Author's Note: And here we are for the third chapter! Thanks so much for your reviews, alerts, and support. Make sure to tell me if you see any typos, because since this chapter is pretty long (hope that's good for you!), I'm sure I haven't caught all of them. Also, you'll notice that I have increased this to a "T" rating-there's not going to be anything explicit here, but there are a few suggestive things in this chapter, so I thought I'd better be prepared just in case (Dirty!).
Oh, and no, I do not own Gilmore Girls. Inspiration/references for some of the lines in this come from 6.11 "The Perfect Dress" and 6.12 "Just Like Gwen and Gavin". As I mentioned before, I'm not keeping this exactly to the Gilmore Girls timeline from Season Six, so excuse me if I slip up a bit.
P.S. (Notice how I keep doing cute P.S.'s? Well, I shall try to keep this up!). Next time you're on Youtube-which I recommend is right after you read this chapter-look up "Gilmore Girls: Scott and Lauren Blooper". Greatest. Thing. EVER! Man, it's not even funny how much I loooove that clip. I've been watching some lovely GG Youtube videos/Behind-The-Scenes/Interviews on this fine Labor Day (and isn't Lauren Graham the absolute coolest in real life? I sooooo want to be her bffl! Hey, so who cares if I'm so much younger than her?).
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Chapter Two
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It was a good few weeks before Luke was able to get the courage up to call Anna. Although he knew that he needed to make up for lost time with April as soon as possible, he was still worried, in spite of himself. He already had a good idea of why Anna hadn't told him before he talked to her, and he was still angry at her for hiding such an important secret.
When he finally did talk to her, what stood out the most about their conversation had nothing to do with April. Instead, it was a short conversation by the door, just as he was leaving.
"You happy?" she asked him, a big smile on her face.
Luke was taken aback. Was he happy? He had a successful business, yes, and he was nervous-but very excited-about getting to know his daughter, but happy? Luke had never really thought about it before. In his opinion, the whole concept of "happy" and "happily-ever-after" was found in fairytales, not real life. Even if there was such a thing as "happily-ever-after," a moment later, things could change. That was what had happened after his parents' deaths, after all.
Still, this was not something he could share with Anna. He envied her. Though she was also single, at least she had April, and was thus not completely alone. The closest thing Luke had ever had to his own family was the disheveled, teenage Jess, sleeping on a spare mattress. Sometimes, he even wished he had what Liz had. Though the thought of having had so many husbands and T.J. made his stomach turn, at least her life seemed to work for her.
He answered Anna with a smile, but alone that night, he could not stop thinking about it. Happy. Goddammit, how dare Anna give him anything else to think about besides the news that he had a kid? Hadn't she already done enough to unsettle his life?
After Luke finally nodded off to sleep, he woke up with a start, painfully alert, in the middle of the night. As he attempted to calm down his breaths, he realized ironically enough, he had felt happy in his dream. Sure, it was maybe something he shouldn't admit, but there…with that beautiful person in his arms…he had felt content.
But just as his whole outlook on life had changed after his parents' deaths, Luke's mood had completely changed now. Where he had felt happiness in the dream, he now felt more alone and sad than ever.
Tiredly, he closed his eyes. Maybe it was stupid, but if there was any chance of recreating that feeling he had felt in his dream, then by God, he was going to take it.
XXXXXXX
"Hey, Daddy!" Lorelai said to Luke the moment she entered the diner, a few days after Luke's conversation with Anna.
Luke almost dropped the plate of eggs he'd been serving. "Jeez, Lorelai, you scared me."
"Sorry," said Lorelai. Kirk, who had been sitting at the table Luke was serving, gave her a befuddled look. In return, she gave him a dazzling smile. As though paranoid Lulu would come in and see, Kirk turned away, without asking Lorelai what she had been talking about.
Lorelai smiled as Luke came to her table, glaring. "Jeez, Lorelai, you can't do it. I thought you were in with me on that whole 'keeping this from the town' thing."
"Relax, Luke. They probably think this is just another inside joke between us. We have a lot of them, you know." Luke was still scowling at her, so Lorelai lowered her voice. "So, hey, tell me. How did yesterday go with April? You didn't freeze at the park, did you?"
