Here is the next chapter! Hoping to be able to update more often. School's just been crazy. I will do my best! Thanks for the support and feed back :)
The following morning, Rory woke up in the same mood she had been in before she fell asleep. She was still upset about her grandparents and even more upset about the fact that her father had come to Connecticut and not bothered to visit her. She sat with Luke and her Mom eating breakfast, but she barely touched her food. She pushed her eggs around with her fork and refused to meet either of their eyes.
Luke looked concerned, and Lorelai gave him a sad smile to try and ensure him that she would be fine. She leaned forward and took Rory's hand in hers, "Hey hon...it's a nice day. Why don't we walk around the city and-"
"Can we just go home?" Rory asked lifting her head slowly to look at her mom.
Lorelai frowned, "Well...we can. But you were so excited to sight see."
Rory shrugged, "I really just want to go home…please?"
Lorelai sighed and glanced at Luke who only gave her a slow nod, she turned back to her daughter and smiled, "Sure babe...we can go home."
Rory nodded slowly and pushed her plate away, "I'm gonna go pack up my bag upstairs."
Lorelai handed her the keycard and watched her walk away from the table. Both Lorelai and Luke were quiet for a moment and then she glanced towards him, "I'm sorry...I know you had a lot planned for today. She's just...upset."
Luke reached across the table and gave her hand a squeeze, "It's okay. I get it...I just wish that I could do something to cheer her up."
Lorelai nodded slowly, "Unfortunately there isn't really anything either of us can do. Chris has never come into town and not seen her...at least not that I know of." She laughed sadly to herself, "Although now that I think about it...he probably has done it a thousand times. And it breaks my heart…"
"Are you going to try and call him? Call him out on it?" Luke asked curiously.
She laughed a little, "I would if I had a number to reach him at…"
Luke sighed, "I forgot about that…"
She smiled sadly and shook her head, "Sometimes I wonder how something as amazing of her could have been created by two screw ups like me and Chris…"
Luke frowned, "You aren't a screw up…"
She laughed a little and shrugged, "Before I had her I was…" She sighed and pushed back her chair, "I should go help her pack up."
Luke nodded and handed her his key, "Wanna grab my bag? I'll go get the truck and bring it up front so we can just go."
They both stood up and she smiled and gave him a kiss before walking towards the elevators. Luke watched her go and then walked towards the entrance to go to the garage. When Lorelai got back to the room, she saw Rory putting her clothes into her bag.
"Hey kiddo…" Lorelai said with a smile, "All packed up?"
Rory lifted her head slowly and gave her a quick nod, "Yup."
Lorelai sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, "Honey...talk to me."
Rory shook her head slowly, "There's nothing to talk about Mom. I just want to go home…"
"Are you sure though? I mean there is so much we could do here for the day. Then head home later...might be fun?" She asked softly.
Rory sighed and sat down beside her Mom, "It could be...but right now I just want to go home. Is that okay?"
Lorelai smiled sadly and pulled her close to kiss the top of her head, "I'll do whatever you want honey. I just...wish I could make this better for you."
Rory smiled a little and shrugged, "I'll be okay…wouldn't be the first time Dad let me down."
Lorelai felt tears stinging in the back of her eyes, "No...I suppose it isn't."
Rory stood up and grabbed her back, "Come on...let's go meet Luke."
Lorelai gave her a smile and grabbed her own bag. They walked out of their room, went and grabbed Luke's small duffel bag and made their way to the elevators. Rory waited while Lorelai checked them out and then they walked out to the front entrance just as Luke pulled up. He got out of the car, threw their bags in the car and helped Rory into the truck. Luke gave Lorelai a hopeful smile as he started the engine and got on the road…
It wasn't long before Lorelai and Rory both dozed off. The night before had taken a toll on them. As Luke drove he glanced up at the signs on the highway and was suddenly struck with an idea on how to cheer Rory up. He took the right exit and hoped he wasn't taking too much of a risk…
When they reached their destination, Luke put the truck in park and began to shake Rory's shoulder slowly. She stirred and pulled away from her Mother's shoulder. She blinked a few times and then looked over at Luke.
