Luke knew he was taking a chance with this. Lorelai was stuck at the inn all day in meetings, and although he had gotten his fair share of complaining about it over the counter of the diner that morning, he knew that meant he had an opportunity. With her already occupied all day, he had a chance to put the first step of his plan into place, and he was ready to move forward.

After the lunch rush, he had asked Cesar to hold down the fort for the rest of the day, and then jumped in his truck. The drive to Hartford had been easy during the early afternoon hours, and he'd reached his destination quickly. It wasn't until he was sitting in his truck, staring up at the imposing building that he realized he was slightly out of his element. He'd never been here before, and he was beginning to wonder if he'd overstepped his boundaries with his plan.

After a few minutes of wondering whether he should turn the truck around and go back to Stars Hollow, students in blue plaid began pouring out of the massive wooden front door and he knew it was too late. With a deep breath, he stepped out of the truck and began to look for Rory, a task more difficult than he would have imagined in the sea of Chilton uniforms.

When he finally spotted her, mentally praising Lorelai for buying her a bright yellow backpack, he raised a hand in a silent greeting, offering her an unsure smile as they made eye contact. Rory stepped away from the kids she'd been walking with and quickly made her way over to Luke.

"Luke," she said, a confused expression on her face. "Is Mom okay?"

"Your mom's fine," Luke assured her. "She's stuck in meetings all day and the diner was slow, so I thought I'd come spare you a bus ride."

"Oh," Rory nodded slowly, still somewhat confused. "Thanks, I guess."

"And I was thinking that we could go get some food or coffee and talk," Luke added.

Rory narrowed her eyes at him. "You want coffee?" she repeated.

"Well, no, but I'll buy you some," Luke said.

"You have an agenda," Rory stated.

"Just get in the truck," Luke rolled his eyes.

"What is it?" Rory asked. "Tell me!"

"Is it so hard to believe that I thought we could enjoy an afternoon together?" Luke asked as he moved the truck into the streets.

"No," Rory shook her head. "But the offer for coffee even though you think it's unhealthy for me shows that you want me to be in a positive state of mind for this afternoon bonding. And the fact that you know Mom is occupied in meetings means you don't want her to know about it. So it must have something to do with her. Are we going to start planning her birthday? I should have started weeks ago, but this whole choosing a college thing has me really distracted."

Luke shot her a sideways glance. He wasn't sure why he had ever thought Rory wouldn't see right through his plan. He was surprised she hadn't figured it out already, but he wasn't going to give her any information. "I know this whole dad thing is new to both of us, but I think it's okay for a guy to want to spend an afternoon alone with his daughter, right?" he asked.

Rory beamed at him. "Yeah," she said. "I guess so." She was silent for a few minutes before she pointed to a coffee shop on her side of the road. "Oh, let's go there!" she cried.

"Why?" Luke asked.

"You promised me coffee," Rory said. "And it's a great place. I have study groups there sometimes. And it's a family owned business, so we're not supporting the mass market chains you hate so much. Please, Luke, I really need some coffee. Please?"

Luke rolled his eyes as he pulled into a parking spot. "I don't know how the two of you haven't driven me over the edge yet," he grumbled.

"You'd be lost without us," Rory said happily, with a smile that reminded him of Lorelai.

Once they were settled in a table by the window, Rory with a muffin and a cup of coffee and Luke with a cup of tea and a scone, Rory smiled up at him. "This is nice," she said.

Luke nodded. "It is," he agreed.

"Not just this," Rory said. "I mean, I like the idea of us hanging out. But I meant the whole having a dad around thing. You were right when you said it's still new to both of us, but it's been good."

"I think so too," Luke nodded.

"Mom's been really happy lately," Rory said.

"She's proud of you," Luke said. "Although you better pick a school soon. According to her, her head is going to explode if you don't."

"And brain is very difficult to get out in the wash," Rory nodded knowingly.

"So I've heard." Luke took a sip of his tea before he asked, "Have you had any thoughts recently?"

"I think I've ruled Princeton out," Rory said confidently. "It's too far away, and they don't have a lot of programs that would interest me."

"So Harvard or Yale," Luke said.

"Harvard or Yale," Rory sighed. "The eternal question of the Ivy League student."

"You've dreamed of Harvard longer than I've known you," Luke pointed out.

"I have," Rory said. She looked down at her coffee before she raised her eyes to meet his. "I just think Yale is a better fit for me. It's closer to home and closer to New York, where all the world news headquarters are. And Harvard was great when I went to visit, but there's just something pulling me to Yale. I don't know what it is, but I feel like that's where I should be."

"It sounds like you've already made your decision," Luke said softly.

"I guess it does," Rory said. "I just…I don't want to make the wrong choice, you know?"

Luke smiled confidently. "You won't," he said.

