Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed! I still have a lot in store for this story, so it's not even close to being over. I hope you're all still along for the ride. Happy reading!


Lorelai offered the nurse helping her back into bed a grateful smile later that evening. "I thought I had a husband to do this for me, but I think I've been replaced," she commented.

With a shake of her head, the nurse adjusted the covers at the end of Lorelai's bed. "It looks like it's been while since the two of you have done this, he's probably just out of practice," she commented. "I will say, though, with as many families we get coming through here, your husband is one of the more capable fathers."

It warmed Lorelai's heart to hear that to the hospital staff, Luke was not new to being a father of a newborn. It meant that he was confident in caring for Victoria and his nerves had dissipated somewhat, at least to the outside world.

"Can I feed her?" Lorelai asked as she leaned back against the pillows. It had been hours since Victoria's first half hearted attempt at nursing, and Lorelai could feel the pressure building in her own body.

The nurse glanced at the clock. "Sure," she said. "I'll bring her in shortly. Can I get you anything else?"

"No, I'm just glad to know I'm still capable of walking," Lorelai said. "Already an improvement since this morning."

The door opened and Luke walked in, carrying a paper bag of food. His eyes widened when he saw the nurse hovering over Lorelai and asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, this good Samaritan was just helping me in and out of bed since you decided to abandon me," Lorelai confirmed.

He stepped closer and held up the bag. "Does getting you dinner count as abandoning?" he asked.

"Depends what it is."

"Turkey sandwich with fries."

"No burger?"

"No, but there are extra fries," Luke replied. "And pie for dessert."

"Gimme!" Lorelai demanded, holding her hands out for the bag.

Luke shook his head as he handed her the bag, then leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Tired," Lorelai admitted. "But I got that nice nap in this afternoon, so I'll be okay for awhile."

The nurse offered a small smile as she stepped back. "I'll be back in a few minutes with Victoria," she said. "Enjoy your dinner."

Lorelai offered a smile of gratitude before she turned to Luke. "How are you?" she asked.

"Fine."

"Luke," she tilted her head to the side and waited patiently.

Letting out a long breath, Luke sighed and sat down facing her on the bed. "Overwhelmed," he admitted. "Happy, terrified, amazed…I'm not even sure."

Lorelai nodded sympathetically. "That's because you haven't slept or eaten anything in two days," she said.

"I'm not the one who gave birth."

"True, but you're also human," Lorelai said. She handed him half of her sandwich. "Eat this."

"You need your strength."

With a frustrated sigh, Lorelai waved the sandwich in his face. "You're really going to argue with me after your nine and a half pound baby just ripped her way out of my body?" she asked.

Luke grimaced, but took the sandwich. "Is that description really what you're saying when you want me to eat?" he asked.

"I could have gone into much more detail," Lorelai said. "You were there, you now know that childbirth is not beautiful or magical, no matter what they tell you."

"At least we got a perfect kid out of it."

"Yeah, she's pretty cute," Lorelai agreed. "How are Rory and April?"

"They're good," Luke confirmed. He took a bite of the sandwich, and Lorelai smirked when she saw the satisfaction in his eyes as he chewed.

"Did they go home?"

Luke swallowed, then nodded. "Yeah, they were both pretty tired. April's going to go to school tomorrow, but Rory will be here in the morning," he said.

"Okay," Lorelai said. Her half of the sandwich was already devoured, and she munched on a French fry for a moment. "Did the doctors tell you anything about when Victoria and I can go home?"

"Insurance covers two nights post delivery," Luke said. "I'll stay with you tomorrow night too."

Lorelai flashed him a grateful smile. "Thanks," she said softly.

"It's not like I'd be able to sleep at home anyway," Luke said.

"I know, I've conditioned you to need me right next to you," Lorelai nodded.

He leaned forward to kiss her. "You think you're joking," he muttered before he kissed her again.

Lorelai cupped his cheeks for a moment before she pulled back with a smile. "Slow down, Cool Hand, it's only been twelve hours," she said.

"Sorry," he sighed, pulling back to look at her closely. "You're sure you're okay?"

"As okay as I can be," she promised. "It'll be a few days before I'm ready to go to the gym again."

Luke scoffed, and his head snapped towards the door when it opened to reveal their nurse cradling Victoria.

"Someone's ready for her dinner," the nurse smiled.

"I can take her," Luke stood and reached his arms out.

"Nice try, but I've got a monopoly on this," Lorelai said. She popped a final fry in her mouth, set the food bag on the end table and then reached to sanitize her hands. After she'd unbuttoned her pajama shirt, she gently reached out to take Victoria, smiling brightly down at her. "Hey, sweet girl, remember me?" she asked.

"I know you said she latched on earlier, but I'll stick around to make sure she's actually eating," the nurse murmured as Lorelai situated the baby. Victoria let out a soft whimper, and Lorelai reached down to tickle her chin.

"Come on, I know you're hungry," Lorelai murmured. "You are my daughter, after all." Victoria squirmed for a moment, but finally turned her head to Lorelai's chest. After a moment she began eagerly sucking, and Lorelai smiled proudly. "There she goes."

"Does it feel like she's eating?" the nurse asked quietly.

"Yeah, she's having a regular feast," Lorelai confirmed. She glanced at Luke, who was standing frozen in the middle of the room, his arms crossed stiffly across his chest. Deciding to take pity on him, she offered the nurse a grateful smile. "I'll page you if we need anything."

With an understanding smile, the nurse left the room and closed the door quietly behind her.

"You're going to have to get used to me breastfeeding," Lorelai informed her husband as he slowly turned towards her.

He shook his head as his eyes traveled down to Victoria, then back up to Lorelai's face. "It doesn't bug me," he said.

"Uh huh, and that's why if I slapped a furry hat and red uniform on you, you'd be ready to guard Buckingham Palace," Lorelai commented.

"It doesn't," he insisted. "It's the…doctors and stuff."

Lorelai nodded sympathetically. "I know you hate being here," she said softly. "We're very glad that you're facing your fears for us."

Luke offered her a small smile. "Not the first time," he said.

"And it's been appreciated every time," Lorelai said. "Come sit with us."

Without pause, Luke sat down beside her on the bed. He leaned back against the pillows beside Lorelai and smiled as she leaned her head against his shoulder. His head leaned against hers, and he gently reached out to run his fingers over Victoria's blanket covered feet. "She's doing okay?" he asked.

"Healthy appetite, just like Mommy," Lorelai said, smiling down at the baby.

"God help me."

Lorelai giggled, but couldn't help marveling at the evolved Luke beside her. For a man who'd once requested that she tell a woman to stop breastfeeding in his diner, it was amazing that he was now so close to the scenario without blinking an eye.

Victoria detached from Lorelai for a moment and let out a contented sigh. She rested for a moment before she turned her head and latched on again.

"I hope you're ready to feed another Gilmore," Lorelai said as she gently elbowed Luke's stomach.

"Hopefully I'll be able to get her to eat a vegetable once in awhile," Luke sighed.

"Good luck," Lorelai scoffed. She smiled as Victoria pulled away again, and offered the baby to Luke. "Burp her?"

Uncertainty flashed across Luke's face. "I don't know…" he said.

