It Isn't Sidney Poitier

"Good morning, Mr. Man," Lorelai cooed as she picked Josh up from the crib. He had flipped from his back to his stomach and was pushing up from the mattress. "You doing push-ups again?" she asked as she kissed his chubby cheek making a loud smooching noise. "Mommy likes boys who do push-ups, ask Daddy," she said as she heard Luke walk into the room.

"Got a live one?" he asked.

"Bright eyed and bushy tailed," she said as she pressed her lips to Josh's neck and blew on the tender skin, making the boy beam at his father with a silent laugh.

Luke beamed back and said, "Who's a ham?"

"I am," Lorelai said in a baby voice as she bounced the happy baby, making him gurgle with laughter.

Luke kissed the soft blonde swirls atop his elder son's head and said, "He's a morning person."

"Unlike his brother, Mister Crankypants," Lorelai said with a big smile for Josh.

Luke glanced down at the sleeping Jake and said, "A nightowl."

"One like Mommy, one like Daddy," Lorelai said as she placed the kicking boy on the changing table. "What have you got for me today, huh? Big poop, maybe?" she asked as she unsnapped his sleeper and opened the tabs of his diaper. "Phew!" she said waving her hand in front of her face and giggling as Josh smiled at her. "You stay true to form, Josh-ooh-ah," she said, shaking her head as she cleaned him up.

Luke checked the mini-fridge and found it empty. He cocked his head at Lorelai and asked, "You pump?"

Lorelai shook her head and said, "We need to start using formula for the bottles."

Luke looked up at her and said, "Are you sure?"

Lorelai nodded and said, "I'll still nurse them as often as I can, but I think I need to start doing this gradually."

Luke nodded as he stood up and said with a smirk, "So, I get to be the bearer of sub-standard food."

Lorelai shrugged as she bundled Josh into a fresh diaper and said, "Look at it this way, once they start eating solid food, they won't be coming to me for anything."

Luke stepped over to the changing table and said, "True," as he bent to blow a raspberry on Josh's tummy, making the baby squeal with glee. "God, I love that," Luke said with a wide smile.

"Best sound in the world," Lorelai agreed with a nod. "So, Daddy, what should Josh-ooh-ah wear on this very special day?" she asked.

Luke rolled his eyes and said, "Well, it's not every day that your Mommy invents a day just for you, so I would say it's a good day for dinosaurs." He pulled a green sleeper with tiny Stegosauruses on it out of the closet and held it up for inspection. "What do you say, buddy?"

Lorelai nodded and said, "I think that's an excellent choice." Lorelai snatched the sleeper from Luke's hand and said, "And I did not invent half-birthdays. Everybody knows about half-birthdays, don't they Joshie?" she asked the squirming boy who was busy trying to get his left leg over his right.

Luke kissed her hair and said, "It's an excuse for Mommy to have cupcakes."

"Tell him that if Daddy wasn't such a grump about bringing Mommy treats home from the bakery that he owns," she said emphasizing the words as she began wrangling arms and legs into the outfit. "Tell him that Mommy would not be reduced to using her offspring shamelessly for a little sugar," she urged Josh.

Luke smiled wickedly and said, "I seem to remember giving you a little sugar last night."

Lorelai smiled over her shoulder at him and said, "You just got my sweet tooth going. Who knows what it will take to satisfy me," she said with a shrug.

"I know what it takes," Luke answered as he ran his hand over her bottom.

Lorelai looked down at Josh wide-eyed and said, "Daddy is fondling Mommy. Help Joshie, help!" she cooed, rubbing her nose against his and making him giggle again.

"Now, don't start that," Luke grumbled as he yanked his hand away.

"Now Mommy feels lonely. Tell him to put it back," she told Josh with a pout.

"Let's leave them out of it, okay?" Luke said. "Come on, big guy, give your old Dad a kiss good morning," Luke said as he lifted the boy into the air, smiling up at his son as he dangled him over his head and them lowered his quickly for a kiss.

"Good thing he hasn't had breakfast yet," Lorelai said in an ominous tone.

"We do this every morning, don't we big guy?" Luke asked as he held Josh close to his chest. "We fly, we kiss the ground on landing and then we congratulate each other with a bear hug. Very manly," Luke said with a nod. He placed two quick kisses to the baby's head before handing him back to his mother saying, "Chow time."

"Yes, it is," Lorelai said as she took him and walked over to the recliner to settle in.

Luke sat in the wooden rocker, watching as Lorelai opened her pajama top and offered her breast to Josh. The boy latched on quickly and after a moment of frenzied suckling settled into his usual leisurely pace. Lorelai looked over at Luke and asked, "You don't have to go in at all?"

Luke shook his head and said, "Big day. Not every day you turn six whole months old."

"You are the biggest sucker in the world," Lorelai said with a grin.