"Are we home already?" Rory asked as she yawned.
Luke smiled and shook his head, "No...I decided to make a little pit stop. Thought you might like it…"
She frowned at him for a moment and then glanced out the window. Her eyes hit the sign on the left and her eyes popped open in realization. "Mom wake up!"
Lorelai jumped slightly and turned towards her daughter, "Rory?"
"We're at Harvard!" Rory said practically bouncing in her seat, "Luke brought us to Harvard!"
Lorelai looked out the window and gasped when she realized her daughter was right, "Oh my God…"
"Can we get out?" Rory asked glancing over at Luke with an excited and joyful expression, "Can we walk around?"
Luke nodded slowly and opened his car door, "Sure. Come on." He got down from his set and let Rory hop down from the bed of the truck.
He heard Lorelai's door open and watched as she practically stumbled out of the car, still surprised by their location. She walked around the side of the truck and looked at Luke in awe. Rory was laughing excitedly as she looked around, "How did you know?" She asked Luke.
He shrugged, "A little birdy told me it was your dream to come here someday…"
Rory glanced towards her Mom, "Oh yeah?"
Luke nodded, "Yeah. I figured we were close by...thought we could drop in and look around."
Rory spun around slowly, "Look how big it is Mom!"
Lorelai put a hand over her mouth and tried to keep the tears from falling, "I know hon...it's huge!"
Rory looked to her left and spotted the library, "We have to check out the library! Come on!"
Luke went to follow her but Lorelai grabbed his hand in hers. He stopped, turned towards her and frowned when he saw the tears pooling in her blue eyes. For a moment he was afraid that he had made a mistake. But when she grabbed his face in her hands and pulled him in for a passionate kiss he knew he had made a good choice.
When they pulled away she could only smile at him and whisper, "Thank you…"
He gave her a wink and reached to squeeze her hands, "Come on...let's go get a tour of Rory's future home."
She squeezed his hand back and let him lead her towards the direction of the Library where Rory was waiting for them.
When they finally pulled up in front of Lorelai and Rory's house, Rory could barely keep her excitement contained. She talked about the the smell of the books, the feel of the grass in the quad, the hundreds of trees she could study under...Luke had bought her a Harvard sweatshirt and she vowed never to take it off despite the warm weather.
As she climbed the porch steps Rory walked to the front door and then turned to look at Luke. She was quiet for a moment and Luke seemed to blush under her gaze. Lorelai excused herself to get their bags out of the car.
Rory took two quick steps and then wrapped her arms around Luke's waist, "Thank you Luke…"
He lifted his hands to hold her close, "Anytime kid...just glad to see you smile again."
Rory pulled away and glanced over at her Mom, "Think we can practice again tomorrow? The game will be here soon…"
Luke nodded slowly, "Sure. I have to work for a few hours in the morning. But maybe I can drop in sometime after lunch and we can head out to the park?"
Rory nodded slowly, "Yeah...I'd like that."
Luke gave her shoulder a squeeze and smiled, "Great."
"Hey superstar." Lorelai called, "Catch!"
Lorelai threw her the keys and Rory caught them with ease, Luke gave her a smile and watched as she unlocked the house and let herself in. Luke stepped down the stairs and walked up to Lorelai, he took her right hand in his and smiled down at the plastic bracelet still dangling from her arm.
"So at least we were able to salvage the end of the trip…" Luke whispered.
Lorelai sighed and pulled her hand away only to wrap her arms around her neck, "Despite the hiccup last night...I still had a great time Luke. No one has ever been that kind to us. No one has ever spoiled us like that…"
Luke smiled, "You two deserve to be spoiled. You're pretty amazing…"
She giggled slightly, "You're the amazing one mister. The way you were able to change Rory's mood like that...you have no idea how much that meant to me. I haven't seen her that excited in a long time…"
Luke shrugged and reached a hand out to caress her cheek, "I just like to see her happy. And you too…"
"You keep spoiling us like this...and we'll never be unhappy again." She said with a smile as she pecked his lips gently.
He smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple, "I should go check on the Diner…"
She frowned a little and pulled on his flannel shirt, "But I'll miss you…"
He smirked, "Well I'll miss you too…come by later for dinner?"
