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i-just-like-to-see-you-happy · 3 years

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In Another Life

So this is a bit of a story I wanted to do but will probably never finish. I thought you all might want to see it even though it’s not done. It has a beginning and an end, and a bit of a middle. So you can still kinda get the gist.

The premise is that Luke and Lorelai are plucked from their own timeline circa "Take the Deviled Eggs" and dropped in the middle of the civil war-era. November 2003/June 1766-May 1767

Oh and it even has two playlists, because three-years-ago-me was extra: In Another Life (orchestral soundtrack), and In Another Life (thematic soundtrack)

She frowned at him. “Luke?”

He nodded at her. “Miss Gilmore.”

“Why are you dressed like that?”

“Like what?” He asked.

Lorelai pointed at his clothes. “Like you're the eighteenth century you. Did Taylor finally get to you?”

Luke gaped at her. “Are… are you talking about Taylor Doose?”

She scoffed at him. “Of course I'm talking about Taylor Doose, what other Taylor do you know?”

"No, I meant-" He sighed. "Taylor Doose, town selectman?"

"Yes."

"Of Stars Hollow."

"Again, yes. Did you hit your head or something? Are you okay?"

“Lorelai, look around.” Luke said in a low voice. “What do you see?”

Lorelai rolled her eyes, but looked around like Luke asked. “I see… stables. Horses. Trees. I'm sorry, is there something I should be looking for?”

“How about cars? Power lines? Electric lights? Any trace of technology, anywhere?”

Lorelai frowned. Luke was right. There wasn't anything like that. She even reached into her pocket, where her cellphone should have been.

“Impossible.” Lorelai muttered, and checked the other pocket. “This is impossible.”

“That's what I thought.” Luke said, looking grave. “I thought it was just a dream, until I burned my hand earlier.”

“How did you do that?”

“I was working.”

“You work a lot in your dreams?”

“You'd be surprised.” He muttered. “Anyway, once I got burned and I didn’t wake up, I knew that something was seriously weird.”

“So you came out here to talk to me?”

“No, I came out here cause Rory brought me a message from you, saying that there was a broken door latch that needed fixed, so apparently whenever we ended up, I'm still you're go to guy for repairs.”

“Wait, whenever? As in-”

“Welcome to seventeen-sixty-six.”

Lorelai sat heavily on the porch, and Luke sat next to her.

"Seventeen-sixty-six!”

"Yup."

"As in one seven six six?"

"Yes."

"The year seventeen seventy-six?"

"Yes."

“How?!”

“Not a clue.” Luke said. “All I know is, I woke up this morning, and I wasn't in my apartment. Got dressed in the clothes I assumed were mine, went downstairs. Turns out, I own and run a restaurant.”

“Well, somethings just don't change.” Lorelai said. “So, who am I here? Where are we?”

Luke smiled at her. “You’re still Lorelai Gilmore, near as I can tell. You're the owner of the Dragonfly Hotel.”

“I- I... I own an inn?!”

“I thought you’d be pleased.”

“I own an inn?” Lorelai repeated. “What about Sookie?”

Luke shrugged. “Don’t know. Jess only mentioned you.”

Lorelai did a double take. “I’m sorry, did you say Jess?”

Luke nodded. “Yeah, he lives with me. Been living with me for a while, apparently.”

“What about his mom?”

Again Luke shrugged. “Don’t know. I figure that however this happened, if I’m still me and Jess is… well, still Jess, then Liz must not be too different either.”

“So Jess is still… Holden Caufield."

"Dean." Luke said suddenly.

"Or James Dean, sure."

"No, Dean." Luke said, pointing. "Forester."

Lorelai looked up. Sure enough there was Dean. He approached them, and greeted them politely. "Miss Gilmore. Mr. Danes."

"Dean." Lorelai said. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I thought I'd call in on Rory before I got to work. Is she here?"

"No, she went to the bookstore in Litchfield." Luke said.

"Oh. Okay." Dean looked crestfallen. "I guess I'll get to work then."

