Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with Warner Brothers or Dorothy Parker Drank Here or anyone else attached in any way with Gilmore Girls.

Chapter 20 – Drawing Near

"Ohm, Dad could you please sit down for a moment. I, err, we need to talk with you."

Richard puts down the glass that he is holding and asks Lorelai, "Do you need money?"

Lorelai smiles poignantly as his question triggers a memory from seven years ago. "No Dad, we don't need money. Please, could you just sit down and listen."

Richard walks over to sit in the chair next to Emily. The tension in the room is palpable. Both Emily and Richard are poised on the edge of their seats as though they are ready to spring.

Luke squeezes Lorelai's hand tighter as their eyes momentary lock together. He is trying to send her as much encouragement as he can.

Lorelai takes one deep breathe, turns to look at her parents, and spits it out, "Mom, Dad, I'm pregnant. Luke and I are expecting twins on January 16."

There is silence in the room for almost 60 seconds. Emily is the first one to speak. "I suppose congratulation is appropriate."

"Thank you, Mom."

Finally Richard speaks, "When's the wedding?"

This is the question that Lorelai knew would come but she still doesn't know how to answer it. How can she tell her parents that once again that there will not be a wedding? That just like before, she plans to have her babies alone? Well, not exactly alone because Luke unlike Christopher will not abandon his children.

They will not understand, nobody will understand. She's not even sure that she really understands. She just knows that she will never get married. It is not her destiny.

She tried to alter the predetermined course that was set for her life but she couldn't. Fate has always found a way to stop her and always will. So finally she has accepted that fact.
She understands how crazy this sounds but it doesn't make it any less true. Every time she had tried to finally walk down that isle, someone or something prevented it.

For years she waited and hoped that one day she and Christopher could finally put their lives together but, of course that didn't happen. Not that she is holding that against fate. That turned out to be a good thing, actually a very good thing.

Then there was Max. He was such a great guy and she really did care for him. She wanted so badly to love him but she couldn't. He just wasn't the right guy.

So fate started dropping anvils on her head until she finally realized that to marry Max would be so wrong. Again, she felt that fate had been her friend and protected her from making a horrible mistake.

Then fate had led her to Luke. Theirs was a romance that was written in the stars and she thought blessed by fate. She felt that he was the one that fate always had planned for her. She saw it so clearly that night in the diner as he ranted on and on about saving Rory. She felt that fate had finally gifted her with the golden ring.

Sure, the wedding was delayed while Rory played out her adolescent rebellion but that was fate's way of giving Lorelai time to adjust. Lorelai always needs time to adjust to major changes in her life.

Then Rory came home and Lorelai experienced perfect happiness! She had Luke and Rory, the date was picked, the dress was bought, and the plans for the wedding were set. Then fate stepped in again.

Luke hid his daughter from her. She tried to understand and not see ulterior motives in it. She tried to be supportive him of his methods of dealing with April even though she did not agree with the way he chose to handle it. She tried to prove to him and to herself that she could do this. She really tried.

She spent months trying to believe this was just one more little test so she could prove that she was finally ready for this commitment. Luke had spend months patiently waiting with her for Rory's return. He hadn't agreed with the way she chose to handle the situation but he stood by her and supported her completely. She needed to do prove that she could to the same for him. But, she found that she wasn't capable of the strength and tenacity required for the challenge.

For months she had tried to ignore all her doubts and insecurities but she couldn't, they just grew stronger. She was losing the battle and she was losing her dream.

She had made one last desperate attempt to thwart fate. Somehow she knew that if she and Luke actually got married, fate would lose its power over her life. She begged him to elope but he wouldn't or couldn't. And that was the end, fate won again.

Now her father is waiting to hear about the wedding that she will never have. How can she tell him that she wants to get married, that Luke wants to get married, but fate won't let that ever happen? Lorelai knows it sounds crazy but it is what she believes.

Just as she opens her mouth to explain, Luke clears his throat and starts, "Richard, Emily, I know you both are aware of the bad patch that Lorelai and I have been going through. We are working hard to try to solve our problems but we are not there yet."

