Thanks for all the wonderful feedback! I love hearing how much you're all enjoying the story, and I hope you'll continue to read.
Also...14 weeks from today we'll all be back in Stars Hollow. Just saying.
"Do you ever work?" Luke asked as he refilled Lorelai's cup of coffee.
"Sick of me?" Lorelai raised her eyebrows suspiciously.
"No, I'm just wondering if anyone else has a shot at getting any coffee this morning," he replied.
Lorelai rolled her eyes as she sipped her coffee. "I was enjoying looking at my fiancé until he started being mean to me," she said with a scoff.
Luke took a plate of eggs out of the window and delivered it to a table, picking up a check on his way back to the register. "Hey, I'm not complaining," he said as he counted out change.
"I'm on my way home, actually," Lorelai said. "Tobin had a conflict, so I'm taking the late shift tonight."
He frowned as he pushed the register drawer shut. "I don't like you there by yourself late at night," he told her.
"It's not a big deal, I used to take the night shift all the time when Rory was little," Lorelai replied.
"I know, but the Dragonfly is smaller, more remote," Luke said.
She offered him an affectionate smile. "I'll be fine, Luke, I promise," she said. "At the first bump in the night I'll call you to come protect me."
"Good," he said with a nod. "Want me to bring you dinner later?"
"Nah, I'll stop by before I head to the inn," she said, draining her coffee. "Kiss?" He leaned over the counter and obliged, and she picked her purse up from the counter before flashing him a smile. "Save me a burger for dinner?"
"Always," he promised, handing her a to go cup of coffee.
She sighed happily and walked out the door, strolling towards her house. It was rare that she worked late nights anymore, and she wanted to get some laundry (and a nap) in before she did so. The late morning fall sun warmed her skin and she basked in the feeling. Soon enough winter would come, and as much as she loved snow and scarves, the fleeting warmth was welcome for the time being.
As she rounded the corner and left the town square behind her, she smiled softly at the sight of Luke's old house before her. She couldn't believe that she'd never known how close he'd grown up to where she and Rory had lived for years, but now every time she walked past it, she could see different stories he'd told her taking place; the ice rink his dad had built for him, the tree he and Liz had climbed, and the red front door she'd seen pictures of his parents standing outside of with their newborn son.
She raised her eyebrows as she approached the house and saw a real estate sign posted on the lawn. As she stepped closer and tilted her head to the side, she saw a young, brown haired woman step out of the front door.
"Sorry," she murmured as she stepped back onto the sidewalk. "Um, is this your house?"
"For now," the woman replied. "My husband's been transferred, so we're relocating to Providence. We just put the house on the market this morning."
Lorelai nodded as she turned to look at it. "I'm sure it will go fast," she said. "It's beautiful."
"I hope so," the woman replied. She looked at her carefully before she asked, "You're Lorelai, right? The one who makes town meetings fun?"
Lorelai ducked her head slightly and shrugged. "I think that depends who you ask, but yeah…I'm Lorelai."
"I'm Allison," she said, holding her hand out.
"Nice to meet you," Lorelai said, shaking her hand. "Good luck with the house and the move."
"Thanks," Allison said. "It's been a great home. Our kids love it, it's going to be hard to leave."
Lorelai nodded politely. "Well, I'm sure it will go to a good family," she said. "This town is full of them."
"That's true," Allison nodded. "Hey, are you interested?"
"What?" Lorelai asked, her head snapping up. "Oh, no. I have a house."
"Okay," Allison said. "If you change your mind, let me know."
"Thanks," Lorelai said, turning back towards the house. "It really is beautiful."
Allison smiled slowly. "Yeah, it is," she nodded.
"Thanks for talking," Lorelai said, turning back to her house. A knot was forming in her stomach, and she quickly realized that laundry and napping would have to wait. She had bigger things to think about.
XXXXX
Twelve hours later, Lorelai was seated behind the desk in her office at the Dragonfly, staring at the scheduling spreadsheet. She'd been trying to focus on the overtime schedule for the Christmas season for the past forty five minutes, but she couldn't stop thoughts of her and Luke's future from swimming through her head.
He'd known something was up at dinner. She'd stopped at the diner for a burger as promised, but she'd eaten as quickly as possible and denied his offer of a to go cup of coffee. He'd asked what was bugging her and she'd promised that she would talk to him about it in the morning. She didn't want this conversation to take place at the diner during a busy dinner rush while Luke was working.
But now she couldn't stop her brain from churning and she glanced at the clock, noting that Luke would probably be just finishing up his closing routine. Before she could think twice, she picked up the phone and dialed the diner.
"Hey, it's me," she said when he answered after several rings.
"Hey, is everything okay?" he asked, concern evident in his tone.
"Oh, yeah, all's quiet on the Western Front," Lorelai confirmed. "I'm fine, I just…are you done cleaning?"
"Just finishing up the grill," he said.
"Okay," Lorelai nodded. "Um, at the risk of sounding clingy and desperate…can you come over when you're done?"
"Of course," he said. He paused before he asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"
Lorelai contemplated his question for a moment. "I think so," she said honestly. "I'm just thinking about something, and I don't want to talk about it over the phone."
"Okay," he said hesitantly. "We're okay, right?"
Lorelai smiled softly. "We're perfect," she confirmed. "Wedding's still on, don't worry."
She could hear the relief in his voice when he said, "Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Thanks," she said softly. "I…love you."
"I love you too," Luke said, his voice warm and soft. Somehow, hearing him say those words helped Lorelai to know that everything would be okay.
Half an hour later, she heard the front door open and she stepped out of her office to meet Luke in the dimly lit foyer. "Hi," she said, her eyes sparkling when she saw the coffee in his hand. "You are so my favorite fiancé right now."
He handed her the coffee and leaned in for a kiss before he took his coat off. "So what's up?" he asked, his expression anxious and concerned.
"Here, let me take that," she said, reaching for his coat and stashing it into her office with hers. "Let's talk in the library."
Luke followed her to the library and settled down beside her on the couch. She took a sip of coffee, then said, "Thanks for coming all the way out here. I know it's late."
"It's no problem," he said. "But honestly, Lorelai, the suspense is kind of driving me crazy here."
"Right, sorry," she said. She took a deep breath, looked down at the floor, then squared her shoulders and turned to face him. "Your house is for sale."
