A/N: I think there will only be two more chapters to Secret Desires and Nameless Fears after this one. Not to worry. I'm not done with this tale at all. I fully intend to make it a series and we're coming up to a good natural break. So after chapter 12 I will take a short break (just in time for KC!!!) and then return with a sequel which will pretty much pick up where this one leaves off... perhaps with a slight time jump. Thank you to all of my readers for your comments and support, and most of all for reading. I hope you enjoy this next instalment.

Jewels, as always your help and suggestions have been invaluable. You make all this possible. Thank you. *hugs*

Also, a quick shout out to Filo for helping me to fix the strange line about "orange". It's much better now, thanks.

Interrogations

Rory raced out of the elevator and up to the main desk of the Stamford Eagle Gazette in a panic. She'd had difficulties printing out samples of her writing and was running late for her interview. Or at least later than she'd wanted to be; she was only half an hour early instead of her usual hour.

"Hi Audrey, I'm here for a 3:00 interview with Stuart Wooles," Rory said, smiling.

Audrey grinned. "So you were short listed for the summer internship, huh? Congratulations. It's great to see you back."

"Thanks, Audrey. It's great to be back. I missed this place."

"Well, we missed you too." She gestured to the pile of haphazard papers beside her. "Your organizational skills are tough to beat."

"Glad to know I made such an impact." Rory laughed. "So where should I wait?"

"They're in conference room C." Audrey pointed toward the news room. "We've set up a little waiting area outside the door. There's one other person before you."

"Great. Thanks, Audrey." Rory waved at the woman as she wandered toward the newsroom. She paused for a moment, taking in the familiar sounds and movements that accompanied the bustle of getting an issue to print. It had barely been a week, and yet it seemed like it had been an eternity since that fateful day when Mitchum had tried to ruin her.

So much had happened in a week– dumping Logan, moving back to Stars Hollow and starting her job at the bookstore, not to mention the insanity surrounding her mother's engagement to Luke. She was still reeling from the events that had lead to her breakup with Logan and as a result, she had thrown herself whole heartedly into the application process for this summer internship. She had made lists, written and rewritten her resume and cover letter, painstakingly poured over her old articles in an effort to choose the best ones.

She hadn't expected to hear from them so soon, and she was more nervous about the interview than she had anticipated. She needed more time. Time to reflect on the changes in herself that she'd recently discovered; time to sort them out and determine what she really wanted; time to regain confidence in her writing abilities. But she didn't have time, so here she was, back in the lion's den, despite her self-doubt.

Rory steeled herself and wove her way through the maze of cubicles to the hallway that held the conference rooms. There was already someone sitting in the lone chair outside of room C, so Rory opted to lean against the wall while she mentally rehearsed her answers to the potential interview questions that she'd devised the night before. She was contemplating whether her answer to, why do you want this internship?, was too eager when her cell phone rang.

She rolled her eyes at the caller id; this was her mother's ninth call of the day. She pressed the phone to her ear, but before she could speak, her mother began babbling at a record-breaking speed.

"Oh good, I caught you. I need your opinion on something. I was just at a bridal store and I saw a bridesmaid dress I think would be perfect for you. It was red, with a beautiful teardrop neckline and an a-line skirt. I know it's a bit early to be shopping for dresses. Well, actually I don't, since we haven't picked a date yet. Although, Luke and I were discussing maybe having the wedding in July, which is only 3 months away so really it's not too soon to be dress shopping at all. In fact, I'm actually behind in the shopping. OH! Maybe my mother will accept that as an excuse for not coming to dinner tonight. You're still coming right? It's Luke's first official dinner as an almost Gilmore."

Rory laughed. "Yes Mom, of course I'm coming. And Luke's not actually taking your name is he? 'Cause that would be kind of weird."

"Ro-ry. This is the 21st Century. We're a bit past all that patriarchical gobbledygook, don't you think? Why shouldn't he take my name?"

"Because Luke Gilmore sounds silly. Besides, Luke would never go for it."

Lorelai sighed audibly. "I hate it when you are right. Spoilsport."

