I hope you enjoy this part as much I as like it. It was originally where this story started, but I realised I needed a build up to make the story better. They are almost there. Not much longer I promise.

Lynny.

Part 10 – An Eventful Evening Part 2

Despite being in a hospital cafeteria, the evening had all the elements of a date. They arrived together. Luke paid for their food, despite Lorelai's attempts to pay. They sat in the corner of the room away from everyone else at a table for two. They had happily eaten whist chatting and teasing each other, just as they used to. They had even shared a desert of jello and strawberry yogurt. All that was really missing was their fancy clothes, candlesticks, and instead of ambient music they had the tannoy system paging various doctors in the background.

As the evening rolled on they both relaxed and found themselves opening up to each other like they used to before. Luke confided his thoughts regarding missing out on so much of April's life and how hurt he'd been that Anna didn't want him involved in his own child's life. He told her how unbelievable it was to him that in less then five years April would be going off to college and he'd only just met her.

Lorelai did her best to consol him on what he'd missed. She tried to reassure him that he didn't need to make up for that time, only look forward to the time he had and to make it count. Gradually Lorelai talked about her fears of Rory travelling around the world, and what would happen after she graduated from Yale.

"I just don't know why I raised her to believe she could have the world," Lorelai joked. "I should have raised her to be a home town girl. Told her she wanted to stay in Stars Hollow and to marry her high school sweet heart. For her to never want to grow up and leave me."

"That could have been interesting since it would have been either Dean or Jess she would have married." Luke returned as Lorelai shivered at the thought of Rory marrying either.

"You have a point there. I just wish she never had to leave."

"You raised her to be the best person she could be, and you did an amazing job. She will succeed in anything because you told her she could."

True or not, it didn't help Lorelai to feel any better. She and Rory were going their separate ways, and as much as she tried to fight it, by keeping on the good side of her daughter, she couldn't stop it.

"I just never thought about what would happen after she graduated college. We spent years dreaming of Harvard, or Yale as it turned out it, and I don't think I ever questioned what would happen next. It just always seemed so far away you know. And now it's here. In a few months she'll be a graduate of Yale University, she can do anything she wants to. Is it wrong to not want her to leave? That I want her to find a job in Hartford or New York? Somewhere that's not the other side of the country, or worse, the world."

"Knowing you both the way I do … I'd say no."

"You know Mia once said to me, that for the first five years of a child's life you can be the best parent in the world, but once they are in school, they are in the world, and you just have to let them find their way. They will make friends you don't like, they will make choices that you disagree with, and they will screw up, but in the end you have to just let go, watch them and just be supportive."

Luke nodded, Mia had given him similar advice when Liz had left Stars Hollow with Jess after his fathers funeral. He'd been worried sick, but Mia had said Liz had to find her own way and he had to let her go. Certainly there were things he didn't agree with in his sister's life, but she'd done alright for herself.

"I know she is right, and I know that I've done everything that I can, Rory needs to sink or swim on her own. I just can't help but think this is it for us, and it's going to change everything."

"It doesn't have to change completely. Sure you may not speak five times a day, but you'll still have each other, no matter where in the world she is."

"I miss her and she's not even gone yet," she admitted sadly.

"You missed her the first time she spent the morning at pre-school."

"I was the one who didn't want to let her go, not the other way around like it should have been." Lorelai laughed, they may not have known Luke back then, but he certainly knew them well enough now to know how it would have been.

"She'll miss you too." Luke tried to reassure her, but like her reassurance about him missing April's younger years, he knew it wouldn't help.

"It won't be the same though. She'll be off having adventures and major life experiences. She won't have time to miss me like I'll miss her."

"It doesn't mean she'll miss you any less. She'll probably have times when she wants to call you up and tell you something only to realise she can't for whatever reason, just like you will."

Lorelai went to speak but stopped, his words ringing in her ears. He sounded like he was speaking from experience and Lorelai wondered if there had been times when they weren't speaking when he'd wanted to call her. On more then one occasion she'd picked up the phone and half dialled his number before realising she shouldn't be calling him.

"Did you ever want to call me after we broke up?"

"There were times." Luke answered, slightly confused by the sudden change in subject.

"What kind of times?" Lorelai pushed.

