A/N: Thanks to Katie for the beta!
"Tie!"
"No!" two voices answered, one deep and gruff, one a lot higher.
"Tie!" another even squeakier voice mimicked, and then giggled loudly at her father as he exited the bathroom (tie-less) to fix both mother and daughter with a whithering stare.
The Mom returned the stare dramatically, before promptly dissolving into giggles with her daughter.
"Lorelai."
"Yes?" she said, innocently, of course, "Pass the brush baby, so we can finish your hair," she instructed Ellie. ("eL-ly, Luke! L!" "Lorelai." "Luke. See? L's!")
"You said this wasn't going to be black-tie this year."
"So wear the red one?"
"Lorelai. It's not even Christmas yet!" Only the idea of the annual Gilmore Christmas party could reduce Luke to whining like a child. Speaking of which….
"Mommy it itches!" Liam crawled onto the bed next to his sister, tugging at the collar of his dress shirt. ("We're not naming him after my father." "You named your diner after him." "No, I named the diner after – we're not naming him after me!" "Fine, but 'William' we can call him Liam, L's again see?" "…")
"I know it does, but you'll look just like Daddy and Grandpa!" Both Danes boys gave her the same look, a mix of disbelief and irritation. "See? You're halfway there. All done baby," Lorelai said, and she swatted Ellie's backside with the brush as she hopped off the bed.
"I like getting dressed up for parties. Don't I look pretty, Daddy?" Ellie swirled around, causing both her dark curls and the green velvet dress to fly out, revealing her Carebear undies.
"Make sure to do that for Grandma tonight. Next!" Lorelai grabbed the clip-on tie from Liam's fist and fixed it to his collar. He pouted his mother's pout pointedly.
"Can I wear my new sneakers?" he asked cautiously, already knowing the answer.
"No…. but you can bring your new Gameboy, and as soon as Grandpa finished showing you off to all his fancy business people, you guys can go play upstairs." Lorelai finished tucking his shirt in properly, with an obligatory tickle to the tummy, knowing that the new toy he had gotten for his birthday just two days earlier would win him over.
He cracked a small grin, "But we can stay until the apple tarts, right?"
"Ooh! Appletarts!" Ellie agreed. "Can I bring my new Barbie?"
"Of course, now go get your coats." Lorelai shooed them out of the bedroom and down the stairs. "Next!" she proclaimed again with a wicked grin.
"Lorelai," her husband grumbled as she grabbed his tie from the dresser and approached him slowly. He sighed loudly before conceding, wrapping his arms around her waist while she looped the noose around his neck. "Why are you so happy anyway? We just saw your parents two days ago for the twin's birthday. You realize that this is twice in one week, right?" he pleaded, trying to bring her closer to his level of happiness, or unhappiness.
"Apple tarts!" she proclaimed will a smirk, just like Ellie had. She patted his tied down and looped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
He grumbled lightly at the eating habits she had passed on to their children. Heading off the imposing rant, she tugged the curls at the back of his head and leaned up to kiss him, slowly and thoroughly.
"You look very pretty tonight, too," he broke away, panting a bit and leaned his forehead against hers.
"Really? You sure you don't want me to spin around so you can see my-"
"Mommy!" came the inevitable twin interruption, waiting impatiently at the base of the stairs.
Luke sighed, kissed her gently once more and steered her out the door. "Let's get this over with. Quickly."
The family waited at the front door, Luke and Liam both tugging at their ties, Liam's hand tucked tightly in his father's. Ellie bounced excitedly, Barbie under one arm, her other wrapped around Lorelai's. A butler opened the door and Ellie was off like a shot, stripping off her coat as she went and heading for the living room.
"I swear, she only had one cup of hot chocolate." Lorelai looked at Luke guiltily as she removed her own coat and crouched to help Liam with his. Liam was much more subdued than his counterpart and immediately grasped Luke's hand again, tighter than before.
Richard and Emily met them in the hall, Ellie chatting on about something, loudly, in her Grandpa's ear.
"Nice of you to join us," Emily pointedly looked toward the Grandfather's clock indicating they were late, as she greeted her daughter and son-in-law.
Lorelai ignored the comment. "Merry Christmas, Mom," she replied, wrapping her arm around Luke's and brushing Liam's hair down with her free hand.
"Is Rory here?" Liam asked.
"She called to say there was some traffic getting out of the city. She should be here within the hour," Emily replied, taking his other hand and pulling him away from Luke. "Come say hello to everyone."
"April's not joining us?" Richard questioned.
"Uh no, she won't be out of classes until the holiday. She'll be down from Boston in time for Christmas though. In two weeks." Lorelai pinched her husband's arm to stop the impending rant.
"Well, let's rejoin the party then." He turned back to towards the living room, Ellie wrapped tightly in him arms, already telling another story about preschool.
"Ya know, when I was five, he looked like a giant. I wouldn't go near him unless he was sitting down, or ya know, holding candy."
"Come on, you're getting me a drink."
"Well that's a little backwards don't you think?"
"No, Mrs. Henderson is flirting with the bartender already, I'm not going over there by myself again after last year."
"Poor baby. Don't you remember how I helped you forget all that pinching when we got home though?"
Ellie was a hit, as usual. She entertained all of the guests with her twirling and chatting endlessly about her birthday party, her birthday cake (Barbie of course), and dancing at Ms. Patty's. Liam stood quietly next to his grandmother while she sang his praises at t-ball and told everyone how both twins were reading even though they had just turned five and wouldn't begin kindergarten for another year. At one point, Lorelai watched her father disappear into his office with an overwhelmed looking Liam, only to return moments later with candy canes, and both sans tie.
Luke looked at his wife pleadingly hoping he might be granted the same reprieve. They made small talk with the few people they recognized from years past and Luke was grateful for Rory's arrival, her new job in New York City being the topic of conversation, and not insurance related.
Finally, hours later, the Danes family escaped to the car, Luke carrying a sleeping Liam, and Lorelai holding Ellie's hand tightly as she bounced down the drive.
"How many apple tarts did she have?"
"None."
"Lorelai."
"Plus four."
"And you?"
She didn't respond as she leaned into the car to buckle the twins in and began humming "White Christmas" instead.
Contrary to what her sugar intake would suggest, Ellie's eyes began to droop before they even reached the highway.
The car was quiet as Luke navigated their way home, and Lorelai was content to sit quietly, reaching over to entwine her hand with Luke's on the gear-shift. She began to doze off herself until feeling Luke's grip tighten, and then bring her hand to his mouth to place a gentle kiss right below her rings.
"Look," he whispered, pointing both their hands at the front windshield. One by one, tiny flakes were making their way out of the clouds to coat the road.
Lorelai smiled sleepily and moved closer to him, tugging their hands into her lap.
"This is why you were in such a good mood? Not because of the party, you knew it was finally going to snow?" he questioned with wonderment, even after all these years, her ability to predict the first snow was still a mystery to him.
She nodded gently, pressing a kiss to his shoulder before slipping back into sleep. But not before muttering, "and the apple tarts."
Luke chuckled to himself and sighed, content to be here in the quiet of the car, heater ensuring their warmth, surrounded by most of his family and gentle snowfall. Even if Christmas wasn't for another two weeks.