Lorelai tilted her head in concern. "Luke, you've been fighting me to hold her all day," she said. "When Rory went over her fifteen minute allotment I thought you were going to kick her out of the room."

"Yeah, but…I've never burped a kid before."

"Yes you have, you did it to Henry like a week ago," Lorelai said.

"I've never done if for my kid before."

Lorelai smiled softly. "Luke, if I could figure this out by myself as a sixteen year old who'd never held a baby, you can do it now," she said. "You've taken care of Doula and Henry, I'm here, and you've been preparing for this for months."

"What if I hurt her?"

"Then I kill you." Lorelai finally decided that Luke wasn't going to respond to the logic card, so she turned to the practical one. "Would you at least hold her? I'm getting cold here."

Luke's eyes widened and he reached for Victoria, cradling her gently in his arms. Lorelai shifted her shirt back over her shoulder and buttoned it again. Turning back to Luke, she smiled softly. "Lift her onto your shoulder," she said gently. Luke paused before he carefully did so, and then began patting Victoria's back gently. "It's not so hard, is it?" Lorelai asked.

Luke turned his head slightly to look at her. "Not yet," he said.

Lorelai held up her left hand. "Too late to back out now," she said. "If the rings weren't promise enough, we've now got a permanent flesh and blood bond."

"Don't want to back out," Luke confirmed. Victoria let out a soft cough from his shoulder, and he visibly relaxed. "Good job, sweetheart."

Lorelai watched the two of them together for a moment before she said, "We should tell her her story."

"Her story?"

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded. "Every year, on her birthday, we'll wake her up at 5:22 and tell her this story. I was a little distracted this morning, so we can do a twelve hour delay this year."

Familiar with Lorelai's tradition with Rory, Luke smiled softly. He lowered Victoria back down and stretched his legs out on the bed beside Lorelai's. She watched as he leaned to rest Victoria on her lap, then ran a hand over her hat covered head. "Where should we start?" he asked.

"From the beginning," Lorelai said.

"The morning a coffee crazed lunatic tore through my diner?" Luke asked.

Lorelai giggled. "Be nice, that 'lunatic' blood now runs through hers too," she said.

Luke turned to flash her a smile. He leaned down to offer Victoria his index finger, watching as she grasped a tiny fist around it. "The first time I met your mom, I was at work in the diner, which we'll show you very soon. I was in the middle of the breakfast rush, and this crazy woman came in demanding coffee…"

Leaning her head back against the pillows, Lorelai listened to the comforting voice of her husband recounting their story to their daughter. He highlighted their first adventure with Rory, the milestones they'd accomplished together, and the additions of Paul Anka and April into their family. As he approached their wedding, he heard him say, "And your mom made me an incredible book, filled with all these memories that you can look at when you get home."

"You'll be featured heavily in future pages," Lorelai promised. She glanced at Luke, then took over for some of the story. "After Daddy and I got married, we decided that we were finally ready for you. We moved into a new house, the same house he grew up in, and tried very hard to make sure that you came along."

"You first made yourself known on what would have been our honeymoon," Luke said to Victoria. "We thought your mom was seasick, but it turns out, you didn't particularly like the ocean air."

"Which we hope changes now that you're out in the real world," Lorelai said. "Because we have a beautiful boat waiting to take you on all kinds of adventures."

"That we do," Luke agreed. Picking up the story, he said, "On Father's Day, Mom decided that she was going to tell me that you were coming. It was one of the best moments of my life."

Lorelai recalled the expression of wonder that had appeared on Luke's face when he'd realized that his father's day card had in actuality been an ultrasound. "And even though you made me fat and have crazy emotions, Daddy took good care of both of us," Lorelai said. "He even faced his fear of doctors and hospitals to watch you being born."

"Your big sisters were waiting here all night too," Luke said. "They're both very pretty and very smart, and so are you. They'll both watch out for you."

"We're so glad you're here, sweet girl," Lorelai whispered, taking Victoria's hand and waving it slightly. "We've wanted you for a long time, but it was completely worth the wait. We love you so much."

Luke leaned in to press a kiss to Lorelai's temple. "Don't worry," he said, turning his attention back to Victoria. "I'll make sure you grow up normal in our insane town."

"Don't listen to Daddy," Lorelai giggled. "Stars Hollow is perfect."

"Perfectly annoying," Luke muttered, but couldn't fight the smile coming across his face. Glancing down at Victoria, he observed, "We put her to sleep."

"That was the point," Lorelai murmured. She leaned forward and pulled Victoria into her arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I love her so much, Luke."

"I love her too," he agreed.

Lorelai's eyes filled with tears as she turned to look at him. "I don't want you to think that I wasn't happy when Rory was born," she said. "I was, but…it's different this time. Not better, but different."

"We were ready," Luke said. Tilting his head to the side, he observed his daughter and said, "We're grown ups, we planned for her."

"I'm so happy it's you," Lorelai whispered. "To pick anyone to be a dad to my kids, both of them, it would always be you."

"Rory and I were talking while you were sleeping," Luke murmured.

"About what?" Lorelai asked.

Luke sighed into her hair. "She asked me to drop the step part of stepdaughter," he admitted.

Lorelai's eyes filled with fresh tears and she didn't even try to fight them from spilling down her face. "Oh my god," she whispered. "What did you say?"

"I said yes," Luke said as if the answer was obvious. "She's my daughter, Lorelai, as much as April and Victoria."

"Take her," Lorelai said, holding Victoria out to him. Luke quickly obliged, and Lorelai buried her face in her hands, taking several deep breaths. The tears were flowing freely as she tried to gasp air into her lungs.

"Lorelai?" Luke asked, starting to panic slightly at her reaction. He hadn't thought his conversation with Rory was much of a revelation; he'd looked after her as a daughter since before he'd ever kissed Lorelai. But his wife was doubled over with sobs wracking her body, desperately trying to breathe, and he had no idea why.

Pressing a soft kiss to Victoria's head, he slid off the bed and lowered his sleeping daughter into the crib at the foot of the bed. Turning back to Lorelai, he resumed his position beside her and took her into his arms. "What's this?" he asked when she had finally calmed down enough to breathe.

"I don't…" Lorelai swallowed hard. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

"I've always loved Rory, you know that."

"Yeah, but…" Lorelai sighed as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't know, it's probably my out of whack hormones, but just hearing you call her your daughter was just…you've never said that before."

Luke was starting to get confused. "Have I ever treated her like less?" he asked quietly.

"No, I've never thought that you loved her less, I just…I wanted this for so long," Lorelai said. "All of it. A real father for Rory, a strong, stable marriage, more kids. It's so unbelievable that it's actually here. And then you tell me that Rory, my strong, brilliant, amazing daughter, asked to be your daughter, no in between. I'm just…a tired, emotional mess and you spring that on me."

"Sorry," he murmured.

She shook her head firmly. "God, Luke, you don't have to be sorry," she said. "I know I've always been…Wonder Woman, but I wouldn't have Victoria if it wasn't for you. Or April. God knows where Rory would be if you'd never been able to get her through her culinary arts classes."

Luke laughed slightly and ran his hand over her back. "I think she'd have done okay," he said.

