Luke tossed a pile of dirty dishes into the bucket as he reached for the ringing phone, tucking it under his ear with a hurried, "Luke's."
"How much for a lap dance?"
"Geez, Lorelai, I'm working."
She giggled into her cell phone as she pulled her car onto the highway. "It's almost too easy to annoy you," she informed him.
"Where are you?" he asked.
"Almost to Abby's," Lorelai replied. "Just wanted to check in, see how your day is going."
"It's fine," he replied. "Are you sure it's okay I couldn't make it this week?"
"Totally fine," Lorelai said. "Cesar's sick, we're in a good place, it's not necessary for you to be here. I have plenty of my own crap to hash out with Abby that has nothing to do with you."
"Like what?" he asked.
"You're kidding, right?" Lorelai asked. "Remember Emily Gilmore? Wears suits, yells at everyone she looks at, is consistently disappointed by my mere existence?"
"Ah, you're getting to that now," he said.
"Yes, it might be good to figure out everything that's wrong with me while I'm at it," Lorelai shrugged.
"There's nothing wrong with you."
"We both know that's not true, but I like that you're trying," Lorelai replied. "Alright, I'm here. I'll be in for dinner later."
"Good luck," Luke said.
"Thanks, hon," Lorelai said before she flipped her phone closed and tossed it into her purse.
She made her way to Abby's office and settled in, feeling strangely nervous without Luke's presence beside her. Although she'd been the one to initiate the counseling and had gone for months before she'd even realized she could have another chance with Luke, he'd become part of these sessions. Now, without him for the first time in weeks, she realized that she'd leaned on his support more than she'd realized.
"No Luke today?" Abby asked.
"No, there was a scheduling conflict at the diner," Lorelai replied. "He couldn't get away."
"That's okay, it seems like things are going really well with you two," Abby commented.
"Yeah, they are," Lorelai said, she toyed with her bracelet for a moment before she commented, "We, uh, slept together for the first time since everything. I was a little nervous after both of us being with other people, but it was…amazing."
Abby nodded, not commenting on that particular topic.
"Don't tell Luke I told you that, he'd be embarrassed," Lorelai tried to backtrack.
"It's all confidential in here, you know that," Abby said.
"Yeah," Lorelai nodded. "Um, since Luke's not here, I kind of wanted to talk to you about my one big concern looming over our relationship. I know I need to bring it up with him, but I'm not sure how."
"Okay, let's figure it out," Abby said. "What are you thinking?"
"My parents," Lorelai sighed. "They've been great recently, I don't know if we're all missing Rory and bonding over that or what, but Friday Night Dinners have almost been…enjoyable. And even before Luke and I broke up, they were supportive of the marriage. They wanted to buy us a house and everything."
"It sounds like they're trying," Abby said.
"I think they are," Lorelai agreed. "But I'm just worried because my mom has butted in before and ruined things. And after what happened last year, they saw me more hurt than I've ever been. They are protective, I'll give them that, and they're not very forgiving."
"You're worried that they're not going to be as willing to give Luke another chance?" Abby asked.
"Yeah," Lorelai said. "And I just don't know how to tell them. Things have been going so well with him, we're back and better than ever. Then on the Gilmore front, I'm actually having a relationship with them, and almost enjoying it, like I would imagine a normal family would be like. I know I tried to keep things separate in the past, for Luke's sake, but I feel like I'm hiding something."
"Aren't you?" Abby asked. "If things are as great with your parents as they sound, shouldn't you be able to share something like that with them?"
"I want to," Lorelai admitted. "It's the first time in my life I actually feel bad keeping something a secret from them. Because Luke and I are together for good now. I just don't want them to ruin that."
"You said they were supportive of the marriage."
"But with my parents, it's like everything has to be off setting," she said. "When things were great with Luke, they were trying to break us up. But then when things went to hell with Luke, they were finally on board. I'm scared that if I tell them how wonderful things are, they'll try to throw it off track again."
"Lorelai, you've grown a lot since we've started talking," Abby said. "So has Luke, both as a couple and individuals."
"I think so too," Lorelai agreed.
"And you're both adults, solid in your routines and who you are as individuals," Abby continued.
"So?" Lorelai asked.
"Don't you think your parents might have grown as well?" Abby suggested gently. "Maybe after so many years of meddling and fighting, they've finally realized that you can make your own choices?"
Lorelai shrugged. "Maybe, after so many years," she said. "They're just so stubborn, I honestly don't know if they'll ever really change."
"And you said you haven't talked to Luke about these concerns?" Abby asked.
"No," Lorelai said. "Not because I don't want to or I'm trying to keep secrets, but my parents have always kind of been a sore spot between us. He doesn't like them, and I don't blame him. They treated him horribly, and said publicly that he's not good enough for me."
"No offense, Lorelai, but you did some pretty bad things to Luke too," Abby said gently. "Just like he did to you."
"I know."
"The two of you found a way to work through it and forgive each other," Abby said. "Maybe he'll be able to do that for your parents."
"That's true," Lorelai mused. "I just hate submitting him to that world. As much as I don't fit in there and don't want to, I at least have the background. Like it or not, I was raised in that world and have been to more fundraisers for boring charities than I can count. I don't like it, but I know how to survive with those kinds of people. Luke was raised in Stars Hollow, by parents who were real and present. They raised him to be a good man, but they weren't concerned with all the insane rules of etiquette like I was. He's like a fish out of water at the few events I dragged him to."
"He might be willing to learn," Abby said gently.
Lorelai shook her head. "We've tried," she said. "And I just can't do that to him. He's not comfortable, and I hate seeing him looking so out of place."
"A lot has changed since then, though," Abby pointed out.
"I guess," Lorelai said. "I never thought he would have come here."
