?"

"Do I have to talk about this with my mother?"

"Fine. Why'd you have a date in the morning, anyway?"

"'Cause curfew's nine-o'freaking-clock."

"Ah, yes… Poor baby. Maybe next time you'll lay off the Cuervo, José."

"Yes, ma'am. I've gotta let you go now, since Michel is currently whining for you to get off of the phone, I'm sure, and I have to call Julia and reschedule."

"Maybe you can meet her for Sunday brunch, Captain Morgan."

"'Bye, Mom! Love you!"

With that, he ended the call.

When Will arrived at the cabin, the late October sun was nearly set, and his father and brother's silhouettes sat on the end of the short dock behind the cabin. Pulling his Chilton sweatshirt out of the backseat and slipping it over his T-shirt to fend off the evening breeze, he jogged down to meet them.

"Hello, fellow anglers. How's the biting today?"

"Hi, Will," Jack said, his calm in conflict with Will's exuberance. "Dad already caught one, but it was too small. Had to throw it back."

"Or Mom's finally getting to him and he can't stand to hurt the poor little fishy."

"Uh, no," Luke answered, scooting over to make room for his son on the other side of him. He motioned behind Jack. "Your pole's right there. No 'Dirty's."

"Dirty fishing jokes are too easy."

"Don't bother threading your line, Will. I'm gonna go start dinner. Grilled chicken all right? That's what Dad and I picked up," Jack sighed.

Will nodded, and Jack handed over his pole, rising to his feet. Hands in his jean pockets, Jack trudged up to the cabin, sneakers crackling the leaves.

"Did he open up at all?" Will asked, slipping beside his father, feet dangling over the edge. For a moment, he felt six again, sitting beside Daddy at dusk, waiting for a fish to bite.

Luke shook his head negatively.

"Hard nut to crack, that one. Wonder where he gets that from?" Will looked mischievously to his father before changing the subject. "So hey, Rory's birthday's next week. What's the plan for number 39?"

"That would be your mom and Laylee's thing."

"Right. You're just here for food and coffee," Will smiled, sinking back into a familiar silence with his father.

The two had been inseparable for young William's earlier years; perhaps that was born out of Jack's near-addiction to his mother, perhaps out of the sincere connection felt between the two. Most likely, the reason for the pairings both boys gravitated towards had everything to do with the reason their parents were together in the first place: they complemented each other. The similar personalities were those that clashed. Jack and Luke often had trouble expressing themselves to each other. Double-stubborn Will and his equally vivacious mother were most often avoiding the problem.

He didn't remember when or why the drift had started. Maybe it was Chilton. Maybe it was middle school. Maybe it was Luke's inability to keep up with Will's voracious hunger for book-learning, or Will's difficulty understanding the simplicity of his father's dreams. Perhaps, in all likelihood, it was the fact that Will and Luke were fundamentally different people.

How much did that change? Certainly not Will's love for his father, nor even how much he enjoyed the time they spent together. The communicating, though, was harder. The comfort not as prevalent, the once easy, open sharing shrouded by the cold, hard fact that Will was growing up.

And what about Jack and Lorelai?

Still insanely close. Will was pretty sure that Mom knew just as much about Jack and Natalie's relationship as the couple themselves did, and she knew everything that was going on at Stars Hollow High. He wasn't sure just when they had the time to talk about all this, but somehow they squeezed it in between football practice, late shifts at the diner, and a bustling inn to run. It was, well, strange in Will's opinion: the only person he came close to sharing that much with was Rory, and even then he held something back. Revealing that much about himself, in actuality, terrified the teenager, though as a child he had shared everything with the man now sitting beside him.

A tug on the line broke Will from his introspection, and he burst out in a grin.

"Dad! I actually got one this time!"

Will was a notoriously bad angler.

"Alright, reel her in, nice and easy."

Will wrangled with the line for a good three minutes before it snapped back up to the surface without warning, hook gone but weights still present.

"Stupid bastard stole my hook!" Will cried, looking to his father for sympathy while continuing to reel in the fishing wire.

Sympathy he did not find, though Luke was laughing too hard to provide anything of the sort. At first indignantly angry, Will soon relaxed into laughter himself, meeting his father's eyes out of the corner of his own.

"At least some things never change," Luke finally managed to say, blue eyes bright with amusement.

Will threaded another hook and threw out another cast, this time settling in for an indefinite wait.

