"So where'd you say dad was?" Lorelai asked Emily as they ate dinner.
"Away on business." Emily say taking a bite of mash potatoes.
"Location's top-secret?"
"Oh, Germany."
"Germany. Is dad's firm insuring Nazis now?" Lorelai asked.
"Your father doesn't know any Nazis." Emily cleaned her mouth.
"I know, mom. It was just--" Lorelai shook her head not finishing.
"What?"
"Joking-- She was joking." Harper told her swallowing her carrots.
"Oh. Hard to tell."
"Yeah, well.."
"Oh, I'm afraid I have some bad news-- Claudia died."
"Who?" Lorelai gave her a confused look.
"Claudia, your cousin, Claudia. Claudia!" Emily said again after Lorelai's look didn't change.
"I'm hearing the name. I have no idea who that is."
"Claudia's your cousin, for all intents and purposes."
"Oh, now we're getting to it."
"She was your father's grandmother's sister's girl. So to you, that would make her--"
"Nothing?"
"Regardless, the funeral's on Thursday. I thought we'd all go together."
"Two problems. One, impossible to get away from the Inn on Thursday. Two, I've never met this woman."
"You certainly have."
"When?"
"Several times."
"I'll take one. "
"We went to her house to see the first moon landing. She'd just gotten a new Philco."
"I have no memory of this whatsoever."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, men have walked on the moon regardless of whether your mother remembers or not." Emily looked at Rory and Harper.
"That's the rumor." Rory told her.
"I know that. I just don't know Claudia."
"So you're not going?"
"Not this time."
"I don't think Claudia's planning to die a second time." Emily said making Rory and Harper chuckle.
"Mom, I couldn't go if I wanted to."
"Fine."
"Oh, wait-- Rudolph Got freed." Emily said after a moment of silence."
"Another cousin?"
"No, A Nazi we knew. I'd forgotten. We stayed with him once in Munich. Nice old man-- interesting stories." Emily said and Lorelai's mouth dropped.
"Mom, you socialized with a known Nazi? That's despicable! That's Heinous!" Lorelai told her.
"No, dear, that was a joke." Emily said as Rory and Harper chuckled
Harper walked downstairs into the kitchen to hear her mother speak.
"I have an idea for a new reality show. How about everyone just looks out their freaking kitchen window for a change?" Lorelai said swinging her arms around as Harper grabbed an orange from the apple and orange basket on the counter.
"Ooh, she's cranky this morning." Rory turned away from Lorelai grabbing the coffee cup on the counter.
"Let's just say the world's got a formidable opponent." Lorelai said then turned the TV off as Harper filled her cup with coffee.
"Wait, shouldn't you be baking?" Harper turned to her as she brought her coffee up to her mouth.
"I don't know. Shouldn't you be knitting?" Lorelai shook her head.
"Mom, the Chilton bake sale is today!" Rory told her.
"I know, I got it covered." Lorelai said calmly.
"They expect the things to be homemade." Harper said as she started peeling her orange.
"I know."
"By someone other than Dolly Madison." Harper rolled her eyes.
"I said I have it covered!" Lorelai patted the table with each word.
"All the parents pitch in, so this is really important you know that, right?" Rory asked her as Lorelai got up and filled her coffee cup up.
"Oh, i didn't know. I don't have it covered. I have it covered! Get your stuff and hit the stereo, we're late." Lorelai told Rory who walked over to her bedroom.
"That's not me." Rory said and opened her bedroom door to show Lane dancing in Rory's room.
"Where does your mom think you are?" Lorelai asked her and she turned the stereo off.
"Oh, uh, on a park bench, contemplating the reunification of the two Korea's." Lane told her calmly.
"Not here, skanking to rancid?"
"Wouldn't be included."
"School!" Lorelai smiled and they all grabbed their bags and got around.
Lane ran off as they walked out the door giving them a wave.
"Bye."
"Bye." Lorelai called as they walked towards the car, seeing Babette and Morey walking their cat in a wagon.
"Wow, Cinnamon, riding in style." Rory told them.
"Yeah, Morey made it. Cinnamon's not walking good these days, but she still likes her passeggiatas. That's italian for a nice walk." Babette tells them looping her arm in Morey's.
