Wow…Now that I've started writing this story…I just can't stop. I still own nothing…Just ideas, some of the voice in here is mine…I think…I hope you all like it!

He wondered if he ever thought about him. If he ever wished that he had tried harder, that he had never left. Not because of Rory, who he admitted he loved but because of Luke, who had tried...unlike so many people in his life.

He told Lorelai once, about how he felt when Jess left. It was late and they were lying in his bed in the apartment. She, tucked snuggly next to him in his flannel shirt, drifting seamlessly off into dreamland. He, on his back, his hands behind his head, and staring at the ceiling with a far of look on his face. He usually kept to himself. Doesn't want to bother her while she was in such a comfortable state, but that night, he felt the urge to discuss his psychosis.

He didn't know how he found his voice, but he had, and that was what mattered.

"I miss him. Everyday…don't you think that's kind of stupid?" She turned to him, and cuddled on her side, knowing immediately whom he was talking about.

"It's defiantly not stupid Luke. You loved him, you just wanted what's best for him, you have every right in the world to miss him." She stroked his chest to comfort him.

"Yeah, you're right. I just…I didn't want him to leave. I had gotten use to him being there every night after I closed up the diner. I was use to having someone to talk to before going to bed, I was just…Use to him. And I still think about him, all the time, and I just can't…I can't let go of the fact that he became a man. In the two years I knew him. He went from a boy to a man…but…just not the man he should've been." Luke turned to face her now, waiting for her response.

"Luke, he would never have been that man. No matter what happened. He could never have been you. Do you understand that? Luke no one…no one will ever be as good as you."

He smiled at her. Kissed her sweetly.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She turned away from him, satisfied by the outcome of the conversation, and allowed herself to ease into sleep.

But Luke didn't sleep that night.

Not at all.

He just thought about Jess.

Luke returned from the hardware store later in the evening to find Lorelai lying on the couch in the office. Her eyes were closed, her hands rested on her stomach.

She was sleeping. She is beautiful.

Luke dropped the bag of purchases on the table and strode quietly to her side. Once there he leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the lips. She stirred, looked up at him, and flashed him a brilliant smile. He kneeled next to the couch.

"Hi"

"Hi," She turned to her side, one hand still on her stomach.

"How's my beautiful wife?" He reached out a hand and pushed a few stray curls behind her ear.

"Tired…" Her eyes closed at his touch.

"The baby wearing you out?" His hand moved to her belly, where they touched the small growing bump together.

"Yeah…" There was a slight pause. She looks…nervous.

"Luke?" He looked up at her. Oh, no.

"Hmm?" Her hand grasped his and she brought it to her lips.

"You got a phone call while you were gone." She regarded him seriously, his face dropped at this. This doesn't sound good.

"Who?"

"Jess…"

Jess…

Luke got up from the floor and made his way across the room to the table in the kitchen. He sat at a chair, dropped his elbows on his knees and looked over at her. She took this as an indication that he was ready to listen, that he just needed to sit down for this conversation and she followed his lead, by sitting at the chair opposite of him.

"Wha…What did he…uh, want?" Luke sat back and pulled his legs further out, slouching in his seat. What could he possibly want now? I thought that we worked it all out. That we were good. We talked at the wedding and after…What could he…

"He um…He has something to tell you. He gave me the number where you can reach him. He said, that…it's important, and that you should call him right away." Something to tell me? Luke nodded, crossed the room, grabbed the phone, and returned to his seat.

"Where's the number?"

She left him to have the conversation in private. He loved her even more for this. For knowing him so well, for always being there, from the very beginning. She's all that sustains me. Keeps me from going off the edge.

He stared at the small pad of paper in front of him. It was "Veggie Tales" stationary. Lorelai had bought it. He remembers the night she brought it to him. She had gone shopping during the day, said she needed to pick up the necessary little things that they had not acquired from the bridal shower and the wedding.

When she walked into the diner that night, she held six bags in her hands, two balancing on her wrists, four wrapped around her long fingers. She was smiling as she threw them up onto the counter in front of him, and he returned a very confused and questioning gaze.

"What is all this?" He gestured wildly at the mound of brown paper, and clear plastic.

"This is the result of a very successful, and very expensive, may I add? Shopping excursion." She sat upon the stool in front of her as he poured her a glass of water and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she took the glass from his hand and drew a large sip through her parched lips.

