Thanks so much for the positive reviews! This chapter will be traveling to North Carolina and the events thereafter. So I hope that you enjoy this next installment of A Different Kind of Family.
A Different Kind of Family So, who are you?"Lorelai. Lorelai wake up." Luke said to her.
"Ugghhhh…" Lorelai said in response. Need. Sleep.
"Lorelai come on we have to get going if we want to get to North Carolina by this afternoon." He told her.
Oh, that's right the paternity test in North Carolina. Lorelai lifts her head and looks out the window. "It's not even light out yet!" She tells him.
"I 'know but it takes like thirteen hours to get there." He told her.
Lorelai audibly groans.
"Come on." He says rubbing her back. "I have coffee."
"With you?" She asked, her voice muffled by her pillow.
"Yes." Luke said with a smile.
Lorelai shot up. "Well, why didn't you say so?"
Luke gets up off the bed and walks towards the door.
"What are you doing?" She asks devastated. "I'm only up because of the coffee, and now your taking the coffee away!" She says crankily.
"You're not all the way up. I know you, you'll sit there and drink the coffee and then lay down and go back to sleep." Luke says with knowing a grin.
"Fine." Lorelai said pouting, then she very slowly getting up.
"Atta girl." Luke tells her.
An hour and four cups of coffee later they finally make it to the car. They get in the jeep and start the car. They're on the edge of town and arguing about what music to listen to (AC/DC or Jethro Tull), when Lorelai realized that she hadn't called the inn to say she wouldn't be able to come in the next few days.
"Dragonfly Inn, Michel speaking."
"Michel."
"Lorelai where are you? The inn is completely booked!"
"I'm sorry Michel. I cannot come in for the next days."
"Well, why not?"
"Family business."
"Fine! Go off gallivanting and leave me here to deal with the annoying guests!"
Dial tone.
It was about 4:00 P.M. by the time they made it to Raleigh. They checked in to a Holiday Inn, and headed to Mira Dunning's office. When they got there, a woman in her forties with graying hair came to the door.
"Hello!" She called out. "You must be Mr. Danes!" She said cheerfully, putting her hand out to shake hands.
Luke shook hands with her. "Yes."
"Mira Dunning, nice to meet you." She answered.
"Nice to meet you too." Luke responded.
"And you are?" Mira said looking at Lorelai.
"I'm Lorelai Gilmore. Luke's fiancé." She said shaking Mira's hand.
"Well, welcome! Matthew and Maria are just inside. They're very anxious to meet you." She tells them enthusiastically.
Luke flashes her a nervous mile and nods. Lorelai notices this and takes his hand in her and gently squeezes it.
"It's gonna be fine." She whispered.
"Thanks." He whispered back to her.
They entered a small bland office building and saw two teenagers sitting in a pair of chairs by the far wall. The girl had dark brown straight hair reaching her shoulders and green eyes. She was wearing a black AC/DC T-shirt, jeans, and combat boots. The boy, had lighter brown curly hair a little on the long side, blue eyes, and was wearing a fitted T-shirt with 'Easily Distracted' on it, khakis, and gray converses. He looked just like his father.
After a moment a man entered the room, and asked Matthew and Maria to join him in the back room. They followed him back there and then returned a few minutes later. Then the man asked for Luke to go back. Lorelai gave him a comforting smile and watched the man she loved go and get a paternity test. When Luke returned to the room we were informed that it would take two days to determine if the test was positive.
Mira suggested that Luke and Lorelai go out and do something to occupy themselves. So, Luke and Lorelai exited the office and returned to the jeep.
Luke sat down in the driver seat and sighed deeply.
"Hey, are you okay?" Lorelai asked him concerned.
"I'll be okay, it's just a big day, ya know?" He told her.
"Yeah I know. Let's go do something. How often are we in North Carolina?" Lorelai said suggestively.
"Never." He deadpanned. "What do you want to do?"