"How do you know?"

His mind flashed back to a late night conversation with Lorelai so many months ago, when he'd assured her that she would get everything she wanted out of life. "I just do," he shrugged. The answer had placated one Gilmore girl once upon a time, and it seemed to do the trick this time.

Rory sipped her coffee for a moment, then looked at Luke carefully. "I'm glad she'll have you," she stated. "I always worried about going to college, and leaving Mom alone. But now I know she won't be alone, and I'm glad it's you who will be there."

Luke cleared his throat. Rory had unknowingly opened the conversation he'd been debating how to start. "I'll always be there," he said. "For both of you."

"You always have," Rory nodded.

"Rory," he sighed. "I'm not good at this talking thing."

She narrowed her eyes at him, sensing a serious tone taking over their conversation. "My mom disagrees," she said. "It's me, Luke. If you have something to say, just say it."

Luke took a sip of his tea, amazed at the maturity Rory showed in conversing with an adult. "I love your mom," he said. "More than anything in the world. She's an extraordinary woman, and she never ceases to amaze me with her passion and determination. My life is better because of her."

"She's pretty incredible," Rory agreed. She looked at him expectantly, as if wondering where he was going with this statement.

"I know the two of you have a unique relationship," Luke said. "You're her best friend, Rory, and I understand that the two of you have a bond I'll never fully be part of. I don't want to come between the two of you."

"You haven't," Rory insisted.

"I don't think so either," Luke agreed. "But she cares what you think, Rory. She wouldn't do anything without thinking about how it would affect you. And that's what I want to talk to you about."

"I'm listening." The curiosity was evident in Rory's expression.

Luke took a deep breath and leaned forward. "I want to know if it's okay if I ask your mom to marry me," he said softly.

A large grin spread across Rory's face. "Really?" she cried. "Luke, that's amazing!"

"It is?" he asked. "You're really okay with it?"

"Of course I am!" Rory said. "Luke, you're already part of our family."

"You'll never know how much that means to me," Luke said. "But I need to know you're really okay with this. That you're okay with your mom and I getting married and having a life together."

"I am," Rory promised. "Luke, you've made her so happy. That's all I want."

"We have that in common," Luke said.

"So when are you going to do it?" Rory asked. "Do you have a ring? Have you thought about any of this yet or were you too nervous about asking my permission?"

Luke cleared his throat. "Yeah, I…I have my mom's ring. It's not exactly modern, but I was going to have the diamond reset so…"

"Don't," Rory said quickly.

"What?" Luke asked.

"Don't change it," Rory shook her head. "I know your parents meant a lot to you, Luke. She's going to love having the ring the way it is, the way your mom wore it."

"You sure?" Luke asked.

"Positive," Rory nodded confidently.

"You know, you're going to be good to have around when birthdays and anniversaries roll around," Luke stated.

"I'll require payment," Rory warned him.

"Anything you want."

"An all inclusive trip to Hawaii?"

"Okay, anything you want that doesn't involve traveling outside of the tri-state area."

Rory laughed. "I think afternoons like this one will suffice," she said. "One afternoon for each time you need my help planning something."

"That is a payment I will gladly make," Luke informed her.

"Mom's birthday is coming up," Rory informed him.

"I know."

"And you know what she always says…there's nothing like a birthday proposal." Luke looked at her dubiously and she shrugged. "Okay, she's never said that, but it's an idea."

"Birthdays are your thing," Luke shook his head. "I'll propose another time."

"No, we can make this work," Rory stated. "I'll plan the birthday celebration as usual. But you should add something in too, something to be incorporated into the Gilmore birthday traditions. And when you have your moment with her, that's when you can propose."

Luke nodded slowly. "I like the idea of doing something to contribute to her birthday," he admitted. "But I think I have another idea for proposing."

"What?" Rory asked eagerly. "Tell me!"

"I have to talk to Taylor first."

Rory didn't even try to hide her surprise. "Taylor?" she asked. "You're going to have Taylor help you propose?"

"Your mom loves those crazy town festivals," Luke rolled his eyes. "I need Taylor's help in planning one."

"You know how to make a girl curious," Rory sighed.

Before Luke could respond, a pair of girls appeared beside their table. Both were dressed in Chilton uniforms. "Hi Rory," one of them said.

"Hi Kate, Hi Liz," Rory replied.

"We saw you when we came in and just wanted to say hi," one of them said.

"Did you finish your chemistry report yet?" the other one asked.

"Yeah, I finished it in study hall," Rory said. "It wasn't too bad."

"Good, hopefully I'll finish tonight."

"Is this your dad?"

Rory was taken somewhat aback by the question, but she quickly offered a confident nod. "Yeah," she said. "We're just grabbing some coffee."

"Wow," the first girl said. "I wish my dad had time to get coffee with me."