Lorelai held her tongue until Dean was out of hearing range. "So. There's still a Dean."

"Apparently."

"And a Jess."

"Definitely."

"Wow." Lorelai said. "Wait, you said... seventeen-sixty-six.”

"Yes, I did."

"But Stars Hollow wasn't established until..."

"Seventeen-seventy-nine, I know."

"So, we're not in Stars Hollow."

"Nope." Luke said. "I live in Litchfield, which is about a forty minute walk away from here."

"And where's here?"

"A little place called Harristown."

"Harristown?" Lorelai questioned. "I've never heard of it."

"I'm not surprised. It's on the outskirts of where Stars Hollow is today. Or will be, anyway, two hundred and some years from now."

Lorelai rested her head in her hands. "My head is spinning."

"My uncle isn't feeling to great today. He's been a little confused."

"My mom too." Rory said. "It must be something in the air."

"Must be." Jess said. "So, what did you find to read today?"

"Robinson Crusoe." Rory handed him the book. "Ever read it?"

Jess examined the cover carefully. "Parts of it. Never owned a copy, so I haven't read it all the way through. Wanted to."

"You can borrow it when I'm done reading it if you like." Rory offered.

"In exchange for?" Jess asked.

"In exchange for nothing." Rory said. "You said you wanted to read it, and you can. When I'm done with it."

She reached for the book, but Jess pulled it away. "How about if we take turns reading it out loud while we walk? That way, we both get started reading it and we don't have to keep talking."

Rory didn't look happy, but she consented. "Fine. But I want that book back when I get home."

Jess smirked at her. "As you wish."

(a flashback to when Jess and Rory met for the first time)

Jess quoted, from memory. "My young Readers, Before you begin the following Sheets, I beg you will stop a Moment at this Preface, to consider with me, what is the true Use of Reading; and if you can once fix this Truth in your Minds, namely, that the true Use of Books is to make you wiser and better, you will then have both Profit and Pleasure from what you read."

Rory stopped, and turned about face. "You've read 'The Governess'!"

Jess shrugged. "A few times."

"I've yet to meet another person who's read it, let alone a boy of your age." Rory said. "I thought you said you didn't read."

He shrugged again. "I said I hadn't read much. But what I have read, I've read a fair amount of times.

Rory set back on her way. "Then you lie!"

Jess jogged along to keep pace with her. "I didn't lie so much as I interpret the question differently than you did. You asked if I read much, I took it to mean if I had read very many books. But given your response, the question you were asking was how much time I spent reading."

"I... I suppose." Rory admitted.

"Then how could I answer correctly a question you yourself failed to ask?"

Rory stopped suddenly once more, and answered slowly. "That's a fair enough question. You have my apologies.”

"I accept." Jess said. "So, did you still want to ask?"

"Since you already know the question I want to ask, then why don't you simply answer it?" She asked.

"Very well." Jess agreed. "I read much of the time, when I'm not studying or working for my uncle. I'd much rather read than do most things."

Rory smiled at him. "Then we seem to have much in common."

Lorelai crumpled on the ground next to the hollow oak, not caring any longer if her dress became dirty. She took a shaky breath in, trying to calm herself, but only managed to fall apart even more. She let out a ragged sob, followed by another. And another. She buried her face in her arms, and let herself cry. It was only when someone spoke that she realized that she wasn't alone.

"Lorelai?"

She looked up, and saw Luke. She desperately tried to wipe the tears away from her face, but more fell. Luke said nothing, but quickly moved to sit next to her, and took her in his arms, holding her close. She let him, and opened her mouth to speak, only to let out another sob. She hugged him back, tightly, and he held her closer still as she cried into his shirt. After a while, she calmed, and they stayed like that for a while.

"So how was your day?" Lorelai deadpanned.

"Lorelai, what happened?" Luke asked gently.

She shrugged. "Oh, nothing. Just that 18th century Emily Gilmore is a lot crueler than 21st century Emily Gilmore."