She nodded, "Try and stop us…"
Luke leaned forward and kissed her again, he gave her hand a squeeze and walked around to the truck. He gave her a small wave as he pulled out of the driveway. She waited until he was gone and then walked to the mailbox to get the mail from the last two days. She walked into the house and over towards Rory's bedroom. She smiled when she saw Rory hanging up her Harvard banner up on the bulletin board.
She left her alone to revel in her new found happiness and then walked to the foyer. She pressed the button on the machine and listened to a few telemarketer calls. She flipped through her stack of mail and grimaced when she saw the bill from the hospital. She ripped it open and gasped when she saw the amount she had to pay for Rory's surgery.
As if she couldn't feel worse, her Mother's voice rang through the speaker, "Lorelai this is your Mother. I called Christopher and got your number from him. I hope you made it back from Boston safely...when you do get home please call. I want to talk to you. I want to know who that man carrying Rory was...the number is the same. I'm sure you remember it. Goodbye."
Lorelai sighed and went to sit down on the couch, she was amazed at how quickly her mood could have changed. When she heard Rory walking out of her room, she plastered a smile on her face and listened as her daughter once again went through the long list of why Harvard was the greatest place on Earth…
The following day, Rory and Lorelai worked on homework and laundry and all the things they had neglected during their brief getaway. After lunch, there was a knock on the door and Rory smiled as she ran over to greet Luke.
"Hey! Let me grab my stuff really quick." Rory said as she turned and ran back towards her room.
Lorelai smiled when she greeted him at the door, "Hey…"
Luke smiled and gave her hand a squeeze, "Hey. You gonna come down with us?"
"I actually have a few errands I need to run. Do you mind hanging with her for a bit? I feel bad asking...but I'm gonna be crazy working this week." She said with a shrug.
Luke shook his head, "I don't mind at all."
She nodded slowly as Rory walked back out to greet them, "Okay. I'm ready. You coming Mom?"
Lorelai shook her head, "Not today sweets. I have some things I need to take care of. You get Luke all to yourself this afternoon."
Rory smiled, "Okay. See you later?"
Lorelai winked and kissed the top of her head, "Yep. I'll see you later. Have fun and be good please."
"I'm always good Mom!" Rory said with a smile as she dashed past Luke towards the truck.
She chuckled and leaned against the doorframe, "Feel free to discipline her if need be." She joked.
Luke smirked, "Sure thing."
She took a deep breath, reached for his hand and pulled him in for a kiss, "Thank you."
He didn't respond, only gave her a kiss and then followed Rory to the car. Lorelai watched them go and then walked back into the house. She went upstairs, changed her clothes and then found her bag and keys. She climbed into the jeep and started driving off towards the place she had run away from years before…
When she pulled up in front of the large house, her heart started beating faster in her chest. She couldn't remember the last time she had come here alone. She had been there a handful of times on Christmas with Rory...but she had not stepped foot into the house alone since before Rory was born.
She took a few deep breaths, waited until her legs stopped shaking and then proceeded to the front door. She rang the doorbell and waited, the door opened and a petite blonde maid greeted her. "May I help you?"
"Um hi...I was hoping to speak to Richard and Emily Gilmore?" She asked softly, "I'm...I'm their daughter Lorelai."
The maid seemed genuinely surprised, she clearly had no idea that the elder Gilmore's had a daughter, "Oh...they just got back from lunch. Let me check with them. Come on in."
Lorelai stepped into the foyer and stood patiently waiting as the maid walked into the den. Lorelai glanced around the room and a million memories flooded her brain. She stood quietly and tried to keep her heart from bursting from her chest. She heard murmured voices, and then then the click of heels.
"Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore will see you in the den. Can I get you anything?" She asked softly.
Lorelai shook her head, "Oh no thank you. I'm-I'm fine."
She let her legs lead her towards the room, nothing about it had changed in the last 12 years. She glanced up slowly and saw that her Mother had a scowl on her face, but her Father looked hopeful and pleasantly surprised to see her.
"Lorelai!" He said softly, "What brings you here?"