"You never know," Lorelai said. "She could have been so depressed over her failed cooking grade that she turned to a life of drugs and street crime. Then she'd have dropped out of Stars Hollow High and taken to life on the streets, at which point she'd never have gotten into Chilton or Yale, meaning that she'd be living life as an impoverished nomad, always regretting that she'd never learned to cook, wishing she'd had a strong, flannel clad man to show her exactly how to…"

"Okay, I've got the picture," Luke said. "You're more than a stepmom to April too. Let's just call it even?"

Lorelai nodded and tilted her head up to look at him. "Deal," she said. She sighed as she leaned into him. "I'm tired," she admitted.

"Sleep," Luke requested softly.

"You have to sleep too," Lorelai whispered. "You haven't slept at all."

Luke pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I didn't have a baby," he said.

"Still need sleep," Lorelai's voice was growing heavy. "Need to cook. Change diapers. Get me coffee."

"Go to sleep, beautiful girl," Luke whispered. "I'll be right here."

XXXXX

"Lorelai, for god's sake, this is ridiculous," Emily complained the following morning as mother and daughter stood side by side in front of the nursery window.

"Come on, Mom, just tell me which baby you think is prettiest," Lorelai said. She was enjoying the frustration on her mother's face as Emily leaned forward, trying to read the tiny printed names on each crib.

"Would you just tell me which one is my granddaughter?" Emily requested.

Lorelai shrugged and gestured to the window. "I already told you, she's the prettiest girl in there," she said. "There are only five of them, and she's prettier by like a hundred levels, so I'm starting to get concerned about your vision."

Emily huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Where is your father?" she asked.

"With Luke, looking at the car seat," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "He's had three different police stations, Jackson, Rory, April, and E-every person in town look at it to see if it's installed correctly and he's still paranoid." With a cringe, Lorelai waited to see if her mother would notice her near-mention of Ethan's name. Her daughter would never forgive her if she was the one to tell Emily Gilmore about the Harvard man in her life.

Thankfully, Emily turned back to the nursery. "He's been quite paternal," she said in an impressed tone.

"He's definitely a paternal one, that husband of mine," Lorelai said. She followed her mother's gaze to the nursery. "So which one?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Obviously that's her," she said, pointing to a crib in the front where Victoria was sleeping soundly.

"Obviously," Lorelai said with a proud smile. She leaned against the railing and folded her hands, resting her chin upon them as she looked at her daughter carefully. "Victoria Abigail Gilmore Danes."

"It's a beautiful name," Emily commented. She was quiet before she said, "She's in the same bed Rory slept in."

Lorelai smiled fondly. "I can be quite persuasive when I want to be," she stated.

"Where do you think you got it from?" Emily asked. "Congratulations, Lorelai. I know you've waited a long time for this."

"I have," Lorelai agreed. "It's a far cry from last time we were here, isn't it?"

Regret flashed across Emily's face. "I was worried," she said. "Surely you understand, as the mother of now three girls. Imagine how you'd feel if she tells you she's pregnant in a mere fifteen years?"

"Devastated," Lorelai admitted. She could have added more, about how if that situation did happen, she and Luke would support their daughter and let her do things her own way. Or how they'd prevent it from ever happening by keeping an open line of communication and allowing Victoria to have some freedom. But she knew her mother was trying to make amends, so she kept her mouth shut. "At least you and Dad got the Lorelai you always wanted out of it."

"Two of them," Emily sighed. "I'm very proud of you, Lorelai. Your life certainly isn't how I imagined it would be when I was looking at you through this window, but…you're happy and successful. You're a wonderful mother, you have the support of a man who loves you, and have made so many of your dreams come true. I suppose that's what I should have wanted all along."

It was a rare moment of honesty and raw emotion from Emily Gilmore, and Lorelai felt her hormones kicking into overdrive again. Trying to set the balance right in the universe, Lorelai asked, "Does this mean you're finally going to forgive me for the time I slid down the banister at Dad's fortieth birthday party?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Certainly not, I still have no idea what gave you such a lack of decorum," she said.

"Probably using words like 'decorum' around a kid," Lorelai said. "With the exception of Rory, kids don't know words like that."

With another roll of her eyes, Emily pointed to Victoria. "Are you going to let me hold my granddaughter or did I skip my DAR meeting for nothing?" she asked in an irritated tone.

Lorelai smiled and took her mother's arm. "Follow me," she requested, pulling her towards the nursery door. "Now, just so you know, Victoria is half Luke, so there's a possibility she'll be drinking nitwit juice on her twenty first birthday. If you can't accept that, now's the time to say so."

"For god's sake, Lorelai, just open the door," Emily demanded. "I want to see my granddaughter."

XXXXX

"How is she?"

Lorelai glanced up from Victoria's sleeping form to meet Luke's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Sleeping," she said. "Probably because it's taking you four and a half years to get home."

Luke gently eased the car off the highway and began maneuvering through the streets that led to Stars Hollow. "This is the first time I've ever driven with a baby in the car," he said.

"I know, but having a newborn in the car doesn't mean you have to go five miles an hour on the highway," Lorelai informed him.

Paused at a stoplight, Luke met her gaze in the mirror again. "How about that nap you said you'd take in the car?" he asked.

Lorelai broke their gaze and turned to Victoria. "I've got better entertainment," she said. She'd opted to sit in the back with Victoria during her first car ride, and hadn't regretted the decision. Luke had been frantic at the hospital that morning, making sure that Victoria was properly bundled for the cold January weather and that Lorelai was properly prepared for the journey home. Lorelai had calmly reminded him that she had, in fact, been in a car before, and that he was being ridiculous. What she hadn't realized was there was more ridiculousness to come, as Luke had forced two doctors and three nurses, along with an ambulance driver, to check Victoria's car seat before he'd allowed her to be placed inside. When they'd finally gotten on the road, he'd barely driven the speed limit, taking twice as long to get home as it should have. Lorelai had thought his protectiveness was cute at first, but she was quickly moving towards being annoyed. She was still incredibly sore, her breasts were aching to nurse, and she was starving. She was more than ready to get home and settle in with Victoria.

"Finally," she muttered as Luke pulled into their driveway.

"Is her hat on?" Luke asked, shutting the car off and turning to look at Lorelai as she unbuckled Victoria from her car seat.

"No, I don't want all the cute boys to see her with hat hair."

"Lorelai."

"Luke, I love the protective father thing, but it's getting a little extreme," Lorelai snapped. "I'm tired and hungry, and she needs to nurse. Can you please take the child lock off the door?" Luke obliged, then stepped out of the car. He opened the back door for her and gently helped her down. "I still don't know why you had to put that stupid lock on," Lorelai muttered crankily.

"There's a child in the car."

"A child who can't lift her head," Lorelai replied. "Let alone unbuckle her car seat, unlock the door, and climb out. Not that much damage would have been done with you driving a thousand miles under the speed limit."

"Sorry," Luke sighed. "Can we put the resentment aside for one minute? We're home."

Lorelai's face melted from irritation into a warm smile, and she gently rocked Victoria. "What do you think, baby girl?" she asked. "You're finally home."

"Rory and April have lunch inside," Luke said, gently guiding Lorelai inside. "I'll get the bags later."