"Passeggiatas." Morey said.
"Oh, god, he makes it sound so sexy." Babette smiles.
"Come on." Morey blushes.
"What's that?" Lorelai asked pointing to the little hide out area made in the wagon with some curtains.
"It's Cinnamon's private area. Sometimes she likes to be alone. She's just like Morey in that sense. Hey, say, Passeggiata, again." Babette bumps his arm.
"I can't do it on command, Babs." Morey said slightly looking up at them before looking back at the ground.
"Oh, he's blushing. God, I love a man that blushes!" Babette chuckled as Morey started walking away as she quickly followed.
"Okay, our town is just wierd." Harper said sipping her coffee.
"Thank god." Lorelai watching the couple walk away.
"Bye." Rory said
"Bye."
"Bye."
"I'll see you later at school."
"For what?"
"Mom, the bake sale!"
"I got the vein in the forehead Whoo!" Lorelai started laughing as she pointed at Rory.
"Sadist." Rory shook her head as her and Harper started their walk.
They walked to the bus station, when the bus pulled up they got in line to get on the bus. As they got on the bus they showed the guy their card and looked around for two empty seats. Once found they sat down.
"Hey!" They heard a voice behind them making them both scream and everyone look at them.
"Morning." Rory calmed down realizing it was Dean.
"Good book?"
"I don't know yet."
"I saw you standing in the line, so I thought I'd say hello. Hello?"
"Hello."
"Hey, thanks for helping me get the job at the store. I mean, it's not a career or anything, but it's go me solvent."
"Solvent is good."
"Yeah. Uh, are you always this serious?"
"No."
"So, uh, how long does it take you to get to school?"
"Um, 40 minutes, if the bus driver's focused, but longer if he's trying to win something on the radio. This bus is going to Hartford!"
"Yeah, I know."
"You go to school here. You've got to get off the bus. Hey, He has to get off the bus!" Rory tries to tell the driver
"W-w-wait. You're forgetting something. Buses make stops. Goodbye, Lorelai Gilmore." He said smiling as the bus came to a stop and he got off the bus.
Rory sat their a moment before a small smile spread across her face.
Sookie put the last dish on the table as Lorelai, Rory, and Harper all smiled down at the bake sale table.
"Well, what do you think?" Sookie asked.
"Amazing!" Rory smiled at her.
"Incredible!"
"This is awesome, Sookie. Thank you!" Harper smiled at her.
"It is good, isn't it? Well, final touch..." Sookie grabbed the lighter.
"Oh, can I do that?" Rory asked
"Oh, W-w-whoa, honey. This is more delicate procedure than you might think. Okay." Sookie said as she turned on the lighter.
"Okay."
"It takes an expert hand." Sookie walked back around the table.
"Oh!" Lorelai gasped and they looked over and saw the cloth on the table caught on fire.
Harper grabbed a cup and filled it with punch and threw it on it. When she looked back up at the people at the table she chuckled.
"Hi. Oh, well, gee...What is that, a dollar? Let me just give you- Let me find you a dollar. You know what? I'll take two. I'll drink one." Harper let out a nervous chuckle and filled her cup up taking a sip.
"Mmm, tasty and flame-retardant." Harper let another nervous chuckle before walking back over to the table sighing.
As she walked over to the table she saw Mr. Medina and Lorelia talking.
"Max." Mr. Medina said.
"Mr. Medina, meet Sookie, the chef at the inn. Sookie, Mr. Medina." Lorelai nodded her head at him.
"What's the name again?" Sookie asked.
"Mr. Medina." Lorelai told her.
"I know. You've said it a zillion times. hello." Sookie smiled at him.
"Hello." He gave her a head nod.
"Hi, Mr. Medina." Harper walked over setting her drink down on the table.
"Hi, Harper!" He smiled at her which she returned.
"Lorelai, could I borrow you for a second?" Max turned to Lorelai.
"Uh, yeah, sure." Lorelai said and sighed as they both walked away.
"Oh! Hey, I'll be right back." Lorelai told Sookie and grabbed the lighter from Sookie then walked away with Max.
As Harper grabbed one of Sookie's treats from her table and took a bite she felt arms wrapped around her waist. She gasp before she was set back down and turned to see Theodore smiling at her.
