The following day was Saturday, which meant Lorelai had the day off. Mia had worked it out with her to get as many weekends off as possible, causing a bit of dissension among the other maids, but so that Lorelai could spend more time with Rory, since there was no school those days. However, her internal clock still caused her to get up earlier than she used to before working at the Inn, and after tossing and turning a few times, she yanked the sheets away, grumbling a little.

"What's with you?" Luke asked, as she walked into the kitchen. He already had a pot of coffee brewing and bacon sizzling on the stove.

"I can't sleep in anymore," Lorelai said, whining.

"And that's a bad thing?"

"You're a morning person," she scoffed. "You don't understand."

"Here," he said, thrusting a mug into her hands. "Coffee's almost done. It's the only thing that makes you pleasant in the mornings."

Lorelai stuck her tongue out at him as she walked over to the brewer and pulled out the carafe, letting the coffee drip directly into her mug until brewing was complete, then filled it to the brim from the carafe.

"What are you doing today?" she asked, after taking her first delicious sip.

"Uh, didn't really have anything planned," he said. "I could maybe go by the store and see if Dad needs anything."

"I have a book for Rory being held for me at a bookstore in Woodbridge," she said. "Want to do a little Christmas shopping? I could probably get Mia to watch Rory for a few hours."

He used tongs to place the bacon strips onto a paper towel, and looked over at her. "Okay, sure," he said easily.


Once Lorelai had her hands on her promised copy of The Polar Express, she was feeling so giddy that she dragged Luke all around the bookstore, looking at all the displays and oohing over assorted titles that she thought Rory would love. The store was pretty crowded, and although Luke tended to feel irritation anytime he would get jostled in the crush, Lorelai seemed to glow even brighter, pealing out a giggle and an 'excuse me!' before pulling on Luke's arm to show him something else that she had spotted.

"I'm going to look in the kids stuff some more," Luke said, jerking a thumb back towards the kids' section.

"Ok," Lorelai agreed. "I'm going to check out the magazines. See what celebrity gossip is hot off the presses." She gave him an exaggerated wink, and he laughed. She walked away, practically skipping, she was so hyped up from the holiday crowds. With a smirk, he turned and began to peruse the kids' books again. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but having Rory around all the time made him think about Jess. He wanted to send Liz something that she couldn't just buy drugs with, or sell at a pawn shop, or barter with for cigarettes and booze. He didn't know much of what she was doing, but the snippets he'd heard were enough to be worrisome.

After choosing a couple books he thought Jess might enjoy, based on the short time he'd had Rory and Lorelai in his life, he started toward the newsstand of the bookstore, looking around for her blue coat and her knit cap. He spotted her over by the tabloids, rifling through a brightly colored magazine, and was about to walk over to her when a tall blond guy stepped up to her.

"Hey, there," he heard the guy say. Luke stepped back, until he was partially covered by a display of paperbacks.

She turned, and directed her mega-watt smile at him. "Hey," she replied easily.

"Catching up on Sly Stallone?" he said, nodding toward the magazine in her hands. She flipped to look at the cover and laughed.

"Yeah, guess he's off the market now," she giggled. "Too bad."

"You want to grab a cup of coffee?" he asked. Luke felt his blood racing through his veins. He wanted to go over there and punch that guy in the face, and the ferocity of that urge startled him. Back off, buddy, she's mine, he couldn't help but think to himself.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Lorelai said, looking genuinely apologetic. "I'm married."

"All you have to do is say you don't want to," the guy replied, looking somewhat offended.

"No, really, I am," she replied. She pulled off her glove and wiggled her left hand in his direction, her gold ring gleaming in the brightly lit store, the matching engagement ring sparkling alongside it. Luke felt a sense of satisfaction settle over him, as the guy smiled politely and left. He watched as Lorelai fitted the glove back onto her hand and went back to her magazine, as if nothing had happened at all. He wondered if she was hit on frequently, and if she deftly deflected them all just as easily as she had this one.

He squared his shoulders and walked toward her. "Hey," he said, sidling up beside her. She looked up and smiled widely.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked, looking down to his hand.

He held up the two books. "For Jess," he said, shrugging with slight embarrassment.

"Ooh, great idea," she said, and she looped her arm around his, turning him towards the registers. He felt that satisfaction all the way to his toes, hoping the blond could see them as they walked away.


