Chapter 40

Even though they weren't moving, Luke still had to disappoint his little buddy by postponing their camping trip.

"I promise, as soon as the construction is finished, we'll go camping," he assured her.

Shelby was still devastated. "I know, kiddo. I was looking forward to it, too," he said when she gave him the most heart-wrenching, pitiful look that could melt stone.

To make matters worse, with construction going on, Shelby couldn't be around the apartment, not even in the diner. Luke felt it was too dangerous for her with plaster falling and loose nails, along with other things construction sites usually had. So he had a discussion with Rachel about it, and she was happy to keep Shelby during the entire process. Luke thought it would just be a week, but with Tom, one never knows. That meant the camping trip kept getting pushed to the following weekend. As much as she enjoyed going with her mom, after the first week, she missed her dad too much.

Luke tried to find as much time to either call or see her, even picking Shelby up from school a few times, as well as, taking Shelby out for father/daughter dates at Buddy and Maisy's restaurant.

Now and then Shelby still hung out with Jess, who would swing by to get her in the mornings or afternoons.

"He asked if Shelby could come out and play," Rachel told Luke when he came to pick her up one afternoon.

"Yeah, Jess is funny like that," he said, knowing his nephew and his sarcastic jokes. Luke had told her unless there was a legitimate reason, Rachel could not deny the cousins hanging out together.

"I told him to have her back before dark, though."

"Did he?" Luke asked.

"Let's just say it wasn't completely dark." Of course Jess would test the limit.

Luke shrugged, "Hey, it sounds like you didn't specify. Did you?"

Rachel stared at him. But she could not deny Luke had a point.

Shelby dashed over at that point, which Luke scooped her up.

"Hey, kiddo," he greeted as Shelby hugged his neck.

She pulled away to ask, "Can I come home today?"

"Not yet, but I promise, soon. Okay?"

She nodded, a little disappointed.

"Trust me, I'm gonna owe ya big time." He smiled for her to help cheer Shelby up.

"Okay."

"Hey, can I get a kiss, good-bye?" Rachel asked.

Shelby leaned over to kiss her mom on the cheek. "Bye, Mom," she waved afterwards.

Rachel returned the kiss before Shelby pulled away. "Bye, peanut," she waved back and exchanged, "see ya"s with Luke before he and Shelby left.

Even though Shelby didn't get to play T-ball again, Luke still fit playing catch into his busy life. Even with the short amount of times they got to play catch, Shelby still continued to improve, and it always put a smile on both their faces.

"Atta girl," he called as he caught the ball Shelby threw and threw it back for her to catch. Shelby had to reach out to the side to catch it. Even when he had to disappoint his buddy, somehow someway Luke always made it up to her and Shelby understood even when construction got put on hold for Uncle Louie's funeral, Luke had to take care of per his own father's wishes.

The guy spent a lot of time on the phone, trying to get his uncle shipped down there, plus make the arrangements and contact his relatives Luke hardly talked to. Trying to think on the positive side, not a simple task for him, Shelby could meet more of the family. Luke even included that when he called everyone. Not even getting to meet his kid was a selling point to come to the funeral. They all had some kind of excuse. In all honesty, it was probably for the best if Shelby was sheltered from his weird side of the family, especially slightly disturbed Cousin Frannie and her bird. Lorelai was disturbed just hearing Luke talk about the bird alone.

"My family's disturbing," he mumbled as Luke sat down across from her.

"I'm so sorry," she told him, sincerely, shaking her head.

Luke let out a breath as he dropped his head. "This is wrong," he stated. "This is not how it's done. A family member dies, you pay your respects, period."

"Look at it this way, if they don't want to be there, you don't want them there."

"My dad wanted them to be there," Luke pointed out.

"I know. But, hey, Louie lived in Stars Hollow most of his life, so a lot of people will be there, right?" she tried to cheer him up.

"Right," he replied softly, glancing up at her.

"I know it's upsetting," Lorelai continued, "but maybe it's better this way."

"Yeah, I guess," Luke shrugged and felt the need to add, "I really hate that bird." At that point, Rory came up to let her mom know Jackson was there, needing to talk to her, and that he seemed upset. Making sure Luke was alright first, Lorelai went to see why.

"Hey, Luke, where's Jess?" Rory asked when her mom left.

"I think he took Shelby on a walk or something," Luke told her, motioning with his head.