"My dad doesn't even hang up the phone during dinner," the other girl said. "You're lucky."

Rory offered Luke a small smile. "Yeah," she acknowledged. "I really am."

"Well, we'll see you in school tomorrow."

"Bye," Rory said before she turned back to Luke. "Sorry, was that okay?" she asked. "I wasn't sure what to say when they asked that."

Luke downed the last of his tea as he smiled at her. "More than okay, kid," he assured her. "Just make sure you're okay with saying it."

Rory looked down at her watch. "What time is Mom done with her meetings?" she asked.

"Around five thirty," Luke replied.

"So we have some time?" Rory asked.

"I guess so," Luke shrugged. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking how ice cream would be the perfect balance to the heat of the coffee."

Luke rolled his eyes. "And I suppose I'm supposed to provide said ice cream."

"Only if you love me."

"God, you are the spitting image of your mother sometimes."

"Thank you."

As they walked out of the coffee shop, Rory surprised Luke by hooking her arm through his. "You better hope that you and Mom have at least one boy," she said. "You're helpless against the ways of us Gilmore girls."

Her comment was said casually, but Luke was taken aback by the meaning behind them. He and Lorelai had never really discussed marriage or kids in anything other than a passing comment here and there, but Rory seemed to think it was a done deal. As much as he was ready to propose to Lorelai and spend forever with her, he was quickly realizing that there were things they would have to talk about before they could take that step. He knew what he wanted, and he needed to know where Lorelai stood as well.

XXXXX

"So I didn't think it was possible for me to love you more than I did this morning," Lorelai informed Luke as she walked into their bedroom later that night. "But the impossible has been achieved."

"Yeah?" Luke looked up from the book he had open in his lap. He was already under the covers, and he set the book aside as he watched Lorelai begin to change into her pajamas. "I'm glad I can now add miracle worker to my resume."

"Seriously, Luke," Lorelai turned to look at him. "Rory was over the moon with your surprise visit and afternoon spent together. I don't think I've ever seen her like this."

Luke shrugged. "I figured it would be nice," he said. "The diner was slow, and you were in meetings all day, so I thought I'd drive up to Hartford and spend some time with her."

"Well, you thought good," Lorelai informed him. "The fact that you're willing to give up an entire afternoon to spend time with her means the world to me."

"It's not just because of you," Luke informed her. "I know how Rory's had some trouble with me being around, and I wanted to show her that the two of us could spend time together."

"She hasn't had trouble," Lorelai insisted. "She's just not used to anyone besides me being around."

"I think she knows I'm not going anywhere," Luke stated. He watched Lorelai for a moment, smiling as she pulled on a pair of leggings and one of his flannel shirts. "She said something kind of interesting today."

"Yeah?" Lorelai asked, dropping onto the bed beside him. "What?"

Luke looked at her closely for a moment, debating whether he should tell her about Rory's comment regarding their future children. "She said she hopes we have a boy," he said.

Lorelai blinked in surprise, obviously not expecting that topic to be brought up. "Oh,
she said. "I…oh."

"My reaction was pretty similar," Luke said. He reached out to run a hand over her knee, absently running his hand up and down her thigh. "It made me think that we hadn't really talked about that stuff."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "So you want to talk about it," she deduced.

"Not right now," Luke shook his head. "Not if you don't want to. But I think we should."

"You're right," Lorelai said. "Am I a horrible person if I say I haven't really thought about it? One way or another, I'm really not sure."

"It's okay," Luke assured her. "I'm not asking for an answer."

"Yet," Lorelai added.

"Ever," Luke corrected. "I'll love you no matter what. I think we both know where this is heading, and I want to make sure we know what the other is thinking going into it."

Lorelai sighed as she leaned in and rested her head against his shoulder. "Being a grown up sucks," she stated.

"By now you'd think I'd be used to your random changes in conversation topics."

"I mean," Lorelai stated. "That I don't like having to make big choices like this. Life was so much easier when I was seventeen and my biggest decision was chocolates or mints to leave on the pillows at the inn."

"Yeah, and the baby in the potting shed was the easy part," Luke stated.

"Rory was easy," Lorelai said. "She was a happy baby, and she never cried through the night, not once. I don't know that I'd get that lucky again."

"That makes sense," Luke murmured. "I'm scared too."

"You are?" she asked, pulling back and looking at him. "Of what?"

"Bringing a kid into this world," Luke shrugged. "Consciously making a choice to create a life when I know how much insanity and pain and heartache they're up against."

"But there's the happiness too," Lorelai said. "We would make a life, Luke. A life that's part of you and me. Holding your newborn baby in your arms…there's nothing like it. And seeing Rory experience things for the first time was incredible. Eating ice cream, going to see the ocean, her first cup of coffee, all of those little things that we take for granted suddenly become exciting again when there's a child involved."