The new little family fell into a routine that, if Lorelai had stopped to think about it, would have made her laugh in its abject domesticity. Every morning, Lorelai would slap blindly at the alarm clock, hitting it to snooze while Luke would get out of his own bed immediately. Once Lorelai stumbled downstairs, freshly showered and dressed, he'd place whatever breakfast that he'd assembled in front of her, and lecture her about whatever sugary condiments she added to it. Then, with a thermos of Luke's amazing coffee in her hands, she'd take the Toyota to work, leaving Luke to get himself and Rory ready for the day.

After Rory was dressed and fed breakfast, he'd walk her to the church and drop her off, then continue on to the hardware store to put in his own work day. After Lorelai finished with her shift at the Inn, she'd be just in time to pick up Rory at the end of her school day. The two of them would fill their afternoons with fun games or small field trips, and then they'd all meet up at the house for dinner once Luke had helped close up the store. After Rory's bath and bedtime story, she'd be tucked into her crib for the night, and the two adults would watch a movie or play a game of cards until Luke could hardly keep his eyes open any longer, and the two would head upstairs to bed.

It felt like perfection, and Lorelai was perfectly content, hidden away in Stars Hollow with her husband and daughter. But as with most things, it couldn't last.

The next week, she was back to work when she realized she needed to mention something to Mia about the towels returning from the cleaning service not entirely clean. She strode into the foyer of the Inn, where Mia was currently at the front desk, relieving the desk manager for her lunch break. She'd barely gotten Mia in her sight when she was startled out of her mission.

"Lorelai Gilmore!" she heard a familiar voice shriek, and her heart stopped. It was all too good to be true, this time that had passed without being caught. And now here she was, a married woman and a mother, still reduced to feeling like a five year old with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Mom, hi," she said lamely, smoothing her uniform nervously.

Emily cast a disapproving glare up and down the height of her daughter, starting at the worn out tennis shoes and ending at the messy ponytail her hair was pulled back in, scoffing at the maid's uniform in between. "Well, when you set out to embarrass the family, you don't go halfway," she said coolly.

"Good to see you, too," Lorelai said, frowning.

"So I hear you've gotten married," she continued. Lorelai's mouth gaped open.

"H-how did you know?" she stuttered. She'd been so careful to have all her important documents mailed to the P.O. Box in Stars Hollow that she and Luke had opened before they were able to accept mail on Maple Street.

"Seriously, Lorelai, I couldn't let you run off and not even attempt to find you. What kind of mother do you think I am? I had to make sure you and Rory were safe." A rare flash of vulnerability washed over her, and Lorelai felt a stab of something that felt like affection. Then Emily continued, "I had to make sure you hadn't killed her or yourself with sheer stubborn stupidity." The affectionate feelings died instantly, and Lorelai's face hardened into a sneer.

"Thanks for your faith in me, mother," she replied, her voice matching Emily's icy tone.

Emily harrumphed, then squared her shoulders. "You'll bring him to our Christmas party next week," she said, brooking no room for argument.

"But I, what–" Lorelai stammered helplessly. This is not how she expected this conversation to end up.

"And Susan, too, of course."

"Oh my god, her name is Rory," Lorelai snapped.

Emily didn't react. "Saturday night. Seven o'clock. Don't be late, Lorelai. Show me that courtesy, at least." And with a prim turn, Emily stalked out of the Independence Inn on her expensive yet tasteful heels.


"No!" Rory screeched, arms flailing. Lorelai fell back on her heels, blowing her hair out of her face. Crinoline and petticoats flared, and Lorelai hadn't even begun to try and get the sheer white tights on.

"Come on, baby," Lorelai pleaded. "I'll let you have some candy before dinner if you just let me get this on." The bribe seemed to do the trick, because the flailing ceased, although Rory wore a grimace the entire time her mother sorted through the layers of itchy fabric. Once dressed, Lorelai leaned away, trying to get the full outfit in view, attempting to hide the scowl on her face. How many of these horrible outfits had she worn herself? In true Emily fashion, she'd had the dress messengered over to the Inn a few days before, along with a note implying that she didn't trust Lorelai's judgment in choosing appropriate attire. Luckily, she hadn't sent along a wardrobe choice for Luke or Lorelai.

Rory's fine hair was a disheveled mess from all the effort expended in getting the stupid dress on, and so Lorelai went upstairs to get the detangling spray and a comb, leaving Rory happily enjoying a handful of M&Ms, praying that she didn't smear any of the candy coating on the white outfit.

She rounded the corner, mind focused on her mission, to stop short in the doorway. Luke was standing in front of the dresser, his back to her, completely naked and toweling off his hair. Her mouth went dry, and blood roared in her ears before taking a deep dive south. She'd known that he was muscular and fit, but seeing the hard planes of his back, tapering down to his ass, she felt like she was staring at a Playgirl centerfold. Quietly, she backed up into the hallway, and took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Licking her lips, she called out, "Hey, Luke?"

