Author's Note: See Title and Disclaimer in Chapter One. I just wanted to say that I am very proud of this chapter. After that last chapter I thought I had written myself into, well not a corner, but a very small hallway. You know, one of those proceed with caution types. I thought it would be really easy to screw up this chapter with the phone call. My pride may be completely misplaced however so let me know what you think about my characterization and such. I know that it will start to be out of character when I move towards the Luke and Lorelai stuff but I am going to try my best to keep them out of the pit they sometimes fall in and become caricatures. If you read a lot of L/L fanfics you will know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I really really want to know what everyone thought of this chapter. If you don't feel like posting a review, email me or im me on AIM or MSN (see my profile for screennames). I want lots and lots of opinions. Thanks.



On with the story. . .





Chapter 8: The Grouchy Uncle



Luke didn't begin to think about what he was doing until the phone was ringing. He was just about to hang up, when she answered.

"Hello?"

Luke didn't know what to say. What could he say? There was no good way to explain this.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Is this Jess again?" She sounded angry.

"Oh! No, Rory. It's Luke." He wasn't sure if that would make her feel better or worse.

"Luke? Is everything ok? Did something happen to my mom?" Now she sounded worried. Great Idea, Luke.

"No. No she's fine. Everyone is fine." He searched for something to say next. His mind was a complete blank. For days he hadn't been able to concentrate on anything because his mind wouldn't stop racing and now he didn't have a thought in his head.

"Oh, that's good. Um, How are you?" Rory just as at a loss as Luke was. She wasn't unhappy that he had called. She missed everyone in Star's Hollow and she really missed Luke. She was used to seeing him every day, talking to him every day. Hearing his voice was nice, but completely unexpected. It didn't seem like a very Luke-like thing to do. She was very curious about why he had called but she didn't want to scare him off by asking right away.

"I'm good" he said lamely.

"Are you sure?" Rory said doubtfully.

"Yeah, I'm just . . . " Luke knew Rory could tell he wasn't good. She inherited that gift from her mother. He had never really discussed his problems with Rory, he usually saved that for Lorelai, but he was sure Rory had heard all about them from her mother. He knew he needed to get to a point soon or Rory was sure to think he had finally lost it. "Actually, I'm not okay."

"You don't say" said Rory amused. She was concerned about him, but she always found it funny when Luke was serious. It was so completely the opposite of his normal behavior that she found it endearing. "So, what's up?" She was determined to make him as comfortable as possible in sharing his personal problems.

"Actually, its about Nicole" he started.

"Oh!" Rory wasn't sure she wanted to be hearing this. "Don't you want to talk to my mom about that?"

"No!" he answered quickly. "I can't talk to her about this."

"Oh." She wasn't sure what to say. She had never really liked Nicole. Mostly because her mother didn't, but also because she had never felt that Nicole was good enough for Luke. She knew Luke had feelings for her mother. Everyone knew that. And she was fairly sure that deep down Lorelai had feelings for him too. Rory always figured eventually they would figure it out. She never worried when her mother dated anyone because she didn't think that any of them would be the forever type of relationship. She had thought it might be with Max. Lorelai seemed so sure. When it hadn't worked out, Rory had felt bad for Max. He was a nice guy after all. But she had also been relieved. Her mother didn't belong with Max forever. Rory didn't even feel Christopher would have been a good match for Lorelai. She loved her father but she couldn't deny that he had not been a good man to either one of them. But, because Luke was such a good man, Rory had tried hard to ignore what was going on with him and Nicole. She didn't really want to hear about her, partly because she didn't like Nicole and partly because Luke had always been like a part of the family to her. Sometimes close enough to be like a father, usually at the least a grouchy uncle. No matter how much of an adult she could be, she did not want any of those type of details. She was scared to ask any of the questions she was thinking, but she didn't have to worry because Luke continued.

"I'm sorry, Rory. I just can't involve her in this. She usually involves herself in all my decisions, though, so I have forgotten how to make any myself. I know this is weird, I'm just desperate here and I figured you would be able to give me the same perspective that she would, just less complicated." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Rory" he repeated.

