A/N Thanks to those who are reviewing. I never really know if this is something to continue or not, there are some really good stories out there right now, so letting me know that you're enjoying it is a good thing. I have an outline for at least another ten chapters so if you're game I promise a wild ride. Thanks to those who are still with me.

I own nothing.

Ch 14 Set Up

Lorelai was sitting on the couch channel surfing Thursday evening. Luke had just left to take April back to Woodbridge when Rory came out of her room and sat next to Lorelai looking at her out of the corner of her eye. Lorelai finally noticed, shut off the TV, turned to Rory and waited. Rory bit her bottom lip and sighed.

"Tomorrow Grandma is going to want to know who is going to take me to cotillion."

Lorelai nodded and still waited. Rory noticed her mom wasn't going to help her out so she ventured further.

"I don't suppose Luke is willing to take me?"

Lorelai smiled and said, "Rory you know Luke would move heaven and earth to make you happy, but he's gonna want to know why you didn't ask your dad first."

Rory nodded and adverted her eyes. "I called his cell number that he sent me and it's been disconnected. I don't even know how to reach him."

Lorelai got up and retrieved her purse from the hall table. She rummaged around until she found a slip of paper which she held up with a satisfied, "Ha!"

Rory looked at her perplexed and said, "Ha?"

Lorelai nodded her head and handed Rory the paper. "Luke had some guy track Chris down and this is his current phone number. He did it incase you wanted to call and ask Chris to escort you to the ball."

Rory sat with the paper in her hand, not knowing what to think. Luke who couldn't stand the guy was being a wonderful step-father in letting her give her dad one more chance. Rory looked at Lorelai with tears in her eyes.

"Mom, why do I really want to give dad another chance? Why don't I just lie to Luke and tell him dad turned me down? Why can't I see that dad just sucks at being a dad? When I see Luke interacting with April I know what a good dad is supposed to be and it just isn't him. When am I gonna learn that?"

Rory's tears were quietly spilling down her face and Lorelai's heart was breaking. She really didn't know what she could say to help Rory get through this. She wiped away Rory's tears and felt her own spilling over.

"I don't know sweets, could be Christopher's complete inadequacy in being a human being that makes us give him too many tries. Sort of when you see a puppy that's too stupid to keep from running into the glass door thinking it's open even when he's hit his head ten times before. Something in you feels sorry for it because you know that no matter how many times that puppy hits its head it will always get up and do it again. So maybe by knowing that your dad will always do stupid things that will hurt you and a normal human would feel really bad about it makes you think he doesn't really mean to hurt you."

Rory was having a hard time following her mom's logic. "Cause you're saying dad's a stupid puppy?"

"Exactly!" Lorelai cried in triumph.

Rory squinted her eyes and scrunched up her nose. "Not really making me feel better about it mom."

"Sorry babe, that's all I got." Lorelai smiled at her and then sighed deeply.

"Rory, I wish I could tell you why you do that, maybe it's because you saw me give Christopher so many chances over the years, maybe because you just have a forgiving heart. I don't know. What I do know is that you now have a step-father who adores you for you, even if he and I weren't together I know he'd still love you. So while I'm really sorry I couldn't give you Luke as your real father, at least you're getting some perks with him being your step-dad, right?"

Rory sighed and smiled slowly thinking of how her life had changed in the single year that her mom and Luke had been together. "Yeah, so I guess I need to at least give dad the chance to turn me down before Luke escorts me huh?"

Lorelai's heart was breaking for her daughter and she smiled sadly. "Rory, only a truly stupid man would turn you down. Unfortunately your father is never not stupid, so I'd say it's a safe bet."

Lorelai tucked a piece of stray hair behind Rory's ear as she opened the paper to see the new information for her father. Rory's brow furrowed and she looked confused. She turned to Lorelai for clarification.

"Isn't 617 a Boston area code?"

Lorelai sighed, "Yep, apparently Christopher has roots in Boston that he doesn't want to leave. His dad got him a job with a friend of his. We'll see how long that lasts."

Rory nodded as she concentrated on the paper in her hand. She sighed and looked at her mother. "Would you call and ask dad for me?"

Lorelai really wanted to cry knowing her daughter didn't feel confident enough in her father's love to even ask him a question. "I'm sorry Rory, you know your dad and I have a complicated relationship and it would hurt Luke too much if your dad got the wrong idea just because I called him for you."

Rory nodded. "Never not stupid, right?"

Lorelai smiled sadly, "Yep."

