Disclaimer: These are Amy's but I can play right?

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update…I have been swamped, let me know what you think, it makes me want to keep writing. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Miss Wallow

Chapter 15: At Last

It was seven o'clock and everyone had gathered under the tents for Luke and Lorelai's wedding reception. The guests were milling around chatting about the ceremony and admiring the tables and the cake, while feasting on the delicious appetizers that Sookie has prepared for the evening. Everyone found the wedding favors humorous and sweet considering the story that Lorelai still liked to tell people about she and Lukes first date. So it was only fitting that they had poker chips personalized for their event, engraving their names and the date on one side, and the worlds "They're all in." on the other.

Rory had successfully avoided him since the ceremony, but she knew that her luck would eventually fade. She watched him from across the room as he fiddled with one of the poker chips rolling it over his knuckles looking so disinterested she wondered why he came in the first place. Her thoughts were broken when Marty walked up to Rory with Ellie.

"Hey there mama…" Marty said allowing Ellie to lean herself out for her mother to take her.

"Hey baby girl." Rory said with a smile allowing for a moment the thoughts of dread she had to fade away.

"That was a really beautiful ceremony." Marty said.

"Yeah, it was…" Rory said checking over her shoulder to see if he was watching them, he was no longer sitting in the corner, she hopped that he had left, he had been there, made his presence known and then left once the obligation had been filled. That would be just like him.

"Rory?" Marty said pulling her back to earth.

"Huh?" Rory said startling back into the moment.

"Where were you just then it was as if you were a million miles from here." Marty asked concerned.

"I am fine, sorry, it's been a big day you know."

"Have you eaten anything?" Marty asked.

"Not for a while." Rory admitted.

"I am going to get you something." Marty said.

Before she could tell him that he didn't have to do that he had already turned and walked away. Ms. Patty and Babette stormed in, in his wake.

"Oh what a beautiful ceremony that was…" Babette said in her usual two registers too high tone.

"Yeah…" Rory agreed.

"Did you see who snuck in that back…that little good for nothing…little punk, you keep yourself away from him sweetie…he spells trouble." Ms. Patty said.

"Don't I know it." Rory mumbled under her breath as the women walked away. Rorys eyes scanned the room as Ellie wiggled in her arms. She didn't see him anymore, she thought he must have left. Rory turned around when she felt at tap on her shoulder, and expected to find Marty, she was filled with shock when she turned and came face to face with him.

"What are you doing here?" Rory asked.

"What's the matter cuz?" Jess said arrogantly.

"What's the matter is…who sneaks into a wedding…"

"I didn't sneak, relax, I was invited. I am after all family." Jess said.

"Who knew you understood such obligations." Rory said rudely.

"This must be Ellie." Jess said allowing Ellie to take his outstretched finger.

"Yes, it is." Rory said.

"She is a good looking kid. She has your eyes." Jess said as if he were the first one to tell her that.

"I know."

Marty walked up behind Rory and nudged her shoulder.

"Sorry to interrupt…here you go Rory." Marty said handing her the appetizers and taking Ellie from her. Once he had a hand free he outstretched it to Jess.

"I don't think we have met. I'm Marty Rory's…" he began but Rory had an idea and finished his thought for him.

"Oh I am sorry." Rory said interrupting. "Yes, Marty this is Jess, Jess this is Marty, Marty is my boyfriend."

Marty tried to hide the shocked look on his face. Rory glanced at him abruptly and squeezed his arm.

"Yes, I am Rory's boyfriend." Marty said.

"Jess Mariano, I am Luke's nephew."

Just then Marty put it all together Rory had told him many a story about Jess and the many different ways he chose to break a heart.

"Nice to meet you man." Marty said lying through his teeth and putting his arm around Rory, if she was up for the charade, so was he.

Kirk came over the microphone at that moment, preventing any further conversation between the three.

"Ladies and Gentleman…I am pleased to announce for the first time…Mr. and Mrs. Luke and Lorelai Danes!" Kirk said in his best announcer voice.

