Author's Note: Sorry this update took a little longer than usual. Enjoy!

"Morning," Lorelai murmured as she felt Luke's hand run through her hair gently. He placed a quick kiss on her head.

"Morning," he said. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Yes you did," Lorelai replied as she propped herself up on Luke's chest. "But it's okay."

She smiled at him and suddenly Luke felt better about everything. Their relationship had been bumpy for the last week, but seeing her beautiful, bright smile seemed to reassure Luke that no matter what happened with April, they would be okay.

"I guess we never made it upstairs last night did we?" Lorelai said as she realized they were on the couch in the middle of the living room.

"No, we definitely didn't make it upstairs," Luke replied rubbing her shoulder lightly.

"I'm glad Babette and Morey are in New York for the week," she replied. "They'd have gotten quite a show since we didn't close the curtains."

Luke chuckled lightly. "Aw, let 'em watch."

Lorelai looked at Luke and her mouth hung open. "Luke Danes," she exclaimed. "You're a dirty man."

"And you love every minute of it," he replied.

"That's beside the point," she said leaning in and giving him a kiss on the lips. "What time is it?"

"Early," he said without hesitation.

"You woke me up early? We just made up. That isn't the most effective way to get back into my good graces."

"I thought making up put me back in your good graces," Luke pointed out.

"You have a point, but I really need coffee if it's early," Lorelai said and looked him hopefully. "And you make the best coffee in the entire state of Connecticut, possibly the world."

"We jumped from the best coffee in the state to the best coffee in the world?" Luke said as he shifted to get up. "That's quite a leap."

"It is, but without a cup of your coffee to wake me up I can't quite thinking clearly."

"I'll be back," Luke said standing up and giving her a peck before he pulled his jeans on quickly. He felt like he had to make up for the many days that they hardly touched due to the circumstances. He walked into the kitchen and went about preparing Lorelai's coffee.

"Hey Luke," Lorelai called into the kitchen after a few minutes. "Last night, when you talked about getting a lawyer, do you have one?"

"I have a guy who drew up the papers when I bought the building the diner is in," Luke replied. "I haven't talked to him a few years though. It doesn't matter. I think you can get a lawyer pretty easily as long as you're willing to pay."

"Right," Lorelai said sitting up and wrapping the blanket around her more tightly. "You probably have to go to a special lawyer though. One that specializes in paternity rights or something."

"Maybe," Luke called. "Hey, are you really okay with this? I know last night you said you were, but if you're not, then maybe we should talk about it."

"I'm okay with this," Lorelai said. Luke returned from the kitchen with a steaming mug of coffee and he handed it to her. He reached down and tugged his t-shirt on quickly before sitting down next to her. "Are you okay? You said you weren't sure what you wanted from all this."

"I want April to be happy," Luke said. "I don't want to take her away from her family or make things confusing for her. But, I also want to let her know that she can visit whenever she wants and I'd like to be able to see her every once in a while. I don't know that I'll be able to do that without getting a lawyer."

"Okay," Lorelai said as she sipped her coffee. "Then we'll get a lawyer."

"I'm sorry about all this," Luke said. "I never expected anything like this would ever happen to me—to us. I know it's not easy."

"It's fine," Lorelai said feeling resolved. She agreed with Luke. Things wouldn't be easy. They might not have the life she envisioned. She wouldn't be the mother of Luke's only child, but she was determined to support him. "Things can't be easy all the time. We'll get through this."

"Thank you," Luke said taking her free hand.

"You're welcome," she said and for the first time in a week she actually meant what she said sincerely.

Lorelai winced when she heard the lawyer's advice. She wondered if Luke would put up a fight and he had, albeit a small one. In fact, she was surprised by how little convincing it had taken to persuade him.

"The first thing we'll need to do is establish paternity," the Henry informed them.

"It's been established," Luke piped up.

"You've had a DNA test?" he asked.

"Yes," Luke said.

"What lab did the testing?" Henry asked getting ready to make a note.

"Uh, April's uncle oversaw the testing somewhere," Luke said. "I don't know the name of the lab."

"Wait, the DNA tests were presided over by a relative of the girl?" he asked.

"Yes, he's a scientist of some sort," Luke replied hesitantly. He had never thought about how ridiculous it seemed. Lorelai had been completely correct when she told him that listening to the word of a ten-year-old girl was crazy. He had never had to explain to someone he didn't know before and now he began to see her point.

"Well that's inadmissible," Henry said dismissively. "The test has to be done by an independent lab technician. If the girl's mother is as hesitant as you say she is to all this we'll probably have to take her to court to get the testing done.

"But the test has been done," Luke insisted feebly. "Why do we have to go through it again?"

"Because it's the law Mr. Danes," Henry replied.

"Fine," Luke said grudgingly. "Just tell me what I have to do."

It had taken about an hour to go over all the details of Luke's case. Lorelai sat by quietly and saw how Luke would get defensive and frustrated with the line of questioning. She watched Luke's face as they left Henry Gantry's office. She could see the frustration in his furrowed brow.

"You okay?" she asked.

"No," Luke said bitterly. "I have to take another DNA test, which I'll probably have to get a court order for, my dirty laundry will be aired in public and I realize now how stupid I sounded taking the word of a ten-year-old for DNA results."