Rory took the phone with her into her room and Lorelai sat on the couch waiting to comfort her daughter when once again her father disappointed her. Lorelai rubbed her belly thinking how this daughter was going to grow up so different, having a father who doted on her, never doubting that she will know she is truly loved.

Rory opened her door and Lorelai noticed a confused almost happy look on her face.

"He's going to be there."

For the first time in her life Lorelai understood the phrase 'you could have knocked me over with a feather.' She also found herself a bit angry that Christopher who did nothing to support her daughter would be the one who would dance with her in front of all those people. She knew that Luke wouldn't makes a big deal out of it but it would hurt a bit even if he didn't allow himself to admit it.

"Wow, really? That's great honey!" Lorelai tried to gather up enthusiasm for this news when Rory got a look of concentration on her face.

"Yeah, he said that he'd be there, one hundred percent guarantee." She said softly as she fingered the phone in its cradle.

Lorelai knew that look so she smiled softly and whispered, "So pretty much a fifty-fifty chance, huh?"

Rory nodded her head much like Luke did which caused Lorelai to laugh. Even if Christopher was her father, she was so much like Luke it was scary.

"How about Luke and I plan on going to this shindig anyway so if something came up last second and your dad couldn't make it Luke could lead you down a rotting staircase?" Lorelai smiled sadly at Rory who looked at her hopefully.

"You really think Luke would want to be there with me? I mean since dad's going to be there too?"

Lorelai knew that Luke would suck it up for Rory like always. "Sweets, Luke wouldn't miss your coming out for the world. He and I will be there to welcome our new lady into society."

Rory looked at her mother gratefully. "Now all I have to do is find a guy who wouldn't mind being embarrassed to dance with me."

Lorelai chuckled, "Luke said that if he had to you'd get this really nice looking guy from his mail room in New York. He said the kid's a freshman studying at NYU."

Rory scrunched her nose up and looked at Lorelai, "Luke thinks this guy's cute?"

Lorelai laughed, "No, that's from Paige. Luke said the kid's terrified of Luke and he'd do anything he asked without question. Including escorting his step-daughter to a ball and not trying to take advantage of her."

"Oh, I get it, he wants to make sure my honor isn't smudged huh?" Rory chuckled.

"Well let's keep mailroom boy in the back just in front of Jess."

"What do you mean in front of Jess?" Lorelai looked at Rory trying to figure out what she was talking about.

Rory sighed, crap! She didn't mean to let her mom know about Jess' offer to escort her. "Jess asked if I wanted to have him escort me since I didn't have a boyfriend and I told him if there wasn't anyone else we could get I'd take him up on it."

Lorelai looked at her a little shocked at the turn of events. "So Jess offered and you basically told him if the moss on the underside of a rock couldn't fit in a tux you'd take him? Hmmm. How did this go over with his ego?" Rory grimaced.

"Not real well at the time. But he seems to have dealt with it. I just didn't want to see him get sent away because he did a nice thing for me." Rory was picking at the lint on the couch.

Lorelai smiled and softened. "Rory if you want Jess to escort you I think Luke would be ok with it since we'd be there too."

"NO!" Rory looked like a deer caught in headlights. "I mean, we can't just go around changing the rules right? If you and Luke don't want Jess and me to date until we're out of high school then we won't date."

Lorelai was watching her daughter melt down right in front of her and she wasn't real sure what the actual cause was.

"Rory, why don't you want Jess to escort you to the ball?"

Rory sighed and realized that she couldn't avoid the reason anymore. "If Jess escorts me then we have to dance in front of all those people. There is no way I could hide how I feel about him if he's holding me for five minutes. Not to mention that I'd fall all over myself and look like an idiot even before we'd actually go out and I don't know if I can be held by him one day and have to go back to 'just friends' the next. I'd rather not temp myself than find out he doesn't want to date me when we're able."

Lorelai shook her head realizing that Luke said almost the same thing about why he waited five years to ask her out. Maybe Rory really was Luke's daughter and not Lorelai's. She smiled at Rory and just nodded her head, there wasn't anything she could say that was going to change Rory's mind.

Friday night the group was assembling in the front hallway to go to the Gilmore's. Luke took the news about Christopher as Lorelai suspected. His eyes widened a bit but then he just gave a sharp nod to his head and said, "Good."

Lorelai knew he had started to think about how it would be to present Rory to society, how for one brief moment she would be his little girl, but once again Christopher was going to steal that glory. She wouldn't be surprised that that was the motivating factor in Christopher's decision. Lorelai was sitting in her underwear in front of her mirror finishing up her make-up when she heard her husband ascend the stairs.