He blinked in surprise. That was clearly nowhere near what he'd been expecting her to say. "Okay," he said slowly.
"And it got me thinking," Lorelai said. "Thanksgiving was so great, having the girls here, but it was kind of crowded."
He nodded slowly. "Their visits won't overlap that often," he offered.
"But what happens when Rory brings someone home?" Lorelai asked.
"He'll sleep on the porch."
"Luke, I'm serious," she said. "We don't have enough room. Rory and April are too old to be sharing that room. And when we have a baby, what are we going to do, just stick a crib in between their beds?"
"So…you want to buy my old house?" Luke asked.
"Yes…no…I don't know," Lorelai said. "I want to talk about it. Something has to change."
"Okay, so let's talk about it," Luke said. He was quiet for a moment before he said, "You didn't want to sell the house before."
"I know," Lorelai nodded. "But, Luke, everything was different back then. Everything. I loved that you'd bought that house because it meant you were thinking about our future. But I was a little hurt that you hadn't told me, and at that point Rory and I were barely talking. My head was a mess and I wanted to hold onto the house because it was the only connection I had to her."
Luke nodded slowly. "Okay, so what's changed now?" he asked.
"Now," Lorelai smiled softly. "We have April. And hopefully by this time next year a baby, or at least one on the way."
"What about Rory?" he asked, reaching out to twirl a strand of her hair around his fingers.
She smiled at the familiar gesture. "Rory and I are good now," she said.
"I know that, but it's her home," he said. "And yours."
"Exactly," Lorelai said. "Look, a part of me hates that Rory and I won't ever live in the same house, permanently again. But the house is…ours. Hers and mine. Sure, you and April are welcome there and I love having you there, but…I don't know. I want a house that's ours, Luke and Lorelai's."
He nodded slowly. "Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.
She shrugged. "It's not that I'm not sad about it," she said. "But it's a good kind of sad, to make way for something new. Not better, but just as good. Like when Mia sold the Independence Inn and I could finally open the Dragonfly. Or when Rory started her job and I could focus on fixing our relationship. Even when we moved out of the potting shed into our current house. It's part of life, right? Letting go of the old to make way for the new."
"Okay," he said slowly. "This is kind of out of left field. With Christmas and the wedding coming up…I don't know, I hadn't really thought about anything else."
"Me neither," Lorelai admitted. "But then I saw the for sale sign and talked to the owner and…I don't know. If we're going to move, I'd rather do it soon. Because I'm not going to be moving heavy furniture once I'm pregnant."
He gave her a dubious glance. "Like you'd do that anyway," he said.
She giggled slightly. "My point is, we should start thinking about it," she said. "Even if we don't buy your house, I think we need to buy a house."
"Did you go inside?" Luke asked.
"No," Lorelai said. "I wanted to do that with you. I kind of know what it feels like to be on the other end of the buying a house without talking about it scenario, and I figured we should talk before I did anything."
Luke winced. "I can't believe I did that," he sighed. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry," she shook her head. "The intent was there, and it was sweet. But we've both grown, and we're a lot better about communicating, if I do say so myself."
"We are," he agreed.
"So now that I've put it out there," Lorelai said. She looked at him closely. "What are your thoughts?"
He sighed. "I don't know," he said honestly. "I hadn't thought past the wedding."
"We don't have to make a decision tonight," Lorelai said. "I kind of ambushed you with this."
"I'm glad you called me over," he admitted. "I was worried something was really wrong."
"Nah, just my crazy brain wouldn't stop buzzing," Lorelai said.
"We could at least look at the house," Luke said. "It's been twenty years since I've sold it, I'm sure it looks different inside."
"I'll call the realtor in the morning," Lorelai confirmed. "I really am sorry for throwing this at you."
He leaned forward to kiss her softly. "Don't be sorry," he said. "It's a big decision, you're right, we should start thinking about it."
"I feel better," she said honestly. "Thanks for talking me through my inner meltdown. Again."
"Don't mention it," he said with a warm smile.
"You're probably tired," she said, reaching to rub his arm. "Go home, I'll be there in a bit. Tobin should be here in an hour or so."
"I can stay if you want," Luke offered.
"That's sweet, but I have some stuff to do," she said. "Plus, Paul Anka probably needs a walk."
He rolled his eyes good naturedly. "Now I know why you volunteered to work late," he muttered as he stood.
"You got me," she giggled, following him into the foyer. She retrieved his coat from her office and then reached up to kiss him. "Hey, don't go right to sleep, okay? I have plans."
He raised his eyebrows, intrigued. "Plans?" he asked.
"Plans," she confirmed with a nod.
His gaze was heavy as he leaned towards her. "Will I approve of these plans?" he asked, his voice low.
Lorelai smiled and reached up to kiss him. "I think so," she said. "You, me, and the bed. And maybe the shower."
Luke leaned down to kiss her. "Hurry home?" he requested.
"You got it," she said. She stood in the doorway as she watched him walk down the steps. Her head was still full, she was still confused about what she wanted about their future living arrangements, but she felt better after having talked to Luke. As she turned back towards her office, she felt herself marvel at how good it felt to call him when something was bothering her and know that he would be there to listen.
They really had grown up.
XXXXX
The following afternoon, Lorelai bounded into the diner and greeted Luke with a wide smile. "Hi," she said.
He frowned at her as he automatically reached to pour her a cup of coffee. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.
"Like what?" she asked.
"Like you're up to something."
Lorelai gasped. "I am up to nothing!" she exclaimed. "I just came to say hello to my handsome, thoughtful, considerate husband to be."
He returned the coffeepot to the machine and turned back to her, crossing his arms over his chest. "What did you do?"
"Well," Lorelai drew out the word. "Now that you mention it…I may have called the realtor of the house."
He visibly relaxed. "That's it?" he asked. "I knew you were going to set up a viewing."
"Right, you did," Lorelai confirmed. "There's just…a tiny bit of a complication that I didn't exactly foresee."
"Complication?" Luke asked. "Is it already sold?"
"No, it's not sold," Lorelai said slowly. "But, well, I kind of assumed that the woman I talked to yesterday was the owner. What I hadn't realized was that she and her husband were renting."
"So what's the big deal?" Luke asked. "We'll just negotiate with the owner."
