EverFixed Mark

Chapter 5 - Friday Nights Never Change

A/N: Okay, buckle up. This chapter moves quickly, and may or may not make much sense…you’ll have to let me know. I found it hilarious halfway through writing it, and now I’m too tired to find it anything but, hopefully, finished. ;-)

By some miracle of physics, twenty-four people sat in the dining room. There’s no use trying to elaborate on the seating arrangements, because with this number of people, no one present was able to keep track…really keep track of where anybody was - particularly since Luke and Sookie kept hopping up and making trips to the kitchen; parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles kept shuttling back and forth from the adults’ table to the kids’ table, keeping order and food on children’s plates; and baby Tony, Liz and TJ’s youngest, seemed to be the most portable person in the room, being handed back and forth, taking a turn on almost everybody’s lap. Chase on the other hand, was Grandma Lorelai’s especial property, as she’d claimed that he was her baby for the duration of the visit, since she got to see him so seldom. Rory didn’t complain, but reveled awkwardly in her newfound marginal freedom. She only had to keep half-an-eye on Trevor, as the kids’ table was under everyone’s supervision.

It was also miraculous to be able to make out what anyone was saying, as four or five separate conversations seemed to be happening at all times. 

This chaotic state of affairs probably took the biggest toll on Emily Gilmore, as she was accustomed to such lavish, structured, formal dinner parties, where no matter how many the guests, things were still peaceful. Whoever had seated her next to Liz had a particularly evil sense of humor. Rory noted her grandmother’s discomfort, and sent a worried glance over to her mom, who looked like the cat who got the cream, first batting her eyelashes innocently, and then giving in to a wicked smirk. Rory rolled her eyes.

Jess was growing so mind-bashingly tired of the subject of cellophane that he even brought up etch-a-sketches in a measure of desperation. Let’s just say, it didn’t help matters.

Richard nodded quasi-politely as Jackson elaborated on this years eggplant crop, and Sookie piped in with all of her favorite eggplant recipes and the occasions for which they could be served.

April was animatedly describing something to do with the mating rituals, hunting habits and hibernation patterns of… Rory couldn’t quite catch what animal she was talking about. Maybe she was talking about more than one animal. Regardless, Gigi kept trying to change the subject to a TV show she’d been obsessed with lately, and Christopher looked like he wanted somebody to put a bullet through his brain.

As Rory took in the last of this fiasco in dismay, she looked back to her mother to offer her long-distance sympathies on such a failure… Just before she reached Lorelai’s eyes, she remembered her mother’s previous expression, and knew what it would look like now. If she’d looked pleased before, now she looked positively triumphant. Luke, however, was looking a little queasy. Rory bit her lips together. Her eyes scanned the room once more, and she was glad of the general confusion, because she really couldn’t hold in her laughter. Suddenly, neither could Lorelai.

“What is so funny?” Emily demanded, brusquely, causing Liz to break off mid-sentence. Lorelai doubled over, and Rory could hardly breathe. Emily rolled her eyes in blatant irritation.

“Nothing!” Lorelai finally managed to squeak out. 

Jess leaned forward, glancing over at the convulsing Lorelais with a bemused expression as Emily’s, “Really, Lorelai!” expressed her full displeasure.

“So, Rory,” Richard began in his full, strong voice, catching a moment when Sookie had paused for breath, and pretending that was the end of her commentary on eggplant and veal stew. “You said that your husband is away on business. Are you allowed to say what business, or is it a deep, dark secret? Because, I for one, am vitally interested.” Rory opened her mouth to reply, but was cut short.