"Damn it Lorelai we're going to be…" Luke had swung open the bedroom door to see her sitting in her matching black lace panties that accentuated her growing belly and demi-bra that was almost too small for her. He stopped just inside the door forgetting how to breathe. Lorelai slowly stood up and walked over to him in her high heels closing the door behind him. Luke watched her mesmerized.

She stood face to face with him just inches from his ear and whispered, "I'm having a hard time finding something to wear. Think you could help me?"

Then she smiled seductively as Luke kissed her passionately his hands roaming all over her body. He knew he needed to stop, he knew they were going to be late but it had been such a long time since they'd gone through this little scene his libido was shouting louder than his logic. Lorelai deepened the kisses and Luke moaned as her own hands started to explore.

"God Lorelai, what you do to a man. Baby we need to get moving, please?"

Luke wasn't sure what he was begging for, to stop before they were going to be even later, or for release. Lorelai was fascinated with how out of control Luke was and she wavered between being selfish and finishing this now, knowing Luke was going to be overly embarrassed all night, or stop with the promise of more this evening. Taking his hands in hers she stepped away from her husband who stumbled to the chair in the room panting heavily. He let his head drop to his hands running his fingers through his hair as he struggled to regain his breathing. Slowly he looked up at her grinning and shaking his head.

"The death of me I swear. What was that all about?" Lorelai looked at him mirroring his grin and shrugged.

"I'm having a hard time finding something to wear. You're always so good giving me what I need." She smiled seductively.

Luke grinned and shook his head. "You know you meant that to be dirty so I'm not even going to reply with one. What I want you to wear tonight is the dress that touches the least curves. After this part of the evening if you put one of those clinging numbers on I'm not going to be able to keep my hands off you."

Lorelai grinned wickedly which was cause for concern for Luke. "Well, I have this little black swing shift that doesn't hug any curve. OK?"

Luke nodded slightly until she put it on and then he moaned. The dress was low cut and came about six inches lower than her panties. Other than that it didn't cling to any curve.

Lorelai giggled as she left the room and Luke concentrated on keeping his eyes to the ground until she put on her coat.

Arriving at the Gilmore's Luke wouldn't sit near Lorelai and each time she'd start to get near him he'd get up to get a drink, a napkin, a better look at the portrait of Lorelai that hung over the fireplace. Lorelai was having fun until Luke took her hand and hissed into her ear. "Lorelai please stop this! I'm having a very hard time keeping myself in check tonight."

His anger turned to pleading, "For the love of God if you love me at all you'll stop tormenting me! I'm doing everything I can right now not to take you into the bathroom and have you screaming my name. If you will please stop this I promise we'll take a walk to the guest house tonight ok?"

Lorelai's eyes got really large and she nodded wordlessly. The only time they used the guest house was when they knew they couldn't control their passion and they didn't want Rory to be scarred. She tried to remember the last time they were there and she thought it might have been around the time of Lilibit's conception.

Emily had noticed the interaction between the two and after they talked in the corner it seemed to lessen the tension in the room. "So Lorelai, Luke, I know the children will start back to school next week, is there anything new going on in your lives?" Emily could tell something was up, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Lorelai wasn't going to share what was going on tonight with her mother but they still hadn't told the elder Gilmore's about the sex of the baby.

"Well, mom, we did have a doctor's appointment Tuesday and we found out that Luke and I are having a baby girl."

"Another girl? Well that's wonderful!" Richard strode over to Luke and clapped him on the shoulder.

"That's fine m'boy! I'll bet you're pleased huh?"

Emily was also all smiles and said, "Have you considered names for her yet?"

Luke and Lorelai smiled at each other and she said, "Yep, her name is Lilibet Victoria Danes. Luke kept calling her little bit and when I came across the name in the baby book I knew it was perfect."

"It's beautiful." Emily said, tearing up.

Richard took Emily's hand and smiled at her, "It's perfect, very strong and yet elegant."

Emily clapped her hands and changed the subject. "Rory, have you thought anymore about who your young man will be to dance with you at your cotillion?"

Rory looked like a deer caught in headlights when she had to answer her grandmother. "Nooo grandma, I don't really know that many boys."

Emily looked like the cat that ate the canary. "Well, I was talking with a friend of mine whose son is one year older than you and he's back in town after being sent away to some military school last year. He's actually going to be going to Suffield Academy this year. He'd gone to Chilton his first semester but then he was transferred to Harrington in New York before going to military school for the last year. She said he'd love to escort you to the cotillion."

Jess almost did a spit take when he heard that the kid had gone to Harrington. That was his old school and he was concerned about who this asshole could be. As polite as he could be he asked the question.

