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Chapter 23

"I was told you would be working, not just sitting in my chair." Michel drawled.

"What?" Olivia said coming out of her daze.

"Your mother told me you would be helping. She didn't say that you would just be sitting there, doing nothing." He said.

"Oh. Sorry." Olivia said quietly.

Michel glanced at her, surprised by the lack of a cheeky retort. "How is your sister?" He asked cautiously.

Olivia just shrugged. "She still doesn't remember anything. I was hoping her being home would help but it doesn't seem to have." She said quietly. She sighed. It had been a week since Rory had woken up and she had been home for several days now. "I feel like an outsider in my own home. Rory doesn't feel comfortable with me or mom. I don't know how I can help her..."

"She will remember you." Michel said.

"How do you know?"

"Because you are hard to forget. Trust me. I've had many years of you annoying me here." He said.

Olivia smiled slightly. "Yeah...I guess it's more fun doing it together." She sighed.

"That's why I'm sure Rory will be fine. You both find it too hard to not taunt me every day." Michel said dryly.

"Hey!" Ben suddenly said appearing at the reception desk.

"Oh hey!" Olivia said.

"Do you have some time?" He asked.

"For what?" She asked.

"I know how hard things have been for you recently so I wanted to treat you." Ben said. "Are you free?"

"Oh..uh.." Olivia said, glancing at Michel.

"Go. It's not like you're helping here anyway." He drawled.

"Sorry." She said sheepishly.

Michel smiled slightly. "Go. Have some fun." He said. "And tell your mother that I am fine here. She can spend time with Rory today if she wants."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate that." Olivia smiled.

"Now get out of here. You're distracting me." He smirked.

"I'm gone!" Olivia grinned. She went round the desk to Ben but before she followed him out, she turned back. "Hey Michel?"

"What?" Michel said.

"Thanks." She smiled softly.

Michel ducked his head slightly but gave her a small smile. "Give my best to Rory and your mother."

"I will." She said. She gave him another smile before following Ben out.

"Why are we going up here?" Olivia asked as Ben led her up to the diner apartment. "Does Luke know we're here?"

"Well he saw us going up here, didn't he?" Ben said.

"Well yeah but..." Olivia said.

"Relax, he actually helped me with this." Ben smiled opening the door to the apartment.

"Whoa...Ben..." Olivia said stunned as she stared at the candle lit table with food already prepared. "You did all this?" She asked.

"Well, the food was all Luke. He said they were your favourites." Ben said. "The table and the meal was my idea."

"Luke did the food. For me?" She asked touched.

"He knows how hard things have been recently. When I came to him to ask whether I could use the apartment, he offered to cook the food." Ben smiled.

"That's sweet." Olivia smiled softly.

"He cares about you." Ben said. "So do I."

Olivia blinked back some tears. "This was so sweet of you."

"Hey, I didn't want to make you cry!" Ben said.

"No I'm not! These are happy tears." She said quickly. "I promise." She said. She gave him a tremulous smile. "Thank you." She said hugging him and then giving him a quick kiss.

"Come on, let's eat." He smiled softly.

"Here you go." Lorelai smiled giving Rory and Jess a soda. "Would you like anything else? Some food?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Rory gave her a small smile. "Jess and I were just going to hang out and exchange notes on books and stuff." She said. "You don't need to stay if you've got work to do."

"Well actually, apparently Michel told your sister that he's fine by himself so I was hoping to spend the day with you." Lorelai said.

"Oh. Ok." Rory said.

"I..uh..I don't have to." Lorelai said. "I guess I can run some errands..."

"Well if you've got errands to run, that's fine. I'll be fine here with Jess." Rory said.

"Right...well...ok, sure. I guess I'll see you later then." She said.

"Ok." She gave her a small smile. "See you later."

"Yeah...uh...see you later." Lorelai said. She blinked back tears before heading out of the house.

Jess glanced at Rory. "You don't have to send her out every day. She wants to spend time with you." He said cautiously.

"I just...It's weird...not remembering anything...not remembering...her..." Rory said quietly. "I feel comfortable with you. I feel safe with you."

"You can feel safe with her. She's your mom. And you can feel safe with Liv as well. They love you, Ror. They only want to help." He said.

"I know." Rory sniffed. "I'm sorry. I...I don't know why I'm acting like a bitch to them. I just..."

"Hey come here." Jess said pulling her towards him. "You'll get better, I promise. You'll get your memories back."

"I want to. I want to so badly. I see them looking devastated when I push them away and I hate it. I feel so guilty." Rory admitted.

"They don't blame you." Jess assured them. "They just want to help. Look, I'm not going anywhere ok? I'm here to help you as well but you need to let them in as well."

"I know." She said. "I will." She promised.

Jess gave her a small smile. "I know it's hard. But maybe talking to them can trigger memories? It might help."

"Yeah. Yeah I know. I..uh..I'll try. I promise." Rory gave him a small smile. "But now...can we just hang out? Together?"

"Nowhere else I'd rather be." He smiled softly, kissing the side of her head.

"Hey! You guys all done?" Luke asked as he saw Ben and Olivia reappear from upstairs.

"Yeah. I washed the dishes and left them on the side. And I tidied everything." Ben said.

"You didn't need to do that." Luke said.

"I know. But I wanted to." Ben smiled.

"Thanks for the food. It was delicious." Olivia smiled softly. "And it was really sweet of you to help Ben."

