AUTHORS NOTE: This story is a continuation of "The Girl in the City." If you haven't read that one I would suggest you do so first or a lot of this will be very confusing.
Lorelai is now eighteen and working in the field again. Rachel is about to turn thirteen. Jack is six. It starts in the timeline of early season six.
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It was eleven-thirty on a Friday night. Lorelai and Aaron had gotten back into town from a case just a few hours before. They were tired but they were still up decorating for Rachel's birthday party the next day. She was turning the big 1-3. Lorelai was in the garage filling up balloons with helium. Rachel & Jack had already gone to bed, and they didn't want to wake them up from the noise of the helium tank.
Aaron had just finished hanging up the last of the decorations he could inside and went into the garage to grab some balloons to bring in. He chuckled at Lorelai who was sitting in a chair with her eyes closed almost doing everything just by feel. The noise from the helium tank drowned out the noise of him coming into the garage so he cleared his throat loudly to get her attention.
Lorelai opened her eyes and shut off the tank. "Hi. Sorry didn't hear you come in."
Aaron smiled. "Clearly. Are you sure you're not too tired? I can take over." He offered.
"No. I am fine. Yes, tired but I want to be part of this too." Lorelai told him.
Aaron nodded. "You are a great big sister." He told her
"Thanks. I hope Rachel thinks that too. Lately, she seems to be less interested in spending time with me." Lorelai told him.
Aaron shook his head. "She does think you're a great big sister. She's just a teenager now. She wants to spend time with her friends, not her family. It's nothing personal against you. I was told I was 'uncool' the other day because I mistakenly referred to her favorite band by the wrong name." He said with a smirk.
Lorelai laughed. "You have reached uncool status oh my." She said still laughing
Aaron shook his head and smiled.
The two finished up with the balloons and decorating. At around one am they headed to bed.
/\/\/\
The next morning Lorelai work up at eight-thirty when her alarm went off. She had agreed to wake up early to start on Rachel's birthday breakfast while Aaron went to the cake shop to pick up the birthday cake. She got up and got dressed quickly before heading to the kitchen.
Aaron had already been up and left Lorelai knew this because there was a pot of coffee already sitting waiting for her. It was still warm so obviously, he hadn't been gone long. Lorelai poured herself a cup before pulling out the ingredients to make Rachel's favorite breakfast waffles and bacon.
She had prepped everything before Aaron got back just half an hour later and put the cake in the garage, so no one got into it before the party.
"Morning," Lorelai said when he came into the kitchen.
"Morning," Aaron replied. "The two still asleep?" He asked
"Yup," Lorelai responded. "I am ready to start cooking the waffles and bacon I just don't want to start it too soon and have it getting cold before Rachel gets up," Lorelai told him.
Aaron nodded. "Neither takes long to cook, we can wait." He told her. "How many people are coming to the party again?"
Lorelai went to a notebook on the table and opened it up to the guest list. "It's the family plus twelve of her school friends so twenty-one plus the four of us so twenty-five total."
Aaron nodded. "I'm glad she got into that school and fits so well."
Lorelai nodded. "Considering I think she is doing better than me mentally I agree. After everything she went through in the first eleven years of her life. I am happy she seems happy and healthy."
Aaron looked at her concerned. "You spent more years in the trauma than she did and based on what I have heard you, and Rebecca after you left protected the younger ones. I think you experienced more than her and also you still see a lot of trauma with the cases we work on. That being said I think you are thriving to Lorelai." He told her
Lorelai smiled and nodded. "I am doing far better than I was when I got to Virginia and since joining the FBI and you and the family are a big part of that." She told him
Aaron nodded. "I'm glad."
"But enough of the sad stuff. Today is a good day." Lorelai said as she closed the notebook that had all the party planning stuff in it and went back to the kitchen.
Jack had woken up and left his room. He saw Rachel's door was still closed he knew that meant she was still asleep. He went and knocked on the door and went in after he heard a sleepy groan.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" he shouted causing Rachel to shoot up out of sleep.
"Jack!" She said annoyed
Jack laughed and ran downstairs to the kitchen to get away from his annoyed big sister.
Lorelai and Aaron heard the loud proclamation from upstairs followed by the laughing little boy running downstairs into the kitchen.
Lorelai laughed too.
"Jack that was not necessary," Aaron told his son when he came into the kitchen trying not to laugh himself. As unnecessary as it was it was still amusing to the man.
Rachel came down twenty minutes later annoyed. "Don't worry Jack I will get you back." She said
Aaron shook his head and smiled. "Okay. Enough of that. Lorelai is making breakfast let's sit and enjoy." He went and kissed his younger daughter on the head. "Happy birthday." He said. "Let it go he was just being a typical little brother." He told her.
Jack was still giggling about the situation still -very amused with his little prank.