Luke thought for a second. There had been many. When Kirk had annoyed him to the point he'd thrown him out of the diner. The first day he'd dropped April off at school. When she'd got sick with flu and he wasn't sure if he should take her to the doctors, or just get some medicine from the pharmacy.

"The first time April called me dad." Luke recalled smiling. "We were just sitting watching TV and she said she was tired and going to go to bed. She gave me a kiss and said good night dad. It was so simple, and it was so natural to her she didn't seem to realise she'd said it. I just wanted so much to call you and tell you she'd called me dad..." His smile faded as he looked at Lorelai's eyes avoiding his face.

"But you couldn't …" She finished for him.

"I knew you were with Chris and I was trying to move on."

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely.

"It wasn't all your fault…."

"It wasn't all yours either…."

"Well I started it…."

"Well I finished it…."

Whilst they hadn't had a long, heart breaking, open discussion about what had gone wrong between them, they had come to an understanding about what went wrong. They were slowly getting better in their communication and agreeing that they had both been in the wrong was a step in the right direction. They were both starting to understand their problems.

In talking about their lives Luke was realising Lorelai's reluctance to speak up was linked to Rory pushing her away and her time with Chris was about her fears of being alone. Lorelai was beginning to understand why Luke needed time with April to work out his relationship with her before properly introducing her to Lorelai. He had his own fears about being good enough for her.

They both knew they hadn't been trying to hurt each other. They had just put so much faith in each other to just understand their actions, without explaining why they should, that they had destroyed what was good about them.

"Did you ever want to call me?"

"After the first night out I went with Chris. I got home and I so badly wanted to call you and tell you that it all felt so wrong. That I kept looking at him and wondering how I'd got there. I wanted you to tell me that it was okay and we could work it out … But I knew it was over so I had to at least try with Chris because I couldn't have you. I just didn't want to be alone. I thought we were done and that I'd ruined any chance we had to work things out."

"I thought you'd moved on."

"So did I," Lorelai shrugged.

They sat quietly lost in their own thoughts until their names were called out.

"Mr Danes and Ms Gilmore please return to the maternity ward."

Luke couldn't hide the excitement from his eyes as they quickly cleared away their rubbish and made their way to the maternity ward.

They found TJ standing in reception still dressed in his disposable green apron and hat.

"TJ!" Luke called out as they approached him.

"Luke, oh my god, your sister is amazing. She just pushed, and I don't how something so big can come out of somewhere so small. But Wow…"

"Okay TJ, what did she have?" Luke asked not wanting to think about TJ's comment.

"It's a baby." He said in a daze.

"No kidding Sherlock." Lorelai joked under her breath.

"I mean is it a boy or a girl? Is Liz okay?"

"Lizzy's fine, a bit out of it, but she fine. She's amazing."

"Okay …"

"I'm a father."

"Congratulations TJ."

If TJ hadn't seemed in such a daze Luke might have shaken him to find out any details regarding the baby. Instead he waited until the nurse told them they could go into see Liz.

He was amazed that Liz was sitting propped up holding a pink blanket that he was sure held a baby girl. TJ walked over to Liz's right and sat down on the bed next to Liz. Luke noticed her wince as the bed moved, but then she looked at the baby laying in her arms and the pain seemed to be forgotten.

"Congratulations Liz."

"Thanks Lorelai."

"Have you thought of a name yet?"

"We're going to call her Doula."

Both Lorelai and Luke shared a confused glance, which went unnoticed by the new parents so in awe of the new addition to their family.

"She's wonderful Liz."

"Thanks Luke. Here you have to have a hold," Liz said. She looked up as Luke held his hands up and tried to take a step back.

"I'm good Liz."

"Nonsense, I've kept you here half the night. You've at least got to have a cuddle." Liz insisted, and Luke knew she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Yeah Luke, she's sleeping so she won't fuss." TJ commented as he got up and walked around the bed.

Lorelai was directly behind Luke so he knew if he moved back he'd only be walking into her. TJ carefully took Doula from Liz and placed her in Luke's waiting arms. Instinctively Luke supported her head and held her close to his chest, making her secure in his arms. He stared at her as she woke for a second, fluttering her eyelids showing off her blue eyes to him. Stretching she managed to free her arms from the confinement of her blanket.