"I beg to differ," Luke answered, gesturing to the nursing baby.

Lorelai looked down with a smile and said, "Second, no third, biggest sucker then."

"Would you prefer that I didn't love my family?" Luke asked archly.

"You're perfect just the way you are," Lorelai said as she turned her head and pursed her lips for a kiss.

Luke leaned over to oblige her and then asked, "So, what's on the agenda?"

"Well, after Senor Screamer over there wakes up and has his breakfast, I think we should have some serious playtime. Perhaps some calisthenics, work on this whole pushing up, rolling over thing we have going down here," she suggested.

"Good plan," Luke said with a nod.

"And maybe after they have their morning nap, and we get dressed again after our calisthenics," she said with a wink, "we should take a walk, and greet our fans."

"Another winner," Luke said with a smile. "I feel the need for more of a workout."

"Figured you would," Lorelai said with a grin. "And then, tonight we par-tay!" she cooed to Josh. "Rory will be here, and Grandma and Grandpa, and Jess, and Auntie Sookie, Uncle Jackson and Davy," she told her disinterested son. "Daddy is making homemade pizzas for the occasion and there will be cupcakes," she said shooting her husband a stern look.

Luke smiled at her and asked, "Have I mentioned how, you know, happy I am lately?"

Lorelai frowned as she thought about it and said, "Not today, no."

"Sorry. I'm very happy," he told her softly as he twined his fingers with hers.

"That makes two of us," Lorelai said with a pleased smile. Josh released her nipple and gave her a gassy smile as she looked down at him and laughed. "Three of us," she corrected. Suddenly a very angry wail erupted from the crib. They both turned their heads as Luke started to rise automatically. Lorelai nodded and said, "Not that guy, though. He rants just like you do."

"You gave him the name Lucas, I tried to warn you," Luke said as he picked up his squalling son and cuddled him close.

Lorelai smirked at Josh, shook her head slowly and said, "Daddy always has to be right."

XXXX

"But the pink ones were so much prettier," Lorelai said as she artfully arranged the blue and yellow cupcakes on a platter that evening.

"No pink," Luke said gruffly as he pressed dough into every baking sheet he could get his hands on.

"How many are you making?" Lorelai asked.

Luke raised an eyebrow at her and said, "I believe we've met before."

"I get to be the decorator," Rory called as she emerged from her room. "Pretty pepperonis everywhere," she teased Luke as she peered over his shoulder.

"You wanna prep, you start pressing," Luke growled at her.

Rory smiled and moved to the sink to wash her hands. "Is Cara coming tonight?" she asked Luke.

Luke frowned and said, "I don't think so."

Lorelai cocked her head and said, "We haven't seen her in a while. Trouble in paradise?" she asked worriedly.

"I think they're still together, but I think Jess isn't handling her transferring to NYU very well," Luke said gruffly.

"But, he seemed so happy for her when her acceptance came," Lorelai said sadly.

"I think he is happy for her. He's just not happy about the distance," Luke explained.

"So he's distancing himself?" Lorelai asked with a concerned frown.

"I don't know," Luke admitted softly. "I hate it for him. For them both," he amended.

"Maybe, they'll figure it out," Rory said optimistically. "Maybe once she gets there, and they see each other on weekends and stuff, he'll figure out that it's not so bad," she said with a nod.

"I hope so," Lorelai said doubtfully.

"Me too," Luke grumbled as he handed Rory some dough to spread. Once the crusts were prepared, Luke pointed to the four largest ones and said, "Make two of each of whatever you're doing. Just remember to take it easy, other people with non-iron stomachs will have to eat this," he cautioned them with a stern look.

"What's going on those?" Lorelai asked pointing to the three other pans of dough.

Luke smiled and said, "Fancy pizza. I don't picture your mother eating your carnivore classics over there."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and said in a sing song voice, "Oh Emily, try my special son-in-law-suck-up pizza, I made it just for you."

"Oh Lorelai, bite me," Luke sneered as he pulled ingredients from the fridge.

"Already did," Lorelai shot back.

"Nope! Not listening," Rory said as she clamped her hands over her ears.

"Easy there Prissy," Lorelai said as she pulled her daughter's arms down. "No one is spilling any state secrets here," she said with a laugh. As Rory ladled red sauce over the crusts, Lorelai cleared her throat and said in a low voice, "I have something I need to tell you."

Rory glanced nervously over her shoulder at Luke and whispered back, "What?"

"Well, this one time, about fourteen months ago, I had sex with Luke," she whispered.

Rory rolled her eyes and said, "Thanks. I've heard confession is good for the soul. I just hope that you can live with your conscience now."

Lorelai shrugged and said, "I'll muddle through," with a happy grin.

A short time later, Luke started sliding finished trays into the double oven, and set the timer before he began cleaning off the counters. He shook his head at the mess the girls had made in 'decorating' their pizzas and muttered, "Slobs."

