A/N: I didn't update my main story tonight because I wrote this little gem that I wanted to share with you all. I hope you enjoy.
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"Daddy!!! Can Cordie and I have some friends over? It will be the last time we will be able to see the girls before school starts, and then we will be so busy with shop week and getting moved in... It could be FOREVER before we see them again, PLEEEEEEASE!!!" Collins and Cordelia are pleading with pouty lips giving their dad the same Bambi eyes that has gotten their mom anything she wanted on more than one occasion.
Sighing with reluctance Logan says, "You know it's not fair to gang up on your poor old dad when your mom isn't here. You all are supposed to be getting packed for vacation AND for school. Your mom left very explicit instructions on what is to be done before her and your brother return tomorrow."
Coli and Cordie lay their heads on their dad's shoulders and wrap their arms around him and say, "We promise we will do EVERYTHING mom wants us to do. It will all be finished before she arrives. She will NEVER know. Please daddy? They both plead widening their Bambi gazes...
Groaning in defeat Logan says, "I knew I should have taken off work to take Silas to his baseball tournament instead. Fine, which friends, no boys right?" becoming increasingly panicked he continues, "You all don't have boy... friends, do you? Oh, please God say, no."
Squealing and hugging their dad, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!" Then they both put on their most innocent faces shake their heads and say, "No daddy, we would never have yucky boy-friends. We just want to have Sutton, Quinn, Jana, and Wren over. Oh, and daddy could you PLE-ASE go to the mall and pick up this list for us. With all this packing, we will just NEVER have time to go shopping for mom's crazy extensive list. Pretty please?"
"Sure, give me the list I will call your uncles. They can go with me since the girls are coming over here anyway."
The girls hand him the list and bounce away phones in hand, and Logan knows he just got played by the bambi eyes, and Gilmore confusion chatter...
"Urgh! Why, GOD, why did you have to give me twin daughters? All boys, like Honor, THAT would have been so much easier!" He mutters to himself shaking his head as he leaves the house.
Shortly after their dad left all their friends or cousins for all intents and purposes showed up, "H-E-Y!!" All the girls squeal and excitedly run slamming into each other embracing in a tight group hug.
Quinn walks to the bar and starts mixing drinks while the others start gathering all their items for some fun in the sun. They all love being together and just hanging out. Their shot, is a delicious shot called and 'illusion shaker'. Quinn learned how to make it in Australia when she was hanging out with a really cute surfer boy the last time we all went 'down under', together. All the girls lift their shots and cheers, "To Family!" Quinn makes a quick refill and says, "To the best friends a girl could ask for!"
Sutton slams her shot glass on the bar and looks Collins up and down and says, "I am appreciating that outfit, you look hot! I can't believe your dad didn't freak! I had to sneak out in another 'child appropriate' outfit and change in my car. Despite the fact that I can drive and am about to start college, Colin McCrae still thinks I'm 5- years-old, and treats me as such." She finishes with an eye roll.
"Pssh... That's nothing. We (Collins gestures between her and Cordelia) had to tell our dad boys are 'yucky' because he almost hyperventilated when I said 'friends', all because he was thinking it might even possibly consist of guys. Thank you for the compliment; you are also smoking hot, but rest assured, this is not what we asked in. We went and changed after he left, or he would have never walked out the door and he would have most definitely had some sort of panic attack if we had been wearing this!" Collins retorts with her own eye roll, and smug chuckling smirk.
Jana pops in with, "Seriously I don't know what their problem is. It's not like they were angels at our age. When we visited my gran and pop in Australia over spring break, they went on and on about how we were such a 'good girls'. Apparently our dad was a disaster up until mom told him we were making our (she gestures between her and Wren) debut soon. They apparently shipped dad to numerous boarding schools because he kept getting expelled for some reason or another. It was in Andover where he met all of your dads. That his solo expulsion came to an end, and they became inseparable being expelled from boarding schools together until they somehow made it into Yale. No wonder everyone thinks WE are saints if that's how our dads were."
The girls may not be blood related, but one would never know it. They were all born and raised as family. Aside from the one solo family vacation each family takes before school starts, they spend all vacations and time together. The girls are family by birth, but best friends by choice. Of course, being only a few months apart helped with the being best friends part. Giggling about the stories of their dads, they make their way outside for some sun fun...
While the girls are chilling under the sun in the backyard listening to music and just soaking up the suns warm rays, Logan meets up with the guys for a drink and to collect the items from Rory's extensive school list for the girls. "I can't believe our daughters are about to embark on their own journey at Yale. If someone told me 20 years ago when I met Rory, I would be sitting here with you three talking about our 17-year-old daughters starting college in a few weeks, I would have said you were out of your damn mind." Logan says pensively.
"That's what you can't believe? I can't believe not one of us had a boy first! How is it possible they all gave us girls? I blame the women for this travesty!" Robert shouts incredulously. Then he says, "But boy did I get lucky with my little Quinny! She's beautiful like Juliet, but she is demure and never went through that wild boy crazy phase, thankfully. However, I know what you mean. I had a plan for my life, and it sure as hell didn't include settling down with anyone, let alone Juliet. But throw in having this beautiful intelligent daughter and I couldn't be happier. That tiny little blonde turned my world upside down from the second she opened her eyes and looked at me." Robert smiles lost in the thought of how perfect and magical seeing his daughter open her eyes was.
Colin purses his lips and smugly says, "I think we will be alright. We raised great girls. They are polite, sweet, and intelligent. They won't make our mistakes. I think they would have started making them by now! And thankfully they are all too reserved to join the LDB, so we don't have to worry about that. We really got lucky that they took all our good attributes, but shockingly, none of our bad and none of their mother's bad. We may have been wild and reckless, but the girls were always sneaky bad. Whew, we really dodged a bullet on that one with our daughters."
They all smile and nod in agreement and tip their glasses toward each other "hear hear" and take a drink.
"I know what you mean, Mate. Rose is always saying I see Wren and Jana with 'rose-colored' glasses and that they aren't as innocent as they appear. But I know she is just jealous of how much I love them and how I devote all my time to them. My little princesses ARE perfect! I am heartbroken I won't get to be with them all the time anymore. They will miss sharing all the gossip with their dear old dad or me being able to tuck them in at night." Sullenly sighing Finn says, "I should buy a place close to campus, so I can hang out with them on the weekends. I don't want them to get homesick without me."
Smiling and nodding Logan says, "I agree boys. We raised some good girls. They don't date, they love hanging out with us, and spend the rest of their time studying or hanging out with each other." Logan leans back and looks satisfied, "Yep, we did good boys." Then he sighs and says, "We should probably get these shopping list finished off. Rory has 100 things listed on here at least, what's on yours?" Logan looks at his brothers questioningly.
The guys look at him and say, "We were told just to buy whatever Rory wrote down for the girls."
Shaking his head and laughing Logan says, "Of course. Leave it to Ace to have the list to follow." Then he finishes off his scotch; holds up the list and says, "Well boys let's get to it because it's a long one."
Robert snatches the list out of his hand and rips it into fourths and hands a piece to each of the guys and says, "Just buy 6x the quantity listed of each item on your list and we will meet back here in an hour."
"Nice to see that Yale education isn't going to waste! The numbers man comes through," Colin quips and all the guys take their part and head off in different directions to complete their list.
Meanwhile back at the Huntzberger home
Watching the other girls Hula hoop, Sutton and Quinn sit lounge chairs. Sutton engages her friend in conversation, "Q, are you ready to move into the dorms and away from Aunt Jules and Uncle Robert? I know I am over-the-freaking-moon excited to be liberated from the clutches of my parent's. I am also completely stoked for college parties! They have to be more fun than the lame high-school parties with the lame high-school boys we grew up with."
Smugly smiling Quinn lifts her sunglasses to look at Sutton and says, "I take it you and Lincoln are still not talking?"
Rolling her eyes Sutton says, "Whatever, I don't need him... He wasn't anything special anyway and would have only held me back in college. Onward and upward!" she says as she pumps her fist into the air.
Laughing Quinn says, "Oh and yes, I am ready for college and to be on my own. My dad is such a helicopter parent! I think if he could momma bird my food to me to ensure I didn't choke, he would. Or maybe hook up a tube to give me his air to breathe. I am so over being treated like a baby. It's just insane to think we are all starting college in just a few weeks and our parent's treat us like we are babies that need to be held. Ugh, I'm SO over it!"
"AAAAA-MEEE-NNN, Sista!" Sutton laughs lifting her hands to the sky shaking her head back and forth, "PREACH!!!"
Laughing the rest of the girls plop on to the loungers around us and pick up their daiquiris. They take a drink then lay back to relax and soak us some sun.
"So, what were you all talking about over here, anything, fun?" Wren says leaning in and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at them.
"Nothing much really, just how we are over being treated like babies by our parents. And how high-school guys suck so we ready for college. Hey! Speaking of college, (Sutton snaps her head toward Cordelia) and says, "What's the story with you and that delicious Declan DuGray? The cat and mouse game you all have been playing since middle school is cute and all, but I mean if you aren't really interested, I would give him a little loving attention for the night. You know... to heal his wounded heart." She finishes with her hands on her heart fluttering her eyes at Cordie.
Blushing bright red Cordie quickly regains her composure, rolls her eyes, and throws her towel at Sutton. Laughing she says, "Yeah, I'm sure you would. Don't you have your own guy problems with Linc? Besides he is going Princeton and we are headed to Yale. It doesn't make sense to try something now. Anyway he is way too in love with himself.
A voice says, "So was his father, according to your mother."
"OMG GRANDMA!!!" Cordelia and Collins jump and squeal embracing their grandma Lorelai.
Laughing Lorelai embraces her granddaughters and kisses them on top of the head. Then waves for the other girls to come join, "What? No hug for your honorary grandma? Get your butts over here and show me some love!"
The girls excitedly all jump up and embrace Lorelai. She has always been the cool grandma that every kid wants, her and Pop Chris. They may have grown up in society, but they weren't your typical society grandparents. They were easy to talk to on a normal level. Of course, all our grandparents love us, but they are a little more formal and would have lectured us for what we are wearing.
"Grandma, what are you doing here? What do you mean that's what mom said about his dad? I didn't know mom knew the DuGray's. Just how long have you been standing back there listening?" Coli ask nervously chewing on her lip trying to maintain eye contact. Their Grandma Gilmore was much more relaxed and fun than Nana Huntzberger or either of their great-grandmothers, but she was still their grandmother and they didn't want to get in trouble.
"I came to see if you all needed any help packing, but I see we aren't doing that right now. However, I've been here long enough to know Cordie likes to play with DuGray men the way your mother did. And that my sweet Sutton here is way too much like her mother," She says teasingly pulling Sutton in for a side hug.
Sutton rolls her eyes and says, "Whatever. My mom is a bore. She and my dad wouldn't know fun if it bit them on the..."
"AH! Don't finish that." Lorelai says staring at Sutton pointedly. "Pour grandma one of those delicious drinks, and scoot in for story time. I think it's time you all learned the truth about your 'boring, over-bearing' parents."
The girls interest was slightly peaked with curiosity for what Lorelai would say, so they pull their chairs up close to listen. Surely, their parents can't possibly have another side to them they don't know. They are too safe and predictable to ever have been any fun or even understand the definition of fun.
Lorelai takes a sip of her daiquiri Cordie handed her and says, "Okay ladies, let me speak. Then you can ask questions, sound good?"
The girls nod in agreement and Lorelai begins, "You know how all of you have 'In Omnia Paratus' calligraphed on your bedroom walls?"
The girls smile nodding and say, "Ready for anything! They put it on all our nursery's because they were ready for the adventure of life with us."
Lorelai sputters on her drink of daiquiri and looks at the girls and says, "Is that what they told you all? Well, a partial truth IS better than a lie." Laughing she continued, "Oh sweeties, while that may be partially true, it is actually your parent's college secret society's phrase. Yes, all your parents were part of secret society called the 'Life and Death Brigade' or LDB for short. They engaged in dangerous and sometimes illegal stunts, yet it was all very hush-hush and all knowledge was confined to the group. Each one of you is currently a legacy to this same organization; I have no doubt they will be trying to recruit you. I am only telling you this because I want you ALL to know I support whatever choice you decide to make pertaining to the LDB. Just please do it as safely as possible. With that being said, let me hit some of your parents' dangerous, or as they would say, most fun, highlights. In no particular order, I will list a few for you: jumping off a seven-story scaffolding in formal attire with umbrellas only connected to a fishing wire harness, jumping out of a plane in Costa Rica, Gloucestershire cheese rolling, (holding her hand up). Don't ask. Just know Sutton, you were almost a milkmaid's daughter instead of Steph's. And there are so many more things I would rather not really get into."
Laughing to herself about the milkmaid Colin had loved, she composes herself and says, "Do you all see now that your parents aren't boring people? Your moms were the four most gorgeous women at Yale and they partied harder than I cared to hear about. And your fathers were the dangerous playboys, not just of Yale, but of all of New Haven. They were the most desired and sought-after bachelors. Just as life goes on, things change. They are just parents now, and it's their job to guide you girls in the right direction and instill good values in you. I'm pretty sure all your dads were not equipped to deal with 'boys' being part of having girls, or kids in general. To be honest, they probably didn't think they would live to see the day they had kids. So when they did have you precious little angels, they became extremely overprotective, never wanting you all to hurt or be hurt."
Rolling her eyes Wren says, "You can say that again. Our dad comes in and tries to have 'girl talk' with us. I'm afraid with as attached as he is, he will try move into my dorm with me just so he can continue trying to tuck me in at night."
Wren nods and says, "And before you ask, yes, he tries to do it every night! He is so embarrassing."
Lorelai laughs and says, "Sorry kid, that's just how Finn has been since you all were born. He was determined to be your everything. All your dads were. I've never seen four men more in love with their children than your dads are with you. They would do anything for you. None of you girls should ever forget your parents love you very much, so much so it makes them act a little crazy sometimes. Try to cut them some slack, o-kay?"
The girls nod in agreement and then Cordie ask, "How does mom know Mr. DuGrey?"
"Oh, he was your almost daddy." Lorelai quips teasing her granddaughter.
"WHAT!!!" Cordelia and Collins scream in horror.
Laughing at their reactions, Lorelai gets up and says, "Have fun girls, but not too much. I must go check on grumpy grandpa Luke. Remember to take it easy on your parents. They love you." Pointing at all the girls she says, "All of you."
Just as Lorelai stands to leave Cordie grabs her grandma and nervously biting her lip like her mom she says, "Is it true, did mom date Mr. DuGray?" She hesitates and says, "Should I stay away from Declan?"
"Oh honey, I can't tell you what to do. Just follow your heart. As for the rest, Tristan was very much in love with your mom when they were sixteen. She was dating Dean at the time and, though she had feelings for him, she never gave him the time of day other than one little kiss at a party. It was never serious though," Lorelai smiles. She pats Cordie's hand and reassures her, "I was only teasing."
Looking down and bouncing on the insides of her sandals Cordelia says, "Oh, okay. Well, thanks grandma. I love you."
Smiling Lorelai says, "I love you too kid. Good luck with the boy." Then grabs the pitcher of daiquiris and pours it out in the grass.
"GRAND-MA!!!" The girls whine in unison
"Sorry ladies, here at Casa de Huntzberger, we card. And if I remember your birthday's correctly, none of you reached 21 this month. Try water," She winks at them, waves, and walks out.
The girls sit in silence trying to process that the information that their boring parents were part of some crazy dangerous secret society and had crazy parties. They had never seen them have more than a glass of wine or two at dinner or a cocktail on occasion. Things really are never as they seem.... Who are these strangers they live with?
"THIS IS AWESOME!!! We are legacies to an elite secret society! That will be so liberating! Daddy's little girl no more!!!" Sutton screams and twirls like she's completely free in that moment.
The girls all bust up laughing jumping up and dancing around the yard more excited for their soon to be freedom and then Coli says, "I can't believe our moms were some super awesome hotties that bagged the dangerous boys and our dads were the dangerous boys? O-M-G, I don't believe it at all! This is so crazy! What else do we not know about our parents?"
Jana laughs and says, "I just got more excited for college, as long as my dad really doesn't come and try and tuck us in." She shudders at the thought and the continues, "Looks like life is about to get really interesting. Whoever said high-school was the best years of our life didn't attend Yale apparently!"
Collins interjects saying, "I intend to continue living life to the absolute fullest when I get to college, that's all I know that for sure."
"I hope we all do." Wren Retorts
Sutton and Collins both say, "I'm going to love them and leave them" then bust up laughing...
Quinn pours all the girls a glass of scotch and says," I propose a toast! To loving and leaving all of the boys too cute to pass up and friend-zoning the ones too sweet to hurt!"
"To the best years of our life, yet to come!" Wren yells in agreement
All the girls yell out, "TO COLLEGE!" while giggling like fools.
"OMG, I have the best idea!!! Coli, remember the song you sang at the 9th grade talent show?!" Excitedly Jana says bouncing up and down
"YES!! OMG Let's do it! This is going to be so much fun, I love sway, but she has a better one for us to do!" Collins says excitedly and laughing.
The girls all set their phones up on the table at different angles... Collins turns her camera on and up close and says, "I'm Collins Victoria Honor Huntzberger, then she swings her phone to each of her friends and says, "This is Sutton Lorelai McCrae, Jana Francine Morgan, Cordelia Finley Grace Huntzberger, Quinn Avery Grimaldi, and Wren Amelia Morgan... and we are the Daughters of the Life and Death Brigade. WHAAAAT!" Giggling hysterically, she grabs the surround sound remote and turns on the music. They are all feeling free, like the chains binding them to be the perfect daughters have been lifted off them. They dance to Kelsea Ballerini's "Dibs". All of them are shimmying their hips and gyrating around. They are just loosening up swaying and dancing around just enjoying being free and goofy, completely oblivious to their dad's presence....
"What the fu- what is my daughter wearing? She left the house in a casual sundress that went below the knee with a shrug on her shoulders. Now she is prancing around in a black...BIKINI top, and non-existent shorts? Why does she have her hair fixed with a little bird's nest on top? I j-just don't understand." Colin's mouth drops as he watches his baby girl dance, swinging her hips and rolling her body in ways his little girl should never move, while showing off way too much skin.
Finn, Robert watch in utter horror. They are completely speechless. Both are wondering why are their little angels are moving like that, dressed... like that. The girls are shaking their bodies and rolling their hips in ways they shouldn't know how to according to their fathers mindset. Feeling horribly uncomfortable, they start looking around anywhere else. Yet, like a tragic accident, their attention keeps getting drawn back to watch the unnerving dancing going on. They do however notice the daiquiri glasses and decanter of scotch with empty glasses sitting around, and they still are in utter disbelief . They are too little to have drinks. They are just babies. Why are they doing this...?
When the song finally switches, Collins starts belting the words to the song out as they continue to dance just having carefree fun...
🎶"I'm not talking smack you know there's no pity, pity
Tryna put in words you'll understand
You don't call her back you think it's no biggy, biggy
Seconds on the clock you need a touch down
You thought you had a shot you were good to go
But there's never three strikes in love you know
When she gets mad it ain't gonna be pretty pretty
Won't see it coming it's like a curveball
You think that you're doing just fine
But ooh, she got you on the sideline
You think you're flying towards the end zone
You're just headed towards the friend zone......🎶
"Why do my daughters look like something from a hippie convention. Should I have named them Moon Flower and Sunshine Rain? What the hell are they wearing? And why do they have on so much makeup?!" Logan says exasperatedly.
🎶.... "Let me break it down to the facts
You will never get a girl like that
You gotta step up to the plate with a bat
That's all I gotta say about that....🎶
"I'm fairly certain that "Hippie convention" is called 'Coachella', and I think those are lovely names maybe you can use them if you and Rory have any more kids." Robert snidely retorts leaning over toward Logan.
"Worry about your own kid, Robert. Quinn is only wearing half a pair of pants and less than half a shirt. Great parenting, Super Dad," Logan snaps at Robert incredulously.