"I think I want kids," Luke admitted. "I told you once that if I found the right girl, I'd consider it."

"And I'm the right girl?" Lorelai asked.

"God help me, you are," Luke said. "Our kids are going to be born talking a mile a minute with a coffee cup in their hands, aren't they?"

"Uh, I hope not, because that sounds even more painful than normal childbirth," Lorelai stated. "You want kids. I can tell."

"I do," Luke said. "I just don't know anything about them."

"You'll be a great dad," Lorelai smiled. "Rory loves you. And so does Jess in his own way."

"Rory was already…Rory when I met her," Luke said. "A baby is different."

"Babies just need love," Lorelai said. "And, you know, food, clothing, and shelter. But you have plenty of love to give, Luke. I know you do."

"What do you want?" Luke asked.

"I'm not sure," Lorelai admitted. "In some ways, I like our life the way it is. I think I'd be perfectly happy here with you, with Rory coming home on weekends. I can see Christmases with the three of us in the living room, drinking mimosas and watching movies all day. I can see you and I taking a long weekend off at the last minute and driving to Cape Cod without a plan for a weekend at the beach. I can see the two of us getting old together."

"I can see that too," Luke smiled softly.

"But," Lorelai added. "I can also see a couple kids in the picture. A boy who you teach to play baseball and a girl who is the star of the ballet recital. I see us coordinating sports schedules with our work schedules, eating breakfast in the diner with the kids while you're working, I see you walking our daughter down the aisle and threatening any man who hurts her. I see it all, Luke, and I see both lives so clearly."

"So we don't know what we want," Luke sighed.

"I don't know how to do this," Lorelai said. "It wasn't exactly a decision last time."

"Not this decision," Luke admitted. "But you chose to keep Rory. You chose not to…" his voice trailed off, unable to finish the horror of the thought.

"I did," Lorelai admitted.

"I know you're glad you did it," Luke said. "I am too. But what helped you decide that? To not give Rory up for adoption to grown ups who were ready for a baby?"

Lorelai's eyes filled with sadness. She glanced at the closed door and dropped her voice to a whisper, as if Rory could hear them through the house. "Rory doesn't know this," she said. "You can never tell her. She can never know anything I'm about to say."

"I won't tell her."

"Promise me."

"I promise," Luke stated.

Lorelai took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. "I've never told anyone this," she said. "Christopher doesn't even know."

Luke nodded encouragingly, knowing that whatever she was about to tell him was difficult for her to remember, and she needed time to get her thoughts together.

"After I told my parents," Lorelai said. "About being pregnant, and I turned down Christopher's proposal, they sent me to an adoption service. I was able to tell the people who I would want to raise the baby, religious beliefs, location, race, stuff like that. And then they matched my wishes against couples who were trying to adopt. After that, I got to interview people who expressed interest in my baby. I met this one couple, from Mystic. They had been trying to have a baby for three years before they found out they couldn't. They showed me pictures of the nursery they had already decorated, and told me all about the schools they would enroll the baby in, the trips they would take to make sure he or she was cultured and experienced the world. They wanted a baby so badly, and they wanted my baby. They would take care of her and make sure she had everything she ever needed." Lorelai paused for a moment, trying to blink back tears. "So I told them they could have her. I told them I loved my baby, and the best way for her to have a good life was to go to a couple like them, who was ready and could provide for her. Even then, I knew it was a girl. The joy on their faces was clear, and I knew that this was the balance that life was about. I had a baby I wasn't ready for, and they were ready for a baby they didn't have."

"What happened?" Luke asked softly. He knew this memory must have been hard for Lorelai to recall; it was difficult for him just to hear it.

"That night," Lorelai whispered. "Rory kicked for the first time. I'd been feeling her move for months, but this was a real kick, one that actually hurt. It was like she was trying to tell me not to give her up, like she was telling me she was there and wasn't going anywhere."

"Even in the womb that kid knew when you needed her," Luke said softly. "That's one amazing daughter you've got down there."

"She did," Lorelai sniffled. "When couples sign adoption papers, there's this disclaimer. That the birth mother has the rest of the pregnancy and forty eight hours to change her mind, to keep her baby. I guess I'm the reason those disclaimers exist, because the next morning I called the agency and told them the adoption was off. I felt terrible for taking away something those kind people wanted, needed, so badly, but I knew I couldn't give Rory away."

"I can't imagine what she'd be like without you," Luke murmured. "Not nearly as incredible as she is."

