A/N: I'm simply floored by the response this story has gotten! I'm having a blast writing it and I'm glad so many people are reading it. This is another chapter for your reading pleasure. Hope you like it:)

Disclaimer: I don't own it...


The weeks rolled on and soon October became November. Lorelai smiled to herself as she thought about the trick-or-treating they'd done with the girls for Halloween. She'd even been able to convince Luke to dress up and it only took the patented Gilmore pout with a mix of the Lorelai hair twirl, she was so proud of herself. They walked through town together, Luke dressed as Spock, Lorelai as Superwoman, Rory as a fairy (she was going through a fairy phase,) and April as a cute little bumble bee. They really were the picture perfect family.

"Lorelai," Michel called through the door of her office, "linen deliver is here and this man wants for you to sign for it."

"Coming Michel," she called back as she pushed herself away from her desk. They'd been so busy at the inn that she was ready for a break. She needed to get away, but with the business convention they were hosting it was impossible. The last few days she was lucky to get home before nine, which left Luke caring for the girls primarily. Lucky for him they were both fairly easy.

April was starting to branch out her abilities. Just the other day she had rolled over for the first time, causing minor panic from her father. Lorelai chuckled as he watched his daughter with amazement. For an instant her heart hurt for the child she had lost, but when Luke looked up her and whispered, "Just look at our daughter," those thoughts left and tears glistened in her eyes. They had already talked about Lorelai adopting April officially, making her April's mother legally and she was more at the prospect. Lorelai had tried to bring up the subject of Luke adopting Rory too, but he brushed her off. It wasn't that he didn't want to adopt her, she knew, but he was worried about branching on Christopher's territory too much.

Christopher, Lorelai thought to herself, a pathetic attempt of a father if you ask me. He missed her birthday again this year. I can't believe it, again. Is he ever going to take the lead and be apart of his daughter's life? I doubt it. I'm so glad Rory has Luke now, she'll have a dad.

"Sookie," Lorelai called entering the kitchen, "I need coffee, now."

"Just made a fresh pot," Sookie called back from somewhere in the kitchen, "Gah!"

"Sook, what's wrong?" Lorelai asked her friend. Sookie getting agitated couldn't and wouldn't be a pretty thing.

"Stupid produce, stupid produce man!" Sookie was mumbling to no one in particular and Lorelai held in the chuckle.

"What's wrong with the new produce guy?" Lorelai asked, "I though you loved his stuff, it's the best you've ever worked with, remember saying that?"

"Yes, I remember, but that was before."

"Before what?" Lorelai questioned her friend. Lorelai had hired a new produce guy after Sookie had complained that the one the inn used for years had finally lost his edge. Lorelai didn't doubt it, the guy was easily eighty.

"Before I had to deal with him," Sookie hissed, going at it with the carrots in front of her. "He's so self-centered and, and…"

"You like him," Lorelai interrupted, noticing the look on her friend's face. "You like the produce guy, Jackson."

"No…no I don't," Sookie stammered and Lorelai gave her a knowing look.

"Me thinks you protest too much," came Lorelai's old English answer and Sookie blushed.

"Maybe I like him a little," Sookie finally admitted and Lorelai squealed. "Lorelai."

"What?"

"Don't get too excited, it isn't like anything is going to happen," Sookie muttered.

"Hey," Lorelai scolded, "don't think like that. Why don't you ask him to do something?"

"Because that would look desperate and pathetic and I really don't want to look pathetic and desperate."

"He's new in town right"

"Yea, moved from upstate New York, why?"

"We could invite him to dinner, a welcome to the town kind of thing. You, me, Luke, and Jackson could all go to dinner or something."

"Like a double date?"

"Well, it wouldn't actually be termed a double date, but appearances would make it seem like it was."

"I dunno…"

"Just think about it Sook. You never know unless you try," Lorelai told her with a smile before refilling her coffee and heading back to work. She still had a lot to do and she was determined to get home at a decent time tonight. She wanted time with her wonderful boyfriend and daughters before she collapsed.

