A/N: Hello, welcome to my story. First of all, I just want to put out there that I love Gilmore Girls. But like many others, I know there are things that i wish could have been, that just weren't. So, this is my little AU story, which touches on some of those things, and is completely AU from Season Five, meaning that I changed some things, but left other things the same. I completely erased Season Seven (because let's be honest, it's my least favourite season), and replaced it with an alternate story line. I hope that you enjoy this story, A Year After the Year in a Life. Thanks, JusticeIsn'tEasy0083. D.
A Year After the Year in a Life
Chapter One – January
Luke and Lorelai have been married for almost two months now and are still living high off everything about being married. It had been their first Christmas as a married couple, and first fight, first snowfall… a lot of firsts. But there have also been some things that haven't changed. Like Luke and Lorelai are still the same as they used to be, except for the fact that now she's a Mrs. instead of a Miss. Lorelai had decided, after many conversations with Rory, that she was going to take Luke's name. Emily had told her that she should do it, that even though she is married, she will always be a Gilmore. There had been talk of hyphenating her name, as in Gilmore-Danes, but that seemed too much of a mouthful, and besides, Luke still refers to her as Gilmore sometimes anyway. Mostly as a joke, and she playfully reminds him that she's a Danes now… that always puts a smile on his face. It's always fun when it's in front of Patty or Babette as well because they take the mick out of him for it. But he enjoys it. Sookie had suggested a 'married couples' getaway' to which Lorelai had reminded Sookie that her daughter, Rory, is also married, and 'shouldn't they invite Rory and Eli as well…' it had taken a minute for Sookie to kick into gear, but with the new expansion of the Dragonfly well underway, Michele' has his hands full, and it just didn't seem like the right time to be taking off for a romantic couple's getaway. Sookie had postponed the trip, but made Lorelai promise that she and Luke would at least consider it in the future. Taylor Doose was a man known for many things. He was sometimes brash, harsh, and downright annoying (mostly to Luke), but one thing he wasn't known for, was his adoration of the Danes children. Liam Danes, and his twin brother Benjamin, and their little sister, five-year-old, Katherine 'Katie' Danes were the apples of Taylor's eyes. To him, they could do no wrong, and it amused Luke and Lorelai very much. The fact that their children can have so much power over Taylor Doose, was something they would definitely use to their advantages. However, it wasn't always a good thing. Sometimes, Taylor would try and get the kids to convince their parents to do things, that their parents didn't want to do, but because it was the kids asking, they had no choice but to say yes, which is why Lorelai ended up sewing hundreds of costumes for the Spring Festival that was upcoming. She had moaned about this to Luke, in the Diner, whilst thinking of things she could throw at Taylor through the glass window that he'd put in between the Soda Shoppe and the Diner.
For the most part, the town of Stars Hollow hasn't changed at all. There is still an abundance of ridiculous festivals for every season, a lot of tourists who come here to experience the small-town charm, and Kirk… Kirk is still here too. On this particular day, the Diner is packed, busier than it normally is. Lane has been working a few extra shifts, just to help out Luke, who has been trying to take more time off, to spend with this family. Another part of his life that he had to work out. It's his business. He's his own boss. He doesn't have to answer to anyone, he can take off whatever days he likes, whenever he likes. But he also enjoys working at his place of business. He likes cooking and serving food and interacting with customers. It fills his days. Right now, Luke is in between serving food, and trying to help his kids studying for their tests on Monday. Ben seems to be doing alright, but Liam is struggling, so in between orders, he's helping his son with his homework, not that Luke is great at it, but Rory couldn't video call them today, as she is at a conference, and April is traveling with some friends, so she can't help either. They're stuck with good old Dad. Ben had expressed interest in attending Yale, the same as his big sister had done, whilst Liam had basically turned his nose up at doing anything other than sitting around, playing video games, or hanging out with his friends. To be honest, Lorelai was worried about her son having no ambition, and wondering where he got that from, considering that the two out of four of their children, seem to be academics. April is studying in the Sciences, and Rory has had a career in Journalism, and has now switched to being an Author. Something that allows her to be at home with her own children. That's not to say that Rory's life has been that easy. When she told her mother that she had met someone, there was that initial worry that he was like Logan, or Jess… but after they met him, Lorelai slowly began to realise that he's a mixture of all three of Rory's past boyfriends, he has Dean's kindness, Logan's drive and Jess' mysteriousness. He's the perfect guy for Rory, and each of those three exes agreed with that when they all met him. That is why Rory now lives in Chicago, which she hates, because it's so far away from her mother, and her siblings, but she and her husband have been talking about moving back to Stars Hollow. Upon entering the Diner, Lorelai, placing their five-year-old down on the ground, so she can run over to her siblings, looks around for a space to sit, spotting her children, and moving over to them.
'Luuuuke… your loving wife is here, and she would looooove some coffee,' Lorelai said, smirking at her husband's facial expression when he came out of the kitchen
'Crazy lady,' he said, handing her a to-go cup, and kissing her once, before the kids chimed in with gross out noises
'Okay you two, back to homework. Mommy and Daddy are going to kiss now,' Lorelai said, turning to look back at Luke, connecting their lips.
'Excuse me, this is a Diner, not a brothel. Keep the PDA to a minimum please,' Taylor said, earning glares from Lorelai and Luke, and chuckles from their children.
