Chapter 19

Lorelai went to open the door of her house, her ponytail bopping as she moved down the stairs in pajama bottoms and tank top. Opening the door she frowned slightly. "Why didn't you just use your key?"

"Didn't think of it," Luke shrugged. "Do you mind?"

"No," she smiled, stepping aside to let him in, "of course not," she added as she shut the door behind her. "You ok?"

Luke shrugged as he looked around the living room. "I spoke to Liz."

"Oh. She ok with everything?"

"She saids she is, but. . ." he turned and stared at Lorelai. "That woman ruined her life. I mean I know Liz has to take some responsibility, but that woman was the start and she never paid. And Lizzie, she saids she doesn't want to be vindictive. Can you believe that? She thinks it's great that she turned her life around. That everything will be hokey dokey if she lets it go!"

"Oh, Luke," Lorelai sighed. "It was up to her. You can't make her help."

"Just once I wish my sister would get her head out of the clouds."

"If she did, she wouldn't be Liz," Lorelai shrugged as she move to him and wrapped her arms loosely around his waist. "We'll figure something out."

Luke sighed at her optimism as he leaned against her. "She'll at least show up at the courthouse, she just won't say anything."

"Maybe it will throw this woman enough."

"Maybe, but I doubt it. TJ said he'd help move your sister is that's what she wants."

"That just sounds so strange," Lorelai laughed.

"You OK with that? I didn't think to ask earlier. I don't think anyone did."

"I guess," she shrugged pulling away from him and walking towards the mantle. "It's just hard to think of my parents as being someone else's too. I mean, what were they like with her? And what type of relationship did they have? Does it make ours look even more dysfunctional? And why couldn't they say something before? Why the big secret? Why does everything have to be such a big secret in my family?"

"I guess I didn't help dropping my bombshell on you tonight did I?"

Turning, Lorelai stared at him: "why didn't you ever tell me before? Do you really think it would've made a difference to me?" she asked bluntly, watching his head come up.

"I didn't say anything because it's never been any one's business."

"Even with how serious we've become?"

"I've never told anyone. And I don't know, I guess I didn't want to send you running for the hills. I've never really wanted that life. For a while I was resigned to it, but. . ." he shrugged. "It's not who I am. It doesn't define who I am."

"You think I let my parents and their money define who I am?"

"In a way, you have. By rebelling so hard against them."

"And you haven't done the same? Or is it so different because it was your grandparents?" she challenged.

"This is why. . . you already see me differently."

"You know what I see? I see a guy who loves his sister. Who want to protect her. A guy who runs his business well. Who is a loyal friend. A man who hides his civic pride, yet will bring a variety of drinks to the people who show it during a snowstorm. I see the man who has always been there for me. First as my friend, and now as more. But I also see someone who doesn't seem to trust me.

Luke, you're still Luke. I just can't help but wonder about the other."

"Its not that I didn't trust you."

"Then what was it?"

"My bank account is nobody's business."

"That's not. . ." she exhaled and threw her hands up. "Why are we doing this? I thought we decided at my parents that it didn't matter."

"Apparently, it does."

"Yeah. To you!" she retorted as she fought back tears of frustration.

"Lor. . ."

"I don't care about you having money! I don't care about you living the 'simple life.' That is fine! I told you that! What I care about is you trusting me!"

"Oh, like you trust me?" he challenged.

"When haven't I trusted you?"

"When you've gone to see Christopher or had lunch with him, but didn't tell me till later. Much later. When you didn't fill me in on what had happened between Rory and Dean."

"It wasn't my place to tell you about Rory and Dean!"

"But you never admitted you two were fighting about it either!" he pointed out. "I'm not the only one with trust issues in this relationship, Lorelai. And if you want to know the truth, I didn't tell you sooner because I didn't want to give you a reason to go for the door!"

"I don't. . . G-d Luke, don't you get it? I don't want to head for the door, or the hills, when it comes to you! I thought we both agreed that we were all in!"

"Then marry me damnit!" Luke yelled

"I. . . what? Where'd that come from? Are you just trying to shut me up?" asked a confused Lorelai.

"I. . .I. . ." Luke stammered.

"Luke?"

"I meant it! I. . . I want you to marry me. I have for a long time. I just. . . I never expected to blurt it out like that!" he answered sheepishly.

"You did before."

Luke smiled slightly, "and I kinda meant it then. I completely mean it now."

"You want to marry me?" she asked, surprised.

"And apparently you don't recipicate," he answered. "Forget I. . ."

"No. A woman doesn't forget something like that. Especially not from a man she. . ." Lorelai stopped surprised at where her thoughts and words were leading her.

"Not from a man she whats?" Luke asked moving towards her.

"She wants to ask her to. That she wants to marry," she answered looking at his shirt buttons, instead of his face.

"So does that mean?"

"It means that I love you and that I would say yes. I just won't say yes now because I don't want you to regret this."

"I won't."

"Luke, you didn't ask. You demanded."

"So, if I were to get down on one knee and ask?"

"Right now?"

"Yeah, you're all in," Luke muttered in annoyance as he moved pass her and towards the door.

"Luke, don't go!" she called watching as he stopped and stiffened. "I'd say yes any other day. Any other time, but. . . I am all in Luke. Only, I don't want to be knocked out of the game," she added as she moved towards him. "Ask me another day, when the world isn't so topsy tervy. When we're not worried about the rest of the world. When you can get down on one knee and ask and do it whatever way you plan. When you're not yelling and demanding," she finished as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning in close to him. "Think you can handle that, Mr. Danes?"

Closing his eyes, he inhaled and put his hands over hers as he let out his breathe. "I guess I can."

"Just to warn you. I'll be expecting some serious bling," she teased as he turned in her arms.

"Like I didn't already see that one coming?"

"Are you suggesting that I'm predictable?"

"In some areas," he shot back as he leaned in and sucked a specific spot on her neck, not surprised with the reaction he coaxed from her body.

"You are staying right?" she somehow managed to gasp.

"Oh, yeah," he answered smoothly as he maneuvered her back towards the stairs.

"Good. . .very. . .very. . . good. . . ."