"So," Luke said, fishing pole resting across one knee. "Tell me about this class Mr. Medina's teaching next quarter."

Will's eyes lit up at the thought of the upcoming material, and he started to blabber on in a very Rory fashion about how excited he was. Luke only understood half of it but was warmed by the enthusiasm in his son's voice.

Back at the cabin, Jack was waiting for the grill to heat up, his father's pinpointing of his issues still fresh in his mind hours later. Feeling the pressure continue to build in his chest, he finally gave in and reached for the cell phone in his pocket, breaking the standing 'no cell phones' rule in favor of dialing a very familiar number.

"Dragonfly Inn, this is Laylee speaking."

"Hey there, Lay. What are you doing answering phones?" Jack forced a laugh, anything to drive away the sick guilt in his stomach. In the background, he could hear Michel's distinctive voice scolding his young niece.

"Annoying Meeshy."

"My name is not Mee-shee!"

"Aww, he's so sweet to me, ain't he?"

"You are just a child, and your arm is exceedingly pink. Remove yourself from my chair."

"Laylee, is Mom there?"

"Yeah, I'll get Nonna. Hold on a sec, Jacky."

He heard the clatter of the phone being set down, then of Laylee jumping off of the chair, then the undistinguishable murmurings of Michel's frustration with the young girl, before his mother picked up the phone.

"Hey there, baby boy," she greeted, voice gentle and soothing, devoid of the usual over-exuberance she exhibited.

"Hey, Mom," he sighed, relieved a little just to hear her voice.

"Is everything okay, Jack? What happened to the cell phone ban?"

"Still in effect. I just had to talk to you… Dad had good intentions getting me up here, I just… I can't talk to him like I can to you."

"Jack, Dad would be more than happy to listen to anything you have to say."

"I know that. It's not the same, though. I… I haven't been able to drive a car since that night. Even sit behind the wheel."

"I noticed."

"I start shaking, flashing back to headlights and trees and Laylee smothered by the airbag because of me. I'm dangerous behind the wheel of a car!"

"I know it's scary, and you know my opinion on whose fault this was, namely not yours, but you just have to get in a car and drive. Go get Dad's keys, tell him you're gonna take a drive, and go all along those lakeside streets. There's hardly anyone on the streets out there, so you can just get used to the car and think about everything. Every time you put that key in the ignition, baby boy, it's going to get easier."

"I know… I just… Can we talk about Laylee first, Mom?"

"We can talk about anything you want, baby boy. You're still her hero. The most devastating part of this accident for her was that you won't be throwing against South Litchfield tomorrow night. That's it. She thinks her cast is cool: she made your father sign in purple Sharpie, and it gets her tons of sympathy points from all the teachers. She hardly remembers anything from the crash itself."

"That she'll tell anyone, Mom. She's not gonna tell anyone she's scared; it's not in her nature."

"Regardless, Jack, she doesn't blame you."

"Even if she should?"

"She shouldn't."

"I never wanted to hurt her, Mom. She's one of the most important people in my life. I would die for her."

"And now she needs you to be her buddy again, to show her that everything's going to go back to normal. Do you wanna come home, Jack?"

"No. I appreciate what Dad's doing, and I'm gonna see tonight out. It's been awhile since the three of us got away. I like spending time with Will and Dad."

"Are you going to stay up all night talking about girls?" his mom teased, shifting the tone to a lighter skew.

"God no. We're not going to be here long enough for Will to talk about all the girls in his life."

"Your brother is not that bad."

"Believe what you need to, Mom. Say hi to Laylee for me?"

"Of course. Do you wanna talk to Mini-Me?"

"Nah. Not yet. Besides I don't wanna keep her from her 'work' at the desk."

"Nonsense. Right now she's just doing Pepé Le Pew impressions and reorganizing his guest notebook. You know, the one where he writes down everything he thinks is sketchy about any guests."

"Right. Her 'work'. I should go anyway. Wouldn't want them to see me breaking one of the my most sacred rules."

"Which you're going to break again around midnight tonight when you call your girlfriend."

"I plead the fifth."

"Alright, OJ. Really think about what I suggested, Jack, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am. Have a nice night. Love you."

"I love you, too, baby boy. Say hi to your dad and Will for me."

"Can't. I'll give away my secret."

"Bye, Jack."

"Bye, Mom."

He clicked off the phone and slipped it back into his pocket before shutting off the grill and jumping off the back porch, taking a few steps towards the dock.

"Dad, can I borrow the truck for a bit?"

