Okay, so last chapter... Wow. I'm a loss for words for what to say now, except that I am really sad this story is ending, because somehow the characters grew on me. It's hard to let go, I guess. Thank you so much for reading this story and thank you so much for your comments.
But it has to be done,at some point there is nothing more you can tell.
Chapter 38: Oh so different
„Hey Mom, it's me", Lorelai greeted her mother and sat down on the couch, beside the twins and William.
"Hello Lorelai. What a nice surprise that you are calling, we just came back from our trip a few minutes ago." Emily said politely and was happy to hear her daughter's voice, because since everything was okay again with Luke, she always sounded so happy. Neither Emily nor Richard had really realized how happy Lorelai had been until the accident happened and they had seen her so miserable for such a long time. It still hurt Emily to only think about this time, but at the same time it was a reminder for how good Lorelai felt now.
"Yeah, see, I told you I am psychic and you never believed me. But actually that's not why I am calling", Lorelai laughed.
"You could have left me my illusion, that you have finally learned what is polite when people come back from a journey", Emily lectured her and sighed, but didn't mean it in a bad way.
"Sorry, mom, no such luck with me. I am calling to tell you that we won't be able to make it to your party on New Years Eve." Lorelai said.
"What? But Lorelai, I asked you twice and you said you would come. Luke even told me he would bring pie. You can't just cancel on such short notice", came the prompt reply.
"Mom, I am really sorry and we would love to come, but we can't cause my three monsters here have the chicken pox", explained Lorelai and ruffled through William's hair, who had his head on her lap.
"Oh my goodness, why didn't you call us? We would have come back immediately to help you" Emily shrieked.
"No, it's fine mom, we have it under control. Luke is not fully back at the diner and over the holidays Sookie and I gave us some more free-time, so it's no problem. We have it covered. I also can't remember if you already had the chicken pox and although it would crack me up for the rest of my life if you would get the chicken pox now, I think it's better for all of us, if you don't." Lorelai said while she held Sara's hands in one of hers when the girl had started scratching.
"Well, of course I already had them or who do you think sat at your bed and held your hands the whole night when you were two and got the chicken pox?!" Emily asked her.
"Guess I never thought about that," Lorelai said and didn't want to admit that she had always assumed a nanny had cared for her back then.
"So when shall we be over?" Emily asked then and ended the chicken pox discussion.
"What?" Lorelai asked back confused.
"When shall we be over for New Years Eve?" Emily repeated.
"Mom you invited nearly fifty guest how do you want to join us?" Lorelai was still irritated.
"Well, yes. We agreed to celebrate this New Years Eve together, actually that is why your father and I came back early from our annual trip over Christmas, so yes I insist that we are celebrating together. We will just tell our guest that we have a family emergency and they need to celebrate somewhere else. Honestly I am glad I don't have to see them all, cause half of them I had to invite out of obligation and they bore me to death", Emily told Lorelai.
"Uhm, okay, that's unexpected but great. So I will tell Luke and he will add you two to the crowd so you'll get something to eat as well" Lorelai said.
"Luke is making the food?" Emily asked her.
"Yeah sure. I can't make it we don't want everybody to end up in hospital with food poisoning", Lorelai laughed and William made a face, when he heard his mother talk about cooking.
"Is Luke able to do this? I mean it's not that long that he woke up and now he should cook for all of us? How many people are there?"
"Basically everybody in Stars Hollow who already had the chicken pox. Logan and Rory, Paris and her boyfriend… yeah well everybody except Kirk, because strangely enough he never had the chicken pox and so he has to celebrate with his mother and cat Kirk".
"Cat Kirk?" Emily asked.
"You don't want to know. But even Taylor will come over", Lorelai said.
"So that means that you will have at least thirty people in the house?" Emily concluded.
"Yes, maybe a few more, it depends", Lorelai shrugged and gave Sara's hands free, only to grab her leg, with which she had started scratching now.
"Why don't we bring the food? I mean it is ordered and we have to pay it anyway. It would be a waste if we would just send it back. And this way Luke could relax, I m sure he can use it"Emily decided.
"Sounds great mom, I am sure Luke will like that. So tomorrow at eight?" Lorelai smiled.
"Tomorrow at eight. See you then Lorelai"
"See you then mom, Bye", Lorelai said and hung up.
"Grandma already had the chickenpox", she told her children then.
"So she will come?"Laila asked excitedly.
"Yes, they will come and they will bring food. No idea what they will bring, but it'll be enough for fifty people by Emily Gilmore standards, so we might invite as well invite Woodbury as well", Lorelai smiled and gave her daughter a kiss, before she stood up.
"So, who's up for the next bath in calamine bath?" she asked them, and all three jumped off the couch because they knew it would help with the itching.
"Grandma and grandpa are here!" William yelled for everyone to hear after he had opened the door for his grandparents.
"Well, hello my boy" Richard only smiled.
"My goodness how are you looking?" Emily shrieked when she sad him, because he was covered with white points everywhere.
"It's the stupid lotion, but it helps" William shrugged and was happy when his grandmother picked him up nonetheless and hugged him for a moment, because she hadn't seen him since Christmas.
"Look, now you look like you have the chicken pox as well" William laughed when he pulled back, because Emily had now the white points on her cheek as well. Richard joined Williams laughter.
"Yay" the twins both shouted, before they jumped into their grandparents arms, both dressed in their pink pyjamas, while William was wearing a blue one.
"Mam, where should we put this?" a man suddenly asked and was carrying one of the many plates with food.