"Right, the owner," Lorelai nodded. "That would be the normal thing to do. Except the owner may not be the most rational person in the world."
Luke reached his hands over his head and locked his fingers together. "Tell me it's not Taylor," he requested.
"No," Lorelai replied. "It's not Taylor."
"So who is it?" Luke asked.
"Kirk," Lorelai cringed as she hid her face behind her coffee cup, anticipating Luke's reaction.
"What?" he shouted. "How the hell does Kirk own that house?"
"I don't know, but please just stay calm," Lorelai said.
"Calm?" Luke shouted. "I'm not going to stay calm! It was bad enough being in a bidding war with him last time, now I have to try to negotiate with him?"
"Bidding war?" Lorelai asked.
"Yeah," Luke said, calming slightly. "He wanted the Twickham house and kept outbidding me."
"You never told me that," Lorelai frowned.
He shrugged. "I didn't think about it," he said. "But now we have to negotiate the new house with him?"
"Look, let's not jump the gun," Lorelai replied. "I got the lock box code, we can head over anytime this afternoon."
"Okay," he sighed, looking around the diner. "Let me get through the lunch rush?"
"As long as my stunning appearance doesn't distract you," Lorelai said with a smile.
He reached out to squeeze her arm before he turned back to the coffeepot and did a lap around the diner. "Does his offer at least sound reasonable?" he asked.
"Well, it's within our budget," Lorelai nodded. "Maybe a little over, but I can give up vegetables to cut everyday expenses."
"How big of you," he said dryly.
"Look, let's just go see it and go from there," Lorelai suggested. "Maybe we'll decide we want another house."
"Okay," Luke sighed.
"Now get to work, and then we can go give Kirk all our money," Lorelai said. "Kidding!" she added when she saw Luke's dubious gaze.
Almost an hour later, Lorelai laced her fingers through Luke's as they walked past the gazebo. "Stop thinking," she requested.
"I can't," he replied. "I hate that Kirk owns this place."
"Stop thinking about Kirk, and just think about the house," she replied. "All that matters is that we go inside and look around. If we can see ourselves and our girls and our future kids there, then we'll deal with Kirk. Okay?"
He let out a stressed breath and then nodded. "Okay," he nodded.
"Thank you," she smiled.
When the approached the house, Lorelai stopped on the sidewalk and commented, "I can see you playing in the yard when you were a kid."
"It's where I learned to play baseball," Luke murmured. "I never thought I'd be back here."
Lorelai smiled softly. "I know," she said. "You okay?"
"Yeah," he said, nodding towards the door. "Go for it."
Lorelai pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and entered the code, quickly punching it in. The lockbox popped open and she produced a key. She gently slid it into the lock, then turned to Luke. "After you."
He took her hand as he pushed the door open. She smiled as she followed him inside, taking in the foyer. "Wow," he murmured. "It looks…the same. Newer, I guess, but the same."
Lorelai smiled as she watched an expression of familiarity wash over his face. "Take me on the tour," she requested gently.
Luke took the few steps forward and tugged her towards the left. "This is where my mom's piano was," he said. "She used to play for me and Liz after dinner."
"That's sweet," Lorelai murmured. He pulled her back across the foyer and past the stairs.
"Dining room," he said. There were glass cabinets lining the wall in front of them, and large picture windows faced the side yard. He pulled her through a swinging door and let out an impressed, "Oh, wow."
"What?" Lorelai asked, pushing past him to step into the kitchen. A large island sat in the middle of the room, and stainless steel appliances gleamed from the walls. The counters were all covered in marble, and beyond the kitchen was a breakfast nook where a large dining table was surrounded by several large picture windows, from which the backyard was visible. "You're going to leave me for this kitchen, aren't you?" she teased.
Luke ignored her but stepped forward to examine the stove carefully. "This equipment is amazing," he murmured.
Lorelai smiled as she watched him, loving the way he seemed to be really taking the details into account. "Hi, remember me?" she asked after a moment.
"Sorry," he sighed, straightening and turning to her.
"It's okay, I just want to see the rest of the house," she said.
He nodded and led her through an archway. "Living room," he said. A couch was arranged in the center of the large room, and several built in bookcases surrounded a TV shelf. "And this is where Rory will live."
"What is it?" Lorelai asked. He dragged her across the room and pushed open a door in the corner to reveal a small room. Floor to ceiling bookshelves lined the walls, interrupted only by two windows and a fireplace.
Luke smiled as he ushered her into the room. "The library."
"Oh my God," Lorelai gasped as she took in the room. "You grew up with this room in your house and you don't like to read?"
"I read," he said defensively. "Just not like those braniac kids of ours."
Lorelai smiled softly. "This could work," she said. "Rory will never want to leave."
Luke reached for her hand and tugged on it gently. "Come upstairs."
"I bet you always wanted to say that to a girl," she said teasingly as she followed him to the staircase. She could see Luke shedding his inhibitions as he dragged her up the stairs, and she dared to allow herself to hope this might work out.
"This is my parents' room," he said as he stopped at the top of the stairs and opened a door to the right.
"Oh, I bet we're not allowed in there," Lorelai nudged him gently with her elbow.
Luke rolled his eyes. "The master bedroom," he corrected as he stepped inside.
"Our bedroom," Lorelai said hesitantly.
"Maybe," Luke shrugged, but she saw a brief expression of hope flash across his face. She pushed the thought aside for a moment before she turned to take in the room, the soft white carpeting, the window seat with a dark blue cushion, and two doors to their left. "Closets?" she asked hopefully.
"One's a closet," he nodded. "One's a bathroom."
Lorelai pushed the first door open and nodded approvingly. "Two sinks," she commented. "Oh, a Jacuzzi tub!"
"They've apparently changed a lot since I lived here."
"That could lead to some great sex," Lorelai informed him. "And on those nights where you work late…those jets could do great things for a girl."
"Lorelai," he rolled his eyes.
"Right, sorry, I forgot you're in your parents' room," she nodded. She stepped past him to open the door to the closet, gasping in delight. "Oh my god!"
"What?"
"It's huge!" she squealed. "It's bigger than the shed Rory and I lived in for years."
"It is not."
"Practically," Lorelai shrugged. She turned to look at him. "Show me your room."
He ushered her out of the master bedroom and led her down the hall. "Second bedroom," he gestured to the right.