"I think you need to talk to him about this," she said softly. "And your parents."
Lorelai sighed. "What happens if it gets bad again?" she whispered.
"Well, something's going to go wrong eventually," Abby pointed out. "That's just life. I think you should take control of the situation before it takes control of you. Isn't that what has happened when you've ignored these things in the past?"
"No wonder they pay you the big bucks," Lorelai said with a small smile. "You're totally right."
"I know it's scary," Abby said. "But you know that sometimes it's better to face your fears than to ignore them and let everything fall apart."
Lorelai nodded. "You'd think I would have learned that the first hundred or so times," she said. "But I think I finally get it."
Abby offered her an encouraging smile. "You're strong, Lorelai, stronger than you give yourself credit for," she said. "But it's okay to be vulnerable sometimes. It's okay to want and need your parents' approval. This time I think you might be surprised by their actions."
"Thanks," Lorelai said. "I hope you're right."
"Why don't you go talk to them today?" Abby suggested.
"Do you think I should talk to Luke first?" Lorelai asked.
Abby shrugged. "If you want to," she said. "But they're your parents. Sure, it involves Luke, but I think you need to make peace with them about this. And honestly? It might be easier if it's just the three of you. Then you can bring Luke in without having to feel the need to protect him."
"I guess," Lorelai nodded. "Wow, I actually feel better about this."
"That means I'm doing my job," Abby said with a smile. "Anything else you want to talk about?"
"No, not really," Lorelai said. "Mind if we cut it short today? I want to talk to my parents while I still feel like I can."
"Absolutely," Abby said, rising with Lorelai. "Good luck."
"Thanks," Lorelai said with a deep breath before exiting the office.
An hour and one stop for coffee later, Lorelai leaned against her car, staring at her parents' house as she contemplated her next move. She knew she had to do this, Abby was right, but she couldn't help the sinking feeling in her stomach as she stared at the house she'd never really felt at home in.
With a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and finished her coffee, tossing the cup into her car before she strode to the front door and rang the doorbell.
Her mother answered almost right away. "Hello, Lorelai," she said.
"Hi, Mom," Lorelai said, taken aback. "Were you waiting for someone?"
"I saw you pull up fifteen minutes ago," Emily replied. "I was wondering when you'd come in."
"Oh," Lorelai stared at the ground as she nodded. "Okay. Um, is Dad home? I want to talk to you guys about something."
"Come in," Emily said, holding the door open. "I'll get your father."
"Thanks," Lorelai said. She walked into the living room and sat down, offering her father a smile when he walked in with her mother. "Hi, Dad."
"Hello, Lorelai," he said with a nod of his head. "Were we expecting you?"
"No, I just thought I'd stop by," she said, watching as her parents sat down on the sofa across from her. She cleared her throat and pushed her hair behind her ears before she folded her hands in her lap and scooted forward. "I um, I wanted to tell you that Luke and I are back together."
Her parents' expressions both remained unchanged, and she paused for another moment before she prompted, "Any kind of reaction would be good right about now."
"We know," Emily replied simply.
That caught Lorelai completely off guard. "You know?" she repeated. "How do you know?"
"Lorelai, you're our daughter," Emily stated as if that were some sort of explanation.
"And that means you can read my mind?" Lorelai guessed.
"It means we know you better than you think we do," Emily replied. "For the past year, you haven't been yourself. You've been more quiet and less quick on the comebacks. And as much as it may be inappropriate at times, your quick wit is a definition of who you are. During that disastrous marriage to Christopher you lost that."
"I guess I did," Lorelai murmured.
"But then we noticed that you started to seem more like yourself again," Emily said. "Honestly, when Rory left I was worried you might get even more sullen. But it seemed as though you turned a corner in the following weeks, and suddenly it became clear. Luke."
Lorelai couldn't help but smile at the mere mention of his name. "Luke," she said with a nod. "So how long have you known?"
"We had our suspicions," Richard stated. "But in recent weeks you've slipped on your pronouns."
"What?" Lorelai asked.
"Instead of 'I' it was suddenly 'we,'" Richard explained. "We were walking through town, we saw on the news, we thought Rory's article was excellent. It wasn't difficult to figure out who the other part of this 'we' was. You seemed happy."
"Wow," Lorelai shook her head. "You've known and you didn't say anything?"
"We figured you had your reasons for keeping it a secret," Emily said. "I knew you'd come to use when you were ready. And here you are."
Lorelai could only stare at the two individuals who resembled her parents. Where these really the same people who had tried to sabotage her relationship with Luke years ago? "Thank you," she finally said. "We've needed some time to work things out, so I'm really grateful that you respected that. You have no idea how much that means to me."
Emily glanced at Richard, then said, "To be honest, we are a bit worried about the situation."
Lorelai nodded. "That's fair," she said. "I was too, for a long time."
"And now?" Richard prompted.
"Now…we've talked through a lot, forgiven a lot," Lorelai said. "We've put Christopher in the past and agreed to be cordial for Rory's sake when it's necessary. And he's promised some things too, with April, and I feel really good about this. We're moving forward, and since we're in a good place I wanted you to know. I'm happy, I really am."
Emily eyed her carefully. "He's treating you well?" she asked.
Lorelai nodded, unable to suppress the smile that spread across her face. "He is," she nodded. "I promise."
"Good," Emily said.
"When you are both ready, we would love to have him join you for dinner sometime," Richard said. "He is welcome here any time."
"Thanks, Dad," Lorelai said. "But…you have to see how he might be a bit weary of that."
"You're happy, Lorelai, that's all we want for you," Emily said. "And you clearly were not happy without him. And you were downright miserable with Christopher."