There is an uncomfortable pause before Richard turns a steely glare toward Luke and asks, "So are you saying that there will be no wedding? You are going to have a baby, two babies but no marriage?"

"What I am saying is that Lorelai and I are committed to each other and our babies."

"So let me see if I understand this correctly. You and Lorelai plan to raise the babies together but not be married?" Richard states in a business like tone.

Outraged, Emily exclaims, "That's absurd! Richard, tell them that's absurd. You two were engaged for months, you planned a wedding. Yes, you had a problem but obviously you are back together again. You are not children; you are two grown adults that need to take responsibility for your actions. You are going to be parents. You owe it to your children to marry."

Richard stands up and peers at Luke with disdain, "Luke, I wish you to join me in my study for a private discussion."

"Dad, please! Anything that you intend to say to Luke you should say in front of me"

"Lorelai, for the second time in your life, you are intent on bringing humiliation and scandal to the Gilmore name. There is nothing that I can say to you that you have not already heard and dismissed. Luke, on the other hand, is new to this melodrama. There are things that I wish to discuss with him man to man. I can not do this in front of ladies. I believe at the very least, I am entitled to this much respect."

Luke turns to face Lorelai still holding her right hand in his left. "Your father's right. I need to speak with him alone. You'll be alright?"

Luke looks at Rory for assurance that she will take care of Lorelai. Rory nods at Luke as she links her arm through her mother's and squeezes her hand. Luke stands up and follows Richard to his study.

Luke closes the door after he enters the study. Richard takes a seat in one of the pair of leather club chairs while Luke sits down in its adjoining mate. "This is a very serious situation, Luke and I do not understand your position on it."

Luke takes a deep breath and responds, "I'm sorry sir, I'm sure that you don't. It is a complicated matter."

"Complicated?"

"Relationships are always complicated."

"You appear to care for my daughter."

"I love your daughter very much."

"My daughter appears to care a great deal for you also. That is what makes this whole affair so incomprehensible. As you both love each other, I fail to comprehend the problem preventing you two from marrying as planned."

"Loving each other was never our problem."

Richard gets up from the chair and pours a scotch from the decanter on his desk and offers one to Luke who declines the offer. "If that is the case again I say I do not understand why you are unwilling to marry?"

"As I said before, it's complicated."

"Complications be damned! There are procedures and guidelines to follow in situations like this, but look who I am talking to. Both you and Lorelai have irresponsibly brought daughters into the world without bothering to provide a fundamental home for them. Why should I expect any different behavior now?"

Luke looks distressed as he shifts in the chair, "I will never abandon Lorelai or the babies. I will be there everyday and in everyway I possibly can. I am not Christopher."

Barely restraining his temper, Richard continues, "But you are unwilling to legally marry my daughter. And don't try to placate my anger with another vague reference to complications. I want to know, damn it, what these insurmountable complications are."

Luke looks down at his shoes as he tries to formula a response. This is the tricky part. He would rather that Richard and Emily think he is the one hesitating than for them to blame Lorelai. "Look Richard, I told you it is complicated but it's a private issue between Lorelai and me. I am sorry but I am not going to share our personal problems with you."

Richard suddenly smashes his hand hard down on the desk. "Damn it man, that is not acceptable." Peering closer, Richard asks, "You are the father, aren't you?"

"Yes, absolutely." "

Then why won't you marry her? Or is Lorelai the problem? Is she the one unwilling to commit?"

Luke closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before he responds. "Look Richard, all of this is my fault, I screwed up. You have a right to be angry with me. Belt me if it would make you feel better, just don't take your disappointment out on Lorelai. She needs your love and support now more than ever, especially with the pregnancy."

Richard suddenly looks concern, "Everything is alright? I mean Lorelai and the babies are healthy?"

"Yes, so far but the pregnancy has not been easy on her. I am sure that all of the upset and stress that she has been through in the last month or so didn't help and I won't allow her to be subjected to any more. She needs peace and calm and love right now. That's what I intend to give her."

Richard, who is a very bright man in his own right, can read between the lines of what Luke has told him. He knew some of the story surrounding the problems that caused this recent breakup but from this conversation he discerns that Luke has taken full responsibility to their problems, a position that a man like Richard respects.