"Was all of this necessary?" He rounded the counter and sat next to her, still staring at the bags on the counter.

"Absolutely darling." She flashed him a flirty grin, and set the cup of coffee down next to her.

"Alright…What did you get?"

She bounced up from the stool and moved to the first bag she could find. Rummaging through it she pulled out a small book.

"Address book…Very necessary," She discarded it on the counter and went back in the bag for more.

"Recipe book…Very, very necessary…" She put that down as well and continued.

"Stationary…Muy necicito!" She set it on the counter and before going for more she paused hearing Luke protest.

"What the hell is this?" He held up the stationary, to show her the giant smiling cartoon vegetables.

"Well, that's 'Veggie Tales', you silly man." She sat down on the stool again and shook her head.

"What in god's name is 'Veggie Tales'?" He gave her dumbfounded look and then returned his gaze to the small pad of paper.

"It's a cartoon about vegetables…I figured since I like cartoons, and you like vegetables…this would be a nice compromise. Look at the cute tomato!" She pointed to the picture above the writing lines and Luke just looked at her and smiled.

"Someday I'll finally understand what goes on in that head of yours." He leaned over and kissed her lightly then, and turned his attention to the pad of paper in his hand.

"Well, don't count on it, baby."

It was in his hands again but this time it wasn't new and blank, with many writing possibilities. It was a bit worn and in Lorelai's handwriting it said:

Jess Mariano

555-9360

He set the pad down on the table, took the phone in his hand, and began dialing the number. Here we go.

He sighed audibly before the first ring.

After four rings, he finally heard an answer.

"Hello?"

He couldn't speak. Say something. He was incapable of saying one word.

"Hello?"

What the hell is my problem?

"Is anyone there?"

…"Jess?" It came out shaky, and he almost sounded like a prepubescent teenager.

"Luke? Is that you?" God this is hard.

"Yeah…Jess," He sucked in a deep breath of air, "It's me."

He couldn't believe it. Didn't believe it. He was coming to Stars Hollow. He's coming here. Jess was coming to visit. He was shocked, stunned, confused, and deep down, somewhere that he doesn't like to admit, he was elated.

He wouldn't be in town for a week, but he assured him that he was coming. That he had big news to tell him, news that he didn't want to share over the phone. This made Luke both excited and extremely nervous. He didn't specify whether it was good news or bad news, it was just news in general. For all I knows they could've put the draft back in and the kid was going to war. Maybe he volunteered to go to war. Maybe he was going to be fighting on the front lines, in a foreign country where he doesn't even know what kind of food they serve let alone the language or the customs or anything for that matter. Maybe he was going to the big house for robbery or fraud. Maybe he was running for president! For Christ sake Danes, get a grip! He was going crazy just at all the maybes running through his head. He had to stop that right away. I'm done.

He left the apartment and headed toward the diner. He wanted to tell her that he was on his way. That he wanted to see them. Them. Luke, Lorelai, and the soon to be offspring of, said couple. He had told Luke that he was genuinely happy about the marriage but Luke could hear a little disappointment in his tone as well.

"I'm sorry I couldn't have been there. I would have liked to. Really."

"Hey, it's fine. We didn't have your number. You were probably working anyway. It's no big deal. It was a small thing anyway. Just her parents, Rory, your mom and TJ, and a few friends. Nothing really."

"Still, when mom told me about it…I just…I wish I could've come. That I could have been there for you. I really wanted to be there Luke. I really wish…" WISH…Funny word.

"Don't worry about it."

"Okay…I guess I wont. I want you to know I'm really happy for you though."

"Thanks Jess…It means a lot. To the both of us."

When he reached the bottom of the stairs he could see that Lorelai was deep in conversation with Babette about possible names for the baby. Already. She's only three months along. Sometime during the listing of the names he heard Babette suggest:

"Cole Porter Danes, now that's the name of one cool cat, sugar."

We will never name our child after anyone who can be referred to as 'one cool cat'.

He saw Lorelai smile and chuckle and tell her she'll keep it in mind. She's always so considerate. He grins just thinking about her.

Moving behind the counter he began to refill the coffee pot. ½ cup…much less coffee to fill since the baby…

"What did he say?" She never wastes a second.