"Just a minute," he called back. She waited, leaning her against the wall. "Come in," he said a few moments later, and she walked in hesitantly. He'd put on his boxers and was buttoning up his shirt, and she tried to act normally.

"I just need to brush Rory's hair," she said, pointing toward the bathroom. As she reached for the spray and comb, she noticed her hands shaking slightly. Supplies in hand, she made her escape. She decided to pretend it hadn't happened. She didn't want to embarrass him, after all.

Although, god almighty, he had nothing to be embarrassed about.

Luke was wearing a nice pair of dress slacks that he'd had handy, plus a collared shirt underneath a heavy wool sweater. Lorelai thought he had cleaned up nicely, but she knew that her parents would think he was sloppy. Lorelai herself had been pleasantly surprised when Miss Patty overheard her discussing her clothing situation and offered any of her dresses from her former life as a Broadway dancer. In the end, she'd chosen a dress that seemed to be from the 1960s, with a trim fitted bodice, tasteful sequins, and a slight fringe over the sleeves. The color changed from royal blue, to navy, to black depending on the light, and it fit like a glove. She prayed that it would at least pass muster, because she wasn't in the mood for any lectures tonight.

Dressing Rory had taken longer than she'd anticipated (who knew her easy-going kid would have the same rebellious streak when it came to horrible outfits?), and so she did her makeup quickly and pinned her hair up. Hopefully her mother wouldn't make a comment about her lack of jewelry, but she hadn't thought to grab any when she left her parents' house and funds for things like necklaces weren't a priority. She slipped her feet into the only pair of heels she had and clomped down the stairs.

"Ready!" she said, breathless, so harried from her quick preparation she'd forgotten to feel awkward around Luke.

"Great," he said, handing her coat to her. She looked up at him, and noticed his expression.

"Is something wrong?" She looked down. "Is my dress okay?"

"Uh, no, it's, uh," he stammered slightly. "It's beautiful," he said finally, giving her a small smile. "You look great."

She beamed. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "Now, let's go."

"They have a freaking valet?" Luke gaped, as they pulled into the large circular driveway to the Gilmore mansion.

"It's just for the party," Lorelai explained, but she felt somewhat embarrassed by the excess. These things had always seemed ostentatious to her, but now it made her feel almost sick, particularly after she had had a conversation with one of her coworkers at the Inn just a few days ago about making ends meet. Some of the people she worked with were literally concerned about their water being turned off, and here her parents were almost throwing money away.

Luke hesitantly handed over the keys to the car to the man behind the temporary podium. Lorelai held Rory in her arms, the skirt of her dress flouncing all over the place, making it difficult to see where the little girl's dress ended and her body began.

"Well, here goes nothing," she said, and pressed the doorbell. A woman she didn't recognize opened the door, and gazed at them expectantly.

"Uh, Mr. and Mrs. Danes," Lorelai said, stumbling slightly over her words. Luke reached over and squeezed her shoulder in support. The maid motioned them in, and took their coats. Luke reached over and moved Rory into his own arms, and they walked into the living room. Lorelai felt like she was about to faint from anxiety.

Emily saw them come in and she reached over and grabbed the arm of a tall man. "Richard, they're here," she said, and they walked over to the couple.

"Mom, Dad," Lorelai said nervously. "This is Lucas Danes, my husband."

"Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore," Luke said politely, reaching out his free hand to shake Richard's.

"Please, call me Richard," he said. Lorelai watched carefully for the reaction of her parents to her new husband, but both of them were very carefully keeping neutral expressions on their face. It made Lorelai's stomach plummet.

"Lovely to meet you," said Emily. She hesitated. "May I see Su– I mean, Rory?" she asked stiffly, looking as though she was worried that Luke would refuse to hand over the child after her almost faux-pas.

"Uh, yeah," Luke said, and he shifted Rory in his arms. "This is your grandma," he said softly to Rory, who looked at Emily curiously. "And this is another grandpa. They are your mommy's parents. Would you like to say hi?"

"Hi," Rory said solemnly. She screwed up her face slightly. "Gamma?" she asked, looking to Lorelai for affirmation.

"Yes, baby, that's your grandma. Would you like to sit with her for a minute? She would love to visit with you."

Rory looked wary, but she nodded, and reached out toward Emily. Emily smiled softly, working her arms around all of the material of her dress to get a firm hold on her. "Would you like an apple tart?" Emily asked her, and once again Rory looked over at her mother to make sure it was okay.