"It's okay, Luke." Rory found herself smiling again. Luke was cute when he let go of his gruffness. "I understand. I'm here to help. Lay it on me."

"Thanks" was all Luke could come up with. He didn't know where to begin. He had thought asking Rory for help would be the hard part. Now he had no idea how to explain to her what was going on. He never usually had to explain to Lorelai. She usually told him what his problems were and then told him what to do. He liked that method.

"Luke? You still there?"

"Yeah, sorry. I just, um, don't really know where to begin."

"Ok, so it's about Nicole." Rory tended to let other people explain their problems but she knew Luke needed the Lorelai brand of help and that included guessing his problems for him.

"Yeah he said." He paused before blurting, "She wants me to move to Litchfield with her."

"Oh." Rory was taken aback. Aside from her own feelings about Luke leaving Star's Hollow, and the reaction she was sure the town would have, she just couldn't picture Luke wanting to leave.

"Yeah" he said hoping she would get it. She did.

"You don't want to. Do you?"

"No" he said relieved she was following along. "I'm not exactly sure why though." Lorelai knew him better than he knew himself. He was praying some of that wisdom had been passed on to Rory.

"Well there are lots of reasons" she said knowingly.

"Way to be vague" he retorted. Rory rolled her eyes. She really would have to pull a Lorelai on him and tell him what he was thinking.

"Luke, Star's Hollow is your home. You have spent practically your whole life in that diner. That could be a reason you wouldn't want to leave. Also, you and Nicole moved pretty fast with the whole marriage thing and maybe it scared you. Maybe you don't want to move ahead too quickly again. So, maybe you're just nervous. Or maybe your heart is really trying to tell you something. Like maybe, Nicole isn't the one. Maybe you don't want to live with her because you know it can never go anywhere." Rory was surprised at her own insight. Luke was relieved. They had been his thoughts exactly, but Rory spelled them out so simply.

"Any idea which of those theories it might be?" he asked hopefully.

"Well, no, not with any certainty. I'm sure my mom could tell you in a second, but alas I'm still learning." She was trying to lighten his mood. She got an idea. "Let's try to narrow it down."

"What?"

"Would you want to live with Nicole if she moved in with you?"

"What? My apartment is way too small for that. Nicole would never like it there. She is used to big fancy places." Rory closed her eyes. She should've guessed that Luke would miss her point.

"No, Luke. I mean forgetting semantics, if living with Nicole in Star's Hollow sounded okay then that would probably mean that leaving home was all that was stopping you," she explained.

"Oh." Luke thought about it but didn't elaborate. Rory didn't ask. She wanted to help but she thought Luke should make this decision on his own.

"Can you imagine your self living with her eventually? I mean Rachel lived with you so I don't think you are one of those commitment-phobic guys." Luke nodded, then realized that she couldn't see him.

"That makes sense."

"So does that help any? I mean you probably need to think and decide for yourself" she said nervously.

"Yeah, Rory, it does. It helps a lot." The Gilmore girls never failed to amaze Luke.

"Good." Rory was relieved. She didn't want hers or anyone else's opinions to interfere. "Anything else?"

"No, that's all I needed. Thank you again."

"Anytime."

"Oh, Rory? One more thing?"

"Sure."

"Can you not tell your mother?" Rory laughed.

"Sure, Luke"

"Thanks." Luke felt like he should offer her something to maintain his position as the adult. "Um, be good. Visit soon and there will be a chocolate sprinkled donut in it for you." Rory smiled. She missed him.

"See you soon, Luke"

"Bye Rory"

Luke hung up the phone feeling twenty times better. She had really put things in perspective for him. When he thought about it, he realized that Rory had never offered her opinion on the situation. She just helped him to realize his own feelings. Lorelai was different in that way. She offered her opinion on everything. Though it bugged him sometimes, he liked it all the same. No matter how hard he tried, he always cared what Lorelai thought. He actually did care what Rory thought too, but right now he liked that she hadn't offered it. It made him feel like this was really something he was doing on his own. It made him feel less helpless. Though he agreed with Rory that he should probably think about it, he was almost positive what his decision would be.