Trolling with the Dread Pirate Lucas
"This is ridiculous," Jess grumbled as he watched Luke zip Jake into a little windbreaker.
"Quit whining, Pansy, it's not like I woke you up at 5am like my dad used to," Luke growled. "You ready?" he asked Jake.
"Juke fiss," Jake answered.
Luke nodded and said, "We're all gonna fish," as he shot Jess a hard look. "Okay, men, let's move it out," he said as he gestured to the door.
Jake and Josh scrambled to the door, their ball caps firmly affixed to their heads, but with the bill shading their faces. Luke opened the door and they scampered through. "Careful," he cautioned as they began to make their way down the steps cautiously. "Turn the lock, will ya, Pansy," he called over his shoulder as he grabbed his tackle box from the porch and followed the boys.
"Afraid someone's gonna steal our women?" Jess asked as he locked the door and pulled it closed behind him.
"Mine," Luke answered as he caught up to the twins and hooked his fingers into the hoods of their jackets to restrain them. "You're still on probation," he told Jess.
"For how long?" Jess asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and hunching his shoulders in his grey hoodie.
"Until the day you die," Luke intoned gravely. He steered the boys to the shed and opened the doors. "Okay, we need our gear," he told them. Josh and Jake made a beeline for their plastic fishing poles, knocking the rest of the rods and reels over in their haste. "Easy, geez, the lake isn't going anywhere," Luke grumbled as he picked up the poles and separated his and Jess' from the rest. "Here, make yourself useful," he said as he handed the poles and tackle box off to Jess. He grabbed the twins' hoods again and said, "Okay, let's load up."
As they trooped down to the dock, Jess muttered, "I wish I had known there were mandatory activities at this resort, I woulda gone to Club Med instead."
Luke snorted and said, "Maybe they would have offered a nice origami class."
"I'm just saying that just because I inherited the family jewels, that doesn't mean I am genetically predisposed to dangling filament into a body of water and hoping some idiotic fish is stupid enough to bite," Jess said huffily.
"Can it, Pansy, it's too early," Luke growled as he led the boys down the dock.
"You're the one that made us get up this early," Jess complained. "And stop calling me Pansy."
Luke stopped beside the boat and turned to look at his nephew. "Do you prefer Petunia?"
"You certainly seem to know your flowers," Jess answered with a smirk.
"Whether or not you actually inherited the family jewels open to debate. For all I know, you're all Mariano. Now, you knew exactly what this weekend was and what I had planned to do. You could have opted out at any time," Luke told him. "If the fact that your girlfriend was going to be here made it more attractive for you, that's not my problem." He nodded to the boat and said, "Stow that in the back and help me strap the hooligans down."
When Luke tried to remove Josh's pole from his hand, Josh clung to it and cried, "Mine!"
"Yes, I know," Luke said calmly. "I just was going to have Jess stow it with the rest of the poles. Don't you want to have your fishing pole to fish with?" he asked.
"Fiss," Josh answered.
Luke nodded as he squatted in front of them. "Okay, rule number one, anything that goes in the water is staying in the water, 'cause I'm not diving for it, got it?" he said firmly. "Now, let's store your poles with the rest of them so that they don't go flying overboard before we even get away from the dock," he said as he gently pried the poles from the boys' hands and handed them off to Jess, who had already stepped into the boat.
Jess helped Luke get the boys into their life jackets and strapped onto the seats before dropping down between them with a tired sigh. He turned to Josh and asked, "You ever see Das Boot?" He turned to Jake and asked, "K19? The Perfect Storm?"
Luke prepared to fire up the motor and said, "No. And they didn't like the Noah's Ark movie Mrs. Kim gave us. The one about Jonah and the whale was a big hit, though, huh guys."
"Big fiss," Jake said solemnly.
"Whale," Luke corrected.
"Big," Josh agreed with a nod.
"No whales out here," Luke said as he started the motor. He steered them away from the dock, and out into the middle of the lake. As he idled along slowly, raising his hand to acknowledge the pair of older men fishing along the opposite bank, and motored toward the other side of the lake. Once he reached his usual spot, Luke cut the motor and then moved to the front of the boat to drop the trolling motor. He unstrapped the back of the fishing seat and adjusted the pedal for the smaller motor beneath it. When he looked up, he asked, "You want front or back?"
Jess shrugged and said, "Doesn't matter."
"If you sit up here, you have to run the troller," Luke told him.
"And if I take the back?" Jess asked.
Luke smirked and said, "You have to run the two year olds."
"I'll take the motor," Jess said as he stood up and moved to take the seat.
"Okay, so I've set the speed, all you have to do is keep us off of the bank," Luke said as he pressed on the pedal to demonstrate. "It's gonna move the boat in the opposite direction," he warned.
"Doesn't take a GED," Jess drawled.
"Yes, but you have one, so that probably works against you," Luke retorted. He turned back to the boys and clapped his hands together. "Who wants to fish?"
"I fiss," Josh answered.
Luke nodded once and said, "Well, let's get you set up." He retrieved the twins' poles from the back of the boat and smiled as he pressed the buttons to release the string that held the large plastic hooks. He dangled the string over the side of the boat and handed one pole to Josh. "Now, hang onto it, okay? You have to wait until a fish bites your hook." He did the same, dangling the string over the opposite side of the boat and handing the rod to Jake. He wrapped the boy's small hands around it and said, "Hang on tight, okay, buddy?"
"'Kay," Jake said as he frowned in concentration.