"You know Mrs. Gilmore, I went to Harrington for a year and a half, who would this young man be? I might know him."

Emily smiled broadly, "His father owns a chain of newspapers and is very well connected. His mother's a bit of a boor but well connected. The son's name is Logan. Logan Huntzberger."

Jess wanted to die right there. He knew the arrogant prick, always razing him about being on scholarship and how Jess was always reading. Jess never wanted to hang with Logan's crowd, they were getting into trouble, causing problems and ultimately getting expelled. Figures Logan's family had enough money to get him into as many schools as he needed.

"Uh, Mrs. Gilmore, wouldn't Rory be better off with someone who you knew would be here in October? If I remember Logan was always a bit of a free spirit and he may be in another state next month?" Jess was trying his best to not attack the idea of Logan but damn it the thought of him dancing with Rory just turned Jess' stomach.

Rory was watching Jess and saw how upset he was with this idea. She wanted to help her grandmother out and she was not sure why he was so upset about this boy. It would be one evening with her mother, step-father, grandparents and father attending. It wasn't like they were going to be alone any of the time.

"You know grandma, if this is a nice guy I don't mind dancing with him, it's not like I'm going to have to be in a relationship with him right?"

"Of course not Rory, it's just one evening a couple of dances and that's it." Emily looked like a cat that ate a canary while Jess looked pissed. Really really pissed.

The rest of the evening went about as well. Emily chattering on about the debutant ball and how sixteen years from now Lilibet would be making her debut to which Luke and Richard at the same time both mumbled under their breath, "Over my dead body."

Lorelai laughed as Emily gave her the death glare. "What? I swear mom, I didn't mean anything, hormones." She nodded sagely. Emily narrowed her eyes at Lorelai.

Luke rolled his eyes as he stood up. "Thank you for the evening Emily, Richard. I need to get Lorelai home and in bed, doctor's orders. We'll see you next week then."

This surprised Lorelai since Luke had mentioned that he wanted to do anything but rest once they got home.

Luke shook Richard's hand and helped Lorelai on with her coat. When they got to the car they could tell Rory and Jess were angry and neither adult wanted to find out why. Luke didn't look at her or seemed particularly agitated when they were driving, but every time Lorelai tried to put her hand on his thigh he picked it up, kissed her hand and placed it back on her side of the car.

When they arrived at the house Rory and Jess went into their rooms and slammed their doors respectively. Lorelai sighed and started to go up to their room when she felt Luke grab her hand. Turning around she saw a decidedly aroused Luke who whispered, "Where do you think you're going?"

Lorelai swallowed hard and squeaked, "Upstairs to bed?"

Luke shook his head and growled, "You owe me a walk down to the guest house remember? I sat through your parent's entire dinner watching that little dress you're almost wearing rise to expose those luscious thighs and watching it creep down to where you could almost see the tops of that little lace nothing you've got on. There is only one place you're going to be for the next few hours and that is under me screaming my name. Right?"

Lorelai couldn't find her voice she was so turned on. All she could do was nod. Luke kissed her passionately and hissed in her ear, "As long as we understand each other."

Then he took her hand and turned to walk through the kitchen out to the path leading to the guest house. Lorelai's pulse was racing as she followed her husband even though in the back of her mind she was wondering why Jess was so upset with this Logan kid.

All thoughts not Luke related went out the window when they entered the guest house. Luke flipped the switch for the fireplace and locked the door. Then he took her in his arms and kissed her deeply, molding her body to his. Running his hands up under her dress he removed it in one swift motion pausing to look at her in the firelight. The flames changed the color of her skin-tone to a warm pink and he gently ran his fingers over the tops of her breasts. Lorelai shuddered as he licked his lips.

"God you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and I keep waiting to find out this was a huge cosmic joke. What kind of schmuck gets this lucky?" Luke's eyes were dark with arousal as Lorelai reached out her hand to gently stroke his cheek.

"The kind of man who puts everyone first before his own feelings. I can't tell you how your selflessness with Rory turns me on. I've wanted to tear your clothes off each time I get near you since you gave her that information on her father. I thank my lucky stars everyday that I married you and that you're the father of my other daughter."

Lorelai smiled as Luke reached out to caress her belly. He snorted, "Yeah, well he was a schmuck who didn't realize what he had. I on the other hand never forget even for a second."

Luke lifted Lorelai up and carried her to their bed. She smiled up at him and giggled. "You're getting so damn lucky buddy."

Luke shook his head, "I've been so damn lucky ever since you walked into my diner."

Lorelai whispered, "Me too."