Author's Note: Again, thanks for the reviews. Sorry the last chapter was short. This one is longer. I hope I conveyed what I was going for. I'm not sure. Hopefully it satisfies! I still don't own Gilmore Girls.

Richard's POV

If there is one thing that I've learned from Luke Danes it's that helping others for the one you love is a trait that is both admirable and necessary in a successful relationship. Lorelai and Luke started dating during my separation from Emily and as a result I missed most of the pertinent information about their relationship. I didn't know she was dating Luke seriously for many months after their courtship began.

Emily and I were having one of our discussions about the suitable hours to use the house and she mentioned that Lorelai was dating Luke. Dating a man who slings hash for a living was never what I had in mind for Lorelai, but I supposed it was better than having her sneak around with Jason. He was a fine business partner, but the thought of him romancing my daughter—the words smarmy and distasteful come to mind.

Emily on the other hand was beside herself. She had pleaded with Lorelai to find a man who could provide for her, keep her in a lifestyle where she didn't have to worry about money. From what I'd gathered Emily had given Lorelai and Luke quite a difficult time of things. Yes, she was amiable and pleasant to Luke's face, but he must have known that Emily was less than thrilled with their relationship. Emily is many things, but subtle isn't one of them. Her disdain for people can be felt from miles around even if she's smiling at you. I recall a moment when I was returning from the club and I heard Lorelai slam the door to the house.

"Lorelai Gilmore," Emily charged after her. "Don't walk away from me we need to discuss this!"

"Discuss what? There's nothing to discuss," Lorelai stopped and shot back. "You don't like Luke you've made that perfectly clear. I didn't come over for you to talk me out of being with him. I know you've been holding out for Prince Charles to leave Camilla for me, but I don't see that happening. And even if he did I wouldn't leave Luke."

"Be serious," Emily replied.

"I am serious Mom," Lorelai said. "No one has ever been good enough for you."

"That's not true, I always thought Christopher was the perfect match for you," Emily said.

Lorelai gave an irritated grunt of frustration. "Mom, Christopher and I aren't going to be together. I'm sorry we're not the perfect Rockwell painting of what a family should look like, but Rory is 20 years old. She doesn't need a hands on daddy anymore."

"So you're telling me you'd rather be with a scruffy flannel-clad, divorced waiter than with the father of your child?" Emily asked.

"Yes Mom," Lorelai snipped back. "I would rather be with a loving, caring, kind business owner who loves me and Rory than with a married man who has a child with another woman and who may or may not be employed at any given moment."

"You're being ridiculous," Emily replied. "Christopher has a fine job."

"No Mom, this whole conversation is ridiculous because you need to let it go. Let go of the delusion that you have of Chris and Rory and me being one big happy family. You can keep me and Rory in the picture but I need you to see Luke's face instead of Christopher's in the family portrait."

"Lorelai, please think about your future," Emily said. "You left home when you were 17. You've had to struggle with money your entire life because you were too proud to ask for help. I know you think that I don't care about your happiness, but financial well being is just as important as anything else in a relationship. Can you honestly tell me that Luke can give you that? He's not even college educated."

"Mom, I wouldn't care if Luke dropped out of high school. He'd still be Luke, the man I love. He's the man who took a hardware store and turned it into a successful business with no help from anyone. I love Luke and he loves me and Rory and I couldn't ask for anything more. If you and Dad have taught me anything it's that you can't build a relationship on money."

Emily looked taken aback. I can't say that I wasn't either. It was true that Emily and I had a society marriage, but it was, at one time at least, based on love and mutual affection.

Emily smoothed out her suit and said coldly, "Fine, well you should be going." Emily turned sharply on her heel and started to walk away.

"Wait a minute," Lorelai said picking up on Emily's tone. "You don't get to cut me off and be mad. You're the one who's standing there attacking Luke. I'm the one who gets to walk away this time!" Lorelai shouted, but Emily was in the house before she finished her thought.

I don't often give credit to Lorelai, but she did have a point. Emily and I knew all too well that you couldn't live forever on financial security alone. You could live a long marriage on financial security, but somewhere along the way there had to be a deep unbending affection and that was really what mattered.

After hearing that conversation I gave Luke credit for going out of his way to help Emily. She probably hadn't endeared herself to him during that first month or two. I can only imagine how she tried to behave herself, but let little comments slip out when she was around him. That's why I was completely surprised when I found a large green truck in the driveway one afternoon. His car is really quite a monstrosity. Well, it was anyway.