Lorelai followed him towards the porch and said, "I'm sorry I snapped."

"Don't be sorry, you're tired, I get it," Luke shrugged as he opened the front door.

"Welcome home!" Rory and April were both standing in the foyer. At their excited greetings, Victoria's eyes snapped open and she began to wail loudly.

Lorelai smiled apologetically at her oldest daughters as she rocked her youngest gently. "It's okay, Victoria, your sisters are just excited that you're finally home," she said. "Look at the sign they made you." She glanced up at the welcome home sign hanging from the stairs and added, "She's a little overwhelmed I guess."

"I'll take her," Luke said, having already shed his coat.

"She's probably hungry," Lorelai replied.

Luke gathered Victoria in his arms. "Just until you get your coat off and sit down," he said. "You heard the doctor, you've got to rest."

"Uh huh, and the walk from the car to the front door was a great stretch of my legs," Lorelai nodded. "Especially considering I could have gotten us to California in the amount of time it took you to drive home."

Luke bounced Victoria gently in his arms. "I'll be teaching you to drive," he informed her.

"Hey, I taught Rory how to drive!" Lorelai said defensively. "And myself, I might add, many moons ago."

"It's true," Rory nodded. "One of my first memories is being strapped into the car seat in the back while Mom took her driving test with Mia's car."

Lorelai nodded proudly. "See?" she said, pointing to Rory. "I waited until she was old enough to observe me. Except for that time I drove myself to the hospital to give birth to her."

"And how many tickets have you gotten in the twenty years you've been driving?" Luke asked suspiciously.

"Just five or so."

"Hundred," Rory muttered under her breath.

Lorelai frowned as she turned to April. "By the way, you're my favorite kid," she said.

April giggled. "I won't complain," she said.

"Yep, you never made me fat or clawed your way out of my insides," Lorelai continued as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Automatic rise to the top."

"So I painted your toenails when you broke your leg for nothing?" Rory asked.

"Pretty much," Lorelai nodded. She walked into the living room and gently lowered herself onto the couch. "God, it feels good to be here," she sighed. She looked around the room and stated, "It feels like I've been gone for years."

"We took good care of the place," Rory nodded.

"Thanks," Lorelai sighed. She turned to Luke, who was lingering by the fireplace with Victoria. "Is she calming down?"

"Yeah," Luke nodded. He glanced at April and Rory and cleared his throat. "She might be hungry though."

Lorelai sighed as she stared up at the ceiling. "We should have brought her right upstairs," she said.

"Can't you feed her here?" April asked.

"I can, but I want her to see her room," Lorelai said. "Plus, there's a really comfortable chair up there, made by your favorite father."

"Do you want to bring some food up with you?" Rory asked. "Sookie stopped by to drop off enough food to last until her first birthday, by the way."

"I'm good, sweets, but thanks," Lorelai said. "Once she's settled I'll come back down and thoroughly enjoy said feast."

"Okay," Rory said.

Lorelai grimaced as she pushed herself off the couch. "I'm fine," she said as Luke opened his mouth. "You don't need to ask me every ten seconds if I'm okay."

Luke clamped his mouth shut as he watched her move slowly towards the door. "Okay," he said. Looking down at Victoria, he murmured, "I hope you're not as stubborn as your mother."

"You're one to talk," Lorelai muttered. She stood at the bottom of the steps with a look of determination on her face before she grasped onto the banister and took a slow, painful step onto the first step.

"Lorelai…"

"Hey," she turned to look at him. With her on the step and him on solid ground, she was eye level to him. "I love you for being so concerned, Luke. It's a far cry from last time I did this, and I appreciate it. But I'm a big girl. I just gave birth, I'm going to be in a little bit of pain. I promise I'll tell you the second it's something to worry about, but please stop hovering."

Luke sighed deeply. "I'm going to worry," he told her. Seeing her worn-out expression, he quickly added, "I'll try to back off."

She leaned forward to kiss him, mindful of the baby squirming in his arms. "Thank you," she said.

Luke nodded towards the stairs. "Let's show her her room," he said.

"Let's," Lorelai agreed. Once they'd reached the closed door to Victoria's room, she turned to Luke and leaned closer to her daughter. "Welcome home, sweet girl," she murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

She opened the door and smiled as she watched Luke walk into the room, tilting Victoria to get a better view. "What do you think, sweetheart?" he murmured. "Mom and I worked hard on making it perfect for you."

"That we did," Lorelai said. "Daddy built you a crib and a rocking chair. Only thing he's ever made for me is a chuppah."

Luke rolled his eyes. "The chuppah she's kept in her yard for years and insisted we get married under," he said to Victoria.

She responded by scrunching her face and letting out a loud wail. Lorelai smirked triumphantly at Luke. "See, she knows you're being mean to me," she said as she sat down in the rocking chair. "She needs to eat."

Luke handed Victoria to her, then jerked his thumb towards the door. "I'll go get the bags from the car," he said.

"Thanks, hon," Lorelai said. "She'll probably fall asleep for a bit, at which point I can eat like a normal human again."

Shaking his head, Luke turned towards the door and muttered, "Like that's ever happened before."

"I heard that," Lorelai called before she turned back to Victoria. "Don't worry, Victoria, Daddy and I like to tease each other. You'll get used to it."

XXXXX

"She's perfect, Lorelai," Sookie said the next afternoon. She was seated on Lorelai's couch, cradling the baby in her arms.

"I know she is," Lorelai said as she stifled a yawn.

"How are you?" Sookie asked with a sympathetic smile.

"Okay," Lorelai said. "She actually only woke up twice during the night. Hopefully she'll keep that habit."

"I hope so too," Sookie said. "Where's Luke?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Kirk was here at 6:30 this morning to deliver well wishes," she said. "He rang the doorbell and woke all of us up. Waking me and Rory at that hour is bad enough, but factor in a two day old baby who fell asleep an hour before, and you've got a very angry Daddy. He went to Taylor's to convince him to stop the meal wagon they set up for us at the town meeting."

Sookie shook her head. "Don't they know you're married to one of the town's best cooks and best friends with the other?" she said.

"If anyone doesn't know that by now, we should consider having them committed," Lorelai said. She looked up when Rory walked out of the library, an empty coffee cup in her hand. "Hey, sweets, how's it going?"

"I'm good," Rory said. "Need a refill. Hey, Sookie."

"Hi, honey," Sookie said with a smile. "How's it feel to be a big sister?"

Rory smiled as she leaned over Sookie to look at Victoria. "Really good," she said. "Can I take her?"

"Sure," Sookie said.

With a smile, Rory took Victoria into her arms and settled into the armchair beside the couch. "So, little sister, what do you think of our friend Sookie? She's the one to go to for baked goods, but don't tell our dad that."

Sookie's eyebrows raised exponentially, but Lorelai shook her head slightly. With the frenzy of Victoria's homecoming, she and Rory hadn't had a chance to talk alone yet. Her emotions were still slightly off kilter, but she needed to hear Rory's reasoning behind her request to Luke.

Sensing the need for mother and daughters to have some time alone, Sookie reached for her bag. "I've got to get going," she said. "Don't worry about the inn, everything is going perfectly. Michel's actually doing a great job."