Since they had nothing else to really do, the Danes Family had just been adjusting to life and having two working parents. Lorelai and Luke have struggled to find that balance in their home and work lives, and it hasn't always been easy. When the Twins were first born, Luke was struggling to find the time to see his kids, and usually they would always be asleep when he got home from the Diner, and Lorelai would either be asleep, or cranky that she had to deal with them all day. After Katie was born, they both realised that they might need to slow down a little bit. Luke hated missing the nights, and he hated missing the mornings. Although there wasn't much, he could do feeding wise, it was always nice to wake up to his kids. However, after an incident where Lorelai was hurt, Luke realised that spending all his time working wasn't benefiting anyone, and he made Caesar the Manager, and was able to shift his days around so that he could be home with his kids, and his [at the time] girlfriend. Lorelai and Sookie had been working their butts off as well. The Inn has been kicking butt since it opened twelve years ago, and it's won numerous awards, and accolades, and has even invited Sookie, Lorelai, and Michele to talk to other people in business. It's been a riot. But just like it wasn't easy for Luke, it wasn't easy for Lorelai either. After the Twins were born, things seemed to be going okay. She and Luke were still on their 'taking it slow' train, even though they had two babies, and had barely been back together for a year at that point. Then Katie had come along in 2011. It had been a surprise, but they were happy. Until things started getting stressful again. Anna Nardini stressful. April's mother had decided to try and insert herself into the life April was trying to create with her father, and that included trying to push Lorelai out again… Sookie was the one to point this out to the Diner Owner, and he begged Lorelai to not give up on them. She had to deal with some stuff on her own at that point, because Luke was busy helping April, and she had the Twins and Katie to raise. It once again, put a strain on their relationship, a strain that wasn't helped by Rory not being there. She had spent many nights, crying herself to sleep, because she was so exhausted, and drained, both mentally and physically, and she just felt like everything was repeating itself, except this time, she'll be left to pick up the pieces of her heart, and raise three babies on her own. It had been horrible. But they got through that as well… and now here they are, married with three kids, and just truly happy. Even with the Town, and her mother… they are truly happy.
When the idea of a couple's getaway came up again in front of Luke at the Diner, he was the first person to jump at the idea, shocking not only his wife, but also Sookie and Jackson, who hadn't been expecting him to give into it that easily. Rory had also gotten a call from Sookie, inviting her along, and she jumped at the chance, having not seen her mother in person for ages. Now that she lives in Chicago, she barely has time to speak to, let alone see, her mother, and for all her smarts, neither she nor Luke are very tech savvy, even though both she and April had numerous times written out the exact instructions for how to use Skype calling, and the internet. So now that Rory and her husband Eli were coming as well, Sookie was excitedly planning all the things that they could do. Jackson had discovered that there was a ball game happening that weekend, nearby to where they're staying, and had mentioned this to Luke, who jumped at the chance, before turning to look at Lorelai, who rolled her eyes, but told them to book it, they can go to the game. Jackson hi-fived the Diner Owner, who also rolled his eyes, but conceded, raising his hand so that Jackson could hit it with his. Now the only thing they have to do, is find people to watch their kids. Emily had mentioned wanting to spend some time with her grandbabies, so Lorelai decided they could stay with their grandmother, who would be coming to Hartford to finalise the deal on the old house, so the kids could stay there. The Spa is in Redding and is meant to be one of the best around. Lorelai was kind of looking forward to it but was also worried about leaving the kids alone with their grandmother for a weekend, even though Luke assured her that it was all going to be fine. Rory and Eli would leave their kids with Eli's parents, and fly in from Chicago tomorrow, leaving them enough time to have a rest, before they go on Saturday. Luke had done the Diner schedules, and Michele was quite content to remain behind, and oversee the construction, but Lorelai made him promise that he would be good, and he did. Sookie and Jackson were thrilled that this was happening, but they hadn't told Lorelai the bad news, and she didn't want to ruin the weekend by springing it on her best-friend now, so she did what nervous Sookie does best, she rambled on about something else, until Jackson announced that it was time for them to go, and she would call tonight to see how Rory is, and make sure they're all ready. Luke actually was looking forward to this weekend. They haven't seen Rory and Elijah for a while, and the fact that there is a ball game… count him in.
'Alright, who has finished their homework, and wants to help Daddy with the dishes?' Luke asked his kids, standing and walking over them
'Dad, you always say we're not allowed in the kitchen, now you want us to wash the dishes. Nice try,' Liam said, pulling out his gaming console that he'd received for Christmas, whilst Katie just grinned at him, her colouring book in front of her
'Liam, feet off the chair… William Richard Danes, take your feet off that chair right now, or I will take that gaming console off of you and you won't see it ever again,' Lorelai said, more sternly the second time
'Yeah right, you can't do that. I'll just tell Dad and he'll give it back to me,' Liam said, mockingly before Luke came over and snatched the thing out of his hands, pointing to the kitchen without a word, both kids stomping into the room.