Gently he rocked her back to sleep, and fully took in the little bundle in his arms. He was in awe as she settled in his arms, comfortable and content. She opened her eyes fully staring directly at him before closing them again. Whilst he knew it would be a few weeks before she would be able to properly see, he liked to think that Doula realised she was safe in this strange place.

He gently picked up her little hand and she instantly grasped his finger. His hand looked like a giants next to hers. For such a small baby, she already had a tight grip. She moved her head and scrunched up for nose before relaxing once more. A content smile crept across Luke's face.

He took in her dark fuzzy hair, her tiny hands, her little button nose, her soft little pout as she slept in his arms. She was so tiny, so beautiful, so peaceful, so … he didn't even know how to describe her. He was at a loss staring at her.

"She's … perfect Liz." Luke gulped unable to pull his eyes from the baby.

Lorelai stood back watching the scene in front of her. If it was at all possible to get pregnant by watching someone, she would be in Liz's position nine months from that second.

Luke looked so perfect just holding his niece. She saw the proud look on his face, the protective way he held her close, the way he rocked her when she woke. He seemed like such a natural, despite his protests of not knowing what to do with a baby.

This was even more proof to Lorelai that Anna was an idiot who didn't know what she was talking about. This scene could melt even her cold heart. Luke would have been a wonderful to a baby April. She could easily picture him with his own child, with their child. Lorelai bit her lip in an effort to stop herself from crying, and she didn't even know why she would be.

Barely taking his eyes off the baby, Luke turned to Lorelai and stepped a little closer. She held her finger out and gently greeted Doula. Slowly he looked up, his eyes catching Lorelai's. He stared at her with this indescribable look on his face. She read his face working out what he was trying to say to her without words. Whatever it was, he took her breath away, while she stared right back at him with a small smile on her face. It was a silent communication meant only for them.

"That's right Doula. That's your uncle Luke and your aunty Lorelai." TJ's words brought them out of their trance and they returned their attention to Liz and TJ.

They didn't stay much longer since it was now the early hours of the morning and Liz looked exhausted. Luke promised to return tomorrow with April, who he knew would be desperate to meet young Doula. Leaving mom, dad and baby for their first night together Luke and Lorelai silently returned to the truck.

The journey back to Lorelai's was quiet, both lost in their own thoughts. Time seemed to fly and they were back at Lorelai's before they knew it. Had the journey there been this quick? Knowing that Luke drove far more carefully then Lorelai ever did she was sure it would have been.

Luke walked around and held the door open for Lorelai and silently they walked up the steps to her front door. As they reached the top step they both turned to face each other.

Luke stared at her. He so much wanted to push her against the wall and kiss her like he'd never kissed her before. To take her inside and make love to her, make a Doula of their own with her. He had no idea what was stopping him from doing just what he wanted. Yet he found he couldn't move. Instead, he reached a hand to her face and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

Ask him in, Lorelai told herself, or just open the door and motion for him to follow you.

She tried opening her mouth but the words just wouldn't come out. Just kiss me damn it! She shouted on the inside. She shut her eyes tightly as she felt his finger brush her cheek.

They stood frozen to the spot, both wanting more, but needing the other to make the first move. Both were unsure if the other was ready and needed confirmation before proceeding.

Luke snaked one arm around her waist and pulled her towards him. Lorelai showed no resistance as she rested her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Luke slowly rubbed her back as he rested his head against hers. They held each other for what felt like hours but was really only a few minutes.

"Congratulations Uncle Luke," Lorelai whispered into Luke's ear.

"Thank you," Luke responded smiling. He knew he should let go, but something inside him just wanted to hold her, just a little longer.

Finally Lorelai pulled back and Luke let her go and watched as she unlocked her door. As she took a step inside, Luke took a step towards the truck.

"Good night."

"Good night Lorelai."

Lorelai felt herself shaking as she leaned against the doorway watching Luke return to his truck. He waved as he got to the driver door and she waved back.

Closing to door, Lorelai quickly moved to the window and watched as Luke sat outside in the truck for a few moments without moving. She knew that whatever had just happened had affected him the same as it had her.

He seemed to sit there for what felt like an eternity and Lorelai wondered if she should go out to him, but her feet wouldn't move from their spot. Eventually she saw him move and start the engine, a few moments later he drove out of her driveway.

As he went out of her sight, Lorelai finally let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.