Title: Base

Rating: PG

Genre: LLR

Spoilers: A House Is Not A Home (season 5 finale)

Summary: the continuing stoooory of a quack that's gone to the dogs… No. Seriously, this follows Home, And Hearth…

Disclaimer: Like all of the other characters I write about, these are not mine, nor were they ever. I make no profits, other than the rewards of imagination stretched.

Chapter Three

Base

by xenoprobe

Luke paused at the front door of the Gilmore residence and smoothed his hands over his shirt before ringing the doorbell.

"May I help you?" The maid was short and timid, her voice squeaky and high.

"Yes, ahh, Luke Danes to see Rory Gilmore."

"Immaculata, who's at the door?" Emily Gilmore's sharp voice called out from somewhere in the house. "We're not expecting anyone…" She was closing in.

The door swung open wide and Emily found herself face to face with the diner man.

"Mrs. Gilmore, Emily. I'm just here to see Rory."

"I see." