The Deal
"Why are you telling me this?" Luke asked, putting a protective quizzical look on his face.
Lorelai fidgeted a bit. "I don't have very many people in my life who are in my life permanently forever."
Luke stopped working on his watch, focused on her words.
Unseen by both of them, Sookie glanced over at the pair occasionally as she, Dean and Rory chose their dinner and ordered it from Caesar, who'd come out to cover for Luke. Maybe Lorelai had taken her advice to heart: "Just look the guy in the eye, it's right there."
"They will always be there for me. I will always be there for them, you know? There's Rory, and Sookie, and this town and ... you. I mean, at least I think I've got..."
"You do." She looked him in the eye. His reassuring look put her mind at ease.
"Good. Just checking," she replied, visibly relieved. Why the heck did I say 'this town?' she thought. Silly thing to say. Just another reason for Luke to think I'm stupid. Dating a kid: stupid. He must have a million things on his 'stupid Lorelai statements' list.
If Luke felt anything she'd said was stupid, he ignored it, saying, "Tell me about Romeo and Juliet."
Lorelai smiled. "Well, it's so depressing because everybody dies, but the clothes were so cute."
"Life can be funny that way," Luke replied, with a smile and an affectionate look. Lorelai felt the impact of that look.
"And Rory ended up kissing Paris, not Tristan. It was so funny!" Lorelai looked down at the watch Luke was working on. "Your watch? Is it broken?"
"Nah, not broken, just cleaning it. It was actually my dad's, so I try to take good care of it, keep it out of the diner most of the time so it doesn't get too greasy or dirty."
"It's beautiful." She picked it up carefully, laid it across her own wrist, pulling the straps together. "The leather is so soft."
"That's what decades of loving care will give you," he said, "my mother gave it to my father on Christmas the year I was born."
"Oh, here let me give it back, I'd hate to break it." She started to hand it back to him, but he stopped her.
"Try it on for real. It's special, one of those things that are in my life forever. Broken or working, I'll never get rid of it." Luke pulled her hand towards him and laid the band around her wrist. Glancing up at her, watching her concentrate on his watch, he allowed himself the thought, 'In my life forever. Like you.'
"See here? These holes were the sizes my dad used, but look at the ones all the way back, the smallest size. Those holes are stretched out because Mom would play with it sometimes when he took it off in the evenings. She even put it on my wrist when I got big enough that it wouldn't fall off." He tightened the band around Lorelai's wrist, using one of the smallest holes, then released her hand, his thumb brushing against the veins on her wrist. She felt a tingle from the gentleness of his action.
She touched the supple leather band, soft from decades of use. The watch body was still warm from Luke's hand. She held her hand out again, this time for him to remove the watch. He removed it carefully, then placed it on his own wrist. Lorelai reached over to fasten it for him. She held his hand on the counter for a minute, contemplating the watch and the hand it was attached to.
"It's a perfect fit," she said. "It suits you." The flow of energy from his hand to hers warmed her to the core.
Letting his hand go, she said, "Luke, I feel like a hypocrite. Here I am, telling you how important you are to my life, but I didn't know this about your watch. I've seen it what, a million times, but never knew the story."
"You're not a hypocrite, Lorelai. It's just so easy for me to let you do all the talking, which you clearly love to do," he gave her a knowing amused look, which she acknowledged, "and the next thing I know we're off doing our own things again."
"Oh I love to talk, that's for sure," she said, "but I don't want it to be so one-sided anymore. Let's change that."
Luke knitted his eyebrows together. "You're wasting your time if you think I'm going to go to some touchy-feely communication seminar."
"Oh god, no, that would be awful! I'm thinking of something more like Sookie and I have. We just spend time together outside of work and do whatever. It gives us time to talk about things. Right now, the only time you and I seem to have is either here, where you're working, or at my house, where you're fixing things. That's not right."
"You don't hear me complaining, do you?" Luke asked, touched that she was thinking this way. He would never complain to her about that, because it might mean they would see less of each other, and that would be unbearable.
"That's not the point, Luke. In each other's lives means in each other's lives. Oh, I can't explain it! Why don't we just try it?"
"Try what?" Luke began to get a bad feeling.
"Simply spend more time together, without you having to feed me in exchange for money or do me a favor."
"What makes you think we have time for this?"
"It's not something you wait until you have time for, it's a choice you make to make time for it. I'm asking you to choose to make time for us. I'm willing."
"Say I'm willing to try this. How will it work?"
"Sookie and I make a point of reserving some time each week outside of work. Other than that, it's flexible. I might call her early one morning and we go off and spend the afternoon shopping, or go to Chilton for an event, or anything. Whatever we can think of."
"Well, …" Luke hesitated. It sounded just casual enough to work. More Lorelai without the manufactured situations that kept them coming together every day, coffee and home repairs.
"You're in? We give this a try?" She smiled warmly at him.
"No shopping. Got it?"
"Agreed, but anything else goes, OK?" Lorelai asked. Luke nodded. "Now, what are the latest and earliest times I can call you? I'm good for any time except after midnight or before 6 a.m."
"Those hours work for me, too." Honestly, the middle of the night probably wouldn't be so bad either, he thought. That voice, waking him from his dreams of her. That actually sounded like one of his dreams.
"Deal. Call me as soon as you think of something you'd like to do." Lorelai turned to go, then stopped, looking back at him. "Luke, there's one more condition."
He waited for the shoe to drop.
"No fish gutting, OK?"
He laughed and said, "Sure, I think we can avoid fish innards."