Luke and Lorelai hurried in after their introduction and took their place center floor.

"And now, ladies and gentleman here they are for their first dance as husband and wife…" Kirk said.

The string quartet began to play as Patty took the microphone from Kirk and began to sing the most fitting song in the word for the two of them.

"At last my love has come along, my lonely days are over and life is like a song. Ohh yeah yeah, At last the skies above are blue. My heart was wrapped up in clover.
The night I looked at you." Patty sang the song for her friends with a smile and a tear.

Luke and Lorelai spun and laughed like two kids in love, and in a way they were. There was not another soul in that room beside the two of them it seemed, or at least that was the way they looked at each other. They didn't speak, their language was of looks, Lorelai would throw her head back in laughter momentarily and Luke would just smile.

"At this time Luke and Lorelai would like to invite all the other couple out on the floor to join them." Kirk said as Patty took a pause.

Rory took the opportunity to get Marty away from Jess, and reveal to him the rest of her plan. She walked over to Paris and handed Ellie off to her.

"Watch her for a second, we are going to dance." Rory said hurried in a frenzy of thoughts.

"But you guys aren't ..." Paris started but it was too late Rory was already out on the floor dancing close to Marty.

"Ok, here is the deal, you are my boyfriend we have been together a while. We met at Yale, we then fell in love and now you spend part time at Yale and the other part with me and Ellie here."

"How is that different than the truth other than my title?" Marty asked trying to use the situation to his advantage with her.

"Marty, it just is. Okay, okay he is looking over here." Rory said and went in for the kill and kissed Marty much to his surprise and delight. Jess wasn't the only one who saw, Lorelai and Paris both got an eye full too and wondered what had gotten in to Rory.

As they broke away from their kiss Rory looked at Marty and for a moment, in the dancing candle light…thought about him again, in a way she said she never would.

"You are a good actor." Rory said instead of admitting the way she truly felt.

"Rory, I wasn't acting…I have wanted to kiss you since the day I met you." Marty said coming clean before her. "I don't want to pretend to be your boyfriend Rory, I want to be your boyfriend, I want to be there for you…I lo…" Marty didn't get a chance to finish before Rory dropped his hand and rushed away.

Paris and Lorelai perhaps the only two watching the couple more closely than Jess watched as she rushed out from the shelter of the tent and into the darkness towards the Inn. It may have been her wedding day, but she was still Rory's mother, so Lorelai excused herself from Luke and the many people offering their congratulations and along with Paris and Ellie went off to find Rory.

They found her sitting on a bench at the bottom of the hill from the reception. As Lorelai and Paris came to sit on either side of her, Rory didn't move or react.

"So…what was with the kiss?" Lorelai asked her daughter, putting her arm around her.

"Did you see who is there?" Rory said.

"Jess?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah."

"You knew he would be there." Lorelai said.

"No I didn't, I knew he was invited. I knew you asked him, I didn't know he would come, why would he come? He knows, I am a mother now, he knows we are doing fine…"

"Honey…I hate to break it to you, but maybe he is just here to see his uncle get married." Lorelai said.

"Then why did he have to talk to me?"

"Because he didn't want to be rude?" Paris interjected.

"I told him that Marty and I were together." Rory said.

"Why would you do that?" Lorelai said.

"I was scared…" Rory said.

"She is a fear dater." Paris said getting looks from

both women. "Sorry." She said. "I will take Ellie back up there." Paris said.

"Tell them we will be up in a minute." Lorelai said as Paris began to walk away.

"Mom, come on, I am fine, I am sorry, I am keeping you this is your wedding night…we should be celebrating."

"And we will, just as soon as you tell me what was

with that kiss Rory, that wasn't just a pretend kiss." Lorelai said.

"It was supposed to be…it really was and when it wasn't, when it didn't feel like a fake kiss, I told him that he was a good actor. That back fired though and he went into this speech about how he didn't want to act with me and I am pretty sure if I hadn't dropped and bolted that he was about to say something that would make us incapable of going back to being just friends, and I don't want to lose him as a friend mom." Rory said.