"We could go shopping?" Lorelai suggested excitedly.
"What else do you want to do?" Luke asked.
"Luke we really need to go shopping." She told him. He looked at her dubiously. "I'm serious. We're gonna have to have things for two more kids when we get home. Like beds, linens, food, clothes." Lorelai told him seriously.
"We don't know that they're coming home with us. First we have to find out the results of the paternity test." Luke told her.
"Luke, seriously. You know that they're your kids. Matthew looked exactly like you when you were younger." Lorelai told a blushing Luke.
"You really think?" He asked her.
Lorelai nodded vigorously in response.
"I guess you're right. But I don't think they'll need new clothes." He told her.
"Well, school is starting soon. But we can do that when we get home." She said. "Come on there are some good malls here."
"Oh really, and do you know where they are?" He asked matter-of-factly.
"As a matter of fact I do." Lorelai said pulling out her laptop.
"Ah, so that is what you were you doing on your laptop the whole time." Luke says.
"Yes. Now, I say we hit Crabtree Valley Mall. It's on Glenwood Avenue, okay?" She told him.
"Alright fine." He said giving in.
The next forty-eight hours were a blur. Between calling Sookie and having her set up some cots for the twins to sleep on, and buying things that they would need and wouldn't need. The day came for the paternity test and Luke was a nervous wreck. He got up and dressed in his usual flannel shirt and jeans. He wanted to look a little nice today son he went without his hat and tucked his shirt into his pants.
They pulled up to Mira's office and sat in the car. Luke sat frozen for ten minutes, and Lorelai started to worry.
"Luke? Hon? Are you okay?" She asked concerned about her fiancé.
Luke was so out of it he didn't hear her. He had a million thoughts running through his head. What if they're not mine? What if they are mine? Can I take care of them? What if they resent me for not being there for them for fifteen years? I don't know if I can do this.
"You can do this." Lorelai told him.
"What?" Luke said stunned. Is she a mind reader? Luke thought to himself. Then donned on him that he had probably said his last thought out loud. "How do you know?"
"Because you've been doing it the past nine years." She told him with a loving smile. "You better get used to it anyways for when this little one comes." She added rubbing her belly.
"I love you." He said with a small smile and then gave her a kiss. "Let's go do this." He said getting out of the car.
Lorelai smiled and followed him.
Inside the Office
"Well, now that everyone is here, I would like to read the results of the paternity test." Mira announced. Lorelai grabbed Luke's hand, she was a little nervous now. She half expected to her to say next, "Luke Danes you are the father!" Like they do on Maury.
But, Lorelai was wrong.
"The test was proven positive. Lucas Alexander Danes is the father of Matthew Alejandro Estavez and Maria Anne Estavez. Congratulations." She said with a smile. "Well, I'll leave you all to talk." She said going into the back room.
The room remained silent for about two minutes until it was broken by, who else, Lorelai.
"Maybe I should leave." Lorelai said.
"No. Stay." Luke said still not letting go of her hand.
"Okay." She said.
"So, who are you?" Maria asked looking directly into Lorelai's blue eyes.
"I'm Lorelai Gilmore. We're getting married." She said gesturing between Luke and herself.
"Oh." She answered.
"So," Luke began, unsure of what to say. "Have you guys ever been to Connecticut?" Luke asks.
They shake their heads.
"Really? Well I think that you might like it. In Star's Hollow, that's where we're going to live, it's a lot different than Raleigh. You'll know all of your neighbors, and don't worry its not like Stepford or anything, I mean they're not like rich stuck-up snobs." Lorelai said.
Matthew and Maria looked at her strangely. "Right." Matthew answered.
"Okay, so, where is all of your stuff?" Luke asked.
TBCWell well well, I hope you liked this chapter. I know it was a little awkward when they were talking, but in real life that is how it would be, so deal with it! NEHOO, please review and tell what you think. Gracias!