"I was," Lorelai said. "I appreciate the invitation, I really do. It might take some time, but eventually he may come around to the idea." She paused before she added, "He, um, doesn't know that I'm here. Telling you."
This time surprise did register on both her parents' faces. "Why not?" Richard asked.
"Well, I just was thinking about how well things are going with Luke, and how the three of us have been actually been doing pretty well too," Lorelai said. "I'm happy with pretty much every part of my life right now and that…I don't know if that's ever happened. So I figured I would come here and talk to you about Luke. It's not that I didn't want him to be part of it, but I wasn't sure how this conversation was going to go. I know you're not Luke's biggest fans and I didn't want him to have to be subjected to anything you might have to say about him."
"I must admit we have had our doubts about the boy," Richard consented. "But those are all in the past, Lorelai. You've always been fond of him, and if things have improved like you say they have, and he treats you well, that's all we want."
"And look at what he did for Rory," Emily added. "He clearly cares for her very much."
"Yeah, he does," Lorelai said. "So when I tell him about this conversation, I can assure him there are no hidden agendas? No plans to franchise the diner or force him into insane society functions in the hopes that he won't know what to do? When he's ready, he can come here with me and enjoy a pleasant dinner without strings attached?"
"Yes, Lorelai," Emily said.
"Okay," Lorelai said, sighing in relief. "Thank you," she said sincerely.
"There's no need to thank us, Lorelai," Richard said. "We're your parents."
"I know," Lorelai nodded. "But thank you."
"You're welcome," Emily said simply.
Lorelai started to reach for her bag, debating whether she should say what she wanted to. It probably bordered on none of her business, but she decided to go for it anyways. "Luke's daughter, April, will be spending time with us sometimes," she said. "I think you'd really like her, she's a lot like Rory. More…unique, I suppose, but smart and interesting. Can you promise me, if it ever comes up and it's okay with Luke and her mom, that you'll be nice to her?"
"Of course," Emily promised.
"We'd love to meet her," Richard added.
Lorelai felt herself wanting to cry. Never had she seen her parents so accepting and kind to her. "You have no idea how much this means to me," she said. "After everything, I really appreciate you being here and accepting my decisions."
"We just want what's best for you, Lorelai," Richard informed her.
"That's all we've ever wanted," Emily said.
"I know," Lorelai said, surprised to find that she actually meant it. "I'll see you on Friday?"
"See you on Friday," Richard responded.
As Lorelai entered the foyer, she turned when she heard her mother say her name. "Thank you," Emily said. "For feeling that you could share this part of your life with us. It means a great deal to me as well."
Lorelai only offered her a smile before she turned and slipped out the door. For the first time in her life, she walked out of that house feeling better than when she'd walked in.
XXXXX
Lorelai set Paul Anka's broccoli in his bowl and offered the dog a smile. "Good boy, just make sure you eat Mommy's share so Daddy won't make me eat it," she murmured, petting the dog's fur. She turned to answer the ringing phone, walking into the living room as she did so. Luke was still at the diner, and she had decided to eat dinner at home. She wanted to tell him about her conversation with her parents, but she wanted to do it at home, when they could really talk.
She dropped onto the couch and frowned at her bowl, convinced that Luke had put more carrots than necessary into the soup they'd had for dinner the night before. As she was setting them on a paper plate that sat on the table, then phone rang and she reached for it without looking at who it was.
"Hello?"
"Lorelai?"
"Hi, April," she said. "Your dad's not here, unfortunately. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine," April confirmed.
"Well, do you want me to have him call you back?" she asked. "He shouldn't be back too late."
"No, actually, I was calling to talk to you," April replied.
"Oh, really?" Lorelai asked. "What's up?"
"Dad told me that he moved in with you," April said tentatively. "And I just wanted to know…I wanted to talk to you about it."
Lorelai could hear the uncertainty in April's voice and set her bowl on the table, ready to focus solely on the conversation. "Is it okay that he moved in?" she asked gently. "I know it's probably weird for you."
"I think I'm okay with it," April said. "I've never actually seen your house, but Dad says it's nice."
"I like it," Lorelai confirmed.
"He said I'll stay in Rory's room?" April asked.
"Yep, lots of books and right off the kitchen for midnight snacking," Lorelai confirmed.
"Is that okay with Rory?" April asked.
Lorelai smiled softly. "She's fine with it," she assured. "It will be nice to have someone in there again."
April was silent for a moment before she asked, "Are you sure it's okay that I come visit?"
"Of course," Lorelai replied quickly. "Your dad misses you a lot. He's practically counting down the days until you get here."
"I know, I'm just wondering if it's okay with you," April said.
Lorelai was amazed by the maturity this girl was showing. When she was fourteen she'd never have been this considerate of anyone else's emotions. "April, I'm probably more excited than your dad," she said. "I can't wait to really get to know you."
"Yeah, my stupid parents put a stop to that before," April said sullenly.
Lorelai bit back a laugh and the urge to agree with her. Instead, she said, "We've worked things out, sweetie. Your parents and I are totally on your side."
"Good, because I was really mad at Dad before."
"I know," Lorelai sighed. "And let's face it, as much as he pretends he's a cool dad, he'll never be able to give you a proper pedicure."
April giggled. "I don't think so."
"So that's where I come in," Lorelai said.
"Thanks, Lorelai."
"Not a problem," she said. "Hey, is there anything you want us to have ready for you? Special food or movies or anything? I know you'll spend most of your time with your mom, but I want you to feel at home here when you visit."
"Dad said he'd get some food for me," April said.
"Okay," Lorelai said. "If you think of anything, let me know."
"Thanks," April said. "I'm really excited to see you."
"I'm excited to see you too, sweetie," Lorelai promised. "Are you sure you don't want me to tell your dad to call you?"