"Oh, you'll love apple tarts, sweets. Make sure you don't eat them all, okay? Save some for me." Rory giggled, and Emily and Rory left the room.

Richard cleared his throat. "I wanted to thank you for coming," Richard said, his tone cordial and polite. "It means a lot to your mother."

"Yeah," Lorelai said softly.

"Excuse me, I need to speak with a colleague of mine. I'm sure we'll talk more later," he said, then left them standing there.

"Wow," Luke said again. "That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen."

"Par for the course with the Gilmores," Lorelai sighed. "Let's get a drink."

Drinks in hand, they managed to find a small section of the room that wasn't full of party-goers. Looking around, Luke could tell that they were by far the youngest in attendance. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before.

"Shoot," Lorelai sighed, twisting her calf slightly.

"What?" Luke asked, looking her over with concern.

"There's a run in my hose," she said, running the pad of her index finger over it. "My mother is already in fine form, I don't want to throw any more fuel on her fire tonight." She handed Luke her drink and shouldered her bag carefully. "I think I might have some in my room upstairs. Keep an eye on Rory, make sure they don't upset her, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," he replied, his eyes already locating the little girl in the crowded room as Lorelai left the room.

Walking into her bedroom was like stepping inside a time machine. Everything was exactly as she'd left it, with the minor exception of it being slightly more immaculate than it had after her mad rush to pack up her duffle bag.

She pawed through her dresser again, the fact that nothing was out of place neither surprising nor expected. With the way she had left, things could have gone either way; she could have been fully disowned or they could have maintained the room like the museum it was. At least, being the latter, she quickly located a pair of hose that probably cost more than six pairs of the type she was currently wearing.

She changed quickly in the adjoining bathroom, and balled up the ruined pair, planning to toss it in the garbage on her way back downstairs. But when she pulled open the door to go back into her bedroom, she was surprised to see Christopher on the other side of the door, waiting for her.

"Chris!" Lorelai gasped, holding the balled up hose against her heart. "What are you doing?"

"Came to see you," he said.

"Well, you saw me. I've gotta get back downstairs."

She tried to walk past him but he caught her hand and pulled her closer, maneuvering her towards the wall.

"I'm married, Chris," she said.

"Oh, is that what you think is happening between you and that guy?" Chris snorted.

"Yes, he's my husband," Lorelai said, irritated. "I have the rings and everything." She yanked her hand from his, and flashed the rings in his face.

"He may be your husband legally, but you aren't sleeping with him," Chris stated, looking smug.

Lorelai scoffed. "How would you know?" she spat. "You don't know anything about our relationship."

"I know that if I had you here, wearing this dress, I wouldn't be able to wait to get you home. Wouldn't be able to take my eyes off you for a second." Lorelai swallowed, then tried to get past him again, but he slid his knee between her legs, and planted his hands against the wall, one on either side of her head. "He's never seen you naked, I can tell," he murmured.

"Not every man is fixated on his dick," Lorelai shot back bitterly.

"Why did you do it?" he asked evenly. "Why did you marry him? I offered. I would have married you."

"Yeah, I think your exact words were like, 'huh, guess we should get married now'. Exactly the proposal every little girl dreams of." She hated how his proximity was turning her on. It had been a year and ten months since she'd been intimate with someone, and she could feel her body pulsating with desire. He smelled so good, wearing that same cologne he'd always worn, that smelled like man and musk and sex.

Not to mention she was still reeling from her encounter with a gloriously perfect male body earlier that day.

"So why him, then?" Chris pressed.

"He wanted to be a father," Lorelai said. "He wanted to be there for Rory, be someone I could lean on when things got hard. He's been a true partner."

Chris moved his knee only slightly, and she felt shivers go up her spine from the intimate touch. "You want me," he breathed, leaning forward so she could feel his breath on her face. "I know you, Lor. You're pretending you don't want it, but I know you do. You always do."

"Go fuck yourself," she whispered, but her heart wasn't in it, and he knew it.

"So what's his deal? If he's not getting you in bed, what's his game?" Chris taunted her, ignoring her words. "Did you offer him a hefty portion of your trust fund? Are you his beard? Does he wear dresses and high heels when he's alone?"

"No!" Lorelai said, and anger burst from her. How dare he make assumptions about the man who was quickly becoming her best friend? She pushed him back forcefully. "What Luke and I do or don't do in private doesn't concern you."

Holding up his hands, Chris took a few steps back in surrender. "It doesn't matter, anyway," he said, shrugging.

"What?" Lorelai asked, finally tossing the ruined pantyhose into the trash basket by the door.

