Chapter 34

Lorelai never came back before Luke had to close for the night. He even stayed open a little later. So late, Shelby was already in bed, asleep, when he got home.

Home. It was weird calling this place, that.

Another downside to having a commute at the end of the day, there was time alone with his thoughts. Luke thought a lot about how the last few weeks have been basically a blur to him and how fast everything has happened, that there was barely any time to process everything. Wasn't this how he got himself in this mess in the first place?

And what about Shelby? Lorelai's last words echoed the loudest in his mind. They hit the hardest, actually. Luke was trying so hard to make sure Shelby had what she needed and protect her as much as he could. The year had just begun and already was starting out strong.

Luke still wondered if he made the right decision. He always instilled in Shelby to try new things and to stick them out even when it got tough, but then Luke immediately decided to jump into a divorce without even trying, and went against what he was teaching her. To him, he thought it was best to right a wrong as soon as possible, and Nicole had agreed it was for the best.

But Luke had taught Shelby so well to stick through something. That, and her sweet, innocent heart, somehow convinced Nicole to change her mind when she decided to send that mug from Disney World. So, here he was. Here they were.

Luke caught himself, let out a tired sigh under his breath as he stared up at the dark ceiling. The sound of Nicole's steady breathing reminded him he was not sleeping alone, and it was not his little buddy cuddled up next to him.

Lorelai did not come by the diner the next day either.

Why didn't he just tell her sooner? Why did he just casually slip it into one of their conversations? He sees her practically every day. He had plenty of chances to do so, so why hadn't he just told her and got it over with?

Luke remained open a little later one more time that night before giving up on the third day when Lorelai still hadn't come by. Both nights, Shelby had already been asleep when he got there and all he could do was kiss her good night.

The second night, Shelby had apparently fallen asleep reading her new book she got from Roger's parents for Christmas. The book was laying open on her chest. Luke couldn't help notice the book's title, The Bad Beginning, and across the top in a banner, A Series of Unfortunate Events. Why did that sound so unsettling to him?

Carefully, so he wouldn't wake her, Luke lifted the book from her chest and placed one of her Pokemon cards he knew she used as bookmarks inside to hold her spot. Luke then set the book on her nightstand before leaning over to gently kiss her forehead.

"Good night, kiddo," he whispered afterwards. Just as Luke started to leave, he heard Shelby mumble, "night, Dad," shifting in her sleep.

Luke smiled behind him.

On the third night, Luke was glad for some relief from those "damn bells" and to finally see his little buddy awake. It was perfect timing, too, because dinner was ready not long before he walked in the door. Shelby had shown Nicole how to make the same chicken noodle casserole he had taught her to make. Though, in Shelby's opinion, his was still better.

One of the first dinner conversations was Shelby wanting to know how Stars Hollow was and if the bells were still going off or not.

Luke filled her in on everything, including the bells. Everything except what happened with Lorelai.

After dinner, Luke offered to wash the dishes since the girls cooked. Once everything was washed and put away, and the kitchen was cleaned up, he headed upstairs where he found the kid yet again with the book on her chest. Only this time, the book was upright and Shelby was awake.

Luke gently tapped the open door with the back of his pointer finger. "Hey, kiddo," he said.

The book dropped on her chest to reveal those eyes Shelby got from him. "Hey," she replied.

Luke smiled and made his way to sit on the foot of her bed. "Am I interrupting?"

Sitting up to lean against her headboard, Shelby shook her head. "Nope. I missed you the las' couple days."

He placed a hand on her leg, playfully grabbing it. "I've missed ya, too, kiddo."

"How's the diner?" she asked.

"Busy," he answered with a nod. "Everyone misses you."

Hearing everyone misses her caused the kid to frown. "I miss them, too," she admitted.

Luke gave her leg an affectionate rub. "You'll see everyone again," he reassured her. "How's Gexie doing, by the way?"

Shelby shrugged. "Roger says the move 'tressed her out, having to get to know new surroundings and all."

"She's a strong little gecko," Luke reminded while also reminding Shelby she was a strong kid.

Shelby strummed her thumb along the uneven pages of her book as she stared at it. "Nicole doesn' under'tand how a gecko can be 'tressed, but says she's sorry about having to get rid of Gexie. She thinks animals don' have emotions like we do, but Roger says they do."