Lorelai had gotten home early that night, and had had a screaming match with her son, where things had been said, and he'd stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him. Lorelai, tired, overworked, and stressed out, crawled into bed, crying into her pillow. She doesn't know what she's done wrong. Her little boy hates her, and she can't seem to make him understand her, or understand that his attitude isn't warranted. Ben was still awake (unbeknownst to his mother) when Luke got home. He entered the house, locking the front door behind him, placing his things on the hall table, before entering the lounge, stopping when he saw his son, asking him why he is still awake. Ben explained to him what had happened with Liam and Lorelai, and what he had said to her, then explained that he had wanted to stay up to make sure that he knew, because mom wouldn't have told him. He kissed his father's cheek and went to bed after that. Luke made his way up the stairs, and peaked in on Katie, who was sound asleep, before moving into the bedroom, where he saw Lorelai, curled up to her pillow on her side of the bed. He toed off his shoes, and changed out of his clothes, into his sleepwear, and was about to get into bed, when he heard it… the sound of a sob. Moving quicker, Luke climbed into bed, pulled Lorelai against him, and held her. She turned over so that she was sobbing into his chest, letting it all come out, as Luke just rubbed her back comfortingly. It hurt him, to see his wife life this. He hates seeing Lorelai upset, it kills him. Even more so that he knows it was their son who said some terrible things to his mother. Lorelai moved her head so that she could kiss Luke, pressing him back into the mattress, he cupped her face with his hands, wiping the tears still silently falling, knowing that he should stop this before it goes too far, but Lorelai had straddled him, and she was wearing that nightgown that he loves so much. He ran his hands down her body, until he reached her breasts, cupping them in his hands, lightly playing with them, and the nipples. Lorelai ground her hips down, creating friction, feeling the hard on against her, as Luke and "Chester", became more interested in what they were doing. Man, you have to stop this… it's not fair to take advantage of your wife when she's emotional… then again… she did start this… Luke's voice in his head told him, but instead of listening, he reached down to the bottom of the nightgown, gripped the end, and pulled it up and over Lorelai's head, tossing it down beside the bed, becoming even more turned on at the fact that her breasts were naked, but she was wearing the sexy pink lace underwear that Luke had gotten her on their honeymoon.
Lorelai reached for the hem of his shirt, pulling it off over his head, still straddling his waist, running her hands down his toned body, as he kissed and suckled at her neck, and shoulders, whilst Lorelai's hand breached the waistband of the boxers he was wearing, and got a grip of Chester. She stroked him a couple of times, whilst Luke slipped his finger into her wetness, and Lorelai threw her head back, allowing him access to her neck again, before he gripped her waist, and flipped them over, so that he was hovering over his wife, slowly removing her underwear with his finger, before pulling his own off, and rubbing himself against her slits, making her moan his name… a sound that he loves… that voice in the back of his head was telling him that he was taking advantage, but also that Lorelai had started this whole thing, and it wasn't until he moved up to kiss her, that he realised she was still crying. Luke pulled away, getting off the bed, moving across the room, grabbing his boxers, and pulling them on, whilst Lorelai groaned, hoisting herself up on her elbows, asking him if he's alright, because he just bolted as if he'd seen a bug or something. Luke shook his head, apologising to her for letting it go on as long as it did, and Lorelai, realising what Luke meant, nodded, before covering her face with her hands, and bursting into tears. Luke grabbed her underwear, and nightgown, kneeling on the bed beside her, hugging her close to him. Lorelai re-dressed herself, and thanked Luke, apologising for jumping on him, and he grabbed her face, and looked her in the eyes, and told her that he 'loves her, and that she didn't jump him, that he didn't want to take advantage of her being upset to have sex,'. Lorelai explained what had happened with Liam, and Luke held her as she cried, and almost started crying himself when she began questioning whether she was a good mother. He couldn't believe that their eight-year-old son had made her question her abilities as a mother, because she's a fantastic mother. Rory is proof of that. Eventually, Lorelai drifted off to sleep, and Luke made a promise that he would prove to his wife that she is a good mother, and that Liam would apologise to her, and that his would all happen before they go away on Saturday. On Friday morning, Luke got up before Lorelai, kissing her cheek as he exited the bed, pulling on sweats and a shirt. He went downstairs, picking up some things as he went, poking his head in on his kids, seeing they were still sleeping. He began breakfast, Caesar is opening today, so he doesn't have to be at the Diner until ten. Katie wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her down the stairs, putting her down on the chair, and kissing her cheek. He moved over to start cooking breakfast, chatting with his five-year-old, about her new classmate. A few moments later, they were joined by the Twins. Luke turned to look at Liam.
'So, I heard the things that you said to your mother last night. Do you have anything to say about it?' Luke asked his son, who rolled his eyes, slumping down at the table
'Nope,' he replied, popping the 'p' in the word, as Ben excused himself to shower
'You hate your mother so much? When I was your age, my mother, your other grandmother, passed away. I didn't have a mother. You should be so lucky… you are lucky to have a mother as wonderful as Lorelai. You will apologise to her today, and you will cut it out with this attitude. Your sister is coming in today, I don't want her hearing about you being rude to your mother,' Luke said, hoping that something had gotten through to his son
'I don't hate mom…I'm not Rory okay. I don't want to go to a fancy college. I just want to be Liam. I hate that she compares us to Rory and April all the time,'
'She doesn't compare you. She's just showing you what hard work can do, and what your sisters have achieved, that is no reason to say the things that you did to her,' Luke said, and his son nodded, head down, chuckling when Katie just patted her brothers head.