Lorelai tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Hi Dad...I'm sorry to just show up like this. But...I figured after our run in on Friday...and Mom's phone call I figured I should come talk to you."
Emily was sitting with her legs crossed on the couch, "Where is Rory this afternoon? With that man?"
Lorelai swallowed hard, "Actually yes...he is teaching her how to play baseball."
Emily pursed her lips, "Baseball? She's a girl…"
Lorelai nodded slowly, "Well she has a Father's Day baseball game coming up at school...Luke is teaching her how to play so she can participate."
"So Christopher is coming into town to play with her?" Emily asked hopefully.
Lorelai laughed softly, "No. Rory and I haven't seen Chris in months...we had no idea he was home last time when he visited you. She's playing in the game with Luke."
"That man is NOT her father." Emily said angrily.
Lorelai nodded slowly, "No...he isn't. But her father is never around...he doesn't bother to call. He moves around and doesn't leave me a number to call him. His daughter was in the hospital a few weeks ago and I had no way of getting in contact with him."
"Rory was in the hospital?" Richard asked quickly, "Is she alright?"
"She had to have her appendix removed." Lorelai said glancing towards her father, "She's fine now...but if Luke hadn't have got her to the hospital in time things could have turned out a lot differently."
"Luke was the one to take her to the Hospital?" Richard asked, "This man seems to be spending a lot of time with Rory…"
Lorelai swallowed hard, "He helps out a lot...I've been working extra and that day I was working a Saturday shift. Luke was staying with her and knew immediately to take her to the hospital. He helped with her recovery and made her as comfortable as possible. I owe him a lot…"
Richard nodded slowly, "Well...make sure to thank him for us."
Emily was quiet and Lorelai felt a shiver run through her body, "What exactly is the nature of your relationship with that man?"
The way in which she said that man made Lorelai's blood boil, but she chose to keep her composure, "His name is Luke Danes. He owns a business in Stars Hollow...he's been a great help since Rory and I moved into our home. He's always there when I need him...he fixes things around the house. He keeps Rory and I fed even when I can't afford...Rory adores him."
Emily raised her head slightly, "And you? How do you feel about him?"
Lorelai suddenly felt 15 again and her composure started to crack, "Luke is...a wonderful man. And I am incredibly lucky to have met him. For some reason...he wants to be there for Rory and I. And we have developed a great bond...it's still early but he makes me happy and I enjoy being with him. If you are asking if I am in a relationship with him...then the answer is yes."
Emily pursed her lips, "I see…"
Lorelai sighed and shook her head slightly, "I didn't come here to argue with you. I know that you don't approve of him...I could see it as soon as your eyes locked on him Friday night. But the thing is...I don't need your approval. I'm not a little kid anymore…"
Emily laughed, "Even when you were a kid you never did what you were supposed to do."
"Emily…" Richard said with a warning tone.
"And what was I supposed to do Mother?" Lorelai asked as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Graduate from your perfect little catholic school? Go to Yale and get a Degree I would never use because you'd marry me off to the most eligible bachelor? Become a wife and mother but be to busy with the society world to give a damn about them?"
"You were supposed to make us proud! You were supposed to hold up the Gilmore name!" Emily said standing up from her couch.
"Emily!" Richard yelled, but she ignored him.
"But instead you got knocked up and decided to throw your life away! And I see that not much has changed. You're getting mixed up with this man who is so below you...that will drag you down with him! And what's worse is you are taking Rory with you!" Emily yelled.
"You don't even know him!" Lorelai yelled as she felt tears begin to burn in her eyes, "So what if he isn't from a upper class family? He's a good man! He's a hard worker and is true to his word. I can count on him and so can Rory. He is ALWAYS there when we need him unlike Christopher."
"Why are you so hell bent on hating Christopher? He comes from a good family Lorelai! You could have married him and raised Rory in a proper home!" Emily screamed.
Lorelai shook her head, "Rory had a proper home."
"You call a potting shed a proper home?" Emily said in disgust, "The girl didn't even have her own room! She was sleeping on a mattress on the floor!"