"This is just a phase you're going through," he said airily. "Eventually you'll stop playing house with that putz and realize that you and me are meant for each other."

"In your dreams, Chris," she said, stalking out of her old bedroom.

"You'll see!" he called softly, just loud enough for her to hear as she rounded the hallway toward the staircase.

She sought out Luke immediately, who was holding Rory and looking somewhat lost. "I want to go home," she said urgently into his ear.

He looked perplexed. "What happened?" he asked, concern wrinkling his forehead.

"Christopher happened," she said, looking around to find her mother so they could excuse themselves quickly.

"What?" he gasped, and she could see his face reddening. "Did he try something? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Lorelai said, but her mind was turning in so many directions she couldn't be sure which way was up. Her only goal at that moment was to get out of that house and back to the safety of Stars Hollow.

"Lorelai," Luke said, and gently touched her arm. She looked up, and saw the concern mixed with fury that he was struggling to control.

"I'll tell you later," she said pointedly, and he nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her mother walking towards the foyer. "Come on," she said, and Luke followed her, Rory still firmly entrenched in his arms.

"Lorelai. Luke," Emily said, as she noticed the couple walking up to her.

"We're going home," Lorelai said. "Thanks for inviting us. It was a beautiful party, Mom. One of your best, really."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," her mother said primly. The two women faced each other silently, neither knowing what else to say.

"So, I'll see you?" Lorelai said awkwardly.

"Maybe you could all come for Easter dinner?" Emily asked. Lorelai could tell that she was trying to portray herself as disinterested and detached, but there was a lingering hesitation behind the question.

"Uh, yeah, okay," Lorelai said, her eyes darting toward Luke. He shrugged. "I can give you the house number. Do you have some paper?"

"Here," Emily said, pulling out a notepad and a pen from a small table in the foyer. Lorelai scribbled some numbers on it.

"I put our number on there, plus the Inn and the hardware store. So you can reach us."

"Very well," Emily said. "Have a merry Christmas."

Once they were outside in the cold air, Luke turned to Lorelai expectantly. "So what happened?"

"Not in front of Rory," Lorelai pleaded, as the valet brought their car around.

"Okay," Luke said gruffly, and she knew that the second Rory was tucked into her crib, she would be interrogated.


Lorelai sat on her bed, arms around her legs and chin tucked between her knees as she waited for Luke to come out of the bathroom. She hated how Chris knew just how to get to her. She had struggled with the push and pull of her parents her whole life, and he had swept in, handsome and just emerging from the brambles of puberty, someone she'd known her whole life and yet, a stranger. She hadn't been a virgin when they'd started dating; Chris was hardly her first rodeo. But today was the first time he had intimated so clearly that he thought she was easy, and it cut her to the quick. His sharp words had also ignited a fear in her that Luke wasn't what he seemed. What was his agenda? Did he have one? Did he propose to her out of a sense of injustice, of wanting to help someone who was struggling, or was there another reason? And who was Rachel?

"Okay," he said, walking around to his bed, and yanking the covers out. "What happened? Did he touch you? Because I swear to god, if he hurt you, I—"

"No, he didn't," Lorelai said, interrupting his tirade. "He just… said some things." She turned, and watched as Luke slid under his blanket. "Chris just really knows exactly what to say to hurt me."

"So what did he say exactly?" asked Luke, laying back against the headboard.

"He just kept asking why I would marry you instead of him, and then he… he asked me if you had a secret agenda. Like, you were out for money or something?"

"Money?" he asked blankly. "I didn't even know your parents were rich until tonight."

"I know that," Lorelai said, "but he was just saying things, trying to upset me. And it worked."

"You gonna be okay?" he asked gently, and when Lorelai met his eyes, she only saw concern. She nodded, and he visibly relaxed. But there was another question that had been bugging her for weeks. Ever since the first time that Miss Patty had mentioned her, and before that, when Mrs. Kim seemed surprised that Luke had married her.

"Luke?" Lorelai asked, trying to steel herself.

"Yeah?"

"Who's Rachel?"

"Ahhh," he sighed, and he stared up at the ceiling. "Rachel. Well, she and I dated."

"What happened?" Lorelai asked softly, and she lay back on the bed, looking up at him. He still didn't look at her, and she could tell he was thinking hard.

"It didn't work out," he said, and shrugged.

"That's it?" Lorelai asked skeptically.

"Yeah, pretty much. She didn't want to stay in Stars Hollow and I did, and so she left and I stayed."

"Ah," Lorelai said softly. Something about that admission bugged her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

"Ready to get some sleep?" he asked, and she nodded. He flicked off the lamp, and she pulled the covers up over her head.