Rory and Eli's flight landed late, meaning that they had to rush to pick up their rental car, and by the time they had reached Stars Hollow, they were both crabby, and a little irritable. Rory got out of the car first, grabbing the bags, and lugging them up the steps of The Crapshack, entering the house (because it's her house), shouting out that she's here, before hearing her mother coming down the stairs, excitedly shouting her name. The minute she saw her daughter, she hugged her tightly, Rory dropped the bag, wrapping her arms around her mother, jumping up and down excitedly, as they loudly celebrated. Luke just smiled at the scene, before Rory broke the hug with Lorelai, and hugged him as well, lamenting her excitement for the trip tomorrow. Eli lugged the rest of their bags into the house, placing them in a neat stack near the door, before he too hugged Lorelai, shook hands with Luke, then begged the man for a 'decent cup of coffee'. The girls smirked, Luke rolled his eyes, but had a smile on his face, and he handed Eli a mug, filled with the liquid death. Rory winked at her husband, before asking about her siblings. They should be due back from school any minute, which Rory was excited about, because she hasn't seen her siblings in a long while either. Lorelai asked how her grand babies were, staying with Eli's parents, and Rory told them some stories about their children, two girls, five and two years old. When Rory had told her mother that she was pregnant, at a time when she and Eli were having some relationship difficulties, Lorelai was excited, worried, and adamant that she was 'far too young to be a grandmother', a sentiment that Luke had echoed, as well as threatening to kill Eli if he abandoned her and the baby. But they had worked things out, and now here they are, happily married with two kids. Lorelai is proud that Rory has found such an amazing life for herself, and Rory is just thankful that she was raised by Lorelai, who made her want for nothing, and gave her everything she wanted. Luke and Rory found themselves alone in the kitchen, where the Diner Owner lamented to his stepdaughter about what Liam had said last night. Rory was shocked, asked if things were okay, and Luke nodded, but expressed to Rory that they just don't know where the attitude has come from, that he's eight years old, he should be saving those things for when he's a teenager. Rory patted her father's shoulder and promised to have a talk to him. They had just re-joined everyone in the living room, when the door opened, and the Twins entered the house, Ben carrying Katie, whom he placed down on the ground, as soon as they saw Rory and Eli, they all ran to hug them. Lorelai sat on Luke's lap, on the chair, whilst the Twins sat either side of Eli and Rory, and Katie sat on her big sister's lap, playing lightly with Rory's hair, asking them question after question. Liam glanced over at his mother, who smiled at him, and wished that he could take back all the things he'd said to her last night. He was just mad, because of what had happened earlier that day in the Diner, and because one of his mates told him he was a 'Momma's boy' and were teasing him about it.
Rory pulled her brother aside, the two went into her old room, and sat down on the bed, with the door closed to have a chat. Liam explained what had happened, and that he hadn't meant anything he'd said, that he loves their mother very much, and that his friend had just gotten to him. Rory explained that if one of his friends is making fun of him, then that person is not really his friend. Liam nodded, then told Rory that he doesn't think he wants to go to college, that he wants to maybe play sports professionally. The Yale Graduate told him that he's eight he has 'plenty of time to worry about that later and that there is no pressure,'. Liam thanked her, and as they exited the room, he looked over at the pin board that Lorelai had made for Rory all those years ago and smiled. Maybe in a couple of years, he might change his mind, but for now… for now he just wants to be a kid. Rory sent a subtle nod to Luke and Lorelai as she re-joined them in the living room, picking Katie up and asking her about her ballet dancing, whilst Liam asked if he could speak to his mother, and she nodded, getting up to follow her son into the kitchen, sitting at the table. Liam apologised for his behaviour, and told her what he'd told Rory, before telling her that he loves her. Lorelai thanked him for apologising, and they shared a hug, before the doorbell rang, and Liam bolted to answer it, excitedly shouting 'GRANDMA'S HERE!' before anyone else could even think. Lorelai greeted her mother in the foyer of the house, before Rory and Eli hugged the Gilmore matriarch, and then Luke and Ben, before leaning down to pick up Katie, who excitedly began talking a mile a minute about everything, whilst Emily just chuckled. Emily took a seat, and they all chatted for a while. The Twins, who were determined not to do any homework on a Friday night, had changed their minds when Emily started discussing the DAR and her quitting it, because she found it 'stuffy and boring'. Lorelai didn't understand why, but she let her mother do what she liked. She misses her father as well, every single day that he's not here… he wasn't there to walk her down the aisle, and that hurt as well, and whenever they watch the wedding video, and she's reminded of that… Richard would be proud of her. So, so proud. In the end, they both warmed up to Luke, especially after the Twins and Katie were born. Emily has even formed a bond with April, and the young girl has expressed her desire to get to know Emily Gilmore better as well. Both Lorelai and Rory had blanched at that idea, but Luke was okay with it, so they let it be.
'So, where is this spa that you guys are heading too?' Emily asked, taking the cup of tea from her granddaughter
'It's in Redding. Sookie had the tickets, and Luke decided we should all go,' Lorelai said, kissing her husband's cheek, earning an 'aww' from Rory and a 'ugh, Mom' from the Twins, whilst Katie was too preoccupied watching her cartoons on the TV to notice.
'Sounds wonderful. I'm sure you'll all have a wonderful time. Where are you due back?' Emily asked, sipping her tea
'Um, Tuesday. Rory and Eli are going to leave straight from Redding though, head back to Chicago,' Lorelai said, and Rory nodded, although not happy about having to leave her mother.
When they had finally gotten to the Spa, Sookie and Jackson went to check them all in, and handed out the room keys, as they navigated the large building to find their rooms. Luke and Lorelai were in a Master Suite, and upon entering, both commented on the sheer size of the room itself, before Lorelai placed their bags in the bedroom, and looked around the room. There was a bed, a desk, a couch, a chair, a large closet, ensuite bathroom, basically all the things you would find in a regular hotel room. They don't have to be at their first appointment until four, which is in three hours. Lorelai decided that she and Luke would have a little fun… and by that, she means that she had pulled her clothes off, leaving her in nothing but the sexy black lingerie set that Rory had brought with her at Victoria Secret. Luke was flicking through the TV channels, sitting on the bed, when he looked up, as Lorelai posed herself against the door frame of the bathroom. Even though they're technically 'old', their sex life hasn't diminished. In fact, it's probably more heightened than before. Lorelai is forty-eight, it's not like she's a hundred, but her body is still amazing. Luke shifts uncomfortably on the bed, the remote forgotten, as Lorelai stalks over to him, crawling up the bed, straddling his waist and kissing him. His hands immediately go to her hips first, traveling up the naked expanse of her back, where he unhooks the clasp of her bra, letting it fall from her body. Lorelai holds it on one finger, sitting back on his legs, spinning it around a couple of times, whilst Luke's hands trail up her body, and rest on her breasts. The bra is tossed aside, and whilst Luke is manhandling her boobs, Lorelai begins grinding herself against him, feeling herself getting wet, and him getting hard. Lorelai removes Luke's shirt, his fingers slip into the waistband of her panties, teasing, whilst she grinds herself against the man laying beneath her. Lorelai removes Luke's pants, and boxers in one big pull, leaving him completely naked, as she giggles, and moves down his body, to take his big member into her mouth. Luke watches, hands behind his head. He loves this. He loves watching Lorelai blowing him, it's one of his favourite things. As he feels himself getting closer to his release, he grabs Lorelai, pulls her up to him, and kisses her, taking the opportunity to flip them over, and thrust into her, causing Lorelai to arch her back, and moan Luke's name loudly. She doesn't even care that they're in a hotel and could possibly be heard through the walls.
Luke and Lorelai collapse together, wrapping themselves in the duvet, as the Inn Owner snuggles up to her man. Luke lightly runs his fingers up and down Lorelai's arm and naked back, before reaching over to grab their itinerary from the bedside table, flipping through it to find that not only has Lorelai not forced him to take part in any massages whilst they're here, but she has also taken it upon herself to sign him up for some of the gym sessions that he has been talking about. Luke kisses his wife, she smiles at him, whispering that she 'just wants him to have a good time', and he thanks her. Sometimes, Lorelai thinks like Lorelai and only does what Lorelai wants. Other times, she surprises people by pretending to think like, and do what she wants, only to have it end up with that person doing what they want. Luke is always blown away by Lorelai and the things that she surprises him with sometimes. After they both get dressed again, (although Luke makes that difficult, especially when Lorelai puts her underwear back on, and he gets handsy again), Lorelai calls her mother, to check in on the kids, and Paul Anka, see how they're going. She and Luke head down to the restaurant that Sookie had booked them into for dinner, finding the other four waiting for them. Luke checks the time, noting that they're not late, and Rory sends her mother a wink when they approach, causing Lorelai to smirk back at her daughter. They are late… they're late because Luke wouldn't take his hands off of her whilst she was trying to get dressed… Lorelai hangs up, just as they reach the table, sitting down in the two spots left, whilst Sookie tries to decide what to eat, and debates with Luke about the quality of the food, whilst Lorelai and Rory try to decide what desert they're going to have, before unanimously deciding to 'try a bit of everything', and when Luke sends them a look, they remind him that they're only here for a few days, they won't have time to try everything, so they might have to try everything at once. He rolls his eyes, but there is affection on his face, and he's smiling. Having long gotten used to everything Gilmore Girl, he passes this knowledge onto Eli, who is smirking at his wife, earning a whack on the arm from Rory, who then shoots a glare at Luke. Luke just winks at her, and she smiles. He knows the power that Rory has over Eli, and he knows, that she knows she has it. But he loves Rory, and he would never want to hurt her.
'Okay, so after dinner, I was thinking we could all head downstairs for that movie thing they're having in the theater,' Jackson said, looking up from the menu
'They're playing Titanic. Oooo it's so romantic… Jack and Rose…on the ship…'
'Yeah, real romantic, then the iceberg comes, it wrecks the boat, and the captain goes down with the ship,' Luke said, in his typical tone
'Oooo-kay... no movie night for Luke then. What else is happening?' Sookie asked, silently asking her best friend if she's okay because she looked out of it.