"Standard," Lorelai nodded.
"This was the guest room," he said, pointing to the left. "Small, but manageable."
"A good nursery." Lorelai heard herself say.
Luke offered her a small smile. "Maybe," he repeated his word from earlier.
"This was Liz's room," he said, opening a door at the end of the hall.
"It's nice," Lorelai said, taking in the purple walls. "Girly."
"Good for one of the girls."
"Probably April," Lorelai nodded. "Rory will move into the library."
"We'll see," Luke shrugged. He turned to their right and opened a door beside the second bathroom. "This was my room."
"I've never been in a boy's room before," Lorelai gushed. Luke shot her a look and she grew serious. "Sorry." She took in the blue wallpaper and soft blue carpet, trying to picture a teenage Luke, surrounded by baseball cards and track trophies, listening to music or hanging out with his friends in this room. "So this is where you grew up, huh?"
"Since they day my parents brought me home from the hospital," Luke said, leaning against the doorframe.
"Huh," Lorelai said, stepping into the center of the room. It was empty now, and she asked, "Where was your bed?"
"Lorelai," he rolled his eyes.
"I'm not trying to be dirty," she promised. "I just want a visual."
"In that corner," Luke pointed to the corner opposite the door. "The dresser was on this wall. The desk was over here, at the bottom of the window. Bookshelf was over there."
Lorelai nodded, looking around the room slowly. She walked to the corner where he'd pointed out the bed would have been and sat down against the wall, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.
"What are you doing?" Luke asked softly.
"Thinking," Lorelai said. "Trying to imagine a teenage Butch Danes."
Luke nodded slowly and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Lorelai, we don't have to decide anything right now."
"But we should talk."
"Not how," he said. "Not here."
"Why not?" she asked. "You grew up in this room. I bet you did a lot of thinking here. Why not revisit the old days?"
"Okay."
"Come sit with me."
Luke didn't waste any time crossing the room to sit beside her, stretching his legs out in front of himself and resting a hand on her knee.
"Tell me about it," she whispered.
"Not much to tell," Luke shrugged. "Liz left with Jess when my dad got sick. After he died and I decided to convert the store into a diner, I sold this place to help with the costs. It didn't make sense to live here on my own. It's too big for that."
"It's a big house," Lorelai agreed. "Perfect for a family."
"It's not too big though," Luke added, sensing her hesitation based on her experience growing up in Hartford.
"It's a perfect house," Lorelai nodded. "We'd have room for our kids here."
"More than enough," Luke agreed. "And the girls."
"We're old."
"Thanks, that feels good."
"I mean," Lorelai said with a laugh. "The kids thing. It might be hard."
"I know," Luke sighed. "But…even if we don't have kids, I'll be okay. I just want you."
"What if we don't have them?" Lorelai asked. "What if April stays in New Mexico? Then it would just be you and me in this huge house most of the time."
Luke reached out to take her hand. "I think we should by this house. Coming here…I remember how much it means to me. I think you love it too. But," he added quickly as Lorelai opened her mouth to reply. "I think we should keep your house too."
Lorelai blinked in surprise. "You want two houses?" she repeated.
"For now," Luke shrugged. "You were right, we don't have enough room. Especially if someone else comes along." Lorelai smiled as he traced his fingers over her stomach. "It's a buyer's market. We can buy this house and rent it out, make up at least for the mortgage. And eventually, if the day comes when we do have kids, we have options. And once Rory's done with the campaign or April finishes college and they want to move here, they can have your house. Or this one."
"You want two houses," Lorelai repeated.
"If you want it," Luke said.
Lorelai nodded slowly. "I need to talk to Rory."
"You do," he said, brushing a strand of hair out of her forehead. "It's her home."
She turned to look at him with a grateful smile. "Thanks for understanding," she said softly. "And for the record, the plan you have? It sounds great."
"Good," Luke smiled.
"Tell me a story."
"About what?"
"This room, this house," Lorelai said. "Did you ever bring a girl up here?"
Luke blushed and turned away, causing Lorelai to laugh triumphantly. "Oh my god, you did!" she cried. "Is this the room where Luke Danes finally did the deed?"
"Stop."
"I want details."
"We don't have to talk about this."
"Why not?" Lorelai asked. "We all know how my first sexual encounter ended up."
Luke looked at her in surprise. "That was your first time?" he asked. "When Rory…"
"Was conceived?" Lorelai asked. "Well, probably. There were a couple times before I started eating apples by the bushel, but…yeah, that general time frame."
"Wow," Luke breathed.
"Maybe you won't have trouble getting me pregnant after all," Lorelai mused.
"I'll certainly have fun trying," Luke smiled softly.
"Not unless you tell me about your first time," Lorelai insisted.
"Let's just say, if we ever have a kid who's a teenager in this room, I'm removing the trellis from outside," Luke shrugged.
"You made a girl climb into your bedroom on the trellis?" Lorelai gave an impressed nod. "How unsexist of you."
Luke rolled his eyes.
"Was it Rachel?"
"Let's go home."
"Hey, we could be home right now," Lorelai frowned up at him as he got to his feet and started towards the door. "Hey, are you going to help the lady off the floor?"
Luke retreated and helped her to her feet, wrapping his arm around her. "We'll think about it?" he asked as he led her down the stairs and out the door.
"We'll think about it," she promised. She reached for his hand as they walked towards their house. "Thank you," she said softly. "For talking about this and listening to me talk about it."
Luke smiled as he raised as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it gently. "Get used to it," he murmured. "It's what husbands do."
XXXXX
Rory Gilmore was having a bad day.
It wasn't often that she had a really, truly, horrible, no good, bad day, and this was the first one she'd had in the six months she'd spent on the campaign trail. But today, in the rainy weather of the Pacific Northwest, Rory wanted nothing more than to be back home in Stars Hollow with her mother, preparing for Christmas and watching the snow fall.
To be fair, she knew that snow had yet to fall in her hometown. She'd been receiving weekly weather reports from her mother, each more nervous than the last that there would be no snow on her wedding day.
But today, for the first time, Rory's article had come back from editing completely ripped apart, and she was on her third hour of the revising process. She was tired of listening to the Senator's campaign speeches, and she had run out of clean clothes the day before. Everything was slowly starting to pile up, and it felt remarkably similar to the end of the semester at Yale.