"Uhm, we have to ask Lorelai. Oh there she is" Emily said when Lorelai entered the entrance, followed closely by Luke, who held her hand.
"Just put it in the dining room on the tables, thank you" Lorelai addressed the men with the plates and then turned to her parents.
"Hey, you. Oh mom, your cheek has the chicken pox as well now?" Lorelai laughed when she saw then cream points on her mother's cheek.
"Seems like William infected me", Emily joked while Richard rubbed the cream off his wife's cheek.
"So, well, come in. You know where everything is, you know everyone, so I hope you'll have a nice time", Luke addressed his in-laws and took William, who hung on his leg.
The boy hugged his father and Luke held him tight.
"I think he still has a bit of a fever", Luke told Lorelai then, what caused her to lay her hand on his forehead, before she kissed it, not caring about the cream, and then nodded.
"Yeah, he has. William honey are you okay?" she asked her son.
"My body hurts" he mumbled sleepily on Luke's shoulder.
"And you two? Are you okay? You don't have a fever anymore, but does something hurt?" Lorelai asked the twins after checking their foreheads.
"My head hurts", Laila complained.
"I'm okay", Sara shrugged and smiled. She had the lightest infection of the three, while William's body was basically covered with blisters.
"I think we will put you in bed again, okay? You will sleep some more and we will wake you up before the fireworks start", Lorelai decided and took Laila from her father.
"No, I don't wanna go to bed", they immediately started to yammer, but Luke and Lorelai just walked upstairs with them and placed them both into the twins bedroom.
"And you will really wake us up?" William wanted to be assured.
"We will really wake you up. Promise", Luke said and tucked the boy in, while Lorelai did the same with her daughter.
"Pinky promise?" William asked, already half asleep.
"Pinky promise" Luke smiled and logged his pinky with William's smaller one and Lorelai placed a last kiss on her daughter's forehead before they left he room.
Outside she slung her arms around her husband's waist and kissed him.
"Only one monster still up. If we succeed putting her to bed as well, we can get incredibly drunk and do it on the table. A little show for everyone", she grinned when they broke the kiss.
"I am sure your parents and Rory would love that", Luke raised his eyebrows.
"Meanie. But we could still get drunk", she shrugged.
"We promised to wake them. Maybe next year", Luke smiled and gave her another peck on her pouting lips.
"Mmmh, next year. Sounds good", she nodded and stole another kiss.
"And if not… we have the rest of our lifes still in front of us, I think there will be one New Years Eve when we will get drunk." Luke was still smiling.
"True. Maybe we should wait until we are ninety. The Sex on the table part would be so much more spectacular then", Lorelai grinned and Luke only shook his head.
"Crazy Lady" he only said and hugged her close.
"I am looking forward getting ninety with you by my side", Lorelai whispered in his ear and started to such on his neck.
"Yeah me too but let's get back downstairs, otherwise I will have to take you up on that sex part now", Luke whispered back and with their arms around each other they made their way back to their guests.
As the evening went on more and more inhabitants of Stars Hollow found their way into the Danes house and Sara was happy showing them all her blisters she had in her face, but in general she stayed close to her grandparents, enjoying their undivided attention for her.
Rory and Logan celebrated with younger generation of Stars Hollow, meaning Lane, Zack and Brian and their kids and families.
Taylor tried to hold a speech until Luke threatened him with the punch bowl, what caused Lorelai to break out in hysterics and afterwards Patty and Babette made good use of the punch in there while Morey was playing on the piano, Emily and Richard had bought for their grandchildren.
Even Kirk had found his way into the house, but refused to eat or drink anything, because then he would have to remove the mask he wore out of his fear of the evil chicken pox virus in the house.
Luke and Lorelai never parted for a second the whole evening. They acted like couple in the honeymoon phase, having their arms around each other all of the time, stealing kisses whenever they could and had more than one heated make out session after they had "checked on the kids", like they had said, as an excuse to get a minute alone now and then.
A few minutes before twelve o'clock they went and woke up William and Laila, like they had promised and carried them downstairs to celebrate with them.
Sara came running from her grandparents when she saw her siblings and together the crowd counted from ten to one, and Lorelai gave every kid a kiss for a count and when they had reached the "one" she and Luke sunk in a deep kiss, forgetting everyone around them. They embraced and kissed while Emily and Richard wished their grandchildren a happy new year and they still hadn't come up for air when Rory and Logan came over, both slightly drunk.
When they finally broke the kiss, they received the wishes of their family and friends.
All together they walked outside to watch the fireworks Taylor had organized and they all aahed and oohed and then laughed, when Kirk got scared of one of the bees, the kids had lit up and ran screaming over the front yard.
Luke and Lorelai had William, Sara and Laila in their arms, standing close together. Rory and Logan were laughing with Lane, Emily and Richard were talking quietly with Miss Kim.
Lorelai looked around her while the colourful lights lit up the sky and although there were so many people around her, she could only see seven.
Rory who looked so happy with her fiancé and her friends. She would go her way, whichever it would be.
Her parents, who were still together after so many years of marriage and with whom she finally got along and knew how much they cared about her, after all they had done in the past year.
William, Sara and Laila who watched the sky with big eyes and huge smiles on their faces, while they were still covered with cream points and were kept warm by their parents.
And finally Luke, her husband, the man she loved so much and with whom she had gone through better and worse, richer and poorer and now even through sickness and health, since they had known each other.
She felt so overjoyed this moment, that she couldn't stop smiling and gave her husband another kiss.
But this wasn't it, her whole package. It was oh so different. It was so much better.
The end