"Well, I may have been a little quick in deciding to go to the park," Luke said grudgingly, "but it was okay. We counted how many times this one guy dropped Frisbees. April seemed to really like that."
"Nothing like some good old fashioned Moe, Larry, and Curly to brighten the mood," said Lorelai approvingly. "So, do you know when you're going to see her again?"
Luke checked to make sure no one was watching them. "Actually, she's coming by today. She has this whole week off because she goes to a year round school or something. I'm going to give her a lecture on talking to strangers, but…I guess the town'll find out when they find out."
"Yeah, if Miss Patty and Babette come in here, they'll be able to get her to say anything." She glanced at Luke's face. He had been a little weird around her lately, which she attributed to finding out about April, but it was still slightly unnerving. "Do you mind if I come in to see her?"
Luke looked surprised. "You want to come in and see her? You mean looking at her website with me wasn't enough?"
"Yeah, maybe I'll invite her to the Dragonfly. I mean, if it's okay with you," Lorelai remembered to add. "She just seemed like such a cool kid from her website, and she's your daughter, and well, my offer still stands. I'd really like to meet her."
Luke shrugged. "Whatever you want."
"Are you sure you're okay with me coming over?" said Lorelai, scruntinizing Luke carefully.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Come by if you want."
"You're sure? I mean, my offer still stands?"
Luke looked surprised. "Yeah, of course it still stands. I'm just still a little preoccupied with all this, that's all."
"If you say so," Lorelai muttered, as Luke went to serve another table. Though she knew Luke really was preoccupied with April, she was getting the nagging feeling that he was also thinking about something else.
It was only when Luke brought her a cup of coffee and refused to meet her gaze that Lorelai realized where she'd last seen the weird look he'd been giving her. It had just been the last summer, when a painter had been repainting a door Paul Anka had scratched (Luke had been busy, or else he would have done it). He hadn't realized that she was in the shower and had come in to see her naked. His unwillingness to meet her eyes was identical to the way Luke had been avoiding her gaze for the last couple of days.
She stopped Luke before he could leave her table. "Hey Luke, are you sure it's not just April? These past few days, even when we went on April's website, you've look just like my painter did when he caught me in the shower this summer. You didn't burst into my house and see me naked, did you?"
Luke almost dropped the coffee pitcher he'd been holding. "What? No! God, Lorelai, of course not!"
Lorelai frowned at Luke. If it wasn't her imagination, then he was actually twitching. "Are you all right?" she asked. "I mean, you can calm down. I know you didn't really burst into my house or anything." She grinned impishly. Though she knew this was not the time to harass Luke, she could not resist the way Luke looked so uncomfortable. "That is, unless you had a dream about me or something. I know how men's minds work." Her grin grew wider. "I'll bet I was pretty irresistible."
Luke was still gaping at her, open mouthed, and Lorelai felt an unexpected flutter. For the first time, she considered the possibility that Luke really had had a dream about her, after all. Although it seemed absurd, she could not think of anything else that would have made things so weird between them. "Luke, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it-" Luke just shook his head.
"I've just been, you know, thinking about April, and you're the only one who knows, so…I've probably just took it out on you, that's all." For the first time in days, he met her gaze. Lorelai realized she'd never noticed his blue eyes before. While not as bright as hers or Rory's, Luke's eyes possessed an endearing softness. Even Christopher doesn't have such pretty eyes.
Luke cleared his throat. "Uh, Lorelai?"
Instantly, Lorelai snapped back into reality. "What?"
"I guess you're picturing me naked now?"
"W-what?"
"I asked you what you wanted for breakfast, and you didn't say anything." Luke smirked, and his eyes shone. God, she had never really noticed the impish quality in his eyes when they shone before. "I never thought I'd see the day that Lorelai Gilmore spaced out during the prospect of food."
"I was just thinking about what time I could get away from the Dragonfly," Lorelai said defensively. "Now, if you're ready, I'd like a stack of pancakes with a side of bacon, extra syrup, and a couple of refills of coffee."