When she finally hit the send button on her revised article, she felt a short lived sense of relief. At least that was one thing she could check off her list. But she still had two weeks before she went home, and she was feeling remarkably homesick for her mother. Probably too much so for a grown up.
When she heard her cell phone ring, she immediately answered without looking, hoping it was her mother. "Please tell me it's snowing and you've found a time machine to transport me to two weeks from now."
There was a pause on the other end before a voice that was very much not her mother's said, "Sorry on both accounts, kiddo."
Rory froze and leaned forward to bury her face in her hand. "Dad."
"How's life on the road?"
"Fine." She did not want to give him any more details than possible.
Christopher cleared his throat and said, "Well, I was just wondering what your plans for Christmas are."
"I'll be with Mom."
"Right, of course," Christopher said. "But Gigi and I would really like to see you."
"I won't have time."
"Come on, Rory, I know things are weird, but you can make time for your dad and sister at Christmas," he pushed.
"No, I can't," Rory said, her tension beginning to seep into her voice.
"Rory…"
"No, Dad, I'm not going to have time for you," she snapped. "I have plans, big important plans."
"What could be more important than Christmas with your family?"
"Mom's wedding."
Christopher was silent for a long moment before he let out a sharp breath. "Your mom's what?"
Rory immediately felt guilty. This wasn't her news to tell, and she would have to do some serious groveling to her mother and Luke. Maybe she'd offer herself as a baby sitter for a week once they finally got around to giving her a real sibling. "Nothing. I have to go."
"She's getting married?"
"Dad, please, just forget it," Rory said. "They're happy. Finally. And please, if you have any kind of remote feelings of fatherly love for me, you'll leave them alone. For real."
"Rory, of course I love you," Christopher said.
"Prove it," Rory challenged. "Leave them alone."
Christopher let out an irritated sigh. "Are we going to see you at Christmas or not?" he asked.
"Not," Rory replied. "It can't be like this, Dad. You haven't called me in months! You didn't even return the message I left on Thanksgiving! You can't just disappear and expect me to drop everything and run to you when you call. That's not how it works!"
"Rory, I…."
"Why didn't you want me there?" Rory demanded. "When you convinced Mom to get married, you didn't even care that I wasn't there! Why didn't you care?"
"I did care."
"Where's the proof of that? When I broke my arm in high school?" Rory asked. "You came to watch me get the cast off and wound up breaking her heart!"
"Rory."
"Or when you got her pregnant and visited me in the hospital when I was born but then disappeared without even holding me?" Rory asked. "Why didn't you care? Any of the other thousand times, why didn't you care about me?"
"Of course I care about you."
Rory stubbornly tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. She didn't want him to know how much his actions had effected her. "Luke's daughter, April, is jealous of me," she informed him. "Because when I was younger, he was there to help me with my home ec cooking project and gave me pie when I had a lot of homework. But you know what, the funny thing is, I can't help being jealous of her because she has a father who would have given anything to be there for her from the second she was born. But you knew about me. And when I finally started to believe that things were going okay, that I could have a relationship with you and you could be friends with Mom, you took advantage of her when she was heartbroken!"
"It's more complicated than that kiddo," Christopher said.
"I'm not a kid!" Rory said. "I know what happened, Dad. I'm not an idiot. Mom was heartbroken and you just swept in when you knew she was vulnerable. It's not okay."
"It sounds like she's worked it out."
"That doesn't matter!" Rory practically shouted. "That doesn't make what you did okay!"
"Your mom played a part in that night too, you know."
Rory was certain she'd never been this angry than she was upon hearing that comment. Her frustration and hurt feelings towards her father combined with her protective streak towards her mother and her horrible day all culminated in a feeling of what she could only think of as rage washing over her. "You won't see me at Christmas," she informed him before she snapped her phone shut and tossed it onto the hotel bed. She glanced around the room for a moment before she reached for a plastic water bottle and hurling it towards the door.
When she'd taken a few shaky breaths and regained control of her anger, she now realized she was overcome with sadness. Sadness for not being at home, for the fact that her father had never really wanted her, sadness that she'd been such a pushover a year ago when she'd reluctantly accepted her parents' ridiculous marriage.
She reached for her phone and dialed her mother's cell phone, sighing when voicemail picked up. "Mom, it's me," she said. "Call me when you get this. I…I miss you."
She hung up and quickly dialed her house, sitting down on the end of the bed and praying that her mother would answer.
"Hello?"
Although it wasn't her mom's voice, Rory was surprised to feel almost as calm at the sound of her future stepfather's voice. "Luke."
"Rory?" he asked. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she lied. "Is Mom there?"
"She's babysitting for Sookie's kids," Luke replied. "You could try her cell."
"I already did," Rory sighed. "Can you tell her to call me when she gets back? I'll be up late, plus I'm on west coast time."
"Sure," he said. He paused, then asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," she sniffed.
"That sounded about as convincing as your mother," he informed her. "Fine is her code word for not fine. Is there anything I can do?"
Rory wiped at the corner of her eye, amazed at how easily Luke could tell something was wrong. But she knew that if she let one thing slip, she wouldn't be able to hold back, and she wasn't sure exactly how Luke would react to her conversation with her father. "I don't want to bug you," she said.
"Hey, you're not a bother," he said. "But I get it if you don't want to…"
"My dad's a jerk."
She heard Luke clear his throat and could practically see him readjusting his baseball hat as he tried to find the right way to react to that. "What did he do now?" Luke finally asked, his voice terse.
"He wanted to see me at Christmas," Rory said softly. "And I've had a bad couple days and pretty much all the stress I've been keeping inside of me let go. I yelled. A lot."
"Well, I know from experience that's not fun."
Rory smiled softly. "I just…I couldn't take it any more," she said softly. "Nothing ever changes with him, and I'm tired of it."
"Look, you know I'm not his biggest fan in the world," Luke said. "But he's your dad."
"By genetics only," Rory scoffed. She was quiet before she said, "I may have told him that I was jealous of April."
"You did?" Luke asked. "Why?"
Tears pricked Rory's eyes. "Because she has a dad who wants her," she whispered. "Who would have been there from the beginning."
"Oh, Rory," Luke sighed. "Yes, April is my daughter, and I would have been there for her. I know I wasn't there for your whole life either and I've probably disappointed you. But in my head, you and April are equal."