Lorelai grimaced and looked down, "Well I'm sorry my home didn't meet your standards...but at least my daughter never once questioned whether or not her Mother loved her. At least she never had to cry herself to sleep because she felt like she was worthless. At least she is allowed to dream, make plans and be who she wants to be! Her life may not be perfect...but she is so incredibly loved by me. And it breaks her heart to know that her Father and her Grandparents don't' want to know her. But God I wish you did know her because you would realize what an amazing kid she is...you'd know how damn smart she is. You'd know how beautiful her soul is! But you never cared about that. All you cared about was the fact that I got pregnant at 15 and had a baby at 16...all you cared about was the fact that she wasn't part of the plan." She glared at them both, "She wasn't part of my plan either...but she was the best mistake I ever made! She saved me from this...from you." She said pointing a hand at her, she started to step back slowly, "I came here to give you the chance to know your granddaughter but clearly nothing has changed in the last 12 years…"
She turned and started to walk out of the room. She ripped open the door and made it out to her car before she heard her Father's voice calling her name. Part of her wanted to climb up into the jeep and drive away as fast as she could, but something held her back.
"Lorelai…" He whispered as he stepped up to her.
"I don't know why I bothered to try and extend the olive branch…" She said with a laugh, "I will never be good enough for her…"
"Your Mother holds a lot of hurt from the last 12 years and even before that…" Richard whispered.
Lorelai wiped at her tears and shook her head, "I know...I know I have ruined your lives. You wish you had never had me-"
"That isn't true." Richard said slowly, "Not at all...your Mother is just used to things done in a certain way. She had certain expectations of you…"
"Oh yes I am quite aware of that. And I know I never met those expectations." She said with an eye roll, "Can I leave now? My daughter is waiting for me…"
Richard sighed, "I want to know my Granddaughter…"
Lorelai pursed her lips, "Well I don't know how that will be possible because I'm not allowing that kind of negative energy around her. You didn't see her Friday night...how devastated she was. It broke my heart…"
"I didn't realize that Christopher hadn't come to see you…" Richard said with a frown, "I never would have said anything if I knew that."
"It's not just that." Lorelai whispered, "Rory told me she thinks you all hate her...she thinks you resent her for ruining my life. But don't you understand that she saved me?"
"Lorelai…" Richard whispered.
"You and Mom gave me every material item at your disposal...but all I wanted was your time. I wanted you to see me for who I really was. I wanted you both to love me." She said as her voice cracked, "Rory was the first thing I had in my life that loved me...that accepted me. She is everything good in my life."
Richard sighed and looked down, "Lorelai I'd like to get to know her...I'd like to build a relationship with you again."
She sighed and shook her head, "I don't know if that will be possible...not with Mom."
Richard shrugged, "Well she doesn't have to be a part of it if she doesn't want to be. I am a grown man...I can make my own decisions."
Lorelai was quiet for a moment, "I just...I need to think about it."
Richard nodded slowly, "I understand that…"
She took a deep breath and reached for the handle on the jeep, "I need to go…"
He cleared his throat nervously and stepped back, "Okay…"
She sighed and turned towards him quickly before she got into the car. "Bye Dad…"
Richard stood still as he watched the jeep pull out of the driveway. Lorelai didn't turn to look at him as she drove away, but as soon as the jeep was out of sight she pulled over on the side of the road and let herself cry…
Luke and Rory practiced hitting, running the bases and catching for the better part of two hours. Finally Rory seemed ready to take a break, she slid into home plate and laughed as Luke walked up to her.
"We're gonna crush the other team!" Rory said as she beamed up at him.
Luke chuckled and pulled her up to a standing position, "Heck yes we are!"
Rory laughed and walked over to the bench under the tree to grab her water bottle, "I can't believe I'm actually liking baseball…"
Luke laughed and sat down beside her, "You have to try new things to find out if you like them or not…"
Rory smiled, "You know Mom will never believe that when it comes to food...anything green is off limits."
Luke chuckled and took a sip of his water, "Yes. I know that."
Rory was quiet for a moment as she reached for the bag of pretzels he had brought for them, "But I will say...that she's been a lot happier in the last few weeks with you."