Rory scoffed. "That little punk," she said before heading back downstairs. His eyebrows arched as Luke watched her leave, wondering what that was all about.

Later in the evening, before Luke took Shelby back to her mom's, they went to the town's weekly meeting. To his surprise, Jess wanted to come along, as well.

"Shelby convinced you come to this, too?" he questioned the boy and stared down at Shelby, who was walking in between them.

"I did-n tell him to come," Shelby replied, shaking her head.

"Well, Corky's Country Cavalcade on public access was pre-empted, so I thought I'd check out the next best thing," Jess answered with a hint of sarcasm.

Luke just accepted that answer and moved on. The only reason he was going was because he was unsuccessful in getting any of the civil war re-enactors on the phone to confirm they were coming to the funeral. So once the meeting adjourned, Luke hurried after to catch up with them, leaving Shelby with Jess for now. Come find out, they didn't want to come to the funeral either, stating nobody liked his uncle.

"He always had a scowl on his face, not a kind word for anybody," said Taylor. "He would light those hideous cigars, blow smoke in people's faces, and then spit after each puff."

Not even Kirk wanted to come, stating the guy kicked his dog and wasn't the same way afterwards.

"This is an exaggeration," said Luke, not wanting to admit they were right about his uncle.

"We're not exaggerating," one guy told him. "We threw a big party when he left town!"

"I made love to my wife that night like I never have," another guy said.

"My Toto barked a happy bark, then quietly stopped breathing," Kirk said, which he added the dog was old.

Luke threw up his arms in disgust. "I don't believe this."

"Come on, Luke," said Andrew. "You knew the guy."

"This man was my uncle, okay?" he pointed out. "And a war veteran. He deserves a veteran's funeral. But hey, if you guys are too lazy to show up, then..."

"He's the lazy one," Taylor interrupted. "Never once did he participate in a town function. In fact, when we re-enactors gathered, he'd throw things at us."

"And not soft things," one of the guys pointed out. "Hard things."

"Rocks and small tools."

"Okay," Luke threw up his hands again. "I've heard enough."

But they just continued. "And he got meaner as he got older. Never married, never had kids."

"A real loner."

"To hell with you guys! Who needs you?!" Luke yelled at them, fully enraged by this point. He started to walk away before coming back to add, "I just might throw rocks and small tools at ya, myself next time I see ya."

Taylor pointed out, "A defensive hothead just like Louie."

"Practically clones."

Luke just kept walking away, not bothering to look back. He was beyond pissed at this point. He couldn't believe how heartless and disrespectful everyone was being. Even with the anger building up inside of him, Luke couldn't help think about what they were saying.

Walking towards the diner, he stopped to take a deep breath before heading inside. Shelby was helping Jess clean up. He wasn't sure how she knew, but the kid came over to hug him around the legs.

"Your the bes', Dad."

"Yeah?" he smiled down at her. "Why's that?"

Looking up at him, she shrugged. "You look sad, so I wan-ted to make you feel be'-ter."

Luke continued to smile at her. "Thanks, kiddo." When he had shared with her about his uncle's passing, Shelby asked why she never got to meet him and if Louie was anything like his dad. All Luke told her was that Louie lived down in Florida and preferred being alone. As for the similarities between brothers, he didn't really know what to say. They were different, that was for sure. Luke wasn't sure if he should share with Shelby, she was related to another mean, old man on his side.

Shelby fell asleep on the way to Rachel's, so Luke carried her up to the apartment and lay her down in her bed, covering Shelby up with her camouflage comforter and kissed the side of her forehead. Afterwards, Rachel walked him to the door.

"Sorry again about dropping her off so late. I had to talk to the guys about my uncle's funeral," he explained to her.

"It's alright," she assured him.

"So, hey, you coming?" Luke asked hopeful, someone was willing to do the right thing.

Rachel just looked at him like he was crazy. "Uh, no, I don't think so," she told him.

"Why not? You knew him."

"Luke, the guy made my dad seem like Santa Claus," she pointed out. "There is absolutely no possible scenario where I would even think of going to that awful man's funeral."

He turned away, taking another deep breath.

"No offense, Luke, but your uncle was a jerk."

Not wanting to hear any more remarks about his uncle, Luke stormed towards the door, opening it. He turned back long enough to tell her, "I'm picking Shelby up from school, early for the funeral, so you won't have to."