"I guessed the coffee part," said Luke, heading back to the counter. Lorelai forced herself to stop looking after him. Get a grip, Lorelai, she scolded herself. It's not like you were picturing him naked or anything.
She took another sip of coffee, her cheeks considerably flushed. For the first time in a long while, Lorelai was reminded of the fact that Luke Danes, the owner of Luke's Diner and her good friend, was a member of the opposite sex-and a very handsome one at that.
XXXXXXX
In spite of the awkwardness that had transpired between them that morning, Lorelai arrived at Luke's diner late that afternoon. Though Luke was not visible, she recognized the small girl filling up salt and peppershakers at a nearby table from the website's pictures. Smiling, she approached her.
"Hi!" Lorelai said, as a startled April look up. "You must be April. I'm Lorelai."
April gave her a good, long look. "You're not a strangler, are you?"
Lorelai laughed. Leave it to Luke to tell April some ridiculous lie to keep her from announcing her identity to all of Stars Hallow. "I guess Luke told you that as a way to keep you from talking to strangers, huh?"
"He told me I shouldn't trust anyone, but that this is a very safe town," April informed her. Though April's tone had a slightly condescending edge to it, Lorelai found herself charmed by the precocious twelve-year-old girl. "If you could shed some light onto the issue, I'd appreciate it, because I'm very confused."
"Well, you know your dad's just really worried about looking out for you right now," Lorelai said, not wanting to explain about Luke's reluctance to let Stars Hallow know. "It's a big thing, finding out you have a daughter you didn't know about-just like I'm sure it's a big thing to find out you have a father, too."
"I've always known I had a father," said April, raising her eyebrows. "It's impossible not to have both a mother and father, even if you were born in a Petri dish, so my situation isn't quite the same as his. Still, I think I know what you know mean. I'm still digesting it, since the situation is so new." She peered at Lorelai closer. "I guess you know Luke?"
"Yeah, I'm Lorelai Gilmore, one of his best customers," Lorelai said, smiling. "I'm usually here for at least one meal a day, rain or shine. Someday when you're a little older, you'll have to try Luke's coffee. It's the best coffee I've ever tasted, and believe me, I've tasted a lot of coffee."
Luke came out just as Lorelai was extending her hand. "That's how Avian Flu spreads," he informed her.
Lorelai stared at him and placed her hand back at her side. "And how do you know this particular piece of information?"
Luke tilted his head in April's direction. "Oh, good one," said Lorelai, glancing back at her. "That's something I'll definitely have to remember. No handshakes then, that's for sure. The last thing I want to do is to catch the ole bird."
April stared from Luke to Lorelai. "So you know each other?" April said, fixing her attention back on Luke. "That is, beyond Lorelai coming to your diner every day?"
"Uh, yeah, we're friends," said Lorelai.
Luke added, "Lorelai and her daughter Rory have been coming into the diner for the last nine years. Someday, I'll have to tell you the story of how we first met."
Lorelai realized at that moment that she did not even remember Luke's and her first encounter-she had been coming to the diner for so long that she could not even remember how it had all started. How funny to think that Luke did. He was still talking, though, so she forced herself to fix her attention back on him.
"You know, April, if you have any questions about college, you can talk to Rory. She went to Chilton for high school and is a junior at Yale, so I'm sure she'll be able to answer anything you want to know-not that, uh, you want to go to Yale or anything."
"I haven't thought much about Yale, but it would be interesting to hear the experiences of someone who goes to an Ivy League," said April. To Lorelai's relief, she did not ask more about Rory or Lorelai's age.
"So, Lorelai, what is it you do? Aside from drinking excessive amounts of coffee, that is, which I should mention has extremely negative effects on your stomach lining over a long period of time. I'm trying to get my mom to stop drinking it, but I haven't had much luck so far."
Luke and Lorelai exchanged a look, both agreeing that there clearly had been no mistake in April's paternity tests. Turning back to April, Lorelai said, "I actually own and manage the Dragonfly Inn. It only opened a year ago, and before that, I managed another inn, the Independence Inn."