Luke looked up, sharing an amused glance with Jess before stepping to the back of the boat. He carefully unhooked the crawdad lure he had tied to his line the night before, and cast toward the bank. He glanced over at Jess, who sat slumped in the chair and asked, "You need me to bait and cast for you, Petunia?"
"I catch one, I'm done, right?" he grumbled.
"You catch one, you won't want to be done," Luke asserted.
Jess scooted from the chair and reached for his pole. "What do I put on it?" he asked.
Luke shrugged and said, "Try a popper."
"Which would be?" Jess asked leadingly.
"Silvery one, pretty pink mouth," Luke answered with a smirk. He watched as Jess tied the lure onto the line and shook his head in disgust. He set his pole down and said, "Gimme that," as he reached for Jess'.
"Fiss!" Jake said as he peered over the side of the boat, straining against the nylon straps Luke had attached to the seat.
"You got one?" Luke asked as he stepped closer, ready to lunge if necessary. He hurriedly re-tied Jess' lure, biting the excess line off with his teeth.
"Fiss," Jake said again.
Luke frowned as he looked over the side of the boat. "Someone nibbling on you?" he asked quietly. A moment later he saw movement just below the surface, His eyebrows shot up as he handed the pole back to Jess and said, "That one's mine." Luke grabbed his own pole and reeled in quickly.
Jess lifted an eyebrow and asked, "You're gonna swipe Jake's fish?"
"If he'll bite, yeah."
"Man, your dad is mean," Jess told Jake as he moved back to his seat.
"If I land him, I'll let Jake kiss him for me," Luke said as he cast a short distance from the boat. He nudged Jake and asked, "Whadda ya say? Wanna kiss the fish?"
"Fiss kiss," Josh answered for his brother.
Ten minutes later, Jake's friendly fish had moved on without finding Luke alluring. Jake was singing a nonsense song as his pole drooped precariously. After reeling in again, Luke smiled as he saw Josh staring off into the distance in a trance, lulled by the gentle rocking of the boat, his mouth hanging open. He bent down and lifted the tray from his tackle box, palming a bright red plastic fish that had come with the boys' fishing poles. "Gimme a distraction here," he instructed Jess as he nodded to Josh.
Jess chuckled as he took in his cousin's zombie like expression and said, "I don't think you need one."
Luke bent down and stealthily lifted Josh's string from the water. He clipped the plastic fish over the hook and dropped it into the water again. A moment later, he dropped down between the twins and draped an arm around each of them. "How's it goin'? Any bites?"
"I go," Jake whined.
"We just got here," Luke answered. "Hey, look! I think Josh got one!" he said excitedly as he pointed to the side of the boat. "Quick reel him in!" he said as he showed Josh how to reel his line back onto the spool.
Josh's eyes grew wide as the red plastic fish popped out of the water and dangled from the line. "Fiss!"
"I go," Jake said adamantly.
"But Josh caught… You have to go?" he asked as the lightbulb flashed on.
"I go," Jake said as he nodded emphatically.
"You have to go, or you did go?" Luke said as he leaned over to unbuckle the strap that held Jake in place. "Watch him," he told Jess as he jerked his head at Josh. "Get the fish in here before he goes over after it."
As Jess moved to secure Josh and his catch, Jake said, "I go."
"Number one or number two?" Luke asked as he pulled Jake off of the seat and began to unsnap his jeans.
"Aw, geez," Jess groaned.
"Well, we're working on it," Luke growled. "Do you have to pee or poop?" he asked Jake.
"Peepee," Jake whimpered.
"Okay, okay," Luke said as he yanked Jake's jeans down. He hooked his thumbs into the sides of his pull ups and said, "This is it, your first real guy moment," as he stood Jake up on the seat again, turning him toward the water as he held him firmly. "Let her rip," Luke ordered.
Jake's face clouded as he moaned, "Ohs."
"This is better than ohs," Luke told him. "Pee on the one that got away." When Jake's lower lip began to tremble, Luke snapped his fingers and said, "In the bag. Get some Cheerios out of the little thing."
"He'll go in a minute anyway," Jess muttered as he bent down and rummaged through the diaper bag. He pried open the small tub of cereal Lorelai kept in there for a snack, and tossed a handful into the lake.
"There! There! Get 'em," Luke urged Jake. A small sob escaped the little boy as he finally let go. Luke wrapped his hand around Jake's chest to hold him and rubbed his back gently with his other hand. "It's okay. You did good. You did real good," he said in a low voice. "You told me, no accident, everything's cool."
"That's a nice fish," Jess told Josh as he pointedly looked away from the other side of the boat.
Josh smiled happily and said, "I tooed."
"Huh?" Jess asked as Luke barked a laugh.
"I tooed," Josh said again, grinning triumphantly.
"You caught a fish," Jess said, shaking his head as he tried to figure out what the joke was.
"He's telling you that he pooped his pants," Luke said as he pulled Jake's pull ups and jeans back up. He kissed Jake loudly on the cheek and said, "Buckle up, this trip is over," as he began to strap Jake in again.
****
Lorelai rolled over as the bedroom door burst open and Josh ran headlong into the side of the mattress, clutching his red fish. "Mama, fiss!" he called to her.
Lorelai blinked blearily and asked, "You caught a fish?"
"Fiss!" Josh said as he held up his prize.
"Ooh, pretty," Lorelai croaked. She glanced down at Carly sleeping beside her and then turned her attention back to Josh. "You had fun?" she asked as she lifted him onto the bed.
