Dog Diner Afternoon (Spn/GG)
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"Lorelai, please stop that," Emily said as sat the small table in the diner with her daughter and granddaughter looking through various catalogues. As Rory was turning the pages Lorelai had been twirling the fork that she had in her hand.
"You know, Mom, I'm real happy you decided to join us for lunch here, again, as you have decided to do every day for the past week," Lorelai said as she put down the fork.
"Well as every time I go to your house or the inn, you seem to be here. How else do you think I am going to able to help you get the important things done?" Emily asked. "Honestly, Lorelai, if I didn't know that you and Luke were still going over the details of the ceremony, I would think that you hiding out in this diner was an attempt to avoid me."
"And me and Luke are so grateful for your input in all the little things, Mom. What would we have done if you hadn't suggested we shouldn't put Aunt Celia beside Second Cousin Francine - how could I have forgotten that I invited both of them." Lorelai said through gritted teeth.
"Lorelai, this is the first time you have allowed me to be involved in the planning of one of your weddings, and for all I know next time you might decide to elope, again."
"Mom! I didn't exactly elope last time and you are making me sound like Zsa Zsa Gabor, and unless Luke and me decide to pull a Liz and Richard, we are only doing this once," Lorelai protested before taking a breath and a short glance in the direction of Luke, who was currently sitting at the counter with Jess, trying to stay out of the discussion as much as humanly possible, before she turned to her mother.
"If the two of you make it down the aisle this time," Emily retorted.
Lorelai took a breath and smiled at her mother, "Mom, it isn't that me and Luke aren't grateful for your help, but I'm sure that Dad wouldn't mind if you decided to visit him for lunch. You know, the two of you spending your day doing something else - anything else. It isn't like the important stuff isn't already in place."
"If anything, you'd think that you didn't want my help," Emily said.
"No, I'm not saying that. I'm just thinking Rory has to leave a couple of days after the wedding. Why don't you ask her if she wants to do something?" Lorelai asked, looking hopefully for some help from her slightly glum-looking daughter.
"What?" Rory asked distractedly.
"Lorelai, I think Rory has some other things on her mind right now," Emily said.
Lorelai smiled at her mother before she turned to her daughter. "Is it Dean? Is it because he didn't really want to talk?"
Rory nodded. "I asked if he wanted to go for coffee to catch up, and next moment he grabs Clara and pushes past me."
"I don't see why it bothers you" Jess said as he sitting at the counter. "If he doesn't want to talk, then that is his damage, not yours."
Rory turned to Jess. "I... haven't seen him in ages, and with the wedding and everything and him turning up, I don't want there to be any bad feelings between us."
"Sweetie, Dean didn't leave town because of you. He left town because of him," Lorelai said.
Luke nodded. "You can't blame yourself Rory."
"Certainly not," Emily interjected. "Rory, you are not responsible for the behavior of others."
"Anyway, he might be avoiding you because of something else," Lorelai said.
"Like what?" Rory asked.
"Lorelai!" Luke said hoping she would get the hint.
Lorelai looked up. "She's going to hear anyway. Best it comes from me."
"What?" Rory asked.
"It's just," Lorelai stopped as all eyes descended on her. "We’ve all been hearing stories that Dean hasn't talked to his parents in a while. In fact, it was like he just dropped out of existence and then Michel called this morning."
"And?" Emily asked intrigued.
"Well Dean checked in this morning. Well, actually he didn't. It was somebody else," Lorelai explained.
Rory was confused. "Who?"
"Well that's the thing, this guy asked for a room for one night, and Dean was with him," her mother answered, "and they both had bags and they asked for one room and I'm not saying that they are 'together' but what with the fact that they didn't want to be disturbed and asked about room service…"
"Wait. Are you saying Bag boy's changed teams?" Jess asked. "I can't believe that."
Rory looked confused for a second. "Excuse me."
"I'm not saying for definite, and according to Michel, the guy Dean was with asked for a room with two queens," Lorelai said.
Emily shook her head. "I always knew something was off with that boy."
Rory looked at her grandmother. "How can you say that?"
"Rory?" Emily asked as she looked at her grand daughter's shocked face. "What I'm saying that you and that Forester boy never felt right and this may explain why."
