"Is he here yet?" Lane asked saddling up to Rory at about 8:30 that night. This was the third time she had done so in the past hour and Rory was starting to get annoyed.

"Okay, Lane." She said setting down the pitcher she was holding, which she was refilling the punch bowl with. "Look around you. No, I mean it." Rory told her and waited until Lane took a full survey of the room. "Do you see anyone you don't know?"

Lane shook her head. "Well then, he's not here is he?" Resuming filling the punch bowl, "shouldn't you be setting up or something?" she asked. Lane's band had talked Lorelei into letting them play a set later that evening.

"Yeah, I should be," Lane agreed fiddling with a set of drumsticks but still making no move to go.

Letting out a deep breath Rory said as patiently as she could, "As soon as Logan gets here I will introduce you. You'll know who he is because he is the only person in the entire room you don't know."

Going back to the kitchen Rory found her mother pacing back and forth. Spotting Rory she stopped, "What time is it?"

Glancing over Lorelei's head at the kitchen clock she read out, "8:38."

"Okay, deep breathes." Lorelei said to herself as she went back to pacing. "Luke will be here any minute. I'm just going to get it over with, tell him tonight. I am not going to drive myself crazy worrying about it. I'm just gonna tell him and get it out there." She threw her arms in wide circular motions.

Turning to Rory "Should I tell him?" she asked pitifully.

"I think so." Her daughter said giving her an encouraging hug. "It's Luke after all."

"It's Luke." Lorelei repeated to herself. "Yeah, you're right. I mean, he's going to be surprised but, hey, these things happen."

"That's the spirit." Rory cheered her on taking a new bag of potato chips out of the cupboard to make the refill rounds.

"Oh, God." Lorelei slumped into the chair. "We have never even talked about kids. I mean, we've talked about kids. I mean, we talk about you and you're my kid. I just mean we never discussed a collaboration."

Kneeling down in front of her mother Rory took her hands in her own. They were actually shaking. She was so used to her mother being strong, taking care of everything and everyone that it was frightening to see her scared. "It's going to be okay mom. No matter what, you have me."

Kissing Rory on the forehead she managed a shaky little laugh. "And here I was worrying about you going and getting knocked up."

All of a sudden Kirk knocked on the door making both mother and daughter jump. Not seeming to notice he had just interrupted a moment he barged right in. "I was wondering if you have anything to eat that doesn't have any animal products in it. Lou-Lou, my girlfriend is a vegan and there's really nothing for her to eat out there." He motioned with his thumb over his shoulder to the living room.

Standing up quickly so that Kirk would not notice she had been crying Lorelei went to the fridge while Rory checked the cupboards. After an extensive search they came up with rice cakes that neither one of them could remember buying and a packet of raisins.

"I'll take these to my girlfriend now." Kirk told them searching the rice cakes package for an expiry date as he went back into the living room. Just as the kitchen door closed it swung open again.

Luke came in brushing snow off his leather jacket. Lorelei froze. "Hi, Luke" Rory greeted him in what she hoped was a normal fashion. "Merry Christmas." She bit her lip, Luke was Jewish.

"Merry Christmas, Rory," he returned leaning over to kiss her on the cheek awkwardly as he handed her an envelope. "I'm no good at shopping so I got you a gift certificate from Barns and Noble."

Feeling a lump rise in her throat she thanked him. Luke was so good and decent. He was giving out gifts for a holiday that he wouldn't normally celebrate because he cared about them.

She knew she should leave but her mother looked terrified. Luke went over and kissed her, "I've got your present out in the truck." He told her before turning back to Rory. "You know she insisted on celebrating Hanukah with me too. She thinks two religions means double two sets of presents."

Lorelei managed a hollow little laugh before the room went silent. Luke kept looking back and forth between them. Rory tried not to look guilty and Lorelei could not even manage eye contact.

Rory had never been so relieved to see Lane in her life when she came bursting into the room. "He's here Rory!" She squealed. "Well, actually two of them are here and I don't know which one is Logan but either one would be okay by me!"

Rory peaked through the door and was horrified to see that Logan and Finn who were barely in the door had already been cornered By Babette and Miss. Patty.

Turning back to her mother and Luke she knew she should really leave them alone but she wasn't sure if she was ready to face Logan AND all of Stars Hollow at the same time. "Which one is he?" Lane asked excitedly standing on her tiptoes to see over Rory's shoulder.

"The blond one." She pointed out proudly despite herself. He really was gorgeous she thought with a mental sigh.

Lane tugged her hand. "Come on, introduce me before Babette and Miss. Patty scare them off."

Glancing one more time over her shoulder at her mother as Lane all but dragged her out she mouthed, "do it." It was out of her hands now.

Stopping to smooth her skirt and straighten her sweater Rory had to force herself not to smile at Lane who was acting like a thirteen-year-old at a boy band concert. "I don't get why you are so excited. You have a boyfriend."

