December 20, 1996
Hartford - Bradley Field
1745 hours

"Jess!" He heard his name called from one side of the gathered mass of people awaiting the arrival of loved ones at the airport. Before he could fully pinpoint the direction, something –or rather someone- launched themselves against his side, wrapping their slender arms around his waist, a little higher up than the last time he had seen them. "I missed you so much! I've been reading a lot of your books and some others I found at the library that if you haven't read, you really should. I can't wait to sit down and discuss them with you… well once you're unpacked and everything, that is. Oh and there's a plate of apple tarts waiting for you at home, you are so lucky you didn't have endure Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas Party, although I do admit it would have been nice to have another kid there… not that you're a kid or anything, but everyone else there were adults. Even the adults who had kids around our ages didn't even bring them. It was so boring, I spent most of the time hiding in Grandpa's study with a pilfered tray of apple tarts. Did you know that Grandpa has a couple first addition Hemmingways? I figured you probably would get a kick out of that…"

"Rory," Jess half chucked/half huffed, "Take a breath, I'll be here for three weeks, no need to waste all your words on me in one day."

"Right," The girl blushed, "I just haven't heard from you in a while so I had some pent up stuff and I guess I just let it all out when I saw you. I missed you."

"I missed you too, kid." Jess smiled down at girl, who still had one arm around his waist while his was draped casually over her shoulder. "Have you grown?"

"Yeah, I guess I'm going through a growth spurt or something, I've gained like 3 inches since the beginning of the year." She smiled proudly as they made their way back to Luke and Lorelai, whose pregnancy was still hidden by her winter coat.

"How was your flight?" Lorelai asked, pulling the young man into a hug.

"Good, a little bumpy going in and out of Chicago, but otherwise fine." Jess nodded. "Hey Luke."

"Jess." Luke smiled, "Let's get you home. I bet you're tired after traveling all day."

"Just a bit, I'm a little hungry too." Jess admitted when his stomach started to growl.

"Dad has a roast and some potatoes in the crockpot for dinner." Rory smiled up at him, "The whole house has smelled soooo good all day; my mouth was watering so much."

"We should probably get my bags first," Jess suggested as his family nodded in agreement and headed toward the baggage claim to collect his old olive drab rucksack. A seemingly short 45 minutes later, Jess was unloading his bag in his room, tossing books and toiletries on his bed before dumping his clothes into the hamper by the door to wash later.

"Kids, soup's on!" Luke called out.

"Soup?" Lorelai responded, entering the kitchen, "I thought we were having pot roast."

"Haha," Luke rolled his eyes, "Sit down or no dessert."

"Are we talking dessert or dessert?" Lorelai quipped before pressing a not so innocent kiss on her husband's lips before shooting him a sultry look. It was hard to tell if the groan that Luke emitted was from arousal, aggravation, or a mixture of both.

"You know we can hear you." Jess smirked.

"Are all parents this gross?" Rory asked her cousin who just shrugged.

"Hell if I know, but these two are starting to gross me out." Jess teased, "Like it isn't already enough we have hard evidence that more than sleeping is done upstairs, but do we really need to see the foreplay floorshow?"

"Jess…" Luke warned him.

"Okay, okay," He raised his hands in mock surrender, "Letting it go."

"Could you please at least try to keep it to a PG-13 rating?" Rory asked, "I'm at a very impressionable age."

"If nearly 12 years with this one hasn't corrupted you yet," Luke playfully nodded toward his wife while carving up the roast, "I don't think you are corruptible."

"Hey!" Lorelai scoffed, "I did my best, but every time I try to talk to her about it, she sticks her fingers in her ears and starts singing lalalalala."

"I do not."

"You know, I think you really don't want her to be corrupted," Jess teased, "Otherwise you would have explained about Patty wanting to rub off on me."

"Jess!" Both the adults cried out, Lorelai blushed while Luke was starting to look like he was going to kill him.

"It's okay," Rory spoke softly to Jess so the adults wouldn't hear her, "I figured it out, so now I really can say 'dirty' to your little comment."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Luke shook his head in mock disappointment, having heard Rory's comment, "What with the queen of innuendo being your mother."

"Hey I resemble that remark!" Lorelai teased back.

"I know you do." Luke smiled softly as his wife, "And I love you for it, I just wish our 12-year-old could have retained some of her innocence for at least a little longer."

"Hello, kid in question right here." Rory interjected, "Speaking of kids in question, when do you find out if the baby is going to be a boy or a girl?"

"Nice segue," Lorelai teased, accepting the change of subject, "My appointment is the day after New Year's. Jess, when do you have to fly out?"

"Not until the 4th." Jess informed them before taking a bite out of his roast, "Oh my God, I missed your cooking, Luke. Not that the food at school is bad, but seriously the KP guys could take some pointers from you."

"Maybe I'll have to come down there and whip them into shape." Luke chuckled.

"Nah," Jess shook his head, "I wouldn't miss your cooking if you did. Then what would call me home?"

Luke just nodded, not trusting his voice. It was the first time since Jess had arrived nearly a year before that the boy had referred to Stars Hollow as 'home.' Luke was overwhelmed looking between his nephew, his daughter, and his beautiful bride, whose baby bump was just starting to show. Mine, Luke thought as she smiled back at him. He felt like the luckiest man on the Earth, not only did he have stunning and brilliant wife, his daughter was just as intelligent and beautiful. Luke knew that he would likely have his hands full in a few years. He had a baby on the way, who he already desperately loved. His favorite part of the day was falling asleep curled up with his wife as his hand slowly traced her distended stomach.