Richard returns to the club chair and sits back in a relaxed posture. He takes a sip of scotch and reflects, "Lorelai is very like Emily in many ways, though I am sure that neither of them would acknowledge that."

"There was a time not so long ago, when, do to events that were happening in my life, I chose to shut Emily out in an effort to protect her from the realities of my problems. I believed that I was doing what was right for the both of us. I was not. I hurt Emily a great deal and caused a horrible division in our relationship"

"Emily is a very strong and proud woman. She meets all challenges and obstacles with confidence and resolve. Her only major vulnerability is her love of her family. Rejection by someone she loves causes her enormous pain that requires a long time to heal. Lorelai's leaving with Rory is still a very sensitive subject. My own rejection of her took months to heal, but with time and a bit groveling on my part we were able to not only repair but enhance our relationship."

Luke looked at Richard with a sense that something very momentous had just occurred. If Luke was a member of the new-age, feely, touchy believers, he might have recognized the last moments as a sort of bonding between Richard and himself. As is, he only concedes that Richard and he have reached a certain level of respect and understanding.

Richard gets up to refresh is scotch and this time Luke agrees to accept a drink. Just as Richard sits down again and hands Luke his glass, there is a knock on the study door.

From the moment that Luke followed her father out of the room, Lorelai's stress level began rising exponentially. She is worried about Luke and she is dreading the inevitable confrontation with her mother.

Emily gets up and heads towards the bar. "What would you like to drink, Rory? Lorelai, we have water, soda, or perhaps some fruit juice?"

"Grandma, do you have tomato juice?"

"I believe that we do, but if you want a Bloody Mary, we have this marvelous new recipe."

"No thank you, Grandma, just straight tomato juice please."

"Same for me, Mom."

Emily hollers out to the maid du jour, "Solange!"

"Oui, Madame?"

"My daughter and granddaughter would like tomato juice, please bring us a pitcher."

"Oui, Madame."

While the maid scurries off to get the juice, Emily pours and consumes her first double martini. There is an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air until the maid returns with the pitcher. Emily pours the juice and serves the girls their drinks. She pours herself a second martini and moves back to her chair. "So Lorelai, have you seen a doctor yet?"

"Yes Mom, of course, that's how we discovered that there are two. We are all healthy." Reaching into her handbag, she pulls out a large envelop. "Here Mom, are their first pictures."

Emily takes the envelop and pulls out the ultrasound. As she looks at the picture, she remarks, "Thank you Lorelai. I'll be sure to have it framed tomorrow so I can place on the mantle. That way, I can show all of my friends pictures of my newest grandchildren still inside my perpetually unwed daughter."

"Mother, please."

"Please what, Lorelai? We can't discuss the fact that once again you have gotten yourself pregnant and refuse to marry the father?"

"Grandma, please."

"I just want to know your excuse this time for not marrying the father of your children, Lorelai. Let's see, last time you used that you were too young. Are you planning to tell me this time you are too old?"

"Mother please, could we talk about something else?"

"No Lorelai, we can't. This is serious. Have you given any thought to how you are going to raise two babies alone?"

"I am not alone. Luke, their father, is with me in this."

"Honestly Lorelai, do you plan to drop the twins off at the diner each morning while you go to work so Luke can take care of them? Or perhaps you plan for each of you to take one child for a week and switch off? How do you intend to manage at night when both of the babies need to be fed and changed?"

"Mom we will work it out; I won't be alone. Actually Luke has moved in with me. He'll be there every night to help."

"He's move in with you? So you're living together? I see, let me get this straight. You can live together as if you are married, you can raise your children together as if you are married, but you just can't manage to actually be married? Am I correct?"

"Mom, it's complicated."

"No Lorelai, it's not. I understand that you and Luke had a problem, but if you are living together then obviously the problem has been resolved. What is it; you wish to be trendy like the Hollywood set? They all seem to be having babies without the bothering to marry first. Maybe you and Luke can head to Africa like that Burt Pitt and Angela somebody another to give birth."

"It's Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and no, I have no plans to give birth in Namibia. As for the other stuff, we haven't worked it all out, but we will."