"Then I think you better take this chance with him honey. It is no secret that you have feelings for him, I don't want you to be afraid of them, I don't want you to be a 37 year old bride because you are scared of something." Lorelai said.

"I am scared." Rory said.

"Good. I would be worried if you weren't scared." Lorelai said kissing her daughters forehead.

"I guess I should find him?" Rory said.

"I think he's found you." Lorelai said standing as she saw Marty walking up.

"We will be up in a second." Rory told her.

"Take your time…just remember, your grandma has already hit the bottle and Ms.Patty and Babette are circling the cake like sharks."

Nervously Marty sat at Rory's side.

"I didn't get a chance to finish what I was about to say." Marty said.

"I know…and before you do, I have to tell you something. I want nothing more, than to be with you Marty, you have been the best friend a girl could have over the last few months with Ellie and before when we were both at school. And I value that friendship, and I don't want to lose it, and I don't want to ruin it, or complicate it. I know you, know what it is like with Ellie most of the time, but she isn't always a happy baby, she crys and gets up at night, and she will always be there, we won't have a lot of time for just you and me, and I need you to know that now, before we go any further. She is the number one thing in my life, you will always be number two, no matter how long we might be together, my first thought will always be my daughter."

"I know that, and that is just one of the many reasons that I have fallen in love with you. I know…I know that Ellie is your daughter, and I love her, she is great, and I realize that babies cry and demand attention, attention that I am happy to give up from you and give to her. I want to be a part of your life, and hers, I love you Rory, in spite and for all the things that you just said, and I don't see that changing any time soon." Marty said leaning in to her.

"Marty…" Rory started to say before he silenced her with a kiss.

She realized then that neither one of them could predict what was to come for them, but no one could predict what the future would hold. They just had to jump in and find out.

Marty stood up and took her hand as they walked back up the hill to the reception. Lorelai saw them walking in holding hands and knew that it wasn't part of an act. She smiled at her daughter, she was proud of her for being brave enough to let herself fall, even if it meant, she could get hurt. Rory took her seat by her mother at the head table and Marty sat down by Paris and the Ellie. Rory watched as Ellie giggled with glee when she saw Marty and wiggled until she was free of Paris and happily sitting on his knee. She smiled and waved over to her daughter catching Marty's eye. He took Ellie's chubby little hand and waved it at Rory.

Buddy stood up and tapped his glass with his knife handle, calling everyone's attention to the front.

"I have known Luke since he was a baby, I was best man at his parents wedding and now all these years later, I am honored that he chose me for the same job at his own wedding. Mazzie and I have watched these two from their first date until now, falling more in love with one and other each moment they spend together, they have always reminded us of another couple we knew…William and Isabel Danes were two of the finest human beings that I have ever known, and they would be proud today of their son, and his beautiful new wife, may they always look down over your new family Luke and keep you safe, and in love. Congratulations." Buddy said raising his glass. It was now Rory's turn.

"My mother has taught me everything I know. She taught me how to tie my shoes, read a book, drink coffee in mass quantities." Everyone chuckled. "But the best lesson she has ever taught me is love. You can't always predict when love will find you, it may take months, or years, but it will, and when it does, there is something that makes you just know…that it is right. My mom knew that when she first met Luke…it just took her a while to figure it out. I have known Luke for a long time in fact I can't recall a day in my life that he wasn't in it. He has always been there for me, there for my daughter and most importantly for my mother, so today, I am so happy, not only because my mother, my best friend, has found love that will last a life time. But also because our family is finally complete. Mom, Luke, may we always be as happy as we are today, and may the years to come be filled with joy and love. I love you guys." Rory said raising her glass and clinking it with her mothers.

After the toasts were done through it was time for cake. Lorelai and Luke stood to the side of the cake holding the knife to the cake while Monica, the minorly crazy, but majorly sweet photographer from the Stars Hollow gazette tried to get the perfect shot.