"You weren't stupid," Lorelai insisted. "You believed April. She's a cute kid, I'm sure the face was something to be reckoned with."

"Yeah, but that isn't me," Luke chastised himself. "I never take the word of anyone, let alone a ten-year-old Mr. Wizard."

"You've had a lot to contend with," Lorelai said. "You'll get the DNA test and then you'll know for sure."

"We've got to win a court case first," Luke pointed out.

"No judge in his right mind would say no," Lorelai said. "A lot of people don't own up to their responsibilities. I've never heard of a judge turning someone away for wanting to be a part of their child's life. I mean, unless they're a crack addict or someone really horrible or unfit, which you aren't, so I have no doubt things will go according to plan."

She gave him that bright, happy smile and Luke returned it. He finally felt like things were coming into place. Sure, it wasn't the exact life he envisioned for himself, except the being with Lorelai part of it, but it seemed to be working. Lorelai was warming up the idea of April, as was Luke, and things were moving forward. It might not be the idyllic life he had hoped for, but somehow it seemed right, if not better, than what he'd imagined.

As Luke was unpacking his morning bread delivery he heard his cell phone ring. He knew that there was no way Lorelai was awake and he wondered who could be calling. He didn't bother to check the caller ID. He just answered the phone.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hi Luke," April's voice said quietly.

"April?" Luke asked. It was amazing how he could recognize her voice after only a few scant phone conversations. Although, on the other hand, he didn't have many ten year old girls calling him either.

"Yeah, it's me," she whispered.

"Is everything okay?" Luke asked suddenly alarmed. Luke never thought he had that worrying gene that seemed to go along with most parents, but April's voice made him feel like something might be wrong.

"Yeah, I'm okay," April assured him. "I'm supposed to be getting ready for school."

"Geez, you have to get up awfully early for school," Luke said noting the time.

"Well my ride comes early because there are other kids to pick up," April explained. "My mom told me that I can't come to the diner anymore. She was pretty mad that I came to visit you the other day."

"Yeah, well you should have told her where you were going," Luke said. "You know, just because your mom said you can't visit doesn't mean I don't like when you visit. But, I do think it's best to listen to her rules for now."

"I probably have to go to the doctor next week," April said switching gears. Luke never realized how quickly children changed the subjects of conversations. Luckily he'd had many years of practice with Lorelai for these types of conversations. "My mom says that there is a judge who is probably not going to believe my DNA test results."

"Yeah," Luke said uncomfortably. "See, if we want to be able to visit with each other my lawyer thinks that we need an independent DNA test."

Luke suddenly felt very bad about putting April through a DNA test. He hadn't really thought about the repercussions of hiring a lawyer and forcing the visitation issue.

"I did the test right you know," April informed him. "I had all the hairs from my samples and my uncle helped me. He's a lab technician."

"I know. I read the report," Luke said with a grin. "They might have a more comprehensive test though."

"Do you think they'll take blood? I hate the sight of blood. I did my testing with hair because it was easier to collect than saliva, but I know they sometimes do DNA tests with blood."

"I'm not really sure," Luke said not having thought about it. He wasn't fond of doctors or hospitals. In fact, he hadn't really thought about what the DNA test would entail if he was successful in court. Luke's stomach turned as he thought about it. The sight of blood didn't so much bother him. It was more seeing other sick people. That, coupled with the fact that a doctor with a large needle would be extracting blood-the body's very life source-from his body was slightly disconcerting to him.

"I hope they just use a cotton swap in my mouth," April continued. "That would be easier I think. Plus, it is just as accurate as a blood test in most cases."

"Really?" Luke said feigning interest. He wasn't really interested in hearing any more about medical procedures than he needed. "Hey April, does your mom know you're talking to me?"

"No," the girl admitted sheepishly. "She said I shouldn't see you, but she didn't say anything about calling you and you said I could call you anytime."

"I know I did," Luke replied. "I just don't want you to break your mom's rules. I don't want you to get in trouble."

"She's taking care of my brothers anyway," April said. "She won't notice I promise."

"Okay," Luke said skeptically.

"I'm going on a field trip today," April informed Luke. "We're going to Camp Firefly. I always wanted to be a Girl Scout, but since mom works at night I could never make it to any of the meetings. I think the best thing about being a Girl Scout would be eating the cookies though."

"Oh yeah, which ones are your favorites?" Luke asked in an attempt to get to April a bit better.

"I like the ones with the coconut and the chocolate," April said.

"Yeah, those Girl Scouts sure know how to ruin a healthy piece of fruit," Luke commented.

April giggled into the phone. "You're funny," she said. She chuckled for another moment before she hurriedly said, "Well I have to get ready for school. It was nice talking to you Luke."

"It was nice talking to you too," Luke said almost bashfully.

Luke hung up the phone and felt a sensation that he rarely felt. He had a similar feeling once or twice in regards to Rory. Her sixteenth birthday and her high school graduation, it was a fatherly feeling if he ever had one. There was something about talking to April that made him feel that she was a part of him, and, quite possibly, a better version of himself. Although they didn't look that much alike and April obviously had many characteristics that didn't exactly scream that he was her father, he just knew deep down that he was. Now all he had to do was get a court order to have another DNA test to prove it.

TBC