"Just keeping it real." Rory noticed that the guy sitting on the chair outside the conference room was staring at her, probably sizing up the competition. She shuffled uncomfortably and lowered her voice. "Speaking of which, I really should go. It's almost time for my interview."

"Oh, was that today?" Lorelai asked, a note of mock-innocence detectable in her voice.

"Mom," Rory hissed, eying the stranger, who had turned back to the notebook in his lap. "You know very well it's today. We've only had about 8 conversations about it."

"You're snarky when you're nervous. I was only joking."

"This is no time for jokes."

The door to Conference Room C swung open and a timid looking red haired girl walked out and scampered off quickly. Stuart Wooles poked his head out of the room and called, "Jeffrey Wynam?"

The guy on the chair stood up abruptly, scattering the papers from his lap across the floor. "Uh, that's me," he said, frantically gathering his notes. When he had them all, he pushed his glasses back into place and followed Mr. Wooles into the room.

As soon as the door closed, Rory slid into the chair.

"What was all that about?" Lorelai asked.

"You heard that?"

"Well, I heard scuffling and stuff."

"Oh. The person before me dropped his things when he was called in."

"His? Was he cute?"

"Mo-om, please. I just broke up with Logan. And no, he really wasn't. He was wearing an orange suit."

"Orange? Like a pumpkin?"

"No, orange like... I don't know, just orange, okay?" Rory glanced at the clock, realizing that she had less than 10 minutes before her interview. "I really have to go. I'll see you at dinner."

"You better. I want details." Lorelai's voice softened, "Good luck, hon. Break a leg... or whatever it is you break for interviews."

"Good luck is good enough. Thanks, Mom."

"Anytime. I love you, sweets."

Rory clicked her phone shut and turned off the ringer before shoving it into her bag and pulling out her interview notes.

Less than 10 minutes later the door swung open and 'orange boy' stepped out with a confident smile on his face.

"Rory Gilmore?" Rory sucked in her chest. Showtime, she though grimly as she stood up and cast an envious glance at her predecessors' retreating form. Her last thought as she followed Stuart Wooles into the room was, He'll probably get this internship instead, despite the ghastly suit.

xxxxx

Luke pulled at the uncomfortable object around his neck and grumbled, "I don't understand why I have to wear a tie. The collar should be enough."

Lorelai looked back at him sympathetically, her hand already hovering over the doorbell. "Because it's expected, and because Richard and Emily are going to be your future in laws and we want them to fall in love with you. Don't you remember 'Operation Luke Lovin'?'"

"I don't see what wearing a tie has to do with it," he muttered, taking his place next to her on the doorstep. Lorelai pressed the bell six times in a row and Luke cocked his head toward her. "You seem rather eager tonight. Usually you drag your feet when we come here."

Lorelai bounced impatiently on the balls of her feet and pressed the bell again. "I want to know how Rory's interview went."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Like you couldn't just call her... again."

"I can't. She got mad at me for calling too many times, I promised I'd wait until dinner." Lorelai glared at the closed door in front of her. "Where the hell is the maid?" She held her finger firmly on the bell for several seconds before Luke reached out and pulled her hand away.

"Calm down, will you? Rory's not even here yet," Luke said irritably, pulling at his tie again. "Are we still going to tell her about..." he glanced at Lorelai's stomach, "after dinner tonight?"

Before Lorelai could answer, a voice behind them said, "Tell me about what after dinner tonight?"

Lorelai spun around, beaming brightly at her daughter. "Rory!?" she squealed enthusiastically.

Rory gazed at her mother in confusion for a second before turning to Luke. "How much coffee has she had?"

"Too much."

Shaking her head adamantly, Lorelai claimed, "There is no such thing as too much coffee."

"True," Rory agreed. "So what are you planning to tell me?"

"That we've decided not to sell you to the Gypsies." Lorelai giggled.

"Riiight," Rory said dubiously. She was about to press for the real information when the door swung open to reveal a harried looking Emily.

"Finally!" Lorelai cried. "I was beginning to think you'd pulled a David Copperfield."

Emily sighed. "Will you please just come in?"