"Hi!" She smiled leaning up and kissing his cheek.
"Hi." He smiled at her
"What are you doing here?" She set the treat down on the table.
"I just wanted to visit, see how this is going?" He said looking around before looking back down at her.
She smiled at him before Lorelai walked back over.
"Hey, Theo. Good to see you." She smiled at him.
"Hi, Lorelai. Would it be okay, if I stole Harper away?" Theodore asked her and Lorelai nodded and Theodore grabbed Harper's hand bringing her with him.
"So, what are we doing?" She asked him.
"Hmmm, just going for lunch. I figured you want a real meal instead of all these sweets." Theodore told her opening her door then walked around the car and getting in the driver seat.
Harper nodded her head as he started the car and drove off.
"Where do you wanna go?' Theodore asked her as he pulled out of the parking lot.
"Luke's." Harper smiled as Theodore nodded his head.
They drove to Luke talking about random things and what happened during their days. When they got their, they walked and walked to one of the free tables.
"okay, I already know what you want, Harper. How about you?" Luke turned to Theodore as he scanned the menu.
"Could I just get a burger." Theodore asked.
"What would you like on it?"
"Everything, and fries to the side." Theodore said closing his menu.
"Thanks, Luke." Harper thanked and he nodded his head taken the ticket back to Caeser. The young couple sat in some silence for a moment.
"What's your family like?" Harper asked out of nowhere.
"Oh, uh, well my father, is, um well, my father is not the nicest, but can be when he wants to be, my mother is a sweetheart, but again only when wants to be, or if she likes you. And my little sister, is well, a little sister." Theodore smiled at her.
"What makes you say that, about your parents?" Harper asked.
"Well, my father is fairly decently nice to me, unless he's mad, so work, is never a time to be nice, but he is polite, unless he doesn't like you, Truthfully he is a nice man. My mother is a sweetheart, polite, but if she doesn't like you, she makes little jabs at like no other until you leave. But if she likes you, she is an extremely nice woman." Theodore explained to her and she nodded her head along, "And the reason I say my little sister, is a little sister. Is cause, well, you've got Rory and I bet when she was young, she was constantly annoying you, wanting to play games, but only when you were busy, not when you were free. Love her to death, but jeez." Theodore said taking a sip of the coke that got set in front of him just minutes before as Harper just smiled.
"Yeah, I know what you're talking about. When Rory and me were younger and she was in just the younger grades, no homework, you just spend your classes playing, and I had classes where I had homework, and we'd get home and while I'm trying to do homework, she sitting beside me, crying for me to play with her, then when I would finish and offer to play, she would dry up the tears and stomped to her room." Harper told him as he chuckled.
They spent the rest of lunch telling funny stories from childhood till now. When Theodore pulled up to her house, she went to lean over and kiss him when Rory knocked the window insistently making Harper roll down the window to see her panicked face.
"Come on, it's Cinnamon." Rory told her before turning and walking over towards Babette's house.
Harper quickly opened the door running to catch up with Rory.
"Hey! Who's Cinnamon? What happened?" Theodore ran after her.
"Cinnamon is Babette's cat. She's been pretty bad recently." Harper said before they walking into the house to see the vet and a white sheet with a lump under it and Lorelai already there.
"She's gone. Cinnamon's gone" Babette's voice cracked.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Lorelai muttered.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Morey?" Rory asked as they sat on the couch by him.
"This is life, guys-- It breaks your heart." Morey told them morbidity
"She looked like she was sleeping. I thought she was asleep, so i nudged her, and she didn't wake up. I gave her a push and she rolled off the couch, and since I just waxed the floor, she went shooting across the room. When she knocked over the lamp, and she still didn't move I knew it was over. Oh, god, my baby." Babette explained to her as Lorelai laid a comfort hand on her shoulder.
"Tell me it wasn't the--." Morey couldn't even finish the sentence.
"Oh, Morey, Don't do this to yourself. He thinks it was the clams." Babette looked at the vet.
"She saw me eating them. She gave me that "Hey, what's up?" look and--"
"It wasn't the clams. Morey, in human years, this cat was 260 years old." The vet told them.
"That's a good, long, life." Lorelai nodded her head.
"Listen, why don't you let me take her out to the van. Then I'll get out out of your way." The vet told them.