She didn't think that he could hold her any tighter, but he did.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I heard people talk, but... I never thought it would be this bad."

She sniffled. "No, neither did I."

"Why do you think we're here?" Luke said. "Why now? Why like this?"

"I don't know." Lorelai said. "Maybe we did something and pissed off the wrong, sadistic god."

"Maybe."

"There is one good thing here, though."

"What's that?"

"You." Lorelai sniffed again. "Seriously. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here."

"You would've figured it out." Luke said softly. "You're capable of anything, including figuring out how to navigate this crazy, backward place."

She let go of him reluctantly, and looked up to his face. She spoke softly. "You're still the best thing here, Luke."

Luke opened his mouth to speak, but could say nothing. He just looked down at her, still holding her. She was still looking up at him. And slowly, hesitating, she brought her hand up to caress his cheek, and let the other rest on his chest. He moved one of his hands to the back of her neck, and gently pulled her closer, until they could feel each other's breath on their faces. Then slowly, sweetly, Luke kissed her. She kissed him back, wrapping her arm around him once again. They pulled apart, and rested their warmed cheeks together.

"Is this really happening?" Lorelai breathed.

Luke swallowed. "God, I hope so."

"Promise me that if this does end up being a dream, you'll never forget this." Lorelai said, a little louder.

Luke hugged her closer, burying his face in her neck. "Never. I could never forget this."

Lorelai woke in her own bed, still partly dressed. She laid there, remembering her dream. Luke, the hollow oak, the stars. Sweet, soft, kisses that comforted her more than anything he could have said.

She opened her eyes, a lump forming in throat. It was just a dream, she thought. Nothing but a dream. Nothing's changed.

She sat up when Sookie came into the room, carrying a tray full of food. "Morning, hon."

"Hey, Sook." Lorelai said.

"How are you feeling?" Sookie asked sympathetically. "You had kind of a rough day yesterday."

"Yeah, I guess I did." Lorelai took the coffee that Sookie offered her. "Hey, how'd I get back yesterday, the last thing I remember I was out in the forest."

"Luke brought you back. You don't remember?" Sookie asked.

"Uh, no." Lorelai frowned.

"I'm not surprised, you were so exhausted. If Luke hadn't offered to carry you up the stairs, you would have had to sleep on the couch in your office. Not very comfortable."

"Uh, no, it would not have been." Lorelai said. "When did he bring me back?"

"Oh, it was late." Sookie said. "He didn't want to walk back to Litchfield in the dark, so he's still here. Did you want to talk to him?"

"Oh, uh, maybe."

"Well, in that case, you eat your breakfast, then we'll get you prettied up." Sookie said.

"Why'd you say it like that?" Lorelai said.

"You should have seen the way he was looking at you."

"Which was how?"

"Like you were his whole life." Sookie said quietly. "He changed his expression as soon as he thought someone was watching, but I know what I saw."

Luke felt his heart racing. "Lorelai..."

They met in the middle, hands meeting bodies as lips kissed. Soft, sweet kisses turned hot, passionate, and hurried. Lorelai eagerly tugged Luke's shirt from under his belt, and he stilled her hands, placing his own over them.

"Wait, wait." He said. "Are you sure?"

"Luke." She sighed. "I woke up thinking that holding you in my arms and kissing you would only happen in my dreams. And then I find out, for whatever... inexplicable reason that it wasn't just a dream. And if that isn't a goddamned miracle, I don't know what else is. Now, I don't know about you, but I would very much like to enjoy my miracle."

He grinned at her. "Well, when you put it like that..."

(At some point the the storyling, Jess disappeared apparently??)

"You said Jess and Dean came to blows." Lorelai said cautiously.

Luke immediately shook his head. "No. I don't care what world we live it, Dean couldn't- he wouldn't."

"Okay, forget I said anything." Lorelai said quietly.

(upon Jess’ return)

"Jess, they dragged the river after you left!" Luke shouted. "Do you know how scared I-"

Luke covered his face and turned around. Jess just stood there. Luke sighed and turned back around.