"No, that's okay, I'll talk to him tomorrow," April said. "Thanks for everything, Lorelai."
"Anytime you need to talk, I'm here," Lorelai promised. "Enjoy the rest of camp."
"Bye," April said cheerfully.
Lorelai hung up the phone and reached for her soup, feeling extremely satisfied with how the conversation with her not quite stepdaughter had just gone. She was glad April felt comfortable talking to her, and it had felt good to reassure her that she was welcome in their house. It would be just another good piece of news for Luke when he got home.
When he walked through the door an hour later, she could immediately tell that he was in a bad mood. The door slammed shut behind him, and he all but threw his keys onto the desk before he turned to her, a scowl on his face. "Does Taylor exist to annoy me?" he asked.
"Hello to you too," Lorelai said, eyebrows raised. She reached to turn off the TV and asked, "What happened?"
"He decided that it would be better for business at his ridiculous ice cream shop if he put in a candy chute. Don't," he warned as Lorelai's expression lit up. "Don't even think about supporting it. He was bugging me all day with all kinds of reconstruction ideas for the entire damn building just so the kids in this town can get diabetes even faster. I think I may double his rent in retaliation."
"I'm sorry you had a bad day," she frowned.
"Par for the course with Taylor around," he sighed, dropping onto the couch beside her. He patted her knee and asked, "How was your day?"
"Pretty good, actually," Lorelai said. Deciding to forgo the talk of her parents until he was in a better mood, she tapped his shoulder and said, "April called. She and I had a really great talk."
"Yeah?" Luke asked. "About what?"
"Her staying here," Lorelai replied. "She was a little nervous about staying in Rory's room and everything, but I told her it was fine."
"She was nervous?" Luke frowned.
Lorelai shrugged. "I think she just needed confirmation that she's welcome here," she said. "Which I was sure to give her."
"I told her it was okay," Luke said.
"I know you did, but maybe she just needed to hear it from me too," Lorelai said. "I think she's okay with it now."
"I didn't know she wasn't okay with it!" Luke's voice began to rise.
"Hey, it's not a big deal," Lorelai said.
"She should have talked to me!" Luke insisted.
"She said she did," Lorelai replied. "Why are you getting mad?"
"Because if April has a problem with something like this, she should come to me, not you!"
Lorelai's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?" she asked defensively.
"We talked about this, Lorelai, April should come to me first!" Luke said.
"Whoa, when did the fight start?" Lorelai asked. "I must have missed the flag."
"This isn't funny, don't turn it into a bit," Luke snapped.
"I'm not turning it into a bit, I just don't see why we're arguing," Lorelai said.
"Because my daughter didn't want to stay here and I had no idea!" Luke replied.
"That is not what happened!" Lorelai cried. "You are blowing this way out of proportion!"
"So now you're telling me how to feel?" Luke asked.
"No, I'm trying to tell you what happened," Lorelai replied. "I actually felt good about it, Luke. She called here, looking for me, and I thought, 'hey, this is really going to work out.' She's excited to come and spend time with both of us. I thought that was what you wanted. That's what you told me you wanted."
"That is what I want."
"Then what the hell is your problem?" she asked.
"I want her to come to me if she has an issue," Luke replied.
"Her issue wasn't with you, it was with me," Lorelai said. "That girl is wise beyond her years. She was worried that I wasn't comfortable having her here, and wanted to check for herself that it was okay. That's it. I'm sure she wasn't sitting around thinking 'I'm going to call when I know Dad's not home so I don't have to talk to him.' She adores you, Luke, you know that!"
"I'm going to bed."
"Luke, don't walk away!" Lorelai cried, following him up the stairs. "She and I talked. Really talked. I thought we were on the same page, I thought that was okay. I told her it was okay, don't make a liar out of me."
"Don't put words in my mouth," Luke snapped. "I never called you a liar."
"Well, when April gets here and you won't let her talk to me, she's going to think I lied to her," Lorelai said. "I thought you wanted me to have a relationship with her!"
"I do!"
Lorelai sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't want to fight," she said. "I really want to understand what's going on in your head, Luke. Can we please just talk about this like adults?"
"I just don't want her to feel like she can't come to me," Luke said, his voice calmer.
Lorelai sighed and dropped her arms to her sides, moving to sit next to him on the bed. "I don't think she thinks that," she said. "She just had a question for me, so she called me. I thought it was progress, that she felt comfortable doing that. Care to explain why it now feels like a step back?"
"I don't know, I just want to know what's going on with her," Luke shrugged.
"So I can have a relationship with her as long as she talks to you about things first," Lorelai said.
"I didn't say that."
"When she comes to me to do I need to put her on hold and call you at the diner to see if the conversation has been Luke approved?"
"Don't be dramatic."
"Hello, pot, I'm kettle."
Luke sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Can we just talk about this in the morning?" he asked.
"No, I want to talk about it now," Lorelai said. "We've done the not talking thing, remember how that turned out?"
"We agreed we wouldn't throw the past in each other's faces," he reminded her.
"We also agreed that I was allowed to talk to April," Lorelai said. "So what changed? Now it's a reality, not a hypothetical?"
"I don't know, okay?" he sighed. "I don't know why it bugs me, it just does."
"So are you going to go sleep at the diner now?" she asked. "Emergency bread delivery at four AM?"
"No," Luke said. "I promised I'd stay here, I'm staying here."
She turned her head to look at him. "Even though you're mad?" she asked.
He shrugged as he removed his baseball hat and put it on the dresser. "That doesn't make everything else go away," he said. "I still love you."
"Oh," Lorelai said, thrown for a loop. She'd never fought with a man and heard him declare his love for her at the same time. "I love you too."