"Oh, no. Stay. All of you, please stay. Cinnamon would want you here." Babette placed a hand over her heart.
"We'll stay as long as you want." Harper told her.
"I'll never eat clams again." Morey said.
"Me either." Rory patted his arm making him give her a kind smile.
Later that day everyone came over to celebrate Cinnamon's life. Harper, Theo, and Charlie all walked together as Jessica spoke to them.
"They said that they rolled her body into a lamp? Did you laugh? Did you want to?" Charlie asked as Harper nodded her head.
"But its sad."
"Yeah, its sad." Charlie agreed.
Charlie was walking around later that night when she saw Rory standing out on the porch.
"What are you-" She went to ask her sister when she saw she was staring at something, and she looked over at her house where she saw her teacher, Max Medina on their front porch, knocking on the door.
"Mom?" Harper called out.
"Huh?" Loralai walked as Rory pointed.
"Isn't that-" Rory got cut off by Lorelai's gasp.
"Oh, no." Lorelai put her hands on the sides of her face.
"That's Mr. Medina." Harper said.
"Tonight's Thursday." Lorelai looked at the ground.
"Is one of us in trouble? Did the school call?" Harper asked.
"No, no, you guys are great. Let me just come back in one second." Lorelai went to walk away.
"Wait, what's going on?" Rory asked grabbing her arm.
"Let me tell you in a minute." Lorelai told her.
"Tell us now." Harper said.
"Max is here..."
"Max?"
"... to pick me up."
"Pick you up for..oh." Harper said as she put her hands on her pocket.
"I'm gonna go talk to him real quick, and I'm gonna be right back." Lorelai told them before walking away.
The sisters looked at each other with looks before watching their mother walk over there and talk to him. Harper shook her head and walked in she walked around for a minute before finding Theo talking to Miss Patty who had her had on his bicep.
"Hi, Miss Patty, do you mind if I steal him for a moment?" Harper asked her with a kind smile.
"Oh, sure, dear." Miss Patty smiled at them as they walked away.
"I just found out that my mom was going to go on a date with Mr. Medina tonight, but... well this happened." Harper told him.
"What?" He looked down at her as she looped her arm through and they continued to walk around.
"Yeah, that was my reaction too. I mean, good for her, but.... my teacher. What if it gets awkward at school now?" Harper asked him.
"Hey, well, I mean. It's Lorelai, she's probably thought it out and thought about you and Rory and how it would effect you, I mean you and Rory are old enough to deal with something that." Theo told her and she nodded her head.
"Yeah, but.... I don't know." Harper shook her head.
"It'll be okay." Theo patted her hand.
Soon enough everyone joined in the living room where Morey played Cinnamon's song and Miss Patty played the bongo along with him. Babette came over and sat down by Morey. While everyone sat in the living room Harper and Theo went outside and sat on the porch before Lorelai came outside.
"Finally! Okay, we gotta talk." Lorelai told Harper as Harper laid her hand on Theo's let signaling for him not to leave.
"That man on the front porch was you're teacher." Lorelai said making Harper and Theo both look at her weird.
"Mom, I'm a little behind in school, but not so behind that I don't know who the teacher is, so?" Harper asked
"So, um, he-- He and I were going to sort of hang out together."
"On a date."
"No. On something that could appear like a date to the untrained eye." Lorelai told her.
"And to your daughters eye?"
"It was a date."
"How long have you been dating him?"
"I haven't, this was gonna be the first time."
"And when were planning on telling me and Rory-- on your wedding?"
"No, by the rehearsal dinner, at least."
"He's our teacher."
"I know."
"He teaches me things every day in a small classroom with a lot of other kids who aren't going to be high-fiving me when they find this out."
"I know, sweetie, and I told him this was one of things I was concerned about."
"And?"
"And he felt we could be discreet."
"Unbelievable."
"Are you mad?"
"Yes!"
"Right. Because I'm dating him?"
"Because you lied to me!"
"I kept information from you."
"Information that I should have had."
"Information that would have come out, eventually. Like the Iran-Contra scandal."
"So you're Oliver North."
"No, I'm Fawn Hall."
"Mom."
"Well, she was much prettier." Lorelai said as Harper sighed.