Week the First
On the Sunday after Romeo and Juliet, Stars Hollow was coated by a heavy frost. Luke got out of bed, feeling the chilly floor under his bare feet. He started his tea and looked out the window at the sparkly landscape.
This was his favorite kind of winter day. Thinking back to Lorelai's proposition, he decided to give her a call, thinking 'It's worth a try, at least.'
He opened the diner at 8 a.m. as usual for Sunday. Once the early diners had been served, he checked in with Caesar and the crew to make sure they had everything covered, since he'd already planned to take today off. That done, he picked up the phone.
Lorelai answered, sounding even pretty awake for a Sunday.
"Are you ready to gut some fish?" he joked.
"No fish guts, Luke, you promised," she said. "Try another idea."
"I like to go out into the woods on the first day that we have a hard frost. Are you up for a short walk? There's nothing like the sound of leaves crunching underfoot when the forest is completely quiet."
"Um, yeah, sounds great." Lorelai wasn't completely certain; she was a little concerned he'd try to hike her over mountains and ford streams, but she'd promised to try.
"How about I pick you up around ten? Wear a warm coat and good walking boots. Gloves and a hat wouldn't hurt either."
Luke was at her door promptly at ten, wearing his green coat and blue hat, with a gray scarf knotted around his neck.
"Do I pass inspection?" Lorelai asked. She was completely dressed in practical clothing, from the right boots to a good pair of gloves.
He drove a good ten minutes before veering off the main road onto a dirt road. After driving another quarter mile, he parked.
They got out of the car and Lorelai found herself on top of a hill, the frosted valley lay at their feet. The hollow that was Stars Hollow was to the east, and they headed in that general direction.
They made idle chitchat as they walked, or, more correctly, Lorelai chatted idly, about nothing and everything. It was pleasant to have a companion on this walk, Luke thought.
"The best thing about going out on the first frost are the leaves," he said, as he stopped near a maple with branches low enough to reach. "They're still relatively fresh, but the frost is so beautiful." He pulled a couple of leaves off the tree, handed one to Lorelai, then showed her how the leaf's brilliant color revealed itself when he melted the ice with his finger. "In a week or two, all of the leaves are so brown it's not pretty anymore."
"I like how the ground cracks and crunches under our feet," she replied. "Why is the wood so quiet?"
"The animals are mostly hunkering down trying to stay warm. If we're lucky, we might see one or two deer, but they're adjusting to winter time."
They walked further, Lorelai picked up the occasional pine cone or leaf for inspection. They talked about Rory and Jess, their schooling, work, everything two friends would discuss.
"Why do you like to come to the woods?" she asked.
"Same reason you walk in the first snow. It's both magic and it feels familiar, like a good friend, all at the same time."
She looked him in the eye as he said that. Incredible how his eyes flashed light, then grew dark when he described the feeling.
They walked on, collecting a few more leaves, giant maple leaves, the last ones for the year that still had rich colors.
Before they knew it, the hour was long past. Lorelai began to see some familiar sights.
"Luke, are we near the Independence Inn?" she asked.
"We sure are, another ten minutes' walk or so." Luke pointed in the direction they'd have to walk to get there.
"Can I treat you to brunch? I'm getting hungry, and would love a cup of coffee," she offered.
"You've certainly earned a nice brunch with this walk, so yeah, that sounds nice. Thanks."
Lorelai dropped her pinecones and leaves near the front door of the inn. Luke excused himself to take care of his personal needs when they entered the inn. Sookie was filling in for her weekend chef as a last-minute thing, so both she and Lorelai were surprised when they met in the dining room.
"Lorelai? What are you doing here? It's your day off."
"Luke and I were out for a walk and ended up here, so we decided to have brunch. Can you join us?" she asked as Luke came up to them.
"Maybe, I'll have to see how heavy the crowd is. Did you call Rory?" asked Sookie. Sookie was going to do everything in her power to spend some time in the dining room this morning. Luke and Lorelai took a walk? It looks like things are going to get interesting.
"Just about to call her. Luke, shall I invite Jess as well?" Lorelai turned to Luke and smiled.
"Nah, he likes to sleep in on Sunday, and his shift at the diner starts at noon. Maybe next time."
Rory did manage to come, and Sookie joined them for half an hour. Pleased to have someone like Luke to show off for, Sookie made a special omelet just for him with fresh herbs and orange and yellow pepper. Rory and Lorelai both found themselves distracting him on purpose so they could steal bites of his breakfast.
After everyone had eaten, Rory offered to drive Lorelai and Luke back to town. Lorelai turned to him and asked, "What do you think?"
"Why don't you go with Rory? I'd like to go for a bit of a longer walk while the sun is still out." suggested Luke.
"Sounds good. We'll see you either later tonight or probably tomorrow for breakfast." Lorelai and Rory waved goodbye as Luke went back into the woods, happy about the good day.
Two days later, Lorelai woke up early, smelling the pending snowfall. She dragged Rory outside as usual, sniffed the air and expounded on the benefits and pleasures of winter.
That evening, enough snow had fallen that Rory and Lorelai decided to have their 'first snow of the year' walk. They headed towards the center of town, intent on picking up Dean and Lane.
On their way to Dean's they ran into Sookie and Jackson, who joined the contingent. As they crossed the square to go to Lane's house, Lorelai thought of Luke and ran into the diner.
"Hi Luke, are you busy? We're going out for a walk in the snow. First snow of the year deserves a little celebration, don't you think?" Lorelai's eyes sparkled with her delight in the snowstorm.
Luke pondered for a minute, then said, "Sure. Let me just get Jess down here and have him cover for me."