"When Lorelai? This is serious; two babies are a major responsibility. I can already tell that the pregnancy has taken its toll on you. You look all washed out and tired. You can't handle this alone."

"Honestly Lorelai, do you ever think before you act? You are the most irresponsible woman alive. You need to consider the future of these children. What's happens if you can't take care of them? Sissy Masterman's daughter was bedridden for over 6 weeks with her twins. Have you thought about that? Who will take care of you then?"

Lorelai rubs her hand across her temple to soothe the her raging headache. Then she drops her hand to her belly and begins to rub circles across it to try to calm down the queasiness building inside before she answers, "Luke, Luke will take care of me and the babies. He takes care of me now. Please Mom could we talk about something else. How about your granddaughter? Don't you want to know about her exciting job at the Stamford Eagle Gazette?"

Lorelai turns to Rory and asks, "Don't you want to tell Grandma about your exciting job, honey?"

"Rory dear, I would love to hear about your job but not now."

Emily turns back to Lorelai, "What makes you think Luke will stay with you when you are fat and bedridden with twins if you're not married? Christopher didn't."

"Oh for God's sake Mother, Luke is nothing like Christopher. Don't even try to compare them. Do you actually believe that Christopher would have been around even if we did marry?"

"Grandma, Mom never kept Dad away. It was always his choice. I was never a high priority for him.

"Rory, if your mother would have married your father, he would have…"

Rory interjects, "He would have treated me like he treated GiGi before Sherry left him. He would have been gone most of the time."

"Rory, your father is a good man but..."

All of a sudden, Lorelai jumps off of the sofa and runs out of the room, mumbling, "Excuse me."

Startled, Rory and Emily follow her. They both see her run into the guest bath and begin to throw up. Emily shaken by the sight walks hesitantly to stand next to Lorelai and rests her hand gently on her daughter's head.

Rory heads to the study and knocks on the door.

The study door opens and Rory's head pops through. "Luke, it's Mom."

Luke immediately heads out of the room and follows Rory to the powder room where he can hear Lorelai vomiting. Richard chases closely on his heals. When Luke enters the room, he sees Emily standing next to the kneeling form of Lorelai as another wave of nausea strikes. "Emily, could you moisten a washcloth for Lorelai, please?"

Without a word, Emily moves away to get the cloth and Luke kneels next to Lorelai. He pulls her hair back and begins to rub her back.

After the latest wave of nausea subsides, Lorelai sits up and leans against the wall for support. Luke gently washes her face. Rory had retrieved the untouched glass of tomato juice and hands it to Luke who begins to force Lorelai to drink.

"Better?"

"A little, though I don't know when vomiting became a spectator sport?"

Glancing over his shoulder, Luke catches Rory's eye. Rory begins to shoo her grandparents out of the room and back into the living room.

Emily speaks to no one specifically, "Ginger ale, I think we have some ginger ale. That should help. Oh, and soda crackers, I'm sure we have soda crackers. That helps, too."

"That's not necessary, Grandma. Those don't really work on Mom."

Emotional wrought, Emily's voice rises, "Well, we can't just stand here and do nothing. She needs help."

"Luke is helping. He knows what to do."

Richard asks, "How long has she been having this problem?"

"A couple of weeks now but it has been better in the last week or so since she discovered tomato juice."

Incredulous, Emily questions, "Tomato juice?"

"Yeah, it seems to be the only thing that settles her stomach. It's worked pretty well until today." Rory meaningfully fixes her eyes on her grandmother, "I think all of the stress and provocation tonight may have exacerbated the problem."

Emily walks towards her chair hiding the regret and pain from everyone. She never intended to upset Lorelai. She was just so shocked by the situation that she had not been able to restrain herself.

After ten minutes or so, Luke comes out and picks up Lorelai's hand bag. It's an awkward moment and he is unsure of what to say. "Uh, I'm going to take Lorelai home."

Knowing that he should offer the requisite polite platitudes, Luke tries but the words catch in his throat. He's seething, not so much at Richard who he feels handle the news more or less as expected but at Emily. He doesn't know exactly what happened after he left the room but he has a pretty good idea.