"Mom," Lorelai interjected. "Rory's right. It's none of your business what Dean or anyone else does."
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Kirk was working in the market when they came in, looking about the aisles for various bits and pieces.
"I don't like this place," Dean Winchester, said picking up a can and putting it back down.
"Yes, you've said," Sam replied, "but you were the one that promised Ellen that we'd get him so stop your belly aching."
"I didn't have much choice, did I?" Dean Winchester said through gritted teeth as he headed toward the check out.
"Thank you for shopping at Doose's Market," Kirk said, ringing up the few items.
"Thanks," Sam said as Kirk stared at him.
"When did you get back in town? You here long Dean?" Kirk asked Sam.
Dean Winchester ran a palm over his face. "Oh great, here we go."
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The door on the diner opened just after Rory left to use the restroom, the contingent, who was already there, stared at the two people who walked through the door.
"Friendly place," Dean Winchester said as he and Sam settled at a table.
"Can we just get lunch without you making a crack about how you're waiting for Donna Reed or Doris Day to turn up," Sam said to his brother as the well-built guy walked over to them with menus.
"You got some nerve," he said to Sam.
Sam was confused. "Excuse me?"
"Yeah, all you had to do was say no. She would have understood, but you had to act like an asshole," the smaller guy at the counter said.
Dean Winchester raised an eyebrow before pointing a finger at his brother. "Who, him?"
"Yeah, him!" the guy at the counter reiterated.
"You may not have liked how things ended between the two of you, but that is no excuse for you not to be civil," a smartly-dressed, older woman said as the younger woman sitting beside her buried her head in her hands at the comment.
"I don't know what you guys are talking about," Sam replied.
"Looks like the shoe is on the other foot," Dean said jokingly looking at the menu. He turned to the big guy. "Can I get a coffee?"
"Excuse me?" the big guy asked.
"Coffee?" Dean asked, causing everybody in the room to look at him. "Okay, I get it, someone's upset, but does that stop me from getting coffee?" he quickly scanned the menu, "...and some pie?"
The big guy with the back-to-front baseball cap stared at him for a second, causing Dean to smile. "Today, please, or I won't be able to give this place that good service write up in that it so obviously deserves."
Sam glared at his brother, more than a little embarrassed. "Bro?"
Dean waved his hand, as he watched the big guy leave, "Chill, will you?"
"I don't believe it. He's acting like he did nothing," Jess said to his Uncle, who walked round the counter to pour two coffees to go.
"Leave it, will you?" Luke said. "It'll be quicker to give them their coffee, and then they'll be out of here."
"Do you think that is the man he is staying with?" Emily asked her daughter quietly.
"Mom, how do I know?" Lorelai asked as she glanced over her shoulder at the two men at the other table.
"He doesn't look like the type."
"What type?" Lorelai replied. "When was there a type?"
"Well, excuse me for asking," Emily said.
"What do you expect?" Lorelai asked. "First, you can't be sure they are, and second, what do you expect? Them to burst into a show tune from 'Hello Dolly'?"
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Sam turned to his brother as the diner clientele talked among themselves. "Okay I agree with you about the pod people."
"Grin and bear it and we'll be out of here before you can say gee whiz." Dean replied.
------
Rory came out of the rest room to join the others. She looked at the two at the table, and she swallowed, taking a couple of steps over to them.
"Dean?" she said.
He didn't turn round until the other man kicked him under the table. "I think she's talking to you."
"I'm sorry but...," he started to say as he turned around.
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable earlier," Rory said, "And if you don't want to catch up, I'm fine with that, because I understand that you are probably going through some stuff." She threw a look in the direction of the other man at the table, causing the two men to look at each other confused. "I thought I'd say that because I don't want to feel uncomfortable."
"Look, whoever you are, I think that you've got the wrong person," he said, standing up.
"Excuse me?" Rory replied.
"Rory," Lorelai said, seeing the confusion on her daughter's face.
Both men turned to look at her. "You're Rory?"
"Dean, are you okay?" Lorelai asked.
"Yeah, sure... he's fine," the shorter of the two men said before he walked over to the counter and picked up the coffees and the bag of pie, "Thanks, man, but we better go."
As both of them left, Rory turned to her mother. "He didn't know who I was."
Emily pursed her lips. "Maybe he should get some help."