She now couldn't help the tears from falling directly down her face now. "Thanks, Luke," she said. "I…that really means a lot to me."
"I know you have your mom," Luke said. "But I'm always here, Rory."
"I know," she said softly. She laughed slightly and said, "My dad would never have beaten Dean up over a Bop It."
"I didn't beat him up," Luke said defensively. "I just…wanted better for you."
Rory sighed as she stared at the ceiling, remembering that it had been Luke who'd warned her not to go to Dean's wedding. "You always tried to protect me from him," she said softly.
"Yeah, well…you deserve the best," Luke said.
"Thanks, Luke," she said.
"No problem," he said. "I'll have your mom call the second she gets home."
"Thanks," she repeated.
"You're welcome." He paused, then asked, "Are you okay now?"
"Yeah," she promised. "You're pretty good at talking a girl down from the ledge."
"So I've been told," he said. "Take care of yourself, kid."
"I will," she promised. "Bye, Luke."
She hung up the phone and threw her arm over her face, actually feeling better about her bad day.
XXXXX
As Lorelai dragged herself towards her house, she mentally praised herself for only having one kid. It was true she loved April and would do anything for her, but after taking care of Sookie's kids, she found it unbelievable that people chose to have three kids all under the age of five. She was exhausted.
Luke had the front door open before she'd even set foot on the final step, and she flashed him a smile. "Missed me so much you had to meet me at the door?" she asked.
"Rory called," Luke ignored her flirty greeting.
"What?" Lorelai felt panic rising inside of her as she took in Luke's worried expression and the way he was holding the phone out to her. She immediately took it and dialed, asking, "Is she okay?"
"I think so," he replied. "She had a fight with her dad."
Lorelai's eyes widened, and she turned her attention to the phone when she heard Rory pick up. "Hey, hon, Luke told me you called."
"Yeah," Rory said. "I'm sorry, Mom."
"Sorry?" Lorelai asked, settling down on the porch steps. Luke sat down beside her and reached for her free hand. "What in the world for?"
"I told Dad," Rory said in a meek voice. "That you and Luke are getting married."
Lorelai closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "Oh, Rory."
"Are you mad?" Over the phone, Rory could easily have been five years old again, asking if Lorelai was upset that she'd reorganized all the books in the Independence Inn's library based on publication year.
"No, of course not," Lorelai said. "What happened?"
"He wanted to know why I wouldn't see him over Christmas," Rory said. "I wasn't trying to tell him, but he kept pushing and he asked me what was so important and I just…let it slip."
"Hon, it's fine," Lorelai said. "Really, I don't care if he knows or not."
"Oh," Rory said.
"But…Luke said there might have been a little more to that conversation," Lorelai said casually.
"There was," Rory said. "I yelled. A lot. And blamed him. For a lot."
"Like what?"
"Everything."
"Everything to include global warming?" Lorelai suggested. "Charles and Diana's marriage? The Brady Bunch Comedy Hour?"
"No," Rory said, trying to fight the smile. "Everything as in…taking advantage of you when you were vulnerable. Not wanting me around. For getting you pregnant and then walking away."
"Rory, I'm sorry you've been dealing with that all this time," Lorelai said.
"It's not your fault," Rory said. "I never felt unwanted, you were always there. I'm just so tired of him coming and going."
"I know, it's not fair to you," Lorelai said. She turned to look at Luke, who was watching her with concern and curiosity written across his face. "I wish I was there to give you a hug."
"Me too," Rory sighed. "Luke's pretty good at working his way through a Gilmore meltdown."
Lorelai smiled as she squeezed his hand. "Yeah, he is," she agreed. "I've given him plenty of practice."
"I'm sorry again, Mom," Rory said. "I really didn't mean to drag you back into this."
"You didn't drag me into anything," Lorelai said. "I'm glad you called."
"I wish I was home."
"Me too, honey," Lorelai sighed. "You have no idea."
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, Rory."
"I'll call you tomorrow," Rory promised.
Lorelai hung up the phone and then leaned into Luke. "Well, when it's not one daughter having a meltdown, it's the other I suppose," she said.
"How did she sound?" Luke murmured into her hair.
"Okay," Lorelai said. She tilted her head to look up at him. "She said you did a pretty good job of talking her through it."
He shrugged, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and rubbing her arm. "She clearly needed to talk," he said.
"Still, it must have been hard," Lorelai said. "For you to talk to her about him."
"It was," he said. "But you've talked to April about Anna more than once. I think we're past all the initial hurt feelings."
Lorelai smiled and scooted closer to him. "I guess we are," she said, running her hand along his thigh. "I love you."
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I love you too."
"Is it okay that I didn't talk to her about the house?" Lorelai asked. "I know I said I would when we were there earlier, but…"
"She had enough emotional turmoil for one day," Luke agreed. "We've got time."
Lorelai nodded against his shoulder. "Luke?"
"Hmmm?"
"I think, if it's okay with Rory, I'll want to take the house," she said. "I want our baby to call it home."
"We'll figure it out," he promised.
She smiled as she pulled back and met his eyes. "And you do know this means I'll get to go shopping for new furniture," she said.
"Sure," he shrugged.
Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him. "Sure?" she repeated. "Who are you and what have you done with Luke Danes?"
He laughed and reached out to rub her knee. "Lorelai, there was a long time I wasn't sure we'd ever get here," he said. "Now that we are, I'm not going to tell you that you can't decorate the house however you want."
"You should have a say too," she said, nudging his shoulder. "It's going to be our house, Luke."
"First let's talk to Rory and then try to talk Kirk down in his asking price," Luke said.
Lorelai sighed dramatically. "Who would have thought our entire future would be in the hands of Kirk?" she asked.
Luke shook his head. "Not me," he said. "Maybe I'll just start overcharging him for all his food and put that money into a separate account for a down payment."
Lorelai giggled. "He'd have no idea he was buying us a house," she said.
"Sounds good to me," he nodded confidently.
She smiled, then reached out to run her finger over his stubble. "Thank you," she murmured.
"For what?" he asked.
"For making me laugh," she said. "For being there for me, and for Rory. Especially for Rory."
"Lorelai, you know how special she is to me," he murmured.