"Good. We're headed over to Lane's house. Come out and find us, we won't go anywhere until you get there." Lorelai headed out the door.
Luke went upstairs to let Jess know he was headed out for a while. "Don't forget to set up some hot beverages for the re-enactors. They ought to be getting pretty cold in an hour or so. Luke grabbed his gloves and coat and headed out the door, catching up quickly with the crowd that had swelled to six.
When Lane came out, they cut diagonally across the square, walked a block, then turned left. The street was quiet, with only the occasional car passing by, its tires crunching on the new-fallen snow. Another left turn brought them onto Peach Street, where there was a small park set up between the large family houses.
Rory and Lane ran over to the swings, brushed the snow off the seats and swung until they could launch themselves a few feet away from the swing, landing and falling in the snow. Dean joined them, gathering enough snow to make a snowball. He made as if he were going to throw it at Rory, but instead threw it randomly over at the group of adults standing just inside the park.
Thud! The first snowball hit Lorelai's shoulder, exploding and spraying over Sookie. Lane and Rory soon made their own snowballs, successfully landing hits on Jackson and Sookie. Luke, who'd been fast enough to dodge the first ones, herded the other adults over to some climbing equipment for shelter.
Taking command, he began forming snowballs as fast as he could, telling the others to build their arsenals.
The adults took the offensive, following Luke's plan to flank first Dean, who was the kids' best shot, then to go after Lane, who was adept at dodging pretty much anything thrown at her by Sookie and Lorelai. Sookie managed to hit Rory a couple of times, who in turn landed one snowball directly on her mother's head.
Dean recovered quickly and recruited Todd, who had just come out on the porch next door to watch the fun. The two of them, supported by the snowball manufacturing of Rory and Lane, gave the adults as good as they got.
Luke had Lorelai gather as many snowballs as she could carry, and she followed him around the edge of the jungle gym, to a corner where Dean and Todd weren't paying attention. All four kids were exposed. Luke waved Jackson over to them, while Sookie was sheltering on the other side, making a perfect decoy, yelling and trash-talking their ability to throw snowballs.
All at once, Jackson and Luke jumped out of their hiding place and peppered the four kids with snowballs. Finally the kids cried 'Uncle!' and the victors staked their claim to the park.
Unbeknownst to Luke, Lorelai had climbed up on the jungle gym. She shoved three inches of snow down on Luke's head, giving Jackson a headful as well. The two men rounded the equipment and cornered her while she was still on the third step. They lifted her down by her arms and legs, laying her flat on the ground, whereupon adults and kids alike began heaping snow on her, until exhausted, the whole crew landed on the ground, giggling and laughing.
They continued on their way, laughing and chattering, thanking Todd for his help as he went back into his house. Taking the next left brought the crowd right to Lane's door. Mrs. Kim was standing there, keeping her eye on Lane.
"Lane! Bring everyone inside! Right now!" Not sure whether Mrs. Kim was angry or pleased, they all trooped into the antique store and were directed to the kitchen, half-expecting a lecture.
"Here! Everyone take tea and nonfat muffins. Time to warm up." Mrs. Kim's invitation seemed more like an order that could not be refused. Unpleasant tea, made all the more unpleasant by the lack of any sweetener, was handed round, as were the muffins.
"Dip the muffins in the tea, will make them easier to chew," Mrs. Kim instructed.
"Green tea, delicious! Thanks, Mrs. Kim," said Luke. The others turned and stared at him. "Hey, you don't know what you're missing, right Sookie?"
"Well, green tea generally tastes better when there's a little sweetener, but this is a good tea," she acknowledged.
"Glad you like it, Luke," said Mrs. Kim. "I will give you a bag to take with you. Special Korean blend."
The others choked down what they could, said their thank yous and goodbyes to the Kims, then went their separate ways. Dean and Rory headed over to the gazebo for some kissing practice, Sookie and Jackson headed to her house for some advanced kissing practice, which left Luke and Lorelai standing together outside Kim's Antiques.
"Well, Luke, what do you think?" she asked.
"What about?"
"Our spending time together, 'hanging out,' getting to know everyone better."
"Ah, that. I think it's working out very well. Why didn't we do this earlier?" he said, taking her elbow and guiding her across the square towards the diner. The re-enactors had begun setting up for a long cold night.
"Somehow it never occurred to me that you might enjoy it. I'm glad you do. It's fun having you around in our little group." She gave him her megawatt smile as she looked him in the eye. "So we continue?"
"You bet. C'mon, let's go make sure that the re-enactors have something hot to drink. They've got a cold night ahead of them."
"Think there might be an extra cup of coffee in there for me?"
"Sure, either that or some of my special Korean green tea. Whatever you prefer," he joked.
There it was again. Different, but there was something similar in his expression. Comforting, strong. She could almost drown in those eyes.
Week the Second
"Hi Jess, Luke, so glad you could come to the Bracebridge dinner. The bellmen took their coats as Lorelai greeted them, making small talk with Jess and his uncle.
The aperitif was served and the group was relaxing, waiting for the dinner to start when Lorelai announced the sleigh ride. She had the bellmen bring Luke's coat as well as hers. She put on her coat, then went over to Luke and helped him on with his.
"What are you doing? I can put on my own coat!" he exclaimed.
"So can I," answered Lorelai, "but I still enjoy it when someone cares enough to help me on with mine. Relax and enjoy it." She reached up and patted his shoulders as he pulled his green jacket closed. He managed a small thank you smile.
