A/N: I've been working on this for awhile and I'm still not sure what direction I want it to go in. The last part of this first section may become extinct in the future, I'm not sure if I'm going to go that way or just write fluff. So bear with me. Also, there probably won't be another update until I get back from skiing on the 19th or 20th.

Lorelai: Don't you have any kind of holiday special? Something festive?

Lorelai: What did you do?

Luke: You wanted something festive.

Lorelai: You made me a Santa burger.

-Forgiveness and Stuff

Something Festive

Chapter 1: Snow!

Luke was dreaming about Christmas somewhere warm: a tropical island with Rory and her new boyfriend, Logan, and of course, Lorelai. Somewhere away from Liz and TJ's constant bickering, away from Lorelai's parents, and away from frigid Stars Hollow.

"Hello?" He practically growled into the phone. Lorelai stirred beside him.

"Luke? Sorry I called so late," Rory's voice was soft, but excited.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked hurriedly and Lorelai sat bolt upright next to him in bed, motioning to give her the phone. Luke chuckled and handed it to her. "She's fine. It's two a.m. and she called because it's snowing." Like mother, like daughter.

"My favorite daughter!" Lorelai exclaimed sleepily as she untangled herself from the covers and padded over to the window. Luke dozed off listening to the soft tones of Lorelai's voice, but a few minutes later he felt her lips on his neck.

"Lorelai, it's two a.m."

"But it's snowing." He poked an eye open to see her pouting as she laid across his chest. He kissed her forehead and let out a sigh. "Put on socks and shoes and a coat and let's go."

"You're the best," she bounced over to the closet.

"Fifteen minutes, Lorelai. I have to get up at five."

"Grouch," she teased as she pulled on a pair of bright green socks.

"Crazy lady," he shot back, smiling.

It was a little over three weeks until Christmas. Rory was in the middle of finals week, but Luke knew she had been anxiously watching the Weather Channel. As had her mother. This was the latest snow he could remember. Usually right after Thanksgiving, the smell in the air seemed to change, and the next day the town was blanketed in white. But not this year.

This year it chose to start at two a.m., having the gall to wake Luke from a perfectly good dream. He couldn't just roll over and go back to sleep, because truthfully, he loved seeing Lorelai this happy. Even though Luke generally was a cynical person, he had to admit there was something comforting knowing that something that happened to you when you were five still stuck with you through adulthood.

Lorelai practically danced outside on the porch, and she wondered what magical thing would occur this year. At this time last year she had been mending her first fight with Luke. "Here," the depth of his voice at night always made her skin prickle. He handed her a brownie. She looked at him quizzically. "I know it's not donuts and coffee, but it's the best I could do on short notice."

She gave him a sticky sweet kiss. "You remembered." Every year when it snowed, she and Rory always celebrated one of the early snowfalls with coffee and donuts at Luke's. "And we do have coffee." He frowned at her and she rolled her eyes. "But not at two a.m., got it."

"Not if you want to get back in bed with me," he reprimanded. Lorelai didn't respond, just finished her brownie and slid an arm around his waist, pulling him towards her. Her head rested on his chest, her face turned slightly upwards to watch the snowflakes twirl and dance toward the ground. Even though his toes were already numb, Luke felt warm. He had been with Lorelai a year and a half without any major glitches. They'd had their share of fights, but nothing they couldn't overcome. Currently, they were undergoing a trial run of Luke "living" with Lorelai. He used the term loosely since he really had been living with her for most of the year and a half they had been together.

"Nothing wrong with making it official." Lorelai had said.

Rory had rolled her eyes. "Semi-official. It's about time."

"Luke?" Lorelai asked as he coaxed her back inside, promising the snow would still be there tomorrow.

"Hmm?" He laced her hand through his and led her upstairs.

"Do you have a favorite snow moment?" She sighed. "I have so many."

"Not really. This one is pretty good," he replied, sliding off the scarf from around her neck.

"That's sweet, but you don't remember any from when you were little? With your sister?"

"My sister and I weren't always close. I protected her like any big brother would, but we were so different. I tried to talk some sense into her a couple times, but that never did much good," Luke had always been torn between yelling at his sister for being so irresponsible or letting her go, hoping she would learn her own lessons.

"Things seemed to have worked out."

"If you call moving to Stars Hollow to torture me working out." Although some people would view Lorelai as being self-absorbed, Luke knew this wasn't true. She loved to inquire about his childhood and regale him with stories of her own. Lorelai was very good about the give and take in their relationship, even if she didn't believe she was.

"Luke!" Lorelai laughed as she slipped beneath the covers. She clicked on a lamp and Luke flipped off the over head light. "Soo…how's Jess?"

"Jess?" Luke's brow wrinkled, noting the sudden change of subject. "Why do you care?"