"I do," she said. "And you have no idea how much that means to me. Besides my dad, you're the only man who's ever been there for her. Max and even her own dad…they were accepting of her presence, but neither were particularly eager to be a parent. But you were always there. Without even trying. So thank you."
He shrugged self consciously. "She makes it easy," he said.
"Not always," Lorelai held up the phone. "That wasn't a particularly easy conversation. And it sounds like you had the more immediate aftermath to deal with."
"She needed to talk so I let her talk," Luke said. "It's not a big deal."
"It is a big deal, it's a very big deal," Lorelai said. "It's why I'm going to marry you in two and a half weeks."
"About time," he muttered.
Lorelai elbowed him in the stomach. "Just for that, I think we should abstain from sex until our wedding night," she said.
"What?" he asked.
She shrugged and pulled back, pretending to examine her fingernails. "No sex until we're man and wife," she said. "I'm very traditional."
"You're kidding."
"No I'm not."
"You can't go two and a half weeks."
"Awfully confident in yourself there, Butch."
He responded by leaning towards her and kissing her deeply. She kissed him back, then scooted away from him. "I know what you're doing," she said.
"I'm not doing anything," he said, scooting closer to her, pushing her hair off her shoulder and pressing a series of kisses along her jawline. "Just kissing my fiancé."
She tilted her head to the side for a moment before she slid out from his grasp and stood. "Not going to work," she said.
"I think it will," Luke said, standing and edging towards her. "I happen to know you can't resist me."
Lorelai gave him a once over and then shrugged. "I can wait."
Luke pressed her against the closed front door and kissed her deeply. Lorelai began to respond, eagerly pulling him closer, and when he pulled back to catch his breath, she murmured, "I won't tell if you don't."
"Deal." He reached behind her to push the door open and shoved her gently inside, loving the sound of her laughter.
XXXXX
"Sell the house?" Rory asked quietly into the phone the next morning.
"Not sell," Lorelai said quickly. "Rent out."
"But you won't be living there?"
"No," Lorelai said. "We really love this other house, hon. It has plenty of room. You'd have your own space when you come visit. And it has a library."
Rory was quiet for a moment. "You're trying to win me over with that," she accused.
"Maybe," Lorelai said. "Be honest, Rory, how do you feel about this?"
"It's…strange," Rory admitted. "But I get it."
"You do?" Lorelai asked. "Don't say that if you don't mean it."
"I do get it," Rory insisted. "The reality is, a year from now, after the election, there's a very good chance I'll be unemployed and back to living off of you. And if April is serious about going to Chilton…well, sharing my room is fine for a couple days, but we couldn't live like that long term."
"That was a major factor in the decision," Lorelai said.
"So you have my blessing or whatever," Rory said.
"Are you sure?" Lorelai asked.
"Yeah," Rory shrugged. "I'm sad, but I get it."
"It's okay to be sad, I am too," Lorelai assured her. "And nothing's a done deal. We have to negotiate with Kirk."
"Well, that right there is worth the sadness," Rory said in a lighter tone. "Can you videotape it for me?"
"I'll try to slip a tape recorder in," Lorelai confirmed. "Are you really okay with this, Rory?"
"I am, I promise," Rory said. "I know I was a bit of a mess yesterday, but I understand why you want to do this. You and Luke have worked hard, you should have a space that belongs to both of you."
"You're a good kid," Lorelai informed her. "And hey, we're going to hang onto this house. Which means when you finally decide you're ready to stop traveling the world, you'll be able to come home. Literally."
Rory smiled softly. "Thanks, Mom," she said.
"It was Luke's idea."
"He's a pretty good guy, that Luke."
"I think I'll keep him."
"I have to go, Mom, but I'll call you tonight," Rory said.
"Okay, happy writing," Lorelai replied. "Love you."
"I love you too."
Lorelai hung up the phone and made her way into the kitchen for another cup of coffee. Luke had been gone before she'd woken up that morning, but she'd appreciated having some space to talk to Rory on her own. As she poured coffee into her to go cup, she felt a smile beginning to tug at her lips. Knowing that Rory was okay with her moving made the possibility more real somehow, and Lorelai could feel herself imaging herself and Luke six months into the future, settled into their new house and basking in newlywed bliss.
She chose to drive to the diner before work so she could get there faster. Luke had been especially worried after his conversation with Rory last night, and she wanted to reassure him that things seemed to be better in the light of day.
"Hi," she greeted him with a kiss before she settled onto her usual stool.
"Hey," he said. "Pancakes?"
"Yes please," she nodded.
Luke called the order through the window, then turned back to her. "Did you talk to Rory?" he asked.
"Yep, she's doing much better," Lorelai confirmed. "She even said she understands why we're looking for a bigger house."
"Is she okay with it?" he asked.
"I think so," Lorelai said. "I mean, she's sad, but so am I. It's okay to be sad about letting it go but excited about moving forward."
He smiled softly. "I'm glad she's okay with it," he said.
"So now we have to talk to Kirk," Lorelai said flatly.
Luke rolled his eyes. "I hate that I have to talk to him about this," he said.
"Just remind him about all the advice you've given him about Lulu," Lorelai said. "Oh, and that he owes us for that time you had to abandon me to stop him from streaking through the town square."
Luke grimaced. "I'm still trying to forget that ever happened," he said.
She giggled and looked up at him. "We're really going to do this?" she asked, her expression becoming hopeful.
"We're really going to do it," he said, reaching for her hand.
"This is exciting," she said. "Aren't you excited?"
He patted her hand and then straightened. "I'll be more excited once I know Kirk isn't going to make me sit with the town elders again," he said.
"And once you give me my breakfast," Lorelai nodded towards the window where her pancakes were waiting.
"Sorry," he said, sliding the plate in front of her.
She smiled as she poured syrup over the pancakes. "You should stop letting beautiful women distract you from doing your job," she suggested. "I happen to know the owner, he's a real stickler for making sure his employees don't cross a line with customers."
"Good idea," Luke nodded. "Next time a customer starts stripping in exchange for coffee I'll make sure not to serve her."
Lorelai frowned. "I should have thought that through better," she muttered.
The bell above the door dangled, and Kirk entered wearing a suit and carrying a leather folder. When he saw Luke and Lorelai, he approached them, but did not sit down. "Luke Danes and Lorelai Gilmore, I presume?" he asked.
