Disclaimer: I still don't own the Gilmore Girls. Although, I wish I owned Luke and Jess.

A/N: There's a part toward the end with an answering machine message. Luke's parts will be in italics and Lorelai's will be in bold italics.

Chapter 26

It was Friday night and Luke, Lorelai, and Rory attended the usual weekly dinner at the elder Gilmore house. Jess decided to stay home and take the night shift at the diner. Luke didn't object or even try to talk Jess into going to dinner with them. Now, Luke, Lorelai, and Rory were sitting at the dinner table with Richard and Emily, barely saying anything.

"How are things at the inn Lorelai?" Emily asked.

"They're good. It wasn't very busy during the holiday, but it was fair enough," Lorelai replied.

"Good, good. Is there anything new going on we should know about?"

Luke glanced up from his plate at Lorelai, then at Rory. "No," he replied. "Nothing important." Luke looked down at his plate when Rory looked at him.

"I'm not feeling very well," Rory said, putting down her napkin. "Do you have aspirin or something Grandpa?"

"I think so. Are you alright?" Richard asked.

"I'm fine. I just have a headache."

"Maybe you should go upstairs and lie down," Emily suggested. "I'll send Sara up with aspirin and some water in a few minutes."

"Ok. Thanks." Rory stood up and left the room.

"I hope she's alright."

"She'll be fine," Lorelai said.

"I'm sure she will be. Luke, Lorelai, I'd like you two to come to the club on Sunday afternoon. Is that alright?" Richard asked.

"Why do you want us to go to the club?" Lorelai asked.

"Because I would like to spend some time with my daughter and future son-in-law."

"You golf with Luke every week. That's not enough bonding for you?"

"I'd like to take him to the club for a fruitful outing, with no shop talk for once."

"Shop talk? What would you two have to talk about? He runs a diner and you're an insurance broker. Not much in common there Dad."

Richard was about to say something, but Luke spoke first. "If we go to the club Sunday, can we skip Friday night dinner?" Luke asked.

"I suppose that's a fair trade," Richard replied. "Emily?"

"If you come to the club, you may skip Friday night dinner next week," Emily sighed.

"Ok, can I talk to you in the other room for a minute?" Lorelai asked Luke. "We'll be right back." She pulled him out of his seat and started pushing him toward the door. "What are you doing?"

"Getting us out of Friday night dinner," Luke replied.

"I do not want to go to that stupid, prissy country club. The last time I was there, I was fifteen and I got yelled at for not using a coaster."

"You did not."

"I heard 'coaster' and 'why aren't you using one?'. I highly doubt I misinterpreted."

"It's one afternoon. It won't be so bad."

"Yeah, it'll be horrible."

"Wouldn't you rather spend an afternoon in a room where they'll refill your drink after you take a sip from it than being in that dining room with your mother who asks if your glass is glued to your hand?"

"You owe me one."

"Take it off your tab."

Richard looked up, feeling Emily's eyes on him. "What?" he asked.

"I know what you're doing," Emily stated.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You've had a hidden agenda this whole time. God knows you wouldn't parade Luke around the club like you do if you didn't have a plan. You're trying to get the members of the club to like him. That way you can take him to go golfing whenever you please. You're not trying to spend time with him. You're trying to bestow creditability on him and mold him into someone you can parade around the club. You're turning him into a man that you would have wanted our daughter to end up with. Tell me I'm wrong."

"Luke Danes is a good man, but he is never going to be the kind of man we wanted our daughter to end up with. I have accepted him and the fact that our daughter will not marry the kind of man we wanted her to.."

"But it's not going to stop you from trying to change him will it?"

Richard stared at his wife for a long while, but didn't say a word to her. He just lowered his head and went back to his meal.

Jess walked around the counter to answer the ringing phone. "Luke's," he answered.

"Hey," Rory greeted.

"Hey. I thought you were having dinner with your grandparents."

"I am. I'm upstairs."

"Why?"

"I told them I had a headache. In reality, I kept getting these weird vibes from Luke and Mom."

"What kind of vibes?"

"Bad ones. I can feel the disappointment in their eyes."

"Do you think they know?"

"I think they know something's going on. They know I broke up with Logan. The weird thing is, I'm getting a worse vibe from Luke than Mom."

"It's because Logan was the only one he liked of your boyfriends."

"He liked you."

"Only because he has to. He never thought I was good enough for you. He tried to convince himself that I was, but it failed horribly thanks to me."

"Jess, let's start over."

"I don't want to hurt you again."

"You won't. I know you won't. I think I still might be in love with you. Do you still love me?"

"I've never stopped."