She motioned over to where Zach was arguing with Bryan over the set up of the sound system. "Yes, lucky me." Lane rolled her eyes but Rory did notice her look back over her shoulder at Zach with a silly little grin.

"I don't think we have met any of Rory's Yale friends." She heard Miss. Patty saying. "Other then Paris of course." All eyes turned to the couch where Paris was sitting awkwardly on one end while Kirk fed Lou-Lou raisins.

"Oh, here's Rory now," Babette said pulling Rory forward by the wrist so forcefully she practically ran right into Logan. His eyes sparkled with amusement.

"We were just having a chat with these two nice young gentlemen, Rory." Miss Patty told her but directing her flirtatious smile at Logan and Finn.

"And trying to figure out which one is yours." Babette chimed in.

"Oh, please God.' Rory prayed silently, "All I want for Christmas is for the floor to open up and swallow me, right now. RIGHT NOW!'

It was Finn who handled this one. He pointed a finger at Logan. "It's this lucky man, right here." He took Rory's hand and kissed it lavishly. "I've never met this lovely lady before or else it might be me who would be so lucky."

Finn was in fine form tonight. "We've met before Finn," she reminded him but feeling more amused then annoyed now. "Several times."

Finn said they were together. Which meant Logan had told him they were. She willed herself not to act like She was the thirteen-year-old at the boy band concert but she couldn't help it.

She felt Lane poke her in the back. "Oh, this," she said tugging Lane forward "is my best friend Lane Kim. This is Logan and Finn."

Lane shook both of their hands, mumbled something to the effect of 'nice to meet you', blushed and stared at her feet for a couple of seconds before turning and fleeing back to where the band was setting up.

"She doesn't get out much." Rory joked lamely for lack of anything else to say. Then remembering she was co-host she asked to take their coats.

"Now, first order of business." Finn said rubbing his hands together briskly after he had handed Rory his coat, "where's the bar?"

She motioned to the card table set up behind the couch, "help yourself."

Finn was off happily praising the hosts for their 'open bar.'

Logan hung back, "Nice place, Ace."

She looked around comparing it mentally to his house...mansion really. He seemed sincere though. "Thanks, it keeps us warm and dry for the most part."

He had his hands in his pockets and was looking at her in a way that was unnerving her. "Am I making you nervous?" he asked in a low voice.

"No." she answered much too quickly. "Okay, maybe a little. A lot actually." She admitted shifting the jackets over to her other arm.

"Good," he murmured leaning in to kiss her catching her totally off guard.

Pulling back he held out a hand to steady Rory who was visibly flustered. "Go put the coats away and relax a little." He told her. "I think I have found entertainment for the next couple of minutes." He pointed over to the couch where Finn had already managed to squeeze himself in beside Paris.

A couple of minutes later Rory was returning from her bedroom, where they were storing all the coats when the kitchen door came flying open almost hitting her in the face. Luke came walking out, and made a beeline straight for the door ignoring everyone who called out to him as he passed by.

Worried, Rory rushed into the kitchen to her mother.

Lorelei was leaning against the counter staring out the window. She turned when Rory came in with a dazed expression on her face.

"What happened?" Rory asked wrapping her arms around her mother's waist.

"I don't know." Lorelei shrugged. "I finally just came out and told him, 'Luke, I'm pregnant.' He sat there and stared at me for a minute and then just up and walked out." She snapped her fingers. "Just like that."

"Are you okay?"

"Well, I've been better." Lorelei admitted giving Rory a squeeze. "But what did I expect? I just kind of sprung it on him. He probably just needs time to think."

Rory wanted to believe that she meant that but she knew she was hurting. "Anyway," her mother said. "Let's just enjoy the party for tonight and worry about everything else later. Besides I want to meet the delectable Mr. Huntzberger."

They had barely made it out the door when they heard someone shout "Lorelei"

Both were shocked to see Luke striding back into the house. "Lorelei." He bellowed again before he spotted her.

By now the room was so quiet you could have heard a penny drop. Well over fifty pairs of eyes looked back and forth between Luke, who was making his way towards them and Lorelei who stood grasping Rory's hand.

Coming to stand right in front of her he stood staring at her for several seconds before he dropped to one knee holding a diamond ring up. "I was going to give this to you tomorrow morning. I wanted to do this right and ask Rory's permission first." He looked over at Rory. "What do you say?"

"Go for it!" She urged excitedly.

He turned back to Lorelei. "I know we haven't been together long, but I don't care. I know what we have together is right. I love you, will you marry me?"

"Can I keep my last name?"

"If you want." Luke agreed

"Or hyphenate it so it's Gilmore-Danes?"

"If that's what you want."

"What about if you changed your name?"

Luke had run out of patience. "Lorelei," he began warningly.

Not being able to keep a straight face anymore she laughed, "Of course I'll marry you, you big bear! Now get up and kiss me!"

The whole room broke out in raucous applause as they fell into one another's arms. The band began to play a punk version of "Love me tender." And Rory was sure her heart was going to explode right out of her chest, she was that happy.