"Nancy boy," Lorelai said as she pulled a Coke from the fridge and popped it open, taking a big drink straight from the can. As she lowered the can, a burp escaped and she clamped her hand over her mouth with a giggle.

Luke smirked and said, "Good thing you're man enough for the both of us."

"Ah, the love," Rory said as she shook her head. "I'll be in my room if you need someone to break it up," she called as she headed for her door.

When she closed it behind her, Lorelai looked over at Luke and said, "Look what you did. You ran her off."

Luke tossed the sponge down on the counter and turned to look at her with his hands on his hips. He glared at her and said, "Come here," jerking his chin at her.

Lorelai smiled saucily as she sauntered over to him and stood toe to toe with him, meeting his glare with a bright smile. "Yes?" she asked in a sassy tone.

Luke grabbed her by the waist hauling her up against him as he bent her back with a bruising kiss. "Tonight I'm going to do something about that sassy tongue of yours," he said in a throaty voice.

"You are, huh?" she challenged.

Luke nodded and said, "Oh, yeah. Especially since someone decided to share nap time with the boys today instead of me," he reminded her.

"You were there," she said defensively.

"I didn't plan on napping," he growled in her ear.

"But you got to," she said with a nod.

Luke shrugged and said, "Everyone else was. If you can't beat 'em…" he started to say.

"Marry 'em," Lorelai finished for him. She smiled innocently at him as she pressed her hips into his and said, "Looking forward to my tongue lashing."

Luke glanced back at Rory's door and said, "You're just lucky your little girl is here to protect you."

"Kiss me, and make it real good," Lorelai drawled.

Luke kissed her softly, parting her lips slightly with his and letting the tip of his tongue lap at them suggestively before he angled his head and plunged into her mouth, teasing her tongue with his and then drawing her bottom lip into his mouth, sucking on it teasingly as he set her back from him. Lorelai stumbled a little and grasped his shoulder for balance as she looked up at him with darkened eyes. Luke smiled blandly and asked, "How'd I do?"

"You're hired," she told him.

"We'll dot the i's and cross the t's later?" he asked with a wicked grin.

"Definitely. There will be dotting and crossing," Lorelai said as she ran her hand down his scruffy throat.

XXXX

They were all gathered around the dining room table, laughing and talking over plates heaped with pizza. Lorelai paced behind Luke's chair, bouncing a fussy Josh on her hip. Luke turned to her and said, "I can take him, you eat."

Lorelai shook her head and said, "We're good. He's just an early to bed-er," she said to Richard. She nodded to her plate which was sitting next to Luke's and said, "Bite?"

Luke picked up a slice of hamburger, sausage and pepperoni pizza with a wince and held it up to her lips, shuddering as she took a huge bite and chewed with an appreciative moan. "Lorelai doesn't believe in sitting for meals anymore," he told Emily gravely.

"Lorelai is used to not being able to," Lorelai shot back.

"Lorelai is not the only one capable of holding a fussy baby," Luke said pointedly.

"Give him to me," Richard said as he pushed his chair back and held out his arms.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and handed Josh over to his grandfather. "You'd better be prepared to move," she warned. "He's into perpetual motion."

"I can handle this young whippersnapper," Richard said with a smile. He settled Josh on his knee, wrapping his hand around his tummy as he began to bounce him steadily. He lifted a slice of pizza and said, "See?" before he took a bite. "This is really good," he said through stuffed cheeks.

Emily rolled her eyes and said to Luke, "One hour in your house and he's lost all of his table manners."

Luke smiled at her and said, "We do have that effect on people." He glanced over at the sideboard where Jake snoozed in his car seat and said, "That guy can sleep through anything."

"Davy no, I'm not going to tell you again, son," Jackson chastised as Davy reached for his father's glass of beer.

"Booze hound," Lorelai teased. She nudged Luke and said, "Scoot."

"What?" Luke asked as he automatically moved his chair back.

Lorelai perched on his knee and said, "Thank you," as she lifted her slice of pizza from her plate.

"There's a chair right there," Luke pointed out as his hand automatically settled on her hip to steady her.

Lorelai looked at the chair at the opposite side of the table and shook her head, "Too far."

Jess shook his head, rolled his eyes dramatically and said, "Here," as he vacated the seat next to Luke and moved to the other side.

Lorelai grinned and said, "The old lap trick works every time," as she slid into Jess' chair.

They were discussing the dormitory that Rory would be moving into for the fall semester as Lorelai brought out the tray of cupcakes for dessert. Right on cue, Jake started wailing, and Luke turned to retrieve him from his seat. "Yes, we know you have a great set of lungs," Luke told him as he lifted the boy to his shoulder, rubbing his back in tender circles.

Jake quieted almost immediately, which caused Emily to smirk and say, "Daddy's boy."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and said, "Kindred spirits. Except Jake likes evenings, and Luke and Josh like to go to bed early."