The first morning they woke up at the hotel, Lorelai was nowhere to be seen. Luke reached over to her side of the bed, and feeling it empty, he sat up slightly, calling her name. The meal they had eaten last night was sub-par, and Eli had suggested that if they're going to be eating out, they should leave the hotel and go somewhere else. Luke called out to his wife again, hearing her groan from the bathroom. He pushed open the door and found Lorelai laying on the floor of the bathroom, looking worse for wear. Kneeling beside her, he felt her temperature, and she told him that she just woke up feeling crap and came in here to vomit. He asks her what she had for dinner, and when she replied with 'that Chicken meal', he asked her if she thinks it's food poisoning. At the mention of that, Lorelai bolted upright, vomiting again, Luke apologising, pulling her hair back into a low ponytail, before rubbing a hand up and down her back. She groaned again, flushing the toilet, and sinking back against the wall. She hadn't planned on getting sick. But something in the meal last night must have triggered it. Luke got her a glass of water, and helped her back into the bedroom, tucking her into their bed, and making her promise to stay there. She nodded, placing the water on the bedside table, before snuggling down into the blankets, letting the warmth engulf her. When Luke came back from the downstairs restaurant with dry toast and some juice, he saw Lorelai asleep, and smiled. Walking over to press a kiss to her temple, he silently ate his own breakfast, before diving onto his phone to answer the call from Sookie, before it woke his wife. He left her a note, just so if she woke up, she would know where they are, and got dressed, before heading down to meet the others at their first Spa activity thing. He's actually looking forward to this one, it's a little rock pool, where you sit in it, and it's meant to be relaxing, they give you alcohol, and you just chill out for a while. When Luke entered the building, Rory frowned at him, asking where her mother was. The Diner Owner explained to the group that Lorelai had woken up, and was sick this morning, and he's worried it may have been food poisoning, so he told her to have a sleep. Worried, Rory looked over Luke's shoulder, but Eli convinced her to stay, that her mother would want her too. She nodded, still looking over Luke's shoulder, but followed the group over to their little pool, and got in. Sookie asked Luke about what Lorelai had had for dinner last night, and she noted that when she had tasted the chicken, that it was a little dry. Hoping that's all that it was, Luke nodded, wishing that he could change things, but he couldn't.
Later in the afternoon, when the group had made their way down to the small café next door to the restaurant, they were all surprised when Lorelai made an appearance, apologising for missing most of the morning activities. She kissed Luke, and hugged Rory, urging the others that she's alright, she still feels nauseous, but the vomiting has stopped, and her headache has gone away. Luke orders her a juice, and she drinks it without complaint, whilst Rory teases her mother about the coffee she is going to order, until Lorelai forces her to also get a juice, and they can start that 'juice cleanse' diet thing that they have read about. Their afternoon activities have the ladies heading to the salon for mani/Pedi's, and the guys are heading down to the gym for a workout session, before they decided to meet back at Jackson and Sookie's room at seven, to go out for dinner. No point risking eating at the hotel restaurant again if it made Lorelai sick. The plan was agreed upon, and Rory was excited. She hasn't been pampered since she gave birth to the girls, and she definitely deserves it. Sookie had tried to convince Jackson that he needed a haircut, but he had blanched at the suggestion, and it had led to an intense discussion between the two, whilst Lorelai just leaned closer to Luke, and he put a comforting hand on her back, carefully stroking his thumb up and down her back. Rory watched her mother, worried, even more so, when she was laying her head on Luke's shoulder, and her eyes started to close, almost as if she was too tired, and Rory worried that it was something other than food poisoning… like an illness that she didn't want to think about. When Jackson slammed his hand down on the table, making everything rattle, Lorelai flinched, jumping off Luke's shoulder, and sitting back in her seat, earning a look from Sookie, who just suggested they head off to their respective activities. Rory kissed Eli, promised that he would be fine with Luke and Jackson, then ran off giggling with her mother and Sookie. The men headed down towards the gym, with Luke talking excitedly about it. He's always been one for fitness stuff, and he knows that Lorelai appreciates that. Sookie gave the lady at the desk their reservation, and the girls followed her down a brightly coloured hall, to a room that smelt of Jasmine, and immediately brought Lorelai's nausea back to the forefront. Rory, sensing this, flicked off the small diffuser in the room, and looked over in time to see her mother escaping into the small bathroom, the sounds of retching drowned out now, by music they had put on. A few minutes later, Lorelai returned to the room, having rinsed her mouth, taking a stick of gum from Sookie, and sitting down in her allocated chair, as the technician attended to her nails. She decided on a French manicure.
'This is so nice. I can't wait for our massages,' Sookie said, looking over at the two Gilmore Girls
'Yes, I haven't had pampering like this since I had the kids. Oh, don't get me wrong, the girls have painted my nails, but nothing like this… ever,' Rory said, closing her eyes, making herself comfortable on the chair
'What about you Lorelai?' Sookie asked, opening her eyes to look at her best friend
'Oh yes, I can't wait for the massages either,' she said, closing her eyes again, and trying to hold the nausea at bay.
Later that night, the couples had all returned to their respective rooms to get ready to go out. Lorelai came out of the bathroom, in a tight, bodycon black dress, that accentuated all her curves, with her hair done, and make up done, and black pump heals. Luke turned to ask her which jacket he should wear, and stopped mid-sentence, just gaping at his wife. She looked hot. I mean she always does but… wow… he thought to himself. Lorelai smirked at the expression, picking up a black jacket off the bed, and handing it to him. He took it, putting it on, before grabbing her waist, and pulling her close to him. Their bodies pressed together sent heat through both of them, but they were interrupted by knocking at the door, and Rory's voice telling them to hurry up. Lorelai grabbed her jacket, and her bag, following Luke out of the room, doing a makeshift fashion show for her daughter, who also looked amazing in a sparkle black dress, that flared at the bottom, but was casual enough for the bar they were going too. The men all looked smart in their formal but casual wear, and Luke wrapped his arm around Lorelai's waist, holding her close, as if some random stranger is going to come up to her, and steal her away. Sookie looked amazing as well, in a dress that Lorelai had made for her, for her birthday a couple of years ago. Now that they were out in the night air, the girls were regretting their choices to wear dresses, and not pants, but they couldn't change, because their Uber arrived, and they were whisked inside, before they could make any rash choices to head back upstairs. The place they were going was a restaurant/club. It was a nice place, so it was neat casual, which is what the ladies had gone for, and the gentlemen as well. Noticing a TV in the bar area, the boys headed over there, ordered some beers, and watched the game. Lorelai and Rory made themselves comfortable in a booth, whilst Sookie had gone to get the first round of drinks from the bar. She carefully carried them over, placing them down, and each of them raising their glasses in a toast to a 'wonderful weekend away'. Lorelai went to take a sip of the martini, but stopped, complaining that she was still feeling a bit icky in her tummy, she went to order a soda water, not wanting to risk the hangover tomorrow. Luke, Jackson, and Eli joined them at their table, just as Lorelai came back with a glass of soda water, smiling as she squeezed onto the seat beside Luke, who immediately placed his hand on her thigh under the table, slowly moving it up and down, reaching the hem of her dress, but no further.