"She's her mother, for Christ's sake!" he thinks to himself. "Doesn't she have an ounce of compassion in her? Any stranger could have seen that Lorelai wasn't feeling well tonight. You would think a mother would have some sort of instinct to offer comfort to her ailing daughter. But no, Emily Gilmore's feelings of disappointment and shame must take presidents over the health and welfare of her daughter."

Unable to say anything that could be at all considered polite, Luke chooses not to speak and merely turns to leave.

As he does, Emily unexpectedly suggests, "Her old room is still upstairs. You could take her there so she could rest. She could stay the night. You both could stay the night."

Luke faces Emily and responds, "No thank you. I believe Lorelai will be more comfortable in her own bed. Good night."

He walks back to the powder room to find Lorelai rinsing water over her face. He hands her a towel and says, "Fun night, huh?"

"Oh yes, just a classic Gilmore roast with us as the main entrée. I don't see any cuts or bruises on you or Dad so I guess you two managed to keep it civilized."

"It wasn't so bad. Your mother?"

"Classic form. A full force attack, like I was a Henry Cuir bag at the Barney's Semi-Annual Warehouse sale."

"Huh?"

Lorelai smiles at him. "Never mind. You never get any of my shopping metaphors and my head hurts to much to come up with a sports related analogy. Just accept that she was the consummate Emily Gilmore. I'm sure she was only getting started before my stomach decided to reenact the Vesuvius eruption."

"Well, at least you found a way to shut her up."

Luke pulls her close to him and wraps his arms around her. Using that low, honey tone of his, he asks, "How 'bout I take you home?"

"Did I ever tell you, you're my hero?"

"You're not going to break out in song again, are you? Because I hate that song."

"I would but I'm too tired. Let's go home."

Luke tucks Lorelai protectively under his arm as Lorelai rests her head on his shoulder. As they walk through the foyer, Luke kisses her head and teases, "You'll warn me if you feel like heaving again?"

Lorelai pinches him on the butt as a response.

Rory stood in the living room staring at her grandparents after Lorelai and Luke left. "I was ashamed of both of you tonight."

In unison, Richard and Emily cried, "Rory!"

"Your daughter came to tell you that you will have two new grandchildren and all you could do is attack her. You couldn't even spend five minutes to share this joy with her."

"You act as though she committed a crime. Actually, you showed much more compassion towards me when I had actually committed a crime."

"Okay, so Mom and Luke aren't married yet and I do mean yet. I believe that they will marry when they are ready. These past few months have been really hard on both of them. They need time and space to work their way back to each other. In just one week they have made enormous progress."

"Did you actually think that yelling at them was going to change anything; that if you screamed at them loud enough they would suddenly decide to schedule a wedding?"

"They are mature adults who see this situation more clearly than you. With or without your participation, they will be wonderful parents. These babies are lucky."

"They both have managed their lives fairly successfully on their own. They neither required nor solicited your opinion on their decision. You need to learn to respect their judgment or you will not be welcomed in their lives."

"Is that what you want? To be isolated from these new grandbabies like you were from me? Because, believe me, any more criticism from either of you will result in holiday only visits with the twins."

"And Grandma, if you bring up my dad one more time in front of Luke or Mom, you and I will have a serious falling out. He is not a part of their life together or of Mom's life separately. It's been over 21 years, get over it!"

Emily shifted uncomfortably, "Rory, I only mentioned Christopher name to…"

"Grandma, you mentioned Dad's name because you still harbor some weird fantasy that Mom and Dad will ultimately get together. That's never going to happen and I for one am glad."

Emily tries to defend her position, "Rory, you don't mean that. If your mother had married your father, your life would..."

Rory interrupts, "...not have been the magical experience that I cherish. Mom and Dad probably wouldn't have lasted even five years together. I wouldn't have grown up in Stars Hollow and I wouldn't be the person I am today."

"Grandma, Grandpa, I love my father but I am not blind to his shortcomings. He is a charming, witty, bright, and likeable guy but he is also weak, feckless, undependable, and selfish. I am glad that he wasn't around me much when I was growing up. I suspect his influence on me would not have been positive."

"Now, I believe I was invited for dinner?"

(tbc)