A/N: Short, post-ep for 6:9 – The Prodigal Daughter Returns. Thanks to all my fervent readers. You guys have no idea how much I love your reviews!

Just a little bit of mostly Luke or Luke/Rory fluff.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. (I had you all fooled, didn't I? )

I have a daughter.

The thought just kept rolling around in his brain. Just that one sentence, over and over.

I have a daughter.

He still couldn't believe it.

As Lorelai rushed through the diner, grabbing doughnuts, he suddenly realized that he had to tell her.

And he had no idea how.

She came back into the diner, a bag from Taylor's Soda Shoppe in one hand and the take-out box of doughnuts in the other. "You coming?"

He shook his head slightly to clear his mind. "Uh… yeah."

Lorelai slid the bag onto her wrist and transferred the box to her right hand, leaving her left hand free. "So come on!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door.

He could tell her later.

I have a daughter.

And the thought was back.

Lorelai, thankfully, took no notice of his silence. She and Rory were sitting opposite him at the kitchen table, talking. His mind was still on the problem at hand: his daughter.

Sure, he wanted children. Even Lorelai knew that. But he didn't want one dropped on him like this. He'd assumed that he'd have nine months to get used to the idea. To be eased into the thought of having a kid.

He also wanted it to be their child. Not just his. He didn't want just any kid. He wanted Lorelai's kid.

And if April was in the picture, he didn't know how things with her would turn out. Would she even still want to marry him? His heart quickened at that.

His eyes focused on the women across from him. They were still chatting and laughing, oblivious to his ignorance to their conversation.

After thinking, he realized that Rory was around April's age when he first met her. April actually reminded him of Rory a little. Had it really been nine years? He hadn't noticed how much Rory had grown.

As they started in on the doughnuts and ice cream, he thought over those nine years with Rory. He wasn't her dad, but he'd been around. And he couldn't come up with one unhappy moment.

So as he watched the mother-daughter duo, he finally understood. Whether April was his daughter or not (could he really trust a twelve-year-old's DNA test?), he still had Rory.

And the resounding thought in his head would still be true.

I have a daughter.

The End

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