"Manners, Mom. What will your future son-in-law think?" Lorelai gestured to Luke and entered the foyer.

"Yes, well, if certain people would do their jobs and answer the door like they are supposed to, I would have been able to greet you pleasantly in the sitting room like usual," Emily raised her voice pointedly, glaring toward the kitchen.

Lorelai, Luke and Rory slipped off their jackets and Lorelai inquired, "New maid, Mom?"

"She won't be for long. Ruddy woman doesn't know a doorbell from a hole in the ground." Emily turned her attention back to her guests and noticed the coats dangling from their arms. "I suppose I will have to take those, too." She snatched them roughly and waved her left arm in the direction of the sitting room. Go, sit, have a drink. I'll join you after I finish murdering the maid." With that, Emily jammed their coats in a closet and stomped off in the direction of the kitchen.

At Luke's alarmed expression, Lorelai took his arm, leading him toward the sitting room. "Don't worry, she doesn't mean it... I don't think."

"Mom, of course she doesn't mean it. Grandma is just upset."

Lorelai stopped walking before they reached the sitting room and grabbed Rory's arm. "I'm dying to know. How was the interview?"

"I'll tell you when I tell Grandma and Grandpa."

"But I'm the mother. I should get to know first."

Rory shook her head. "Nope. You have to wait." She moved toward the sitting room again.

"Mean," Lorelai called after her, pouting.

Rory ignored her. "Hi, Grandpa." She walked over to him and gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Rory," Richard said brightly. "How nice to see you." He stood and shook Luke's hand as he and Lorelai entered the room. "You made it. Would either of you like something to drink?"

"Sit and chat with Rory, Dad. Luke can get our drinks." Lorelai took her father's arm and guided him back to the chesterfield.

Richard gave her puzzled look. "But he's our guest."

"It's okay, Dad. Really, Luke is practically family now."

Richard's knees now touched the back of the chesterfield and he sat reluctantly and turned to Rory. "So, Rory, I assume your exams are finished now?"

While Rory chatted pleasantly with her grandfather, Lorelai settled herself on the other couch and watched as Luke poured club soda into a martini glass. He added an olive before pouring a small amount of scotch on the rocks into a glass for himself. Luke handed her the glass and sat beside her. "Thank you," she whispered, just as Emily entered the room, fuming.

"We might as well forget about dinner," Emily announced.

Richard's head snapped up. "What?"

"That idiot we've hired is gone. Nothing has been chopped, or baked. Dinner is ruined."

Lorelai stifled a giggle. "The maid ran away?"

"I just said that. Are you even listening? This is a disaster." Emily stomped her foot.

"Grandma, I'm sure it will be fine. We could just order a pizza or something."

Emily gapped at her granddaughter. "Order a pizza? But... but..."

Luke set his scotch on the table and stood up. "You don't need to order a pizza. I'm sure I can whip something up."

"I don't know, Luke." Emily frowned at him, her voice doubtful.

"I do know how to cook, Mrs. Gilmore."

"Yes, but we aren't used to diner fare."

Lorelai jumped up at the condescension in her mother's voice. "Mom. Luke can cook fancy stuff too. Sookie's still bugging him about his lamb chop recipe. At least give him a chance."

"Lamb chops?" Richard's eyes lit up hopefully and Luke smiled at him.

Emily sighed. "Well, I suppose it's better than starvation."

"Just show Luke to the kitchen, Mom." Lorelai shook her head. Her mother really was a piece of work.

Emily spun around and marched through the dining room with Luke trailing behind her. As he passed Richard, Luke whispered, "I'll see what I can do about those chops."

xxxxx

About an hour later they were all seated at the dining room table, a feast set out before them. Luke had indeed managed to make his infamous lamb chops. Mashed potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus were in accompaniment.

Emily was thoroughly impressed and had thanked Luke about 20 times since they'd been seated. "Really, Luke, you are wasting your time running a diner. With talent like yours you could easily run a successful five star restaurant."

"I agree, young man. This food is top notch." Richard cut off a moderately sized bite of lamb chop and chewed it enthusiastically.

"Thank you for the compliment, but I'm quite happy running the diner. This kind of cooking is more like a hobby."