Luke rubbed his scruffy chin over Jake's head and said, "I have to go to bed early, I get up early." He held Jake away from him so that he could look at his boy. He tilted his head and asked, "Are you a daddy's boy?" He smiled broadly as Jake favored him with one of his rare smiles before settling back into his customary serious expression. "You are," Luke murmured as he held him close again, tucking his little head under his chin.

"Sadly, they both are," Lorelai said as she peeled the baking paper from a cupcake. "They think I'm alright, but the minute this one opens his mouth, they check out. I've tried using my deep voice," she said as she demonstrated it for them, "but they don't fall for it." She smirked at Luke and said, "Once they're on solid food, I fully expect the three of them to ask me to move out."

Luke snorted and said, "Not likely."

Emily smiled and said, "I don't think that's going to happen." She reached over and took Josh from Richard, murmuring to the boy softly as she cradled him.

Lorelai gave a careless shrug as she chewed and swallowed. "You haven't heard him yell at me about my stuff yet," she said rolling her eyes.

"Stuff?" Richard asked with a chuckle.

Luke rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, stuff."

"Shoes, purses, magazines, books, DVDs, keys, clothing, mail, food wrappers, you name it, Mom leaves a trail of it in her wake," Rory said with a laugh. "I used to have to clean up behind her, but now that's Luke's job."

"Gonna be a real treat as these two get older and start having stuff of their own to leave around," Luke grumbled.

"Ah, yes, I remember that 'stuff' well," Emily said with a smile. She looked at Lorelai pointedly and said, "You never did outgrow that."

Lorelai grinned and said, "Who ever claimed to grow up in the first place?"

Luke rolled his eyes and said, "I married the female Peter Pan."

Lorelai leaned over, patted his knee and kissed his cheek before saying, "If I were a boy, we'd have to move to Massachusetts."

Luke looked down at her hand at her and said, "If you were a boy, I'd be punching your lights out right now." Lorelai grinned and started humming 'Macho Man' as she reached for another cupcake. Luke scowled at her and said, "Better yet, I'll move out."

Lorelai smiled as she collected a speck of frosting on her fingertip and leaned over to touch it to Jake's lips as she said, "Don't listen to him. He's crazy about us. He loves to pick up Mommy's shoes. He lives for it."

Luke batted her finger away as he growled, "Don't do that! What are you doing?"

Lorelai laughed and said, "Babe, it's a tiny bit of frosting. I promise, it won't hurt him."

"Its lard and sugar," Luke said in a disgusted tone.

"Mmm, yummy," Jess said with a smirk as he reached for another cupcake.

"Pass those down this way, please," Richard said as he gestured to the tray with an excited smile.

Emily glanced at Luke and rolled her eyes with a sympathetic smile. Luke leaned forward and said in a low voice, "What do you say? Should we ditch these two pigs and you and I run away together?"

Emily smiled demurely and said, "I'm not sure you're man enough for a girl like me," causing Lorelai to snort with laughter.

"Poor Luke, trying to trade up and getting turned down," she said as she rubbed his back consolingly.

"I cook," Luke said enticingly.

"That is true," Emily conceded as she pretended to think it over.

"He also cleans, and fixes things," Rory chimed in.

"Builds things," Sookie added with a nod.

"Throws a good ball," Jackson added.

"Doesn't require a lot of bathroom time in the morning," Jess added with a smirk.

"Does diapers and windows," Lorelai said as she scooped the frosting from her third cupcake.

Emily cocked her head and said, "You really are quite the catch."

"You aren't interested," Richard said as he patted her shoulder and left his hand there possessively. "Stop flirting with younger men."

Emily shrugged as she glanced down at Josh sleeping in her arms and back up at Luke. "Thank you anyway, but I think this Danes is more my speed."

"Bypassed for the new and improved models already," Lorelai said shaking her head. "Looks like you're stuck with me," she said with a shrug.

Luke turned and looked at her, his eyes dancing with amusement and affection as he said, "Guess so." He held Jake up to stand on his lap and said, "Looks that way, doesn't it buddy? What do you think? Should I stay?" Jake focused intently on pressing his toes into Luke's thighs, straightening his legs with ferocious concentration. Luke grabbed a napkin from the table to catch a line of drool before it hit. He smiled as he said, "Got it," and then frowned a little at the determination in Jake's tiny face. "Don't work so hard, it'll come," Luke said softly as he turned the boy to sit on his lap facing the table, and handed him a napkin to clutch in his tiny fist.

"So, Jess, Cara couldn't make it tonight?" Richard asked.

"Nope," Jess said shortly. When he glanced up at the table full of curious faces he shrugged and said, "She'd already made plans."

"Is she getting excited about school?" Emily asked.

Jess nodded and said simply, "Yes."