"I'm not sure about that kind of thing, myself," Luke admitted, "but, then again, I haven't really thought about it."

Her eyes drifted away towards the wall, and Shelby began chewing on her lip.

Luke had caught on whenever Shelby chewed on her lip she wanted to say something but couldn't. "What's wrong, kiddo?"

Her front teeth scraped against her lip at that point. One of her small teeth beside her two front ones had recently fallen out. The whole tooth fairy thing had passed and now Shelby just tosses them in the trash after she showed him. This last one fell out while Shelby was messing with it on the way to a therapy session, causing Rachel some stress at the possibility of blood getting all over the place. The entire rest of the way, Shelby had to hold a bunch of Kleenexes up to her gums.

All three agreed Shelby wasn't missing much by not taking part in the usual Tooth Fairy ritual, when she earned her allowance, anyway. It took less pressure off the parents and Shelby didn't care, anyway.

When it seemed Shelby could not get the words out, Luke stood up long enough to switch spots, now sitting next to her with his back up against the headboard. It wasn't the same bed from the apartment, that one was still set up in case they needed to sleep there for any reason. Back when Luke had gotten the bunk bed for Shelby and Jess, he had put her old bed in his storage unit where he kept a lot of furniture and stuff he couldn't fit in the apartment. So when they moved into the townhouse with Nicole, and since Shelby needed a bed, Luke went and got her old bed. He replaced the mattress, though.

Luke wrapped a comforting arm around Shelby, who snuggled into his side.

After a moment, she admitted, "I sss-till like Nicole…"

He knew what his little buddy was getting at. "It's not like you thought it would be, huh?"

Luke felt her head nod against his side.

"If it helps, kiddo, this is all new for me, too," he reassured her. "We're both a little uncomfortable." Luke rubbed an affectionate hand slowly along her opposite arm. "We'll get through this, though, I promise. You're not alone this time." Having spent the first five years in the foster care system and having to live with dozens of strangers, moving continued to take a toll on his little buddy. It was times like this that made him wish he hadn't made that promise of ever having to move. Then again, he never thought they would have to.

Changing the subject, Luke asked how school was going. To Shelby's dislike, the charter school did not have physical education classes since the school wanted to focus more on academics instead. The school was also fairly small and barely had room for the kids to run around at recess. Being an active kid who has come to love sports, it was one more thing Shelby did not like about the school, on top of having to wear the same thing every day. Luke promised to sign her up for basketball as soon as possible. However, since they were now living in Litchfield, that meant Shelby wouldn't get to be on her favorite teacher's team.

"What about music class? How's that going?" he asked, hoping there was something at the school Shelby liked, especially when the school spoke highly of the arts and music.

"This week, we're playing those recorders like we did at my old sss-chool," she said, annoyed. It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't have to use the same recorders other classes have used. "Someone though' it was funny to sss-tick gum on the mouthpiece and leave it for the nex' person, but I was too sss-cared to tell the teacher and I got yelled at for not playing."

"Did you get in trouble?"

Shelby shook her head at her book she was now holding against her lap. Her knees were pointed up against the ceiling, with her left elbow laying across his right thigh. "I rather get a detention then yelled at."

Luke swallowed upon hearing his little buddy's confession. All he could think to say was that it'll get easier.

Eventually, he changed the subject again to something a little more cheerful to cheer his little buddy up. They talked for a good while until they felt tired enough to fall asleep, with Luke sleeping right there with her. It wasn't like he fought it. Having Shelby there made things easier for him with the move.

A couple more days passed and Lorelai still hadn't been by the diner. Luke considered Lorelai not being by as often as she used to the past year, but even then, she usually came by, by now. The guilt of not telling her he and Shelby had moved in with Nicole started to return until he told himself he did not owe Lorelai to tell him anything. He did not need her approval. It was his decision and it only concerned him and Nicole, and the only other person beside them it concerned was Shelby. So, with that said, Luke marched his way to Lorelai's house and nearly sank in several feet of snow where she hadn't shoveled her walkway. The confrontation was put on hold as he slipped inside her garage to grab her snow shovel, which was actually the same one he had loaned her, three years ago.