Logan starts to stomp toward the girls in a huff, but is stopped by his phone buzzing. He pulls it out to see Rory calling... Oh Damn... he ducks back over by the guys to not be spotted as he pulls his phone out...
🎶..... "Yeah, you gotta take a ride and spend a little money, money
Show her she's worth more than 3.99
No room for doubt and I'm not being funny, honey
Tell her how you feel she can't read your mind
You thought you had it on lock you were good to go
But there's never three strikes in love you know
I might help a brother out and it ain't gonna be sunny, sunny
You commit the crime you're gonna do time....🎶
"Hey babe, how is Si's tournament going?" Logan says anxiously; for obvious reasons not wanting to be on the phone.
🎶You think that you're doing just fine
But ooh, she got you on the sideline
You think you're flying towards the end zone
You're just headed towards the friend zone
Let me break it down to the facts
You will never get a girl like that
You gotta step up to the plate with a bat
That's all I gotta say about that.....🎶
"It's good they won their first game this morning, so he plays again in an hour which gives us just enough time to get some nachos before it starts. Did the girls go pick up the items they needed for their dorm and finish packing? Wh-at is with the music in the background? Is that Coli singing?" Rory ask curiously as she can hear her daughter's voice.
Logan hesitates and says," Of course. You know Collins, she loves to sing while she packs. She and Cordelia are having so much fun getting all their new stuff together. I told you I was on top of things here. Ye of little faith, Ace. Tell Si I said good luck tonight. I love you."
🎶......." All I need is a bass and the beat and my banjo
Bass and the beat and my banjo
Bass and the beat and my banjo
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Let me break it down to the facts
You will never get a girl like that
You gotta step up to the plate with a bat
That's all I gotta say about that.......🎶
Pursing her lips, Rory knows her husband is lying and has yet again been played by the girls, but she decides to let him save face and says, "If you say so... Just don't let the girls pull one over on you again. I will tell Silas you said good luck. I know it will mean a lot as he would rather you be here, but he understands. I love you too MAC."
Logan shuts his phone and lets out the breath he didn't realize he was holding while talking to his wife, "Maybe we should let them know we are here."
🎶......"Let me break it down to the facts
You will never get a girl like that
You gotta step up to the plate with a bat
That's all I gotta say about that
You think that you're doing just fine
But ooh, she got you on the sideline
You think you're flying towards the end zone
You're just headed towards the friend zone....🎶
Smugly smiling Colin says, "Lying to your wife about what your daughters are doing? You are shameless Huntzberger."
"Do you want to call Steph and tell her about how you are hiding in the bushes at my house watching your daughter dance around half naked in the backyard obviously drunk?" Logan snaps back.
With a quick nod of his head "Point made." Colin says going back to watching his daughter
Annoyed Finn snaps exasperatedly," They obviously are more like their mothers than we realized. Sneaky alcoholics, and with musical numbers! This would be adorably enchanting if I weren't so angry with my daughter's dancing like... like that! 15 years of dance lessons! And that's what we paid for, boys! Look them all...shimming (Finn says spastically shaking his body) in a sexual manner. I, for one, want my money back!"
🎶......" You think that you're doing just fine
But oh, she got you on the sideline
You think you're flying towards the end zone
You're just headed towards the friend zone
Friend zone
You're just headed towards the friend zone."🎶
The guys start to approach the girls as their song ends. As they make it about two steps in, they hear the girls say, "To the best years, which have yet to come!" Then they watch as their baby girls clasp hands and say, "IN OMNIA PARATUS!" and jump in the pool.
All their jaws collectively drop in utter disbelief...
Finn in utter disbelief finally mutters, "Bloody, hell mates, I think we may be in more trouble than we thought."
"No one, tell our wives! They don't need another thing to say, 'I told you so about'," Colin mutters barely audible.
They all nod in silent agreement and hastily back out of the yard each fearful of the upcoming semester...
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I do hope you all enjoyed my story. Please leave comments letting me know your thoughts.
Also Danielle Bradbery herself and the girls in the video up above were the inspiration behind this story. They look like they would be the LDB boys daughters to me... It's a cute song you should listen to it if you haven't already.
Thank you to amy99999 for being my fresh eyes. ;-)
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