"Come along now, you're my sleigh partner. You're also my dinner partner, so plan on that as well."
"Well, OK. I was feeling a little uncomfortable, and it helps to know where I belong."
They made the round in their sleigh, catching up on the latest news about Jess as well as their usual banter.
Later at the dinner, Lorelai made sure Luke sat between her and Rory, who had Dean on her other side.
Emily watched her girls as the dinner progressed. She paid particular attention to the men seated next to them. It was clear to her that both men cared for Rory and Lorelai; it was obvious in their actions, and the attention they paid to their dinner partners.
Later, Emily approached Luke and Lorelai as they watched the rest of the dinner party slowly break up.
"Lorelai, please don't forget that my Christmas party is coming up soon. You and Rory are expected, naturally, but I'd like to take this opportunity to invite you, Luke, and Dean as well."
"Mom? You're sure? Don't you usually have a full house?" Lorelai was urgently trying to prevent Luke from having to suffer through an Emily Christmas torture session.
"Lorelai, I don't extend invitations frivolously. We're doing a buffet party instead of a sit-down dinner, and there will be around 40 people instead of our usual dozen or so."
Emily turned to Luke. "There'll be music and dancing, so come prepared to have fun and keep Lorelai entertained in-between apple tarts," she quipped, with a smile that gave him no chance to refuse.
Later, Lorelai pulled Luke aside, saying, "I was trying to save you from this, I'm so sorry you had to accept. Let's work on a way to get you out of this."
Luke shrugged. "I don't want to get out of this. Dealing with your parents is an important part of your life. You struggle with this every time you have to see them. Let me come along and help you if I can."
"But …" Lorelai was at a loss for words. She looked him in the eye, but there was something different now. He was challenging her, holding her to her word.
"No buts. If you really don't want me there, I won't go. I think you should give it a try, you know, like you asked me to give the 'spending time together' thing a try." He crossed his arms, arched an eyebrow, and waited for her answer.
"Alright, I give up. We can try it. But if you never want to speak to me again afterwards, it's your own fault, you hear?"
Lorelai knew that she needed to give Luke this chance to support her, as she supported him. That's part of the compact between good friends – you help them do the hard things, and you let them help you do your hard things.
At the end of November, Luke disappeared. Lorelai went by the diner, only to find it closed. Funny, she thought, Luke's been so good about communicating, but today, he's just gone. Maybe he had an emergency.
She went on to work, not quite forgetting her friend. In the early afternoon, Michel came to her office, where she'd been working on the books.
"Lorelai, the flannel man is here and wishes to speak with you. Are you in?" Michel asked. "Or shall I send him away?" he added hopefully.
"No, Michel, of course not, he's my friend. Ask him to come in, please." Lorelai stood up and followed Michel to the door, where she saw Luke pacing the floor. He looked terrible, a cloud on his forehead and circles under his eyes. She went over to him, took his elbow and led him to her office. She closed the door behind her and locked it.
"Luke, I've been worried about you all day. Where have you been? What's wrong?"
He sat down, then stood up again and began pacing. He looked at her, then looked away again, then walked to the window and came back again.
"Luke, please, tell me what's going on?" She put her hand on his arm and pulled him gently toward the sofa, then sat and waited for him to join her.
"Today is the anniversary of my dad's death. He died 12 years ago. It, it was hard." He looked down at the ground and swallowed. Lorelai reached up and rubbed his shoulder, then put both arms around him and hugged him, squeezing tightly. He moved a little, and she released her hug.
"I never told anyone this before. It's just been something I've handled. My mood gets so bad I can't talk to anyone, can't be around people. I shut down the diner and go off by myself for the day. Sometimes up to the lake cabin, sometimes I just stay in my apartment."
Lorelai rubbed Luke's back through his jacket, then slowly let her arm relax, not quite letting go. Her other hand rested on his lower arm.
Luke took a deep breath, then finally looked up at her. "I'm tired of feeling this way every year. The first thing I saw this morning was Jess sleeping in his bed. I didn't know what to do. He needs me, but I can't be there for anyone today."
He closed his eyes, then looked at her with anguish in his eyes. "Help me."
Lorelai put her arm around his shoulder again and pulled him back to rest on the sofa. She took his hands in hers and said, "You don't have to go through this, you can do something about it, you can choose a different path, Luke." He looked at the ground, not seeing anything.
"You also don't have to always be there for Jess. You only need to be there for you. Everything else will take care of itself." She paused to give him a moment to process. "Do you really want to change this?" Still silent, he nodded.
"Let's get out of here. We've got work to do."
She took him to her house, sat him down at her kitchen table and gave him a bottle of water. "Drink this," she commanded. "I'm going to change my clothes."
Lorelai went upstairs and changed from her dressy suit to jeans and a sweater. When she got back to the kitchen, Luke looked better. He'd drunk half the water and was sitting up normally, no longer hunched over like he was carrying a heavy weight.
She packed him into her Jeep and drove back to the Independence Inn.
"What are we doing here?" he asked. "I'll show you," she said nervously.
She led him around the outside of the inn, almost to the back. Luke looked around, saw the slope leading down to the small lake, saw a garden shed, curiously pretty, but still a garden shed.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked. "Yes, it's nice. Green and quiet." Luke looked at her with the question in his eyes.
"Come with me." She went to the garden shed, took one of her hotel keys and opened the door. They went inside.
"This is where Rory and I lived our first years in Stars Hollow." Luke looked at her, amazed and a little shocked. One room, one bed, a bathtub right in the middle of the living area.