"Juke pees," Josh reported.
Lorelai's eyebrows shot up as she pushed her hair back from her face. "Yes, you do too."
Josh shook his head and said, "I tooed."
"Yes, you did," Luke growled as he stepped into the room. "I told you to leave Mommy alone," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"He pooped?" Lorelai asked.
"I changed him," Luke assured her. "We have one who's obsessive compulsive and another who likes to wallow in his own filth."
"Well, anything in between would just be boring," Lorelai said with a smirk. "Wow, how'd you land that bad boy?" Lorelai asked as she admired Josh's catch.
"I fissed," Josh told her.
"Well, you are an excellent fisherman," Lorelai said proudly. "How did Daddy do?" she asked as she glanced up at Luke.
"Daddy got to cast about four times," Luke said dryly.
"Aw, babe," Lorelai said with a pout.
"Nah, we had a good time. All thirty minutes of it," he added with a smirk.
Lorelai crooked her finger for him to come closer. When he bent down to kiss her, she whispered, "Go."
"What?"
"Go fish, Daddio," she said softly. "We can handle the beasts." Luke hesitated, clearly torn. "Seriously, go fish for a while. We're just gonna laze around here."
"You sure?"
Lorelai nodded and said, "Otherwise we don't eat tonight."
Luke laughed as he sat down on the edge of the bed and said, "Oh yeah, like you're eating fish."
"Well, you could," Lorelai said with a shrug.
"I make good fish," he said defensively.
"Catch me a fish and I'll keep it in the bathtub," she told him.
"I'll catch a fish and cook you the best fish you have ever eaten," Luke countered.
Lorelai tugged at the collar of his shirt and said, "Catch a bunch of fish and then let them go, and I'll let you roast me a hot dog tonight."
"Or six," he said with a smirk. He kissed her again and then whispered, "You don't mind if I go?"
"It's your weekend. Go commune with Mother Nature, but remember, you have to come home to me," she said softly.
"Tell your friend there that he doesn't get to gate crash tonight," Luke said as he nodded to Josh, who was busy shoving his finger down the plastic fish's throat.
"I think you were the one who said, 'Come on, buddy,' and pulled him up into the bed." Lorelai smiled as she ran her hand over Josh's curls and said, "He has impeccable timing."
Luke pretended to scowl at Josh as he said, "He needs a time out."
"You lose the other one? Is he still swimming for the shore?"
"He and Jess are in the other room systematically working their way through the Cheez Doodles," Luke grumbled.
"Breakfast of champions," Lorelai smirked as she reached out, thwarting Josh's attempts to make his sleeping sister kiss his fish.
"They had breakfast," Luke answered, a tad defensively.
Lorelai smiled as she pecked a kiss to his lips and said, "If you'll watch these two, I'll get dressed."
Luke nodded and shifted slightly to let her swing her legs over the side. "You're sure you don't mind if I go back out?" he asked.
"I'm sure. Rory and I can handle them if Jess wants to go with you," she said as she gathered some clothes to put on.
"I doubt he wants to, he was whining the whole time."
"He just does that because he loves you," Lorelai teased as she walked toward the small bathroom attached to their room.
Luke smirked as he playfully shoved Josh back onto the mattress, his smile blooming at the look of shock and then delight that lit the boy's eyes. Each time Josh would struggle to sit up, his father gave him another gentle shove only to be rewarded with a giggle. "I wanted to talk to him about some stuff," Luke called to her.
"Yeah?" Lorelai answered as she splashed water onto her face.
"Yeah, he was, you know, telling me some things on the way up here." Luke frowned as he thought about it and then said, "I guess it's not a secret, but he's thinking about making some changes. I wanted to talk to him about it a little more before I said anything."
"Oh yeah, Rory told me," Lorelai said as she groped for the towel.
"She did?"
"Yeah. You know, she's worried about it, but she thinks that Jess really needs to make some effort," Lorelai said as she tossed the towel onto the vanity and reached for her moisturizer.
"Well, that would be an effort," Luke said dryly as Josh clambered into his lap.
"I figured you'd be all for it," Lorelai said as she rummaged through her travel bag.
Luke frowned and said, "I'm not against it, I just think he needs to really think it through."
Lorelai shrugged as she pulled her brush through her tangled hair. "I'm not sure it's that big of a deal."
"Not a big deal?" Luke scoffed, shaking his head as Josh tried to press the plastic fish to his father's lips.
"I mean, I think it's important, but I don't think it's gonna change anything in the long run," she answered.
"It's a pretty big change, Lorelai," he argued, evading Josh's persistent attempts.
"How so? So they exchange a few emails and Jess gets to know a little more about his father. I don't think it's going to make a big difference in how he chooses to live his life," Lorelai said with a laugh as she captured the bushy mass of curls in a ponytail holder.
"His father?" Luke asked, his head jerking up. "Cut it out," he growled at Josh.
"I mean, I think it's good that Jimmy is making the effort. The fact that he hasn't given up is good, right?" Lorelai reasoned. "I don't expect they'll be entering a pinewood derby together anytime soon, but it can't hurt to try."
"Jimmy's been emailing him?" Luke asked quietly.
"Rory thinks he should give it a chance. That's why she wanted Jess to talk to you about it. You've always been so good about wanting Rory to keep things open with Christopher," Lorelai went on, oblivious to the silence in the bedroom. She pushed the door closed slightly, and began to change into her jeans and a t-shirt. "You don't think he should?" she called.