"What do you want, Kirk?" Luke asked tiredly.
"My name is Kirk Gleason, I am the current owner of the house you wish to purchase on Cedar View Lane," he said formally.
"We know, Kirk," Lorelai replied.
"I've met with my realtor, who told me your offer, which I believe is reasonable," Kirk reported. "If you'd stop by the office later, the paperwork is drawn up. All we need is your signatures and the keys will be turned over to you as soon as the current residents move out next week."
Luke and Lorelai exchanged a glance before they both turned back to Kirk. "What's the catch, Kirk?" Luke asked.
"There is no catch," Kirk replied. "I need the cash to make sure I can purchase a very important item to secure my future with Lulu."
Lorelai frowned. "You don't even want to counter our offer?" she asked.
"Don't make him ask us for more money," Luke muttered into her ear.
"Consider it part of my gratitude for your assistance throughout the years," Kirk said politely. "I look forward to your business. Here's my card."
Without waiting for a response, he placed his business card on the counter and turned, walking out of the diner and leaving a stunned Luke and Lorelai in his wake.
After a beat, Lorelai turned to look at Luke with raised eyebrows. "What was that?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Luke replied, a frown written across his face.
"Was Kirk just being nice to us?" Lorelai asked.
Luke rubbed a hand over his neck. "I think he was," he admitted.
"Is he being serious?" Lorelai asked. "We offered way less than his asking price."
"I'll call the realtor, see if he's telling the truth," Luke said. "Can you make it this afternoon?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Lorelai said. She bit her lower lip as she stared up at him. "We got the house."
"Let's not pop the champagne until we sign the papers," Luke requested.
"I know," Lorelai said. "But…we got the house."
He smiled as he leaned across the counter to kiss her. "We got the house."
XXXXX
"Are we allowed to be here?" Luke asked a week later as Lorelai dragged him down the sidewalk three days later.
"It's a public sidewalk," she informed him, stopping outside the house they'd officially signed for just a few minutes ago. She turned to look at the house and looped her arm through Luke's. "And that's ours."
He sighed as he turned to look at the house as well. "It's ours," he agreed.
"Just think, two weeks from now, we'll be married with our very own house," Lorelai said happily.
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Better late than never," he murmured.
"It's strange," Lorelai murmured. "Of course I'm sad about leaving my house, but more of me is excited about starting a new life. Here, with you."
"I'm glad you're excited," he said.
She turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling. "I really am, Luke," she said. "I don't think I've ever been this happy."
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm so glad."
"Everything is going so well," Lorelai said, running her hands up and down his arms. "We're getting married and we got the house. Rory's happy with her job, and she and April will be here soon. The inn is booked for the next three months, and even my mom is being nicer. I honestly have nothing to complain about in my life right now."
Luke reached out to twirl a strand of her hair around his fingers. "Me neither," he said. "I can't believe this is really happening."
"We're finally getting everything we've worked so hard for," Lorelai sighed. "It scares me sometimes."
"Scares you?" he asked. "Why?"
"Because I have so much to lose," Lorelai admitted softly. "I know what it's like, to be without this, and it terrifies me how quickly it could all disappear."
"It's not going to disappear," he promised. "We're better than we were. We've learned a lot, and I know that there's no way in hell I'm letting us slip back to where we were before."
"Me neither," she said. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Just imagine, next year there will be snowmen and reindeer on the roof."
"Will you be putting them up there?" Luke asked. "Because I draw the line at putting decorations on the roof."
Lorelai scoffed. "Luke, you would not make me climb up on the roof to do manual labor," she said.
"I will if you want snowmen up there."
"No you won't," Lorelai said. "Because if things work out the way I want them to, I'll be pregnant next Christmas."
He shrugged. "Then I guess we'll have to live without rooftop decorations," he said.
She sighed dramatically. "Poor Rudolph," she sighed.
"I think he'll survive."
Lorelai smiled and took a step back. "Let's go home," she said. "I have to finish April's stocking before she gets here tomorrow."
"Thanks for doing that," Luke said. "I really appreciate how hard you're working to include her."
"Of course I'm going to include her," Lorelai said. "Luke, you told Rory that she and April are equal to you. It works both ways, you know. I know Rory and I have a freakishly weird bond, but I love April like she's my own."
"I know you do," he said. "But I also know that you and Rory have all kinds of Christmas traditions. Including me and April in that means a lot."
"Did you think I was just going to make you two sleep on the porch while Rory and I celebrated Christmas?" Lorelai asked, disbelief written across her face.
"No, I just…I don't know, I guess sometimes those old feelings of insecurity do creep up," he said. "And last Christmas was so lonely, I'm just really glad to be here this year."
"I'm glad you're here too," she said. She took a few steps before she spoke again. "It wasn't just Rory being gone."
"What?" Luke asked.
"Last Christmas, Rory being gone wasn't the only reason I canceled Christmas," Lorelai admitted. "It was supposed to be our first married Christmas. I was still living in denial about everything, so I just told Christopher we weren't doing Christmas. And then when Rory got back, she and I tried to do everything the right way, but it still felt wrong. With Chris and Gigi there, it was just all wrong."
"We'll make up for it this year," Luke promised.
"I know we will," Lorelai smiled. "Our first Christmas as a family."
"It's my first Christmas with anyone, in a long time."
Lorelai frowned. "I hate that you were alone all that time," she said.
He shrugged. "Well, it gives me perspective," he said. "I know what it's like to be alone, and I'll appreciate this Christmas more. With you and the girls."
Lorelai smiled. "And hopefully by next year, we'll be the typical American family with two and a half kids," she commented.
Luke pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "God, that sounds perfect," he admitted.
"Good, because you don't have much of a choice," Lorelai said. "This is a lifetime commitment, mister."
"It's about damn time."
"And now that you're here, you can continue putting peppermint in your coffee past Christmas day," Lorelai informed him.
"Why the hell would I do that?"
"Because it tastes good, and the rest of the word seems to think it's impossible to put peppermint in your coffee after Christmas," Lorelai explained. "I'm really just thinking of your business here."
"Business?" Luke asked dubiously. "There's no self serving reason for this idea?"
Lorelai shrugged. "Well, the extra income could help fund my wedding night attire," she teased.
Luke nodded firmly. "Peppermint it is," he declared.