Lorelai avoided looking him in the eye. She couldn't stand the possibility of seeing a look of pity there. She blinked, then continued, "It wasn't much, but it was ours. We were free for the first time in my life."
"Mia helped me every way she could. With a job, advice, even lectures when I needed them." Lorelai stopped, choked on some tears, then went on.
"She couldn't help me with everything. Nobody has ever been able to help me understand why my parents acted the way they did, trying to control every aspect of my life, and why they started to do the same with Rory."
"What always hurt, still hurts today, is that they can't love me the way I need them to love me. I need them to accept me for who I am, not for what they want me to be, or try to force me to be. I want them to love me, to love Rory, but I want them to love us as real people, not some fantasy of daughter and granddaughter that they have in their heads. It's like they don't even see us."
"Eventually I came to accept that my relationship with my parents is the way it is. I can't expect change anymore. I can still hope, and I can still work for it, but without any expectation it will improve."
"It's the acceptance that I want you to see, Luke. I chose to move forward. Even though it's not easy, I can now accept the situation long enough to make sure that Rory has a relationship with them."
She guided him out of the shed, locked the door, and turned back to him.
"Show me your father. Show me what keeps you where you are today, why you need to have this dark day."
Luke wrapped his arms around Lorelai, but said nothing. He stood there for long minutes, staring down at the lake.
"Let's go," he said.
Following Luke's directions, the first place they stopped was the cemetery. He took her to his parents' gravesite. It was well-cared for, simple but strong. The name Danes was carved in the stone, along with his parents' first names and dates of death.
"These were the two saddest days of my life. As a kid I didn't really understand why or how my mother died, but Dad always reminded us how much she loved us."
"What did he do on the anniversary of her death?" asked Lorelai.
"We went to her grave to lay flowers. Sometimes we talked about her. Sometimes we looked at old photos. Sometimes we fought, argued."
"No dark day?" she asked. "No," he answered. "Those days were sad, but otherwise normal."
Lorelai asked, "Why didn't you have dark days then?"
"Dad said, 'We don't give up in the Danes family. We keep the good things and keep going.' I haven't given up." Lorelai's heart ached. It was as if she were hearing a childlike Luke trying to remind his father he hadn't given up.
"What are the good things that you've kept?" asked Lorelai.
Silence. "I don't think about them, don't talk about them. There isn't anyone to tell them to."
"Are you sure, Luke? You don't think Liz wants to hear them? Maybe Jess?"
"Liz left. She refuses to talk about the old times. She couldn't face any of it. She left before Dad died, never even came to the funeral. She knew he was dying, but she took Jess and ran off with whichever guy would take her."
He rubbed his hands on his thighs. "Jess doesn't even want to hear about his mother, much less his grandparents."
Lorelai held his hand and looked him straight in the eye. Rubbing her hand over his, she felt a bump and looked down. Luke was wearing his watch.
"Luke, you've already started telling me about the good things. Remember? You told me about the watch, and your mother, and you. That's keeping the good things, because I'll keep that memory forever. You, your parents, your watch."
"I want to hear about the rest of the good things, Luke. All of them. Let me help you keep the good things."
"OK," he said sadly, rubbing his thumb over the watch crystal.
They drove to Luke's apartment. Once upstairs, Lorelai took off her coat and kicked off her shoes. Luke sent her to the couch while he got a couple of beers and the photo album. Luke turned page after page, showing Lorelai the pictures, patiently explaining everything he knew about the events and people involved.
Lorelai made sure she kept some physical connection between them as he talked. Sometimes it was her hand on his arm, sometimes just leaning gently against him. Little by little she could feel the despair drain out of him. Jess came in about halfway through and saw what they were doing. He spent longer than necessary getting a drink and something to eat, looking over at the two of them occasionally.
When he'd eaten, he said, "I'm going to sleep," and headed to his bed. Although he lay perfectly still, with his eyes closed, he could hear almost everything Luke said.
Lorelai looked up at Luke, nodded her head towards Jess. Luke understood what she was trying to tell him and gradually spoke louder so Jess could hear more.
The day drew to a close and the early winter darkness cast a shadow over the apartment. Luke turned on the light and showed the last pictures, this time from a cardboard box instead of an album.
Lorelai rested her head on Luke's shoulder. As they sat together quietly, Luke recognized Jess' light snoring. "He's just fallen asleep," he whispered to Lorelai.
"You reached him," she whispered back. "He listened."
"You listened too. Thanks." He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and running his hands over his head.
"Do you want me to go?" she asked.
"Yeah, I've kept you long enough." Luke stood up and held out a hand to Lorelai, helping her up.
As she stood, he enveloped her in his arms. She could feel that he was much more relaxed than earlier today. She leaned back and looked him in the eye, a tender smile on her face. Luke took her face in his hands and kissed her, a pure, deep kiss of gratitude and love.
That look, that kiss. In that moment, she understood that he really was in her life, permanently, forever. She would never let that go.
Week the Third
The first week of December found Lorelai in a quandary. Just a week before her parents' Christmas party and she had no gift for her father. Emily had been easy, a framed photograph of Rory was all that was needed, but Richard was harder. Lorelai was sick of the stereotyped gifts, but her shopping trips had yielded nothing but soap on a rope and aftershave. She sat on her sofa at home and stared at the stupid gifts, both of which would have to be returned.
Rory refused to help her this year, claiming she had only one good idea and she'd already bought that for her grandfather. Sookie had been less than useless, her mind full of cooking equipment and her vegetable man.
