Disclaimer: don't own Gilmore Girls
A/N - well, that took longer than I expected to write. I am grateful for the inspiration from "Fake News" by QueenOfTheSloths and the use of the word petulant - it was what I needed to get unstuck.
Rory awoke to find Logan lying next to her in the bed.
"Hey, you" she whispered reaching up to touch his hair and pulling him in for a kiss.
Once they came up for air, she put a small kiss on his lips with a gentle "thank you."
Looking a bit puzzled, "I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but you don't need to thank me."
"Well, thank you for the sex, but I was actually saying thank you for the private plane and cars."
"Um, you need to thank your fairy godmother - it wasn't your adoring prince who provided the transport." he smiled and pulled her in closer.
"And my fairy godmother is?"
"Honor"
"Good to know. So, did you know?"
"Yup, she thought your day would be better if you could get a good sleep here, yes she ran it by me." Rory looked quizzical like and you didn't run it by me, Logan jumped in, "We decided to surprise you, hope you don't mind."
"Thank you"
"Um, you know you can thank me with more than just words."
"Logan," she groaned, but rolled over in his arms and started kissing him again.
Rory woke up for the second time to the sound of the shower being turned off and the smell of coffee and bacon. It was good to not be in a hotel room.
"Good morning, Ace" Logan came out of the bathroom wearing a towel already to put on some clothes for the day. "Ready to shower and go eat something, must admit I worked up a real appetite."
"Um, when did you arrive?" she asked as she climbed out of bed heading to the bathroom.
"This morning, I was able to take a red-eye, got in this morning."
"Ah, that explains why it was dark when I first saw you."
"Can't get anything past my Ace reporter there."
"Very funny, mister"
"Fiancée to you" Logan teased placing a kiss on her the tip of her nose.
Rory joined Logan downstairs, her mouth was watering from all the amazing breakfast smells coming from the kitchen, but she stopped short when she saw that Honor was eating a plate almost as full as a normal Gilmore breakfast. A huge grin broke out over Rory's face, "so two surprises, huh? And thank you, thank you for my car and airplane ride."
Logan looked baffled, "two surprises, are you counting the plane and car as separate surprises, I think you can call that transportation and roll it into one."
Rory gently turned Logan's face to his sister's plate, "no silly, I was talking about the other surprise she has."
Logan just looked at Rory, "Ace, my sister has always eaten breakfast, this is not a surprise."
"Logan, seriously, has she always eaten breakfast like a Gilmore?"
Logan looked again and Honor blushed then put down the plate and hugged Rory, "you figured it out."
Logan was still not getting it, "figured what out? What is going on?"
"Honestly, Logan, she is glowing, eating a huge breakfast, drinking orange juice and not coffee. Ding – ding - ding, anything connecting?"
"Baby brother, you are going to be an uncle in about 7 months."
"Oh, my god, that is awesome." Logan knocked over the plate in his efforts to hug Honor.
The rest of the morning was spent talking with Honor about being pregnant, finding out the sex, yes she would, and who was going to know by the end of the day. After a great deal of debate, it was decided that they would keep it to themselves, but if anyone guessed not deny.
"Mom, Luke, oh, my god it is so good to see you." Hugs were given all the way around, but as she hugged her Mom she noticed it wasn't the type of strong hug she expected, but Luke gave her a really great hug. Suddenly she was feeling on guard and insecure; the relaxed feeling of being with Honor and Logan evaporated, it was almost like being on the bus and guarding her words. Logan noticed that Lorelai only said hello to him and Honor, while Luke was shaking hands and being very friendly. He also noticed a change in Rory's countenance and worried that the afternoon was not going to be the casual and friendly day planned. He was glad that Finn and Colin were not coming for the afternoon but decided to pop in that evening, he could stop them if it was necessary. The doorbell rang again and this time it was Emily and Richard, with Richard's booming voice full of joy and pride as he walked straight to Rory and gave her a hug and the reassurance that she was still the apple of his eye.
Emily immediately picked up that there was a strain in the atmosphere and did nothing to hold back, "Lorelai why can't you be happy for them?"
