One-Shot: Luke's Three Favorite Girls at Xmas

"Oh my god... is Kirk really throwing up on me?!" Rory gawked, her eyes full of mirth.

"I know. The irony," Lorelai quipped.

"You would think the roles would be reversed," April mused.

The Gilmore girls and the new addition to the family, April Nardini, were sitting on the couch one peaceful Christmas night in Stars Hollow, examining Rory's baby pictures from Christmases past. The current subject featured Kirk throwing up on baby Rory out of fear in trying to hold the small infant.

As the girls dissolved into peals of giggles, Luke Danes (April's father and Rory's stepfather) strolled down the stairs and took in the sight. Though Luke was normally a reserved and tough person, the sight of the most important females in his life warmed his heart. Lorelai, the love of his life, was finally his wife. April and Rory were turning into intelligent, stunningly beautiful young women, making him as proud as a father could be. His family.

"You three: how great is this? My favorite people in the world!" Luke actually beamed.

Lorelai was amused by her husband's unusually chipper demeanor. "Hello to you too, Buddy the Elf."

Luke skimmed past the edge of the couch on the way to the kitchen, caressing Lorelai's face as he went. Lorelai's gaze followed him, her eyes full of deep love. The tender moment made Rory and April grin at each other conspiratorially. This year was the year - their parents' first year as a married couple - to get them under the mistletoe.

Rory had tried many a year throughout her childhood, even before her mother and future stepfather started dating, without success. Most failures had resulted in Luke and Lorelai laughing her childish designs off. Then, later, awkward avoidance of anything close to resembling a sprig as much as possible.

But the inhibitors were down now. Everything was as it should be. The four of them were now a family. Public displays of yuletide affection should no longer be an issue.

The girls split up. April went into the kitchen to trap her father, ensuring that he would continue cooking Christmas dinner. Meanwhile, Rory turned to her mother.

"Come on, Mom. I'll make you some coffee."

"Oh, Luke can do it, kid," Lorelai waved away.

"But he's cooking everything else! Let's help him!" Rory insisted and she literally began to push her mother into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, April had ridiculously gotten her father to dance with her to Christmas tunes from the radio she had turned on, even though Luke hated the radio. Spinning him around the table, April made room for Rory to take post in the doorway of her childhood bedroom and spring the trap.

With a sprig of mistletoe.

Luke and Lorelai were pushed together. They looked at each other, then up at the sprig.

"Mommy and Daddy need some alone time!" Rory chirped.

"Kissy, kissy!" April goaded.

Luke gave the ghost of a smirk. "These kids. Whatever did we do to deserve them?" The rhetorical question was both endearing and challenging.

Lorelai hummed as she pondered. "Nothing. But we sure make cute babies, Burger Boy!" That was an old joke between them. Even though issues of blood and marriage had never mattered in Luke's quest to craft a family of his own. He was Rory's second father long before he married her mother.

Luke pulled his wife close and kissed her soundly. She responded with just as much enthusiasm, prompting squeals from her daughter and stepdaughter. The couple broke apart with a smile.

"Merry Christmas, girls," Luke smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Daddy!" the Gilmore and Nardini girls chorused.