"Thanks, Sookie," Lorelai said. She stood and hugged her tightly. "And thanks for the food. Luke's been a little too distracted to cook lately."

Sookie smiled as she leaned down to get a final glance at Victoria. "Who can blame him, he's got a beautiful newborn daughter," she said. "Bye, sweetie."

"Bye, Sookie," Rory said, not lifting her eyes from her sister.

Lorelai watched as Sookie disappeared from the room, then gingerly lowered herself back onto the couch. She watched Rory rock Victoria for a long moment before she observed, "She loves you."

"I'm glad," Rory said. "I was a little nervous about that."

"She's a smart girl," Lorelai said. "That Lorelai Gilmore wrath is not one to be taken lightly, she already knows that."

Rory smiled as she met her mother's eyes. "Hopefully she'll never experience it," she said.

"Not if she's anything like her sister," Lorelai said. She was quiet for a moment, then commented, "So Luke told me you two had an interesting conversation at the hospital."

A faint blush came over Rory's features. "I figured he would," she said. "Is that okay?"

"Of course," Lorelai said. "I guess I just want to hear your side of things."

Rory shrugged. "Well, it's not like I'm asking him to adopt me or anything, it's too late for that," she said. "He's never made me feel less important than April or Victoria, and ever since you guys got together for real, I've actually felt like I've had a father. He's protected me, embarrassed me, encouraged me, fought with me, supported me, made me laugh, given me advice…everything a dad's supposed to do."

Lorelai smiled as she scooted over on the couch. "Come here," she said. Rory obliged, and when she was seated beside her mother, Lorelai reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm glad you realize how much Luke loves you."

"I guess I didn't really consider how much the whole stepfather thing bugged me until I saw him with Victoria," Rory said softly. "You were sleeping and April and I went to the nursery with him to watch Victoria. The nurse asked if we were Victoria's sisters, and Luke introduced us as his daughter and stepdaughter. It doesn't really make sense, but it stung a little."

"Felt a little left out?" Lorelai asked.

"I guess," Rory shrugged. "It's just…April and Victoria are his, and maybe I'm being childish. But once the nurse took April to look at the medical equipment, I just…asked him to drop the step. I told him he could introduce me as his daughter, and I'd introduce him as my dad. He didn't even pause, just said okay."

Lorelai smiled. "He doesn't say that to just anyone, you know," she said.

"He's always said that to you," Rory said.

"Yes, but I'm the queen of his universe," Lorelai smiled.

Rory smiled. "It's not like anything's going to change," she said. "I just…don't want to be a stepdaughter anymore."

Lorelai nodded slowly. She looked at Rory's expression carefully before she asked, "Not to be the pessimist here, but what about Chris?"

"What about him?" Rory asked.

"He has a habit of popping up," Lorelai commented.

"I know," Rory said. "But he's been even more absent than usual. He called me the week after my birthday, and I haven't heard from him since. Not after the election, not for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It's been regular radio silence, like it was when I was a kid."

"I'm sorry, hon," Lorelai sighed. "I know how hard that must be for you."

"It's really not," Rory said. "I mean, it was always nice when he was around, but I never… missed him when he wasn't. Maybe there was a time that I wanted him to come around more, but it was more the idea of having a father than him."

Lorelai was quiet for a moment. "You're an adult, Rory, and I don't want to tell you how to live your life," she said.

"You're my mom, I want your advice," Rory replied.

"Okay," Lorelai said. "Speaking as someone who cut off her parents for a significant amount of time…it doesn't always work out the way you want it to."

Rory narrowed her eyes at her. "I'm sorry, I think Luke may have taken the wrong Lorelai home from the hospital," she said. "It sounds like you're telling me you regret running away and think I should pursue a relationship with Dad."

"I'm not saying either of those things," Lorelai said quickly. "I'll never regret coming to Stars Hollow. And as far as your dad goes, you know that he and I are done, over, forever. I'll see him if it involves you, but there are no more strings. They were cut a long time ago, for me at least."

"I know," Rory said. "It's just weird, to see Victoria and think that we have different dads. We might have different fathers, but we share a dad."

Lorelai swallowed her tears and smiled through them. "You're not going to hear me complain about that," she said. "You're a good kid, Rory Gilmore."

"Thanks, Mom," Rory said with a small smile.

"So…" Lorelai paused, trying to think of how to phrase her question. "Is Daddy Luke officially Dad now?"

"I don't know that I'll ever bridge that gap," Rory said honestly. "But he seems to like being Daddy Luke."

"He does," Lorelai confirmed.

"Plus, I'm the only one who calls him that, which makes me special," Rory said with a confident nod.

Lorelai laughed. "I've taught you well," she said.

"Yes, you have," Rory agreed. She looked down at Victoria. "Make sure you pay attention, baby sister. Mom's got a lot to teach you."

They both jumped at the sound of the front door slamming shut, and Luke strode into the living room purposefully. "I'm going to kill Taylor," he announced.

Victoria let out a loud cry from Rory's arms, and Lorelai quickly collected her into her arms. "Not before I kill you," she snapped as she stood and began pacing back and forth. "Shh, baby girl, it's okay. You'll just have to wake Daddy up tonight as payback."

"Sorry," Luke sighed, tossing his hat onto the coffee table.

Lorelai glared at him. "Sorry doesn't mean anything when you wake a sleeping baby," she stated. She bounced Victoria in her arms and said, "Like it or not, you're going to have to get used to this. Daddy isn't as nice to everyone as he is to us, but he really didn't mean to scare you."

Victoria's cries began to subside, and Lorelai turned to Luke. "Okay, now that she's calmed down, tell us what happened," she requested. "I've been cut off from town gossip for a million weeks."

"I told him he had to stop sending people over here," Luke said. "That we have a kid, but we're still perfectly capable of feeding ourselves."

"You mean you're capable of feeding us," Rory interjected from the couch.

"Not the point," Luke said. "Taylor responded by telling me that we have a responsibility to the town to let people see Victoria because she's a legacy."

Lorelai nodded as she considered the idea. "Well, she kind of is," she said.

"Are you agreeing with Taylor?" Luke's voice began to rise again.

"Okay, I'll tell you right now that if you make her cry again you'll be sleeping on the couch for the foreseeable future," Lorelai said.

Inhaling sharply, Luke placed his hands on his hips and stared at the ceiling. "Do you think Taylor's right?" he asked, more calmly this time.

"Careful, Mom," Rory advised from the couch. "I've already counted eight shades of red."

Luke turned to glare at her. "We don't need comments from the peanut gallery," he stated.

Rory responded by turning her head to Lorelai expectantly. Her eyes were sparkling, and she was clearly enjoying the interaction.

"I'm not saying he's right," Lorelai said. "At least not about us having an obligation to show her off. Pretty as she is, she's still getting used to being here with us. But she is a legacy."

"Don't tell me you're buying into that crap," Luke said.

"Ten!" Rory cried, then clasped her hand over her mouth. "Sorry."

Lorelai offered Rory an amused smile, then looked down at Victoria. "From what I hear, the last Victoria Danes was pretty popular around town," she said. "So regardless of our being 'the greatest love story Stars Hollow has ever seen,' this little girl's now the reigning Victoria Danes."

