A/N: Summary: This is my first Gilmore Girls story, but I want everyone to at least give this fic a shot. The current story is set in what would be the equivalent of late season 7, early season 8, in which Luke and Lorelai are married and happy (usually). The italics are flashbacks that tell the post-partings story, but they are out of order. (Don't hate me for that, it makes it more fun, like a big puzzle.)
Just want to thank Sheila for editting and giving great imput, and Kari for the great title suggestion.
Disclaimer: And I obviously don't own GG, if I did, I wouldn't have let this season go where it did, and I'd be telling DR how to fix it.
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Lorelai Gilmore grudgingly made her way up the front steps of the Dragonfly, on this otherwise beautiful spring day. Her morning dose of happiness in form of caffeine hadn't reached its full affect yet, so she walked straight passed Michel and into the kitchen. She wasn't in the mood to deal with any of his crap at the moment, or anyone else's. In fact, she left Luke's earlier than usual because she couldn't take Lane and Cesar's bickering anymore, she was nauseous, sore, and headachy. As she entered the kitchen, she heard Michel's voice go, "Lorelai," and it made her cringe.
"Sookie, thank god! Coffee!" she begged.
"There's a pot on now. Oh, don't look too happy today," Sookie said in an unnecessarily perky voice.
"I'm seriously not in the mood, Sook, I feel crappy, and I just want some coffee."
"Still sick today, anything I can do to help?" Lorelai shot her an angry glare. "OK, I'll just be quiet now then."
Lorelai told her to please do so, then went over to the fruit bowl on the counter and started to rinse it off in the sink. "I've got to check on some things up front, call me as soon as the coffee's ready," she took a bite of the apple, "'cause or else you might have a dead concierge and a felon for a partner."
"Seriously?" asked Sookie.
"What?" Lorelai snapped, she had already told her she was in a mad mood, killing Michel should seem like an obvious consequence to that.
"You're eating an apple," she exclaimed.
"Oh," Lorelai wasn't expecting that response, "I'm sorry, I can put it away."
"No, eat, I'm just confused, you don't like apples."
"I know, but it I saw it there and I suddenly wanted it."
"It looks like a good apple," Sookie stared at Lorelai for awhile, then started to smile. "There's something you want to tell me, isn't there?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I don't know, I maybe it's a cravings…" Lorelai looked confused, "You know, like a craving." Lorelai suddenly realized what she meant.
"Nope, Sookie, sorry," Lorelai said, trying to put on a happy face, "No, not… no."
"Ok then," said Sookie disappointed, "Hey, the coffee's ready."
Lorelai grabbed a cup of coffee, and with the apple in the other hand, walked back out toward the front desk. She saw a bunch of angry looking people talking to Michel, so she slowly turned around and tried to tip-toe back to Sookie and the safe sanctuary the kitchen provided.
"Excuse me for a moment," she heard Michel tell the guests. She started moving faster, "Lorelai," he called at her, following him. She was winning their little race until they almost reached the door of the kitchen. "Got you!" he pulled her back into the dining area. "Lorelai…"
"Yes, Michel, what's the problem?"
"I can't believe you ran away, these are new shoes, I cannot run in new shoes, I will get blisters and that will seriously impair my dancing tonight. Plus, if I run, I perspire, and the ladies won't like that tonight."
"Michel, what happened at the desk?"
"You know the massively obese man in room four, the one that has an uncanny resemblance to your beloved Miss Patty?" Lorelai nodded her head in agreement, she couldn't deny the resemblance. "We've had almost 10 complaints from patrons that he was emitting a noxious odor in this room last night and this morning. These guests asked us to make sure the beastly man bathes before…"
Lorelai had sat down at one of the tables and was savoring her coffee, then she took another bite of the apple. Michel was still ranting on, but she could barely hear him, let alone comprehend him. She was lost in her own thoughts, thinking about what Sookie had suggested earlier, she was going over numbers in her head: How long had it been? How long had she felt this way? "Oh my god!" she said quietly.
"I know, it might be brutally honest, but how else do we tell toxic man to take a shower?"
"Michel, just go take care of it." She was very out of it, almost totally detached from the situation with Michel. She got up, leaving her coffee and apple and Michel, and ran into the kitchen.
"Sookie!" Lorelai screamed!
"What's going on? Wow, you look happy."