"He can do whatever he wants to do," Luke answered gruffly, his mind racing.
Lorelai stepped out of the bathroom with a smile and said, "There. All set." She walked over to where Luke sat, still perched on the edge of the bed and said, "Unhand that boy. You have to go provide for your family." Without a word, Luke lowered Josh to the floor, and watched as Lorelai gently lifted Carly from the bed. Lorelai smiled as she pressed an absent kiss to Carly's hair and said, "She does sleep like you."
Luke nodded as he stood up and held out his hands. "Let me put her down."
As he took Carly from her mother's arms, Lorelai smiled and asked, "Jonesing?"
Luke cradled the sleeping baby to his chest and said, "I haven't had my fix yet."
Lorelai nodded and looked down at Josh as she asked, "You wanna make Mommy a Pop Tart?"
"I make," Josh said as he scurried from the room.
Lorelai smirked and said, "Good thing the toaster is up high."
Luke shook his head as he carried Carly from the room and said, "You'd better get in there before he starts looking for a ladder."
Five minutes later, Luke stood on the dock, his hands on his hips as he squinted out at the lake. He glanced back up at the cabin, and then stepped down into the boat. As he unwound the lines from the cleats he muttered under his breath, "Wonder if Jimmy's in Philadelphia. He always was kind of a cheese steak."
****
Lorelai lay sprawled on the rug next to Carly as the boys made a game of pulling their toys from the tote bag Lorelai had packed one by one and offering them to their little sister. Rory turned the page in one of Luke's fishing magazines and held up a picture of a man proudly displaying a large fish. "Like this? Did you catch one like this?" she asked Jess.
"Bigger," Jess answered without looking up from his book.
"Bigger?" Rory gasped in an adoring tone. "You are sooo manly!" She flipped through a few more pages and held up a picture of a man standing next to a large swordfish. "Like this?"
"Bigger," Jess grunted.
"Oh my goodness," Rory said in a high girly voice.
"Sweets, they're always gonna say it was bigger," Lorelai said distractedly, blowing raspberry on Carly's soft belly just to hear her giggle.
"Um, dirty," Rory murmured as she turned a few more pages. She stopped at a picture of a man standing next to a large shark and asked, "Like this one?"
Jess turned a page without lifting his eyes from his book and said, "Much bigger."
Rory turned to Josh and asked, "How big was Jess' fish?"
"Fiss," Josh answered as he bent down to retrieve the plastic fish he had been toting around all morning and then showed it to her.
"Pretty fish," Rory said admiringly.
"That was the only fish caught on that boat," Jess muttered.
Rory laughed as she shifted, digging into the back pocket of her jeans as she shook her head and said, "You're crushing my illusions," as she checked the display on her phone.
"You have service?" Lorelai asked.
"Just one bar at the moment," Rory said as she scanned the screen. "Dad just sent me a text making sure we were still on for lunch on Monday," she reported as she quickly punched in her reply.
Lorelai rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the kids. She laughed as Jake tripped over her outstretched legs and fell promptly into her lap. Lorelai sat up and grabbed him as she crowed, "I've got you now! I'll never let you go!"
"Up!" Jake demanded.
"No, stay here with me! Who do you love, Jaluke? Who's the only girl you adore?" she asked as she showered his face with kisses.
"Up, Mama!" Jake giggled as he tried to squirm from her grasp.
"But Jakey, I love you so," she cooed. "Stay here, be my guy."
"No, Mama. No!" Jake chortled as he pushed her face away with both hands.
Lorelai's face crumpled as she said, "You're breaking my heart, Jake. Do you want to make Mommy cry?" she asked pathetically.
Josh clapped his hands together and said, "Cwy, Mama!"
Jake's eyes lit up as he saw his opportunity and scrambled from her lap. "Cwy! Cwy!" he exhorted.
"Oh, Jacob," Lorelai gasped as she buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as huge shudders of feigned grief wracked her body.
Rory shook her head at them sadly and said, "Look at what you've done to my mommy." She slid off of the old sofa onto the floor and leaned down to hug Lorelai tightly. "Don't cry, don't cry," she soothed as the boys looked on, their faces sobering warily.
"That's my baby," Lorelai sobbed. "You're the only one who really loves me."
Josh stepped up and tugged at Rory's arm as he said, "Mine, Wee."
"I had her first," Rory shot back.
"Jos Mama," he whispered.
"You made her cry!" Rory said in an outraged tone. "You made our mommy cry!"
Jake knelt down next to Lorelai. "Babee cwy, Mama," Jake said as he pressed his cheek to her arm.
The laughed escaped her before she could stop it. Lorelai chuckled as she turned to Jake and asked, "Are you calling me a baby?"
"I think he is," Rory answered with a snort.
"Tell her she's yella," Jess chimed in.
"Hush you," Rory said to him as she rubbed Lorelai's back soothingly. "Just remember who loves you best," she said as she tried to smother her smile. She watched as Jake joined in, rubbing Lorelai's back in clumsy circles.
"Carly?" Lorelai fake sobbed.
Rory snorted and said, "At the moment I think her toes are outranking you," as she nodded to the rug where Carly was trying desperately to pull her foot up to her mouth.
"Jos," Josh asserted.
"Josh loves me best?" Lorelai asked as she slowly lifted her face from her hands.
"Juke!" Jake refuted his brother's claim.
"You mean boys made Mommy cry. Rory loves her best," their sister said smugly.
"Daddee," Josh retaliated in the name of masculine solidarity. "She Daddee gurl."