"Luke," Lorelai said reproachfully. "He may not be my favorite person, but we were talking about Liz. I like Liz and I like you and he's your nephew."

He gave into her logic. "Honestly? I haven't talked to him since Thanksgiving. He may show up for Christmas, he mentioned it."

Lorelai looked impressed. "Wow, Jess and Christmas? Seems like an odd combo. But I'm sure Rory wouldn't mind."

"Really? After what he did last time they had a run-in?"

Lorelai bit her lip. She'd forgotten. "Well, I don't know. Maybe you're right. Rory just mentioned the other day she was reading a book for her pop culture class that he might like. But I can just get the title from her."

"That would be great. If I could get him that for Christmas, it would be different from the usual check I write him."

"Can't go wrong there."

"I'm sorry," Luke shook his head, still baffled. "How did we end up talking about Jess?"

"Something about the snow," Lorelai giggled.

"My mom used to make me snow cream," Luke said suddenly, just remembering.

"What's that?" Lorelai scrunched up her nose.

Luke's eyes twinkled as he teased her. "An item of food you've never heard of? That's pretty amazing."

"Shut up." Lorelai bit back a smile.

"Snow cream. I think some ice cream company makes it now, but she used to add sugar and vanilla and milk maybe, but I don't remember exactly. If it snowed while I was sleeping or at school, she would go get snow in a big bowl and run back in to put it in the freezer. It had to be the third or fourth snow so you didn't get any that was close to the ground. I'd have a little bowl of it when I came home from school."

"So you actually ate something with sugar in it?" Lorelai smiled slyly.

"Fine, mock if you will. You asked."

"No, that sounds nice," she conceded, rubbing his arm. "I don't have any memories like that with my mom—at least not her fixing me specific things, even when I was sick. The time I was sick and it snowed, right? They made me wait another week to go play outside and even then, my mom told me I couldn't make snow angels because my coat would get ruined." Lorelai sighed in exasperation.

"But just think of all the good memories you have with Rory."

Lorelai smiled, that certain smile Luke saw when he knew she was proud of Rory, of how well she had done raising a kid at 16. "Yeah," she laughed. "She's probably sick of hearing me go on about it every year."

"I doubt that. Not if she calls at two in the morning to tell you about it."

Lorelai cringed at the clock. It was almost 3:15. "Ok, mister. Lights out. I've distracted you long enough."

"You don't think being in the same bed as you isn't a distraction in itself?"

"Luke!" She knelt towards him, pressing her mouth to his ear. "Wake me up tomorrow when you take a shower and I'll join you."

"It's a deal," he smiled in the dark.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He remembers how happy and oblivious they were. Not that they could have done anything to prevent it. As he watches the first snowfall of the year, he wonders if it's just him or if the snow really looks a little less white, a little dim as it blankets the front lawn as he waits for Lorelai to come home. A minute later he sees the small gray sedan Liz had chosen so carefully pull up behind his truck, which now has a thick layer of snow on the engine hood so you couldn't guess the paint color. He watches as Rory steps out, clutching her red coat around her, as she stands wiggling her legs to keep warm, waiting for Lorelai. Lorelai emerges from the passenger side of the car, holding the door open as she bids goodbye to Liz. She glances towards the house as she speaks but Luke doesn't move. He watches Liz drive away and his girls climb the porch stairs, his head turning towards the sound of their voices floating into the foyer. Suddenly, the chill seems to be gone from the air. He's not alone anymore and the house is cheery and warm. However, Lorelai catches his look and as Rory retreats to her room, she gives him a long hug.

"You could have come, you know." He knows that Lorelai isn't reprimanding him but he can't help but feel a little persecuted. Luke just shakes his head. He doesn't want to be reminded; he thought if he stayed away, it would make the hurt dissipate faster.

"How did it look?" He managed to ask.

"It's been well-kept. Liz and TJ brought flowers on Thanksgiving and then the snow started falling while we were there. Everything was pretty," she sighed. He stared at their picture on the wall--Rory had presented it to them the year before--because he knew if he glanced down, her blue eyes would be watching him closely. And as much as he appreciated Lorelai, sometimes he felt like he was being babied. He didn't need that and he certainly didn't want it.

"Good. That's good. Liz is okay, right?" He hadn't seen his sister since Thanksgiving. He sometimes wondered if she avoided him or if it was the other way around.

"Yeah, she is." Lorelai looked unsure but she continued on. "She needs you this time of year, you know." Luke nodded but didn't say anything. "It's not easy on either of you," Lorelai finished as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly. "Rory and I are going to make cookies. Come help," she smoothed his shirt as she talked and then tugged it toward the kitchen. He gave her a small smile and squeezed her shoulder as she called out to Rory.