"I just can't believe that you didn't tell me about this. Why wouldn't you tell me?"
"It's cause I thought you were gonna take it bad. Thank god I was wrong. Okay. Okay. Listen, I'm sorry. I won't date him. I promise."
"I'm not saying you can't date him. It's just... this is weird. I mean, there are a million guys in this world, and you end up with Mr. Medina." Harper made a face.
"You think I don't get the weirdness factor? Believe me, the last thing I intended to do was date your teacher."
"I believe you."
I really like him, Harper. I can't help it. And it's been a really long time since I felt like this. You can't always control who you're attracted to, you know. I think the whole Angelina Jolie/ Billy Bob Thornton thing really proves that. I think you already understand this, but you'll meet some great guy, he'll make your head all foggy, and you won't know what to do with yourself. Oh, sweety, I won't keep anything from you again. I promise. From now on, every aspect of my life is an open book to you and Rory." Lorelai told Harper as she smiled at Theo.
"That's okay."
"Really. I'm not even gonna get dressed until I tell you what I'm thinking of wearing."
"Fair enough." Harper nodded her head.
"Okay. Tomorrow I'm thinking the purple tiger top, the black leather skirt, the panda-bear underwear?"
"Oh, good."
"But of course I'm totally open to suggestions."
"Here's one-- get some help." Harper told her making her laugh.
Around 2 hours later Theo had to leave so Harper walked him to his car while Lorelai and Rory went back to the house. They walked over to his car and leaned against the side staring at Harper who just smiled at him.
"You're beautiful." Theo told her making her look down and blush.
She walked towards him and kissed him. After small couple more kisses Theo got in his car and left.
"Bye." He said as he pulled out of the drive way.
"Bye." Harper smiled as she started walking back towards the house. After he was finally all the way out the drive way and down the road Harper went back in the house to find Rory and Lorelai sitting the couch just as the phone rang. Lorelai got up and answered it.
"Hello? Mom? Hi. But someone hasn't. There we go. There's no messages on the machine, Mom. At a wake. A funeral. It was for the neighbors.... cat." Lorelai said as she looked over at Rory and Harper who were trying to signal for her not to say that, "Mom? I just wanted to be honest with you, Mom, silly me. Yeah, a cat, it was a cats funeral. Not my cousin. My father's grandmother's sister's girl. Well, I couldn't at the time, but I worked it out. It's late. I have a big day tomorrow. Goodnight, Mother." Lorelai set the phone down before walking into the kitchen were Rory and Harper stood.
"AAAGGGHH! She's working for a sedative manufacturer, keeping that demand sky-high." Lorelai said left her coat fall on the floor.
"You shouldn't have told her." Harper said as she bit into an apple.
"Well, I don't know what to tell and what to hide."
"Yeah." Rory said getting the tub of water out of the fridge.
"So, we never did quite settle the whole dating-your-teacher issue. I won't go out with him if you guys don't want me to."
"You can go out with whoever you want." Harper said throwing the core of the apple in the trash before going and grabbing an orange.
"It's whoever we want."
"I'm certainly not gonna go out with him, nor Harper, cause that be really weird." Rory told her as Harper nodded her head along eating her orange slices.
"I mean it. I won't see him if you don't want me to. You know, if there's anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, big or small then he's out of the there."
"Good to know." Harper nodded her head.
"Because it's not like I'm desperate. There are plenty of other guys out there."
"Sure are."
"And it's not like I have to ask you're permission. I mean, this is a courtesy."
"Okay" Rory and Harper both started to walk away and Lorelai followed after them.
Rory went to her room as Harper started up the stairs, Lorelai stopped in the living room looking between them as Rory shut her door and Harper walked down the hallway to her room then doing the same.
"Okay, so, I'm gonna be up for a while if you want to get back to me on this." Lorelai yelled at them.
"I know where you are!" Harper yelled back before it was silent then Rory came out of her room at the same time Harper came out of her's stopping on the stairs as they both looked at Lorelai.
"Hey, do you think you can keep him out really late on Thursday night, cause we have this oral exam on Friday that we'd really love him to sleep through." Harper asked her as She smiled looking between the pair.
"I'll do my best." Lorelai smiled at them before both the sisters went back to their rooms.