In the awkward silence following the exchange, Rory jumped in and said, "I see they started decorating for the Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days Festival already."

"God, I hope Taylor doesn't get that group of barbershop guys again," Luke grumbled.

"I hope they learned another song, at least," Lorelai said with a grin.

Richard frowned and said, "I used to sing in a barbershop quartet back at Yale. It was great fun," he said defensively.

"Yeah, but I bet you knew more than 'The Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer,'" Sookie added with a giggle.

"Yes, we did," Richard said with a solemn nod.

"They were quite good," Emily added as she shifted Josh in her arms.

"Tired?" Lorelai asked as she rose to take the baby from her.

"Actually, we should be going," Emily said as she pressed a kiss to his head and handed the baby to Lorelai.

"Already?" Rory asked.

Richard glanced at his watch and chuckled, "It's almost nine."

"Really?" Lorelai asked, her eyebrows shooting up. "We are party animals, aren't we?" she said to her sleeping baby.

She placed Josh in his seat to sleep as Richard, Emily, Sookie, Jackson and Davy prepared to leave. After they said their goodbyes, Rory called from the living room, "We're putting in 'Almost Famous,' you wanna watch?"

Lorelai shook her head and said, "I think I need to feed the big guy and get us all ready for bed."

As she took Jake from Luke's arms, he said, "I'll bring Josh up with me after I straighten up a little in there."

Lorelai nodded as she yawned and said, "Good deal. Night, Sweets. Night, Jess."

"Night," they chorused from the living room as she started for the stairs.

Luke stopped at the foot of the stairs and asked, "Sleepy?"

Lorelai gave him a flirty smile and said, "No, but hopefully he will be soon."

"I'll be up in a minute," he said as he pressed a promising kiss to her lips.

"I'll be waiting," she tossed over her shoulder as she climbed the stairs.

She changed Jake's diaper and put him in a soft yellow cotton sleeper for the night, talking to him as he frowned in concentration as if hanging on her every word. "Lighten up, little man," she said softly as she pressed her lips to his soft neck and blew a raspberry. When she heard him squeal with pleasure she nodded and said, "That's more like it." She picked him up from the changing table and walked to the recliner, unbuttoning her shirt as she went. "Oh, Jaluke, what am I going to do with you?" she asked softly as she unhooked her nursing bra and settled into the chair, holding him to her. Like everything else, Jake nursed with a fierce determination, intent on getting everything he could, as quickly as possible. Lorelai settled back against the cushion and whispered, "This will be the hardest one to stop. You and me, all alone after Josh and Daddy have crashed out."

She looked down at him, running her finger over his furrowed brow and asked, "Will we still have our talks? Can I still tell you my secrets?" She glanced around the room and said, "I have another for you. Promise you won't tell?" she asked. "I had a really good time tonight," she told him. "Even with my mother here," she whispered.

"Can I get that on tape?" Luke asked from the doorway.

"Shh, that was a secret," Lorelai admonished. "Jake and I always tell secrets at night," she told him as he settled Josh into his crib.

Luke frowned and asked, "He's hungry? He just had a bottle not two hours ago," he pointed out.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "Not so much hungry as needy. I think Jake will be harder to wean," she said softly.

Luke nodded as he stood behind her chair and said, "Josh has other fish to fry."

"Things to do, people to see," Lorelai agreed softly. "Jake likes his quiet time." Luke smiled as he brushed his hand over her hair. He slipped it under her hair rubbing the nape of her neck gently before he lifted her long curls out from behind her and spread them over the top of the cushion. "Oh," Lorelai said with a happy sigh as Luke began to run his long fingers through her thick hair. He massaged her scalp gently, letting his fingers slip from root to end with long leisurely strokes.

"Like that?" he asked in a gravelly voice.

"Love that," she answered.

"I wanted them to have your hair, but it looks like they got mine," Luke said softly.

"Looks that way," Lorelai conceded. "You'd think at least part of them would look like me," she muttered.

"Feet, remember?" he teased as he pressed his palms to her temples, spreading his fingers and letting them trail through her curls slowly.

"Daddy's trying to seduce me," she whispered to Jake.

"Is it working?" Luke asked with a cocky smile.

"You know it is," she purred as she closed her eyes and focused on the sensations he was sending through her.

"Your audience has fallen asleep," Luke whispered a few minutes later as he started to curl a lock of hair around one of his fingers.

Lorelai opened her eyes and looked down to see Jake's cheeks shadowed with long dark blonde lashes. "So he has," she said as she gently disengaged him from her breast and held him up against her shoulder.

