A/N:It's Sunday again, so you know what THAT means... :) The chapter you've all been waiting for is here! Please note the rating change.
Thank you to Mag1 for taking a look at this chapter for me and offering some additional feedback. Your comments were much appreciated and they definitely made this better. I'd also like to thank Boom for her help in brainstorming part of this. I'll tell you which part is hers at the end. Thanks again friend!
Jewels12, my song of praise to you is once again unwavering. Your comments and suggestions on this chapter were particularly helpful and they brought a smile to my face when I needed one the most. So thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to beta this for me.
Deluge
Early the next morning, Rory and Lorelai wove their way sleepily through the town, grumbling and groaning about the cruelty, torture and inconvenience of having to wake up before 8 am on a Saturday. Lorelai finally felt herself begin to wake up when she caught a whiff of Luke's coffee from across the town square. She picked up her pace, her whole being focused on getting to Luke and his miraculous serum, only to find herself suddenly engulfed in Miss Patty's enthusiastic embrace.
Rory attempted to stifle a giggle as she watched her mother flail and struggle to breathe as the robust woman pressed her face tightly to her bosom. "Congratulations, Lorelai. You are one lucky lady, let me tell you. Oh, to have the privilege of seeing Luke in a towel every day, I'd think I'd died and gone to heaven, especially after the glimpse I got the other day..." Patty trailed off dreamily and loosened her grip, providing Lorelai with an opportunity to come up for air.
She prepared herself, intending to question Patty on the congratulatory comment. Surely this wasn't about the engagement; they hadn't told anyone yet. Patty was good, but she wasn't that good. At least, Lorelai didn't think so. She looked at Patty questioningly and noticed the dreamy look on her face. Realizing she must have missed something, Lorelai replayed Patty's comments in her head. "Oh my God. You saw Luke in a towel?! When?" Lorelai practically shouted.
Patty emerged from her reverie, a very large grin on her face. "Yesterday. In the diner. I caught him trying to sneak in the back door wearing nothing more than a little scrap of Terry Cloth." She winked at Lorelai. "You are one lucky lady to be privy to that delicious ass every night."
"Uh, thanks Patty," Lorelai said with a mixture of horror and amusement in her voice. "Well, we should be going."
"Give him a kiss for me," Patty called as Lorelai and Rory quickly strode to the diner.
Lorelai flung open the door, anxious to see Luke. It felt like they'd been separated for days and not mere hours. Instead, she was suddenly surrounded by people hugging her and grabbing at her as they chattered excitedly. Bewildered, she caught Luke's eye as he rushed past with some orders. He shrugged and gestured to the specials sign with his head, his expression indicating that he was clearly not amused.
She craned her neck, trying to see what it said, but Kirk was blocking her view as he rambled on and on about ducks, llamas, and rings.
"Leave her alone, Kirk," Luke hissed as he breezed past again.
"But I was just suggesting how it would be a unique idea to involve animals in the photographs--"
"Sit down, Kirk. Your 'blackened toast' is getting cold." As Luke disappeared into the kitchen, Kirk shoved a business card into Lorelai's hand and rushed back to his spot at the counter.
The rest of the town surged around her, each person trying to get her attention. Somehow, amid the chaos, Rory managed to catch her mother's arm and pry her away from the local loonies. She dragged her over to the only empty table and they both sat down. The crowd dispersed and headed back to their meals.
Luke returned from the kitchen, and after delivering meals to some of his customers, he came to their table, coffee pot in hand. "Bunch of nut jobs in this town," he grumbled as he filled their cups.
Lorelai took a sip. "What was that all about?"
Luke pointed to the specials sign again, and this time Lorelai could see that it read: 'Luke's Engagement Burger with Rings: $3.75.' She exchanged a look with Rory and burst out laughing. "Guess we've been outted, huh? What, you couldn't wait until tomorrow?"
"It wasn't me." He glared at Lane who was talking to Kirk at the counter. "What the hell is an Engagement Burger anyway?" he ranted.
"I don't know, but it sounds kind of good." Lorelai's stomach grumbled.
Luke glared at her. "Of course you would think so. Everybody and their uncle is ordering it, why shouldn't you? Never mind the fact that it's 7:30 in the morning."
Lorelai looked at him for a moment, considering how far she should push him. "I think I'll have waffles, and bacon, and pancakes."
"Me too," Rory added quickly. "I have an exam this morning, I need my strength,"
Luke raised his eyebrow sceptically. "No 'Engagement Burger'?"
"Nah. I hear it's highly overrated," Rory told him.
"And I got the real deal last night." Lorelai smiled as she relived his proposal in her own mind.
Luke softened, his own thoughts straying to the night before. He leaned toward her, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered, "That you did. I missed you last night." She smiled at his confession as he moved to kiss her on the forehead.
Before Lorelai could respond Babette shouted, "You call that a kiss, Luke? You gotta give your fiancée a little somethin', somethin'. You're engaged now, no one here minds if you plant one on 'er."