"Jess, you can't just take off like that." Luke said. "You can't... You just can't. You tell me when you're leaving, you tell me where you're going, so I don't have to think about you maybe lying dead somewhere!"

Jess stood there silent for a few minutes more, before whispering- "I'm sorry."

"You bet your ass you're sorry." Luke said. He sighed, and really looked at him. "Are you okay? You didn't get hurt, you're not sick?"

Jess shook his head.

"Did you find out if your mom's okay?" Luke asked.

Jess shrugged. "She's the same."

Luke nodded, not really surprised. He sighed again. "Come 'ere."

Jess stepped closer, and was surprised when Luke pulled him into a hug, and hesitated a few moments before slowly hugging him back.

"You tell me where you are, okay?" Luke said. "Send me a letter or something, I don't care. Just let me know you're... Let me know you're still alive, for god sakes."

"I will." Jess said. his voice thick with emotion. "I'm sorry."

(After... sometime followed their aforemention... interlude)

"Not here." Lorelai whispered, and took him by the hand. She lead them to the barn.

"Lorelai, where are we going?" Luke said. "What's this about?"

"Not here." She said again.

"What, are you afraid the horses are going to hear?" Luke said.

She glared at him. "No, I just want to talk somewhere private, that's all."

"This is crazy." He muttered, but followed her up the ladder to the hay loft. She laid out a blanket for them to sit on.

"Lorelai, what's this about?"

"Well, you know that thing in history where they'd see if you were pregnant by injecting some of your blood into a rabbit, and if you were pregnant, it would die?"

"Yes." Luke said, completely mystified.

"Well, not to put it too finely, but... the rabbit's dead." Lorelai said.

"Ok-ay?" Luke said. "What rabbit?"

"My rabbit." Lorelai said nervously.

"Your rabbit?" Luke said.

"Yes, my rabbit is dead. It's dead and buried." She sighed. "This was so much easier in 1984, I just showed Chris the stick and he got it."

"What are you talking about, what sti-" Luke's words stopped there, and his eyes got huge as he finally registered what she was talking about. "Oh."

"And there it is." Lorelai said.

"Oh my god." Luke breathed. "You're pregnant?"

"Yeah, I'm- I'm pregnant." Lorelai nodded.

"Oh my god." He said again quietly.

"You keep saying that." Lorelai said. "Is that a good 'oh my god', or a what-have-I-got-myself-into 'oh my god'-"

Luke pulled her into his lap and kissed her. He kissed her lips, and her cheeks and the rest of her face until she was grinning.

"Okay, I'm guessing that it was a good 'oh my god'." She mumbled.

"Very good." He kissed her again.

"So... you're happy about this?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, of course I'm happy! Aren't you happy?"

"Of course I am." Lorelai said. "And even happier that you are too."

(And a heartbreaking return to the Real World)

"Never. I could never forget this."

Lorelai woke, clutching her pillow for dear life. She could remember the whole thing vividly. Her inn, Rory, Dean, Jess.

Luke.

She sat up, and looked around. She was home again, back in the age of technology. She realized she was still clutching the pillow across her belly.

The baby.

She threw her pillow aside and touched her stomach. She knew instinctively that there was nothing there, but still she had to check. She rushed to her bathroom and pulled out the box that she kept there for emergencies, because there was no way she was going to wait to drive anywhere to get them, and she certainly wasn't going to buy them in Stars Hollow.

She already knew what the answer was going to be, and didn't want to look. But she did anyway.

No baby.

No Luke.

Today seemed like a good day to wallow.

(SIDENOTE: not a miscarriage! I realized I that I didn’t make that clear in the text, but I swear, it’s not a miscarriage. Through historical/time travel/dream logic, the baby just doesn’t exist in the “future”)

"Never. I could never forget this."

Luke sat bolt upright in bed, reaching out for a body that wasn't there. Once he came fully awake, he sighed. He was back in his apartment, above his diner. It had simply been a dream.