Luke gazed down at his son's sleeping face and smiled proudly. "Beautiful boy," he whispered as he bent and kissed his forehead

"Of course," Lorelai said as she fastened her bra and pulled her shirt closed. "Mommy only likes really pretty boys," she said as she glanced up at him flirtatiously. She heard the phone ring, but ignored it, knowing that Rory would grab the extension downstairs. She stood up to walk the room with Jake for a minute, to let his bedtime snack settle before putting him down, when she heard Rory call in a frantic voice, 'Mom! Mom! Luke! Pick up the phone! Something's wrong with Grandma!' They heard Jess' footsteps thundering up the stairs as Lorelai quickly settled Jake in his crib and Luke sprinted for their room to grab the extension.

"Emily? What wrong?" Luke panted after he pressed the on button.

"Richard! Richard! His leg," Emily sobbed.

"What? What's the matter with Richard's leg?" Luke demanded, trying to stay calm and keep her focused.

"They just hit us. They cam out of nowhere, and Richard," she said hysterically.

"Emily, please, tell me what happened. Was there an accident? Where are you?" Luke asked as Lorelai appeared in the doorway, squeezing past Jess.

"On Highway 5 near Burnside," Emily said frantically. "They pulled out and hit us and kept going," she told him.

"Have you called the police? Is Richard conscious?" Luke asked as Lorelai grasped his arm.

"He's awake. Another car stopped and said that they called for help," she told him.

"Okay, okay, help is on the way. His leg. Is he trapped?" Luke asked.

"No, but he can't move it," Emily answered impatiently as she glanced worriedly down at her husband. He was white faced and sweating as he muttered words she had never heard him use.

"We're on our way too. Emily, you need to take a breath and try to stay calm. Can you do that?" he asked gently.

"Of course I can do that," she snapped. "I can but I don't want to," she said angrily.

"Okay, well, they'll take him to Hartford Memorial, right? We're on our way, we'll meet you there," he assured her. "Call one of our cells if they try to take him to another hospital, okay?" he asked quickly.

"Luke," Emily said in a tremulous voice.

"We're on our way, Emily," he said gently. "We'll be right there."

"Okay," she said in a subdued tone.

Luke heard a siren through the phone and said, "Police? Ambulance?"

"Yes, both," she answered as she watched them pull to a stop near the wrecked Jaguar.

"Go talk to them, we'll be there as soon as we can," Luke said as he hung up and turned to find Lorelai shoving her feet into her shoes. "He's okay, he's conscious. His leg might be broken," Luke reported as he placed the phone back onto the cradle. He looked up at Jess blankly and said, "Can you call Babette or Patty or someone and see if they can stay with the boys?" he asked.

"On it," Jess answered as he snatched up the phone. He looked down at the numbers blankly for a moment and then back up at Luke.

"Down in the kitchen, the drawer under the phone. Hello Kitty address book," he called as Jess trotted from the room. "Rory?" he called.

"Yeah," she answered as she reached the top of the stairs.

"You hear all of that?" he asked curtly as he unplugged his cell phone.

"Yeah," she said with a nod.

"You comin'?" he asked as he loaded his phone, wallet and keys into his pockets.

"Yeah," Rory said softly.

Luke turned toward the door and saw her standing there pale and shaking. "Come here," he said gruffly. As Rory began to move toward him, he reached out and snagged Lorelai's arm as she finally remembered to button her shirt. He wrapped an arm around each of his girls and pulled them close for a minute, murmuring, "He's okay. Everything is going to be okay, right?" he asked as he pulled back to look at them.

"Right," Lorelai answered with a shaky smile.

Luke looked down at Rory and said, "Right?"

"Yeah," she answered with a nod.

"You need shoes," Luke pointed out.

Rory looked down at her sock feet blankly and said, "Why? You didn't."

"Find your shoes," Luke growled as he turned her and pushed her gently toward the bedroom door.

XXXX

The ride into Hartford was tense and silent. Luke held Lorelai's hand tightly as each of them was lost in their own thoughts. As they turned to enter the hospital parking lot, Lorelai glanced down and giggled softly as she realized that she had still missed a button. "I flashed Jess my sexy nursing bra," she said nonsensically.

"What?" Luke asked with a frown.

"When we ran for the phone, I had just finished, remember? My shirt was open," she said with a little snicker.

Luke smiled at the thought as Rory began to giggle in the back seat. "He's at home now screaming, 'My eyes! My eyes!' and rocking back and forth," Rory gasped.

Lorelai grinned and said, "He's home right now thinking, 'Man, Aunt Lorelai is hot,'"

Luke rolled his eyes as he pulled into a parking spot near the emergency entrance and said, "He's at home now thinking New York doesn't seem so bad compared to the stuff you see in Stars Hollow." He opened his door and said, "Come on, let's go."

The girls followed him into the emergency room entrance and they immediately heard Emily reading some poor nurse the riot act. "I don't want someone to look at me, I want someone to take care of my husband! If you think you aren't capable of doing that, then I suggest you find someone who will, and then start updating your resume!"

"Emily," Luke called, essentially cutting off her diatribe.