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"Kirk," Luke warned, his patience growing thin with the man. "Just eat your meatloaf."

"But Luke, it touched my carrots, I can't eat it now, they mixed," Kirk argued and Luke's face began to change colors. Glancing away for a minute to control his anger he saw Rory watching him closely from the counter, the look on her face told him she was struggling to hold in her laugh.

"You don't have to eat it, but you do have to pay for it. It all goes to the same place Kirk, and it only touched for a second."

"Luke, I…" Kirk started before Taylor interrupted him, barging into the diner.

"Ladies and gentleman," Taylor bellowed and Luke heard Rory's laugh finally come out. He smiled to himself before putting on his annoyed and angry face to deal with Taylor.

"What do you want Taylor?" Luke growled. Why did all the crazies have to come out at the same time? He asked himself, they couldn't do it in shifts, could they?

"Luke no need to be gruff," Taylor chided and it was all Luke could do to not throw him out. "If you would have paid attention to the weather report this morning you would know that they are predicting the first snowfall of the season for this weekend, Friday night to be specific."

"Taylor what's your point?" Miss Patty asked from her normal table, saving Luke the time and trouble.

Luke tuned Taylor out as he went on and on about town traditions and the stupid reenactment the first snow brings. The story always brings back memories for Luke, memories that aren't always easy to deal with. This time of the year was always hard for him. His birthday, that he hadn't really celebrated since his dad got sick, the reenactment his dad always participated in, and the worst of it all, the thirtieth, the day his father died. He'd been able to convince Lorelai not to do anything extravagant for his birthday. They'd celebrated by going out to dinner, just the two of them. Birthday's made him think of his family, of growing up, and those memories sometimes just hurt too much.

For just a moment he left himself travel back in time.

"Lucas!" He heard his dad call from the kitchen. "I could use some help in here."

"Coming," he answered immediately. Eighteen year old Luke, travel down the stairs two at a time, entering the kitchen in minutes flat. His high school track star ways, evident in his muscular and toned body. "What's up dad?"

"I'm having problems holding on to stuff, my hands are all stiff," William Danes said honestly, "can you open this jar for me?"

"Sure dad, need any other help?" he asked, wondering to himself if he should broach the subject of a check up to his father again. He'll just say he doesn't need it,Luke thought to himself, ever since mom died he's avoided doctors and hospitals like the plague.

Luke was concerned about his dad though, he hadn't been acting like himself for some time, Luke was convinced something was wrong but he couldn't his dad to do anything.

"Nope, that is it son. Go back upstairs and finish your homework before dinner if you want to go out tonight," Will told him, ignoring the concerned look that was plastered on his son's face. "Would you check on Lizzie as you pass her room please? Just make sure she isn't getting into trouble."

"Sure dad, but are you sure…"

"I'm fine Lucas, now go."

Luke remember that night vividly, it was the last night they were all together in their house for a long time. The next day Luke was pulled out of his senior Calculus class by Stars Hollow High's principal to be informed that his father had collapsed in his hardware store and was rushed to the hospital in Woodbridge.

It was that day they found out his father was sick, he had cancer. Flashbacks of his mother's illness flooded Luke that day and he cried for the first time in six years, for the first time since his mother's funeral.

After that day things changed for the Dane's family. Luke finished high school at the insistence of his father and even took some courses at a community college in Hartford, but he dedicated most of his time to helping his father out in the store and getting his father better. It was a long six years before William Danes passed away; right after Luke had turned 25. His birthday would always be tainted with the closeness of his father's death. This year Luke turned 27 on the first and at the end of the month would mark two years since his father's death.

Luke was so completely lost in his memories that he missed Taylor's questioning.

"Luke? Luke are you listening to me?" Taylor asked, standing directly in front of him, waiving flyers around like a lunatic.