Luke turned and studied him for a moment before nodding his assent. Jack allowed a slight smile before retrieving the keys, taking a deep breath, and sliding into the driver seat.

"Here's to you, Mommy Dearest," he muttered under his breath, cranking the ignition.

Down on the dock, Luke nudged Will as he watched Jack cautiously pull the truck out and onto the dirt road.

"First step towards recovery," Will grinned, watching until the vehicle was gone and then returning his eyes to the water, where his line had begun to bob. "Ooh! I got one!" As he gave a good tug, the line stilled. He sighed. "Nope. I lied."

"Maybe next time, Will…"

When Rory arrived at the Dragonfly that night after sending off her proof to her editor, Laylee was no longer at the front desk annoying her Meeshy. She questioned the Frenchman about the whereabouts of her daughter, and he had merely turned up his nose.

"The child has scampered off to God-knows-where, chattering on and on in her little italienne way… I much prefer Paw-Paw and Chin-Chin. They do not talk so much."

"Alright, Michel. Was she with Mom?"

"Perhaps. She believes she has the freedom to run wherever she feels necessary. Perhaps you should teach her some manners."

"I'll work on that, Michel," Rory sighed, knocking on the desk as she headed off to the kitchen. The inn was relatively small and finding the dynamic duo would not be too difficult. The kitchen was her best bet.

In the kitchen, Laylee was precariously perched on a stool, long legs swinging, slinged arm tight against her chest and left hand occupied with a cookie. She had flour on her cheek and her face upturned to chatter on and on to her grandmother and Aunt Sookie. Her curls were still wild, as they were no matter how often they brushed them. Sookie laughed at something the precocious girl said and in the process knocked a nearby pot, which rocked on the edge before clattering onto the ground. Laylee and Lorelai winced, but Sookie merely sighed and picked up the fallen object.

"Thank goodness it was empty!"

"Aunt Sookie, we made some good cookies. Make sure we save some for Mom. Don't want Nonna to eat 'em all."

"Hey! I'm not the Cookie Monster."

"C is for cookie, that's good enough for me…" Laylee sang. "OCD if you ask me."

"You've found your calling as a poet, Lay," Rory announced her presence.

"Or psychiatrist," Laylee said with a grin before taking a bite out of her cookie. "Or psychologist. What's the difference anyway? Hi, Mom."

"Hi, Laylee," Rory smiled, coming all the way into the kitchen and kissing the top of her daughter's head, "Hi, Mom, Sookie. Did you have a good afternoon?"

"Oh yeah," Sookie laughed, "Laylee helped me bake some white chocolate macadamia nut cookies."

"And everything in the kitchen is still standing!" Lorelai teased.

"I'm good in the kitchen!" Laylee objected, cookie gone and her good hand on her hip.

"She's not half-bad, guys," Sookie defended, moving on to stir a boiling sauce. "Here, Laylee, taste this. I'm thinking of using it for dinner tonight."

Laylee opened her mouth like a baby bird, quickly lapping up whatever was shoved in her mouth by her Aunt Sookie.

"Mmm, really good! Definitely serve it."

"Now that's more Gilmore of her," Rory smiled. "The tasting I understand. The cooking is Luke's fault."

"Everything's Luka's fault," Laylee giggled, slipping off of the stool awkwardly.

"At least she's learned something from me," Lorelai smiled. "How's the article coming, sweets?"

"First draft sent in, waiting to be ripped apart by my editor."

"That's not very nice," Laylee intoned as solemnly as she could manage as Sookie hazardously threw a wet rag at her to wash the flour off her face. Denied the use of her right arm, she failed to catch it, the damp cloth instead whacking her in the face. "Yuck! Neither was that!"

"Sorry, sugar plum," Sookie called, "I forgot about the arm."

"I do sometimes, too," Laylee admitted by way of forgiveness.

"So, Lay, is all your homework done?"

"Yup yup!" Laylee recited excitedly, "I did it at the desk in Nonna's office in Malcolm, the greatest chair on earth."

"Malcom's comfy, huh?"

"Oh yeah. And handsome too."

Rory laughed and hugged Laylee from the side.

"Do you wanna go catch a movie and then dinner at Dunkin' Donuts?" Rory asked, pulling the girl's attention over to her.

"Ooh! Dinner at Dunkin' Donuts means dessert as Baskin Robins!"

"And the Gilmore in her strikes again," Lorelai laughed. "Go have fun you two. Call me if one of your drops into a sugar coma."

