Disclaimer: All characters and situations from Gilmore Girls are properties of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions and Hofflund/Polone in association with Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended.

So, I can't deny that a huge part of this chapter, I'm sure you'll figure out which part as you read, comes off slightly on the corny side and will either be hit or miss. I hope it's hit. Let me know. :)

Previously:

"We're great as long as you'll forgive me for acting so awfully."

"Totally justified," Luke said with a smile.

"Thanks."

"Sure," Luke smiled.

"Now," Lorelai started seriously, "I want to talk to April, but I don't want to wake her, and I have to go to work."

"How about if I send her to the inn some time today -- after she has breakfast?" Luke suggested.

"Sure," Lorelai said. She kissed Luke quickly and walked into the closet to pick out something to wear. "Try to have her there by 11:00."

"Why?"

"There are some guests that I think she might enjoy. They're having a meeting around 11:00."

"Who are they?" Luke inquired as he watched her look through her hanging clothes, his hands on his hips.

"Archaeologists. They're just passing though, but they're taking over the dining room for a while today. I don't know, but it might be interesting, or at least to April. I figured she could eaves drop if she wanted."

"She'd like that," Luke agreed with a smile.

"So, have her come by, but don't tell her about it. I want it to be a surprise after I apologize."

"Okay," Luke agreed.

Lorelai held a dress on a hanger in each hand. "Which one?" She asked Luke.

"Why are you asking me?" He scoffed.

"Because I don't care what anyone else thinks about how I look. You're the one I'm sleeping with."

"Great," Luke said, rolling his eyes. "Now I'm gonna worry if you stop asking me."

She rolled her eyes back at him before insisting, "Pick one."

"That one." Luke said, pointing to a dark green dress with a deep-V neckline. His other choice had been a black shirt dress, buttons all the way down with a belt at the waist.

"You always choose the plunging neckline," Lorelai said with a smile, putting the other one back.

"That's intentional, you know," Luke said with a wink.

"I know," Lorelai said, "but you aren't the one seeing it all day. I'm at the inn, where other people look at me. When I get home and actually see you, I've changed into pjs."

"Some of those have more than plunging necklines."

"This is true."

"But what you're saying is you want me to take you out tonight so I can look at you in that dress?" Luke suggested, pulling her close by wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Is this you way of asking me out on a date, Luke Danes?"

"You caught me." Luke laughed.

"Sounds great to me," Lorelai agreed, giving him a kiss, "any ideas?"

"You decide where," Luke suggested.

"Hmm," she pondered, escaping his arms after a kiss to walk towards her dresser.

"Well," she said, pulling on underwear under her robe, "Have Maisy and Buddy met April yet?"

"I've told them about her, but I haven't brought her in yet," Luke replied.

"Great let's do that. I mean, if you want to."

"Sure," Luke agreed.

"Cool, we haven't been there in forever."

Luke zipped up the back of Lorelai's dress for her as he asked, "But I mean, this was just going to be a you and me date. Are you sure you're okay with bringing April."

"Yeah, I don't mind. I don't want to just leave her at home."

"Okay, if you're sure." He was still skeptical.

"Luke, I'm sure. This is what I wanted, to be in your life with your daughter. As long as you get to see me in the dress, it all works out." She smiled.

"Good," Luke said.

"Yup," Lorelai agreed. She took a red and green necklace from her jewelry box and followed Luke into the bathroom to dry her hair while Luke showered.

"Hey, Michel. Is Lorelai around?"

"No."

"Oh, well, she said she would be. Do you know where she is?"

"No."

"Okay. Well, then I'm sort of at a loss because my dad told me to come over here."

Silence came from Michel who stood behind the Dragonfly's front desk. April stood on the opposite side as she made her inquiries. Michel's eyes were fixed on the computer screen."

"He told me that she wanted me to come."

Silence still.

"Did she come in at all today?"

"No."

"Are you sure you haven't seen Lorelai?"

"No."

"Tall, brown hair, blue eyes...?"

"No."

"No, you don't agree that's how she looks? No, she's not here? No, you aren't sure? Or, no, that's what you're gonna answer to any question I ask?"

Silence.

"So, then you won't mind if I go into her office to see if she's there?"

"No."

"Okay, great. Thanks."

Silence.