As the night went on, Sookie and Rory were competing for which of the two were going to be the most drunk in the morning, whilst Luke and Lorelai tried to control their fleeting urges to jump one another in the middle of the club. Luke's hand had started straying higher, under the hem of her dress, stopping just before the desired location. At the call of empty glasses, Lorelai stood up, pulling her dress down, and offered to get the drinks. Eli went with her, whilst Rory leaned on Luke's shoulder, and he patted her head, told her to drink some water, ignoring the pout that she gave to him, putting the glass in front of her and pointing to it. He hates seeing Rory like this, but he still loves the girl as if she's his own. Always will. Patting her head once she had drunk the water, he smiled, then glanced over to the bar, where he noticed some young twenty-something, checking out his wife. Jackson noticed this too, and Eli must have as well, because he stepped up beside Lorelai, just to be safe. It would have been fine, except for the guy followed them back to the table, where Lorelai made sure to sit down as close to Luke as she could, but the Diner Owner wasn't satisfied and kissed her, before Lorelai turned to see the young guy, and telling him that she's 'happily married', patting Luke's chest with the back of her hand. He glared at the boy, and he practically ran off, whilst Eli handed out the drinks, getting a non-alcoholic one for his wife, because Rory was already pretty drunk. She moaned that it wasn't alcohol, but then a song she liked came on, and she burst up from her seat, pulling her mother and Sookie up with her to dance, whilst the guys just chuckled, at their wives, as they watched them become spastics on the dancefloor. Luke had another beer, feeling himself reaching that tipsy limit, and deciding on the last one, until Jackson suggested shots and although he was screaming no in his mind, his mouth must have said something else, because soon, there were shot glasses strewn across the table, and he was trying to finger Lorelai at their table. She jumped as she felt Luke's fingers graze her sex over her panties, pulling his hand away, and declaring the end of the night. If they're going to have sex, it's not going to be here. Lorelai stood up, and Luke (who had sobered a lot in the last minute or so), did as well, apologising to his wife, who smiled and kissed him, nodding to let him know that it's okay, but that she wants to head back. They all stood, following Lorelai out of the club, where more drunken guys made cat calls towards the Inn Owner, just as they got into their Uber to take them back to the hotel. Lorelai shivered, feeling dirty, and needing a shower.
'Ugh I hate guys like that', Lorelai said, as she and Luke entered their hotel room, throwing their things down on the chair, as Luke went straight for the bathroom
'Yeah, if they had of touched you, I would have decked them… all of them' he said, smirking
'Oooo, my big sexy husband would have come to defend my honour?' she asked, walking slowly towards him, only wearing her black lace underwear
'Yes, I definitely would have,' he said, kissing her, before they got into the shower together.
On Monday morning, Sookie woke everyone up in time for their massages, but Luke and Lorelai were still out of sorts, with Luke hungover, and Lorelai still feeling sick. They managed to pull themselves together, and headed down to their couple's massage, where Luke was nervous, because he'd heard about these kinds of things, and the only person that he wants to 'have a happy ending with' is Lorelai… or inside Lorelai… his dirty mind supplied, as he watched his wife undress, and wrap the sheet around herself, lying down on the massage table. Luke was surprised to find that Lorelai's masseuse was male, and that his was female, not that he would have preferred a male one, but he may have preferred a female one for Lorelai as well. Luke's thoughts strayed from anything sexual about his wife, he thought about all the boner killers he could think about, as the massage overtook him. It did feel wonderful. He won't deny that. It's nice to have a de-stressing massage. Luke made the mistake of looking over at Lorelai, his eyes slowly gliding over her body, easily able to imagine it in his mind's eye, but he was quickly able to catch himself when he felt the tingle, and thought of other things to calm his body down… like Taylor, and Kirk and those stupid things that those two idiots planned in town that they always tried to get him to sign off on, but he never did because he thought it would be ridiculous. After their hour session, Luke did feel more relaxed than he had in a while, thanking his masseuse, who politely nodded, and left the room, whilst Lorelai and he got changed back into their clothes, sharing quick kisses along the way. Her choice of undergarments also made his mind go dirty, as they were red, lacy, and very revealing. It's a good thing she was wearing a black, long sleeved, high neck top over them, or he would have been covering her in the sheet from the room before they left. Hand in hand they walked down the hall, meeting up with Rory and Eli, who both looked like they had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar, basically falling out of the room, and into the path of her mother and Luke, who raised their eyebrows at her, Luke had his arms crossed. She smiled, and blushed, looking down at the ground, whilst Eli handed her… oh my god… Rory's eyed widened as she realised what her husband was handing her… in front of her mother and Luke… oh my god… Lorelai placed a hand over Luke's eyes, and then led him away, whilst whispering to her daughter to 'pull herself together' sending a look to Eli, both of whom nodded, and disappeared. Luke went to say something, but Lorelai just kissed him, and he smiled.
