Kiss! LUKE!
By GilmoreGirl1979 (the Reigning Quote Queen)
Part of the ORIGINAL WOULDA SHOULDA COULDA SERIES
(ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUES!)

The Q: What if Nicole didn't show up to go skiing with Luke?

Friendly Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

It was: Keg! Max!
Is now: Kiss! LUKE!

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Chapter 9
For Those Who Came In Late!

The whole way home, Lorelai was trying to think of ways to tell Rory about what happened with her and Luke. She was coming up empty.

Lorelai stood at the front door for about five minutes afraid to open it. It was only when Babbette came out for the morning paper she pretended to be fumbling for her keys. Though why I'm coming home this late… or is it early, whatever. "Rory, I'm home," and Lorelai met her daughter in the kitchen with a breakfast offering from Luke's. It's just Breakfast, providing for my child, not a bribe! Well maybe a little bit of a bribe, "Hi"

"Hi," Rory said evenly from the kitchen table with just a hint of smug. She was still in her PJs and robe, her arms across her chest as if she was the mother up all night worrying. Lorelai couldn't tell if she was mad or just suspicious, or if she knew.

"I brought you pancakes … sausage, bacon, the works." Putting the offering on the table, slowly, not sure what awkward questions would be asked in the next moment.

"Thank you," Rory remained as stony and unreadable as the gargoyles at Chilton.

"And coffee, can't forget the Coffee," still trying to make conversation with her daughter, but Rory only continued to stare her mother down. Lorelai pressed, "What?" a little disturbed by how still and calm her daughter was; A drastic change from the spastic teen that a few days ago could not discern the sarcasm she was raised with.

"Does this breakfast come with a side of an explanation?"

"If you like … fresh squeezed explanation coming up?" let me just figure one out first.

"How's Luke?"

Oh God she knows. "What do you mean?" hoping Luke didn't leave hand prints on her to give away the secret too soon.

"Last night, You said you were going to check on Luke, and you finally call in the middle of the night to say you wouldn't be home, and here you are with a breakfast from Luke's in a poor attempt to distract me from asking about what happened last night with Luke?"

Lorelai sat across from her daughter while distant memories of being caught and lectured by Emily popped in her head. Rory accepted the breakfast bag her mother offered and asked "did Caesar make this?" as if she just wanted Lorelai to say "his" name.

"No, Luke did." She said trying desperately not to sound shy.

So his fit enough to fry? Then Rory noticed how Lorelai seemed to blush. How she was a little shifty with her body language, and basically looked quite guilty of something, "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"What did you do?"

I slept with Luke, "Nothing."

"Something's different."

Oh God, she can totally see my afterglow. "Well, umm …"

"Mom, please no surprises"

"Okay… In that case … I'll tell you after graduation…" and Lorelai got up and made to leave the kitchen.

"Stop!" Rory commanded.

"Rats!" Lorelai cursed, and turned back to face Rory.

"Sit." Rory requested, and Lorelai obeyed the teen.

"I want to know. Apparently what ever it is … it's big, big enough that you can't tell me? Now in case any horrible dangers or mishaps from this stupid stressful week kill me I want to die with a full grasp of what's going on."

"But…"

"No buts … We tell each other everything, and I don't have time for this, I have enough on my mind, and the not knowing is just gonna distract me from what I need to get done! Now, just tell me."

Rory was persistent; I've taught her too well. Lorelai sat down at the table with her daughter again, "well, I'm glad you're sitting, this is definitely 'sit down' kinda news."

"Oh really? From 'nothing' to 'news', how interesting; Now quit stalling."

She knows me well, "Do you want the long version or the short version?"

"Let's start with the short version? What has my little girl coming home at dawn?"

"Okay, here's the deal … you know that Jess is gone," Stupid observation.

"Yeah" Rory said in a small voice knowing her boyfriend had skipped town.

"Did you also know that … Luke and Nicole broke up?"

"Oh No?" the teen filled with sympathy for the diner man, Rory realized, "Loosing his nephew and his girlfriend in the same week… Poor Luke, is that why he's been so down?"

Lorelai was quick to explain, "well apparently Nicole and Luke … separated amicably… and he's been more upset about Jess."

"Okay? So when you saw him …"

"We talked, you know … like friends do…"

"Well, that's good. he doesn't really have anyone else."

"Funny you should mention that."

"What?"

"Well, during all that talking, Luke sorta mentioned that he thinks of us as family."

Rory softened again for Luke, "Awww, what a softie ..."

"Yeah, well um…," Couldn't keep her hands still, not sure how Rory would react to the news.

Rory was confused by her mother's sudden nerves. "Mom?"

"Okay, well …because of … last night … Luke and I … are … together."

"What?"

"I think I'm dating Luke," ummm, Lorelai, you slept with him… twice, "Strike that, I know I'm dating Luke."

Rory blinked a few times at hearing the words, "Okay … how on earth did that happen?"

"Well, when I went to see him, because if you recall, we," important to emphasize that word, "were both concerned about him. So Caesar let me into the diner. And when Luke and I were talking upstairs, somehow I ended up hugging him. And well, we were just so close … we started…" Lorelai never had a problem talking about this stuff with Rory before. Somehow it was different this time, because it was Luke.

