RNM 14 Dances
A/N: recap – Rory is at her coming out party, with not only Christopher, Emily, Richard and Lorelai attending, but also Luke as Lorelai's partner and Rachel as Christopher's date. Emily and Luke just had a moment in which they seemed to connect as human beings.
"Don't let her bait you!" Luke whispered hotly into Lorelai's ear as they sat at the table. The woman sitting on the other side of Luke had a calculating expression on her face as she leaned forward to look at Lorelai, and she knew exactly how to get a response from her. Her smile had more than a twist of evil in it. Luke shuddered, fearing the worst. "This is going to be a disaster," he mumbled.
Lorelai ran her fingertips along his smooth cheek, enjoying GQ'd Luke as much as she enjoyed Flannel Luke and HotLuke (she was going to have to trademark that one, she mused). Her eyes sparkled with humor and affection as she locked eyes with him, trying to set his mind at ease. She poked at his frown trying to get him to crack a smile.
"Relax, sweetie, I've got this," she reassured him, whispering. "She can't do anything to us." Lorelai took another sip of her cocktail before responding to Rachel's question.
"Oh my god, you are so right!" Lorelai agreed. "Finding Neverland is the best tearjerker of the year. Rory and I were big puddles of goo when Sylvia walked into Neverland."
Rory rolled her eyes, remembering the popcorn tub stuffed with tissues and napkins she had to dispose of after the movie. She also remembered Luke's red eyes that he wiped even as he denied being moved by the film.
"Iceman Luke, of course, just laughed at us and handed us tissues," continued Lorelai.
Rachel arched an eyebrow and looked at her former boyfriend, who had taken refuge in assessing the freshness of his salad. "I seem to recall seeing a picture of Luke dressed as Peter Pan when he was about eight. So Luke, what did you think about the movie? Surely it tweaked your heartstrings a little?" She fondly remembered some of the little softy moments she'd shared with him.
Luke shook his head while not looking directly into anyone's eyes. Lorelai rubbed his shoulder and ducked her head down to smile at him sweetly. She replied, "Luke was too busy keeping his wailing womenfolk from falling to the ground in despair," she exaggerated.
Rory's mouth flopped open and shut like a fish as she watched her mother seamlessly defend her boyfriend's masculinity. Her heart warmed as she watched the two of them share a momentary but very private loving glance. When Luke looked up, Rory sent him a reassuring wink.
Lorelai grinned, an evil spark in her eye. "But when we get home, I expect to see that Peter Pan picture, mister."
Emily arrived at the table with Richard and scanned the group. They had at least followed her seating chart – she had Richard at the figurative head of the round table, with Rory and Dean to Richard's right and Christopher and Rachel to Emily's left, leaving Lorelai and Luke the last two seats.
"For those of you new to the debutante ball, and to those of you" looking directly at Lorelai, "who treat this as some sort of demented joke, there is some protocol to the rest of the evening."
She continued as if Lorelai were not sitting there open-mouthed and Luke and Rory were not offended on her behalf.
"As Rory's sponsors, Richard and I will lead the first dance. Afterward there will be a series of dances until the cycle has finished. Please join us at the dance floor." She then proceeded imperiously to the floor accompanied by a disgruntled Richard, still steaming from their argument and his job stress.
Lorelai hung onto Luke's arm as they reluctantly followed Emily with the others collecting themselves at the side of the dance floor. She whispered, "We're saved from the first dance, but we'll have to do the next ones." She scanned the group of Rory's family and friends. "First you and I will dance, then you have to dance with Rachel, followed by Rory and Emily. Gah!" she cried as Emily quickly turned, reached between Luke and Rachel to grab the wrists of Lorelai and Christopher, who had been standing in a group.
"Don't make a scene, Lorelai," said Emily. "You and Christopher need to dance as Rory's parents with us as sponsors." She threw a condescending look at Luke, ignoring Rachel altogether. "Parents belong together," she demanded as she pulled Christopher and Lorelai out of the group.
"Save me Obi-wan, before it's too late!" mocked Lorelai as she was dragged onto the floor, a smirking Christopher ready to take her in his arms.
Rachel sidled over to Luke to watch the dancers. "Quite a circus, don't you think?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied. "Lorelai claims she's twirling the flaming baton. I used to think the townies were nuts, but this really takes the cake."
She gave a soft grunt. "Clowns to the left of me,"
"Jokers to the right," he replied with a smile.
"Stuck in the middle with you." She looked at Luke affectionately. "We had some nice dances, didn't we?"
He crooked his head at her words. "Yeah, I guess so. My dancing days are over, though. Now I carry the fire extinguisher in case the baton gets dropped." He jutted his chin at Lorelai, who mouthed "save me!" as she flawlessly circled the room with Christopher.
The next dance was Christopher with Rory and Lorelai with Dean, leaving Rachel and Luke to dance together.
"We never danced again after prom, did we?" she asked as Luke awkwardly guided her around the floor, uncomfortably searching for the proper level of contact between him and his ex-girlfriend.