April's eyes lit up. "Oh, I remember why your name sounds so familiar! An article about your inn was one of the first things that came up when I googled Stars Hallow, back when I was trying to find the directions to Luke's diner. I can't believe I didn't realize it before." She smiled. "I really liked the anecdotes about your mother. That, and the pictures of the horses, Desdemona and Cletus. They're great names."
"Well, April, if you're interested, I was actually talking to your dad a few days ago about the possibility of you visiting," Lorelai said, after another glance at Luke. "I know your dad's busy today, but if you have some time later in the week, we would love to have you. Desdemona and Cletus would love it too; they don't get as much attention when it snows."
"I'd really like that," April said, smiling wider. "I'm not around horses much, and it would be nice to get some direct studying of them, instead of just learning about them from books." In a softer tone, she added, "Besides, I'd really love to see it. One of the things that struck me the most from the article was how you rose to success after being a teenage mother, and having a single mother myself, that's something I can definitely relate to." She scrunched up her forehead in thought. "Does tomorrow work?"
"It's a date," said Lorelai, pleased things had gone so well. "That is, I mean…Luke, is it okay with you?"
Luke was looking considerably dazed. "It's fine," he said. "We'll just, uh, stop off tomorrow?"
"Anytime is fine," Lorelai said. "Just give me a call so I know when to expect you-though knowing me, I'm sure I'll come over for coffee earlier." She chuckled. "So, hey, April, it was really nice to meet you. I'll just leave you some time to get more acquainted with your dad, and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"See you," said April, smiling. Lorelai smiled back, still feeling good about the compliment April had paid her.
She was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she did not see April raising her eyebrows at Luke.
XXXXXX
"You know, you don't have to find anything from me," April said a few minutes after Lorelai left, following Luke into the storage room.
"You really shouldn't be in here; it's dangerous. Something might fall on you or something," Luke said, grabbing a package of hamburgers buns.
April ignored him. "I mean, I know you don't know anything about twelve-years-olds, but I should mention I'm not a kid. If there's something going on that I don't know about, then you shouldn't feel like you have to keep it from me."
"There's nothing you don't know about," said Luke, wondering what April was going on about. "You want any more rice to mix with that salt to smooth out the lumps or whatever?"
"My mom usually trusts me with whatever's on her mind," April continued. "Not all of the time, obviously, but she doesn't believe in keeping things from me. Well, except for some of her boyfriends, but if I were to say, meet one of her boyfriends at her work, she would tell me the truth. She wouldn't just say he was just a friend." She shook her head at the bag of rice Luke was offering her. "I've decided against brown rice; it might look more decorative, but I don't want it to backfire by people thinking there are bugs in it or something. Using one shaker with brown rice as the control group didn't work out so well."
"White rice it is, then," said Luke, going back to the shelves to find some white rice. He tried to shoo out April, but once again, she ignored him.
In a conversational tone, she asked, "Is Lorelai your girlfriend?"
Luke spun around, his search for rice now forgotten. "My what?"
"Your girlfriend," said April, approaching the shelves to look for rice. She climbed onto a stool so she could look at the higher shelves. Luke was so taken aback he did not even make an attempt to stop her. "Is Lorelai your girlfriend?"
"She's not my girlfriend," Luke said, swallowing hard, as he continued to search for the white rice. God, why hadn't he put the two types of rice next to each other?
"Well, if she's not your girlfriend, then there's obviously some unfulfilled sexual tension in the air," said April, matter-of-factly. She held out a bag. "By the way, I think I found the white rice, so-"
Luke cut her off, distracted by her previous comment. "Wait a minute. Unresolved sexual tension?" he sputtered. "Aren't you twelve?"
"Hey, everyone knows about sex," April said, shrugging. She stepped off the stool she'd been using. "Sex is a natural part of the Animal Kingdom. If there wasn't sex, no one would reproduce, and we wouldn't be here. We owe our very existence to the act of intercourse."
Luke stopped April just as she was heading to the storage room's door. "April, wait a minute," he said. "As long as you're going to be with me, there are some rules, okay? I, uh, know that sex is important for reproduction and that, um, it's good that it happens, because it's good to be alive and all, but there are some things I just don't want to talk about. So if you could refrain from mentioning the words 'sex,' or 'sexual tension' ever again, then I would feel a lot better."
"Even when it's plainly obvious you're in love with Lorelai?"
"Lorelai and I are just friends," Luke said firmly, wondering how April had managed to deduce this from one meeting. "Now, come on. Lane has a break soon, and I have customers waiting."
"You know, I could help you," said April, not moving. He gave her a little push in the direction of the door, but she still did not budge. "I mean, I don't have much matchmaking experience, since Mom always tries to keep her relationships and me separate, but I read a lot. I'm sure with some doe eyes and a few comments about how great you are, I could convince Lorelai to go out with you."
"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not in love with Lorelai?" Luke said, throwing up his hands.
"You're being defensive, and you're not looking at me," said April. "That's two liar characteristics right there."
"April-"
"I don't see what the big deal is," said April, and indeed, Luke could tell she did not. "I like Lorelai; she's really nice. She's pretty, too. So if you ask me, then you have good tastes. Besides going out with Mom, that is."
XXXXXXX
Lorelai was in her car, halfway to the Dragonfly, when her cell phone rang. "Hello?" she said, placing it up to her ear.
"Lor, I've been trying to call you for the last fifteen minutes. Where were you?"
"Sorry, Chris, I was at Luke's. I forgot that I had the phone off."
"Wait, Lorelai, am I hearing this right? You had the phone off at Luke's? Luke's, who you never pay attention to the 'no cell phone' rule before?"
"I was trying to be a role model for his daughter. You know, follow rules, don't rebel. It would have been on if April wasn't there."
"Explain to me why you answered the phone while Rory was there, then."
"Hey, Rory's different. She should follow in her mother's footsteps. April's different. This thing with Luke and her is so new that I don't want her to disrespect her father over a stupid rule just yet."
There was a long pause on the phone. "You know, Lor, sometimes I don't even know why I bother."
Lorelai paused. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean this whole Luke thing. First you don't call me back because you're talking with him, then you blow me off to help him get internet for his kid's website, and now you're turning off your phone while you're in the diner. I think I have the right to be a little nervous."
"Christopher, I've told you before. Luke and I are just friends," said Lorelai, trying not to think of the odd exchange that had passed between them that morning. "I'm sorry if I've been ignoring you, but Luke's just been going through a hard time lately. I'm just trying to be supportive."
Christopher took a second before answering. "You promise?"
Lorelai pulled her car into the Inn's driveway. "Yeah, I promise. Hey, do you want to do something tomorrow night? Catch a movie or something?" She decided it would be best not to mention that April and Luke would be coming over to the Dragonfly tomorrow.
Again, Christopher hesitated. "Yeah, that'd be good," he said finally. "I'll have to find a babysitter for Gigi, but I think I can swing it. You'll-that is, I'll call you tomorrow to find out the details?"
"Sounds good," said Lorelai, turning off her car. "Bye, Chris. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Bye, Lor. I love you."
Lorelai unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car.
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"You know, you can deny it all you want, but I'm going to find out anyhow," April said later, putting on her bike helmet. They were standing in front of the diner, and Luke had just reminded her to drive safely.
Luke felt his stomach tie into knots. "You're still on me about Lorelai again?"
"You know, there's a test my friends and I do at school to see if someone likes someone," April said. She went up to Luke, held up her arm, and snapped her fingers in her face. "Lorelai. Lorelai. Lorelai."
"April-"
"Now look me in the eye and tell me you don't think she's pretty."
"I-"
"See, you won't even look at me!" said April. She grinned. "You are so easy to read."
Though he wanted to set April straight, Luke sensed April was not going to drop it. "You're not going to tell, uh, Lorelai about this, are you?" he said, as he had a horrible flash of April announcing to Lorelai his feelings.
"What?" said April, feigning innocence. "You mean about the sexual tension in the air between you?"
"April, I'm warning you-"
"I just call it like I see it," April said, mounting her bike. She grinned impishly. "Tomorrow is going to be so much fun."