Finally, properly dressed again, and smoothing down the creases in her shirt, Rory and Eli re-joined her parents, the embarrassment back tenfold when Lorelai whispered in her ear, asking if she's wearing her panties. The Yale Graduate rolled her eyes, walking off ahead of her mother, telling them that they're going down the street, and they'll be back before dinner. Luke and Lorelai met up with Sookie and Jackson and decided to head down to the small bar that was in the hotel. It was cosy inside the bar, a few comfy couches that they took over, just sitting together, and chatting. Luke and Jackson talked about sports, and Lorelai just rested her head on Luke's shoulder, taking the opportunity to close her eyes again. By the time Rory and Eli had met up with them, Lorelai was actually asleep, and Luke, ever worried about his wife, picked her up bridal style, and carried her back to their room, telling the others to stay, have a good time. Lorelai stirred, just as Luke placed her down on the bed, calling his name, before curling back up to her pillow. He tucked her in, pressing a soft kiss to her temple, then crawled onto his side of the bed, grabbing the remote and turning the TV onto the game, playing it softly through the room. Rory had been worried before, but now she was panicked, and the whole time, kept looking up at the ceiling, as if she would be able to develop x-ray vision, and see that her mother was okay. She didn't want to barge up there, and into the room, if her mother was just tired, she could understand. But Sookie and Jackson had already entered the Trivia Night that she had just seen posted, and with her, Jackson, Rory, and Eli, they had enough for a team. Figuring that Luke will call her if something horrible is wrong with her mother, Rory nodded, agreeing to go, as they moved further into the bar, where the Trivia was being set up. Between Eli and Rory, they have this thing in the back, with a graduate of Yale University and Oxford and Stanford University, they have no reason not to. There were twelve other teams playing in the Trivia game, and it was lucky that Sookie had signed them up when she did, because all the spaces closed really quickly. They named themselves The Stars Hollow Elite… and divvied up all the questions between them. Lorelai stirred as a rather loud add banged onto the TV, and Luke wasn't fast enough to get to the remote. She blinked up at him, smiling, and apologising, to which he just shook his head, and kissed her once, before she drifted back to sleep.
'I love you Lorelai Gilmore,' he whispered, pressing another kiss to her cheek
'Danes… Luke Danes… huh,' she chuckled, apparently that was amusing
'What? You find my name funny?' he asked, jokingly
'No, I just love saying it,' she replied, and Luke smiled, he loves hearing her say it as well.
The next morning came, it was Sunday. Jackson, Eli, and Luke had plans to go to the game, and the girls had plans to go shopping and spend the day getting pampered. Lorelai had woken up feeling better and had promised Luke that she would call if anything major happened, but that he shouldn't miss out on things, just because she's not feeling well. Luke had to remind her that he loves her, and doesn't want anything to happen to her, and Lorelai kissed him, pressing herself against him, then whispered 'just a reminder for the day' in his ear, before winking at him and heading out with the girls. Luke met up with Eli and Jackson in the lobby, and the three of them got a car to the game. It was only a small game, local, but it didn't matter. It was still a game, nonetheless. At the mall, the ladies decided to hit the gift shops first, after Lorelai had mentioned that they should probably get something for Emily and Eli's parents, as a thanks for watching the kids. Sookie agreed, the same for her parents, but whatever Lorelai picked up for Emily, Rory would veto, eventually she just let her daughter pick something for her mother, because apparently nothing she had chosen was 'Emily Gilmore's style…'. Whilst they were shopping, Lorelai realised how much she missed her babies, and pulled out her cell phone, dialing the house phone, smirking when her mother answered, sounding winded. She asked Emily how the kids are, and if she could speak to them, and heard the laughter in her mother's voice when she asked if she was missing them, and Lorelai replied. The kids spoke to their mother for a while, promising that they were being good, and helping Taylor. Emily reiterated that they had been very good, and she had even treated them to movies, popcorn, and ice cream. Lorelai chuckled at a story that her son told her, then Emily came back on the phone and explained that she was taking the kids to the zoo and would call her later. Lorelai said goodbye, hanging up the phone. She's glad that her mother is in her life now. After they had each found presents for their respective kid sitters, the three ladies headed to the next store. Sookie wanted to go into a cooking shop, so she said that she would meet the Gilmore Girls out the front of Victoria Secret, where Lorelai and Rory were going. It's not normal, for mother and daughter to be buying lingerie together, but Lorelai and Rory are not your normal mother/daughter. Whilst in the store, they picked out things for each other, as well as themselves, and Lorelai almost had a fit when she found something… in flannel print… that Rory told her she 'had to get for Luke…'. She got it.
A/N: I was nervous to post this, because I know what the Gilmore Girls community is like, especially the hard core fans, believe me, I am one of you. I love these charactesr so much, I just think that some of the story lines deserved better, and so did we as a community of fans. So hopefully this hits some of those boxes for you. Thank you, and have a very happy holiday season. D.
