A/N: You guys are awesome for submitting so many reviews, thanks for the encouragement.

Chapter 4 – Fathers and Daughters

Lorelai had just finished up the last of the day's paperwork and picked up the phone to call Luke. She had to postpone seeing him again because she had to face Christopher sooner rather than later, plus she had to tell Luke that Christopher was in town. She dreaded that more than anything; Luke had never liked Christopher, didn't like that he wasn't there as a father or when Lorelai needed him. Additionally, she thought Luke might get a little jealous of Christopher with him staying at her place. She knew that she had to be the one to tell Luke about Christopher being here before he heard it from through the rumor mill.

She was startled as the phone began ringing before she could dial. Flustered she answered, "Dragonfly Inn, this is Lorelai, how may I help you?"

"Mom, it's me." She heard Rory's voice through the phone line. "I wanted to let you know that we are headed over to Luke's. Georgia's hungry and there is no food in the house. Why don't you meet us there."

Lorelai was silent, her mind blanked. She couldn't have Christopher at Luke's, not with the whole possibly pregnant issue up in the air, but yet she didn't want to draw any suspicion to herself. "Hey, why don't I just pick something up and bring it home?"

"Well," Rory began, confused, "we've already got our coats on and I think it would be good to get Georgia out of the house. Uh, she's got a lot of energy."

Defeated, Lorelai agreed to meet them at the diner. As an afterthought she said, "Rory, um, I didn't tell your father about me and Luke. With Sherry leaving him, I didn't think it was the right time, so, um, could you not say anything."

Rory agreed to keep silent about her mother's relationship and finally realized why Lorelai didn't want them to go to Luke's, but the plan was set and besides she was hungry.

Lorelai wrapped her fingers around the strap of her purse, which she had not put down since Rory left, and sighed. It was now or never and she walked to the door of the restroom. She remembered looking at the little pink line so long ago, being scared and unsure. But she hadn't been unsure about everything, she had known that Christopher loved her, but look how that turned out. And now, she knew that Luke loved her, but didn't know how it was going to turn out. She looked toward the heavens and uttered, "God, I hope Luke sticks around for this."

Then her thoughts turned to the moment that she told Christopher that she were pregnant. She had prepared a whole speech to give him, but with him at sixteen and so full promise she didn't know how to tell him. When she finally got through it and he knew, he asked her how long she had known. She had to admit to him that she'd known for a week and hadn't been able to tell him. He was upset and rightly so, she'd had a whole week to prepare for this moment and he'd only had a few minutes, yet she expected so much from him. She decided right then to wait to take the test until Luke could be there with her. She was scared and she knew that he would freak out, but at least they would share those emotions with each other, be it good ones or bad. She reversed her course and headed back to the telephone, she had to call Luke and warn him that Christopher was about to step foot inside his diner.

"Luke's," she heard his strong voice answer.

"Hey, there sexy," Lorelai said in her best purr, picturing Luke blushing on the other end of the phone.

"Lorelai, what have I told you about saying that on the phone," Luke tried to scold his girlfriend, but secretly enjoyed her greeting. "When do I get to see you?"

"Well, soon, but I have to tell you something first." Lorelai hesitated before continuing.

While Luke waited to hear what she had to say he looked up from the phone to see Rory coming in the door. He waved hello to her and spoke into the phone, "Did you know that Rory was in town?"

'Uh, oh,' Lorelai thought, 'I'm too late.' Quickly she blurted, "Christopher's in town too."

Luke heard the statement at the same time that he saw the man walk into the diner. Immediately his smile turned into a scowl as he eyed the man who continually disappointed both Rory and Lorelai. He watched as Christopher, hand in hand with a small child, settled in next to Rory, grabbing a vacant chair from another table, obviously reserving it for Lorelai. He didn't realize that he'd been silent for a minute until he heard Lorelai again.

"Luke?"

"What is he doing here? When were you going to tell me?" Luke asked.

"Well, I'm telling you now. Luke, he showed up unexpectedly with Georgia, I don't know what he's doing here."