All this lead up to a specific event that showed me just how much Luke cared for my daughter. It let me see that Luke Danes was an honorable, upstanding man and, in a way, helped me realize just how much my marriage meant to me.

"Now be careful," Luke said to Emily as he gently helped her out of the truck. She placed a supportive arm on his shoulder.

"Thank you," Emily said as she struggled to get out of the car.

I had been wandering passed the window when I noticed the exchange between Luke and Emily. Then, much to my dismay, as Luke shut the car door I saw at Emily was struggling to stand as Luke helped her up the steps to the porch. I dashed to the door as quickly as I could and ran over to them.

"Emily," I said. "What happened?"

"Nothing Richard, I'm fine," she replied, obstinate as ever. I turned my attention to someone who might answer my question truthfully. "Luke, what happened? Where's Lorelai?"

"Well Emily needed a little help," Luke said as she continued to help Emily into the house.

"Don't tell him anything," Emily said. "He doesn't need to know anything about this."

"Emily I have a right to know what happened to you. You're obviously hurt," I said.

"And since when did you start caring about if I was hurt or not," Emily shot back at me, although without her usual zest.

"Luke, go on," I prodded him.

Luke looked uncomfortably between Emily and myself as we got her into the living room and seating on the couch.

"Oh fine, if you must know I had to have a test done at the hospital," Emily sighed.

"A test?"I replied baffled. 'Is she sick?' I thought to myself. "What kind of test? Are you all right? Why is Luke here? Where is Lorelai?" I bombarded her with questions.

"Richard calm down," she said with irritation in her voice. "I'm fine. I needed to go the doctor for a test and Lorelai was supposed to take me, but something happened at work."

"She had a huge convention unexpectedly show up," Luke offered in Lorelai's defense.

"Yes, well apparently Lorelai had a group of thirty angry tourists to deal with so she couldn't leave. I was going to cancel my appointment, but Luke insisted on driving me."

"But you're fine?" I said still baffled that I knew nothing of the appointment. I had a feeling it was quite serious or else Luke wouldn't have offered to step in for Lorelai.

"Yes, I'm fine," she sighed. "If you'd like to make yourself useful I'd love a glass of ice water."

"Of course," I replied hurriedly taking my leave. I was around the corner and I heard him speak. My curiosity got the better of me and I'm ashamed to admit that I stood on the other side of the door and listened to their conversation.

"So, you're okay here?" Luke asked tentatively.

"Yes," Emily said. After a moment Emily added, "Luke, I know I haven't been your biggest fan, but I do appreciate your help today."

"You're welcome," Luke said shyly. I think he might have been ready to leave, but all of sudden he spoke again. "Mrs. Gilmore, I know you don't think I'm good enough for your daughter, but I think you should know that I love her and I'd never let anything happen to her or Rory."

"I know," Emily replied. "Luke, why did you help me today? I've given you no reason to go out of your way for me," Emily said.

"You needed help," Luke said simply.

"Yes, but I could've rescheduled my appointment. You didn't have to leave your diner and rearrange your day," she reasoned.

"Well this was important," Luke responded. "Lorelai and Rory care about you and that test wasn't something you should put off. It's important to them that you're healthy and it's important to me too."

"I appreciate that," Emily said. I could tell by her tone of voice that she was sincerely touched by Luke's statement. "You're a good man Luke. I'd like us to start over again if that's possible."

"Sure," Luke said.

"Have I made myself the bane of your existence?" Emily asked abruptly.

"What?" Luke questioned.

"It's just that Richard's mother, she hated me and she made no pretenses otherwise. I hated when she'd come over and judge me and somehow I feel like that's exactly what I've done to you," she said.

"It's okay," Luke replied.

"Then I did do that to you," she responded. "Wonderful. I spend half my life trying to escape that woman and now I find I've turned into her."

"You were never mean," Luke tried to tell her.

"But you knew I didn't approve of you," she said.

"Well, yeah," Luke replied.

"I'm sorry Luke. I do think you're a fine man and I truly believe that Lorelai is lucky to have found you."

"Thanks," Luke replied. "If there's one thing I've learned in my life it's that family is important. You need to be there for them no matter what."

I'm not sure what happened after that. I regained my self-control and went to get Emily's water. All I know is that conversation taught me a lot. It taught me that Luke was the kind of man who would put up with a woman who obviously disliked him because he loved Lorelai. It also helped me realize just how much had put up with when Trix was alive. Luke truly helped me to realize that it's the little things that matter.

TBC