The next morning Lorelai joined Richard in the Dining room for breakfast. Emily was in the kitchen supervising with breakfast.

"So Cheech, did you get in trouble?" Lorelai asked as she placed a kiss on her father's cheek before sitting down.

"It was a narrow escape." He replied in a whisper.

"What are you two in cahoots about today?" Emily enquired as she saw Father and Daughter heads close together.

"Just making sure there's no bruises." Lorelai teased.

"Honestly you two!" Both Lorelai and Richard grinned back at her sheepishly.

"Martha, you can bring the breakfast in now please. Lorelai where's Rory?"

"Right here Grandma. Sorry I'm late coming down. I got a call from Paris."

"That's all right dear. How is Paris doing?"

"She's well, she's Paris."

"Hey Mom, I need to get some fresh air, you up for a walk?" Lorelai asked after breakfast.

"I guess, why not. Let me change into more appropriate clothing."

They walked in semi silence, it wasn't till they were a few blocks away that Lorelai spoke.

"Dad tell you I made him drive me to Luke's?"

"Well, not in those words. He mentioned you wanted to go a road trip and he deduced from your conversation minutes before that you wanted to go to Stars Hollow." Lorelai grinned.

"I do believe I have been some influence in both of your vocabularies."

"Heaven forbid!" Emily said rolling her eyes.

"As I was laying in my bed last night, I thought, finally things are going well between you and me and Dad, and for so long that was what I have wanted. Rory's graduated from Yale, and lil Zeik is getting to know his Dad. If I were to go…"

"Lorelai…" Emily interrupted,

"Mom please, this isn't easy for me to say out loud."

"Sorry, go ahead."

"If I were to go the one thing that is unresolved is Luke. I don't want him to live in regret and I don't want to go without his knowing that I still love him, that I forgive him. Because regardless how much it hurt me, I wouldn't trade what we have for anything. On the scale of things, it doesn't really matter anymore."

Emily draped an arm around her daughter.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity we have had to be the mother and daughter I always dreamed of these last months, this past year. I am so proud of you. I am in awe of your strength and powerful love for those in your world."

"Thank you Mom."

"So what did he say?"

"He said he was sorry that he let me walk away that night, that he froze, and by the time he got to the house, I was long gone. He told me that he knew I was scared but he wasn't going to let that deter him or let me use it as an excuse to not give us a go. He knows that I still love him and vice versa, and the only thing that would stop us from giving it another go is my fear and perhaps my pride. He said that our Love was stronger than any diagnosis. I told him that my head didn't want to trust him. That he almost killed me when he let me walk away. We cried, we talked, we cried some more. Now, I think we may just be ready to rebuild. Mom,"

"Yes Lorelai,"

"I don't want to go back to being a couple, at least not yet. Not like this, not when everything is so uncertain."

"I'm sure he'll understand." Emily said patting her arm.

By the time they go back Rory and Richard we're in the middle of a very serious game of Cranium. Emily and Lorela watched in amusement before Rory convinced them to join. The game lasted right before lunch and when Luke arrived before noon the Gilmore's were unidentifiable. The laughing and joking around was definitely new to his ears when these guys were involved. He watched them in amazement, the change in them so evident. Lorelai looked up and saw Luke standing by the door of the study watching them, Zeik in his arms.

"Oh hey, I didn't hear the door bell."

"Well the noise generating from this room would explain that." He teased.

"Well, it's the Gilmore Girls versus the Older Generation of Gilmore's, and the elder Gilmore's have proved to be competitive, dare I even sly."

"Are you implying that we're cheating?"

"Hey if the shoe fits Grandpa!" Rory chuckled.

"This is getting ugly. Hi Luke. Join us for lunch?" Emily said getting up from her chair.

"Sure, I'd love to." Lorelai reached out for Zeik.

"Hey Baby, Mommy missed you." She said giving him a kiss hello and holding him close to her.

"Mom, I'll go heat up his bottle. I'll let Martha know to add another place to the table. Luke sit down and take my place." Luke did as he was told and sat beside Rory. In wasn't long before Luke's competitive edge kicked in. When Lorelai had returned the four of them were engrossed in their game. Lorelai watched Richard's leather arm chair as she fed Zeik. As happy as she was that the people she loved most were in the one room, a wave of sadness swept through her. She looked down at Zeik with tears in her eyes.

"Please God no." she whispered, crying out to the heavens to give her another chance. To live out the life she always dreamed of, with the man that she loved and the family she cherished. Fighting with her Mother all those years ago seemed pointless and a waste of time. She was grateful that they had the chance to make it right. As a sense of habit Luke looked around the room in search of Lorelai and saw her with her head bowed down to Zeik's. There was sadness in her eyes and he knew what she was thinking. Following his gaze Emily's heart dropped to her toes, it broke her heart to think how badly it could all end. What they could lose, just when they were just getting started. Richard placed a hand on his wife's knee.

"Let's have lunch shall we?" Emily looked at him with tears in his eyes and nodded. Lorelai looked up and her eyes met Luke's. The look of love between them was undeniable.

After lunch Lorelai had taken a nap with Zeik. Sensing that Rory needed distraction Luke had asked her to come to Diner with him for a couple of hours.

"You're grandmother can give us a call as soon as your Mom wakes up." He reassured her as she hesitated. He was getting the sense that Rory was afraid to leave Lorelai's side.

"That's a good idea Luke. Rory, I promise you, the moment your mother wakes up, I will give you a call."

"Okay then." Rory said reluctantly.

When they got in Luke's truck, Luke turned to her.