When Rachel heard he was bringing Shelby along, she tried to protest. "Come on, Luke. Don't make Shelby go to your uncle's funeral, either."

"Why not? He was her great-uncle and I want to teach my kid you do these things for family, no matter what."

"Does Shelby know what kind of man he was?"

Luke paused before he said, "That's not the point. It's the right thing to do, and that's what I want her to know." With that said, Luke left the apartment.

The next day, Luke made sure his uncle had everything he wanted to be buried with inside the coffin with him. The list ended up being so long the lid wouldn't even close all the way. The football signed by Johnny Unitas gave it a nice bounce when anyone pushed down on it. At the point of losing his mind once again, he called Lorelai to come help. Even she ran out of ideas. So, now at his breaking point, Luke didn't even care if they just dumped the casket into a random hole, regardless if everything fell out.

He ended up walking around Hartford, trying to clear his head before finding a Yellow Pages to search for a big-and-tall casket shop. Once they moved his uncle and all of his stuff over and tested to see if the lid would close this time, it finally did. Luke was finally relieved to see something work and could relax. That is, until he looked at the time and realized it was past the time he said he was going to pick Shelby up from school.

"Hey, sorry I was later than I said I'd be," he told her when they were inside the truck.

Shelby was fastening her seatbelt. "Wha' happened?" she asked, curious.

"Uh, well, there was a bit of a problem with the size of Uncle Louie's casket." Since it was earlier than he normally was there, Luke didn't have to deal with traffic. "Do anything fun or learn something new today?"

"We learned all abou' frogs," she said.

Luke nodded at the road, ahead. "Frogs, huh?"

"They eat flies by catching tem wi' tear tongue."

"Sounds," he paused, a little grossed out, "interesting."

"And tey look like fish when tey are babies," she added. "Dad."

"Yeah?"

"Can I have a pe' frog?"

Luke glanced over at his kid before responding with a quick, "No."

"Why?"

"Pets are a lot of work, kiddo," he explained, hoping to talk her out of it. "You have to feed it, and take care of it, make sure its cage is clean. Plus, who will take care of it when you go to your mom's or your friends' house?"

"Um...you?" she said, also hopeful.

"That would be a negative, Shell."

"Why?"

"Because I have the diner to run. I wouldn't have time to give it any care. No," Luke shook his head. "No pets, kiddo."

"Wha' if I keep i' a' Mom's a-par-men'?" she asked.

"That would be up to your mom since it's her home."

"Bu' if she says yes, I can have one?"

Luke let out a sigh under his breath. "Don't frogs cause warts?" he pointed out, not really liking the idea of his kid owning a pet frog.

"Wha's ta?" she asked.

"A bump that can only be removed by a doctor."

Her eyes enlarged at the possibility of gaining a bump only a doctor can remove. Shelby quickly shook her head. "Never mind. I don' wan' a frog anymore." Thinking back to her last doctor's appointment he took her to, Luke remembered Shelby hated doctors.

Luke couldn't help smile, not only because he was glad he was successful at talking Shelby out of wanting a frog, but the kid was just too darn cute.

They got back to the diner where Lorelai and Rory were still filling in for him, which he thanked them for, promising it would be the last time. Luke then explained what happened after storming out of there and that he was able to get everything sorted out.

"I still don't know why I'm doing this," he admitted afterwards.

"You're doing this for your dad," Lorelai reminded him.

"Yeah, I guess," he said, rolling his head away. "Although he's dead, so he'd never know if I was doing it any different."

"He knows," she said. "He's got the big Luke picture screen on twenty-four hours, and he watches and smiles." Lorelai smiled as she added, "and you're doing it 'cause you're you."

Luke couldn't help smile just a little. He told her he would change so Lorelai could retire from her diner career forever. She assured him she was enjoying it and told him one more dish she made up. "Why would anyone order that?" he questioned at the disgusting-sounding dish.

"If they're high," she pointed out right before spotting her mother walk in. Lorelai made a disgusted sound, herself. "Good grief."

"What?" he asked, seeing what she was looking at.

"Bad vibe sandwich just came in. You better retreat."

"I won't be long," he assured her before heading upstairs, quickly letting her know Shelby's supposed to be starting on her homework. Luke headed upstairs to change so he could take over from there. He quickly changed into his more casual attire, finishing up as he made his way back down the stairs just as Lorelai and her mom were finishing up. Stating she'd probably see him again real soon, Emily left, leaving Luke wondering what it was he missed.