Lorelai nodded slowly and said, "I am Daddy's girl. Isn't it nice that Daddy shares the joy that is Mommy with you guys?"
"Dad," Jake agreed with a somber nod.
"Dee," Lorelai added for him. "Isn't he the best Daddy ever?" she asked them with a grin.
"Crisis averted," Rory said as she pushed herself back up onto the couch
"Speaking of the man," Lorelai said as she swiveled her head to Look at Rory and Jess. "Would you mind keeping an ear out for these guys after we get them in bed tonight? My boyfriend wants to take me on a moonlight boat ride."
"Aw, sweet," Rory said with a grin. "Sure, no problem."
"Man, he's working all of the angles," jess muttered. "I hope he knows that all he's getting is a socket set and some old pictures."
"That may not be all he's getting," Lorelai retorted, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"You just had to do it," Rory said in a huff as she nudged Jess with her foot.
Lorelai watched as the boys went back to work on their pile of toys and then said to Jess, "Luke told me that you guys talked about your dad."
"My dad?" Jess asked blankly as he finally looked up from his book.
"Yeah, you know, the emails. Rory told me that he's been trying to contact you. I told Luke that I thought it was a good thing," she said with a nod.
"I didn't talk to Luke about Jimmy," Jess said with a confused frown.
"You didn't?" Rory asked incredulously.
"But he said you guys had talked," Lorelai told him with a frown.
"Not about Jimmy," Jess answered.
"But, I thought that was why you wanted to ride with Luke," Rory said indignantly.
"No, that was why you wanted me to ride with Luke," Jess replied calmly.
"I'm confused," Lorelai said quietly as she replayed her morning conversation with Luke over in her head.
"That makes two of us," Rory muttered.
"Make that three," Jess added. "How did Luke know about Jimmy?" he asked Rory.
"I thought you told him," Rory replied defensively.
"I thought so too," Lorelai chimed in.
"No, I wanted to talk to him about Philadelphia," Jess told Rory.
"Philadelphia?" Lorelai asked.
"Oh," Rory said softly.
"Philadelphia? The movie? 'Cause I have to tell you, Luke is not a big Tom Hanks fan, so I'm pretty sure that one in particular is not one that was real high on his to rent list," Lorelai mumbled. "He does like Forrest Gump, though."
"About moving to Philadelphia," Jess told her.
"Who? Your dad?" Lorelai asked as her brow furrowed.
"No, me," Jess answered.
Lorelai turned to stare at him open mouthed as she asked, "You're moving to Philadelphia?"
"Nothing is settled yet," Rory said quickly.
"Thinking about it," Jess said with a shrug.
Lorelai held up a hand and asked, "Hang on a minute. On the way up here you had a talk with Luke about you thinking about moving to Philadelphia?"
Jess nodded as he confirmed with a simple, "Yes."
Lorelai eyed him carefully as she said, "But you didn't tell him anything about your dad trying to contact you."
Jess shrugged again and said, "Jimmy's no big deal."
"He is to Luke," Rory said quietly.
"So I told Luke about Jimmy," Lorelai breathed.
Jess heaved a sigh and said, "And now I guess I need to talk to him about that." He marked his page and set the book aside as he prepared to haul himself out of the rump sprung couch.
"Where are you going?" Rory asked as he stepped over her legs.
"Down to the dock to wait for my ship to come in," Jess grumbled as he walked toward the door.
"Jess?" Lorelai called after him. When he turned to look at her with one hand on the doorknob, she offered him a sheepish smile and said, "I'm sorry. I had no idea about the other stuff. I just assumed he was talking about your dad."
Jess nodded once as he opened the door and said, "It's okay." He stepped through the doorway and began to pull it closed behind him. Suddenly he opened it again and poked his head back in as he said, "You both seem to forget, I don't have a dad. Never did. I have Luke," he added and then shut the door behind him quietly.
Lorelai turned back to Rory and asked in a stunned tone, "What's in Philadelphia?"
"The Liberty Bell," Rory said, clamping her mouth shut before she said too much again.
****
Luke reeled in again, muttering under his breath as he saw the discarded potato chip bag he had managed to snag with his hook. He deftly removed the trash, shoved it under the seat for safe keeping, and then checked his lure before casting again. He tested the weight and balance of his rod and reel in the palm of his hand, bouncing it lightly with his fingers to make the lure dance in the water as he allowed his mind to drift away again. The morning had not turned out how he had planned it. He had anticipated Jess' grumbling and complaining, but truly believed deep down if his nephew had just a taste of success on the lake, the Danes genes would kick in and he'd come to love fishing as much as his uncle and grandfather. Unfortunately, he hadn't really thought the part about fishing with two toddlers through very well. He had made all of the preparations he could think of for their safety, he just hadn't thought about the fact that they had both inherited Lorelai's attention span. Luke smirked at himself, and conceded that in all fairness, they were just too young and curious to be able to sit still for very long. Still, it was a little more fun for him to blame Lorelai's genetic code, and since she wasn't there to defend herself, Luke entertained the thought if for no other reason than the pleasure it gave him.