April started to walk towards Lorelai's office door, but curiosity got the best of her. "Michel, are you okay?"

"No."

"What are you doing?"

Silence.

"Right. That's not a yes or no question. Sorry."

She turned back to the office door and was planning to leave Michel along, but then he said quickly and with slight anger and much annoyance, "I'm redesigning the Inn's website."

"Oh," April smiled slightly. Keeping her cool and knowing exactly what to say, she responded, "It looks good. Masculine."

She ten turned towards Lorelai's office again, knocking.

Michel's expression softened. He wasn't happy, but if his face froze that way, he might still find a woman on day.

"Yeah?" Lorelai called from within the office.

"It's just me," April said shyly as she opened the door slowly.

"Oh, come on in. Sit down; I'll be just a second." Lorelai kept her eyes locked on the computer screen before her. A spread sheet could be seen there.

A moment later, Lorelai looked to April with a bright smile.

"Hi," she said, not really knowing hot to start.

"Listen, Lorelai," April said, "You don't have to --"

"Yes," Lorelai interrupted her, "I do." She looked at April sternly. "We're still new, you and me. We haven't seen all the sides of each other. Around you, I've been trying really hard to be the calm, cool, and collected Lorelai that people like. But, that's not always, unfortunately, who I am. I wish it was, but I think everyone wears a mask sometimes... Anyway, the point is, last night, I was upset. I was trying to hide it because I want you to like me, more than anything. And I always try to seem as put together as possible. I guess that's try with me and everyone. And, when I just have too much to handle, I get angry and annoyed and it comes out at whoever is around. Your Dad is the only one who breaks me of it because, no matter how hard I try, I can't keep it all in from him. Even Rory, I usually keep it all in from her too. She knows when something's wrong, but I never really let her see what I hold back because she shouldn't have to...Anyway, I'm sorry. Last night, I was stressed, tired, upset... and I just had a lot on my mind. So, like I said you were just there. In the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Okay," April nodded. "But? In the future, when you're upset, it's okay to just tell me you're having a bad day. You don't have to be wonder-woman." April got up from the chair in Lorelai's office to walk behind her desk. "I'm going to love you no matte what," April admitted this softly, unsure if it was appropriate.

Lorelai's eyes grew wide at this. She looked at April for a moment before she stood and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered.

April sat back down in the chair in front of Lorelai's desk after a minute. She asked, "Are you better this morning? You seem better."

"Yes, I'm good. Luke, as always, got me to talk to him, and now I'm fine. Or, not fine, but dealing with things. He eased the stress."

"Good."

"Your father really is quite the guy, you know?" Lorelai said this with a small embarrassed smile.

"I'm learning that. I only wish I knew him as well as you do," April looked down at her shoes. It was Lorelai's turn to console April. Kneeling before her, she put one hand on April's knee and took one of April's with her other.

"Oh, April. You'll know him. Believe me, you'll know him so well in time. You're so much like him. You have no idea."

"Really?" April asked.

"Yeah," Lorelai assured her. "That's probably why I tell you absolutely everything that's going on with me and him without meaning to do it." She rolled her eyes remembering their many conversations. "Your facial expressions, your way of allowing me to just be calm around you. These things draw me in to you both without me even realizing it."

April smiled, and Lorelai knew she should continue.

"You both have this way of being self conscious that makes me adore you even more than I already do. You both have no idea that it's because you're different that you're so special. You always seem to think that people look at you once and then have to glance back again at you, just to be sure that's what they're really seeing. But, what neither of you do realize is that while some people take the second glance and keep on walking, other people, the people who count, are looking back because they just can't get enough.

"To people who don't know you both like I do, you're father and daughter who don't have any similar interests, but to me you're father and daughter too much alike to ever notice it yourselves."

April's eyes were tear-filled. "Thank you," she whispered.

They both collected themselves for a moment and then Lorelai said, "Hey, I've got a surprise for you. There are some guests assembling in the dining room for a meeting in a few minutes. They're archaeologists."

"Cool," April said.

"Yeah, so? You want to listen in?"

"Oh my gosh. Yes!"

"Okay, go ahead out whenever you want."

"Great! Thanks," April said.

Once she reached the door, she turned back to Lorelai, "You know? I still would have accepted your apology about last night even if you had just said it was PMS."