Richard and Emily both set down their cutlery and stared at Luke. "A hobby is knitting, or decoupage. This is a talent," Emily told him sternly.

"She's right. I really think you should consider opening a proper restaurant. You could keep the diner open but have a respectable establishment as well. I'm sure my firm could help you with the insurance."

"Dad," Lorelai shouted, "Luke said he wasn't interested. Please just drop it and enjoy your meal." The silence that followed was deafening. Lorelai examined her own plate, pushing the green and orange vegetables further away from the other items and taking a huge bite of her potatoes.

Rory shifted awkwardly and attempted to change the subject. "So, I had my interview for that summer internship at the Stamford Eagle Gazette this afternoon."

Richard picked up his fork and took another bite of his dinner before looking at his granddaughter with interest. "Really? How did it go?"

"Pretty good, I think..." Rory bit her lip nervously, her eyes fixed on her mother. "Mitchum Huntzburger was there."

Lorelai paused, mid chew. "He was? Did he say anything about...?"

Rory shook her head. "No, he was the perfect professional. Such a hypocrite."

"Rory," Emily gasped. "Why would you say such a thing? Mitchum Huntzburger is the best in the business."

"He's also a world class jerk," Rory said plainly, causing both of her grandparents to gawk at her in shock.

"Rory," Richard said sternly, "I do not think it's advisable to speak about your boyfriend's father in such a way."

"He's not my boyfriend anymore." Rory winced as she heard the words. Even though it was the truth, it still hurt.

"But what happened?" Emily pressed. "You were so perfect for each other. Didn't they make such a beautiful couple, Richard?"

Rory stared at her plate. "I really don't want to talk about it," she whispered.

Richard saw the trace of pain in Rory's eyes and he softened. "So tell us more about this interview."

She smiled, grateful to her grandfather for dropping the subject. "The interview was great. None of their questions were surprising and I think I answered them well. Stuart, the editor, really seemed to like me. He laughed at the joke I told and he seemed impressed with my portfolio."

"That's wonderful news," Emily said genuinely.

Lorelai grinned at her daughter proudly. "Yes, sweets, it really is."

"When will you find out if you get it?" Luke asked her.

"They said they would let me know by the end of next week. They did say that it's between me and another person, though."

Richard's eyes narrowed. "Really? That seems rather unprofessional, don't you think?"

"It's unconventional, yes, but they said that we were really the only two who were properly qualified for the position."

Richard nodded. "Right. Well, make sure you keep us posted."

"I will, Grandpa."

"Good. We're very proud of you, no matter what," Emily assured her before turning to Luke and Lorelai. "Have you given any thought to where you might live once you're married?"

"That was out of the blue," Lorelai commented. "Where did that come from?"

Emily sighed. "I'm just curious is all. I assume you are planning to have more children eventually. Your house is already pretty cramped, and I'm sure that Luke's apartment above the diner is hardly suitable."

"Actually, yes, we have talked about it a little bit, Emily," Luke told her.

Emily pursed her lips smugly. "And what was the result of that conversation?"

"We're looking, and if we find something suitable we may consider putting in an offer. What's with the third degree, Mom?"

"What? I can't be interested in where you and your future husband are planning to live?"

"We've barely been engaged a week. We still have a wedding to plan." And a baby to prepare for, she added silently.

"It's just that Kirsteen said that now is a good time to buy. A house isn't just a place to live anymore, you know."

"That's right," Richard piped in. "A home is an investment."

"Who is Kirsteen?" Lorelai asked pointedly.

"Our real estate agent, of course." Emily took another bite of her lamb chop.

"Why do you have a real estate agent? You already have a house, Grandma." Rory and Lorelai exchanged a perplexed look.

Emily set her fork down again. "It's not for us Rory. We've been looking for your mother and Luke."

"What?" Lorelai and Luke exclaimed in unison.

"Well, I suspected that when you got back together in the spring that the two of you would eventually decide to get married. That house is barely suitable for you and Rory. Trying to fit three people in there would be crazy. So we've been looking casually for a while now. Richard and I had always discussed buying you house as a wedding gift if you ever managed to make it happen."