"You started… what?"

"Kissing," Lorelai offered with a lame smile. "I kissed Luke."

"What?"

"Or he kissed me? … I'm not exactly sure who started it, but there was definitely a lot of kissing."

Nope sit doesn't make sense. "Woaw, woaw, woaw, you and Luke were kissing?"

"Yeah"

Rory took her time forming her next sentience because honestly she didn't know what to say. Rory finally asked, "Ummmm … so … how was it?" trying to figure out what Lorelai thought of this situation.

"Nice," Lorelai recalled what happened after the "nice kissing", "…very nice."

Rory noticed the glint in her mother's eye, and continued grilling, "did it go beyond … kissing?" almost afraid of the answer.

Lorelai didn't say anything, she only looked down at her twitching hands on the table top and pressed her lips together, please don't be upset.

Rory then saw the whole picture of last night's mysterious phone call. "Mom!" Rory sprang up from her seat, "You and … Luke?"

"Isn't that is how we opened this conversation?"

"but you were … with him… like with him with him? At the diner? Right in the middle of town? " I'm never gonna be able to eat there again. Rory retreated from the table and began pacing, "I'm not sure what to do with this information." Rory stood by the sink, and was quietly opening and closing her mouth trying to figure out a new angle. After a few false starts she finally got out "But … but what about Nicole?"

"Well … they broke up," Lorelai reinforced, "amicably broke up."

"But it just happened! He was upset about it … he's been moping around…"

"Over Jess"

"Over Jess?" Rory was shaking her head confused, plopped back into her chair, "Okay, I think I'm gonna need the Long version."

Lorelai took a deep breath, "Jess wasn't going to school, and he wasn't going to graduate. And Luke tried to get him to stay, to repeat the 12th grade, but Jess took off after his looser Dad."

Hearing about Jess hurt Rory's insides a little, "so that's what it was," she figured quietly.

"Yeah baby, I'm sorry." Lorelai saw the range of emotions cross Rory's face.

When their eyes met again, Rory's brow furrowed, "way to change the subject!"

"What?"

"I want to talk about you, and Luke and Nicole," she tapped the table three times of each involved party to focus her mother on the subject again.

"Okay?" figuring her daughter was still avoiding wallowing over Jess with the juicy gossip before her.

Rory started the full story, "Okay so the long, long version. Luke was dating Nicole ..." take it from there…

"… yes, but they Broke up…"

"… yeah, but why specifically?"

Lorelai had to be honest, "Well, that would be … me."

"What did you do to break 'em up?"

"Nothing." Really.

"Then how is it you instigated their breakup?"

"Okay … well, you remember your keg party…"

"Yeah?"

"Well, while you were twisting the night away, Luke and I had a little… impromptu Movie night."

"Theme?"

"Mel Brooks."

"Good choice, continue."

"Well, you see, he was waiting at the inn for Nicole, because they were going on their skiing weekend. … and I was keeping him company, but the Movie night turned in to … a sleep over…"

Rory's mouth dropped, "Wait … you two … that night, At the INN?" with wide implying eyes.

"No, no, we just … fell asleep during the movies …"

"Blasphemy! What would Mel say?" still unable to believe this was real.

"He'll get over it. Anyway …" Lorelai hesitated. "The problem happened because I was sort of sleeping really close to Luke."

"How close?"

"Like in his arms?"

"MOM!"

"Yeah, I know, but nothing happened! We were fully clothed, and I was asleep I didn't know I was all over him…" Lorelai took another deep breath, and continued, "but being in his arms…"

"What?"

"I don't know. all these thoughts and feelings came out of no where."

"Is that why you were looking at his butt at Kyle's house?"

"Yes, I admit it was totally checking him out that day…"

"Okay …"

"Well, Luke and I were sleeping… er, umm side by side. Well, a little closer than side by side … and apparently Nicole … saw us."

"NO!" You should write for General Hospital, Woman!

Lorelai nodded a confirming "Yes … She checked in really late, and walked in while Luke and I were snoozing … together."

"Don't you mean canoodling?"

"NO! What is canoodling any way…?"

"I don't know. So wow she saw you … together…"

"Yeah" Lorelai felt bad about it. Sure she didn't like Nicole, but if the roles had been reversed Lorelai would have hated to see that too.

Rory could see the whole scene in her mind, thinking of the unsuspecting Lawyer and her mother all over Luke. "Ouch!"

"I know, but we didn't know she saw us like that, and well in the morning Luke and I woke up and we were still all over each other …" and Lorelai reacted to the memory.

Rory raised an eye brow that begged for further explanation.

"Luke … nuzzled my neck…" Lorelai satisfied.

"WOW," not think Luke to be the cuddle type.