"Ah it was no big deal." Luke shrugged it off. "You deserved it."

Olivia smiled and went round the counter. "It was a big deal." She said softly.

"You shouldn't be round here. Potatoes can fall on your head..." Luke said.

"I don't care." Olivia said putting her arms round him and giving him a hug. "Thanks Luke." She said softly.

Luke sighed and held her close. "Things will get better." He assured her.

"Mom's struggling. I know she is. I can hear her crying in her room." Olivia sighed. She glanced at him. "Hey, you should come over tonight." She said.

"What?" He said surprised.

"Yeah! You could come and we could all have a family dinner." Olivia said.

"Ah I see!" He said. "You just want me to cook for you all!" He said smirking slightly, although he was slightly surprised by Olivia calling it a family dinner.

"Well that would be a perk!" She grinned. "But no, seriously, I think mom really needs you right now. And...I do." She admitted, glancing at him. "You know dad hasn't called once?" She said quietly. "I know mom left him tons of messages but he's probably off travelling. I mean how crap is that? He's meant to be our dad but he would rather be out travelling with his mates."

"He's an idiot." Luke said, trying to contain his anger at the man.

"The one time I actually need him. The one time Rory needs him and he's not here. I mean, I'm not surprised but it still...it still hurts..." She sighed. "But you..." She said, glancing up at him. "You've been there for all of us. And I really need you right now. And I know mom needs you. So...will you come tonight? I promise I'll help you cook."

"You? Helping me cook?" Luke smiled slightly.

"Well you could teach me!" Olivia laughed slightly. "Please?" She asked softly.

"I'll be there." He smiled softly. "You can count on me, I promise."

"I know I can." Olivia smiled softly.

"So this was a spontaneous idea? You coming round to cook us dinner?" Lorelai asked as she, Luke, Jess, Rory and Olivia were sat round the table in the kitchen of the Crap Shack.

Luke glanced at Olivia who ducked her head slightly. "I just wanted to do something nice for you. I know it's been hard." He said.

Lorelai smiled softly. "That's really sweet."

"So what was this about Ben treating you today?" Jess asked Olivia.

"He planned this meal and everything." Olivia smiled slightly. "It was really sweet." She said softly.

"It was all him by the way. He came by with this whole plan." Luke said.

"He told me the food was your idea." Olivia said.

"Nah. He already knew what he wanted to make. He just asked if I could help." Luke shrugged.

"It was all his idea?" Olivia asked touched.

"He wanted you to feel special. He's a good kid." Luke said.

"Hey, praise indeed! Better than him beating up your boyfriend!" Lorelai joked.

"Luke beat up your boyfriend?" Rory asked.

"Oh..uh..no, not mine." Olivia said hesitating.

"Who's then?" She asked.

"Yours." Olivia said cautiously. "Well, your ex boyfriend." She said, glancing at her. "He'd broken up with you out of nowhere and you were devastated. He was trying to protect you." She said glancing over at Luke who ducked his head slightly, embarrassed. "He's always been there for us." She smiled at Rory.

"Oh...well, thanks...I guess." Rory smiled at Luke.

Luke gave him a small smile. "No big deal." He said.

"I've had these before." Rory said suddenly.

"Had what?" Lorelai asked.

"These mashed potatoes. When have I had these before?" Rory frowned, trying to think. "Wait, I was ill right?" She said glancing up to find everyone staring at her. "What? Am I wrong?" She asked.

"No hon, you're completely right." Lorelai smiled softly. "You remember that?"

"I..uh..Sort of..." Rory said, frowning, trying to think again. "I was...uh...I was ill in bed, I think. And I was eating these."

"You had chicken pox." Olivia said.

"I...I remember...I think." Rory said quietly. "God, those were hell." She said laughing slightly. She smiled when everyone else chuckled as well.

"Luke made you the mashed potatoes every day until you felt better. See, I told you he's always been there for us." Olivia smiled.

Rory smiled softly. "I...I remember something..." She said. "That's good right? I mean, I know it's small but I remember it. That's good, right?"

"It's great." Lorelai smiled softly, squeezing her arm. "It's really really great."

"I guess this meal was a good idea after all." Olivia smiled just as her cell rang. "Do you mind if I take this?" She asked.

"Go ahead, hon." Lorelai said.

Olivia took her cell and went into her room. "Ben, she remembered something! It was small but it was something! She's starting to remember!"

"That's great!" Ben said. "See, I told you!" He smiled.

"I know you did." She smiled. "I'm finally feeling like things are starting to get better. She's starting to remember..."

"That's really great." Ben smiled.

"Hey Ben?" Olivia said softly.

"Yeah?"

"I...I love you." She said. There was a silence and she cringed. "I'm sorry...Crap, it was too soon right?"

"No." Ben smiled softly. "I just...I didn't want to push you into saying that. I've felt it for a while now but I know you wanted to take it slow."

"I know. But...what you did today for me. How you've been there for me recently. I'm so lucky to have you. I...I love you." She said.

"I love you too." He said.

Olivia heard laughs out in the kitchen. "I better get back. But I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You bet." Ben smiled. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." Olivia said before hanging up. She smiled giddily to herself before slowly heading back to the kitchen. Maybe things were really starting to look up.

I hope you liked it! :) Please keep the reviews coming as I love reading what you think! :) Thanks again for your support! :)