Lorelai dropped her fork with a clatter. She tried to speak but no sound came. She swung her head back and forth between her mother and father, and Luke and Rory, trying to process this strange development. Finally, she took a deep breath and the words came out in a cascade of babble. "Are you nuts? You want to buy us a house? A house for me and Luke... a house you've been looking for, for months? I thought you didn't approve of us. I thought you'd freak when we told you about our engagement and instead you want to throw us a party and buy us a house? Who are you and what have you done with my parents?"

"Honestly, Lorelai. Must you always be so dramatic? Of course we're your parents. We only want what's best for you."

"Maybe I like my own house. What if we want to stay there? Shouldn't we have a say in where we live?"

Richard interjected before Emily could speak, "Certainly you should have a say. Your mother and I are merely trying to provide you with options."

"How is buying a house for us giving us options? It seems more like an imposition to me."

Anger began to creep into Richard's voice. "Lorelai, a gift is hardly an imposition. We just thought --"

"I know what you thought. You thought that if you bought me a house you could control me. Turn me into the perfect little society wife you've always wanted me to be. Well guess what? It won't happen. Luke and I will decide where we live. And when we do, it will be on our terms, purchased with our own money." Lorelai stood up, and pushed her chair in with a hardy shove.

"Lorelai," Richard said furiously. "You will not speak to me or your mother that way. Apologize and finish your dinner."

"I'm sorry, I've lost my appetite. I think we should go." Lorelai fled from the room.

"Lorelai!" Emily called after her. Instead of a response, she heard the front door slamming shut behind her daughter.

There was a tense and uncomfortable silence for several seconds before Luke slid his chair back, the legs scrapping against the floor. "Thank you very much for dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore. I think it's best that we get going."

Emily nodded mutely, still fuming. Rory rose and kissed each grandparent on the cheek before following Luke out of the dining room. Just as she reached the foyer, Emily called, "See you next Friday for the engagement party." Her voice was clear and emotionless, as though the events of the evening had not occurred. "Do not be late."

Rory and Luke found Lorelai pacing around the Jeep. She stopped as they approached, shrugging her shoulders sheepishly. "Sorry, I think I kind of overreacted?"

"You think?" Rory asked. "Seriously Mom, what was that all about?"

"I don't know. I just kind of freaked. It must be hormones."

Rory's eye's widened. "Hormones? Wait a sec. Are you pre--"

"Shhh." Lorelai glanced nervously at the mansion behind them. "Not here. This place has ears, I swear. Let's go get some pie and I'll tell you everything."

"Okay, but it better be boysenberry... with whipped cream."

xxxxx

Thirty minutes later, Rory sat in the arm chair at the Crap Shack, her feet tucked tightly beneath her as she dug into the largest slice of pie she had ever seen. Across from her, Lorelai was curled up against Luke, an equally huge slice of pie in her hands.

Rory savoured her first bite of boysenberry bliss, before switching to reporter mode and grilling the pair on the couch. "So are you?"

"Am I what?" Lorelai asked coyly.

"You know what." When Lorelai merely blinked at her, Rory rolled her eyes and elaborated. "You're going to make me say it, aren't you? Are you pregnant?"

Lorelai broke into a huge grin and nodded. She placed her pie on the table and rubbed her stomach. "Yes."

Rory put down her own pie and leapt from her chair, enveloping her mother and Luke in a massive hug as she squealed with glee. "I'm so happy for you both. You totally deserve this."

"Thank you, Rory." Luke shifted closer to the arm of the couch in an effort to evade flailing limbs.

Lorelai pulled her daughter down to the couch beside her, placed Rory's hand on her stomach and said, "Rory, meet Mini-Luke-to-be."

"I'm going to be your big sister," Rory whispered to her future sibling. "Hi, Luke-two."

"Oh jeez," Luke moaned. "We are not naming it after me."

"But Rory is my Mini-me." Lorelai pouted. "We could have a matching set."

"Not going to happen."

"Daddy's just grumpy, I'll work on him later," Lorelai told her stomach earnestly.

TBC