She picked up the phone. Ten o'clock. Not too late to call Luke. She'd been talking to him more often at night, after she was at home and he had closed the diner. Their conversations were full of nothing important, no major life problems were solved, they were just discussions about their days and other things on their minds.
"Hi." Luke knew who it would be.
"Hi, Luke, I'm stuck. I can't figure out a Christmas gift for my father."
"Did you ask him what he wanted?"
"No! I can't do that! We're supposed to have an intuitive connection that leads me to the perfect gift every time."
"Reality is overrated in your world, isn't it?"
"Come on, Luke, help me!"
"I just did. You told me you couldn't do the only logical thing to do. How is it possible to help you further?"
"How's your shopping for Rory's gift going?"
"Shut up."
"No luck, huh?
"The ceramic unicorn store over on Plum has some new things."
"No, Luke. You know she doesn't like unicorns and she's not twelve anymore."
"We're both stuck, then."
"Shall we go shopping together? I'll help you, you help me?"
"I hate the mall. Anywhere but the mall."
"Let's start at Kim's Antiques. If I can find something for Dad there, at least Mom will approve."
"What about Rory?"
"She's over there all the time with Lane; I bet we can get Lane to show us something she likes."
Sigh. "Tomorrow? What time?"
"Six p.m. We'll catch Mrs. Kim when she's tired from a long day's work. I think we can negotiate a better price."
"Maybe she'll offer us some more tea. That was good tea."
"I'll drink the tea if you'll eat my muffin."
He chuckled, but she interrupted him. "Don't even think about saying it."
"Goodnight, Lorelai."
"Goodnight, Luke. See you tomorrow."
Week the Fourth
"You shouldn't have done that."
"What?"
"Danced with me."
"You asked me to dance with you. I know how to dance a little, so we're dancing. If you didn't think I should dance, you shouldn't have asked me."
"Well, you just opened yourself up to a whole world of trouble. Mom invited her whole DAR group tonight."
"What's the DAR?"
"Your worst nightmare."
"I doubt it. That happened already years ago when an insane person stormed my diner begging for coffee." Lorelai gave him a tiny punch in the arm.
"Take a look around," she said. Luke stopped and looked around the room. "Don't stop dancing – it's the only way I can save you." They started dancing again.
"What am I supposed to be seeing? There are people dancing, people watching people dancing, drinking, talking, looks like a party, and a pretty nice one at that."
"Look again. This room is set up for dancing, right? Now tell me how many men you see watching the dancing."
"A couple."
"How many women do you see watching the dancing?"
Luke scanned the room as they turned. "Oh, a dozen, maybe more."
"Do you not have any idea what they are doing?"
"They're watching the dancing."
"No, my friend, they're watching you."
"No they're not. Why would they watch me?"
"You're fresh meat."
"I showered before I came. No diner smell."
"You don't smell like meat. You smell wonderful. Woodsy, masculine, kinda sexy. You ARE fresh meat to the DAR."
"Explain the fresh meat then, please. And sexy how?" He grinned, pulling her close to him.
"These women are all waiting for the protocol. First Emily, then they all get a chance at you."
"These women are all married. Why do they need a chance at me?"
"Their husbands are all in other rooms, actively avoiding dancing. A good-looking man who can dance is worth his weight in gold. When a DAR woman sees someone who looks good and can dance, they are ruthless. They do have to follow protocol. That means you have to dance with Emily, because she's the hostess. Once you've danced with the hostess, you're up for grabs."
"How about if I just keep dancing with you until we disappear out the door?"
"You so underestimate the DAR. They will outsmart you at every turn. The first thing that will happen is they'll cut me out of the herd. Then the alpha female will come after you. Once she's seen that you can do a quick foxtrot, you're lost. They'll hand you from woman to woman until you want to cry like a little baby. All you can hope for then is that the band doesn't play a samba."
"What happens if they play a samba?"
Lorelai shifted her hips against him in the rhythm of the samba. "Every woman within earshot will want to samba with you, the sexiest dance on the planet. I'll have to scrape what's left of you off the floor."
"Protect me, Lorelai! Is the DAR some sort of paramilitary group?"
"They make the Navy Seals look like Santa's helpers."
"We need a strategy. What do you suggest?"
"First, let's dance over to that far door. It's near the apple tarts. We grab a few tarts; pick up some champagne and I'll show you some of my favorite hiding places in this house. There are twelve different ways to escape here without going through the front door. We'll delay your dance with Emily for as long as possible. Then you won't have to dance with so many DAR members."
"I hate champagne."
"Seriously? That's what you're worried about? Did you not listen when I told you about the DAR? I am not kidding! I'll get you something else to drink."
"I like beer."
"No beer, it's Christmas, and we're at the Hartford Gilmore residence. Whiskey I can find."
"I like the Stars Hollow Gilmores better than the Hartford Gilmores. Safer."
"Oh! I can also pay off the band to not play a samba."
"I'll chip in on that bribe."
"It will only work as long as no one else bribes them to play one. The DAR has deep pockets, but it's worth a try."
"Luke, are you ready to do this? Here's the plan. You dance us over to that door. Directly to the left is the butler's pantry with extra booze. Get whiskey, soda, champagne and glasses, then meet me behind that potted palm straight ahead. Do you see it?"
"The one in the pot with the dragon on it?" This was getting sillier all the time, he thought.
"Yes, exactly. I'll go to the kitchen on the right and get some apple tarts. Ready? We've got about 30 seconds before someone gets wise to our plan."
"Go!" she exclaimed.