"Luke turn just a little to the left." Monica said. Luke turned a little to the left. "I'm sorry, I meant to the right." Monica said giggling at herself.

"She doesn't know right from left yet, and we are letting her photograph our wedding." Luke said under his breath through his fake smile.

"She is a sweet kid, and she does good work." Lorelai said through her smile.

"Ok now Lorelai bend your elbow just a little more…" Monica said shifting her camera in her hands.

It was then Rory noticed the distressed looks on her parent's faces and swooped in.

"That is it, it is perfect, just like that…take it, take it." Rory said prompting Monica along. Two quick flashes and it was over.

She kept snapping away as Lorelai and Luke actually cut into the cake and fed each it each other. To every ones shock Lorelai did not smash it into Luke's face, she simply fed it to him tenderly.

Jess wandered over to Rory as she watched them feeding each other the cake.

"So…" He said standing beside her staring straight ahead.

"So what…" Rory asked not turning or breaking her smile.

"So, I just wanted to tell you congratulations. On everything...Ellie…your mom and Luke…what's his name." Jess said.

"His name is Marty." Rory said still not turning away."Right Marty." Jess said faking interest.

"Did you have something to say or did you just want to see what kind of damage you could do." Rory said smiling and low so no one would hear her or think they were arguing.

" Rory, I am not trying to start anything. I just wanted to tell you that and then I was going to go."

"Then go." Rory said looking at him.

"Rory…wait." Jess said as she walked away from him.

She walked into a far corner of the tents.

"Jess, really, I have nothing to say to you, any need for you and the last reason to ever see each other again has juat past, so please, just go." Rory said.

"Rory."

"No, Jess, no Rory, no nothing. I am not going to talk to you and pretend that everything is just ducky, okay, I am not wasting my time. I am glad you came, I am glad because I know it made Luke happy, but don't get that confused with me, it did not make me happy. You and I are done, finished in every way." Rory said.

"Fine, I will say good-bye to Luke and I will be on my way, have fun with your phony boyfriend." Jess said turning around to face Marty.

"Who are you calling phony, punk?" Marty said unusually gruffly.

"Come on man, don't let her use you." Jess said.

"She is not using me." Marty said.

"You think I am going to fall for the, this is my……boyfriend that's right boyfriend…thing."

"Back off." Marty said.

"I can't believe she found herself another doormat…" Jess said.

"Jess, stop it just go." Rory said trying to keep people from staring at them.

"She isn't using me, Rory and I are together, you aren't with her, you will never be with her again, understand." Marty said in his most threatening voice.

Jess puffed up and sighed angrily, he knew he was beat, he couldn't fight him there, even if he wasn't with Rory, there was no real way for him to prove it and he couldn't find the reason to. The only thing he was going to do by fighting was prove to everyone there that he was the same punk kid they all remembered him to be.

"Jess, you need to leave." Rory said.

"Tell Lurch here to get out of my way and I am gone." He said.

"Marty, please." Rory said and Marty stepped out of his way and they watched as Jess, went over and shook hands with Luke and left just as quickly as he came.

"You okay?" Marty asked her touching her arm.

"Yeah, I am fine, he was just being Jess, I don't know why I let him upset me like that."

"Hey you don't have to explain anything to me." Marty said.

"I know. Let's go relive Paris of her Ellie duties for the evening…I should be getting her home to bed soon." Rory said.

She was gathering up their things when Luke walked up to Rory.

"That was a very nice speech." Luke said.

"It's true."

"Listen…" Luke started but stopped as he was blinded by the flash of Monica's camera.

Rory took note of Luke's growing impatience with her and swooped in again to save her.

"Hey Monica." Rory said.

"Yeah Rory." She said happily.

"Would you be a dear and go take a few more pictures of the cake after it has been cut, and uh the ice sculpture…and uh…oh see Taylor over there? Luke would really like a photo of him with Kirk. If you could pose them, I don't know holding hands or something…that would be great. Just tell Kirk, Luke wants it, he will make it happen for you." Rory said.