"Oh, thank God," Emily said rolling her eyes. "Would you please try to explain to this woman that Richard is the one who is injured?" she asked Lorelai an exasperated tone.

"Mr. Gilmore is being attended to," the nurse insisted.

"Then why isn't someone telling me what's going on?" Emily demanded.

"Mrs. Gilmore, I've told you, they've taken Mr. Gilmore to radiology, and we will know more shortly," the woman answered, her patience wearing thin. She turned to Lorelai and asked, "Are you family?"

"I'm her daughter. My husband and daughter," she said quickly. "What seems to be the problem?" she asked, trying to puzzle out what was the bone of contention between the woman and Emily.

The nurse sighed and said, "The EMTs reported that they think Mrs. Gilmore may have suffered some injuries, but she has refused treatment both at the scene and here."

"I'm fine," Emily said curtly, turning away from them.

Luke cocked his head and asked, "Then it won't hurt to have them check you out while we wait for news about Richard, right?"

"Don't use that tone with me," Emily snapped.

Lorelai blinked and asked, "What tone? Reasonable? Yes, I know you're not accustomed to that." She sighed and said, "Come on, Mom. Let the nice doctor look at you," she cajoled. "If you're a good girl, we'll find you a nice orderly to berate later."

"Lorelai," Luke said in a warning tone. For the first time, Luke noticed that Emily had the same nervous habit of pushing her hair back over her ear as Lorelai did. He also noticed that Emily had a nice bruise forming on her temple. "Emily, did you hit your head?" he asked softly.

"No, I don't think I did," she said in a haughty tone.

Luke eyed her steadily, daring her to meet his gaze as he said, "Well then, that bruise is a mystery isn't it?" He stepped in front of her and said, "Look at me." When she involuntarily lifted her eyes to his he shook his head and said, "Your pupils are dilated. You need to be checked out. If it's not a concussion, then it's shock." He turned back to the nurse and said, "Take her back."

"You can't tell me what to do," Emily said, incensed.

"When we think you're concussed and probably disoriented, yes we can," Lorelai said firmly.

"Please, Grandma," Rory said softly.

"I'm fine," she insisted again, turning to her granddaughter.

"Then it won't hurt to check," Rory said stubbornly.

"I'll go with you," Lorelai said as she took her mother's arm. "Come on. Maybe they'll let you have ice cream later," Lorelai said as she took her mother's arm and followed the nurse.

Luke and Rory walked slowly over to a bank of chairs and sank down gratefully as they waited for news. After a few minutes, Rory said, "I hate hospitals."

Luke nodded and said, "We've certainly seen our share of them this last year."

"I never want to see one again," Rory grumbled.

Luke smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair as he said, "Ditto."

Rory sat back and stared into space for a minute before asking, "Do you think you and Mom will have more kids?"

"What?" Luke asked, turning his head to look at her.

"I mean, if you do, then you're gonna be back here again," Rory said with a chuckle. "Do you think you will, or are the twins going to be it?" she asked.

"You and the twins," Luke corrected. "I don't know. We haven't talked about it. At least not since your Mom was pregnant and she told me that we weren't," he added with a laugh. "I told her that we'd discuss it at a better time," he said dryly.

"Do you want more?" Rory asked curiously.

Luke rubbed his hand over his face tiredly and said, "Well, when you have a couple of six month olds running your life, you tend to think no." He thought for a moment and then said, "I might feel differently when they're a little older."

"True," Rory said with a nod. "You may want a girl," she said with a nod.

"Got one," Luke answered gruffly.

"A baby girl," Rory corrected with a smile.

Luke shrugged and said, "It's really up to your Mom. If she wants more, then we'll talk about it. Me, I can be happy with the way things are now. I am happy with the way things are now," he corrected. He smiled over at her and said, "You just want to even up the odds."

"Well, it would make it more fair," Rory said with a grin.

Luke snorted and said, "Each of you counts for two."

"How do you figure?" Rory asked.

He rolled his eyes and said, "The work. You're very high maintenance," he teased.

"We are not," Rory said indignantly as a nurse stepped into the waiting room.

"Family of Richard Gilmore?" she called.

"Uh, here," Luke answered as he and Rory stood up. "How is he?" he asked.

She smiled and asked, "And you are?"

"Oh, sorry, Luke Danes, I'm his son-in-law. This is Rory Gilmore, his granddaughter. My wife is back there with her mother," he explained.

"If you'll follow me, Dr. Blaine will give you an update on Mr. Gilmore's condition," she said as she began to walk back to a cubicle. Luke and Rory trotted after her, looking around nervously, hoping to spot Lorelai in the warren of exam rooms. "Mr. Gilmore, some people here to see you," she said as she pulled the curtain back for them to enter.

Rory hesitated, so Luke took a deep breath and poked his head in to see Richard propped up on the bed. "Hey," he called softly.