He turned to face her, wide eyed at her directness, he soon after composed himself and leaned against the counter behind him, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"He's coming to visit next week. He has some news."

"News?" She raised her eyebrows in wonder.

"Yeah…just, news." He shrugged his shoulders and placed his hands on the counter behind him. "And he says 'congratulations' and he wants you to know that he's really happy for us."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

She smiled at him and rubbed her belly.

"Honey, the baby is hungry." Of course.

"The baby? Or Lorelai?" He advanced toward the counter, placed his palms face down on the surface, and leaned toward her.

Daring her to answer.

"Um…well…both. So…"

"Double…I got it."

"Thanks babe." She moved forward before he went to the kitchen and gave him a peck on the lips.

"You're my favorite husband in the state of Connecticut."

He chuckled inwardly. My wife the comedian.

"I sometimes forget that I married a Mormon."

"Yeah…but you still love me."

He winked at her.

"You bet I do."

He turned to the kitchen to make her meal and Lorelai beamed at the situation. She had a feeling that this visit from Jess would finally be the thing to push Luke forward. It was time to close one door and open up a new one.

Since Jess had left Luke doubted his parenting skills. Before they were married, they discussed the idea of children.

"Do you want to have kids?"

He snuggled closer to his side as they sat on her couch. The movie in front of them was playing a loud love melody and reeked of cheesy mockablitiy from Lorelai Gilmore, but she was too set on having a conversation to even notice.

"Do I…"

She looked up at him and gazed at him sincerely.

"Do you want to have kids? I mean, we're getting married next month and we haven't even discussed how children will factor into our future."

"Well, um…I…To be honest…I don't want them." He didn't even glance in her direction when he said this. Just kept his eyes on the movie, as if it had all the answers to end the conversation in which they were now officially involved.

"You don't…want them?" He felt her sit up and move away from him, and he groaned at loss of warmth on his side.

He found his hands to be the most fascinating objects in the universe. I'm going to have to tell her why.

"I will make a horrible father." Might as well be blunt.

"Luke? How can you even say that?" She rubbed his arm reassuringly awaiting his response.

"I know you don't think this but…I failed Jess. I couldn't control him. I couldn't teach him anything. I just don't think that I'm cut out to be a dad."

He felt the warmth again as she found her way into his side.

"I'm going to tell you this…and you sure as hell are going to listen. Seeing you with Jess, and Rory, and then when the school did 'Fiddler on the Roof' back when we were apart…I know that you will be the best dad any kid could ask for. You will be patient, and loving. You'll play along with their jokes and games like you did with Rory and me. You'll make sure that they no what's right and what's wrong. You'll teach them how to build a birdhouse and cook one mean burger. Believe me Luke, and I'm not just saying this because I want kids, I'm saying this because it's the god honest truth, you'll be the greatest dad to our children."

And he felt himself tear up and she kissed his flannel-clad chest and whispered:

"I love you."

Later that night as they lie in bed both beginning to get lost in a dream, Lorelai felt warm lips on her neck.

"I'm not afraid of jam hands anymore."

She was glad that he was moving forward. Putting his disappointment with children behind him and looking forward to the other rewarding aspects of parenting before him. In a few months they would have a child of their own, and they could apply what they had learned already from their own experiences into this new adventure.

The week leading up to Jess' visit seemed tremendously long and grueling. The diner was particularly busy, as was the inn, due to the fall tourism. Luke had already arranged for Lane and Caesar to work the diner most days while Jess was in town. Since he hasn't seen the kid in almost four years, he thought that it might be a good idea to set aside more than a few days to catch up.

When the day arrived Luke found himself incredibly tense. I'm going to be sick. Every time the bell rang above the diner he thought it might be him.

When he had left the house in the morning to open the diner, Lorelai had given him some advice.

"It'll be just fine. Make sure you tell him everything though. He needs to know what's been going on in that gorgeous backwards baseball cap head of yours."

He was going to tell him everything. He was going to change his passive ways. I'm going to do this. He was going to be open and let Jess know about all the disappointment he had felt about his absence, something he was incapable of expressing to him the last time that they had met. He had everything all thought through. Yep, I most defiantly can do this. Now all he had to do was wait.

Let me know what you think. I will probably write one more chapter. I will for sure be up tomorrow. If not you can come with your torches and pitchforks and burn me at the stake because I would for sure be a witch to lie like that!