With a softened expression, Luke looked at her carefully. "I guess so," he agreed quietly.

"I have no doubts she'll rise to the occasion," Lorelai said as she placed Victoria into Luke's arms.

He smiled down at her and commented, "It's amazing how holding a baby calms you down," he marveled.

"Wow, if that was all it took I should have let you impregnate me years ago," Lorelai said with a fond smile. She ran a hand over his arm and murmured, "Taylor will back off. He's definitely insane, but I think he's trying to help."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Help the town," he muttered.

Victoria squirmed slightly in his arms, and Lorelai patted his arm. "Waking her up means you're in charge of changing the diaper," she said.

"Fair enough," Luke said. "Let's get you cleaned up, sweetheart."

Lorelai watched affectionately as he walked Victoria out of the room. Turning to Rory, she asked, "What was the final count?" she asked.

"Eleven shades of red," Rory confirmed. "Respectable, but certainly not as amusing as the time you made all the to go cups at the diner say Duke's."

Lorelai giggled as she sat down beside Rory. "Best way to pass the time while snowed in at the diner," she confirmed. "Well, with you there at least."

Rory made a face. "Just so you know, it will never not be weird when you make dirty jokes about Luke," she said.

"Oh, honey, there's no joking involved," Lorelai said seriously. "That sister of yours is proof that Luke and I are honestly, very seriously, no doubts about it, very good at…"

"Gah, stop!" Rory cried, clamping her hands over her ears.

Lorelai laughed and pulled her hands down. "Okay, I'm done," she said. "It's not even fun anymore."

"Good," Rory said, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest.

Pointing to Rory's coffee cup, Lorelai requested, "Be a good daughter and get the mommy some coffee?"

Rory looked at her skeptically. "Are you allowed to?" she asked.

"We compromised," Lorelai said, gesturing to the ceiling. "I caved while I was pregnant and had maybe three cups during the entire duration. So Luke's okay with me having some now."

"Wow, that's nice of him," Rory said.

"I may have told him that my mood swings were less hormone related and more caffeine withdrawal related," Lorelai said. "He figured if it stops me from yelling at him for three hours about buying the wrong shampoo, it's worth it."

"Did that really happen?" Rory asked.

"Yes, in the very early days of being pregnant," Lorelai replied. "Now go! I'm still too feeble and fragile to do things like get coffee."

Rory rolled her eyes as she stood. "Victoria's going to learn to make coffee before she learns to read, isn't she?" she asked.

"Well, if you want to stick around we can find out," Lorelai said. "My priorities are definitely coffee."

"It's good to know some things never change," Rory called over her shoulder as she walked towards the kitchen.

Lorelai sighed as she leaned back into the couch cushions. Even through her exhaustion and soreness, she had to admit that there was something almost therapeutic about the routine their family had already settled into. April had returned to school, but Rory was still around for another week before she left for her new job. With Luke upstairs taking care of their daughter, Lorelai felt loved and well cared for, in a way she wasn't sure she ever had before.

"I could so get used to this," she muttered as she pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and pulled it over her body.

XXXXX

Hours later, Luke sat on the edge of their bed as he watched Lorelai pace the expanse of their bedroom, trying to soothe Victoria back to sleep. She was screaming at the top of her lungs, and had been doing so for over half an hour, causing both of her parents to border on panic.

"Are you sure she's not hungry?" Luke asked over the wails.

"Yes, I'm sure," Lorelai snapped. "I tried to feed her twice, she's not interested."

"What about her diaper?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Do you think that wasn't my next guess?" she asked. "It's fine, clean and dry."

"Don't yell at me, I'm just trying to figure out what's wrong with her," Luke said.

"And I'm having a tea party here," Lorelai said sarcastically. She bounced Victoria slightly in her arms. "She's not even two weeks old, what if there's something wrong?"

"Should I call the doctor?" Luke asked as he stood, moving to Lorelai's side.

Lorelai pressed her lips to Victoria's forehead, lingering for a moment longer than necessary. "I can't tell if she feels warm," she said, holding her up for Luke to feel.

He repeated Lorelai's actions, letting a hand rest on her shoulder as he did so. "She doesn't feel it," he sighed. "Want me to take her for a bit?"

"Please," Lorelai said. "I have to pee."

She scurried off into the bathroom, and Luke looked down at his screaming daughter, feeling his heart ache. It must have been so frustrating for her, to need something and not be able to communicate it through anything but tears and screams.

Their bedroom door creaked open, and April poked her head in. "Dad?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep and her eyes bleary behind her glasses.

"Hey, kid, sorry," Luke said sympathetically. "We're trying to calm her down."

April shuffled forward. "Did Lorelai feed her?" she asked.

"Not hungry, and her diaper's dry," Luke sighed.

April frowned. "Did you burp her properly after she ate last?" she asked. "Maybe she has indigestion."

Luke looked at her skeptically as he raised Victoria to his shoulder and began patting her back. "When did you learn so much about babies?" he asked.

"Since I'm in a human biology class this semester," April reported.

"Oh, right," Luke said. "Lack of sleep is effecting my memory."

April looked at Victoria and made a face. "I don't think it's working," she said.

"Me either," Luke sighed.

Lorelai walked out of the bathroom, her face falling when she saw April standing in front of Luke. "Oh, sweetie, did she wake you?" she asked. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," April said. "I just want to make sure she's okay."

"Maybe we should try changing her clothes," Luke said. "There could be a tag or something that's scratching her."

"Worth a try," Lorelai sighed. Turning to April, she said, "Try to go to sleep. You've got that vocabulary test tomorrow. Maybe if you put headphones on it will drown her out."

April shrugged. "I already know I'll get an A," she said.

"So modest, just like your father," Lorelai said. She guided April towards the door and said, "Go get your beauty sleep, and we'll make sure the screaming stops as soon as possible."

"Night," April called as Lorelai and Luke disappeared into Victoria's room.

"Okay, maybe she doesn't like the onesies," Lorelai mused as she opened the closet. "I think I got a set of pajamas as one of my shower gifts, but I probably put them on the top shelf. I didn't think we'd need them yet."

Luke watched with concern as she stood on her tiptoes to reach for a box on the top shelf. "Lorelai…"

"I'm fi…ow, damn it!" Lorelai gasped as she felt a jolt of pain snap through her body. The box was much heavier than she'd anticipated, and she was unable to either get a good grip on it or shove it back onto the shelf. "Help!"

Luke immediately turned to place Victoria into the crib before he eased the box out of Lorelai's hands and dropped it onto the floor. "Sit down," he ordered, guiding her to the rocking chair. "You're not Super Woman, you've got to give yourself time to recover."

"That's what I was trying to do, but Victoria clearly didn't like that plan," Lorelai said, leaning her head back against the wooden frame of the rocking chair. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Luke asked. "Where does it hurt?"

"It was just in my stomach," Lorelai said. "Everything's still settling back into place, stretching like that probably just threw things off again."

"Do you need the heating pad?" Luke asked, thoroughly unconvinced of her proclamation.

"Maybe once she calms down," Lorelai sighed. She braced herself against the arms of the chair and pushed herself to stand. Walking towards Victoria's crib, she mused, "she looks a little calmer."

