Chapter 5 - Good Morning Beautiful It was about 5:30 am Luke was asleep on a chair bent over Lorelais bed. He had slept that way all night only waking when the nurse came in to change an IV or take vitals. Lorelais condition was improving and they had mentioned that they may be able to take the breathing tube out in the morning. She still hadn't woke up but that was to be expected with the medication and the head injury. Luke suddenly startled himself awake from a dream. It took him a moment to remember where he was when he got himself together he stood and went into the bathroom to splash some water on his face. He looked at himself in the mirror, he needed to shave, he looked like hell. He walked back out into the room and looked at her. All he wanted was just for her to open her eyes. He took her hand into his and kissed it.

"Good morning." He said. "You know...it would be all right with me if you went ahead and opened your eyes."

He caressed her hand and kissed her forehead. He climbed into the bed beside her and laid on his side on the edge and just looked at her. He must have dozed off again when he was woke by someone touching him. He opened his eyes and they met hers. She was awake and touching his hand. Lukes eyes welled with tears.

"Good morning beautiful." He whispered.

She looked at him scared and confused.

"I'm going to get the doctor." He said getting up.

Minutes later the doctors asked Luke to leave the room while they examined her and took out her breathing tube. He walked out of the room and took a deep breath, looked up and whispered to himself. "Thank you." He took the time while the doctor was in with Lorelai to call the Gilmore residence to let them know the good news.

"She isn't going to be able to speak well, or much..." The Doctor told Luke. "Having that tube in can cause some minor damage to the vocal cords, it is temporary of course, she wants to see you. Oh, and Luke...she can't remember much about the accident, so her memory might be a little hazy for the next few hours." He said.

Luke thanked the doctor and walked back into the room.

"Hey you." He said to her.

She smiled as much as she could. He sat on the bed beside her and stroked her hair.

"You really gave us a scare there." He said to her.

"I.." She coughed a bit. "love you." she whispered.

"I love you too." He said.

A few seconds later Rory came into the room. Her grandparents were speaking to the doctors still. Lorelai locked eyes with her daughter and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Hi mom." Rory said as she walked up and sat on the other side of Luke.

"Hey...kid." She said. Her words were horse and barely audible. Rory smiled at her mom and Luke gave her a hug.

"See I told you things were going to be all right." Luke said to Rory. The two of them sat on the bed with Lorelai, Rory and Luke told her about all the people that had come to the hospital to see her and about Richard and Emily giving Luke their blessing.

"You still want to marry me?" Luke said pulling the ring out of his pocket.

Lorelai nodded. Just as Luke was sliding the ring onto her finger Christopher stood looking in the window to her room. He saw the three of them sitting there, Lorelai bruised and bandaged from her accident, Luke worn from a long sleepless night and Rory smiling just so happy that her mother was with them again. He saw Luke slide the ring onto Lorelais finger and kiss her head. He watched as Rory gave him a hug and kissed his cheek. He watched the three of them as they spent their first moment together as a family and realized that he was too late. Too late getting to the hospital, too late making up his mind, and too late to make a family with his daughter and Lorelai. He realized now how she must have felt that day when he told her about Sherry and Georgia. And when she told him that it hurt just standing near him. He now knew what she meant, he too was feeling that kind of pain.

Christopher walked into the room and gently knocked as he entered.

"Knock, knock." Chris said.

"Dad!" Rory said.

"Hey there kiddo."Chris said hugging his daughter and kissing her forehead.
"Lorelai..." Chris said. He really didn't know what else to say. "I'm glad you are awake." Is what he finally decided on.

Lorelai blinked in response. She was tired and she was in pain. She began to drift off again. Once she was sleeping again Rory went with her dad to grab something to eat in the cafeteria. Emily and Richard invited Luke to go to there home and shower and change while they took the next watch. After a little coaxing he went.

"So..."Chris said as they sat at an empty table.