"Sometimes," Lorelai whispered, the tears flowing freely now. "After I ran away, I had bad days. Really bad days, where I questioned everything I ever did. Nights when Rory was asleep in the potting shed and I would sit outside and just sob. On those days, when I was so depressed, I thought I should have done it. That Rory deserved the beautiful bedroom and the private school education and the trips to Europe. I thought of how much better off she would be with those parents, instead of with me, sleeping on a dusty mattress on the floor and not eating enough dinner because there weren't enough left overs at the inn that night. I hated myself for being so selfish that I couldn't even give my daughter up for a better life."

"Rory had a wonderful childhood," Luke said, running a hand over her arm. "She's told me that so many times."

"I know," Lorelai said. "Now, I know that. And I don't know where I would be if I had gone through with the adoption. I probably would have ended up going to college and getting married, maybe even to Christopher. But I wouldn't be here with you, in this amazing town with Rory downstairs ready to head off to Ivy Leagues. And I wouldn't trade my life in this moment for anything."

"You gave her all of that," Luke assured her. "The house with her own bedroom, the private education. You gave her everything she ever needed. And more."

"I know," Lorelai sighed. "We always said after she graduated high school we'd go to Europe. I haven't been, and it was our thing. To get us through the nights when the potting shed was so cold or we wanted to lead more exciting lives."

"Why aren't you going?" Luke asked in surprise.

Lorelai shrugged. "It was just a dream," she said. "It was never going to come true anyways. We haven't talked about it in years."

"Thank you," Luke murmured. "For telling me that. I know it was hard."

"I don't like thinking about it," Lorelai admitted. "But I did make a choice, to keep Rory, to raise her on my own without help. And I did it well. I guess it's not that different when we're talking about having kids of our own."

"It would be different this time," Luke promised her. "The pregnancy, the birth, their lives. You won't be on your own for any of it."

"I know," Lorelai smiled. "I know you wouldn't leave me alone for any of it. You'd be there for every moment of our kids' lives. And that's comforting, Luke. It really is."

"Just tell me you'll think about it," Luke requested softly.

"I will," Lorelai promised. "But even if I want a kid, I don't want one now. I want you to myself for a little while longer."

"We definitely need time alone," Luke agreed.

"So I can convince you to walk around naked," Lorelai nodded confidently.

Luke smiled as he leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I love you, Lorelai. No matter what, that will never change."

"I love you too," Lorelai whispered. "Always and forever."

XXXXX

"Luke!"

He heard Rory's voice calling from him in the front of the diner two days later and he hurried out of the kitchen to meet her. "Rory, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I…" Rory stared at him for a moment, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Rory," he said her name again. "Where's your mom? Is she okay?"

"I'm going to Yale," Rory announced.

Luke's concern melted to confusion, then to pride. "Rory, that's amazing," he said, walking around the counter to offer her a tentative hug. "I am so proud of you."

"Thanks," Rory said. She took a step back and wrung her hands together, looking down at the floor. Luke looked at her carefully.

"This, uh…this is what you want, right?" Luke asked.

"Yeah," Rory nodded quickly. "I know it's the right choice. I sent in my admission packet, but I just don't know how to tell Mom."

Luke's eyes widened. "You haven't told your mom yet?" he asked. He would have thought Lorelai would have been one of the first to know.

"No," Rory shook her head. "You're the first person I told. I need help, Luke. I don't know how to tell her I don't want to go to Harvard anymore."

"Sit down," Luke pointed to a stool and poured her a cup of coffee before he leaned his elbows on the counter and met his eyes. "What's going on, Rory? You and your mom tell each other everything."

"Not everything," Rory countered.

"Please, when I got home last night the two of you were talking about who had talked to more people that day," Luke rolled his eyes.

"That's just a game," Rory shrugged. "Mom won."

"Not surprising."

"It's the inn!" Rory insisted. "With all those customers, she sees more people than I do. It's only natural she'd talk to them."

"Rory," Luke said her name warningly.

"Right," Rory cleared her throat. "Focusing. Sorry."

"So why haven't you told your mom?" Luke pushed.

"I only just decided," Rory said defensively. "It's not that I haven't told her. I haven't seen her."

"Technicality," Luke dismissed. "You came here instead of the inn."

Rory sighed. "She wants me to go to Harvard."

"She wants you to be happy."

"And she thinks that Harvard is the only way I'll be happy."

"That's not true," Luke said. "She instilled that dream of Harvard into you because she wanted you to have a goal, to work towards being more than she was."

"I don't want to be better than her," Rory said. "I want to be her."

"Let me try again," Luke said. "She wanted you to have a goal to work towards so you wouldn't end up making the same mistakes she did. She just wanted you to have something attainable to work towards. But Yale is just as impressive as Harvard, Rory. She's so proud of you."

"I know she is."

"Go tell her," Luke said, pushing himself off of the counter. "I won't even tell her that you told me first. I'll practice my surprised face."

"I appreciate that," Rory said. "Thanks, Luke."