"We almost did once. Remember that photojournalist party that I got too sick to attend?"
She looked at him reprovingly. "I always thought you faked the illness so you wouldn't have to go to Washington, DC."
He chuckled. "Nah, that was just the upside of the fever, diarrhea and vomiting."
She rolled her eyes. "Ah, the good times we shared," she teased as their dance ended. They moved off the floor for a breather.
"Oh Luke! Save me please," beseeched Rory as she collapsed into his arms a few minutes later.
"Do you need a break, kiddo?" he asked as they took a slow turn around the room, edging closer to an exit.
She nodded furiously, adding, "Don't let Grandma see us. She'll chase us back to the dance floor. I have to be all proper and polite, bat my eyes at all the boys. Sheesh."
They slipped out a door onto the terrace where they settled on a concrete balustrade. Luke briefly re-entered the ballroom to get Rory a coke.
Drinking deeply, Rory sighed as she rested. "Mom was right, Luke. Sometimes I think she exaggerates about Grandma, but she was completely insane about this coming out party."
"Hey, it means something to her," he said, "and you like her, remember? Sometimes it's nice to do something for someone even though you hate doing it."
"Like you and Kirk?" she asked, mischief in her voice.
"Not like me and Kirk!" he exclaimed. "He irritates the hell out of me until I snap and give in. More like me bailing out my sister. I really hate that she's so irresponsible, but it feels good when I help her, because, uh, I don't know, it's like she's letting me into her life for at least a little while."
"Huh. I'm pretty sure that's the way Grandma feels about Mom sometimes. Maybe you and Grandma have more in common than you think," Rory said quietly, while Luke shook his head slightly, doubting that possibility.
"Hey Rory," said Dean as he approached the pair. "Your grandma sent me out here. We're supposed to dance. You know, she's kinda annoying."
"Yeah, I know," sighed Rory. She perked up. "How about if you dance me once around the floor, right past Grandma so I can smile and wave at her, then we'll sneak out here for the rest of the evening?"
Standing, Luke laughed at Rory's hopeful expression. "Sounds like you two have a workable plan. It's my turn to dance with Emily, by the way, so I'll see if I can distract her while you make your getaway."
He moved to a quiet corner of the room as the music started. He smiled. A waltz. His mother had taught him to dance several dances, but they excelled at the waltz. Once he became an athlete, the dancing and baseball footwork skills merged to make him a graceful, athletic dancer.
"You're late," said Emily.
"I wanted you to have a chance to see Rory dance," he answered.
"Hmph. I see," she said.
"Shall we?" he asked.
"Are you ready for a waltz? It's difficult. Not the kind of thing taught for a high school prom."
"Feel free to tell me to stop any time." He held out his hand in a public enough manner that she would have been rude to refuse.
Mother, help me through the next two and a half minutes, he prayed as he counted the beat and waited for the right moment in the music.
"Did Lorelai teach you?"
"Not hardly. She waltzes beautifully, but prefers faster dances." He smiled slightly as he turned Emily away from the door as Dean and Rory made their escape. The waltz picked up tempo significantly and he nearly stumbled until he focused on the dance again. "My mother taught me," he added.
Emily smiled insincerely. "Lorelai and Christopher learned together. They were inseparable as children."
Luke blinked at her, briefly debating the consequences before replying, "Seems he separated pretty fast after Rory was born." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew Emily would not like what she heard.
It was now Emily's turn to lose focus and misstep. Luke caught her and led her with more confidence and power.
"Lorelai refused to get married! You get pregnant, you get married. Period." Emily stiffened as he spun her faster in time with the music.
"Emily, I won't hear any comments about Lorelai's choices. She's an adult and has successfully raised Rory and built her own life. Let the past go," he practically growled.
"She needs to make amends, and there's only one way to do that. This I will not let go!" she said shrilly. "We are done here." She stopped abruptly, the couple behind them nearly ramming them.
Luke escorted her off the floor, both gratefully separating as soon as they reached the carpeted area.
Their disagreement was forgotten when they reached the table, where a full-blown argument had begun.
While dancing with Richard, Rachel offered to take Rory with her on her next trip to the Caribbean, where she was scheduled to photograph a poverty-stricken town's efforts to improve education. Richard accepted enthusiastically, offering to pay Rory's expenses. When they got back to the table, they discovered that Lorelai was not quite as enthusiastic.
"Lorelai, it's 3-4 days tops," explained Rachel. "We're taking a commercial airline and staying at a decent hotel."
"What if there's a coup while she's there? She has no survival skills. She can't kill a man with her bare hands." Lorelai angrily flicked her ponytail back and forth, then pulled her hair free from its clip.
"Nonsense, Lorelai. There won't be a coup. There hasn't been a coup there in over a hundred years." Richard looked disapprovingly down his glasses at his daughter.
"She doesn't have a passport. It's a foreign country," she grumbled. "She's too young."
