Lorelai was practically the Queen of making a bad situation livable. From her days of being a loud child in a home that was a museum, then being a single teenage Mom, then losing the love of her life to a stupid ultimatum and impulsively marrying the wrong guy. She always found a way to hide her fears and disappointments to be "Happy Go Lucky Lorelai". Most of her life she did it to appear strong for her daughter, but honestly it was something she was doing for as long as she could remember. Just push your feelings down and play the part. But here she was, pushing forty in a marriage she didn't want to be in and longing for the man she loved who was always just a few blocks away.
There were cracks in her facade and she knew Chris could sense them. He was pushing for changes. Adding his own things to the house, trying to get her to either move or redecorate, pushing for this wedding party that her Mom suggested and finally asking her to have another child. She could sense his frustration and she felt bad. Chris wasn't the best guy in the world but she feared she was making him the worst version of himself.
She had been in her office almost the entire day and finally there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," she called.
Sookie entered with a mug and a pastry. "I want you to try my homemade Pop Tarts."
Lorelai perked up, "What?! Yes please!"
Sookie handed over the treat and sat down on the other side of Lorelai's desk. "So what's going on? You've been quiet the last few days and today you hid in here all day."
Lorelai took a deep breath, "Tell me the truth, and I mean it, the truth …. What do you think about Chris?"
Sookie sighed, "This feels like a trap."
"Sook, I feel like I might have made a huge mistake. I feel like I should have taken a minute before…. Just tell me the whole truth. Everything you've said to other people, everything you have wanted to say to me, whatever you say to Jackson, please!"
"Fine!" Sookie huffed, "Ready? Chris is a creep! He's been in and out of your life whenever it served him best. He was a deadbeat Dad always disappointing Rory. But now he wants you to be Mommy to Sherry's kid? He ruined your happiness at my wedding. He never defends you to your parents. And he violated you."
The last one shook Lorelai to the core, "What?!"
"Yes. Sure you drove to him after your fight with Luke. But any decent human would have seen that you were not in the right headspace to make a life altering decision. Anyone who really cared about you would have known that if he would have said yes, you would have been in the car to a chapel to marry Luke. Chris knew that you would regret it in the morning. He took advantage of your emotional state. If you were in your right frame of mind you wouldn't have slept with him. And I'm sorry Honey, but to me, that is a form of rape. And then he latched onto you and preyed on your sadness and history and made you think that you were meant to be. You were so ready to start your 'middle' that you settled for him. I hate him."
Lorelai sat in silence absorbing everything that Sookie had said. Tears were streaming down her face and she was holding her breath, unable to move.
She was remembering the conversation she had with Sookie about the 'middle' being the part of your life when you settle down, have kids and live that domesticated life. It was a life that she wanted so badly with Luke. She had dreamt of having kids with him. Kids with gorgeous blue eyes, ones that would run outside and play sports with him and then snuggle on the couch watching movies with her. She wanted to be his wife, waking up with him, making breakfast, going on vacations to the beach, having Rory read to the kids. And when she married Chris the idea of kids just made her sad and tired.
"Oh Honey, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." She got up and tried to hug Lorelai who was still sitting like a statue.
Lorelai returned the hug, "Thank you for finally being honest. You're right. I've been feeling this is all wrong and knowing you feel this way just confirms all my fears."
"Tell me something," Sookie started, "how are things when the two of you are alone?"
Lorelai thought for a moment, "Since we came back from France and Rory found out we were married things have changed. He was mad that she wasn't happy and made me feel like it was my fault. We're quieter when we're alone. We watch TV or read in the same room, we don't talk as much. We certainly don't joke around. He's snippy any time something remotely related to Luke comes up, he's really mad that I don't want that wedding my Mom wants to throw. And the other day, I saw Luke with Doula on the street. We talked and I held her and then Chris came and"
"And what?"
"We got into a bad fight. I told him not to be jealous and he lost it. Going off on Luke and how he could never be jealous of a diner worker. He was in a rage just saying thing after thing about Luke until I lost it and said that Luke was a great guy who was always there for me and Rory."