Sadly, Luke was afraid that the crack he had made that morning about Jess being more Mariano than Danes may have been a little closer to the truth than he would like to admit. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to tamp down the anger that the very thought of Jimmy Mariano stirred in him. Luke could never figure out how Liz could be so blasé about Jimmy's abandonment. For the life of him, he couldn't fathom why his sister didn't seem to hate the guy who had just walked out one day, leaving their infant son in her young, flighty hands. But that was Liz. As for Luke, he hated Jimmy Mariano, for everything that the guy was and was not. And, for Luke, admitting that he hated someone was a big deal. Hell, he didn't even hate Taylor Doose. Granted, the man annoyed him to death, but he didn't hate him. No, Jimmy Mariano was the only person Luke could think of that he truly disliked. Deeply. He chuckled to himself as he realized that he even liked Christopher Hayden more than Jimmy. At least Christopher had made a show of trying. Jimmy was simply a no-show.
Before, Luke could simply feel outrage and protectiveness for both Rory and Jess and the lack of a stable father in their lives. Now that he had Josh, Jake and Carly, Luke lost any sympathy he had for Jimmy whatsoever, and his patience with Christopher was waning even more than it already had. Yeah, Jimmy and Liz may have been too young when Jess came along, but that was no reason to disappear altogether. Hell, even Christopher managed to pop up on occasion. It boggled his mind. The fact that these men could walk away from being a part of their children's lives completely blew his mind. He couldn't, under any circumstances, imagine anything that could remove him from his boys and his little girl. Luke shook his head as he told himself that if his marriage failed spectacularly, even if he and Lorelai imploded into a full-on War of the Roses type of divorce, she would literally have to kill him to keep him away from their kids. There would be no court in the land, no force on Earth that would stop him from being a father to his children, he thought with a grim scowl. Of course, that would never happen. He loved Lorelai too much, his kids too much. He'd sell his soul to the devil before he ever let any of them go.
He reeled in again and set his pole down in the boat before he leaned over and began to rummage through his tackle box for a different lure. He pulled out a spinner and set it at his feet before reaching for is pole again. Using a utility knife, he cut the crawdad lure from the line and expertly tied the spinner onto the end. He checked his guides and then turned in his seat, preparing to cast off of the other side of the boat. He glanced up at the cabin and let his gaze dance over the shoreline before he scanned the dock and spotted Jess sitting at the very end of it, his feet dangling over the water. Curious, he put the pole down again, and used the trolling motor to creep his way closer to the dock. "They kick you out?" he called to Jess when he was about 50 feet away.
"I need to talk to you," Jess said plainly.
Luke nodded as he idled his way closer to the dock and then tossed a rope to jess, who pulled him the rest of the way in. "Give me a minute to put some stuff up," Luke said as he started to gather his gear.
Jess shook his head as he wrapped the rope around a pylon and then tossed it at Luke's back. "I'm coming out with you."
"You are?" Luke asked as he scrambled for the rope. He tugged the boat up to the dock again and held it as Jess lowered himself down into it. Luke narrowed his eyes and asked, "They trying to put make-up on you?"
"Nope, just wanna go fishing," Jess said as he flopped back onto the bench seat.
"They putting make-up on the boys?" Luke asked suspiciously.
"Everyone is fine," Jess answered with a wave of his hand as Luke dropped the rope back into the boat.
"You just feel an overwhelming urge to fish?" Luke asked with a smirk.
"Do you want me to go or not?" Jess asked pointedly.
Luke nodded once and said, "Okay, Santiago." When Jess looked at him sharply, Luke shrugged and said, "Rory's been calling me that all week."
"Hemingway," Jess muttered.
"I know, I'm not a complete idiot," Luke muttered in return as he pulled the trolling motor up and secured it before moving to the back of the boat. He fired up the outboard and idled away from the dock before opening it up and heading across the lake. Jess sat back, enjoying the ride as the boat bounced, the wind plastering hi hair back from his forehead. Luke took the bend in the lake at a high speed, laughing as Jess scrambled for a hand hold, and lifting a hand to acknowledge the older men who had found a nice quiet cove in the opposite direction. As they neared the far bank, Luke cut the engine, letting the boat's momentum carry them closer to shore.
Jess looked back at him as he automatically reached to rearrange his hair and asked, "Have fun?"
Luke grinned and said, "Need a bigger lake," as he got up to drop the trolling motor into the water again. "You taking your perch again?" he asked as he waved to the seat at the front of the boat.
"Which do you prefer?" Jess asked.
Luke shrugged and said, "I can fish anywhere." He handed Jess his pole and said, "Cast toward the grass, but try not to get tangled up."
Jess rolled his eyes and said. "And how do I avoid that?"
Luke waved him off as he said, "You'll figure it out."
"Why the grass?" Jess asked.
Luke looked up and squinted into the sun. "The sun is higher, the fish are looking for nice shady spots. Grass, under rocks or logs, anything protected," he answered succinctly.
Luke picked up his pole and with a flick of his wrist, cast into the tall grass that poked up through the surface. They sat in silence for a few minutes, with only the sounds of birds chirping, the water lapping against the side of the boat and the crank of their reels. "You don't use live bait?" Jess asked finally.
Luke lifted a shoulder and said, "Most of the time I do, but I didn't think Lorelai would be too crazy about opening the fridge to find it full of nightcrawlers and crickets."
"I see," Jess said with a nod as he tipped his head back, letting the sun warm his face.
"Your Granddad used to swear by chicken livers," Luke said gruffly.
"Nice," Jess hissed between his teeth. Luke smiled as they lapsed back into silence again. Finally, Jess said, "Liz says you're a lot like him."
Luke finished reeling in and stared up at the tip of his pole for a moment before casting again. "I suppose so."
Jess smirked as he turned slightly and cast off of the other side of the boat. "I can just see you guys out here for hours, not talking."
"We talked," Luke answered defensively.