"Then let's start over. Last weekend was great. Please. Can we just give it a try?" Jess was silent. "Jess, say something."

"I have to get back to work."

"Are you going to give me an answer?"

"I'll think about it."

"Oh. Ok."

"I have a lot on my mind right now. I need to analyze this."

"You, Mr. Spontaneous, need to analyze a situation?"

"I can be logical from time to time. But I really need to go now. I'll talk to you when you guys get home."

"Ok. Bye."

"Bye."

Luke leaned against the wall as he absorbed what he had just heard. He didn't mean to eavesdrop. He was on his way to the bathroom when he heard Rory talking. When he heard Rory address Jess, he couldn't help but stop and listen. He wasn't exactly sure what Rory and Jess's conversation was about, but there was one thing that was for certain: She still loved him. Rory still loved Jess.

"They came!" Sookie yelled as she ran into the diner, waving something in her hand. "They came! They came!"

"We heard you the first time," Jess said as he rolled his eyes at the overexcited woman.

"What came Sookie?" Lorelai asked.

"The wedding invitations," Sookie replied. "Jackson and I got ours this morning."

"Why did we send them invitations if they're part of the wedding party?" Luke asked.

"Because they wanted one," Lorelai replied.

"We could have just given them one."

"Yeah, but it means more if they get it in the mail."

"Yeah. Thirty-seven cents more."

"Quiet you. Rory, come look. The invitations came." Rory, Rachel, Babette, Patty, and Liz gathered around Lorelai and Sookie as they looked at the invitation.

Richard and Emily Gilmore,
Elizabeth Danes,
and
Lorelai Leigh Gilmore

cordially invite you to join in celebrating as

Lucas Alexander Danes
and
Lorelai Victoria Gilmore

exchange vows and are wed
on Tuesday, February fourteenth
two thousand and six
at twelve o'clock noon
at the Dragon Fly Inn
Stars Hollow, Connecticut

A reception will be held at
Stars Hollow Town Square
at six o'clock in the evening

"You guys put my name in it!" Rory smiled. "I feel so honored."

"It was Luke's idea," Lorelai remarked.

"I thought it was only right to include your name in there," Luke explained.

"Aw Luke, you big softy," Rory teased.

"You tell no one."

"Mum's the word." Luke smile and went back to work.

"Why didn't you just put 'The Gilmore and Danes families'?" Jess asked.

"Don't be such a pain just because your name isn't in it," Liz teased.

"Don't be such a pain because your name is in it."

"If it makes you feel better, your name is on the wedding party announcement," Lorelai said, showing Jess the announcement.

"Oh joy. The thing no one reads. I'll be over there jumping for joy."

"Well at least you're not bitter," Rachel joked.

"Ok, I'd love to stay and gawk at the invitation with you guys, but I have errands to run. Luke! I'm leaving!" Lorelai yelled.

Luke walked out of the kitchen. "I'll see you at home for dinner?" he asked.

"Duh. Say kiss."

"Kiss." Lorelai leaned over the counter and kissed Luke. With that done, she left the diner.

Lorelai could hear the phone ringing when she walked into the house. "Hold on! Hold on!" she yelled as she juggled with the bags and dry cleaning in her arms. "Don't hangup. I'm coming!"

A second later, the answering machine picked up. "You've reached Luke and Lorelai's. We can't come to the phone right now, so leave a message after the beep. Do a bit. No. Do a bit! Stop it. Come on. Lorelai, I am not doing a bit. Hey what does this green light mean? It means the message is still recording. Oh! You did a bit! Ah jeez. How do I make it..." Beep.

Lorelai laughed at the message. It was just plain luck that Luke forgot to press the stop button. Lorelai's happy mood abruptly ended when she heard the voice of someone she knew all too well.

"Hey Luke, it's Nicole. I'm just returning your message and letting you know I'd be happy to meet up with you. How about breakfast tomorrow at Silvano's around nine-ish? Just call me back and let me know. Ok. It was great hearing from you and I'll see you tomorrow."

Lorelai's heart stopped. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe.

Next time on "Meet Me at the Chuppah": Lorelai shows up at Luke and Nicole's meeting and a fight ensues between the engaged couple. Will they be able to overcome this obstacle? Or will the path to the chuppah lead to a dead end? Jess gives Rory his answer. Max asks Rachel where their relationship is headed.

A/N: To my fellow Rogan fans, all I ask of you is to trust me. It may not seem like it now, but I know where I'm going. For some reason, a friend of mine wanted me write in killing off Nicole. It was sick, sadistic, and I loved it. Unfortunately, I needed her to cause more angst. How do you like them apples! Lol. Again, I ask that you have faith in me. I know what I'm doing...most of the time.