I felt bad that I had taken so long to update so I thought I'd give you guys a couple in one go. Mind you I sneakily did this whilst I was at work, drowning in my own boredom. Thank you all so much for your reviews. You totally jumpstarted my block. Lucy, thanks so much for sharing what you did. I hope it all works out for you.
Emily had set up Lorelai on the downstairs guestroom across from Luke, to save her from walking up and down the stairs, as well as giving her access to everything on the ground floor. That first night Lorelai was so pleased to be home that she immediately fell to sleep. Luke had stayed with her on the couch in her room.
Rory had brought down all of her Mother's things to the downstairs room making the room as homey as possible.
Luke had picked up Zeik from Sookie's early the next morning so that when Lorelai awoke she would have both her babies with her. During the Chemo Lorelai was too weak to hold Zeik, and they thought it would be best that Zeik didn't see his Mommy in the hospital during the treatments.
Lorelai awoke to find Rory on the couch where Luke had been all night. She knew that Rory was taking the morning shift. Lorelai felt strong enough to take a shower on her own, and with the bars in the shower and the intercom her parents had installed it was perfectly safe to take a shower on her own. She knew her limits, and they trusted her to ask when she needed the help. It was the little independence she needed, and they all knew that to hover over her would only make a precarious situation even more so. Lorelai opted for a long hot bath. Her wounds were finally well enough to be wet and she savored the moment.
When Luke found an empty bed upon his return with Zeik, he tried not to panic and smiled when he found her half asleep in the bath.
"Hey Beautiful. Looks like you and that Jacuzzi are now well acquainted." Lorelai smiled and opened her eyes to greet him.
"My baby!" she said excitedly seeing Zeik in his father's arms. Zeik overcome with his own excitement at seeing his mother began to squirm and giggle in Luke's arms. Luke bent over so that Lorelai could plant a kiss on Zeik's head.
"I'll just get out of the bath Baby and I'm going to give you the biggest hug in the world. Mommy has missed you so much my baby!"
"Wait for me, I'll set him down in his cot and I'll help you out." Lorelai nodded in compliance, to argue would be futile.
Luke placed Zeik in the cot set up in Lorelai's room. He placed a few toys in the cot to keep Zeik entertained as he went back to help Lorelai get up from the bath. Lorelai gave her hair a quick rinse as she waited for Luke to return. As she ran her fingers through her hair chunks of her locks remained in her hands. Lorelai gasped in despair. Just as Luke entered the bathroom she cried,
"Get out…"
Alarmed Luke rushed to her side and realized why. One of the things he loved about her was her long curly locks. He loved to twirl her hair in his fingers, run his fingers through her hair. Luke placed an arm around her and she fought him, squirming.
"Leave me alone…"
"Lorelai, it's okay. It'll grow back." Lorelai said nothing but sobbed. Luke gave her a few minutes before easing her up and out of the bath. He wrapped her robe around her and took the lock of hair firmly clamped in her grip.
"Baby it's okay." He said whispering in her ear as he kissed the top of her head, but his voice was lost in her grief. Luke's arms remained tightly around her, trying to break through to her barrier, pleading with her to feel his presence, to let him in, to not sink into the dark hole that seemed to call her name. She fell limp in his arms as she cried silently into his chest.
They stood there for what seemed like forever when Rory cleared her throat. She had missed the storm and thankfully only witnessed calm. She was holding Zeik in her arms who gurgled and said the words,
"Ma Ma" Till that moment Zeik had not yet uttered any words, and he had picked his moment to speak, and the words he spoke were perfect. Lorelai lifted her head from Luke's chest in surprise. Her face broke into a grin as she looked at her children and up at Luke who was smiling back at her.
"Baby what did you say?" she asked as she walked towards Rory and Zeik, her hair forgotten. Zeik waved his arms around and leaned over to try and reach his mother.
"Mama!" Lorelai scooped him out of Rory's arms and hugged him close to her.
"You're a clever boy. Mommy's clever boy." She gushed. Lorelai turned to Rory and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"Hey Sweets!"
"Hey Mom. Grandma said breakfast is almost ready. She asked if you want to come down to the Dining Room or would you like Stella to bring you breakfast in here.
"Dining Room. If you take Zeik for me, I'll get changed and be there shortly."
"Okay, we'll see you there. Take your time." Rory said taking her brother before leaving the room.
"Luke, can you help me?" she asked. Luke nodded not quite sure with what till she took out the scissors from the top drawer of the vanity.
"Lorelai… are you sure?" he asked. With tears in her eyes she nodded.
"I would rather have it all off in one go than watch it fall off in chunks. I don't want the kids to see that. I don't want to see that. So please, can you just?"
"Let me get my electric shaver from my room." He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze and looked right at her through the mirror.
"I'll be right back." Luke walked to his room with determined strives. He took a deep breath and psyched himself up to shaving Lorelai's hair off. When he returned he found her with her face in her hands.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yep. Go on!" Gently Luke gathered her hair in his hands and grabbed a hair tie from the vanity and tied it up in a pony tail. Once secured he took the scissors and looked at her through the mirror once more waiting her a go ahead. Lorelai merely nodded and patted his hand with hers. Luke took a deep breath and cut off her ponytail. Lorelai inwardly gasped. Luke put down the scissors and wrapped his arms around her shoulder.
"It'll grow back, you'll see." He said confidently. Lorelai nodded and gestured for him to resume what he was doing. He cut as close as he could to her scalp and he saw the patches of where her hair had already began to fall out. Once he was ready he took his electric shaver and gave her the closest shave the contraption allowed. When he was done he looked at her questioningly, she picked up a new razor and handed it to him.