"So I'm here," Luke shrugged. "Can you give me some time to wrap my head around this?"
"I guess," Lorelai picked at a hangnail. "Luke, I just don't get what you have to wrap your head around. You're complicating something that's not complicated."
He collapsed on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "Please, Lorelai, just let me think," he requested tiredly.
"Fine," she said, storming into the bathroom and slamming the door behind her. She turned on the shower but didn't get in, instead hoping the sound would prevent Luke from hearing her cry.
XXXXX
Lorelai stood in the corner of Miss Patty's the next afternoon, arms crossed over her chest with a sullen expression on her face as she watched teenagers from Stars Hollow High milling around. She'd agreed to supervise the summer science fair set up for the high school, hoping that it might give her something to talk about with April. Now, she was beginning to think that was a complete waste of her time. Luke had completely lost it on her the night before, and she wasn't even sure where they stood at this point.
He'd been gone when she'd woken up that morning, which wasn't unusual. He'd made coffee and left her a note saying he'd be home early for dinner, which was again not unusual. But she still couldn't shake the feelings of annoyance, hurt, and anger at the way he'd reacted to her simple conversation with April. She was beginning to feel the familiar and unwelcome sense of abandonment creeping up on her, and she didn't like it.
"Hey," she tensed when she heard his familiar voice in her ear.
"Hi," she said shortly.
"Has it been busy?" he asked.
She shrugged. "The kids are just setting up for the judging tomorrow," she said. "Don't worry, I'll ask your permission before I talk to any of them."
"Lorelai…"
"Oh, sorry, is it just April I'm not allowed to talk to?" she snapped.
"I came here to apologize," he murmured.
She crossed her arms over her chest, but her expression remained upset. "I'm listening."
"I overreacted," he said. "I'm sorry. I know I should have let you talk. I am glad that April wants to talk to you, I really am. Now that I've calmed down, I realize that I focused on my own stupid stuff instead of what was important."
"Keep going," Lorelai prompted, not willing to make this easy for him.
Luke sighed and waved a hand aimlessly through the air. "I guess I just heard that April came to you with her concerns and tuned out the rest," he said. "I'm still a little insecure, I guess, about being a dad. It hurt that she didn't want to come to me if she was nervous about staying at the house."
"That wasn't what she was doing," Lorelai murmured.
"I know," he replied. "I'm sorry, I really am."
"Is this going to happen every time?" Lorelai asked. "Because I can't do that, Luke. I thought we were past this."
"We are," he said. "I overreacted, and given what's happened before, I can understand how that may have brought out some of your insecurities."
"It did," she nodded. "I was so happy about it, Luke, she didn't even think about it, she just called when she was thinking about me. I know she's your daughter, but when she said she'd called to talk to me, I was thrilled. Like progress was being made. And then you went postal when I tried to share good news with you."
"I know," he said, rubbing a hand over his face.
"But," Lorelai decided to take pity on him. "I am kind of proud of us."
"For fighting?"
"For talking through a fight," Lorelai said. "I mean, I hated the fighting, especially since it still seems like it was completely unnecessary, but…you stayed even though you were upset. That means something."
"I guess," he sighed.
"And it took you less than twenty four hours to realize you were wrong," Lorelai continued. "I still don't get it though."
"I'd just had a bad day," Luke said. "I was looking for an excuse to blow up, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."
Lorelai stared at the floor as she turned from side to side slightly, contemplating her next move. "You're in charge of cleaning the bathroom for a month," she said.
"Done."
"And fixing the banister at the inn before you come home tonight."
"Okay."
She paused for another moment, then said, "And you're not going to complain about giving me coffee for a week."
"You got it."
A small smile appeared on her face. "And you're going to kiss me now, because I forgive you."
He smiled as he leaned down to kiss her, squeezing her waist tightly. "I am sorry," he said. "I'm working on it."
"None of us change overnight," she shrugged. "I know you're trying. Maybe we needed a setback to test us."
"I don't like fighting with you," he murmured.
"Then maybe next time you can think about whether there even is something to fight about," Lorelai suggested gently.
"I will," he promised. "I'll go fix the banister. Call me when you're on your way home. I'll order Chinese and have Casablanca cued up."
"Trying to get back on my good side?" she asked.
"How am I doing?" he asked.
"Draw a bath while I'm waiting for the food to come and I'll be yours forever."
"Got it," he said, squeezing her and in both of his. "We're okay?"
She leaned up to kiss him again. "We're okay," she said. "Just think before you yell next time?"
"You got it," he promised.
Lorelai watched him walk across the town square from the open door of the dance studio, wondering why she still didn't feel entirely at ease with his apology.
XXXXX
"At least he apologized," Rory offered later that day as Lorelai took her time walking home.
"I know," Lorelai replied. "I think he's genuinely sorry. It was just such a freak thing. I'd be less upset if there had been a legitimate reason for him to get angry."
"Well, Luke has always had a bit of an explosive personality," Rory tried to explain.
"I know," Lorelai said. "I've always known that. It was just our first fight since everything, and if he'd stop for a second to think, it wouldn't have even happened."
"Well, maybe it's good your first fight was trivial," Rory said. "If it had been over something real, it might not have resolved as quickly. Now you have an idea of what it will be like when a real fight happens."
"When did you get so rational?" Lorelai asked, stopping at the end of the driveway and leaning against her car as she stared at the house.
"I did have a strong role model," Rory said.
Lorelai smiled. "I hear that she's lovely."
"And being a chicken."
Lorelai frowned. "How could you possibly know that?" she asked.
"Reception changed, you're not as windy," Rory explained. "Which means you're no longer walking, and probably putting off going inside and talking to Luke."