"Luke," Richard said with a sigh.

"Lorelai is back with Emily, they're checking her out now," he explained as he stepped into the cubicle.

"Hi Grandpa," Rory said softly.

"Rory," Richard said with a tremulous smile. When she rushed to his bedside, but pulled up short, Richard said, "I'm fine. A little banged up, but fine," he assured her. "Broken ankle," he explained. "Waiting for the doctor to confirm the x-ray so that they can plaster me up. Shoulder is bruised up, but other than that, I'm fine," he said with a reassuring smile.

"Have they given you something for the pain?" Luke asked.

"Oh yes," Richard said with a nod. "I'm much better now. I'm afraid I may have frightened your grandmother. I was cussing like a sailor," he told Rory.

"On leave?" Rory asked with a grin.

Richard frowned, not understanding her joke, and said, "I suppose so."

The doctor stepped into the cubicle and reported much of the same information that Richard had just given them. When he had finished, Richard asked, "My wife? Emily?"

The doctor smiled and said, "Dr. Jordan is examining her now. It appears she may have a concussion, but other than that she is just suffering some bruising from her seatbelt. You were both very lucky," he said with a nod. "They'll be in soon to get you casted. I'm going to want to immobilize your shoulder for a few days, just until you can see your family physician," he told Richard. "Better safe than sorry, you really do not want to aggravate it any more than it already is, otherwise you can create more serious damage," he warned.

"That's fine," Richard said with a tired wave of his hand.

Luke turned to Rory and said, "I could use a cup of tea, and your grandfather may want something to read while we wait. Run down to the cafeteria for me?" he asked.

Rory smiled and said, "Sure Luke, I'll give you a minute alone." She gingerly leaned over and kissed Richard's cheek saying, "I'll be right back. Have you been through Financial Times today?" she asked. When Richard shook his head, Rory nodded and said, "The pink paper it is."

As soon as she was gone, Luke asked, "What happened?"

Richard shook his head and said, "I don't really know. We were driving along, and this car shot out of one of those little side streets. Going very fast. He swung wide, trying to turn right and caught the front panel, sent us up over the curb. He just drove away," he said in a bewildered tone.

"Do you remember anything? Car? Truck? Color?" Luke asked.

"It was a car. An older car, lots of rust," Richard said with a frown. "There were witnesses. They stopped, the police were talking to them as they were loading me up," he told Luke. He looked up at his son-in-law and said sadly, "My Jag."

Luke nodded as only a man would and said, "That sucks."

"Yes, it does suck," Richard agreed solemnly.

"A lot of damage?" Luke asked.

"I don't know," Richard said softly. "I was too busy cussing."

Luke grinned and asked, "Use some good ones?"

Richard grinned back and said, "Compound words I haven't thought of in years."

Luke pulled up a chair and sat down as he said, "Amazing how they all come back to you."

"Yes, it is," Richard said with a rueful chuckle.

XXXX

Luke and Rory stepped back into the waiting room as they plastered Richard's ankle and strapped his shoulder and arm into an immobilizer. Rory frowned and turned to Luke. "He won't be able to use crutches," she said blankly.

Luke thought for a moment and said, "You're right, we'll have to see about renting a wheelchair until his shoulder gets better."

"How will they do that? They don't have a bedroom on the main floor," she said shaking her head.

"Hey, how's Dad?" Lorelai said as she stepped into the room.

"He's gonna be okay. Broken ankle and a banged up shoulder," Luke told her quickly. "They've given him some pain medication, and right now he's more worried about his car," he said with a smirk.

Lorelai nodded and said, "Mom has a concussion. They won't let her go home unless someone is with her and it can't be Dad because he'll be medicated."

Luke nodded and said, "We were just talking about that. Your Dad will have to use a wheelchair until his shoulder heals enough for him to use crutches."

"They can come home with us," Rory said softly. When both Luke and Lorelai whipped their heads around to look at her, she just shrugged. "They can use my room. It has a private bath. Luke built that stroller ramp on the back porch. I can move up to the guest room," she said with a nod.

Luke chewed the inside of his cheek as he turned back to Lorelai questioningly. She closed her eyes for a moment and then blew out a breath. Luke said softly, "It makes sense. It would only be for a few days. Just until they can manage on their own," he said with a small shrug.

Lorelai looked at her daughter's hopeful face and then her husband's resigned one, and sighed in defeat. "Okay, Gimpy and Addled can come home with us," she said in a flat voice.

Luke nodded and kissed her temple. "You break the news, I'll go get the car seats out of the Tahoe," he told her. "It will be fine," he said as he rubbed her arms.

As he walked away, Lorelai grumbled, "Guess who's coming to dinner, and never leaving."

Rory giggled and said, "Come on, Mrs. Drayton. Let's go greet our guests," as she hooked her arm through her mother's.