At the last moment, Emily turned back to ask Luke to ask, "What do you think of the Romanovs?"

Luke was pulling his sleeves up as he replied, "They probably had it coming."

The older woman just rolled her eyes as she turned around to leave, muttering out loud, "A match made in heaven." Luke gave Lorelai a clueless look, who just smiled back at him.

Later that afternoon, Luke closed down the diner to get him and Shelby ready. He had gotten her a black-collared shirt along with black pants just for the occasion, making sure she had a bath first, and brushed her hair out.

Letting Jess nap, the two headed downstairs, and towards the church where the service was being held. The only other one to show was Lorelai. After the service, they moved out to the cemetery where Louie was laid to rest.

"It was a nice service," said Lorelai. "Nice and, um..." She paused for a moment. "Intimate."

"I guess everybody deserves something at the end," he replied, staring down at the casket. After a brief pause, Luke thanked her for coming.

She looked up at him, shaking her head. "I wouldn't have missed it."

They shared a look before looking back at the casket once more. Luke even nudged Shelby with his knee, thanking her for not giving him any grief this time about having to dress up. The kid gave him a sweet smile. It was refreshing not having to fight on what she had to wear. Shelby then motioned for his ear, which he lowered his head so she could whisper to him.

"Nobody sang for Uncle Louie."

"What do you mean, kiddo?"

"Somebody's supposed to sing. Um..." Shelby hesitated on her thought.

"What, kiddo?" he encouraged her, unsure what it was the kid was referring to.

"Can I?"

"Can you, what?"

"Um... sing for Uncle Louie?" she finally asked. Right as the words could come out, a sound of a drum interrupted them, off in the distance.

Standing up, Luke peered across the field on the other side of the cemetery. "Is that Andrew?"

"I believe it is," Lorelai was the one to respond.

The rest of the civil war re-enactors appeared, doing their thing. He couldn't believe it. They actually came. Of course, Luke could guess who it was who got the guys to come, thanking Lorelai before he asked, "That ain't me, is it?"

Lorelai looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"What Taylor was saying about me being like Louie." He shrugged, "a loner, never being married and stuff. I'm getting crankier as I get older. He's not so far off."

"You are not your uncle," she told him, firmly. "I mean," Lorelai paused as she shrugged. "Would Louie ever...build someone a chuppah or help fix things around someone's house without being asked, or make a special coffee cake with balloons for a girl's sixteenth birthday?"

He quickly looked over at her. "Rory told ya about that?"

"Yes." Lorelai looked straight ahead at nothing. "And would Louie have taken in his sister's kid without hesitating, or asking for anything in return, or even taken in his own kid when he found out she existed?"

"No one would have trusted Louie with their kids," he said. "He probably would have forgotten to feed them, even if they were his."

"You get my point."

Luke sighed as he said, "Yeah, I get it." He looked over as the men continued, stating Louie would have hated it.

Lorelai hooked her arm into his. "That's just a fringe benefit."

He thanked her once again as she reminded him, "It's what your dad wanted."

As soon as Kirk started blowing on his trumpet, Shelby's fingers went right in her ears, her face crumpled up at the horribly played sound echoing through the air. As soon as it was finally over, Luke kneeled back to her level.

"What were you saying about singing, Shell?" he asked.

"I wan-ted to sing ta' song you sing in church, you also sing ah tees tings," she explained.

"Well, uh, if that's what you want to do, go for it," he told her, encouragingly. Luke still had no clue what his daughter was referring to, but if that was her request. At least she didn't want to stomp on the guy's grave as some wanted.

It took a minute or two for the kid to work up the courage to go through with it until Shelby was able to start singing. It was soft and barely heard, but Luke was proud of the effort, making out the words to Amazing Grace. He remained kneeled by her side the whole time as she sang. Louie would have definitely hated this, but that only made it even greater.

Lorelai kneeled on the kid's other side to hear better. Having both of them there even helped Shelby sing a little louder. It still wasn't a normal tone, but it was still progress. In fact, the kid was always surprising them every day with fresh progress.

The adults listened as Shelby continued singing, staring down inside the hole where Louie laid. Who knew the man ended up helping for something good, after all. If William could see this, Luke was sure he'd be grinning from ear to ear, proudly looking down at this.