In a voice that betrayed her weakness for the diner man, Lorelai confessed "And I liked it, I mean, I'm only human, but he was still with her…" then Lorelai adopted a proper tone to teach her daughter that what happened was bad from a general ethics point of view "… and I knew I shouldn't be thinking like that. He was my friend, and he was with the Lawyer, and I shouldn't have been thinking like that, but… I was." Lorelai let out a deep sigh, "so anyway… Luke called Nicole to find out what happened and where she was, then Nicole tells him she saw us and breaks up with him over the phone."

"Jerk," Rory scoffed referring to the lawyer.

"Hey that is good for Mommy,"

"I know but still I feel bad for Luke."

"Okay, okay. So Luke has Jess and Hummels to deal with, and I'm trying to gage what an appropriate mourning period before I make my move…"

Aww that's so cute, she finally saw him and was pining for him.

" … So apparently he and Nicole sorted out that nothing happened between him and me on Keg Movie night, but they decided it was best to stay broken up anyway because Luke had a thing for me. And then, Luke was brooding over Jess and the surprise appearance of Jess' dad."

"Wow."

"Naturally I had you too take care of when Jess left and Luke seemed okay… but…"

Rory continued the thought, "… we wanted to be sure…"

"So as you suggested I went to check on him…"

Now putting two and two together, Rory concluded "…which you had no problem agreeing to, considering you little crush…"

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her daughter and continued to tell the story, "So I did. And we had some beer, and we talked about everything…" and I do mean everything.

"How much beer?" Rory figured that may have been the culprit.

"Only one, that I hardly touched"

"And Luke?"

"Only one," in my presence.

"Alright, Continue…"

"Well he just seemed so beat down and hurt from that punk." Now realizing who she was talking to, "Sorry, I can say that now right? 'he' is your ex boyfriend."

Rory was still avoiding that subject, "So you and Luke…"

"Okay, well, as I said, I was sort of hugging him, and trying to be reassuring and before I knew it we were kissing, one thing led to another, and … 'the rest' … happened." Trying not to get too graphic, after all what her and Luke did alone was no one's business.

"Who started the kissing?"

"I don't know," Lorelai shook her head.

"Well, whose idea was the … 'and the rest'?" Rory asked, with finger quotations.

Lorelai only pretended to think about it, "well, I guess that would be me."

"MOM!"

"Well, he seemed all for it!" Lorelai defended.

"Well, he's a guy," Rory recalled what Jess wanted and didn't get at the Keg party, "granted he's Luke, but still a guy!"

"Rory please, just tell me you're okay with this."

"With what? That you're having… relations… with our diner owner? Well it seems all settled… "

"Rory, please," it's not like I need your permission, "I'm just asking if someday you could… deal with this… you like Luke, you like me… now you just have to like Luke and me together."

"Together as what, exactly?"

"I told you, we're… dating, now. After we … you know… we talked some more, and we decided to be … a couple…."

"So you and Luke, … as in this is my boyfriend, Luke?"

"Yes,"

"I gotta Go think, " Rory made like she was going to retreat back into her room but then a suddenly realized, "he's coming to my graduation!" and sunk back into the chair clearly not finished discussing the subject.

"Yes, he is."

"Well are you going … together? What are you gonna tell Sookie, Jackson, GRANDMA!"

Okay, obviously I haven't thought this all the way through … "Rory, right now I just need to know what you think …"

"Well, Give me a minute … ""Sure okay," not wanting to be too force full with the issue. "you want me to reheat your breakfast."

"Bribery will get you nowhere!"

"What? I'm just trying to provide for my child that's all."

Rory opened the take out container and thought while she dissected her pancakes. "It's funny", she finally said.

"What?"

"Well, the first time I broke up with Dean, you had gotten back together with Max, and didn't tell me. Now I've broken up with … another boyfriend," not wanting to say his name. "And in less than a week, you are… 'with' his uncle."

"Yeah, funny," Lorelai wasn't sure if this observation helped her case of gaining the daughter's approval.

"You know mom, no matter how much you want to deny it … people have been waiting for this… for a long time."

"For us to…" Lorelai's tone suggested: to have sex?

"well just to get together, notice each other, I mean we knew Luke had a thing for you…"

"how could he not.."

"but with all the things he's done for us you never acknowledged him as a romantic option."

"…until now."

"And now you two… are together, how do you feel about that?"

"Well, I was a little jealous with … Nicole." Weirdo hording her pens.

"And Rachel," Rory knowingly filled in.

"Fine," Lorelai conceded, "and Rachel, but now I see I had good reason to be jealous."

"Mom," Rory winced, "Gross."

"Sorry, but I really am happy it happened," twice.

"What about Europe? You two aren't gonna go on a … real date for 3 months."

"Yeah we know," not hiding her disappointment.

"Awww, he's gonna wait for you?"

"Well he's been waiting for 6 years, apparently. What's another 3 months?"

"You're gonna write him everyday aren't you?"

"Or stuff him in my carry on."

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"That was all God given talent..." why thank you Luke!
7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,
"...Remember this is for posterity, ... so be honest."
Please be specific with R/R; name one (or as many as you can think of or want to mention..…) at least specific thing you liked

Please! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)

Hence the Rant option below.

Insert Rant here V
A/N: if not completely satisfied with this chapter, please return unused portion for a full refund …