"Lorelai, please stop that," Emily said as sat the small table in the diner with her daughter and granddaughter looking through various catalogues. As Rory was turning the pages Lorelai had been twirling the fork that she had in her hand.
"You know, Mom, I'm real happy you decided to join us for lunch here, again, as you have decided to do every day for the past week," Lorelai said as she put down the fork.
"Well as every time I go to your house or the inn, you seem to be here. How else do you think I am going to able to help you get the important things done?" Emily asked. "Honestly, Lorelai, if I didn't know that you and Luke were still going over the details of the ceremony, I would think that you hiding out in this diner was an attempt to avoid me."
"And me and Luke are so grateful for your input in all the little things, Mom. What would we have done if you hadn't suggested we shouldn't put Aunt Celia beside Second Cousin Francine - how could I have forgotten that I invited both of them." Lorelai said through gritted teeth.
"Lorelai, this is the first time you have allowed me to be involved in the planning of one of your weddings, and for all I know next time you might decide to elope, again."
"Mom! I didn't exactly elope last time and you are making me sound like Zsa Zsa Gabor, and unless Luke and me decide to pull a Liz and Richard, we are only doing this once," Lorelai protested before taking a breath and a short glance in the direction of Luke, who was currently sitting at the counter with Jess, trying to stay out of the discussion as much as humanly possible, before she turned to her mother.
"If the two of you make it down the aisle this time," Emily retorted.
Lorelai took a breath and smiled at her mother, "Mom, it isn't that me and Luke aren't grateful for your help, but I'm sure that Dad wouldn't mind if you decided to visit him for lunch. You know, the two of you spending your day doing something else - anything else. It isn't like the important stuff isn't already in place."
"If anything, you'd think that you didn't want my help," Emily said.
"No, I'm not saying that. I'm just thinking Rory has to leave a couple of days after the wedding. Why don't you ask her if she wants to do something?" Lorelai asked, looking hopefully for some help from her slightly glum-looking daughter.
"What?" Rory asked distractedly.
"Lorelai, I think Rory has some other things on her mind right now," Emily said.
Lorelai smiled at her mother before she turned to her daughter. "Is it Dean? Is it because he didn't really want to talk?"
Rory nodded. "I asked if he wanted to go for coffee to catch up, and next moment he grabs Clara and pushes past me."
"I don't see why it bothers you" Jess said as he sitting at the counter. "If he doesn't want to talk, then that is his damage, not yours."
Rory turned to Jess. "I... haven't seen him in ages, and with the wedding and everything and him turning up, I don't want there to be any bad feelings between us."
"Sweetie, Dean didn't leave town because of you. He left town because of him," Lorelai said.
Luke nodded. "You can't blame yourself Rory."
"Certainly not," Emily interjected. "Rory, you are not responsible for the behavior of others."
"Anyway, he might be avoiding you because of something else," Lorelai said.
"Like what?" Rory asked.
"Lorelai!" Luke said hoping she would get the hint.
Lorelai looked up. "She's going to hear anyway. Best it comes from me."
"What?" Rory asked.
"It's just," Lorelai stopped as all eyes descended on her. "We’ve all been hearing stories that Dean hasn't talked to his parents in a while. In fact, it was like he just dropped out of existence and then Michel called this morning."
"And?" Emily asked intrigued.
"Well Dean checked in this morning. Well, actually he didn't. It was somebody else," Lorelai explained.
Rory was confused. "Who?"
"Well that's the thing, this guy asked for a room for one night, and Dean was with him," her mother answered, "and they both had bags and they asked for one room and I'm not saying that they are 'together' but what with the fact that they didn't want to be disturbed and asked about room service…"
"Wait. Are you saying Bag boy's changed teams?" Jess asked. "I can't believe that."
Rory looked confused for a second. "Excuse me."
"I'm not saying for definite, and according to Michel, the guy Dean was with asked for a room with two queens," Lorelai said.
Emily shook her head. "I always knew something was off with that boy."
Rory looked at her grandmother. "How can you say that?"
"Rory?" Emily asked as she looked at her grand daughter's shocked face. "What I'm saying that you and that Forester boy never felt right and this may explain why."
"Mom," Lorelai interjected. "Rory's right. It's none of your business what Dean or anyone else does."