Lorelai looked like she had been slapped across the face, "what? Mom, hello to you too."
"Well, you look peeved."
Cutting her off, "well, you just walked in the door, how else am I supposed to look."
Richard glowered at Emily and his daughter, "Emily, please don't start, we are guests."
"Of course, Richard, you are so right. Good afternoon, Honor, Josh, it is so lovely that you are hosting this little afternoon gathering. I am sure it will be just delightful." While the words were kind the tone was laced with irritation and Honor was baffled as to why she was on the receiving end of that judgment, "will your parents be joining us?"
Putting on her best hostess smile, "No, my parents couldn't make it – other plans, it will just be us this afternoon. A chance to hear all about the exciting travels that don't make it into the papers from Rory." Honor figured it would be smart to put the focus back on Rory and hope that the atmosphere would soon shift. Rory looked at her sheepishly and leaned into Logan as she steeled herself for whatever was going on between her mother and grandmother.
Josh looked at Honor who was definitely feeling the tension, after rubbing the small of her back he started to move toward the Gilmore family, when Emily stepped in front of Lorelai, "good heavens, Lorelai, grow up."
"Excuse me" Lorelai was taken aback and looking genuinely confused.
"I said grow up and you" Emily turning to Luke, "you just ask the question."
turning back to her daughter, " you are behaving like a petulant child"
"How am I petulant, I am not petulant." Lorelai is looking for an escape route and her eyes land on Rory.
"Don't look at me, I think sullen is more appropriate."
"Sullen" Lorelai roared, "I am not sullen, petulant, crabby, peevish, irritable"
"you are a thesaurus though" Rory shot back.
Logan stepped into the thick of it; while he had no idea why Emily had started this he knew he needed to end it, "Emily, please stop" turning to Lorelai, "I think you both need to take a step back, Lorelai why don't you come into the living room with me." Logan gave Rory pleading eyes.
"Yes, Mom, come into the living room, let's get a martini and relax." Rory stepped up; although she wasn't sure she wanted to be alone with her mother given the lukewarm reception.
As they walked away Emily threw one more in her direction, "jealousy is not attractive on you Lorelai."
she went to wheel around, but Logan and Rory kept her heading in the direction of the living room.
Richard had been standing back and Honor and Josh were shocked he didn't reign in Emily; they were more surprised when he turned on Luke, "this could all have been avoided if you had just done your job."
Luke was about to protest when he stopped and shook his head in defeat, "I've tried five times, but every time I am ready to ask her she goes off, she goes off about Rory and Logan, or about something Taylor has done or interrupts with a story about Kirk. Ugh, she is impossible and I don't want to just whip it out, I want to make it meaningful."
Emily and Richard look at each other and there are smiles on their faces. Honor turns to Josh, "what are they talking about?"
Luke hears them, "I have been trying to propose to Lorelai but I can't get it out."
Emily turns around to face the couple, "and the reason Lorelai is behaving like a petulant child is that she is jealous that Logan asked Rory first."
Richard smiled, "yes, she is a bit jealous of Rory"
Emily interrupted, "and she is also afraid that Rory will be married first too. It has been horrible to be around her ever since Logan proposed. My daughter needs to grow up and Luke, while you weren't my first choice, the fact that you are willing to put up with this nonsense indicates that you are the best choice. So, please, for the love of god and our having a decent day today, please go propose to that woman." Emily pointed toward the living room.
Luke's face blanched, "but she is in a" Richard interrupted, "we know she is in a horrible mood, but as we all know that can be turned around with a quick question. Save your touching sentiments for the wedding ceremony."
Luke growled, "I don't want to say that stuff in front of everyone."
Emily getting irritated, "well then say them in the bedroom, I don't care, but I want to spend a nice day with my granddaughter and as long as there is no ring on my daughter's finger she is going to make the day miserable."
Josh feeling very awkward starts to slink away, when Honor pipes up, "well, maybe he doesn't have the ring on him."
Emily glared at Honor and then softened her look, "sweetheart, I am sure that you are smart enough to know that the bulge in that man's pocket will go away as soon as he pulls that ring out."