Luke smiled softly, "That's good...I've been happier too."
Rory let her legs swing back and forth, "And...I have been too. Despite my minor melt down on Friday night...I did have a lot of fun. And I was really glad you took us to the game…"
Luke frowned, "Rory…"
"I don't know my Grandparents that well...but I get really nervous when they are around. Especially with Grandma...she always looks at me like she's disgusted by me." She said with a frown.
Luke shook his head, "Rory that's not true...I'm sure your Grandma loves you."
Rory shrugged, "Maybe deep down...but usually she just seems to dislike me. I really only see her on Christmas though...she doesn't talk much to me. Grandpa tries...he asks a lot of questions about school…"
"Well they are missing out. You're one hell of a kid." He grimaced, "Uh sorry-"
Rory laughed, "It's okay Luke...I've heard the word Hell…"
He smiled, "Yeah well...I should learn to watch my mouth more around you. Not used to being around kids much…"
Rory nodded and smirked at him, "Well you're doing a hell of a job so far with me…"
"Aw geez...your Mom is gonna kill me." He said as he shook his head.
Rory only laughed, "Trust me...that will be the last thing to bother her."
They snacked on their pretzels for a moment before Luke spoke again, "You know...your Dad is missing out the most. He has no idea how great his daughter is...and someday he is going to regret it all."
Rory swallowed hard, "Sometimes I wonder if he ever even wanted me…"
Luke remembered the conversation Lorelai had had with him about Chris wanting her to have an abortion. That was not something he was about to confess to Rory. It would only make her feel worse.
"I'm sure he did Rory...he was just young when you came into the world." Luke whispered.
"So was Mom...but she took care of me even if she wasn't ready." Rory whispered.
Luke nodded, "True. But sometimes people don't know how to handle things...he has handled all of this wrong. And in some ways I feel sorry for the guy…"
"What do you mean?" Rory asked softly.
Luke smiled, "He's got this amazing daughter who could teach him so much about life...and he doesn't realize that he's wasting all this time. He's blinded by fear...he has no idea that he is making the biggest mistake of his life."
Rory let his words sink in for a minute, then she smiled slowly, "Thanks Luke…"
He reached over and gave her arm a squeeze, "I know I am not be your Dad...but I'm always here if you need me. For anything, alright? Day or night...I'm here for you."
Rory smiled and leaned forward to hug him, Luke hugged her back and spotted Lorelai climbing out of the jeep which she parked by the truck. She had sunglasses covering her eyes, but her shoulders were slumped making him worry that something was wrong. He nudged Rory to let her know that her Mom was back.
Rory smiled and jumped off the bench and ran towards her Mom. Luke gathered their stuff and started to walk towards them. He watched Rory hug her Mom before she skipped off towards town.
"Where's she off too?" Luke asked as he stepped up to Lorelai.
"She's going to visit Lane for a while." She said as she watched her daughter step up to the Kim household.
Luke watched her and noticed that she wasn't meeting his gaze, "You get all your errands done?"
She sighed and turned towards him trying to smile, "What?" She paused, "Oh yeah…"
He frowned and reached for her hand, "Lorelai? What's wrong?"
She swallowed the lump in her throat and sighed, "Nothing…"
Luke reached forward and lifted her sunglasses off of her face, he instantly saw that they were red and puffy, "Lorelai…"
She grimaced and rubbed her eye gently, "I went to see my parents…"
Luke's eyes widened, "What?"
She leaned against the jeep and shrugged, "There was a message from my Mom on the phone...she somehow got in contact with Christopher and got my number. She wanted me to call her...but I don't know I thought it would be better to just go and see them face to face." She chuckled softly, "Boy was I wrong…"
"What happened?" He asked as he leaned against the jeep beside her.
"I was barely there five minutes...there was lots of yelling. I was reminded how much of a disappointment I was to my Mother and how she disapproves of how I have raised my daughter...it was flashback city." She said with a smirk.
"Why did you go over there?" Luke asked softly.
