Sorry, ich hatte euch hier mal wieder vergessen, aber dafür bekommt ihr jetzt wieder 2 Kapitel, damit ihr mit FF wieder gleich auf seid. Ich hoffe euch "gefällt" es und lasst nen review da, würde mich freuen.
Und vielen Dank für die vorhergehenden reviews, ich hab mich sehr gefreut!
Chapter 17: Mr. Judge
When they arrived back in Stars Hollow a few days later, it was already late September, nearly October. In Stars Hollow it was a lot chillier than it had been on Martha´s Vineyard and Lorelai was disappointed that she had to cover her new tan with long-sleeved shirts.
It was raining a lot and the first weekend in October, when the chocolate festival should have taken place, there was such a heavy storm, that they had to delay it.
After some heated discussions, Luke and Lorelai had arranged new work schedules for both of them. Luke was able to work during the afternoon again, while Lorelai only worked until the afternoon every day and was home for the rest of the day. It meant, that she had to hire one more assistant but it was easier to let go than she had thought.
She enjoyed seeing William at his soccer training and she was surprised when she found out that the twins were both very talented ballerinas. She blamed Luke for the sportive success of their children, but was incredibly proud at the same time.
William was patient explaining the soccer rules to her, and the twins even tried to practice some steps with Lorelai, which Luke stopped out of fear, that she would break her ankle.
When Luke came home in the evening they still had enough time to read and play with their kids before they had to go to bed.
Free weekends were also part of the deal, and beside the Friday night dinners the family mostly stayed at home, went to the play ground, William´s soccer matches, or the twins’ ballet shows, which Miss Patty held at least once a month.
They even had found the time to go out on a few dates, while Kirsten kept an eye on the kids.
Lorelai was happy and content. As happy and content as she could remember being in a long time, if ever. Everything was running smoothly and perfectly. They had finally, after six years, found the balance between parenthood, work, and their relationship.
It was the weekend after Rory´s birthday and finally the chocolate festival would take place. Lorelai was excited, even though Luke had sworn, that he wouldn´t give in this year and would not go.
The evening before the big day, he still hadn´t give in and Lorelai was starting to believe, that he really wouldn´t go.
“Luke?” She asked in the middle of the night, because she knew that he was still awake.
“No.” He said.
“What, you don´t know what I wanted to ask.”
“I won´t go.” He told her without her even asking.
“Turn around Luke.” She ordered, because he was laying on his side and she was facing his back.
“What?” He groaned and turned around.
“Do you see that?” She asked and pointed to her lips.
“What?” He asked without opening his eyes.
“Open your eyes, Luke!” She nudged him and he obliged and opened his eyes.
“Now, do you see it? Do you see that pout? It will never ever leave my face again if you don´t go with us tomorrow.” She said and her pout got bigger.
“Then I think, I will have to get used to it.” Luke shrugged, kissed her, and turned around again.
“Luuukkeeee!” She whined and nudged his back several times again.
“Stop it and sleep. Otherwise you won´t go tomorrow either.” He mumbled and slowly drifted off to sleep, with a pouting Lorelai next to him.
The festival was running and Luke still hadn´t given in. He was in the empty diner doing bills and enjoying the rare silence which surrounded him. Sometimes the constant chatter of his customers, his kids, and his wife exhausted him and from time to time he needed the silence.
Before everything had gotten so stressful he had taken William fishing at least once a month, and he had the impression that the silent time alone, next to each other at the lake, brought them closer together than any talk ever could.
From his place behind the counter, he could see the festival around the gazebo. Lorelai had told him that it was unfair that although he wasn´t going he was still controlling their chocolate intake.
“Hey daddy.” William interrupted his observation when he came into the diner.
“Hey Will. Enough chocolate already?” Luke asked. While William ate chocolate and all kinds of other sweets he always had enough at some point, it took Lorelai a lot of time to convince him to eat sweets, but she was very proud that she did.
“No, but I am thirsty and there is only hot chocolate, but I want some juice.” William declared and climbed on a chair. Luke took a to go cup filled it with juice and handed it to William.
“Thank you daddy.” The boy smiled.
“You´re welcome. How are your mother and your sisters holding up?”
“Rory is there also and they are eating a lot. And babbling a lot. They are annoying. And mommy is complaining about you.” William told Luke.
“Is she yammering because I am not out there at this crazy festival?”
“Yes, and Laila and Sara, too. They are asking every five seconds when you will come out.”
“Hey, you two! Will you won´t hide in here with this traitor! Come back out and eat some chocolate.” Lorelai yelled when she burst through the door. William only had time to grab his cup with juice before she lifted him out of his chair and placed him back on the ground outside the diner. She went back in flipped the sign to closed and walked up to the counter where Luke was standing and watching her. She straightened, then flipped her hair while looking him in the eyes.
Then she walked around the counter, ignoring Luke´s raised eyebrows, and kissed him soundly.
Luke didn´t know what happened at first and was very surprised, but then he enjoyed it and pressed her against the counter.
“So, I am only allowed behind the counter to pleasure you?!” She grinned when she broke the kiss.
“Yes, that way you can´t damage anything.” He told her and pecked her on the lips.
“And what about the sack of potatoes that your are storing at a very weird place so it can fall on my head?” She played with his hair that stuck out under his cap.
“Then it would fall on both of our heads, so the insurance would have to pay.” He grinned.
“So all you are thinking about while you are kissing me is the insurance policy?” She mocked him.
“Of course, nothing else on my mind, only money.”
“That sentence made me sound like a hooker.” She laughed and slapped his chest.
“So, are you having fun out there? Will told me Rory is out there too.” He said without letting go of her.
“Yes, she spent some days with Paris and Lane at Yale, but now that Zach is back Lane invited her for the weekend.”