"About what?" Jess asked.
Luke shrugged and said, "All sorts of stuff."
Jess turned to look back at him, watching as his uncle played the line along the surface of the water. "I didn't tell you about Jimmy because it doesn't matter," he said abruptly.
Luke stiffened for a moment and then slowly reeled the line in again. He immediately cast to the opposite side of the boat and said, "No big deal."
"Rory thinks it may be important, but I don't agree with her," Jess said bluntly. "She can be a little stubborn," he added with a wry smile.
Luke snorted softly and said, "Yeah." They were quiet for a moment before Luke cleared his throat and admitted, "I don't like your dad very much."
"I've picked up a hint or two of that," Jess said with a smirk.
Luke shook his head slightly and said, "That's wrong. I mean, I have my reasons for not liking him, but they shouldn't be yours."
Jess raised his eyebrows and asked, "Don't you think I have my own?"
"I'm just sayin' that I should have kept my opinions to myself," Luke said as he spared Jess a quick glance.
Jess smiled slightly and said, "Yeah, you're not very good at that."
"I'll work on it," Luke muttered as he tugged at his t-shirt to get some air moving under it as he shifted, planting his feet in a wide stance.
Jess nodded and stared down at his line, which was floating along the current aimlessly. "Any reason other than the obvious?" he asked at last.
"Nope," Luke answered. He watched as his lure crept closer and closer with each slow turn of his reel. "We were talking about it once, your Granddad and me, right over there," Luke said as he nodded in the direction of the spot that the other fisherman had claimed. "I just remember my dad asking how a man could walk away from his kid. At the time, I agreed, but I didn't really understand what he was saying. I remember him even saying he could understand him leaving Liz, not in a bad way, but it was obvious that your mom and dad weren't exactly a match made in heaven, you know? But he just kept saying, 'Jess. How can he walk away from Jess?'" Luke dropped down onto the back bench and set his pole aside. He crossed his arms over his chest and said, "At the time, I could kind of see it. After all, you did was scream all of the time. I was only a year older than your dad, and I had a hard time dealing with you," he said with a chuckle. When Jess looked over at him, Luke shrugged and said, "I know where my dad was coming from now."
Jess turned his attention back to his line and said, "You would never do that."
"I don't think I physically could," Luke said as he pressed his fingertips to his chest. "Of course, I'm not seventeen. I was a lot different then. Maybe jimmy has changed too. I don't know," he trailed off with a shrug.
"Maybe," Jess breathed.
"It's really easy for me to say he was wrong," Luke said as he stared intently at Jess' profile. "It's really easy for me to hate him. Especially after watching your mom and you struggle for so long. It's even easier for me to hate him now, coming back around when you have so many good things going for you," Luke said gruffly as he turned away. "Part of me wants to tell him to fuck off, that he doesn't deserve to know you now. A big part of me wants to do that, but that's not really my call."
"No," Jess said as he ducked his head.
"But that's me, Jess, not you." Luke sighed and said, "You're the only one that matters here; not me, not Rory, not even your mom."
"It doesn't change anything," Jess said hoarsely. "I'm not sure it matters anymore."
Luke smiled sadly and said, "But it may matter one day."
"What? If I need a kidney or something?" Jess snarked.
Luke barked a laugh and said, "Yeah, that, or maybe if you have kids of your own one day."
"A cautionary tale?"
"They may want to know their granddad one day," Luke said simply.
Jess looked over at his uncle and said, "You know that there's a reason that both Rory and I are here this weekend, right?"
Luke ducked his head in acknowledgment and said, "Yeah." He nodded quickly and reached for his pole as he said, "Your overwhelming urge to fish."
"Exactly," Jess drawled as he reeled in again. "How long before you take me back to the dock?" he asked.
"At least another hour," Luke answered.
"Am I gonna have to take this off the hook myself?" Jess asked as he held up his pole, showing Luke the silvery green fish flopping on the end of the line.
Luke looked over and set his pole down as he crossed the boat in two strides. He reached out, grasped the fish firmly, and carefully removed the hook before bending down and allowing the fish to swim away to be caught another day. "Pansy," he muttered as he stalked back to his spot and snatched up his pole.
****
"Mmm," Lorelai hummed as she cut a freshly roasted hot dog into bite sized pieces. She held the plate under her chin, blowing on the meat to cool it as both boys clamored for the prize. "Hang on, it's too hot," she told them.
Luke held an arm out, gently pushing the twins back from the fire as he said, "I'm not gonna tell you again."
"Daddy's so tough," Lorelai said in a conspiratorial tone. "Sit on your butts before Grumpy the Bear puts out our fire," she told them.
"Whose brilliant idea was this?" Luke muttered.
"Uh, yours," Rory said with a laugh. "We were just going to use the fireplace. You're the one who had to cook his fish outside."
"I didn't want to stink up the cabin," Luke mumbled.
"See? I told you that fishes stink," Lorelai told Josh.
"Fiss stink," Josh answered, wrinkling his tiny nose.
Luke held the jiggled the cast iron skillet he held over the fire with one hand covered in a long oven mitt. Jess jerked his chin at his uncle and said, "That's a good look for you."
"Well, you singe your arm hair off a few hundred times, you eventually learn," Luke said dryly.
"Once again, Pavlov is triumphant," Rory said with a sage nod.
"You'd think he could have just put the fire out with his drool then," Lorelai said as she watched the boys consume their second hot dog of the evening. She smiled as Jake reached for another piece; his jaws chomping before his hand even got it to his mouth. "Isn't that right, Rolley?" she cooed at him.