Luke rolled his eyes as the diner broke into a barrage of hooting and cat calling. "It's none of your damn business," he growled, causing the diner to fall silent. "This town is insane."
"You're only figuring this out now?" Rory asked.
"No, but I swear, they get crazier by the day." He glared at them all again before continuing to jot down Rory and Lorelai's orders. "Your breakfast will be up in a bit." With that, he vanished, leaving Rory and Lorelai to giggle at his grumpy state.
xxxxx
The diner had cleared out a bit by the time Luke brought them their food. After ensuring that Caesar and Lane had it covered, Luke came over with his plate of eggs and multigrain toast and sat down next to Lorelai.
"So Rory, are you feeling better today?" Luke asked as he took a sip of his orange juice.
Rory swirled the syrup from her waffles around her plate with her fork. "Yeah, I guess."
Luke frowned, noticing a haunted look in her eyes. He started to ask her another question when Lorelai gently put her hand on his arm to stop him. When he looked at her questioningly, she leaned over and whispered, "Rory and Logan broke up last night. It was kind of... ugly. I'll tell you more about it later."
Lorelai planted a quick kiss along the top of his jaw before returning to her pancakes and changing the subject. "So, I hear Miss Patty saw you in the towel yesterday," she said innocently, a gleam in her eye.
Luke choked on the mouthful of eggs he was eating. He washed it down with a sip of orange juice, a subtle blush rising as his coughing subsided. "What?"
"Miss Patty mentioned it when we bumped into her on our way over here this morning. Apparently you gave her quite the show. You must have forgotten that little detail."
Luke's blush deepened. "I did not. It was an accidental run in. How was I supposed to know she was lurking in the bathroom?"
Lorelai giggled. "Relax Luke, I'm just teasing. Patty was quite impressed is all. Wasn't she Rory?"
Rory glanced up, clearly startled by the sound of her name. "Huh? Uh yeah, she seemed impressed."
"You okay, hon?" Lorelai cast her a worried glance.
"I'm fine, just worried about my exam." Rory pushed her uneaten breakfast away. "I should probably get going."
Lorelai searched her daughter's face for clues about her state of being. "Okay, babe, good luck."
Rory gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Mom. Good luck with grandma."
Lorelai groaned. "Don't remind me. Are you sure you can't tell her for me?"
"I'm sure. It has to come from you. Besides, you'll have Luke for back up." She smiled at him encouragingly and he nodded his acknowledgement.
"Fine. Abandon me in my time of need," Lorelai called out dramatically as Rory exited the diner with a wave.
"So, is Rory really okay?" Luke gestured toward the uneaten breakfast.
"I think so." Lorelai took a deep breath and prepared to launch into a full scale freakout about how she felt about Logan showing up drunk and forcing himself on Rory. Instead, her phone rang and she dug it out of her pocket, examining the caller id.
Luke growled and pointed to the 'No Cell Phones' sign but dropped his arm when she mouthed, 'Doctor'.
"Hello?" she answered the phone, nodding at Luke to confirm that it was indeed the doctor from the hospital.
"Yes, this is Lorelai Gilmore." She stood up and moved toward the curtain, gesturing for Luke to follow her.
They sat down on the second to last step, their heads pressed together with Lorelai holding the phone between them so that they could both hear.
"I have received the results of your pregnancy test from the lab," Dr. Hooper said. "I'm sorry it took so long, there was an equipment failure, so all tests were delayed."
"That's okay." Lorelai grasped Luke's hand and shot him a nervous glance as they strained to hear the doctor.
"So you have two options, Ms. Gilmore. I can give you the results of the test right now, over the phone. Or, if you prefer a more personal setting, we can set up an appointment."
Luke squeezed her hand and shook his head. 'Now,' he mouthed. He tapped his feet' anxious to know if one of his greatest dreams was about to come true.
Lorelai smiled, touched by his nervousness. "Over the phone is fine, Dr. Hooper. Please, just tell me."
They heard a shuffling of papers as the doctor searched for the right one. After what felt like an eternity he said, "The lab results indicate that you are currently almost 5 weeks pregnant. Congratulations, Ms. Gilmore."
Lorelai sat stunned, her eyes beginning to stream with tears as she processed the news. She'd been too afraid to hope for this, and suddenly it was real. She'd never been happier in her life. She was pregnant with Luke's baby. She turned to him, beaming as she shared this moment of joy with him. His own eyes were brimming with moisture as he clutched her hand tightly.
"Ms. Gilmore?" Dr. Hooper said through the phone.
Lorelai startled. "Sorry. I'm here. Thank you for calling."
"You're welcome," he said genuinely. "Now, you will need to start taking a prenatal vitamin and you should make an appointment soon with an OBGYN so you can make sure that everything is going smoothly. Congratulations again."
Lorelai said good bye and closed the phone, letting it fall into her lap as Luke gathered her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head, his heart lighter than air. He was going to be a father with the woman he loved most in the world. The woman who'd just agreed to be his wife. It didn't get better than this.