"Careful, Mom, you're starting to sound like Luke."

Lorelai pretended to look appalled. "Never. Pod Rory go away; I want my real daughter back."

"Grow up," Rory teased affectionately. "Now, what do you say, Lay?"

"Ha! You're a poet, too!" Laylee cried. "Sure, let's go. Nonna should come, too!"

Rory hesitated and looked to her mother. Lorelai shook her head.

"No, Laylee, I've got work to do here. Go have fun with your mom."

"But the house is all empty without the boys. You'll be lonely."

"I'll manage, sweetheart. Go have some alone time with your mom."

"Alright," Laylee kissed her grandmother's cheek and hugged her Aunt Sookie before threading the fingers of her good hand through her mother's. "So… about this movie…"

Jack and Will entered the house, laughing and light-hearted after an evening with their father.

"Oh, Mommy! We're home!" Will sang out as they made their way into the living room.

"My babies!" Lorelai cried playfully, jumping off of the couch after placing her popcorn on the side table. She hugged them both at the same time. "I missed you so much."

"Mom, we weren't even gone twenty-four hours," Jack grumbled good-naturedly, squeezing her hand gently before releasing her.

"I know, but the house was so empty…"

"Laylee didn't come keep you company?"

"She came to the Inn during the afternoon, but then Rory took her to a movie."

"How's Sis holding up?" Will asked, flopping onto the couch and stealing the popcorn.

"Better. I like that they are spending some alone time together. Hey! That's my popcorn!"

Lorelai plopped down beside her older son, grabbing the bowl back and picking up the remote.

"What are we watching?" Jack sighed, seating himself on the other side of his mother.

"Cop Rock! Where's your father?"

"Diner. Wanted to check in at least once today," Jack answered, reaching over to get some popcorn out of the bowl on her lap.

"Did you boys catch anything?"

"Jack caught a brown trout or two. Dad got a giant northern pike. Ten pounds! Pretty big for the lake. I was unlucky."

"As always," Lorelai smiled at Will, "You're no Bass Pro, sweetie."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Stop smirking, Jackman."

Hiding behind his handful of popcorn, Jack denied doing any such thing. After swallowing, he asked, "Anyone thirsty? I'm gonna go get something to drink."

"Ooh! Coffee for Mommy."

"And your favorite brother."

"You're my only brother."

"Makes it easier for me to be your favorite."

"Not sure how coffee's gonna quench your thirst, but coming right up," Jack sighed, standing up and going to the kitchen.

As soon as he was gone, Lorelai paused the DVD and nudged Will. "How's he doing?"

"Drove home," Will smiled. "Pretty nervous about it, but he made it home without incident. I guess the next test will be how he does with Laylee at dinner tomorrow."

"I don't know if I want him going to dinner tomorrow," Lorelai admitted, biting her lip.

"Mom! That's Grandma's night. She will not be happy."

"We don't have to be there. Rory's out of school; they're not paying for your Chilton. These dinners are just a way to keep the family together. But he shouldn't have to sit there and listen to his grandmother blame him for something he's just starting to get over his guilt for. That's not fair."

"She might not say anything."

"I don't trust her not to."

"We should all go. Grandma will just make him feel worse next week if he's not there tomorrow. I'll talk to her; she won't say anything to him."

"No. I don't want you getting in the middle of this."

"Mom…"

The phone rang, and Will grabbed the handset off of the armrest.

"Danes' residence," he answered, "Hi, Grandma."

Lorelai groaned. "Sixth sense."

"Yes, ma'am. Yes, I'll tell her. Won't be a problem, Grandma. See you tonight! I'll be the one scoring all the touchdowns. 'Bye."

"What was that about?" Jack asked, having just returned with two steaming cups of coffee and a glass of water.

"Some friends from Rome are going to be in town tomorrow night."

"Ooh, is she canceling dinner? Yes!"

"No luck, lady," Will dashed her hopes while he took the delicious liquid from his brother. "She just asked that we come prepared to entertain. Translation: Dress extra-nicely and, please Luke, shave."

Lorelai pouted. "Damn. Well, at least Laylee will have fun. I'm sure Grandma's just jumping up and down to present her fluent granddaughter."

Jack scowled. "I don't think Grandma jumps up and down, Mom."

Will laughed at the mental image. "Agreed. So, let's get an episode of Cop Rock in before I have to go get ready for the game."