"Yeah." Rory said."I can't...it was so...this is so...weird. I never thought that...I guess last night was the first time I ever...I never really imagined my life without her you know?" Rory finally said.

Chris knew what his daughter meant. Somehow selfishly he always thought that no matter what he did, she would always be there waiting for him in the end. Even when he married Sherry, he thought that, somehow, he would still have her too.

"Well you don't have to think about that anymore, she will be back and better than ever in no time."

"Yeah, I am sure she will I mean...it's mom."

"Yeah, she is strong." Rory felt the awkwardness between them, she wasn't sure but she thought she knew why.

"So, Luke is a good guy you know." She said.

"Oh, yeah...I know." Chris said.

"She is happy with him dad." Rory said.

"Yeah I am really happy for them." Chris said.

"Wow that was convincing." Rory mocked.

"Sorry, I just...I didn't think that she'd..."

"Come on dad you didn't think that she would be alone forever." She said.

"No...of course not. I just never thought it would happen...so I don't know...quickly." Chris said.

"It hasn't been quick those two have been waiting for eachother for 8 years...it is right dad. Luke is her...I don't know...happily ever after."

Chris knew what his daughter was trying to say without saying it. She was begging him, without begging him to leave Lorelai alone. Let them be what they were, Rorys parents. It was never going to be more than that again.

"Well." Chris said. "I am happy for them." Forcing a smile.

Rory knew her father wasn't exactly happy for them. She knew that he would always love her mother and she took some happiness in that fact, but she also knew that they were not meant to be. They never could be.

Back upstairs Emily sat with her sleeping daughter. Richard was making arrangements to have some time from work to be with his family.

Emily had been thinking a lot about their relationship over the years. Thinking back to the times in the last few years that she really thought that they might be able to put it all behind them. Something...normally Emily's damn pride, always came between them though. She couldn't help that she was so envious of her daughter. Emily had never done anything on her own in her life, and Lorelai...had never done anything with help. She wished she were as strong as her daughter had become. Emily sat down in the chair beside the bed and picked up her hand and placed it in hers. Lorelai began to stir a bit, and blinked a few times before locking on her mothers eyes. Emily began to cry.

"I am so sorry Lorelai, I don't know what has gotten into me." Emily said.

Lorelai tried to respond but her voice wasn't there. She brought her hand to her lips to quite her mother and she shook her head as if to tell her there was no need. Lorelai had realized what her mother said was only out of love, it was the only way she knew how to share her love with her daughter. She just wanted her to know that she thought enough of her to expect the best for her, it was the way Emily was raised. Lorelai looked at her mother and managed a few words.

"Lay... with me...mom." she said barely audible.

After all, no matter what, Emily was her mother for better or worse.

Emily sat up on the bed with her daughter, held her hand and stoked her hair gently. They lay there silent. Emily vowed to herself then that things would be different from now on. As her daughter drifted back off she whispered to her.

"I love you Lorelai." Emily decided that she would allow others to go in and see her after about an hour. She got up and walked out into the waiting room, which was now full of Stars Hollow residence. Kirk and Bootsy, Babette and Maury, Taylor, Mrs. Kim, Lane,
Jackson and Sookie . As Emily looked around she realized something...something she always knew but would never admit to herself. Her daughter had made a family out of all around her, because she couldn't get the that from her own mother. Emily had a lot of friends herself, but they it was almost like the were friends by contract. The women of the D.A.R, and from the club, they were all friends because that was the way in polite society, not because they actually enjoyed one and other. Emily walked up to Luke who was sitting with Sookie and Jackson.

"I think she'd like to see you now." Emily said.

"Oh, thanks Emily. So are you two? Is...everything.?" He started.

"Go in and see her Luke." Emily said with a smile.

"About what I said last Mrs. Gilmore...I am sorry. I love your daughter...and..." He looked at his feet. "And I thought I might, that we might...lose her, and I was selfish...and arrogant to you...and I am sorry." Luke said.