"You're too smart for me to talk to anymore," Lorelai informed her.
Rory started making squawking noises on the other end and Lorelai snapped her phone shut, staring at the house for a long moment. When her gaze fell to the chuppah, sitting proudly beside the garage, she squared her shoulders and headed towards the porch, ready to face whatever waited for her on the other side of the door.
"Luke?" she called tiredly as she dropped her purse by the front door.
"Upstairs!" he called down.
"Great," Lorelai murmured as she dragged herself up the stairs. "What are you doing up here?" she asked as she walked into their bedroom and sat down on the end of the bed, kicking off her shoes.
"Getting some of these pictures hung," he said, gesturing to the pictures of the two of them at Liz's wedding she'd hung for the first time nearly two years ago.
"Thanks," Lorelai said. "They look nice."
He placed his hammer back in his toolbox and then pushed the lid closed before he turned back to her. "Do you want me to start a bath for you?" he asked.
She smiled gratefully but shook her head. "Nah, I'm not really in the mood anymore," she said. "I'll order dinner."
"Okay," Luke looked at her carefully. "You okay?"
Lorelai desperately wanted to say yes, but she knew that wouldn't help either of them. "Still just a little shaken," she said.
Luke's face morphed from concern to sorrow. "I'm sorry," he said, reaching out to play with the ends of her hair. "I was a jerk."
She smiled slightly. "You acted like a jerk," she said. "You're not one. That's why I'm upset."
"Can I do anything to make it better?" he murmured.
"No," Lorelai said. "But I hope when we have a fight about something real you'll remember how badly you feel about going directly to yelling."
He pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "I will," he promised.
"And I'm holding you to the no complaining thing," Lorelai said firmly.
"If I complain I'll let you behind the counter to get your own coffee," Luke promised.
"Deal."
"I'll give you a few minutes to change," he said, patting her knee before he stood and walked to the door.
"Luke?" she asked.
"Yeah?" he paused just before the door.
She looked at the floor for a moment before she met his gaze. "The fight sucked," she said. "But thanks for staying, and for telling me you love me. It was reassuring to hear."
He nodded and rubbed a hand over his neck. "I never stopped, you know," he said. "Ever."
"I know," she said. "Me neither."
"Good," he nodded. "I'll order the food?"
"Thanks," she said. "I'll be down in a few."
He nodded and she listened to his tread descend the stairs. She sighed as she changed into a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt. Something was still off, and she could only hope that it would go away with time. Luke felt badly and was truly remorseful, but she just hoped he meant it when he said he was okay with her talking to April.
Suddenly, April's impending visit gained even more pressure than it had had to begin with.
XXXXX
"Hey, you're still here," Lorelai commented as she walked into the kitchen the next morning, smiling at Luke as he sat at the table.
He looked up from the sports section with a smile. "Yeah, I knew you had the morning off, I figured we could spend some time together," he said.
She smiled at his thoughtfulness. "That's sweet," she said as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
"Can I make you breakfast?" he asked.
"Maybe later," she said, sitting down across from him. "Are we past the whole fighting thing?"
"You know how sorry I am," he said.
"I do," she said. "I just have a completely different topic to cover, and I want to know if you're still mad at me."
"I didn't have a right to be mad in the first place," he said.
"Okay, well, just promise you'll hear me out now?" she said. "No overreactions or putting words in my mouth?"
He nodded. "Safe zone," he confirmed.
"Okay," she said. She took a sip of coffee, then placed the mug on the table and leaned towards him. "Abby and I talked about my parents when I was there a couple days ago. We talked about how things have been okay with them recently."
"I know they have been," he said. "I'm glad, for your sake."
"I'm glad you think that," Lorelai said. "Because after Abby, I went to their house and told them we're back together."
Luke raised his eyebrows. "And how did they take that?" he asked hesitantly.
Lorelai smiled slightly. "Well, they proceeded to tell me that they've known that for weeks," she replied.
"How the hell did they know?" Luke asked.
"Apparently, I'm happier than they've ever seen me," she reported. "And for the past year I haven't been myself, but they noticed a few slips of the word we. Man, the CIA could really use those two."
"So they knew and they didn't say anything?" he asked.
"They were waiting for us to come to them," she replied. "I think they're trying to respect us this time. They said you're welcome there any time, no strings attached."
He sighed and leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on top of his head.
"And they said there's no rush," Lorelai added. "They were…I've never seen them like that, Luke. They were supportive and kind. I don't know, maybe they're mellowing in their old age."
He eyed her doubtfully. "You understand why I'm not convinced?" he asked.
"I went over all of that with them," she promised. "They really did seem happy with it. They said all they want is for you to treat me and Rory well, to make us happy. That's a done deal, so I think they're okay with it."
"Well, maybe someday I'll be okay with a casual, short dinner with them," Luke relented. "For you. Not them."
Lorelai smiled gratefully. "Thank you," she said.
He reached to squeeze her hand. "You feeling better about the past couple days?" he asked.
"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm sure I'll get angry with you for no reason at some point."
"Then we'll be even."
She smiled as she leaned forward to kiss him. "You can make that breakfast now," she said.
"On it," he nodded. He started to pull food out of the fridge, then said, "So I'm picking April up on Friday."
"I know," she said. "I'll have her room ready before I leave for dinner."
"Thanks," he said. "I was thinking Saturday we could do that mini golf trip you were planning, maybe go to dinner afterwards."
"That sounds fun," Lorelai nodded. "Are you going to take her on the boat?"
"Yeah, probably Sunday until Tuesday," he responded. "You're sure you don't want to come?"
"No, you need some time alone," she said. "I'll tag along for another outing."
"Okay," he said.
"April said you're going to get some of the food she likes to have on hand?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'll stop by the market on Thursday," he replied.