"All off." Luke nodded unable to say a word. They went back to the bathroom as Luke lathered her head with shaving cream, and carefully he began to shave off the remains of her hair. When he had finished his last strip, she was completely bald. Still stunningly beautiful, but bald. Tears began to pour from her eyes. Luke spun her around to face him and cupped her face with both hands.
"You're the most beautiful woman in the world, and I am so lucky to have you." Lorealai nodded trying to hear the words he was saying, but it was his eyes that spoke what he meant.
"I have an idea." Luke said grabbing her hand. Confused Lorelai followed him out of the bathroom. She watched as he threw his hat off. Before her brain could kick in Luke had begun to give himself a number one haircut. Lorelai gasped as she watched him purse his lips in concentration. Once he was done he grinned at her.
"All for one and one for all." Lorelai laughed for the first time in what seemed like eternity to him, and for that alone, the haircut was worth it. Lorelai planted a kiss on his cheek and hugged him.
"Thank you Luke."
"It was nothing. Go get dressed and I'll clean this up." Lorelai nodded, grabbed her clothes and headed back to the bathroom. By the time she had come out, he had cleaned up and he was sitting on her bed holding something in his hand.
"This was my Mom's. When she started losing her hair, she made Dad shave off her hair too. This was her favourite hat. Well it's more like a turban/bandana. Mia had made it for her, it's actually made out of one of her favourite summer dresses as well as a few patches of mine and Liz's Onesies. She said that it was her lucky hat, that when she had it on she could barely feel the pain, and that the hat always made her feel better. I was thinking maybe, it would help you too." He said absently not looking at her but focusing on the material in his hand. Lorelai walked over to him and sat beside him on the bed.
"Luke, I would be honored to wear that. Are you sure?" she asked. Luke finally looked up at her. She saw the tears in his eyes and wiped them with her thumb as they fell on his cheeks.
"She would want you to have it." He replied in a barely audible voice. Lorelai wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, for all the strength he was providing them, it was easy to forget how much he was hurting too.
"We better get to breakfast before we encounter the wrath of Emily turning up to a meal extremely late." Lorelai joked. Once upon a time that may have been true but these days, it couldn't be farther from the truth. Luke smiled and handed her the hat. Lorelai slid it easily on her extremely smooth head and paraded it proudly.
"How does it look?"
"Perfect." He answered taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips before leading her to the Dining Room.
Rory gasped as she noticed her Mother's absent locks. Luke gave her hand a squeeze. Emily looked up from where she was feeding Zeik in her lap as Richard looked up from his paper. Emily's eyes filled with tears as she smiled bravely at her daughter. Richard got up from his chair and walked over to his daughter to plant a kiss on her forehead.
"You've never looked more beautiful Princess."
"Thank you Daddy."
"Nice head Luke" Richard teased good naturedly transferring the attention away from Lorelai.
"Yeah well… Richard if you'd like I'm more than happy to do the same for you." Luke threw back,
"Richard Gilmore, the man is not daring you so do not even think about it." Emily said sternly with a glint in her eye that no one could miss so they knew that she was kidding.
"Try and eat something Lorelai, then you can have the most handsome boy back in your arms."
"Ouch!" Richard and Luke said in unison knowing they didn't quite make the cut.
"I like your hat Mom" Rory said finally composing herself enough to speak. It was faded white with flowers all over it, and here and there were patches of different patterns.
"It's pretty hey. It was Luke's Mom." She answered placing her hand over his on the table and giving it a squeeze.
"Guess which one is his onesie?" she said pointing to hat
"Aww Jeez!" he said embarrassed.
That afternoon after Lorelai had put Zeik down for her nap, she and Rory lay on her bed watching DVD's.
"Sorry if I scared you with the new do this morning Sweets."
"That's okay. I wasn't really scared, more shocked. Are you okay?"
"I miss my hair, but it's not like I didn't know it wasn't going to happen. I had hoped, but hey. It started coming out in chunks this morning and the last thing I wanted was for you guys to see is me all patchy. Besides, this way it's much cooler."
"Totally. I think it's awesome that Luke cut off all his hair too."
"That was super sweet. I think he did if for his Mom too."
"Awwww."
"Speaking of which he's going to bring April tonight for Dinner. They're going to do their Father Daughter thing, and then heading back here this evening for dinner and movie night with us. Anna is actually letting her sleepover this weekend. I suggested a pull out bed in your room, I'd offer my old room but I'd hate for her to be in this big house in her own room. It might be too much."
"Cool with me. I haven't really spent much time with her and I really want to. She's a pretty cool kid."
"That's because you're the coolest kid I know."
"Takes one to know one." Rory replied.
"And here ladies and gentleman, our very own mutual admiration society."
"Huzzah!" Rory said throwing her fist up in the air.
"Huzzah!" Lorelai declared joining in.
Later that afternoon Emily had returned from her errand, she knocked on the door as both Rory and Lorelai looked up.
"Come on in Mom, you're just in time for Greased Lightning." Lorelai said motioning the moves. Rory laughed as Emily looked horrified.
"I'm kidding. Come on in Mom." Lorelai hit pause on the DVD and watched as Emily brought in a rather large box with her.
"Oooh presents!" Lorelai squealed with excitement. Emily but her lip uncertainly, unsure as how Lorelai was going to react to her gift.
"I thought you might want this, for when you're going out, or just whenever. Now if you don't want it, you don't have to have it. I just want you to have the option." Curiously Lorelai opened the lid of the box,
"Oh Mom. It's perfect." She said lifting the wig from the box. It was almost a replica of her old hair. Same colour, same waves, a little shorter but it was beautiful.
"Luke let me borrow the ponytail he cut from you today and I used it as a guideline."
"Thank you Mom." Lorelai said pulling her mother into an embrace.