"I think you're right," noticing Sookie's blank look, she continued, "You know, what you said earlier, about the apple." Lorelai was practically bouncing at this point.
"Really?" Sookie was now joining in with Lorelai's excitement.
"Yeah!" Both woman squeed and squealed.
"This is amazing, Lorelai!"
"If its for real than its perfect, its huge, its incredible, its.."
"What are you two so sickeningly happy about?" asked Michel, sticking his head into the room.
"Nothing."
"Yeah, nothing." They laughed.
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It was the end of the summer, Doose's had switched its merchandise from 'fun in the sun' to 'back to school.' The air was cooling down and kids were embracing their last week or so of freedom.
"Hey," Lorelai said, taking a seat at the counter at Luke's.
"Hey."
"Kiss," she demanded, propping herself up so that they could kiss over the counter. "You were gone before I woke up today."
"I tried to sleep in again, but I just can never make it past eleven," he explained.
"Yeah, that's ok, I just would have thought that after last night, and well, technically this morning, you'd be beat and be able to sleep in," Lorelai teased.
Luke blushed, "Yeah, well... so coffee?"
"Always," Luke poured her a cup got her some doughnuts, then he leaned over the counter so they could continue chat. "I'm going to spend tomorrow with Rory in New Haven, getting some stuff for the apartment and school, she's starting up again, you know. So, that's about all that's really new today, oh, and Sookie and Michel aren't talking again, so I have to play mediator again, yippee! So, how about you?"
Luke took a deep breath in, "Anna and April got back last night, April's going to come by today, four to eight-ish."
Lorelai was suddenly taken aback. She felt all those emotions from a few months ago come flooding back at the mention of Luke's daughter. "Oh, ok," she managed to get out, "So, I guess…"
"You'll see me sometime between four and eight," Luke interrupted. He looks at her, waiting for a response.
"Really?" Lorelai's face had turned to a big grin.
"Yeah, I told you I'd make this work again once they got back from Anna's parents' house."
"And what about Anna?"
"I'm not really concerned about what Anna says, it's a non-issue, or at least it will be. I'm April's father."
"Thanks for the confirmation." She suddenly got quieter, "So, really, her and me, here, together?"
"Yeah."
She got up, ran behind the counter, and gave Luke a big hug. "Thank you!" she whispered into his ear.
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A few hours later Lorelai called the diner, "Luke's," Luke answered in his usual, 'I'm busy, what do you want' tone.
"Hey," she said.
"Oh, hey!" His voice suddenly more cheerful.
"So, April tonight?" she asked. Luke confirmed it with a quick yes. "Ok, I was wondering if we had any plans tomorrow night," she said. Luke told her that he didn't think they did, but he informed her that she's usually the one making plans and not telling him about them until the very last possible minute. She ignored his comment and continued, "So, I was thinking, that big meal you were going to make for us tonight, why don't we move it to tomorrow?"
"April's staying tonight," he said, matter-of-factly.
"I know, but I just thought we could make this a 'pizza and crappy movie night' instead of a 'watch Luke cook for three hours, eat at nine, and not have time for a movie before Luke falls asleep' night." She knew her excuses were lacking, but she wanted to tell Luke as soon as possible, but she also wanted it to be special, just them, no April. But, she didn't want Luke to get suspicious.
"You can always start the movie without me, or continue it once I'm asleep."
"It's not the same without watching your reaction. So, Luke, what do you say? Relaxed movie night tonight, and special, romantic, Luke and Lorelai night tomorrow."
"I guess that's fine."
"Ok, great, see you in a few hours, and no more of this, 'Where's April?' 'Crap, she must still be at the diner' 'You forgot her?' 'I guess I'm still not used to having to bring her back with me...'" Lorelai said, imitating Luke's deep voice.
"Jeez, it was one time."
"…'Cause that seriously makes me doubt your parenting skills and makes me worry about our kids."
"Our kids?" Luke was serving a table, and stopped right where he was.
"Yeah, you know, when we have them, so I'll see you later," Lorelai said, quickly, not wanting to slip up.