------
Kirk was working in the market when they came in, looking about the aisles for various bits and pieces.
"I don't like this place," Dean Winchester, said picking up a can and putting it back down.
"Yes, you've said," Sam replied, "but you were the one that promised Ellen that we'd get him so stop your belly aching."
"I didn't have much choice, did I?" Dean Winchester said through gritted teeth as he headed toward the check out.
"Thank you for shopping at Doose's Market," Kirk said, ringing up the few items.
"Thanks," Sam said as Kirk stared at him.
"When did you get back in town? You here long Dean?" Kirk asked Sam.
Dean Winchester ran a palm over his face. "Oh great, here we go."
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The door on the diner opened just after Rory left to use the restroom, the contingent, who was already there, stared at the two people who walked through the door.
"Friendly place," Dean Winchester said as he and Sam settled at a table.
"Can we just get lunch without you making a crack about how you're waiting for Donna Reed or Doris Day to turn up," Sam said to his brother as the well-built guy walked over to them with menus.
"You got some nerve," he said to Sam.
Sam was confused. "Excuse me?"
"Yeah, all you had to do was say no. She would have understood, but you had to act like an asshole," the smaller guy at the counter said.
Dean Winchester raised an eyebrow before pointing a finger at his brother. "Who, him?"
"Yeah, him!" the guy at the counter reiterated.
"You may not have liked how things ended between the two of you, but that is no excuse for you not to be civil," a smartly-dressed, older woman said as the younger woman sitting beside her buried her head in her hands at the comment.
"I don't know what you guys are talking about," Sam replied.
"Looks like the shoe is on the other foot," Dean said jokingly looking at the menu. He turned to the big guy. "Can I get a coffee?"
"Excuse me?" the big guy asked.
"Coffee?" Dean asked, causing everybody in the room to look at him. "Okay, I get it, someone's upset, but does that stop me from getting coffee?" he quickly scanned the menu, "...and some pie?"
The big guy with the back-to-front baseball cap stared at him for a second, causing Dean to smile. "Today, please, or I won't be able to give this place that good service write up in that it so obviously deserves."
Sam glared at his brother, more than a little embarrassed. "Bro?"
Dean waved his hand, as he watched the big guy leave, "Chill, will you?"
"I don't believe it. He's acting like he did nothing," Jess said to his Uncle, who walked round the counter to pour two coffees to go.
"Leave it, will you?" Luke said. "It'll be quicker to give them their coffee, and then they'll be out of here."
"Do you think that is the man he is staying with?" Emily asked her daughter quietly.
"Mom, how do I know?" Lorelai asked as she glanced over her shoulder at the two men at the other table.
"He doesn't look like the type."
"What type?" Lorelai replied. "When was there a type?"
"Well, excuse me for asking," Emily said.
"What do you expect?" Lorelai asked. "First, you can't be sure they are, and second, what do you expect? Them to burst into a show tune from 'Hello Dolly'?"
-----
Sam turned to his brother as the diner clientele talked among themselves. "Okay I agree with you about the pod people."
"Grin and bear it and we'll be out of here before you can say gee whiz." Dean replied.
------
Rory came out of the rest room to join the others. She looked at the two at the table, and she swallowed, taking a couple of steps over to them.
"Dean?" she said.
He didn't turn round until the other man kicked him under the table. "I think she's talking to you."
"I'm sorry but...," he started to say as he turned around.
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable earlier," Rory said, "And if you don't want to catch up, I'm fine with that, because I understand that you are probably going through some stuff." She threw a look in the direction of the other man at the table, causing the two men to look at each other confused. "I thought I'd say that because I don't want to feel uncomfortable."
"Look, whoever you are, I think that you've got the wrong person," he said, standing up.
"Excuse me?" Rory replied.
"Rory," Lorelai said, seeing the confusion on her daughter's face.
Both men turned to look at her. "You're Rory?"
"Dean, are you okay?" Lorelai asked.
"Yeah, sure... he's fine," the shorter of the two men said before he walked over to the counter and picked up the coffees and the bag of pie, "Thanks, man, but we better go."
As both of them left, Rory turned to her mother. "He didn't know who I was."
Emily pursed her lips. "Maybe he should get some help."