Luke stopped his truck, got out and stormed up to the front door and pounded his fist on it.

Richard opened the door "Luke it's late...what's going on?"

Luke stormed past Richard into the foyer.

Emily walked down the stairs "Richard what's going?…oh Luke what are you…"

Luke swung around to face Emily "I can't believe it, I honestly can't believe you would treat them like that"

"Luke what are you..." Richard started but Luke continued talking over Richard

"Your daughter and your granddaughter, you claim to love them but I'm yet to see it. You know, all the years I've known Lorelai I've heard her stories about life here at this house with you two and I never truly thought it could have been that bad but now… now I'm seeing the truth. Now I'm seeing why Lorelai is the person she is and why even though she is the most amazing woman you will ever meet she doubts herself so often."

"Luke you have no right…" Richard tried to cut in but was again ignored

"No I have a right. I love those two girls more than anything in the world and I will protect them as best I can from anything or anyone who tries to hurt them. Do you know what you did tonight? You crushed your daughter and your granddaughter. She is getting married and she wanted nothing more than for her parents to be there and to support her and love her for who she is. But that was too much for you wasn't it. Have you two ever really tried to get to know your daughter or don't you care?"

Richard turned to his wife "Emily what's this about?… wait you told them.. I told you to wait for me"

"What difference would that make, so you could both gang up on her and order her around"

"Luke … we're were just doing what we thought was best…" Emily tired

"What was best for you so you could control their lives. Lorelai has built a wonderful life for herself and Rory. She has her own house, a great job, friends in a town that love her and would do anything for her and she has me." Luke stopped for a second, took a deep breath, "You know Lorelai and I have the money to pay for Chilton, I haven't said anything to her because I didn't want to cause trouble. We will be paying for Rory's school. I will get a check to you for the money you have already paid out"

"Luke I don't think..."

"We are paying for Chilton" Luke raised his voice "I will not let you have this hold over them. The only reason they come to this house is because you have blackmailed them into coming, they wouldn't step foot in here otherwise"

Both Emily and Richard were silent and Luke wasn't sure but he thought he saw tears in Emily's eyes. He took another deep breath realizing he may have been too harsh "Look wouldn't you rather that Lorelai and Rory come here to see you because they want to not because you make them? I know you don't like me and I know you don't think I'm good enough for Lorelai and Rory but I love them and I, unlike you, I will never hurt them, not intentionally. You may not know it but everything you say to Lorelai, every little dig at her hurts her. You may not have meant to hurt her this time but you have, you don't know them at all but I suggest if you want to be apart of their lives you stop judging them and really get to know them or you might just loose them forever." Luke turned and began to walk out, as he shut the front door behind him he saw Emily and Richard staring at him in silence.

Luke walked back into the house a few hours after he left to find Lorelai sitting on the couch coffee mug in hand. She turned her head towards the front door when she heard it open. "Hey, was the diner locked?"

"Uh,... yeah.. Couldn't you sleep?"

"No, I woke up about 10 minutes after you left. You were gone a while"

"Yeah...um Lorelai... I think I've done something really stupid. I was just so angry and I think I might of made things worse"

"What things?.. What are you talking about?"

"I was just so mad that they would do something like that" Luke sighed "... I went to see your parents"

Lorelai tensed up

"I'm sorry but I just couldn't let them treat you two like that anymore. I yelled a little, told them they were stupid"

Lorelai put her hand on Luke's arm "no one's ever stood up for me before, well not to my parents anyway. It's okay hon, you couldn't of done anymore damage than what was already done." She hugged him but Luke pulled back

"There's more..I kind of told them that you wouldn't be going back for Friday night dinner"

"Well that wasn't a lie"

"No I told them you wouldn't be going back because I wasn't going to let them blackmail you anymore and that we were going to pay for Chilton"

"Luke we can't afford that, I won't let you use your money..."

"Yes we can it's our money. Lorelai why do you think I have that money? I saved hard and didn't spend it because I didn't have anything or anyone I wanted to spend it on. Lorelai the money is just sitting there and there is more than enough for Chilton and there will still be money left over. I want to do this. The money is ours and well... Rory is my daughter, I know she's not mine but in my heart she is. I've always felt a fatherly love for her and I want to be apart of her life, for real. I want us to do this. What else are we going to do with the money? I can't think of anything better to spend it on."

"Shoes" Lorelai said quietly to lighten the mood. Her eyes welling up with love as Luke talked about Rory. She pulled him into a hug again "My mother will never know how wrong she is - you're far too good for me"

"Back at ya... so you're not mad?"

"Luke how can I be? You were standing up for us because you love us and because you know us, you know what makes us happy"

Luke kissed her "I am so sorry about your parents"

"It's not your fault. I can live without them, I have for most of my life. If it comes down to them or you.. You win every time" Lorelai looked into his eyes "Are you sure about Chilton? I mean really sure. I mean I'm happy to let my parents keep paying and just not show up for dinner"

"Lorelai if the money was yours you'd pay for Chilton, well the money is half yours and I honestly want us to"

Lorelai ran her hand over his cheek "I love you so much"

"I love you too" Luke kissed her softly "Come on it's been a long night let's get some sleep"