"Actually, I wasn't Taylor, but that shouldn't come as a big surprise," Luke told him and he smiled at the disgusted look he was given. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"Will you be participating this year?" Taylor asked.

"In what?"

"The reenactment Luke, pay attention," Taylor chided and Luke held in his laugh.

"I'm not standing out in the snow all night freezing my ass off, sorry Taylor, you are going to have to get someone else to be your sucker," Luke told his walking away and over to where Rory was sitting doing her homework, a happy April playing in her seat next to her.

"Mom's going to be mad she missed that," Rory whispered to him with a chuckle. "She loves watching you and Taylor fight, she gets such a kick out of it."

"Your mother is crazy," Luke said and Rory nodded.

"Yup, but we love her anyways, don't we Luke?"

"We sure do, Rory, we sure do."

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"Gilmore residence," Emily answered picking up the phone the next afternoon.

"Emily, this is Luke," Luke replied nervously, no matter how many times he spoke to Emily or had dinner there he was always nervous talking to her alone.

"Oh, hello Luke, how are you?" Emily asked turning her attention from her day planner. Luke very rarely called their house, it must be something important, she thought.

"I'm fine, thank you Emily, I was wondering if Richard was at home?"

"He is, I'll put him on the phone for you," Emily told her, her curiosity growing.

"Well, actually, I'd like to speak to both of you, if possible. If you prefer I can drive over," he offered, not sure of the proper protocol for asking a favor of your girlfriend's parents.

"Nonsense, Richard has a speakerphone in his office, we'll just use that," Emily told him as she walked towards her husband's in home office.

"Emily? Is everything ok?" Richard asked as she entered his office.

"Luke would like to speak to us together; can you put him on speaker?"

"Of course," Richard answered, hoping this conversation had something to do with the proposal. After a few moments they were successfully connected and Richard and Emily waited to find out what Luke needed.

"Now Luke, what can we help you with?" Emily asked, unaware of the plans he had to propose. Richard had done a very good job at keeping it a secret and he wanted to make sure it stayed that way, until the ring was on her finger at least.

"I was wondering if you would mind having the Rory and April stay the weekend with you. Lorelai has been really stressed out with work this week and I wanted to take her away for the weekend," Luke explained, hoping that Emily couldn't see right through his story.

"Of course we'll keep them," Richard exclaimed, Emily nodding in agreement.

"We'd be happy too," she inserted, "a weekend with our grandchildren would be quite entertaining."

"That's fantastic. I was thinking we'd all come for dinner of Friday night, then we'll leave the girls with you and head off," Luke suggested.

"Sounds perfect," Richard told him and he smiled to himself.

"Great, are you sure it won't be too much trouble, with April I mean?" Luke knew they already loved April like she was their own grandchild, but a weekend alone with her, he wasn't sure.

"No problem at all," Emily assured him, "we'd be honored to spoil them some. It's our right at grandparents."

"Thank you," Luke told them, glad the first step of his plan had worked out. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow night."

After hanging up the phone Luke smiled to himself as Rory walked through the door of the diner. Everything was working out just fine, this was going to work.

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"So, let me get this straight. My parent's are keeping Rory and April this weekend while you and I go away?" Lorelai asked Luke again, for the third time that night since she'd gotten home.

"Yes, we will all go to dinner together, then the girls will stay there and we'll head out," Luke confirmed again.

"But what about our jobs?"

"I've already talked to Mia and she's in support of a weekend away to de-stress you and since I'm my own boss, I get to take time whenever I want."

"Being your own boss must be nice," Lorelai said dreamily and Luke knew she was thinking about her dream to one day own her own inn with Sookie.

"You and Sookie will get that dream one day, you just have to be patient," Luke comforted, pulling her into his arms tightly. "Mm…your hair smells good."

"Who would have ever guessed that Luke Danes, Mr. Masculinity would have a thing for fruity shampoo?"