He cupped her cheek and turned her face up to his. Their eyes locked and he felt a frisson of energy surge through them. He loved her more in that moment than he'd ever thought possible. He leaned in, his eyes still fixed on hers as he brushed his lips against hers. He kissed her tenderly, her lips silky and sweet beneath his own.
She pressed against his mouth, soaking up his love and offering hers in return. They deepened the kiss, and Lorelai moaned as Luke sucked gently on her bottom lip. Her tongue found his and they duelled passionately, their breathing becoming erratic as their desire for each other intensified.
Luke rested his palm against her stomach, in awe of the life that was growing inside of her. He sucked her lip again, this time biting it before releasing her slowly and leaning back to gaze at her. There was something deeply primordial and erotic about the woman he loved carrying his child, and he was suddenly overcome with an aching need to feel her flesh against his.
Completely oblivious to their surroundings, he pulled her to a sitting position and swept off her sweater. Caught in the same tidal wave of need, Lorelai frantically tugged at the buttons of his shirt. She grasped the base of his flannel and t-shirt and pulled them over his head in one fell swoop. Her hands roamed over his chest, as his fiddled with the clasp on her bra.
He groaned, the sight of her naked torso causing painful tension in the vicinity of his groin. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn her breasts already looked fuller and her abdomen swollen. He pushed her back against the steps and nibbled her ear, blowing softly on the tender skin behind it. Lorelai shivered, as a flutter of pleasure stirred within her lower body.
Lorelai opened her mouth to tell him that the step was digging into her back and it hurt. Instead, she moaned as Luke trailed kisses down her neck. All thoughts of her discomfort fled as he began nipping and pulling teasingly at her taught skin, winding his way to her breasts. He traced a long, wet trail through the valley of her cleavage with his tongue, sending tremors of bliss racing through her. Their eyes met as he began to lick and kiss the satiny skin of her supple mounds, slowly approaching the tight buds at their tips.
Lorelai gasped as the edges of his lips finally made contact with the sensitive end of her right breast, while his hand slowly kneaded the other. She arched her back, revelling in the sensation as his other hand caressed her belly. He transferred his attention to the opposite side, the hand on her stomach continuing its dissent.
He deftly unfastened the button on her jeans, and ceased his suckling to slide them over her hips. Lorelai groaned in protest when he pulled away, even as she shifted uncomfortably, the stair behind her digging further into her back. Taking advantage of the temporary loss of contact, she began to ease herself up to the stairs, butt first.
Luke quickly removed his own jeans and followed, catching up and grasping her thighs above the knee, just as she reached the top. Lorelai stilled, her breathing laboured and her chest pounding as she anticipated his next move. He spread her legs apart and pressed a moist kiss to the inside of her left knee. He made his way along her thigh, licking and nibbling at the tender flesh. He paused near the top, and she could feel his heavy breaths through the rapidly moistening fabric of her panties. He blew on them softly before flashing a teasing grin and repeating his actions along her other thigh.
By the time he was done, she was squirming, her hands squeezing her own breasts. "Please, Luke," she gasped, her eyes murky with wanton desire.
"As you wish," Luke replied, dipping his head toward the zenith before him. He dragged his tongue along the contours of her lace panties, relishing in her scent for a moment before hooking his fingers into the band and sliding them over the length of her legs. He lowered his head and tasted her, lapping at her dampness while she writhed above him.
His tongue flicked at her most sensitive spot relentlessly, as she began to buck her hips. Her breathing became erratic and he plunged two fingers deep inside her. She gasped and her hands slid to her nipples, twisting and pinching as Luke began to quicken his pace. She was inundated with sensation as he brought her to the brink, and suddenly she was engulfed in a wave of pleasure so intense she had tears streaming down her face.
When her breathing finally began to return to normal, she opened her eyes to see Luke hovering above her. He bent to kiss her, his lips fusing to hers in loving adoration. Their gentle kisses quickly escalated to frenetic levels and Luke was overcome with the need to bury himself inside her. Luke positioned himself at her entrance and slowly lowered himself into her.
He stilled for a moment, allowing her body to accommodate him before he began to move. He sank into her again and again, his tongue entwined with hers as they soon found a rhythm together. His breathing became laboured as stroke after stroke brought them both closer to the edge. Lorelai ground her hips against him, the friction causing them both to moan. Luke quickened his pace and buried himself deep within her as he felt her spasm around him. Lorelai cried out against his lips, and he tumbled after her, lost in the pure enjoyment of her love.
He collapsed against her, his breath still wheezy as he slowly became aware of their surroundings.
"Wow," Lorelai whispered, "I should find out that I'm pregnant more often, 'cause that was amazing."
"You're amazing," he replied, brushing her hair out of her eyes, "And I adore you." He rolled off her and pulled her to her feet before engulfing her in a firm embrace and dragging her through the door of his apartment for round two.
TBC
xxxxx
A/N:"Engagement Burger with Rings" was all BOOM's brilliant idea, so I can't take credit. Thanks again for helping me brainstorm.