"It's what I'm here for," Luke smiled. "And if for some crazy reason your mom does freak out, just point out that Yale is closer than Harvard."

"That's already one of my talking points," Rory assured him.

"Good," Luke nodded.

As Rory turned to leave, she stopped suddenly when she saw Lorelai push the door open. "Hey, two for the price of one," she smiled as she leaned in to kiss Rory's cheek. "I didn't know you'd be here."

"I was just saying hi to Luke," Rory said. "I was on my way to come see you."

"Yeah, well, I saved you a trip," Lorelai smiled, moving to sit down at a table. "What's up?"

"I sent in my admission packet today," Rory stated. "To Yale. I'm going to Yale. I know it wasn't what I planned for so long, but…"

"Rory!" Lorelai smiled, jumping out of her seat to wrap her arms around Rory. "I'm so proud of you! You're going to Yale in the fall!"

Rory smiled as she hugged Lorelai back tightly. "Thanks, Mom," she said. "I know it's not Harvard, but I think this is the right move for me."

"Harvard, Schmarvard," Lorelai shrugged. "You're going to Yale!"

"I'm going to Yale," Rory smiled, relief written all over her face.

"Did you hear that, Luke?" Lorelai turned to smile at him. "Our kid's going to Yale! We've got a bull dog in the family now. I should start wearing blue and white clothing."

"I heard," Luke smiled, hoping his face displayed the appropriate amount of surprise. "Congratulations, Rory."

"We have to go down," Lorelai insisted. "And get sweatshirts and coffee cups. Oh, I want one of those cheesy bumper stickers that says 'My Daughter Goes to Yale.' We'll get one for Luke too."

"No you won't."

"Come on, Luke, show a little pride here," Lorelai insisted.

"I'm plenty proud," Luke smiled at Rory. "That doesn't mean I want a sticker on my car."

"Fine, we'll put it in the diner window," Lorelai shrugged.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he grumbled.

"Okay, crabby, we have important things to do," Lorelai said.

"Before you go," Luke said, reaching into his pocket. "I have something for you."

"Why, Luke, my birthday's not for another two weeks," Lorelai said with a smile.

"It's for both of you," he said, sliding an envelope across the counter.

"What is it?" Rory asked.

"Luke," Lorelai shook her head, looking from the contents up to him. "We can't accept these."

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because it's too much," Lorelai insisted.

"You told me you always planned to go to Europe after Rory graduates," Luke shrugged. "Those will get you there."

"Plane tickets to London?" Rory asked, taking the envelope from Lorelai. "Really?"

"Luke, I never meant for you to do this," Lorelai insisted. "I can take care of our trip."

"I know you can," Luke said. "But I thought you might need a push to get things going. Those tickets are nonrefundable, so they better get used."

Lorelai smiled as she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she whispered. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"You two need this," Luke said.

"But what about you?" Lorelai frowned.

"I'll be fine," Luke said. "I'll take care of the house and the diner. I'll even stop by the inn to make sure things are running smoothly."

Tears filled Lorelai's eyes. "Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked.

"Positive," Luke promised. "You and Rory have always been a team. You two need this summer together before she goes to school. Things are going to change, and I think it will be good for the two of you to have this adventure."

"You're quite an amazing guy, Luke Danes," Lorelai smiled as she stroked his cheek.

"I try."

Rory smiled as she stepped closer to hug Luke as well. "Thank you, Luke," she whispered. "Don't make her wait too long," she added, for his ears only.

XXXXX

"Yes, Mom, I realize that Friday Night Dinners are part of our agreement," Lorelai was saying into her phone that evening when Luke got home. "I know it would be nice for you to see me on my actual birthday…I know you just want to be involved in our lives…Oh, look, there's a lightning storm coming. I think the house was just struck. Mom…Mom are you…"

Lorelai interrupted herself and hung up the phone, throwing it into the couch cushion before she turned to look at Luke. "Mothers," she said in a frustrated tone.

"You know you're including yourself in that generalization," he pointed out.

"Fine, Emily Gilmore," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "You'd think she'd have enough decency in her to realize I want to do something fun on my birthday, even if it does fall on a Friday."

"Maybe she wants to see her daughter on her birthday," Luke pointed out as he sat down beside her, resting a hand on her knee.

Lorelai scowled at him. "Whose side are you on?" she asked.

"Yours," Luke promised. "Always yours. So we'll celebrate your birthday on Saturday. No big deal."

"Not to you, the king of unbirthdays," Lorelai said. "This is my first birthday with you. I want to celebrate it with you."

"So I'll come to Friday Night Dinner," Luke said. "If that's okay with your parents."

Lorelai stared at him in disbelief. "I'm sorry," she said after a moment. "I thought you just said you wanted to come to Friday Night Dinner."