"Okay Rory, I can do that." Monica said bouncing off.

"That was mean." Luke said.

"She is a nice girl, a little out there but nice, she will get that picture." Rory said.

"Can't wait to see it, anyway Rory, listen it is getting late, and I know you will be wanting to get Ellie home soon." Luke said.

"Yeah she is passed out on Marty." Rory said.

"Well, before you head out. I wanted to give you these." Luke said handing her a set of keys.

"What is this?"

"It is the keys to the apartment above the diner. I know you have been saving to get a place for you and Ellie, it is yours if you want it for as long as you need it." Luke said.

"I can't…Luke…"

"Yes, you can, in fact, the painters finished two days ago and the movers were working all day while we were here, all your stuff, is there, all of Ellie's too." He said.

"You had them move our stuff." Rory said.

"Yeah, I hope you aren't mad." Luke said.

"Mad, Luke…no…thank you so much." Rory said hugging him.

"So she liked it?" Lorelai said walking up to them.

"You knew about this?" Rory said.

"I knew. I helped." Lorelai said.

"You haven't kept a secret a day in your life." Rory said.

"I kept this one." Lorelai said with a smile.

Just then they were interrupted by an angered Taylor hurrying away from Kirk and Monica quick on their tale.

"Taylor, come back…Luke wants a picture." Kirk called as he jogged after him.

"What was that about?" Lorelai asked as they laughed.

She didn't have a chance to get an answer before Marty walked up holding a crying Ellie. He was rocking and singing to her but it didn't seem to help.

"She woke up when Taylor went running by and I think she is scared." Marty said handing Ellie to Rory once in her mothers arms she layed her head down and stopped crying.

"Thanks Marty." Rory said giving him a peck.

"No problem." He said.

"Hey Marty can I talk to you for a second?" Luke said nodding him away from the girls.

"Yeah sure." He said walking with Luke.

Lorelai and Rory watched as their men walked away from them.

"I hear you are with Rory now." Luke said putting his hand on Marty's shoulder.

"Yeah. It is great. I really love her." Marty said smiling.

"You really love her, well that's good. Marty, I have always liked you, thought you were a good guy, but now that you are dating my daughter,...I have to tell you if you hurt either one of those girls, you will wish you never met me. You understand." Luke said.

"Yes sir." Marty said his voice cracking in the middle.

"Good, glad to hear." Luke said shaking his hand.

As they walked back over to the group, Marty felt a little scared of Luke, but at the same time really happy that they had that talk.

"All right Marty. I have to get this one to bed. Do you want to come see my new apartment?" Rory said.

Luke shot Marty a look.

"I would love to…" Marty said as Luke glared at him. "But only for a minute, I have to get some studying done tomorrow." Marty said looking at Luke who nodded his approval of the move.

"Ok." Rory said. "Night mom." She said hugging her mother. "Night Luke." She said kissing his cheek. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Luke said. He stopped Marty as they started to walk away and whispered to him.

"Remember what I said."

Marty swallowed hard and turned to follow Rory.

Lorelai smiled as she looked at Luke.

"What did you say to him?" Lorelai said.

"I told him if he hurt our kid, I would kill him." Luke said.

"Luke!"

"Not in so many words, I just told him he would wish he didn't know me."

"Mr. Protective." Lorelai said with a laugh.

"Of you guys, yes." Luke said.

"Today…good?" Lorelai asked.

"Today very good." Luke said untying his bow tie.

"Good."

"So…uh…you want to find what is under this dress?" Lorelai said with a sly grin.

"More than anything I have wanted in my life." Luke said.

Lorelai took his hand as they scurried off to the honey moon suit. As the bride and groom took their leave the party went on in their absence and didn't stop until almost two in the morning. Taylor finally gave in and took the picture with Kirk. Andrew helped get Patty and Babette home. And Jackson and Sookie were the last two on the dance floor. It was a night that no one in Stars Hollowwould soon forget and the happiest day of Luke and Lorelai's lives.