"Bye, Lorelai." Lorelai hung up and exhaled loudly, she was still shocked by it all, but there it was infront of her, a positive test. Sookie had been great enough to get one at Doose's for her and let her take it at her house. Lorelai was so thankful that she didn't have to receive the glances from Taylor that buying one herself would entail, or having to take it at their house where Luke could easily find it. After more squeeing, Sookie had ran back to the inn, leaving Lorelai alone to think. She didn't know what to think. She couldn't believe that this was finally happening. It seemed perfect. It's what they wanted, they were married, they'd each get what they were cheated out of last time. This is good, she reassured herself, this is good, its a dream come true.
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It was the previous October, and Luke and Lorelai were at Hartford Memorial waiting for news from TJ about Liz and the baby. Luke's new niece or nephew didn't seem to be in any rush to leave its safe, secluded world. Finally, almost 24 hours after they arrived at the hospital, TJ came out, nearly shaking, to announce to them that Melodie Ann was born with all her fingers and toes, and that they could go and see her through the window.
"Wow," Luke said when he saw her, he was immediately amazed and in love with the little girl he saw. "Let's hope for her sake, she takes after Liz, TJ as a girl, a very scary thought, though, not much of a stretch, I mean, he does like tights."
Lorelai just gave a soft grunt of acknowledgement. Her eyes were starting to tear up as she looked at Melodie, she looked down at her hands and started twiddling her thumbs, she was trying to keep her self composed.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Luke asked.
"Nothing, it's nothing."
"It's something," he said, one hand rubbing her back to sooth her.
"No, its nothing, and it doesn't matter anymore anyways," she choked.
"What is it, Lorelai? Tell me what's wrong. I can't guess at these things. Look what happened to us the last time you said nothing was wrong." He put his hand under Lorelai's chin, moving her gaze so that it met his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked again.
"It's just, that that's not the right baby," she managed to say.
"Of course it is, you can see the name right there, see?"
"No, I mean, yes, that's Liz and TJ's kid, but that's not the baby that should have just been born. TJ shouldn't be the new dad, and Liz shouldn't have been the one pregnant, it should have been us, Luke, me and you, we should have been married for months already, we should be having a baby, we should…" She was sobbing uncontrollably, and Luke was looking at her, shocked. "Not that any of the matters anymore…"
"Of course it matters, why wouldn't it matter? Lorelai, what are you talking about? It matters," he said, leading her back towards the waiting room.
"You have April, so how convenient! You get to skip the whole pregnancy, and birth and breastfeeding, all of which thoroughly sicken you. You got to skip the whole 'jam hands,' and potty training, all that stuff you hate, and you still got your perfect kid, she's raised and disciplined. Why the hell would you want to start again when you'd have to deal with all of that?"
"Lorelai," Luke cut her off, guiding her down into one of the chairs, "That's crazy, I want all of those things, and I want to have them with you. I want to deal with 'jam hands.' I'm the one that bought a house for us and our kids."
Lorelai smiled, remembering his rant about buying the Twickem house and their quick agreement about wanting kids. Luke had said much earlier that if he ever found the right person the conversation about kids would be a short one, and it originally was. "Yeah?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said. He was seated next to her, one hand on her thigh, wiping the tears out from under her eyes with the other. "I still want to have a family with you, and don't you start getting worried about us getting married again, because it'll happen. I promise it'll happen."
"Well, if you promise," she said sarcastically.
"I do," he said firmly, "We just can't have another June 3rd hanging over our heads, you know?"
"Yeah, I do, and I'm really glad you still want all that." Her eyes were still red and her cheeks flushed, but her smile was huge.
He smiled back, "And missing out on April growing up just makes me want to experience all that I missed, I'd give anything to have had those twelve years with April. I want to have a kid with you, I want to have a kid with the woman that I love, the woman I'm going to marry, it would be a dream come true."
Lorelai was now trying to hold back tears of another kind, she wanted to lighten the mood a bit. "Just think of how great our kids will be. With each of us having a kid as smart and beautiful and amazing and April and Rory are."
"Unless of course, Anna and Christopher supplied those desirable traits," he teased.
"Don't even joke like that!" she said, hitting him on the arm. She gave him a quick kiss over the arm rest. "You're the best you know, the best guy in the world, I don't even know what I did to des…"
"Sush," he commanded, and kissed her again.
"Hey, if that girl knows what's good for her," she gestured towards the hall they had just came back from, "She'll take after her Uncle Luke."
"True," he said softly and he kissed her again.