"We don't have to go to the Diner, I just thought you might have just wanted a little time out. I know how hard this must be for you. I think you're doing a great job holding it together for your Mom. I just wanted you to know, that if you wanted to talk, unload, or just be, I'm here."

"I know the Operation isn't for a couple of days and that it'll be more than likely be okay, but I feel like if I leave her presence, I'm going to lose her, you know?" Luke placed a hand over hers,

"I do know."

"Luke, can we do something?" she asked.

"What did you have in mind, a heist?" he replied with a grin.

"No, I think Mom would be mad if we did a heist without her don't you? I was thinking, I know Mom wanted to keep it low key, that she didn't want anyone to know she was sick, but she's going to be out of commission for awhile, and I was thinking wouldn't it be great if we did a Dinner Party for her with all of her favourite food, and maybe we can invite Sookie and Jackson. I just feel like Sookie should be here too."

"I don't know Rory. Normally I'd say it's something that you're Mom would love right off the bat, but she seems really adamant about keeping her condition in the family."

"We don't have to tell Sookie what it's really for. I just think if I was Sookie, I would be really mad at Mom when I found out. Even more mad if I know I never got a chance to really hang out with her before she got too sick. Does that make sense?"

"What do you say we tweak your plans, invite Sookie for a movie night, a girl's movie night here at your Grandmother's. It'd be low key, and it would just be Sookie, so that if your Mom wants to speak to her about what's going on, she can, if she doesn't then no biggie. You said that your Mom and Sookie haven't really had a chance to hang out this past year right? I think tonight might be a good place to start." Rory looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I think that's a great plan Luke, let's do it. Why don't we go to Stars Hollow and pick up supplies, at the same time, we can drop by the Dragonfly to talk to Sookie. Do you think Mom will be mad that it seems I shanghai'd her?"

"I don't think she'll be mad. I think she'll see right through it, and though she may resist, she will appreciate the opportunity you're giving her."

"Thanks Luke."

Luke checked on the Diner while Rory went to see Sookie, who was excited and not at all suspicious of the sudden invitation.

"How'd you go?" He asked as she got into the truck.

"Rather well. It wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be."

"I wouldn't count your chickens just yet, you still have to tell your Mom." He reminded her with a smile.

"That's why we are going to Shoprite first, so we can buy all the junk food of her dreams, in bulk to soften the blow."

"Good idea. Get her all wired up in sugar." Luke said dryly.

When they got back their arms were loaded in bags of things that gave Luke a headache just looking at it.

"Do not tell me that is all JUNK?" Emily said as she opened the door. They had run the Movie night idea past Emily who agreed it would be good for Lorelai to have a girlfriend their that night.

"Close enough, one of the bags are groceries, and I thought if you didn't mind Emily, I would love to cook dinner for you guys tonight. I was thinking of cooking Lorelai's favourite meal."

"You're not serving us a cheeseburger are you?" she asked, knowing full well that with her daughter's stomach, anything was possible. Luke and Rory laughed.

"I guess I deserved that. You'd be proud to know that though it comes second, cheeseburger is not her favourite meal. I was thinking of making her lasagna."

"Ahhh, the famous Danes Lasagna. Grandma, you have to taste Luke's lasagna, it's to die for."

"Well, with that kind of a write up, how can I refuse? Are you sure Luke, I don't want to keep you in the kitchen. You're a guest, you're family. You don't need to go through all the trouble."

"No trouble at all Emily, it would be a pleasure. Besides, it'll give you girls some time together. Rory hasn't broken it to you yet that when Sookie arrives in a couple of hours you guys are doing facials, manicures and pedicures on each other. Richard and I will be in the kitchen keeping our innocence."

"Is there room for one more in that kitchen?" Emily asked Luke.

"Grandma!" Rory exclaimed.

"Well the thought of your mother doing my manicure frightens me." Emily reasoned in an amused tone of voice

"I resent that Mother!" Lorelai cried out in mock offense as she walked into the room. The three of them looked at her sheepishly as though they had just been caught doing something illegal.

"What's going on? Why am I giving my Mother a manicure?"
"Well I thought we could use a Girl's Day/Night in. We do facials, manicures and pedicures this afternoon, and then tonight we do Movie night. Luke and I got supplies, and not from Doose's but from Shoprite!"

"Oooooh, how much loot did you come home with?"

"Enough to make a vein pop on the side of Luke's head?"

"Nice. What are we watching?"

"Willy Wonka, Casablanca, Hardbodies, St Elmo's Fire, and or course Pretty in Pink."

"The classics, you've pulled out the big guns. Why do I sense there's more to this?"

"I invited Sookie to join us. I told her that we were having a girl's night in at Grandmas and I thought it would be nice if she joined us. It's been ages since you've really had any time with Sookie, and I thought it would be good for you to hang out with your friend, and Luke suggested the girly night in. Are you mad?" Rory rambled,

"No Hon, I'm not mad. Thank you for the sentiment. You're right it would be nice to have Sookie here. I'm not sure if I'm going to tell her though, so can we please keep current circumstance between us till I confirm that I've told her?"

"Of course Lorelai." Emily reassured her taking Zeik from her arms. Zeik gurgled as he looked up at his grandmother.
"My you are handsome." She cooed.

Lorelai and Luke exchanged a smile as Emily and her grandchildren exited the kitchen.

"Good nap?" he asked.

"Yeah it was."

"Are you sure tonight is okay with you? I think Rory just wanted to do something for you and figured you could use a girlfriend."

"Yeah, it's fine. I just don't know if I'm going to tell her, I mean, what can I say?"

"You'll find the words."