"Pup!" Jake answered.
"Yes, Rolley is a puppy," Lorelai said with a nod. "How about we hit the sauce?" she asked as she nodded to the individual cups of applesauce she had brought out for them. When Josh reached for the cup, about to curl his fingers into it, Lorelai stopped him and shook her head sternly as she said, "Spoon, Captain Caveman." She watched carefully, as both boys tried to maneuver the plastic spoons, often spilling just as much down their chins as they managed to get into their mouths.
Rory leaned into Jess and asked, "Almost done there?"
"Keep your pants on," Jess grumbled.
"Yes, please," Lorelai added with a grin.
"Here," Luke said as he handed Lorelai a plate holding a piece of pan fried fish.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked with a perplexed frown.
"Eat it," Luke ordered.
"I already had two hotdogs," Lorelai protested.
"Which means you still have at least two to go, so you have room," Luke answered.
Lorelai shot him a look as she broke off a corner of the fish and cautiously placed it on her tongue. Luke rolled his eyes as she chewed slowly, her gaze fixed on him until she swallowed. "Well?" he asked.
Lorelai grinned as she broke off another piece and said, "That's pretty darn good, for fish."
"Beer in the batter," Luke answered with a smug smile.
"I'm in," Jess said quickly as he held out the stick for Rory to retrieve her hot dog.
"I'll try a little too," Rory told Luke.
"I mean, I wouldn't want to eat it every day," Lorelai cautioned him.
Luke shook his head and said, "Doesn't taste the same at home anyway."
"So, when are you guys going out on the b-o-a-t?" Rory asked.
"We'll get the monsters in bed first," Luke said with a nod.
Rory shrugged and said, "Carly's already down, and these guys won't last much longer. You should go after you finish eating."
Lorelai squinted at Rory through the haze of smoke and asked, "Anxious to get rid of us?"
"Yep," Rory said as she took a bite of her hot dog and chewed happily.
"Don't leave me alone with her," Jess said in a girly voice as he picked at his fish.
"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Luke muttered under his breath.
"Hey, you don't have to worry about me," Jess said as he glanced meaningfully at Rory.
Rory rolled her eyes and said, "Yes, I'm only after your body."
"Hey! Kids here," Luke growled. "And grown ups," he added tersely.
"Stop tormenting Luke. He's very sensitive," Lorelai said as she reached over and gave his thigh a sympathetic pat.
"My fire, my cabin," Luke grumbled.
"How about he woods? You claiming those too?" Jess asked sarcastically.
"Seventeen point two acres of them, yes. Gonna be a long walk before you see any action, buddy," Luke said gruffly.
"Hey! It's her, I'm telling you," Jess said defensively.
"Can we talk about something else?" Luke asked in an exasperated tone.
"Who here likes fish?" Lorelai said as she thrust her arm into the air.
Luke rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Nothing like being patronized."
An hour later, Josh and Jake were reading stories with Rory, Jess was taking care of the fire in the pit outside of the cabin, and Lorelai's hand was firmly ensconced in Luke's as he led her down to the dock. "Can't you just shine it at the ground?" he asked her as she made searchlight motions with the combination flashlight/lantern she had claimed as her domain.
"Nope," she answered happily. Luke stopped dead in his tracks. Distracted by her light display, Lorelai ran smack into his shoulder with a muffled "Oof! Brake lights!"
"Why do I love you?" he asked her.
"Because you feel bad for breaking my nose," she answered as she rubbed her face with her fingers.
"Oh yeah," Luke said as he started to walk again, tugging her along playfully.
"You're gonna have to kiss it," she told him as they hit the dock.
"Okay," he answered easily.
"And maybe the rest of my face. It may be broken too," she said plaintively.
"I'll take care of it." He stepped down into the boat and reached up, steadying her by the waist as she stepped down gingerly. Luke wrapped his arms tightly around her, hauling her up against him and kissing her soundly. "Welcome aboard," he said in a low raspy voice.
"Are you a pirate? Should I fear for my honor?" she asked in breathy voice.
"Yes and yes."
"Are you taking me out on your pirate ship to seduce me?" she asked as he led her to the bench seat in the back of the boat.
"Yes," Luke answered was he unwound the ropes securing the boat to the dock and dropped them to the decking. He sat down behind the wheel and reached around her to pull her a little closer before starting the motor. After checking to be sure the running lights were on, he reversed slightly, allowing the boat to drift from the dock a bit before he throttled up. "Fast or slow?" he asked with a wicked grin.
Lorelai returned his smile and said, "Fast then slow."
The light of the nearly full moon threw the planes of his face into relief as his smile faded. He turned the wheel letting the boat drift slowly toward the center of the lake. He turned toward her, brushing the back of his hand over her cheek as he said softly, "I remember, Lorelai."
"Remember what?" she whispered, wondering where his playful smile had gone.
"What you look like in the moonlight," he said in a low voice. "A goddess," he murmured as he leaned over to kiss her gently.
Lorelai watched him carefully as he pulled back, wetting her parted lips with the tip of her tongue. "Is that why you're taking me out here?" she asked breathlessly.
Luke shook his head slowly and said, "I just want a little uninterrupted time with my girl, that's all."
"Oh," Lorelai answered, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Luke's smile returned as he glanced over at her and pulled back on the throttle. His eyes flashed as he shrugged and said, "Then again, I am a pirate, right? I can't be trusted."