Once safely behind the palm, Lorelai shooed Luke up a back staircase to the second floor. Checking around the corners, they made a dash for Lorelai's childhood bedroom. They kicked their shoes off and Luke took off his jacket and loosened his tie, then they settled on the bed to relax.
"Cheers," she said. "We've got maybe an hour before Emily comes looking for us, unless you've already been marked by one of her DAR friends." They drank, then put their heads back on the padded headboard.
"This is fun. Feels like a big game hunt. Never thought I'd be the prey, though," said Luke.
"Emily throws a mean party, doesn't she? Drama, dancing, intrigue, and all in high heels and sequins."
"How are you doing, anyway, Lorelai? Is it as bad as you expected?"
"No, Mom has really laid off me tonight. Normally by this time we would have had two passive-aggressive plays and one minor shouting match. I think I have you to thank for that." Lorelai moved closer to Luke, who put his arm over her shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Cheers again."
"You're welcome, glad to help." Luke pressed his lips to Lorelai's hair.
"Apple tart? I love these so much." She held the tray with the pile of tarts in front of Luke, who took one and bit into it. "By the way, that's the only one you get. The rest are mine."
"Sure, no problem. These are really the tarts you love so much? So amazing?"
Lorelai took a huge bite, then replied, "Oh yeah, these are heavenly. Worth waiting for, the best part of the holiday season."
Luke took another bite, then said, "I can make these."
"No way. These are a special recipe, handed down to Mom from her mother."
"Way. Puff pastry, apple slices, a little brandy and sugar, not much more than that. Come by the apartment on Sunday and I'll show you how it's done."
"I'd call 'dirty' on that statement, but the prospect of my own apple tarts any time I want them makes me want to be nice to you. Very, very nice."
She turned her head towards Luke, who was looking at her intently. "How nice?" he asked leadingly.
She looked him in the eye and said, "This nice." She kissed him sensuously on his clean-shaven cheek. His scent, mixed with the apple tart, was intoxicating.
"What happened to 'very' nice?"
She kissed him tenderly on the lips. "Very nice."
They turned their bodies towards each other, bending their knees. He kissed her this time. "Very, very nice."
Luke pulled her on top of him, holding her as he slid his body down to a half-prone position. She wrapped one arm around his back and used her other hand to pull him closer, deepening the kiss. His mouth opened slightly and he tasted the apple tart on her lips with his tongue, then probed deeper.
Lorelai moaned, opening her mouth to encourage his tongue, then twisting hers in reply. She pressed her hands against his chest, lifting herself to feel his whole body. His arousal was evident, and it was Luke's turn to moan as she massaged him through his pants.
"Oh god, Lorelai, that feels amazing," he groaned. He rolled her over to the other side of the bed and began kissing her neck. As his kisses moved downward to the valley between her breasts, Lorelai reached up to run her fingers through his hair. The thin material of her dress couldn't insulate her nipples from his hot kisses. She arched up to him, then grabbed his collar and began unbuttoning his shirt buttons, planting wet kisses along the trail she blazed. His hands reached behind her and alternatingly caressed and squeezed her butt.
Inching her way back up Luke's body, Lorelai hiked her dress up enough to give her legs room to move and straddle him. Pressing her hands on his chest to reach a sitting position, she looked at Luke, who was breathing hard. Desire had darkened his eyes to a deep ocean blue. His hands now had access to the furnace at her apex. Lorelai moaned and bucked at his touch.
"Luke," she said hoarsely, "I have to know something." She bent over, kissing his throat again, moving down towards his chest again, causing him to pant heavily as his fingers reached her wetness.
"Anything, Lorelai, anything you want," he said, overwhelmed with the intimacy.
"Can you really make exactly those apple tarts?" she asked.
Luke stared blankly at her for a seemingly endless time, finally erupting in a wave of laughter.
He pulled her down flat on his chest and trapped her with his arms. "Your powers of concentration are one of the things I love best about you, darling Lorelai."
He began kissing her all over again, their passion heating up rapidly to the same elevated state.
Outside in the hallway, Emily had just come upstairs looking for Lorelai. Hearing Luke's laughter emanating from Lorelai's bedroom, she had her answer. Emily went back downstairs and instructed the maid to come up and let Lorelai know she was needed downstairs.
Taking a moment to catch her breath, Lorelai said, "You dance. You know me better than anyone. You don't take any crap from me. You love Rory. You love me as much as I love you. You get those apple tarts right, my friend, and you've sealed the deal."
"You love me?" he asked. "Since when?"
"Since forever, I think," she said, planting tiny kisses along his jaw, "but I didn't recognize it until you made the apple tart promise." She smiled, her eyes hinting more that she would not tell him until some other day. "I'm holding you to that one, mister."
There was a knock on the door before Luke had a chance to say what was in his heart.
"Miss Gilmore?" said the maid "Your mother is expecting you downstairs."
"Alright! I'm on my way." Lorelai called.
"Sorry, Luke, duty calls. I fear it's bad news for you, too. If she found me, that means she knows where you are as well."
They straightened their clothes, tried to finger-press some of the wrinkles out of Luke's shirt, and went downstairs. Emily was studiously not waiting for them, but she saw every movement they made. Lorelai held onto Luke's hand as they snaked their way through the crowd, looking for fresh drinks before they had to deal with Emily.
While they were at the bar, Emily came over to them.
"Hello Luke, hello, Lorelai," she said. "Luke, are you enjoying yourself? I saw you dancing earlier. Do you enjoy dancing?"
Emily was briefly distracted by a couple saying goodbye, during which Lorelai nudged Luke and told him to ask Emily to dance. When Emily turned back to them, he did just that.