"If that's where you're spending your birthday," Luke shrugged. "I'll get Olivia to watch the diner and go to Hartford with you guys."

"You do realize what you're saying, right?" Lorelai asked. "You're like…volunteering to walk the streets of a city at two in the morning when there's a known sniper on the loose. That's like going to Fleet Street and going to the friendly neighborhood barber. That's like eating shrimp when you're deathly allergic. That's like…"

"I get it," Luke shrugged. "But you want me to be there for your birthday. So I'll be there."

"You're willing to get dressed up, drive to Hartford, and suffer through drinks and dinner with Adolf and Eva just because I told you I want to spend my birthday with you?" Lorelai asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Luke shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal," Lorelai smiled, shifting so she straddled his lap. "It's a very big deal. It proves you love me if you're willing to sit through that."

"You still need proof?" Luke raised his eyebrow, his hands coming to rest on her hips.

"Not proof," Lorelai said. "Reminders."

"Ah, reminders," Luke smiled, reaching up to run his lips over her neck. "Reminders I can do."

"Reminders are very important," Lorelai smiled as she felt his hand move under her shirt.

"Can't let you forget," his breath was hot against her skin.

"Never will," Lorelai sighed.

"God, you're beautiful," Luke whispered. He moved his hands to the clasp of her bra. The material came apart in one quick motion, and she smiled as she leaned down to kiss him.

"You're getting good at that," she observed.

"Practice makes perfect." His hands moved around to her stomach, one inching up to cup her breast. Lorelai moaned and pressed herself further into his hand, reveling in the feeling of his strong fingers squeezing her flesh.

"Sometimes I still can't believe this," Luke whispered.

"What?" Lorelai looked down at him breathlessly, her hair falling over her shoulders and framing both of their faces.

"That you're here with me," he murmured. "That I get to touch you and make love to you. It's still amazing to me that I can make you moan."

"You can make me more than moan," Lorelai whispered. "It's a good thing Rory slept over at Lane's last weekend, because that thing you did with your tongue…wow."

"That was fun," Luke agreed. "And yet another way to shut you up."

"By making me scream your name until I lost my voice?" Lorelai smiled as she cupped his face in her hands. "I think I like that method. In fact, I think you should test it again right now."

"Rory…"

"Is at the movies," Lorelai shrugged. "Midnight curfew."

"Gives us time," Luke pulled her shirt over her head, followed quickly by her bra.

"Upstairs," Lorelai requested, climbing off his lap and grabbing his hand, pulling him with her.

"Here." Their sex fogged brains seemed to allow them one word statements to communicate.

"Babette," Lorelai pointed to the windows.

Luke gave a dejected sigh and followed her toward the stairs. "Move."

"Someday," Lorelai said as they climbed the stairs together. "Maybe."

Luke pulled her close as he kicked the door closed and kissed her deeply. "Love you."

"Love you," Lorelai agreed.

He eased her onto the bed and lay on top of her, the soft flannel of his shirt rubbing against the bare skin of her chest. It wasn't long before she threw the flannel on the floor beside the bed and reached for his pants. Her skirt was discarded to the pile of clothes with his boxers and her underwear, and soon Lorelai was sighing in pleasure as Luke pushed himself gently into her.

As they fell into a rhythm and rocked against each other, Lorelai's soft cries of pleasure mixed with Luke's moans, the noises drowning out the sound of the front door opening. Luke continued to move above Lorelai, linking their hands together above their head as she arched into him, and neither one of them heard the footsteps on the stairs. Lorelai's body was beginning to tighten in pleasure when a voice from the door way cried "oh my God, ew!"

Luke scrambled off of Lorelai, who quickly pulled a blanket over their exposed bodies before she turned to look at her daughter, standing in the open doorway with her hands over her eyes. "Rory," she said through her panting. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I live here," Rory gasped, her hands still covering her face. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Lorelai said. "I thought you weren't going to be back until later."

"The movie ended early. Kirk had a fight with the reels. I'm going to go downstairs now."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded, clutching the blanket close to her as Rory walked out of the room, pulling the door closed tightly behind her.

"Well, that was awkward," Lorelai said, sitting up and reaching for her clothes. When Luke didn't respond, she turned to see him staring at the ceiling, not having moved since they'd been interrupted. "You okay?"

"I think I'm having a stroke."

"Luke, it will be fine," Lorelai said. "Yes, it was embarrassing, but it was bound to happen."

"We should have locked the door."

"She wasn't supposed to be home," Lorelai said. "She walked in without knocking. It's not like we were in the kitchen or something. This is our bedroom. She knows what goes on in here."

"She still didn't have to see it."

"I don't think she saw much," Lorelai assured him.

"Lorelai, she saw the two of us…you know," Luke said, finally sitting up to look at her.