"Oh wow, he must have loved that"
"He slapped me," Lorelai said in barely a whisper.
"HE WHAT?!"
"Shhhh, Sookie, relax. It was my fault. I knew what button to push and I pushed it too far."
"No, Honey. Don't say that. He doesn't get to hit you. What happened after that?"
"He apologized, got me some ice and then went to Al's to get dinner. He tried to have apology sex that night but I pretended to fall asleep."
"Lorelai, you aren't happy and he hit you. You need to end this." Sookie wrapped herself around her best friend and tried to hide her tears, "I'm here for you, you've gotta get out. Do you want to stay with me tonight?"
Lorelai hated looking weak, "No. I'll be fine, I'll talk to him today." She patted Sookie's arm and stood up. "I'm going to go now, to get this over with."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Lorelai walked into the house and heard stomping upstairs. She sighed and quickly made her way to the bedroom. She saw Chris pacing angrily holding a paper. When he noticed she was there a fresh wave of anger flashed across his face, "How long?" he demanded.
"What?" She asked in a confused and slightly annoyed tone.
"How long have you been sleeping with the Diner Guy!?" He yelled as he waved the paper in the air.
"Chris, what is going on? Why do you think that I -"
Chris looked at the paper and began to read, "Once Luke Danes is in your life, he is in your life forever. I know from personal experience what an amazing gift that is … Really Lorelai? He's in your life forever? You're MY goddamn wife, not his!"
"Chris, wait, it's not what you think. I was writing this to help him get custody of his daughter."
Chris took two large strides and was in her face, "Tell me that you don't love him anymore."
Lorelai took in a breath, "Chris, it's not that easy."
He slapped her right across the face, "You made a fool out of me!"
The house phone rang and Lorelai went to get it but Chris grabbed her wrist, "We're not done."
"Oh yes we are, Chris! We're so done! One slap I was going to try to excuse, but this is it, we're done!"
When he blocked the path to the phone she sighed and turned to leave. Her cell phone began to ring after the house phone stopped so she headed to the stairs.
"You can't leave me! What? For him? I could buy his little diner and put him on the street."
Lorelai was at the top of the stairs and glared at him with disgust, "Pack up Chris. If you give me a quick and easy divorce I won't tell anyone about you hitting me." She turned to leave and he grabbed her arm again. She angrily struggled and before she knew it she was at the bottom of the stairs in pain. There was a loud knock at the door and Babette yelled, "Suga! Are you okay?"
Chris rushed down the stairs, "Lor, I'm so sorry are you okay?"
She just glared at him, "Babette, it's open. Come in!"
He looked panicked.
Babette came in with her cell phone in her hand. "What happened?" Babette asked, giving Chris the evil eye.
"You know how clumsy I can be," Lorelai said. "I just gave Chris a scare by tumbling down the stairs."
"I heard some shouting, are you sure everything's okay?"
Lorelai had gotten to her feet and smiled, "Yeah, you know how married life can be, we're just out of the honeymoon phase."
Babette kept giving Chris glances but only spoke to Lorelai, "Suga, Rory called begging me to find you. She said she tried the Inn and Sookie said you came home, but you didn't answer the house line or your cell. Honey, I think something happened to your Dad."
Lorelai jumped to her feet and dialed Rory's number from the landline, "Rory, what happened?"
Babette and Chris watched Lorelai listen to Rory and could tell this was not good news. They could see her trying to stay strong as tears slipped down her cheeks.
"I'll be there as fast as I can," Lorelai said. "Keep trying the club and I'll keep trying her cell. I love you, Sweets." She hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She turned to Chris and Babette, "My Dad collapsed in class, in front of all the students, in front of Rory! She's in the ambulance with him and can't get a hold of my Mom at the country club. Chris you need to drive me so I can just call her until I get through."
"I was drinking this afternoon." Chris said flatly, "You can drive and I can call."
"I'll drive you," Babette said, "You're too emotional to drive right now."
"Thanks, Babette." Lorelai smiled.
"I'm going to run and let Morey know what's going on, I'll meet you at my car." Babette said on her way out the door, she couldn't look at Chris for one more minute.