Luke is now looking mortified that Emily had been looking at him enough to know there was any type of bulge and then even more frustrated that Emily knew but Lorelai didn't.
In the meantime, Logan and Rory are in the living room, Logan has mixed two martinis and poured himself a scotch while Rory is trying to get her mother to stop ranting about how awful her Grandmother is, "Mom, we know, Grandma can be a lot. But please, please don't go, I don't get to see you and this day is important to me."
"Rory, I have no intention of leaving, but your Grandmother needs to be taken out and - and - how dare she speak to me that way. Petulant child, jealous, what is she even talking about?"
Logan and Rory walk away from Lorelai, "Ace, can you stick your head out there and find out what is going on?"
Rory is standing in the doorway and can hear enough of the conversation to know they are discussing why Luke has not proposed yet. She came back in, "Mom"
"Hon?"
"I think you need to have a talk with Luke."
"I talk to Luke all the time." she interrupted, "we discuss everything."
Rory nods her head and now she sees the issue, Luke wants to propose, but he can't get a word in edgewise.
"Mom, I think you do a lot of discussing and Luke does a lot of listening."
"No, I listen to him, what are you talking about, you know Sookie said the same thing the other day." she trailed off musing.
Rory whispers into Logan's ear and he grins, "I'll get him, audience?"
Rory purses her lips, then chews, "hmm, I think so, but give me your shirt first."
Logan takes off his shirt and hands it to Rory, walking out into the dining area where everyone is still talking he notices Luke is looking particularly red and managed to go a shade deeper as Logan walked out without a shirt.
"Everyone, please come into the living room. Emily, you are not allowed to speak. Luke you have the floor, we will keep Lorelai quiet."
Rory is sitting on her mother threatening to stuff Logan's shirt in her mouth if she says anything, she looks at Luke and nods her head at him indicating it was his turn. Lorelai goes to say something but sees the shirt coming toward her mouth and thinks better of it. Emily is beaming, Richard is looking a bit chagrined, while Honor and Josh while slightly embarrassed are also highly amused, but Luke has locked eyes with Lorelai and all of the embarrassment left him. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the bulge that Emily so delicately alluded to, opens the box gets down on one knee, and just as he starts to say something, Lorelai pushes Rory off of her, grabs Luke's face and says "I'm all in".
"oh, geez" Luke is looking annoyed.
"What? isn't that what you wanted to hear?" Lorelai says while hugging him and pulling back to kiss him, but then she sees the look on his face and backs up to sit on the sofa, takes Logan's shirt from out of Rory's hand, and stuffs it in her mouth, looking at Luke she smiles around the shirt and waits.
Luke reaches out to take her hand and gets down on one knee, "Lorelai from the first day you came into my diner begging for coffee, I have known that you were the right one for me. We are like Gleason and Carney." he sees her eyebrows go up, "well, I don't want to be Ralph, but will you be my Alice?"
She reached out her hand and he placed the ring on her finger, the shirt came out of her mouth and she smiled, "all the way to the moon." she replied.
Everyone standing in the room started clapping and Emily just couldn't hold her tongue any longer, "well, it's about time, Gleason and Carney, really? You two are George and Gracie."
Emily turned to Luke and gave him a small hug, "congratulations, Luke" and then embraced Lorelai, "best wishes, dear."
Richard, Honor, Josh, and Logan all did the same, only Rory offered her congratulations to both of them.
Emily grabbed Rory by the arm, "finally, that is taken care of, now, where is this bbq? Rory, dear, tell us all about your adventures of being a reporter on the trail."
Richard swooped in on the other side of Rory like a child who was eager to open their presents on Christmas morning.
Luke looked at Lorelai, "shall we go hear about life on the road as a reporter?"
He wrapped his arm around her and they walked out onto the patio, the smell of steak wafted to them and Rory was talking about how the speeches were very similar but there were always adjustments and tweaks, and that made it more interesting for the reporters, but she really wanted to know if he adjusted them for the reporters or because he was learning new things and adjusting his ideas and policies.