While he was busy shoveling, Lorelai had noticed and came out onto the porch, humorously joking about fighting again because she needed her rain gutters cleaned out, as well. Not in a joking mood, Luke marched up to her and informed her of his revelation. It brought on another argument, causing both parties to storm away from each other in anger, but not before he told her to shovel her own walkway as it was a safety hazard no one can walk by and ignore when the snow was up to one's ass.

The tiff between them continued into the evening. That is, until Luke was closing up for the night so he could get to bed. Despite moving in with Nicole, Luke still had early deliveries he had to be up extra early for and felt it made sense to stay there for the night. It was only two nights out of the week. It was hard going two nights in a row without seeing his little buddy. Unfortunately, it led to bad timing this week.

While taking a box of extra condiments in the back storage room, he heard the door open. Luke hurried to stick his head out to let whoever it was know he was closed for the night when, to his surprise, it was Lorelai. Luke came out the rest of the way, firmly folding his arms, and breathed a heavy sigh through his nose.

She came over to stand on the other side of the counter to ask, "Wanna help me break the bells?"

He could not deny how great an idea that was and gladly replied, "I'll get my toolbox," before hastily heading for upstairs.

Lorelai quickly followed, but not before grabbing a donut on the way.

Luke grabbed his toolbox from his closet without realizing the mistake of letting Lorelai follow him up to his apartment. Not until they got to the church and were inside, and after letting it slide, he was the one who broke the bells the first time.

Lorelai was looking through his tools when she complained, "God, these things are heavy. Don't you have a smaller toolbox?"

"No, why would I have two toolboxes?" he questioned.

"Because then you'll have a big one and a small one."

"Well, if you have a big one than you don't need a small one." Luke quickly realized what he just said and regretted it. Before Lorelai could say it, he told her, "Don't say dirty, it's too easy."

Lorelai smirked as he told her to hold the tools he had pulled out for them to use on the bells.

After Luke headed towards the staircase that led up to the bells, that's when she asked, "So, um… Why wasn't your toolbox at your new place?"

"I needed it here," he called back while shining the flashlight up there.

"Huh," Luke heard her say. "Usually moving requires lots of tools, hanging things. Putting things together."

"Nicole hired a professional picture hanger, and we didn't have much to put together," he explained and asked for a screwdriver. She amazed him when she asked whether he wanted a Phillips or flathead.

"Luke, how come you told me you moved?" she asked when he walked back to the staircase.

"I did move." Luke shined the flashlight up there once more.

"You may have moved, but none of your stuff did."

Luke quickly looked at her and tried to play dumb. "What are you talking about?" He tried to skirt around it by asking for an open-ended wrench.

Lorelai sighed in disbelief. "Luke, I was in your apartment. It's almost exactly the same, minus a lizard tank."

"No, it's not," he tried to argue.

She continued. "I just think it's weird you're pretending you moved when you didn't."

Turning off the flashlight, he stepped towards her to calmly tell her, "I did move."

"Luke, your bed wasn't even made," she pointed out.

"So?" he asked.

"There were dishes in the sink, some kind of shake in the blender, Megaman protein powder on the counter. Remind me to mock you for that, later, by the way."

He moved closer to her. "Can we talk about something else? Or better yet, let's not talk and just get this done." Luke forced a smile as he pointed over his shoulder. As he walked away, he heard her ask if Nicole thinks he moved. "Of course she thinks I moved, I did move."

"Do you sleep there?"

"Of course I sleep there," he said defensively.

Lorelai shrugged. "When was the last time you slept there?"

"I live there."

"So, last night?"

Luke scratched at his head as he stared at the floor in frustration. "Yeah, I had an early delivery, and it didn't make sense to sleep there."

She snickered at the floor this time. "The day before?"

"Yes," he said truthfully that time. "On nights I don't have early deliveries, I sleep there." Only because his little buddy is there.

"Luke, you don't live with Nicole," Lorelai accused.

He slowly turned back to face her to argue, "Yes, I do."

"You watch her TV, you eat her food, you keep stuff in a duffle bag. You're a rude guest, not her boyfriend."

He quickly reminded her he was her husband, which she accused was a whole other discussion. Moving closer to her, Luke pointed out, "You know what, you're doing it again."

"Doing what again?"