“Any news from Logan?”
“He keeps calling her asking for another chance. You know what is crazy?” She asked.
“You?” He tried.
“Luke I am being serious for once.” She complained.
“Oh, I´m sorry. And no, what is crazy?” He asked smiling and kissing her again before she could answer.
“I think he really loves her. He keeps cheating on her, but I am convinced that he really loves her. That is crazy.” She clarified.
“That really is crazy.” He agreed.
“But you´re a guy, can´t you understand it a bit? I´ve hoped that maybe you could explain it to me and I could explain it to Rory, without mentioning you and your experience, of course.” She cocked her head to one side and waited for his answer.
Luke thought about it for a second, then grabbed her by the hips and sat her on the counter. He stood between her legs and put a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Mrs. Danes, I have a few questions for you. Are you prepared for the interrogation?” He joked, but with a straight face.
“Yes, Mr. Judge.” She nodded.
“How long have we known each other?” He started his questioning.
“Mmmh, let me think about this... we´ve been friends for eight years, then we dated for about two years and we´ve been married for six years which makes a total of sixteen years, correct?”
“Correct. How many relationships did I have during this time?”
“You really wanna talk about your exes now?”
“Lorelai!” he said and rolled his eyes.
“There was Rachel and this Chilton-mom and Nicole and ...me.” She grinned when she said the last part.
“Wrong.” He said and shook his head.
“True!” She argued.
“Wrong, I never dated the Chilton mom and I told you so. If you wouldn´t bring her up every now and then I wouldn´t even remember her anymore.”
“You really would have forgotten about her?! I will never mention her ever again!” She nodded.
“Good. Now did I ever cheat on Rachel or Nicole?” He asked his next question.
“How would I know that? I wasn´t observing your sexual activities.” The look from Luke was enough.
“No, you never cheated on them.” She admitted then.
“What do I feel for you?” He continued.
“You love me?” She tried.
“A lot and you know that. So when we were in a relationship only, even during our short break, did I ever cheat on you?”
“No!” She said without hesitation.
“During our marriage, did I ever cheat on you?”
“No! Although, this thing with my mother is still giving me a little scare.” She laughed then, remembering the phone call during their vacation.
“So to sum it up, I never cheated on anyone, correct?” He asked.
“Correct.” She nodded, still giggling.
“So why the heck do you think I could possibly understand why this fool is cheating on her if her loves her?!” He asked his last question with raised eyebrows. Lorelai laughed.
“What did you say about the crazy before?” She laughed and hugged him, then kissed him again.
“I really wish she would find somebody who loves her and acts like it.” Luke sighed and placed her back on the ground.
“Luke please come out with me!” She begged then.
“No.”
“I will even forget about the cup of coffee I am craving at the moment. Please come outside with me!” She grabbed both of his hands and forced him to look into her pouting face.
“Lorelai, I really don´t want to go out there. It´s crowded and noisy and Taylor is annoying and it´s a few minutes before they will get drunk out there because of Patty´s chocolate punch. I really don´t wanna see that.” He sighed.
“They are already drunk. But please Luke, just for a few minutes. For me and for the kids. Sara and Laila keep asking about you. Don´t you want to spend some time with us before they have to go to bed? Just twenty minutes and then you can take us home and we can put the kids into their beds and watch a movie, play scrabble, go fishing, whatever you want to do, but please don´t make me remember the festival after I got my family back as the 'festival I had to spend without my husband'. Please, I miss you out there.” She begged and Luke saw that she was serious. She really wanted him with her at the festival and not just to mock him.
“You´re being dramatic.” He told her as a last try, but Lorelai could see his defense getting weaker.
“Pretty please with a cherry on top!” She pouted one last time and gave him the last push.
“Okay, okay, I’m coming. But only twenty minutes and then I´m gone!” He pretended to be annoyed.
Lorelai beamed at him, hugged him, kissed him and then dragged him outside.
It took them a few minutes to find Rory and Laila, and Lorelai was already eating another chocolate covered banana. Of course, she couldn´t stop mocking Luke with it, but his only response was to tell her the minutes she had left at the festival.
The first meeting with Rory was a bit awkward for him at first, but she was babbling and joking with Lorelai as always and he was glad his little outburst didn´t have any major consequences for their relationship.
“Okay, three minutes left. Where are Will and Sara?” Luke asked.
“Will is with Davey and Martha at Sookie´s booth and Sara is still begging the fortune-teller over there to give her some of those pralines.” Rory answered and pointed to a booth next to the crossing.
“I´m gonna get her, then we´re picking up Will on our way home, be ready in two minutes!” Luke grinned, kissed Lorelai and marched off towards Sara.
“Oh these crazy fools.” Patty laughed when he walked by and pointed towards a group of youths and their cars. They were drinking while arguing with Taylor, who had already called the cops. Luke only shook his head at their craziness and hoped that William and the twins would discover alcohol way past their thirties.
“Mommy, where is daddy?” Laila asked and tugged at Lorelai’s jacket.
“Are you cold? He is over there picking....” She didn´t get any further with her explanation, because her eyes widened at the sight.
While Luke was walking towards Sara the kids had had enough of Taylor´s lecture and drove off. One car wasn´t driving on the streets, but over the sidewalk, where Sara was still concentrating on the fortune-telling machine.
“Sara!” She heard Luke yell while he was running to his daughter. Then he grabbed her, turned around and protected her with his body, seconds before the car crashed into him.
The citizens of Stars Hollow saw how the car hit Luke, who still held Sara in front of him. They heard his scream, saw them flying up in the air before they crashed down onto the street.
The city was silent, shocked, and unable to process what had just happened.
They all stood there, staring at the limp bodies on the street, unable to react. Until Lorelai screamed.
TBC