"Do you think there's anything else we can do to make her comfortable?" Lorelai asked. "I can get some science books or something to put in Rory's room."
Luke smiled at her as he turned from the stove. "Come here," he said, holding his hands out to her.
She stood and stepped to him, looking up at him expectantly. "I love you for trying so hard," he said. "And I appreciate your efforts to make April feel at home. But don't go overboard. She just wants to spend time with us."
Lorelai shrugged. "I'm not doing anything for her that I wouldn't do for Rory," she said. "I don't want to bribe her, I just want her to be comfortable."
He smiled softly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said. "And you can show your gratitude by making sure you don't burn my bacon."
Luke turned back to the stove quickly and flipped the bacon over. They bantered back and forth over breakfast, and Lorelai felt a sense of relief wash over her at the knowledge that everything really did seem to be back to normal.
Once their dishes were cleaned and stashed in the dish rack, Lorelai turned to Luke and said, "I'm going to go take a shower."
"Okay," he nodded.
Lorelai tilted her head to the side and repeated, "I'm going to go take a shower."
His head snapped up to meet her gaze, and she raised her eyebrows expectantly. "You want company?" he asked.
She smiled as she leaned towards him. "The best part of a stupid fight?" she asked. "Real make up sex."
Without a word, Luke grabbed her hand and dragged her to the stairs, her giggles bringing a smile to his own face.
XXXXX
"Thanks again for dinner," Lorelai said to Liz the following evening.
"Oh, no problem!" Liz said, tapping Lorelai's arm. "It's nice to see my brother so happy again."
Lorelai glanced over her shoulder into the living room, where Luke looked absolutely miserable as TJ talked about his new hobby as a cobbler. She stifled a laugh as she said, "Yeah, he's a happy one, that Luke."
Liz placed the final dish in the dishwasher and then turned back to Lorelai. "It's so great having another girl around," she said.
"Oh, well, I'm up for girly activities any time," Lorelai confirmed.
"I just…" Liz stopped when she heard Doula cry over the monitor. "Sorry, I have to…"
"I'll get her!" Luke practically yelled, jumping off the couch and hurrying towards the stairs in an attempt to get away from TJ.
"Aw, he's such a great uncle," Liz said as she led Lorelai into the living room. "He loves Doula so much."
"I know he does," Lorelai said as she sat down on the couch.
"Nice shoes, Lorelai," TJ said appreciatively.
"Uh, thanks," Lorelai said, glancing over her shoulder desperately, wondering what was taking Luke so long.
"Luke said April gets in later this week?" Liz asked, settling down beside TJ.
"Yeah, he's going to pick her up…Friday," Lorelai said, distracted when her eyes landing on Luke as he slowly descended the stairs. Doula was cradled in his arms, and he held a finger out for her to chew on. She swallowed hard at the sight, trying to fight her pure instinctive need to drag him home and make a baby of their own right at that moment.
"She okay?" Liz asked her brother.
"Yeah, I changed her diaper," Luke said, lowering himself to the couch beside Lorelai without taking his eyes off the baby.
"Couldn't put her down, huh?" Lorelai asked, reaching her hand out to hold Doula's. "Hi sweetheart. You must have your uncle's genes, because you're almost as pretty as he is."
Luke offered her a side smile before he returned his attention to Doula. "Don't listen to her, she's crazy," he said to her.
"And he's cranky," Lorelai replied. "I'm your Auntie Lorelai. Remember that when it's time for your first word. Lorelai." She leaned closer to Luke as the baby grinned up at them. "God, you're precious."
"Her eyes are so blue," Luke murmured.
"Hmm, she got the Danes eyes," Lorelai observed. "They're perfect."
"Oh my god, you guys look so cute with a baby!" Liz exclaimed from across the room.
Lorelai blushed and scooted further away from Luke. For his part, Luke remained focused on his niece, trying to hide his own red cheeks.
"I've hit a nerve, haven't I?" Liz asked. "I'm sorry!"
"It's okay," Lorelai said, reaching for her wine.
"You really shouldn't drink that if you want to have a baby," TJ told her.
"Oh, I…" Lorelai started, glancing at Luke before she cleared her throat. "I'm not pregnant."
"Well, you better get working on that, buddy," TJ said to Luke. "Her eggs aren't exactly farm fresh."
Lorelai was glad Luke was holding a baby upon hearing those words, because she was almost positive he would have killed TJ right in the middle of the living room otherwise.
"TJ, mind your own business," Liz snapped. "Sorry, he thinks that he knows everything about fertility now."
"Well our swimmers keep getting better, but you ladies…" TJ started.
"Lorelai, take the baby," Luke said through gritted teeth.
"No way," she said. "I take her, you kill TJ."
He turned to look at her, eyes blazing. "That's the plan," he said. "Take her."
Lorelai simply held eye contact with him and took another sip of wine.
Luke looked down at Doula, who had dozed off in his arms and Lorelai could see his face begin to relax. It was sad, she thought, that he had missed this with his own daughter. All over again, she began to hate Anna for keeping that from him. As much as he loved being a father now, he'd never get those twelve years back.
For a brief moment, she allowed herself to imagine that this was their baby he was rocking to sleep. As much as she wanted to fight the urge, she knew that she and Luke could make beautiful babies. And she also knew that as obnoxious as TJ was, he wasn't exactly wrong.
With a frown, she set her half full wine glass on the table and reached out to rub Luke's shoulder. "We should go," she said to Liz and TJ. "Let you get her to bed."
"Thank you so much for coming," Liz said, standing to hug Lorelai tightly. "And for making my brother so happy."
Lorelai smiled as she sneaked one more glance at Luke, who remained focused entirely on Doula. "My pleasure," she said honestly.