"I'm making your favorite," Lorelai told her. As she served up some warm waffles and bacon. The table was covered with the toppings for the waffles.
They all sat down to breakfast. When they were done. Aaron took Jack to get him cleaned up from the sticky syrup and to help him get ready for the day.
Lorelai looked at Rachel. "You know he was just teasing. Right?"
Rachel nodded and smiled. "Yes. I admit if he did it to you or dad I would have found it amusing."
Lorelai chuckled. "I can also see why it would be annoying if it was to me. But I distinctly remember every Christmas since being here you come into my room at the crack of dawn to wake up me."
"Yes. But I don't go in screaming Merry Christmas." Rachel pointed out.
Lorelai laughed. "No, you don't. And don't get any ideas. But anyways why don't you go get ready people will be arriving soon." She told her as she cleared the table.
Rachel smiled and went off. Lorelai finished cleaning and went to finish getting ready herself. Within the hour David showed up first with the food. She and Aaron had arranged to get the meal catered to take some of the pressure off and David had said he would pick it up for them. He was coming early with the food.
Lorelai let him in helping him to bring in the trays of cooked food. Once it was all on the counters Lorelai double-checked that they had everything they ordered.
David looked around. "Where is the birthday girl?" he asked
Lorelai smiled. "Still getting ready. I'm sure she needs some extra time now that she is allowed to wear makeup."
David chuckled. "How long did it take her to convince your dad of that?"
"A lot of pleases and sad eyes and a little help from her big sister who agreed to teach her how to use it, so she doesn't overdo it," Lorelai told him.
"Ah. I see. -You played a role in this endeavor." David said
"What kind of big sister would I be if I didn't help her with it?" She asked
David chuckled as he was tackled by an excited six-year-old. "Uncle Dave!" Jack said as he hugged him
David smiled and picked up the small boy. "Hello, Jack. How are you?"
"Good! Did you hear about the prank I pulled?!" Jack asked
"No. I don't believe so was it a good one?" He asked
Lorelai started to laugh. "Oh. It was funny for those who heard and saw the fallout. Not so much for the birthday girl" Lorelai said
"Oh boy," David said. "Why don't you tell me about it, Jack?" He said looking at the boy
Jack told his uncle David all about it. Just finishing up his story when Rachel came into the room. "Hi, Uncle Dave." She said.
David looked up and smiled. "Hello. Happy Birthday." He said to her setting Jack down and going and hugging her. "I heard about your wake-up this morning."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Yes. Everyone found it quite amusing. That's okay. Jack's birthday isn't too far away I'm sure I can come up with something to make his day -extra special too." She said with a smile.
David chuckled and shook his head at Aaron as he came into the room. "Typical siblings right?" he asked his friend.
Aaron chuckled. "Yes, they are." He said double checking all the food he had ordered was there.
Lorelai smiled. "I already doubled checked. It's all here dad."
Aaron nodded. "Thank you."
Slowly the rest of the family and all Rachel's friends showed up. The party was a big hit. They had arranged for a bounce house because it didn't matter how old you got even teens enjoyed bouncing in a bounce house. The food was amazing as well they had picked the right company to go with. There were lots of games and activities for everyone to partake in.
Spencer went over to Lorelai who was counting heads to make sure all the kids were still there.
"This party is a great success." He told her.
Lorelai finished her count and smiled. "Yes. I think so too. They all seem to be enjoying themselves." She said looking up at the man.
"You did a good job planning." He told her.
"Wasn't just me. Rachel had her input and so did Dad." She told him.
"Of course, but you did most of the leg work." He pointed out.
Lorelai shrugged. "I remember my thirteenth birthday. It's a big birthday. It was the only time my birthday was acknowledged in that house by my foster mother and well let's just say I wanted Rachel to have a better memory of her own." She told him.
Spencer squeezed her shoulder. "Is that why you don't like your birthday?" He asked
Lorelai smiled and shrugged. "I like it better now since the last couple were great. But yeah. Birthdays in that house were just ignored for the most part. I did what I could to make it special for the others. Made their cards and made their favorite foods if possible, things like that but I was the oldest sorry the presumed oldest and to be honest never told any of the other kids my birthday." She told him
Spencer nodded a bit. "You are an amazing human being Lorelai. You did and still do so much for those kids." He said. "Yes. I know. You're still keeping tabs on them."
Lorelai chuckled a bit. "It's hard. I spent so many years being their big sister and parent really and then I left because I didn't have a choice I left them there to be abused until I found a way in and got them out and, still some of them never made it out alive. I feel somewhat responsible. And the least I can do is make sure the ones that did survive have the best life possible." She told him.
Spencer sighed a bit. "Lorelai. You are -not responsible for the choices of that woman and the others who hurt them. You are responsible for yourself and your own choices no one else's. There is nothing wrong with caring about the well-being of people who were your siblings for so long, but you are not responsible for their choices or for others who might hurt them." He told her making her look at him when he told her these things.