"And just who is Georgia?" Luke asked, hoping it was his girlfriend, but knowing that it must be the little girl with him.

"Georgia is his daughter," Lorelai responded, surprised that Luke didn't know that. She realized that she had kept that part of her life a secret from Luke.

"Rory is his daughter," Luke spat out.

"Well, Georgia is his daughter too." Lorelai was confused at the anger she heard in Luke's voice. She didn't realize how protective he had become of Rory over the years.

"Hope he does a better job with this one," Luke mumbled in a voice so low that Lorelai almost couldn't hear it.

"Be nice, Luke, he is still Rory's dad," she warned.

"Some job he's done." Luke continued to glare at the table and watch Christopher helping the little girl with her jacket.

Lorelai took the opportunity to delve into Luke's thoughts on children and challenged him, "Oh, so you think that you could do better?"

"I think I already have."

Lorelai was touched by the implications that his statement had. For the first time she realized that Luke really thought of Rory as part of his family. She smiled to herself and hoped that it meant that Luke would be alright with her 'announcement.'

"OK, the sooner I hang up the phone, the sooner I'll be there, so, um, see you soon." Lorelai hung up and grabbed her purse still wondering how to tell Luke.

Luke replaced the phone on the cradle and ambled over to the threesome. Addressing Rory, Luke asked, "Can I get you something?"

"Oh, um, we're waiting for mom, but I'd take coffee," she replied and looked at her dad.

"I'll have a Coke and a glass of milk. Do you have a high chair or a booster seat?" Christopher inquired.

"No," Luke answered curtly and turned away.

Walking to the counter, Luke heard Christopher say to Rory, "What kind of place doesn't have a booster seat and he didn't have to be rude about it."

Rory cringed at the comment, hoping that Luke had not heard it. But it was evident that he had as he returned to the table with two thick telephone books. He dropped the books on the table and glared at Christopher, "There's your booster seat."

Luke returned to the counter and Rory tried to calm her father down. "Hey this could work, let's at least try it."

Christopher was bewildered at the erratic behavior of the diner owner. He had met Luke before and although the man had never been warm to him, he had been civil. Christopher also recalled how highly Lorelai and Rory had always spoken of Luke. These thoughts made him dismiss the verbal exchange that had just occurred and he tried to arrange Georgia on the chair. Georgia smiled and giggled as she sat up higher on the seat feeling like a big girl at the table.

Just then Lorelai walked into the diner. She glanced at the table and saw that Rory and Christopher were smiling and Georgia was laughing, then she glanced at Luke, who smiled instantly when he saw her. 'Phew,' she thought to herself, 'I'm here before any of them could get nasty to each other.'

She crossed to the table and took off her coat. Clutching her purse she spoke, "Hey, I'll be right back." She headed toward the bathrooms and motioned for Luke to follow her. Once Lorelai was certain that Christopher couldn't see them she wrapped her arms around Luke and planted a kiss on his lips. "I've got a surprise for you."

"More than Christopher showing up at the diner?" Luke asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, um, about that. It turns out that his wife left him and he just showed up at the Inn. I didn't have a chance, well, I didn't want to tell him about you ... about us." Lorelai cringed as she waited for Luke's reaction.

"And just why didn't you want to tell him about us?" Luke asked feeling insecure again, afraid that she'd leave if Christopher were to ask.

"His wife just left him Luke, I didn't know how to tell him how happy I was when he was miserable." Lorelai sensed that Luke was jealous of Christopher, but had to tell him the rest. "And it looks like he's going to stay at the house tonight. Are you okay with that?"

"Great, he doesn't know that you have a boyfriend and he's gotten himself invited to stay with you. Yeah, I'm okay with that, I'm thrilled with that." Luke stated dryly. "I have to get back to my customers."

Lorelai stood by the bathroom doors a minute longer, thinking about Luke turning his back on her and walking into the kitchen. She couldn't remember the last time that Luke had given her anything but his undivided attention when she talked to him at the diner. Then she realized that she hadn't told him about the pregnancy test. Slowly she headed back to the table and forced herself to smile as Christopher stood to greet her.

TBC