Luke paused from where he'd turned to open the box he'd set aside. "She's not quite as loud," he added.

Lorelai reached into the crib and smiled softly as she saw Victoria lying on her back, her face no longer quite as scrunched as it had been. "You like your room, angel?" she whispered. "Was that what this was all about?"

"Should we leave her?" Luke appeared at Lorelai's side and watched as she ran a gentle hand over their daughter's stomach.

"Maybe," Lorelai whispered. "She shouldn't be on her back though, in case she spits up. Is it worth flipping her?"

"What's the worst that can happen, she starts crying?" Luke suggested. "It's not like she'll be louder than she was."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "You do it," she said, stepping out of the way.

"Uh huh, make me the bad guy," Luke muttered, but flashed her a small smile as he leaned over the crib. "Okay, sweetheart, I'm just going to turn you onto your stomach, no need to get upset again."

Victoria whimpered slightly as Luke turned her over, but quickly quieted when she was settled on her stomach. She tapped her arm slightly against the ocean fabric of the mattress pad that Lorelai had sewed, but then began to relax.

Lorelai leaned down to place a teddy bear beside Victoria, and Luke rolled his eyes at the sight of it. "Where the hell did you get that?" he asked.

Lorelai giggled as she took in the bear dressed in a blue plaid flannel and a backwards baseball hat. "There's a factory at the mall," she said. "Rory made it for her."

Luke shook his head slightly, but then peered over the edge of the crib. "Is she sleeping?" he whispered.

Listening for a moment, Lorelai took in Victoria's deep breaths and nodded. She flipped on the baby monitor, then pushed Luke gently out of the room. "Well, we've got her into her own room way before I thought we would," she commented. "Must be the cozy crib Daddy built."

"I'm glad she likes her room," Luke sighed. As they approached their own room, he collapsed onto the bed. "Think she'll let us sleep through the night?"

Taking a gentler approach to getting into bed, Lorelai eased the covers back and slid under them. She glanced at the clock and stated, "Well, considering you usually wake up in fifteen minutes, there's a good chance."

Luke tugged on her arm and pulled her to lie down beside her. "I'm not going to work," he told her.

Lorelai turned on her side to face him, their heads sharing the same pillow. "You're not?" she asked quietly, reaching for his hand.

He played gently with her fingers. "You may have to kick me out of the house if I ever have to go back," he sighed.

"Well, I do need Luke's coffee," Lorelai said with a smile. "You have to go back to work eventually."

"Let's not rush it," he requested.

"Okay," Lorelai sighed. She scooted closer to him and smiled. "It's been awhile since I could get this close."

Luke let go of her hand to rub her hip affectionately. "I missed it," he informed her.

"We can't…"

"I know," Luke said quickly. "I don't expect you to. But it's nice just to be close to you again. It's been too long since we even did this."

"You've been very patient," Lorelai said, running her hand over his arm. "Maybe tomorrow I'll find time to give King Arthur some special attention."

Luke laughed, but shook his head. "You don't have to," he said.

"I know I don't have to," Lorelai said. "And I'll tell you right now you won't be rounding any bases. But I happen to know that there are other things that you enjoy almost as much." She giggled as Luke reached out to trail his fingers over her lips. "See, you know you want it."

"I always want it," Luke murmured. "I just don't want you to feel pressured."

"I don't," Lorelai said. "It's going to be awhile until we can jump back in, but that doesn't mean you have to suffer."

"No suffering here," Luke countered. "Quite the opposite."

"Basking in the presence of my post pregnancy body?" Lorelai whispered.

"You think you're kidding," Luke murmured.

"Uh, I know I am," Lorelai said. "I'm not exactly lust worthy yet."

Luke shifted and shook his head. "Let's go to sleep," he suggested.

"Oops, sorry," Lorelai said, looking down at his sweatpants. "I really wasn't trying to, I promise!"

Luke sighed as he kicked his legs under the covers and pulled them over himself. "Well, you exist, so that's enough right there," he muttered.

"That's almost romantic, Butch," she laughed. "Am I allowed to kiss you, or should we put a pillow in the middle of the bed so you're not tempted?"

Luke shook his head as he kissed her gently, then reached to turn his light off. "Goodnight, beautiful girl."

"Night," Lorelai sighed. She turned off her own light, then settled into the pillows beside him. "Luke?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think she's okay?"

She felt Luke lift his head, and followed his gaze to the baby monitor on her night table. "Sounds it," he confirmed.

"Okay," she whispered. She settled back down against him, then turned onto her side to look at his outline in the moonlight streaming in from the window. "Luke?"

He let out a frustrated sigh and stated, "and you were wondering where she got the 'keeping me awake' gene."

"Sorry," Lorelai sighed. "Never mind."

The room was quiet for a moment before Luke sighed and requested, "Tell me."

Lorelai smiled and reached for his hand under the covers. "I'm glad we're still us," she whispered.

"Me too, beautiful girl," Luke murmured as he squeezed her hand.

"I'm done now," Lorelai announced. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

XXXXXX

Rory blinked back tears as she cradled Victoria gently in her arms. "Make sure you tell her when she's being unreasonable," she said softly. "And if they try to make you read Hemingway, just cry really loudly."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Luke muttered to Lorelai as they watched the scene play out in the front yard.

Lorelai felt tears pricking at her own eyes. "I hate this," she murmured. Rory leaned down to kiss Victoria's cheek, then turned to April, who was standing on Luke's other side. "She's moving out now. Like…really moving out. To live with a boy."

"A boy you like," Luke tried to reassure her.

"Still makes me sad," Lorelai sighed. She quickly swallowed her tears and plastered a smile on her face as Rory handed Victoria to April as Rory turned to Luke.

"Thanks for making me a sister," Rory said, wringing her hands together in front of her.

"No problem," Luke said. He shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded to the car. "Want me to look at it one more time?"

"No, I'm sure it's fine," Rory said. She was quiet for a moment, then opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it again. Instead, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Thanks, Daddy Luke."

Luke returned the hug, rubbing her back gently before she pulled back. "Call us when you get there," he requested.

"I will," Rory nodded, wiping at the corner of her eye. "I'll see you in a few weeks."

"We'll try to make a trip up," Luke said. Nodding to Lorelai, he commented, "Your mom wants to bring Victoria on her first road trip."

Rory smiled. "What better destination than Boston?" she asked.

"As long as I catch a game, I'll be good," Luke confirmed.

"Ethan's already scouting tickets," Rory confirmed. She hugged him one more time before she turned to Lorelai.

Luke squeezed Lorelai's elbow gently, then turned to April. "Let's get your sister inside," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He knew Lorelai needed to say goodbye to Rory alone.

"Well, here we are again," Lorelai sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Rory mirrored her position with a nod. "Yeah, I guess so," she said.

"Do you want some water for the drive?" Lorelai asked. "Or snacks? I know Luke made you coffee, but maybe you'll get hungry."

With a smile, Rory shook her head. "I'll be fine, Mom," she promised. "Just make good on your word to bring my sister to visit soon."

Lorelai made an x across her chest. "Barring any major illnesses or setbacks, we'll be there," she promised. "Send me pictures of the new place."

