"I don't agree with this at all." Luke replied. "I think it's a bad idea and you shouldn't do it."

"Yes, you've made that clear." Lorelai returned.

"Why are you doing this?" Luke asked in a voice that almost made him sound heartbroken.

"Because, I never want Rory to think I kept her from seeing Chris. I don't want to keep something like that from my child. I know how it feels to not know who your father is… and even though I never admitted it to my mom, I've always felt this sense of incompleteness because I don't know who my real father is."

"He's probably some jerk, just like Chris, and you're life is much better not knowing him."

"Maybe…" Lorelai answered. "But I'd at least liked to have met him. To know we had the chance to be father and daughter."

Luke sighed. "Alright… but if she's missing one strand of hair from her head when I see her again, Chris will be missing his entire head."

"I'll be with them the whole time." Lorelai smiled. "But I appreciate that you're so protective… I'll see you later this evening." Lorelai leaned over and kissed Luke. "I love you."

"I love you." Luke repeated.

Lorelai picked up her daughter who was contently playing in the living room and walked out the door. Minutes later, she was at the park, waiting for Christopher.

"Lorelai…" Chris' voice called. He was smiling from ear to ear, as if nothing bad had ever happened between them. "Hey…" he walked closer and spotted Rory. "And this must be Rory"

"Yeah, this is her." Lorelai replied. "All 24 pounds."

"Hey, little girl… I'm your daddy." Chris smiled. "Can you say daddy?" He gently took Rory from Lorelai's arms. "Oh, she looks like you. That's probably for the best, however." Rory immediately began to cry. Chris bounced her in his arms, trying to sooth her. "Aw, don't cry…" Chris begged.

"Mommy…" Rory stretched her arms out for Lorelai.

Chris reluctantly handed over the toddler. "I guess it'll take some time for her to get used to me." Once in Lorelai's arms, Rory was satisfied and her tears dried. "So, are you hungry? Would you like to get some lunch?"

"No…" Lorelai replied. "I'm fine."

"Or we could go for a walk…" Chris suggested. "Maybe go by the pond."

Lorelai's eyes narrowed. "Chris, do you think this is a date?"

"No." Chris quickly replied. "Not a date… I just thought it would be a good time to talk. And… fix some of the stuff between us."

"We can't fix what's betweens us."

Chris' voice saddened. "Please don't say that."

"Did you even want to see Rory at all?" Lorelai's temper began to flare. "Or was she some excuse to get me alone with you?"

"No… I mean, yes… Yes I do want to see Rory, she's the whole reason I'm here. She's the reason I want to fix us… you know… we're her parents. We should be on good terms at least, right?" Chris was fluttering so much, it was nearly comical.

"If you want to spend time with Rory, you have until 3:00. After that, I'm taking her home." Lorelai's voice was firm and confident. "I don't have anything to talk to you about. I don't have anything I want to say to you."

Chris gazed down at the grass. "You hate me that much?" he asked.

"I don't hate you, Chris. I don't hate anyone." Lorelai replied honestly. "But I have nothing for you."

"You can't even pretend to like me, just for Rory's sake?"

"That's why I'm here right now…"

Chris shook his head. "Okay… I get it." Chris turned his back and began to walk away.

"You're leaving?" Lorelai asked.

Chris didn't turn around, he kept his back to Lorelai and Rory. "Yeah… I am. There's no point for me to be here."

"If you choose to walk away, now…." Lorelai began. "I'll never give you this opportunity again."

Chris didn't stop he continued to walk until finally he was out of sight. Lorelai felt an awkward feeling of sadness, not for herself, but for Rory. Here was her father's chance to be a part of her life, and he chose to walk away. Maybe Luke was right, Rory may have been better off never knowing, than having to deal with the fact that Chris wanted nothing to do with her.

"Come on, sweetie…" Lorelai said softly. "Let's go home."

As Lorelai and Rory walked through the door, Luke stepped out of the kitchen. "Let me guess, he didn't show?"

"He showed." Lorelai answered.

"Yeah, figures, five minutes with the kid and he thinks he's father of the year." Luke muttered.

"He wanted to talk to me… he wanted to work things out with us. When I made it clear, that there would never be an us again, he walked away." Lorelai set Rory down on the floor by her toys. "You were right… I shouldn't have taken Rory down there. She'll never get over her father walking away from her."

Luke was beginning to feel guilty "Hey, she probably won't remember this… she's only a year and half old." Luke tried to reassure.

"She'll ask me one day who her real father is, and why we're not married, and why she's never met him… and I'll have say, "You have met him sweetheart, when you were a baby… but he decided to walk away."

"Lorelai, you're acting like you wanted him to stay."

"I wanted him to be a father… even if he was the worst boyfriend, the worst friend, the worst son… I wanted him to be a good father." Lorelai's somber voice was depressing.

"I'll be her father." Luke said before thinking. Lorelai's eyes quickly shot up at Luke. Deciding to stand by his statement he took Lorelai by the hand. "I'd love to be her father."

"Luke… what are you saying?" Lorelai asked.

Luke gazed deep into Lorelai's eyes. "I'm saying… I want to marry you."