Lorelai nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. "Part of me knows that. But there is a reason I am still in therapy. I am still working through the trauma and trying to let go of these feelings but for some reason, they are still there." She told him.
Spencer nodded. "I'm glad you can recognize the truth even if you can't quite accept that yet. I know Derek was keeping tabs on them for a while is there a reason you are now and he's not?" Spencer asked
"Well… I think he still is. He doesn't know I'm doing it too." Lorelai said. "At least I don't think he does. I didn't think anyone did." She added.
"I don't know about anyone else. The only reason I know is that you left your computer logged in one evening and I was the last one there. I noticed it was still on and was just going to turn the screen off but noticed you were still logged in and on a report of one of them running away. I put it together myself." He told her. "I logged you out by the way. You should be more careful about that." He gently scolded.
Lorelai nodded. "I didn't know I did that. Thanks, I will be more careful. You didn't tell anyone did you?"
"No. I figured Aaron knew." He pointed out.
Lorelai shook her head. "I didn't tell anyone. I didn't want Derek to think I didn't trust him. I do. I just thought an extra set of eyes. One of us would see if there was an issue."
Spencer shook his head and smiled. "You are asking for trouble there Lorelai."
"Yeah well you should know by now, trouble is my middle name, and I don't know how to stay out of it." She said with a smirk.
Spencer chuckled. "Your stubbornness is one of the qualities about you that both make me proud of you and drive me nuts."
"Yeah. You and just about everyone else." Lorelai pointed out.
Spencer shook his head. "Is your stubbornness the reason we haven't told anyone we're dating again?"
Lorelai looked around quickly making sure no one heard that. "No. I just think it's so new that I just want to keep it between us for now."
Spencer nodded. "Okay. And don't worry I made sure no one heard."
Lorelai nodded. "Thanks. I promise we will tell people. I just want to wait a little longer."
Spencer nodded and smiled as Jack and Kelsey ran over to the two of them and dragged them over to the bounce house where Rachel insisted they jumped to telling them they couldn't refuse because it was her birthday.
Derek sat with Aaron watching them. "They think we're stupid don't they?" Derek asked Aaron
"Lorelai and Spencer? And the fact they think we don't know they are dating?" Aaron asked
Derek nodded.
"Naïve is the better word for it I think," Emily said as she sat with them.
Aaron chuckled.
"How do you feel about it?" JJ asked as she and Will joined them as well. Slowly the rest of the family minus the kids and Spencer join the group waiting for the response from Aaron.
"Just annoyed that she hasn't told me. I knew it was inevitable. I know they weren't dating before she was eighteen, but I saw the connection. Spencer is a good guy. I know she's safe and happy with him I don't have an issue with it." He told them. "I want to confront her with the fact I know but I also realized she is an adult woman now. It is her right to tell me when she is ready it's not something I can force her to talk to me about."
"It's hard for teenage girls to talk to their dads about their relationships." JJ pointed out. "I wouldn't take it personally."
Aaron nodded. "I just thought because of our history she would feel more comfortable coming to me with anything."
"Would you really want to know if they are having sex?" Emily asked being her blunt honest self.
"No. I don't need to know details." Aaron said shaking his head "But the fact that they are dating."
"I'm sure she will come and talk to you soon," Penny told him.
"Has she told any of you?" Aaron asked.
They all told him no which was true. They only knew because of their observations.
It wasn't long after that when the party started to calm down. Parents started showing up to pick up their kids. And JJ and Will left with their two kids who were getting tired and cranky. It was five-thirty when the last of the guests made their way out and headed home.
Lorelai flopped on the couch. She too was exhausted. The other three joined her in the living room.
After a bit, Rachel looked at Lorelai and Dad. "Thank you both for this. This was definitely one of the best days of my life. Everything was perfect and I know you both put so much time and effort to make it so."
Aaron smiled. "Rachel. You're my daughter. I will always put as much time and effort as I can to make your birthdays special. You're a good kid you deserve it." He told her.
Rachel smiled.
Lorelai nodded. "I just want you to have what you deserve too. And that means the best parties that we can come up with." She told her with a smile.
It wasn't long before Jack was asleep leaning against dad. Aaron picked him up and got him to bed. Lorelai got up after a bit to finish the cleanup. David and Emily helped a bit before they left but there was still some stuff to put away. Rachel tried to help out but was told nope that it was still her birthday, and she didn't get to help.
She decided instead to go play with the new phone that she had gotten. Aaron figured she was old enough and it was important that he was able to reach her as she was starting to spend more time with friends, and it was easier to contact her if she had her own phone.
When Aaron was done getting the little guy to bed he went downstairs and helped Lorelai finish the cleanup before the both of them showered and crashed for the night.