"I'm sorry too. I misjudged you Luke. You love my girls, that is for sure after tonight. Congratulations, you are set to marry a pretty amazing woman." She said.

"Thanks." Luke looked at her, she looked at him.

"Ahh what the hell." he said. And he hugged her, at first it was awkward...but then Emily gave into it, this man was to be her son in law...and he was the best man for the job.

As Luke walked through the doors Emily walked over to Rory.

"Hi Grandma." Rory said, patting the empty seat beside her.

"How are you holding up?" Emily asked.

"I'm doing better, now that she is." Rory said.

"How are you two? I mean...did you talk."

"We have used all the words Rory. Don't you worry, things are going to be much different for your mother and I now." Emily said squeezing Rory towards her a bit.

"Good, I mean...I know that you both hate fighting with eachother." "We'd just gotten a little to good at it." Emily said.

He walked into the room and he saw her, she opened her eyes and they locked on his. "Hey crazy lady." he whispered walking up and sitting on bed beside her.

She smiled.

She was just looking at him. He caressed her gently he was afraid to hurt her.

"I..love..."she took a rough breath. "You."

"Shhh...I love you too." He said touching her lips with his finger. "You shouldn't try to talk." He said.

She nodded.

"So there are some people here that would like to see you...are you up for it?" he asked.
She nodded.

"Okay, I will send them in." He said.

One by one the people of Stars Hollow brought in their flowers and cards, each one telling Lorelai how much she meant to them. It was about an hour later when they all had come and gone and Lorelai was sleeping again.

Luke agreed to let Rory stay with her mother that night, he knew he needed to get some rest so he could start making preparations to take her home.

He came back the next morning to find Rory and Lorelai both sitting in her bed watching 'I Love Lucy' re-runs.

"Good morning." he said walking into the room. "You look like you are doing better this morning."

"Coffee." she whispered.

He chuckled. "It's good to have you back." he said.

"Kiss." she whispered.

He leaned up and kissed her.

"Ahh geez guys, I am right here." She teased.

"Hey Kid." Lorelai said softly. "When you are the one with all the tubes..." She took a break to catch her breath. "You can make the rules."

Just then there was a knock on the door, Christoper walked in.

"Chris." Lorelai said...her voice cracked.

Chris walked into the room and put a bouquet of Cala Lilies on the table.

"Hey Lore. How are you feeling today."

"Like Hell." She said and smiled. Then looked back to Luke and smiled an even bigger one. She took his Lukes hand and then held out her left hand to Chris.

"We are getting married." Lorelai said and coughed.

"I heard." Chris said.

"Congratulations." he said and looked down. "That's really great. And Luke..I don't think I ever...I mean congratulations." Luke felt awkward in the situation. He knew that Lorelai and Chris had a past, but he also knew that he was her future.

"Thanks." Luke said.

Thankfully to all the doctor came in breaking the awkwardness between them.

He went over what had been done, what was still to be done and recovery. It was going to be about three more days before Lorelai could talk very well and have her voice back to strength. She would be released in about a week depending on her progress with getting around. Because of the place that her pelvis was broken and the placement of the pins, she wouldn't he able to use crutches she would have to be in bed or in a wheel chair and it would be at least 6 to 8 weeks before she was healed enough to try walking. Until then she would need physical therapy 4 times a week. The swelling in her head had gone down and the fluid was all but dissipated. Her ribs would be better around the same time her pelvis was up and running.

"That is all good news." Luke said, looking at Lorelai. "Thank you."

The doctor walked out and Chris realized that he was out of place.

"Well, I have to go. I have to be back to work on Monday, and Sherry has been alone with Gigi and I am sure she is ready to sell her by now." Chris said.

Lorelai looked at him and waved him over. Chris walked up to her. He gave her a hug.

"Drive safe." she said.

"I will, you get better now...take care Luke, Rory if you need me you know where to find me."

With that Christopher exited the room. He closed the door and stood outside moments later he heard them laughing inside. She was gone. There was only one thing left to do...he had to leave.