"She doesn't need one, Lorelai." Rachel racked her brain for a more positive topic. "Look, Lorelai, she'll get a chance to meet real journalists."
"That would look great on a college application," said Christopher. "Harvard would love it."
"Or Yale," added Richard. "Yale has an excellent journalism program, and it's very tough to get into."
"She's not going to Yale, Dad. She's always wanted to go to Harvard, ever since she was a toddler."
Luke sat down next to Lorelai and put his arm across the back of her chair. Rubbing her shoulder, he carefully let her handle the situation. No need to upset Emily even more.
"She's too young! She's never been on an airplane." Feeling frustrated, Lorelai slumped back against Luke's arm. He leaned in close and pressed his lips to her hair.
"What exactly is being discussed here?" demanded Emily.
"Rachel wants to take Rory to some small Caribbean island for a photo assignment. She's too young. It's too dangerous." Lorelai crossed her arms and frowned.
"It's a chance of a lifetime, Lorelai," said Richard. "She'll never have an opportunity like this again."
"That's settled, then," said Emily. "She can go." She sat down, looked at Lorelai and Luke coldly, and took a sip of wine.
"It's settled alright," said Lorelai, "She's not going. I won't allow it. I'm her mother."
"She also has a father. Christopher, what do you think?" asked Emily.
"I'm all for it. I think she'll have a great adventure. Rachel's traveled a lot and knows how to do it right."
"You don't have any say in the matter!" cried Lorelai. "I decide this, and she's not going."
"Technically, Lorelai," said Richard condescendingly, "In absence of a formal custody agreement, either parent can make decisions for the child. Christopher has just as much decision-making power as you do."
Christopher turned to Rachel. "Hey, how about if I go with you? Then it will be Daddy and his daughter. I'm there to protect her and help her while you do your thing."
Rachel froze into her poker face. A couple of dates and now he wanted to travel along on a job? She hoped that was all he was interested in, because he was certainly not on her boyfriend radar. "Sure. Sounds good."
Rory and Dean wandered back to the table, with only Lorelai noticing the tell-tale signs of kissing.
Emily crowed with delight. "Rory, guess what? We've arranged for you and your father to go with Rachel to the Caribbean!"
Rory looked at Rachel excitedly. "The school photo shoot? Really? Oh my god I can't wait!" She jumped up and down, laughing and holding onto Dean. "I really get to go to the Caribbean!" She dashed over to hug Emily, who smirked over Rory's shoulder at both Lorelai and Luke.
Several days later, Emily entered Richard's office triumphantly, waving a sheaf of paper.
"I knew it!" she crowed. "Bringing Rory out into society was the best thing ever for us. Here is a whole new batch of social contacts!"
She flipped from one to another. "Here's the wife of that Donaldson man you've been trying to sell. This one is from the president of the Bridgeport DAR; I've been trying to get a joint fundraiser for ages with her. And there's a dozen more like these!"
Richard looked condescendingly over his glasses at his wife. "That's nice, dear. Glad to hear your little scheme worked out. Wait, did you say Rebecca Donaldson? Roy Donaldson's wife?"
"No Richard, Roy left Rebecca two years ago for a scheming, man-hungry little gold digger named Periwinkle. She's apparently leading him around by the you know what. I bet she'll be able to get you that meeting you've wanted."
Emily read Periwinkle's note. "Hm," she said, puzzled. "Do you have the Courier? Apparently she wants to meet someone in a photograph from the ball." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Looks like she's found her next boy toy. Honestly, I don't see how Roy doesn't' see right through her and her affairs."
Immersed in his papers again, he muttered, "Over there on that absurd little table you call a 'bonheur du jour.' A silly name if ever I heard one."
Emily tossed the other newspapers to the floor as she searched for the Courier's society section. Flipping open to the event coverage, she paled, then turned an angry shade of purple as she recognized herself and Luke smiling at each other as they shared their opinion of the absurdity of the debutante ball.
"Oh my god, Richard!" she shouted as she crumpled the paper and tossed it in the fireplace. "Oh my GOD. It's that man. She wants to meet that diner man. I need a drink."
"That's not good, Emily. We'll have to do something about that," Richard said calmly. "I wonder if the man has ever had a proper shave."
"Don't be ridiculous, Richard. That won't get us anywhere. We have to fix this. He's completely unsuitable for Lorelai."
Richard slapped his newspaper down on his desk. "Of course I'm aware of that. We have to have a good strategy, though. I might have a few ideas…"
A/N: Luke's waltz with Emily was inspired by smad over at . During a discussion about The Waltz, she noted that Scott Patterson really knows how to waltz, so I gave Luke a chance to prove it to Emily.
The Peter Pan picture was inspired by one of the revival kids. We don't know who he really plays at this point in time, maybe Lane's son, but if his hair were a little darker he could pass for a Luke/Lorelai kid.
Also a callout to lulu1960 or eledgy, whoever coined the term HotLuke