Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear ProFfeSseR, happy birthday to you!

Actually this chapter is kind of a present for you, because I didn´t want to update till Friday at least, because I was sooo fast this week that I thought you needed a break. But because it´s your birthday...! I hope you have such great weather like we do here in Germany today!

to localizy: Thanks, now I got it!

to orangesherbert7: I think after this chapter I´m gonna make you wait, so don´t get too used to it!

to muffin aux carottes: "Post the rest please!" --> I might be fast, but not that fast! P.S: J´aime bien ton nom!

to Tonks2004: I don´t think that´s possible. You can only be mad at the author, but please don´t be mad at me!

Chapter 22: Merry Christmas

If Rory wouldn´t have been there, the evening would have passed in complete silence. Neither Luke nor Lorelai were saying a word, they just answered some questions. After the dinner Luke had cleaned the kitchen and washed the dishes. Then he went outside, what caused that Lorelai ran to the window, afraid that he might leave again, but he just shuffled the snow away.

Lorelai focused the whole evening on Will. She nursed him, cuddled him and played with him and just ignored everybody else, except Luke, which she observed the whole time.

Her parents left shortly after the dinner, sensing that this wasn´t an evening to celebrate and Rory excused herself and drove back to Logan, to their skiing-trip, which she had interrupted.

After Lorelai had put Will in his crib and had unpacked the bag with his clothes she walked back into the living-room where she found Luke on the couch, doing nothing but sitting there in the dark. She sat beside him and waited. He wasn´t angry anymore, neither was she, but there was a thick wall between them and she needed to break through it.

"Where have you been?" she asked him.

"In Maine, in Liz´s summer apartment." He answered. They weren´t looking at each other, both just staring at the floor.

"The lamps in the bedroom are broken. We need to get new one´s, I can´t fix them." he told her then.

"I´m sorry. I was so angry when you left that I just... Should I buy some new ones?"

"Yeah."

Again there was silence for some minutes. And again Lorelai broke it.

"Luke we need to talk about it. About what happened and what we´re gonna do now."

"I know. But I just can´t... you ... when you said..." Luke shook his head.

"Can we talk tomorrow?" he asked after a pause.

"Sure. I just need to know..." she began but then stopped. She wasn´t sure if she wanted an answer to that question.

"What?" he pressed

"Do you.. do you still love me?" she whispered. He looked at her and then lay his hand on top of hers.

"Of course I still love you." he said. A single tear ran down her cheek and he pulled her closed, hugging her, while she rested her head on his chest. Her arms were around his waist and he stroked her hair with one hand.

"I love you, too" she sobbed.

After a while when she was able to control herself again, she untangled herself from him and stood up.

"I´m going to bed, I´m tired. Night!" she said and walked towards the stairs.

"Lorelai?" Luke called her and she stopped.

"Merry Christmas!" he said

"Merry Christmas" she answered and walked upstairs.

Lorelai walked into the bedroom and realised for the first time the chaos she had left. She walked to the closet and began to lay Luke´s clothes back in there. One of his flannel-shirts she threw on the bed. Then she picked up the wedding picture in the shattered frame and lay it on her night-stand. She picked up her make up and creams, before she dressed herself in Luke´s flannel. It calmed her and somehow reassured her that they would work this out.

She crawled into the bed and under the covers and lay the pictures of William on Luke´s night-stand. When she lay her head on the pillow she felt something cold and searched with her hand for it. She felt that it was a chain with something and wanted to switch the light on again, but then remembered that the lamp was broken. She stood up and walked over to the window. It wasn´t that dark because of the moon and then snow on the ground and she was able to see what she held in her hands. She opened it and saw the picture,then turned it around and saw the dedication.

A small smile appeared on her face and she put on the necklace with the amulet. She crawled back into the bed again, this time on Luke´s side.

She placed an hand on her stomach and stroked it lightly.

"Hey you two. Merry Christmas!" she said and lay on her side and fell asleep. It had been the first time she had allowed herself to realise that she was pregnant again. She would have another baby. Babies. There were two babies in her. Their babies.

Luke sat on the couch for some time, then walked upstairs to get a blanket. The door was a bit open and just when he wanted to enter he heard Lorelai´s voice, talking to their babies.

He smiled and silently walked back downstairs and lay down on the couch.

The next morning he woke up because he felt some weight on his stomach. He opened his eyes and saw Lorelai sitting on the edge of the couch and she held Will, who was sitting on Luke´s stomach, smiling and squeaking when Luke opened his eyes.

Luke sat up a bit and then placed a kiss on Williams cheek.

"Good morning my son. You slept well?" he asked him.

"I think so, because now he´s wide awake and wants to open his presents" Lorelai answered for him and gave Luke a little smile, which he returned.

"I don´t think that he knows that there are presents for him." Luke tried to get back to their banter, which had always been a save ground.

" Well, he´s my son and I always knew when there were presents, Rory always sensed it, so I think there is a huge possibility that he also has that talent." she accepted his offer.

"Then we better don´t make him wait" Luke said and took Will and then walked over to the Christmas tree and sat down on the floor. He placed Will in his lap and handed him a small present.

Luke looked up and saw that Lorelai was staring at them, playing with her new amulet she wore. She placed it over her finger, so that he could see it.

"Thank you" she said then.

"No, thank you" he answered and they both knew they weren´t talking about the necklace.

"Will, no! This paper is nothing to eat!" Lorelaismiled then and sat down next to them under the Christmas tree.

TBC Please review