They circled the floor in a foxtrot, and Luke was impressed by Emily's grace and agility. When he complimented her on it, she answered, "I do love dancing. Since Richard's angina attack last year, I've had very few opportunities. It's nice to dance with such a good partner."
"My pleasure, Emily. How is Richard, by the way?" Luke asked.
"Much better, although he isn't quite taking as good care of himself as I'd like." Emily looked Luke straight in the eye before asking, "Luke, are we going to be seeing more of you in the future?"
"That's a decision for Lorelai to make. You'll have to ask her." This line of questioning was going too far. "Tell me about the DAR. What is it exactly?" he continued.
"Oh, it's just a way for us corporate wives to stay organized and contribute to society. We do a lot of charity work, and sometimes we get to have a little fun, like tonight."
Emily paused, assessing the need for her next statement. It was needed.
"Luke, this is the first time Lorelai has willingly brought one of her friends to an event here in Hartford. Bridging those two worlds of hers is a very difficult task. I'm very grateful that you came. Thank you for whatever you've done to make it happen."
"Sorry, Emily, but if Lorelai has done anything different, it's because she wanted to. I did nothing. She's the one you should be telling this to. I will pass your message on, so she'll know."
The dance ended, with Luke and Emily on the opposite side of the room from Lorelai. They made the appropriate thank yous, but before Luke could escape, Emily had brought another DAR member to be introduced, which meant another dance. He ended up dancing three more dances before Lorelai managed to rescue him.
Rory and Dean had an easier time, primarily because Dean was a terrible dancer. Once reunited, the four made their escape.
True to his word, Luke made apple tarts for Lorelai on Sunday. Jess' presence in the apartment made it impossible for Lorelai to be as grateful as she intended, but she got her message across anyway.
Week the Fifth
Just before Christmas, Luke took the opportunity to go on his annual "Building Community" home construction day. Being winter, there was little to do outside, but a dozen or so people were inside a nearly-finished house doing interior work.
Luke's knowledge of the hardware business and experience as a part-timer in construction during and after high school made him a valuable team member. Tom, the volunteer crew foreman, had often asked Luke to take a team on by himself, but he'd always refused. Today, though, Luke brought his own crew with him in the form of Rory, Dean and Lorelai.
Dean was a natural. Strong and a willing learner, Tom quickly gave him more responsibility in the trim and floor installation of a room. Lorelai dove in with some other people on a project painting a couple of rooms, but Rory was at a bit of a loss. Changing a light bulb was a challenge for her. Luke took her under his wing, teaching her to measure the spaces and wood he was preparing for framing the walls of a closet.
Lorelai, on her way to the storage shed for more paint, stopped and watched the two of them at work. His patience and affection for Rory amazed her, and she loved him all the more for it.
Christmas was coming so fast both Luke and Lorelai were overwhelmed at work and at home. They'd barely had time to do more than talk on the phone since Emily's party and the apple tart day.
Christmas Day dawned cold and clear. Luke and Jess were the first to arrive at the Crapshack bringing food and presents. They had a precious few minutes to exchange gifts and hugs before Sookie, Jackson and several other people arrived for a communal dinner.
Jess suffered from a hug from Lorelai before being quite pleased with a bookstore gift card. Luke got a Rory hug for the bookends he'd purchased from Mrs. Kim. Two owls soon flanked the books on her desk.
Lorelai and Rory combined their resources to give Luke a second photo album, and a promise from Rory to organize the pictures that Lorelai told her were still in a box at Luke's. Rory secretly planned to make sure a photo or two of Luke and Jess were added to the album before it was returned to its owner.
Lorelai was touched to see the pair of small mother of pearl combs she had oo-ed and ahh-ed over at Mrs. Kim's, along with a big tray of apple tarts for the party. When Jess and Rory wandered over to her room to look at Rory's latest book purchases, Lorelai couldn't resist digging into one of Luke's apple tarts.
"Well?" he asked, pulling her in his direction by her belt loops.
Her mouth full, she smiled at him and answered, "Delicious."
"That wasn't my question. Did I seal the deal?"
"Indubitably," she answered, double-sealing it with a sticky kiss.
Week the Sixth
"Is that a new watch, Lorelai? It's very nice." asked Sookie as her friend helped her prepare for the New Year's party.
"No, it's vintage," she answered.
"Christmas present?"
"Not really, just borrowed for the evening." Lorelai continued carrying drinks out to the porch to keep them cool.
Sookie's New Year party was going full force as midnight struck. Overcrowded, hot and fun, the partygoers erupted in hugs and kisses.
Sookie and Jackson enjoyed their kiss, then she turned towards the kitchen. Need to put more food out. Before she did that, though, she wanted to see what was really going on at the party. She took her stepstool and climbed up to get a better view of the party.
Kisses and hugs were flowing freely. There was Dean and Rory, of course, but Patty and Taylor? Yikes. Andrew was kissing someone she couldn't see, Kirk was standing alone, blowing his party horn, content to be himself.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of two people standing back in a shadowy corner, celebrating the New Year more enthusiastically than the rest. She recognized Lorelai in her pink sweater.
Suddenly there was a flash of light as something reflected off a shiny surface. Lorelai's watch. She squinted to improve her focus. Odd, the watch was now on a man's wrist instead of Lorelai's. But which man? She strained further. Aah, there it was. The blue baseball cap.
"Definitely going to be an interesting year," she thought, as she butt-wiggled back to the kitchen to get more snacks, singing, "Lukey in the love with the Lorelai, the love with the Lorelei, and the Lukey…"