He privately hoped the baby would be a boy, but even if it wasn't, he still had a boy he considered to be a son. Jess, however damaged he was before coming to them, was slowly healing and even the short time he'd spent at the Marine Military Academy had already started to make a positive impact on the boy. Not that Jess wouldn't be doing just as well attending Stars Hollow High and going through JrROTC there, but he seemed to be adapting to the school really well.

All in all, it was a good start to the holiday, his family was happy and healthy, his children were thriving, and he was married to the most beautiful woman in the world. How did I get so lucky? Luke wondered, smiling at his family as they continued to enjoy their dinner.

December 24, 1996
Luke's Diner
1030 hours

"Oh Lu-uuke!" Lorelai crowed, making her presence known not only to the owner but to the patrons of the diner as well. "Love of my life, father to my children, your beautiful wife is looking for you."

"Sit down, someone will be with you in a minute!" Came the disembodied voice of her husband.

She quickly took a seat at the counter and undid her coat, draping it over the back of her stool. A moment later, her favorite red coffee cup was placed in front of her. "Wait you're not Luke."

"How very perceptive of you," Jess smirked, pouring her a cup of decaf.

"Don't be a smart ass," She warned, lifting the cup to her lips before making a face as if she'd just smelled a skunk, "This isn't coffee."

"Yes, it is," Jess responded, Luke had warned him she would try to get him to give her the real stuff.

"No it's not," Lorelai insisted, "It's decaf."

"Uh-oh" Rory intoned as the bells above the door announced her presence, "That's a four letter word to a Gilmore Girl."

"It's a good thing you two are Danes Dames then." Jess teased.

"Luke, your nephew is trying to deny me the blessed elixir I require to live." Lorelai whined as her husband walked in from the kitchen.

"You gave her the decaf, right?" He asked pretending to have not heard the conversation.

"Yes, sir." Jess nodded before rounding the corner to take the order of some customers who had just sat down.

"You know you can't have regular coffee," Luke reminded her as he had done every morning since she'd announced her pregnancy. "Do you want the baby to have two heads?"

"More to love." Lorelai smiled back sweetly, "Besides I drank coffee all the way through my pregnancy with Rory and she turned out fine, she's even a genius who may be going to an exclusive prep school soon."

"She's the exception." Luke commented.

"Can I at least have half-caf?" Lorelai begged?

"No."

"Quarter caf?"

"No."

"A splash of caf?"

"How about I just take the coffee away?" Luke challenged, exasperation tinting his words.

"Decaf is fine…" Lorelai gave in, just like she had every time they had this conversation.

"Hey Dad can I…" Rory started.

"No." Luke cut her off, "You are too young for coffee."

"How did you…" Rory started before shaking her head, "Never mind. Hot chocolate please?"

"That we can do." Luke smiled before disappearing into the kitchen once more only to reappear a few minutes later with a large cup of whipped cream topped hot chocolate in one hand and two plates of pancakes balanced on the other. He quickly set down the cup and plates before his wife and daughter who immediately started comparing.

"I got Santa." Lorelai turned to her daughter, "What'd you get?"

"I think it's supposed to be an elf." Rory responded tilting her head back and forth a few times.

"It's Hermey." Luke muttered.

"How do you know?" Lorelai teased, "Do you have a secret love of old school Christmas specials?"

"It was my mom's favorite Christmas movie," Luke shrugged, "She used to get me, Liz, and Dad to watch with her every year."

"That explains it." Jess smirked, returning behind the counter, "Who knew you would take fashion tips from Yukon Cornelius?"

"Keep it up wise guy," Luke playfully cuffed his nephew on the back of the head, "If you don't watch it, I'll be watching you clean the grease traps out tonight at closing."

"Ooh, I'm so scared." Jess teased back, "Big bad boss man is going to make me do something that I have to do anyway."

Rory couldn't help but laugh at their antics as she quickly ate her breakfast. Sliding off her stool she pulled her coat back on and smiled at her family, "I'm going to head over to Lane's I want to make sure I get her Christmas Present to her before Mrs. Kim institutes the Christmas Eve lock down."

"Okay, have fun sweets!" Lorelai called to her. She likewise finished the last few bites of her pancakes and pulled on her scarf and coat. "I have to head to the inn anyway. If Michel is left too long on his own, he tends to scare the guests."

"What else is new?" Luke smiled before crossing around the counter and pulling his wife into his arms and placing a soft kiss to her lips that slowly began to deepen as they slipped into their own little world.

"If any of my last three husbands would have done that, they definitely wouldn't be exes." Miss Patty's jovial voice broke the spell. Luke flushed as he slowly released his hold on his wife.

"Oh, don't stop on our account," Babette joined in as Luke and Lorelai pulled apart, blushing slightly. "You two love birds keep on doin' what you're doin'."

"Maybe later, we'll teach a class." Lorelai smiled at the women who had become honorary aunts to her like much of the older residents in the town over the years, "But I really have to get to work. Bye Babe." She pecked her husband on the lips again before bouncing out of the door and walking to her jeep to drive back to the Inn.

"Hey Luke?" Kirk asked from the table he'd been silently watching from, "Can I get Santa or Elf pancakes?"

"No."

"But you made them for Lorelai and Rory." The odd man protested.

"Lorelai and Rory are my wife and daughter." Luke reminded him.

"So if I were family, would I get special pancakes?" He asked before spotting Jess exiting the kitchen, "Jess, would you marry me?"

"What?" The teen demanded.

"Ignore him, he's off his nut." Luke scoffed, "You are not getting special pancakes, not today, not tomorrow, not ever. And quit propositioning my family, Gleason!"

"You don't have to be mean about it." Kirk muttered, "You could have just said no."

Luke just let out a frustrated groan before stomping off to the kitchen leaving Jess and the other patrons of the diner holding their sides at how easily he let the strange man-child push his buttons.