"Because I couldn't ignore the fact that I had seen them on Friday. And I just...I thought maybe things could be different. If not for me then for Rory…" She said with a sad smile, "She has no family...she wants to know her Grandparents. I thought they'd like to get to know her…"
"Lorelai you are an amazing mother...your Mom just doesn't know that." He said softly.
"And she never will...I don't want her around my kid if that's how she is going to act. I don't want Rory to ever feel like she is worthless…" She whispered.
Luke wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze, "She doesn't...she knows how much you love her."
Lorelai nodded slowly, "My Dad...he wants to get to know her…"
"How do you feel about that?" Luke asked softly.
Lorelai shrugged, "I'm not totally sure. I mean...he was always the more calm one. Sure he wasn't happy when I told him I was pregnant but he did his best. My Mom was the more vocal one in her disappointment. I felt like he did genuinely show interest in Rory...but I don't know how I could get away with having him around and not my Mom."
"Well you are the one that gets to make the rules here Lorelai. She is your daughter...you get to decide who is and isn't in her life. If he wants to get to know her...then you make it clear that your Mom isn't allowed unless she can make some changes." He said to her.
Lorelai sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "I just want Rory to be happy...seeing the pain on her face the other night killed me. And then to hear her worry about them hating her hurt even more...she's such a good kid and she deserves so much more."
Luke gave her shoulder another squeeze, "Well all you can do is try with your Dad...and no matter what happens I'm going to be right beside you. Okay?"
She smiled softly and leaned into him, "Thank God for that…"
He smiled and kissed her head, "You look like you could use a cup of coffee and some pie…"
She sighed happily and let him start to lead her towards the Diner, "You know me so well!"
He chuckled and rubbed her arm as they walked, "I know the way to your heart is through your stomach."
She smirked and wrapped an arm around his stomach as they walked, "Well I have to be honest here buddy...I'm falling for you for a lot more than just your food. That's just an added bonus."
He smiled and held her closer, "That's good to know…"
She pulled away just enough so that they could hold hands as they walked, "You know...you still owe me the full date treatment…"
He gave her hand a squeeze, "You're right about that…What's your schedule like this week?"
"I think I could probably do something on Friday. If Sookie is willing to hang with Rory...we could make something happen." She said with a smile, "What do you think?"
Luke nodded, "I can make that work. But does that mean I have to wait until Friday to see you?"
She shook her head, "Possibly to get me alone...but no you'll see me. You won't be able to keep Rory and I away that long. Plus you'll probably practice more after school right?"
"Yeah. Joe is looking to pick up extra shifts this week, trying to buy a new car. I can probably get out early in the afternoons to work with her. You have to work this weekend?" He asked.
"I was going to work on Saturday for some extra money yeah." She said with a shrug, "Why?"
"You could always work a little later each night during the week...I'll hang with Rory till your done. Then you can have Saturday off. You deserve a break...besides we may be out late on Friday so you may be too tired to work on Saturday morning." He said with a smile.
She smirked at him, "You hoping to get lucky mister?"
He stopped short and turned to face her, "I didn't mean it like that...you know I don't expect anything."
She nodded, "I do know that. I was just teasing you...but it's not like we both don't want that to happen. Right?"
His eyes widened and he smirked at her, "You're kidding right? Of course I want that to happen! But only when you are ready."
She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close, "Keeping being as amazing as you are...and I'm pretty sure I'll be ready real soon."
He breathed her in as he kissed her passionately, "Lorelai…"
"But as much as I want that…" She smiled sultry at him, "Right now I really want that pie and coffee…"
He chuckled and pulled away to lead her towards the Diner again, "One track mind…"
"Hey you can't promise a girl pie and coffee and then not deliver." She said with a giggle as she cuddled up to his side again.
He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze, "Addict…"
"Supplier…" She whispered into his ear giving his earlobe a little nip.
He only chuckled and continued to walk her towards the Diner. He held the door open for her and smiled when she took her place behind the counter. He poured her her coffee, plated her pie and felt his heart swell with happiness. This was what he had wanted...to be the one to make her smile. To be the one to be beside her and Rory. And now he finally had it…
Hope you liked it :) I have all the ideas in my head for the rest of the story...just need to find the time to write it all out! Will update as soon as possible!