"Oh," Lorelai looked at her, trying not to look disappointed.

"But, Lorelai?" April started again. "This was much better." April smiled warmly at Lorelai, expressing how grateful she was for the talk.

"I agree," Lorelai said simply, smiling back from the seat at her desk.

"I'm sure that was part of it," Lorelai mumbled under hear breath as she shook her head and returned her eyes to the computer screen after April shut the office door.

Lorelai, April, and Luke entered Sniffy's Tavern at 7:00 that night. Going straight to the table, as always, Luke said, "I'm sure Maisy and Buddy will be over any second."

"So get ready for hugs," Lorelai cut in.

"Yeah," Luke said, "they'll love you, April."

She smiled and they all waited.

Soon enough, Maisy came barreling over, knocking down a few waiters carrying trays on the path. Buddy, who followed told the waiters to apologize to the customers for the wait, make them new meals, and tell them dessert's on the house for the inconvenience. He then caught up with his wife to hear her greeting, "April! Is that you? Well, Lucas, I thought this day would never come. Why did it take you so long to bring her here?" Her angry eyes towards Luke quickly changed back to excited ones as she pulled April up and into a hug.

"It's so good to meet you. Your father has told me all about you. My, you certainly are a pretty one, aren't you? Oh! I'm Maisy, by the way. This is Buddy."

"It's so nice to meet you both," April said with a smile, reaching out to shake Buddy's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, April," he said.

"And, Lorelai," Buddy continued, "lovely as always."

"Thank you," she told him.

April returned to sit as Maisy said, "Did I hear right? Are you two married and Luke didn't tell me?" She hit him on the arm.

"Yes," Lorelai said with a wide smile. "We eloped a few months ago." She held out her left hand.

"Well, at least the boy has good taste in jewelry."

"I'm sorry I hadn't told you, Maisy," Luke said. "We've had a lot going on." He smiled at Lorelai.

"Yeah," Lorelai assured her, "butt if I had known Luke didn't tell you, we'd have been here sooner."

"Buddy nodded in response to this and smiled. "Maisy smiled too and said, "Thank you, Lorelai."

"Sure," she said.

Maisy and Buddy brought desert later and chatted with them as they ate. Luke knew since the moment Maisy found out they were married that he and Lorelai wouldn't escape her without answering the question.

"So?" Maisy asked hopefully, "any little ones on the horizon for you two?"

"Oh, now, Maisy," Buddy started, "that's their business."

"Oh, hush," she told him and turned to look between Luke and Lorelai.

"Well, we're hoping," Lorelai admitted with a smile after Luke took her hand in his beneath the table and squeezed it lightly.

"Oh, my little man's gonna be a daddy." Then Maisy looked at April and smiled, catching her mistake, "again!"

They all laughed, but Luke who rolled his eyes. "Not yet."

"And you had better tell me when you are."

"We will," Luke assured her as she finally pulled him into a hug as she sat beside him.

"We promise," Lorelai added with a smile.

"We're so happy for you, Hun," Buddy said smiling at Lorelai over the table. He put his hand on hers, reaching across the table. He simply smiled at Luke, knowing that was enough. He knew Luke knew how happy he was for him, but also Buddy knew neither of them was good with the verbalization.

When William died, the extent of Luke and Buddy's conversation about it consisted of, "He was a great man," from Buddy and a pat on the shoulder and, "That, he was" returned by Luke.

Nope, they were men who let their actions speak. Buddy never had long conversations with Luke, although Maisy want him to- believing it would help, but he did help him -- any way he could. Luke was grateful for that, and they both knew it. That's all that mattered.

It was 9:00 by the time they got home. They were just in time for a special about elephants on Animal Planet, April told them upon entering the house. She convinced Luke and Lorelai to watch it only because they felt bad protesting, and didn't. Instead, the held their tongues the entire time. Silent moaning only.

When the show ended at 10:00, the older viewers were more than relieved. They couldn't be convinced to watch the next show on killer bees and escaped upstairs once April went to Rory's room to watch it.

Not exactly sure why I included this little ending segment about Animal Planet, but it works out because the next chapter picks up here and I'm pretty sure is all Luke and Lorelai conversation. So, it made sense to include this little bit of April at the end of this April-filled chapter.