Lorelai grabbed her jacket, purse and cell phone charger, she looked over at Chris who was just sitting on the couch. "Aren't you coming?"
"You'll be there for a long time I'm sure. I'll wait here, start packing my stuff since you want a divorce. I'll have some coffee and sober up, then I'll call you and you can tell me if you need me to bring anything."
"You're not going to come with me!? Rory sounded terrified!"
"I just said I'll come later! I can't win with you."
"No, I guess you can't." She slammed the door behind her and got into the back seat of Morey's car. The couple sat in silence as Lorelai kept calling her mother's number getting more anxious by the minute, she was also in more pain by the minute. She knew she landed on her wrist in a bad way and the pain was starting to become distracting. Thankfully she was wearing a shirt with really long sleeves and thumb holes. She made sure to keep her swollen wrist covered and took two Advil from her purse.
Minutes later she strode towards the waiting room with Babette and Morey. When she reached Rory, she hugged her and then pulled away to get whatever news Rory had.
"Mom! What happened to your face?"
Lorelai touched her cheek where Chris had slapped her and noticed blood from a small cut that his ring left. "Oh, your klutz of a mother fell down the stairs when I was running to answer the phone. I'm fine." She made sure her jacket, that was hanging over her arm, covered her wrist.
"Mom, we need to get you checked out, if you are bleeding from your face you could have hurt your head."
"I'm fine, let's just deal with Grandpa right now."
Just then Logan and Emily came rushing in. Rory had been so fed up with the club that Logan agreed to go there and find Emily himself. A move that impressed the hell out of Lorelai.
As the Gilmores spoke Babette quietly went outside to call Sookie and let her know what was happening.
"Dragonfly Inn, this is Sookie."
"Hey Doll, it's Babette, we need to talk."
Sookie went into her pantry and shut the door, she could tell that this needed her undivided attention. "Okay, I'm alone, what's going on?"
"First of all, Lorelai's Dad is in the hospital. Morey and I are here with her now, we drove her. He was teachin' Rory's class and collapsed. It's his heart again. Lorelai is tryin' to be brave, but -"
"But what?"
"Has she told you anything about her and Christopher?"
"Why?"
"You need to know something. And you know that I love Lorelai as if she was my own daughter so when I tell you this I want you to know that I'm telling you this as a friend, not as the town gossip."
Sookie began to well up, after knowing what Lorelai had already confessed, she was scared to hear what Babette would preface that comment with.
"So Rory called me to help find Lorelai because she didn't answer the house or her cell. I saw both cars in the driveway so I headed over. I could hear yelling as I came up to the house and then I heard a loud noise and Lorelai scream. When I got into the house she was at the bottom of the stairs but honestly, I don't know if she fell like she said or -"
"Or if he pushed her?" Sookie whispered.
"Yeah"
The women were quiet for a minute.
Sookie took a deep breath and snapped into best friend mode, "Listen Babette, I'm only telling you this because we are talking as concerned friends not as town gossips, right?"
"Right," Babette confirmed.
"Lorelai told me that when they argued the other day, he slapped her."
Babette gasped, "That son of a bitch"
"Is he there with her?" Sookie asked.
"No, the punk said he was drinking so that's why he couldn't drive her. He told her he would come later because he was sure she was going to be here for hours."
"Money certainly can't buy class," Sookie scoffed.
"He's always been an ass." Babette hissed.
"Listen to me Babette, you need to make sure Lorelai gets checked out today. Make sure she sees a doctor so there are records. She told me that she wanted a divorce and if he's hitting her I want records of her injuries."
"Well Rory saw a cut on her face and already told her to get checked out, so I'll make sure it happens."
"Thanks. I'm going to get someone to cover for the rest of my shift so I can get there too. No way will she fight us both."
"Okay, see you soon." Babette ended the call and sighed.
Morey came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, "You okay, Babe?"
Babette started to cry and told her husband everything. Morey listened quietly and Babette could see the controlled rage in his eyes.
"I should beat the shit out of him."
"I love ya honey," Babette said, patting his stomach, "but that's not going to help."