"Having sex," Lorelai supplied. "It's not a bad word, Luke."

"I can never face her again."

"Well, that will lead to an awkward rest of my life, so you have to just suck it up," Lorelai said. "Come on, the sooner we go downstairs and see her, the sooner this will all be forgotten."

"We're never doing that when she's around again."

"I hope you're kidding," Lorelai said as she pulled her clothes back on. "Because I still need you to finish what you started later tonight."

"No."

"Luke, there's no way we're going to become celibate," Lorelai said. "Remember the first month of our relationship? Trying to sneak around all the time? It wasn't until Boston we could get some action, and I can't afford to go away for the weekend whenever I want to sleep with you. We'll go downstairs, face Rory, and then it will be over. We're adults, we were doing adult things in the privacy of our bedroom when she wasn't home. There's nothing wrong with any of that."

"If you say so," Luke grumbled. "But you have to lead the conversation. I have no idea what I should say to her right now about this."

"I always do, monosyllabic man," Lorelai leaned up to kiss him.

They walked down the stairs to find Rory sitting on the couch, holding a glass of water and staring straight ahead of her. "I'm sorry, Mom. Luke, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to intrude or anything, I just wanted to see if you were home. I know I should have knocked and I didn't really see anything, I promise."

"It's not your fault," Lorelai said. "It was embarrassing for all of us, but we might as well just forget it ever happened, right? No sense in dwelling in the past."

"I know," Rory said. "I'm just…I really like having you here, Luke. But I guess sometimes I still just think it's Mom and me here, and forget that you two share that room now. So I'm really, truly sorry."

Luke cleared his throat and shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's okay," he said gruffly.

"So it's forgotten," Lorelai decided.

The three of them were silent for a long moment, with Luke and Lorelai standing at the bottom of the stairs and Rory on the couch, staring into the fireplace. The room was filled with awkwardness before Lorelai burst into giggles. "I guess I can still give you some stereotypical childhood memories after all," she said to Rory.

"Just what I always wanted," Rory rolled her eyes. "No kid wants to see her parents doing…that."

"Well, honey, we have needs too," Lorelai explained. "One day you'll understand."

"We can change the subject now," Luke said uncomfortably.

Rory smiled at Luke slightly. "So the day after your birthday there's a big event," she commented. "The annual basket raffle."

"Oh, the basket raffle!" Lorelai cried. "I should start shopping now."

"You want men to bid on your basket?" Luke asked dryly.

"Well, you'll be there to make the winning bid, duh," Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"No, I won't," Luke said. "Besides I don't think you qualify."

"What are you talking about?" Lorelai asked. "I can still enter even though you're my boyfriend. Maybe we'll get a free gutter cleaning out of it."

"He's talking about the fact that this year it's opposite," Rory contributed. "Men are making baskets for women to bid on."

"I already entered," Luke stated.

Lorelai turned to stare at him. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked.

"I told Taylor I'd make a basket," Luke shrugged.

"You want other women to bid on your basket?" Lorelai frowned.

"Well, you'll be there to make the winning bid," Luke restated her words from moments earlier.

"Ugh, throwing my words back at me, I hate that," Lorelai sighed. "Fine. I'll so go up against those dumb housewives from the Tuesday morning book club that meets in the diner."

"Don't worry," Luke promised. "I'll make sure there's only stuff in my basket that you'll enjoy."

"Dirty!" Lorelai gasped. Both Luke and Rory averted eye contact and turned bright red, causing Lorelai's posture to sink. "Too soon?" she asked.

"Too soon," Rory confirmed. "I'm going to go to bed and try not to have nightmares of my mother and her dirtiness."

"Night, hon," Lorelai said. After Rory disappeared into her bedroom, Lorelai turned back to Luke. "It's a good thing she didn't see the really dirty stuff," she commented.

"Jeez, Lorelai," Luke rolled his eyes.

"She's fine, Luke," Lorelai said dismissively. "Now come on. We never even got to the good part."

"The whole thing is the good part," Luke argued on their way up the stairs.

"Fine, the best part," Lorelai said.

"I'm not really in the mood anymore," Luke sighed, making a point to lock the bedroom door behind them.

"Really?" Lorelai raised an eyebrow. "You were completely satisfied by that tease earlier? You don't want to feel me arching into you as you bring me the most pleasure I've ever felt in my life? You don't want to bury yourself deep inside me and feel my legs wrap around your waist? You don't want me to hold you while you come down from the immense pleasure you only feel when you're making love to me?"

Luke shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "When you put it that way," he said. "I guess I don't really have a choice."

"Exactly," Lorelai nodded as she pulled her shirt over her head. "Get naked."

Luke shook his head as he shrugged out of his own flannel. Lorelai was right; when it came to her, he had no choice but to do whatever she wanted him to.