"I will," Rory promised in return.

"And say hi to Ethan," Lorelai continued, stalling for time. "He's still got to meet the newest girl in your life."

"He will," Rory said.

Lorelai nodded slowly. "And…eat your vegetables."

Rory choked out a laugh. "Did you really just say that?" she asked.

Lorelai made a face. "Luke must be brainwashing me while I sleep," she said.

"Just make sure Victoria grows up with a fine appreciation for coffee," Rory requested.

"Duh, she has our strong Gilmore blood," Lorelai said. She reached out to pull Rory into her arms. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Mom," Rory hugged her back.

"You're all grown up now," Lorelai sighed. "But if you ever need anything, I'll always be here for you."

Rory squeezed her eyes closed. "Me too," she said. She pulled back and rested her hands on Lorelai's elbows. "Coffee buddy, travel partner, baby sitter, I'm yours."

"You'll regret that last offer," Lorelai said, smoothing Rory's hair over her forehead. "You should get going so you're there before it gets too dark."

"Okay," Rory sighed. She leaned forward to hug Lorelai one more time. Wrapping her arms tightly around her mother, she whispered, "Are you sure I have to go?"

It took everything inside Lorelai not to beg Rory to stay. For a split second, she wished that it were twenty years ago, and that their biggest problem was keeping the moonlight from streaming through the windows of the potting shed behind the Independence Inn while they slept. Things had seemed so much easier then, when it was just the two of them. They were separated a few hours a day while Rory attended school a mile away from the inn, but other than that they were inseparable.

But as cherished as those memories were, they were no longer practical. Rory was a grown up, and Lorelai had a husband and two other daughters who needed her waiting inside. She and Rory had found a new normal when she'd gone to Yale, and again while she'd been traveling the country. Being separated by a couple hours worth of driving would be much easier than that. Lorelai hoped that having Rory in Boston would be similar to having her in New Haven, when they'd seen each other multiple times a month. She had to be the strong one right now, as much as it broke her heart to do so.

"You have to go," Lorelai said. "You've got a great job waiting, honey, and a boy who loves you. Trust me, you don't want to waste time being afraid."

"I know," Rory whispered. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too," Lorelai sighed. "If it helps, I can make you annoyed with me so it's easier to leave."

Rory sniffled as she pulled back. "How?" she asked.

"Remember the time I invited Dean over to movie night?" Lorelai asked. "Or the time I made out with your teacher in the middle of the school day? Or when you walked in on me and Luke during the diner's private closing special last fall?"

"Ew, okay, enough," Rory giggled. "Successfully grossed out, thank you."

Lorelai laughed, glad to have something besides sadness to feel. "Drive safely, babe," she said. "Listen to Luke, call when you get there."

"I will," Rory said. She pulled her car door open and turned to look at Lorelai one more time. "Thanks, Mom."

Tilting her head to the side, Lorelai asked, "For what?"

Rory leaned forward to hug her for a real final time. "Everything," she said.

"Oh, kid, it's been my pleasure," Lorelai murmured. She kissed her daughter's cheek and then stepped back. "Love you."

"Love you too!" Rory called before she slammed the car door closed behind her. She backed the car out of the driveway and then, with a final honk goodbye, was gone, on her way to a new life in Boston.

Lorelai inhaled a deep breath before she turned back to her house, to what her new normal would be. She slowly walked into the house and smiled when she saw Luke waiting for her with a cup of coffee. "Not even making me beg," she sighed as she took it. She inhaled the scent deeply before she took a sip. "Where's my baby?"

"April's changing her diaper," Luke said, nodding towards the living room.

"She comes in handy," Lorelai smiled.

"Yeah, she's good to have around," Luke confirmed. He reached out to play with a strand of her hair. "You okay?"

Lorelai smiled sadly. "I will be," she said honestly. "Thanks for giving us some space to say bye."

"No big deal," Luke sighed. "It already feels weird without here."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it," Lorelai sighed. "Saying goodbye to her. It's still as hard as it was when I left her at Yale."

With a good natured eye roll, Luke muttered, "You didn't seem to have much trouble keeping my truck that weekend."

Lorelai giggled. "And yet you still stored the mattress," she said, running an affectionate hand over his face. "Thank you."

He shrugged. "About damn time you thanked me for that," he said firmly.

"Not for that," Lorelai said. "For making me smile when I'm sad."

He ran his thumb over her chin. "Glad to do it," he said.

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, resting her hand on his arm. "No sense in being sad, we've got two other girls to raise," she said. "Come on."

Luke followed her into the living room, where April was seated on the floor, buttoning Victoria's onesie back up. "Just in time," Lorelai said with a smile. "Thanks, sweetie."

"No problem," April said as she lifted Victoria onto her shoulder. "Although I am impressed by the rate at which she goes through diapers."

Lorelai scrunched her nose. "Yeah, it's the downside of being so cute and tiny," she confirmed. "I'm sure went through a diaper or two in your day."

"Probably," April confirmed. She stood carefully, looking at Lorelai with concerned eyes. "Are you okay?"

With a smile smile, Lorelai reached out to smooth a curl from April's forehead. "Of course," she said. "I sent my big girl off to Harvard, a dream we had for many a year, and have my other two girls and my guy here with me. How could I not be okay?"

April nodded. "Good," she said. She stepped forward and Lorelai took Victoria out of her arms. "I have homework to do."

"Can't you tell your teachers that you have a pretty baby at home who you'd rather play with?" Lorelai asked.

"That's not how it works," April said as she picked up a stack of books and slid the door to the library open.

Lorelai sighed and turned to look at Luke. "And then there were three," she said, gently bouncing Victoria in her arms. "One of whom may or may not lose consciousness within the hour. What do you propose we do?"

Watching as Victoria fought a yawn, Luke smirked. "How about we read her some Hemingway?" he suggested.

With a gasp, Lorelai untangled one hand from Victoria to smack his shoulder. "Rory's gone five minutes and you're already disobeying her orders!" she observed. "Just wait until I tell her."

Luke stepped closer and ran one hand over her shoulder, the other smoothing over Victoria's back. "How about we put her down for a nap and I'll teach you to bake cookies?" he suggested.

Lorelai pretended to contemplate. "Will you teach me Ghost-style?" she asked.

"Why not?" Luke shrugged.

"Then okay," Lorelai said. "Can you move the bassinet into the kitchen? I want her close."

Luke detached from her and picked up the bassinet, carrying it into the kitchen. Lorelai followed and gently pressed a kiss to Victoria's forehead. "Sleep well, baby girl," she whispered. "Daddy's going to bake Mommy cookies."

From the counter, Luke glanced over at her. "Are you planning on helping?" he asked tersely.

Lorelai smiled as she sauntered across the kitchen. "How about I just sit here and give you some eye candy?" she said, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Stir this," Luke said, shoving a bowl into her hands and pouring some vanilla into it.

With a smile, Lorelai began to stir the batter. The past three weeks had flown by, and she was starting to feel more like herself as her soreness had disappeared. She loved that having a baby and getting spotty nights' sleep hadn't changed her relationship with Luke all that much. She supposed it was the solid foundation of friendship and teasing that made it work, but she was very glad to know that some things would never change.