"When it's in the hair of my beautiful girlfriend, how am I to resist?" he asked back flirting and Lorelai giggled. She loved this time with Luke at night, when the house was quiet, April and Rory were asleep, and they could just be together.

Burrowing herself farther into Luke's warm arms, she contently floated into sleep with a smile on her face.

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"So where are you taking me?" Lorelai asked Luke as they left the Gilmore mansion Friday night. They had stayed long enough to get Rory and April settled, which really wasn't hard, then Luke ushered Lorelai out the door, refusing to tell her where they were going.

"For the fifth time, I'm not telling you," Luke answered not taking his eye off the road. "You're just going to have to be patient."

"But what if something happens to us, no one will know where we are," Lorelai suggested and Luke laughed.

"Me not telling you, doesn't mean that other people don't know where we are," Luke told her and she tried the pout. "That's not going to work on me tonight."

"Luke," Lorelai said seductively, adding the hair flip into the mix. He still didn't cave and Lorelai finally gave up, directing her attention to the world passing by her window.

Luke looked at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled. He had planned this outing based solely on the meteorologist's weather predictions and he was going to be pissed if they were wrong. The snow was supposed to start early tomorrow morning and as much as he didn't like cold, he couldn't wait for the first snowflakes to fall.

Pulling into the driveway of the lake cottage he'd inherited from his grandfather, Lorelai looked at him expectantly.

"This was my grandfather's cottage, he left it to me when he died," Luke told her before she had the chance to ask.

"Luke, it's beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here," she said threading her fingers through his as they walked up to the door.

"Warning you now," Luke started, "even though I had the property manager come up and open it up earlier this week, it could still be pretty musty."

"How long has it been since you've been here?" Lorelai questioned, squeezing his hand protectively.

"Over two years," he murmured, "my dad and I came fishing up here in-between some treatments."

"Oh honey," Lorelai comforted, knowing those thoughts had to hurt.

"It's okay," he added, "really. I want to be able to come up here again, it needs new memories and I couldn't think of anyone better to make those memories with than you."

"Luke, you are one very amazing man," Lorelai said, kissing his cheek. Getting accustomed to their new surroundings and settling in, they teased and laughed with each other, just enjoying their company without worrying about homework or changing diapers.

Curling up in front of the fireplace later that evening she fell into a light sleep in Luke's arms.

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Luke couldn't sleep. He didn't want to. He wanted to be awake when the first flakes where falling so they didn't waste any time. Fingering the small box in his pocket he nursed a cup of tea, his gaze falling on Lorelai, curled up on the bed of blankets they made on the floor. The fire was dwindling down and Luke went to stoke it, not ready to loose the warmth it was providing.

That's when he saw it, the night sky filling with white flakes showering down.

It was time.

Luke gently kissed Lorelai on the lips, a sure fire why to wake her up. Sure enough she started to stir, "Luke?" she asked looking at him with a confused look in her eyes.

"Get up," Luke whispered, pulling on her hands.

"Why? What's going on?" she asked and Luke only pulled her to her feet. "Put on your shoes and your coat, I want to show you something."

"And it couldn't wait till morning?"

"Nope, now hurry or we'll miss it," Luke said and Lorelai complied.

Leading Lorelai out into the night she squealed when she saw the snow. "Luke's it's the first snow of the season!"

"I know, now come on," he said, pulling her to the end of the dock. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and they stared out into the water together.

"Luke, I know that I love the first snow and all, but what are we doing up in the middle of the night?" Lorelai asked turning half around to look in Luke's eyes.

"Because," he said simply, giving no further answer. Okay Danes, he thought to himself, you can do it. Just bend down and ask, it's not that hard is it?

Dropping his arms to his side he quickly fished the box from his pocket and knelt down on one knee. Lorelai turned when she lost his warmth and drew in a sharp breath when she saw him.

"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, will you marry me?"


A/N: So...what do you think? What do you want to see? Let me know...he-he. I love cliffhangers!!