Meeting Luke- Chapter 3

Author's Note: I just realized how much of a mess I made this. Darn it. I didn't know that we knew that Lorelai and Rory moved into their house when Rory was 11. I don't really want to make this entirely an AU… so if you could forget you knew that, then that would be great. I'm trying to make this a leading into the present kind of thing with some stuff different, but nothing huge, like they don't get married or anything. Before anyone notices, Luke is a little more talkative than he was in Season one for a reason, and I'll explain his monosyllabic-ness later (not in this chapter). Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it! By the way, Rory is almost five, and by this point Lorelai is the head maid.

~*~

Lorelai finished the inventory list as Sam poked his head through the open door, "Someone's here to see you."

"Thanks Sam." she nodded as she put down the pen and followed him out of the kitchen and into the lobby.

"Hey Chris." she smiled.

"Hey Lor'." he hugged her and kissed her cheek, "I've missed you."

Lorelai pulled away from him, "I've missed you too."

Chris cocked his head at her, "I'm sensing a but."

"But, I need you to know that we can't get back together, and it can't go back to the way it was."

Chris took in a deep, calming breath, "Oh…kay? Can I ask why?"

Lorelai sighed, "Because, I can't handle that. Because I like it being just me and Rory for right now. Because I don't want Rory thinking it's going to work out and be let down if it doesn't. You and I both know that if I had accepted your proposal we would be divorced by now."

Chris looked down, "I know. But I still love you." he said as he slowly raised his head and his eyes met hers.

"Christopher." she sighed, "Don't."

"Sorry."

"Just, forget about it. Rory should be home soon, then we'll head over to Luke's."

"Luke's?" Chris questioned curiously.

"It's a diner, Chris. Luke owns it, he makes great coffee." she explained.

"Oh."

Lorelai smirked, "What would you have said if I was dating him?"

Chris shrugged, "Doesn't matter though, does it? Because you aren't, right?" he smirked back, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know," Lorelai said playfully, "He makes the best coffee I've ever had."

Chris laughed, "You'd date the guy just because he makes good coffee?"

"You doubt me?" Lorelai smirked, "But that isn't the only reason I would."

"So you're saying you would date the guy?" Chris asked as Rory ran toward the Inn.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Rory smiled as she jumped into Chris' arms.

"Hey there." he smiled as he picked her up and swung her around.

"Hey Babe." Lorelai smiled, "How was school?"

"Fun." Rory grinned.

"That's okay, you're still young, and innocent." Lorelai joked.

"Alright, well, let's head over to Luke's." Chris suggested.

"Okay, but you had better be good." Lorelai warned as she poked him in the chest and they took each of Rory's hands and walked to the diner.

"Hey Luke." Lorelai greeted as she and Christopher lifted Rory onto the stool and sat on either side of her. "This is Christopher, Rory's dad. Chris, this is Luke."

Luke extended his hand, "Hello."

Christopher shook his hand, "Hi." *What's he got that I haven't? Other than good coffee? Must be civil. Child present.*

"Coffee please?" Lorelai looked at him expectantly.

"And a cookie too!" Rory chimed in.

"Ooh, I want a cookie too." Lorelai agreed.

Luke sighed, "Anything for you?" he looked at Chris.

"Um, no. No thanks." he shook his head.

Luke turned around and pulled out two small dishes and put cookies on each of them and handed them to the girls and gave Lorelai coffee.

Lorelai took a sip of her coffee and grinned, "Thanks Luke."

"I don't do it voluntarily. It's my job. I've already told you you're going to die before you're thirty but since you don't care, I'll just keep on serving."

Lorelai smirked, "Aww, Luke, you'd miss me."

"I would definitely loose profits."

She glared at him playfully, "Meanie."

Rory and Chris just looked at each other. Rory shrugged and ate her cookie. When she finished she glanced back at Luke and Lorelai bantering and tapped her mom's shoulder.

"Yeah hun?" Lorelai asked, giving Rory her full attention.

"Can I give daddy a tour of the town?"

Lorelai thought about it for a minute and glanced at Christopher, "Fine, but stay out of trouble." she smirked, mostly directed at Chris. "Meet me back at the Inn in fifteen minutes."

"Lor', You think I'd get into trouble?" Christopher asked, feigning innocence.

"No, but Rory doesn't understand the not getting caught part yet, but I'm working on her." she grinned.

Rory jumped off the stool and took her father's hand and led him out of the diner.