"You're passing judgment on my relationship with Nicole," he informed her.

"I'm not passing judgment," she denied.

"You passed judgment on our marriage. You passed judgment on our divorce, and now you're passing judgment on our living together."

Lorelai continued to argue, "I'm not passing judgment on you living together. You're passing judgment on not living together by not living together."

Luke had started to head back to the bells until she said that. He turned on his heel to respond in a louder voice, "you know what? I was a little tipsy on that cruise ship, but I don't remember anyone pronouncing us husband, wife, and Lorelai." Luke was trying his best to hold down his anger.

"Well, they may have well have. Because I spent as much time with Nicole as you do," she mocked.

"And the judgment's back." Lorelai was not fully involved in his and Shelby's life. She did not see every little thing that goes on outside the diner. There were probably things in her life he didn't know about. So why did it matter so much?

She shrugged. "I could move in with you guys, you wouldn't know."

Luke pressed the side of his finger to his lips as he glanced at the floor. Masking his anger was getting harder. "You know, none of this is any of your business."

"It's absolutely my business," she snapped at once.

"How?" he questioned of her.

"Because," she replied, also dropping her gaze away from him, "I wasted a week of my life adjusting to the idea that you and Shelby had moved, only to find out you haven't moved."

"How much adjusting did you have to do? Nothing's changed. Okay, Shelby's at a new school and only comes on the weekend, but she has been busy with practice, her music lessons with Miss Patty, and other things during the week to begin with. And, I still see you every day, at least. I still cook your food, I still serve your coffee. What do you care?"

Lorelai rolled on her heels as she hesitated before she admitted, "I care," in a softer tone.

"Why?" he continued to question.

She glanced away as she hesitated some more. "Because I don't want you and Shelby to move."

"Why?" he asked with heartfelt concern this time. "Why don't you want us to move?"

Lorelai shook her head and rolled her eyes upward as if she regretted admitting it.

Before either one could say anything more, a light came on behind Lorelai and a sound of a door being opened was heard.

Reverend Skinner appeared in the doorway, catching the two of them and Luke's tools. "Lorelai? Luke?"

Both of them looked away, ashamed of being caught.

There was a pause before he said, "Oh, thank God," and told them to carry on. He then hurried back to his office to pretend he hadn't seen anything.

Luke and Lorelai shared a surprised but relieved look.

They finished the disrepair as quick as possible in mostly silence before parting ways.

Luke headed back to the diner to finish closing up for the night. He had a quick dinner before heading to bed. But not before checking two messages on his answering machine. One message was from Lane, who was calling to let him know she wouldn't be able to make it into work the next day. She also made sure to call a second time, early the next morning, to make sure he got it. Aside from his own kid and Rory, Luke had never known a more responsible kid than when he hired Lane. Though, he wondered what was going on, especially when Mrs. Kim had come by during his early morning bread delivery. Something seemed wrong when she mumbled something about calling him and Lorelai, but not her, and just got back in her station wagon and drove away.

He had hired Lane a couple weeks ago when she came in for a job interview. Both of them were nervous. So nervous, Shelby ended up taking over and nailed the young woman with questions that reminded him of when Luke had tried to give Lane and Rory's old classmate, Brennan a chance, last November. With the kid's approval, he hired Lane and let her start immediately.

The second message had been from his little buddy, wanting to talk to him before she went to bed. Unfortunately, by the time he had gotten back from breaking the bells, Shelby had already gone to sleep. Instead, he told Nicole he would see them both the next night and hung up.

There were so many emotions and thoughts racing through his mind with how rough this past week has been...


Author's Note:

A few things: First, in this story Luke does move in with Nicole, or at least more than he does on the show, because of Shelby. Second, and this is probably my fault, but Nicole wasn't being controlling last chapter. Though, I do admit, the thing with Gexie was kind of bad. Having cleaned for lawyers, myself, the past two years, I've come to learn lawyers are very assertive and opinionated. Nicole was making logical suggestions and Luke wasn't speaking up and saying no, like on the show. Had he said no, Nicole would have backed off. I also want to point out, things aren't going to be perfect and happy once Luke and Lorelai are together and yes, the first break up still happens. From past reviews I've been getting, I thought I should remind everyone this story follows the series.