Everything came back to him all as once. Lorelai, the town, Jess, Rory, falling asleep under the stars, holding Lorelai in his arm. Feeling their baby kick against his palm.

Their baby. Their dream life.

Never had he wanted to cry more than that moment.

Luke seemed grumpier than usually that morning.

Just Rory came in that morning. Luke wasn't sure if he were more upset or grateful. He went to take her order.

"Where's your mom today?" He asked gruffly.

"She's at home. Something happened, but she won't tell me what." Rory said.

Luke immediately became concerned. "What do you mean something happened?"

Rory shrugged. "I don't know. She said she wasn't feeling good, and called in sick to work. But..."

"What is it, Rory?" He asked.

"It doesn't really seem like she's sick, more like... she's wallowing."

"Wallowing?"

"Yeah, like when you get sad about something, like a break up, and you just stay home, watch movies, and eat junk." Rory said. "But I didn't even think she seeing with anybody."

"Well, she's gonna be okay." Luke assured her. "She always is."

"I guess."

"Ready to order?"

Luke knocked on Lorelai's door. She answered, clearly surprised to find him there. "Luke!"

"Hey, I know you weren't expecting me, but, uh, Rory said you weren't feelin' too good, so I thought I'd bring you a care package."

"Thanks, Luke. That means a lot." She smiled at him, somewhat sadly. After a second, she added, "Would you like to come in?"

He did, despite the part of his brain telling him that it was a bad idea.

"So, what happened?" Luke asked curiously. "You just woke up feeling sick, or what?"

"No, nothing like that, I just..." She hesitated. "I know it sounds stupid, but I had this... really, really amazing dream, and- well, anyway, I woke up, and realized the dream wasn't real, and I guess I'm just..."

"Wallowing." Luke finished.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Yeah, I know how that feels." Luke admitted. "Same thing happened to me, too. Been crabby all day."

"Bummer."

"Yeah." Luke said. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to your movie."

"Sure you can't stay?" She offered. "We could be miserable and crabby together."

He smiled at her. "As much fun as that sounds, I gotta get back to the diner."

She smiled back. "Well, thanks for the food. You're still the best thing here."

He frowned at her.

"You're still the best thing here, Luke."

"What did you say?" Luke asked abruptly.

"I said thank you. Did you not catch it the first time?"

"No, after that." Luke said. "What did you say after that?"

"You're the best thing here?" Lorelai said. "What about it?"

"Nothing, I just..." He shook his head. "Never mind. Enjoy your food."

Luke turned around and headed for the door, but hesitated with his hand on the doorknob. He swallowed hard, and walked back into the living room. She looked up at him. "Did you forget something?"

"No, I..." He inhaled, throwing caution to the wind. "Actually, I promised that there was something I would never forget."

Lorelai's jaw dropped. She blinked. And then she blinked again. Luke waited anxiously. He'd expected some kind of reaction. Whether she would just blow the whole thing off, or just laugh, he didn't know, but he certainly didn't expect dead silence.

"Lorelai?"

"The oak." She said flatly, and Luke's heart soared.

"The hollow oak." He said urgently. "Where we-"

"Watched the stars." Lorelai finished, whispering. "Oh my god."

"Lorelai."

Luke crossed the room and kissed her, and she kissed him back fiercely. Luke touched her face, and felt tears. He pulled away from her to look at her, and she placed a hand over her belly. She bit her lip, and looked up at him sadly.

"The baby-" She tried to explain tearfully. "I don't- It's not-"

"I know." He murmured, and pulled her into a tight hug. "I know, I know, I know..."

When Rory came home that evening, she was greeted with a completely different Lorelai than the one she'd left that morning.

"Mom, what's-" She looked in the kitchen. "Is Luke here? Is he cooking?"

Lorelai wrapped her arm around her daughter, and lead her into the living room.

"Hey, hon, do you want to hear about my dream last night?"

#Gilmore Girls #gilmore girls fanfiction #gilmore girls fanfic #gilmore girls historical au #luke x lorelai

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