"Alright, big brother, time to give her back," Liz said. "But I will accept your baby sitting services any time."
"Bye, Doula," Luke murmured, and Lorelai again felt her primordial instincts kick into high gear as he pressed a kiss to his niece's cheek.
"Lorelai, if you ever need your shoeepaired, call me," TJ instructed. "I'm the best in the town."
"I'll remember that," Lorelai said as Luke pulled the front door open.
"And Luke!" TJ exclaimed. "If you need any tips on baby making, I'm an expert. I've read all the books and tried all the positions."
"Luke, don't," Lorelai said, tugging on his arm as he started towards TJ. "Come on, fresh air, it's so nice out here. That's it, back away from the brother in law."
"I'm going to kill him," Luke insisted before he turned back to TJ. "I'm going to kill you."
Lorelai tugged harder on his arm, then stepped in front of him and pushed him out the door. "Let's go home," she requested.
"Sure," Luke nodded. "After I kill TJ."
"Luke, Luke!" she said, stepping in front of him as he tried to reach for the door. "It's just TJ. He's harmless."
"He's an idiot," Luke grumbled. "How that man reproduced is beyond me."
"Hey, it got you a pretty gorgeous niece," Lorelai pointed out, pushing him towards the sidewalk.
"I don't like that guy."
"I know, honey, but your sister loves him."
"My sister's brain is fried from smoking too much pot."
Lorelai nodded. "Probably true," she said. "But he makes her happy."
Luke put his hands on his hips and let out a frustrated breath. "The things he said to you…"
"Hey, I have endured over thirty years of dinners with Richard and Emily Gilmore," Lorelai replied. "TJ is like free entertainment compared to them."
"It didn't upset you?" Luke asked, reaching his hand out to rub her arm.
"What, the baby stuff?" Lorelai asked. When Luke nodded she said, "Well, it's not exactly been far from my mind even before he started. And seeing you with Doula…I don't know."
He nodded in understanding. "Maybe we should both take time to think about it?" he suggested. "Talk about it when April goes home?"
Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good," she said. "It's not like we'd be able to do very much about it with her in the house anyway."
Luke froze and glanced at the sky. "Huh."
Lorelai giggled. "You just realized that you going on a boat trip with your daughter means you're going to be getting way less sex than usual, didn't you?" she asked.
"Does that make me a bad dad?"
Lorelai pretended to think about it. "Not if we fit it all the sex for those two nights in tonight," she confirmed with a nod.
He smiled and leaned down to kiss her, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "Let's go home," he murmured.
"Okay," she said, taking his hand. She looked up at him as they walked, then asked, "It must be sad for you that you never got to see April when she was a baby."
His hand tightened around hers. "Yeah, it does," he sighed. "Especially after Doula, it makes me really see what I missed."
"I wish you could have experienced that too," Lorelai said. "I bet she was a beautiful baby."
"I've seen pictures," Luke nodded. "She was."
"I liked seeing you with Doula," she commented. "You looked like a natural."
He shrugged. "I've babysat some since she's been around," he said.
"And you know how to change diapers," Lorelai said. "I'll have to document this knowledge in case you claim otherwise in the future."
He smiled down at her. "I'd change our kid's diaper," he promised.
"Good, because I won't," Lorelai replied. "I did it enough with Rory. For someone so clean now, she sure used a lot of diapers."
"Geez, Lorelai," he rolled his eyes.
"I'm kidding, of course I'll change her diaper."
"Her?" Luke asked. "We're automatically assuming our yet to be conceived baby is a she?"
"Two girls between the two of us," Lorelai shrugged. "It's a probability thing."
"And what if it's a boy?" Luke asked.
"Then we'll dress him in flannel and send him to kindergarten with a thermos full of coffee."
"I want it."
"A coffee crazed five year old?" she asked.
"Our five year old," he replied.
"I want it too," she said. "But it's a huge, life changing decision, Luke. We've barely got our feet on the ground just the two of us. Neither Rory or April were planned, and we got lucky with them. Call me old fashioned, but I'd like to be ready, really ready, if we're going to have a baby."
"I know, me too," he admitted.
"So let's talk after April's visit," she said. "And remember-if everything goes well, you've got a job to do."
"Trust me, I know," Luke said.
"Are you nervous?" she asked curiously.
"No," he said quickly, then sighed. "Maybe a little."
"I guess that's fair," Lorelai said. "I know you're waiting for me to be ready."
"It's okay, I told you to take your time."
"I know, I just don't want you to think I don't want it," Lorelai said. "I do, I just want to be sure April's okay with it."
"Which I appreciate," he said.
"The second I'm sure, you'll be the first to know," Lorelai nodded. "Maybe I'll hire a skywriter. Take out an ad in the sports section. Have Patty activate the phone tree. Tell Taylor to call a town meeting."
"I simple, 'hey, Luke, I'm ready,' will do just fine," he said.
"You're no fun," she pouted.
"No fun?" he asked, turning to her as they walked up the driveway.
"Yeah, no skywriter or anything," Lorelai said. "Oh, hey, how about the jumbo tron at the big game?"
"I will give you a hundred dollars if you can tell me which sport is in season right now," Luke said as they climbed the steps.
"Uh…shopping?"
"Nice try."
She shrugged. "I never claimed to be a sports fan," she said.
"Just get inside."
Lorelai giggled as he pushed her into the house. "Why, Butch, you're so roman…" her words were cut off as Luke kissed her deeply, slamming the front door behind them.
So...there you go. They've fought and realized they're going to have to keep working on their issues. Hopefully it has been made clear that Luke and Lorelai are end game (as Luke aka Scott Patterson himself confirmed this week). Please keep reading!