~*~

"So what is there to see in this town of yours?" Chris asked his daughter.

Rory looked like she was thinking hard, and then shrugged, "Nothing really."

Chis laughed, "Alright, give me the grand tour." he said as they began to walk across the street to Miss Patty's dance studio.

"Why, who is this Rory, Dahling?" Miss Patty asked as she looked Chris over.

"This is my dad, Christopher. Daddy, this is Miss Patty, she teaches dance."

"Um, Hello." Christopher said, uncomfortable with the older woman looking at him as if he was her next meal.

"Where's your mother?" Patty asked, not used to seeing the two apart for anything other than school and dance.

"She's at Luke's. I'm giving daddy a tour of the town."

"Oh." She said, clearly interested, "And you've met Luke?" She asked Chris.

"Yeah." he nodded, "He's a decent guy." he lied through his teeth.

"Yes, he is." Patty agreed.

"Well. We should get moving on the tour," Chris said as he looked at his watch, "We only have ten more minutes."

Rory smiled, "Trust me, mommy will be late and the town isn't that big."

"You've got a point there." Chris admitted as they moved on anyway.

~*~

"So that's Rory's dad?"

"Yep." Lorelai nodded as she drank more of her coffee.

"So, how are you feeling now about him coming?"

"Better, much better. I told him it wouldn't work out."

"How did he react to that?"

"It could've been worse. But I definitely heard jealousy when I said we were coming here." she grinned.

"So that explains the way he looked like he was trying to think of ways to kill me."

"I'm sure he didn't look at you like that." she laughed.

"You were preoccupied, trying to get coffee out of me. You didn't see it." he assured her.

"He's just jealous that you can make great coffee." she smirked.

"Oh really, because I interpreted the death stare as something along the lines of he thought I was taking his old girlfriend."

"Hm, are you?"

Luke looked at her nervously; he had never been good at this, "I-I don't know. Am I?"

Lorelai smiled, "I think you are."

Luke relaxed and smiled back.

~*~

"I think you've met everyone I know." Rory said as they sat on the front steps of the Inn with a few minutes to spare.

"This town is much smaller than I thought."

"Yeah." Rory shrugged.

"So what do you think of Luke?" Chris asked curiously.

Rory looked up at her father, "I think he's nice, and he makes good cookies. Why?"

Chris chuckled, the Gilmore girls definitely judged people with their stomachs. "I was just wondering. Your mom seems to like him." he said, almost sadly.

Rory nodded, "She has to. He makes better coffee than Sookie."

"So I've heard."

~*~

"Didn't you tell Rory and Chris to meet you at the Inn in fifteen minutes…about seventeen minutes ago?"

Lorelai silently cursed, "Chris and Rory know I'm always late anyway, but I'd better go. I'll come by tomorrow and let you know about doing something."

"Alright, see you tomorrow."

"Bye." Lorelai smiled and left the diner and rushed to the Inn.

~*~

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Lorelai apologized as she walked up to where Chris and Rory were sitting.

"It was expected." Chris smirked.

"Yeah yeah. Just let me go to the kitchen and talk to Sookie for a minute and we'll eat here. Actually," She reached into her back pocket and handed Chris a card, "Take Rory to the Library and by the time you get back dinner should be ready."

Chris nodded, "Okay. See you in a little bit."

Rory smiled happily and took Chris' hand, dragging him to the Library.

Lorelai watched them go and then walked into the Inn and into the kitchen. "Hey Sookie." she greeted with a smile.

"Hey. I met Christopher, I'm assuming all went well at Luke's."

Lorelai nodded, "Yeah, for the most part. Chris got jealous when I said we were going to Luke's and then I explained that Luke's was a diner. Luke is convinced that he got a death stare, which he probably did. And then Rory took Chris for a tour of the town and I talked to Luke for a while and then I came back here and sent Chris and Rory to the Library."

"But no bloodshed?"

"No bloodshed."

"So are you going to go out with Luke?"

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Well, that and dinner."

"Okay, shoot."

"When's good for you to watch Rory?"

"Anytime. I'm not doing anything other than watching MacGuyver."

"Great, I'm supposed to go by the diner tomorrow and let him know when's a good time and then we'll probably just go hang out somewhere."

"That's great!" Sookie giggled. "So what about dinner?"

"Can you whip some spaghetti or something up for me, Rory, and Chris really quick?"

"You know I can." Sookie smiled.

"Great. Thanks Sook, I owe you."

"Not a problem hon."

~*~

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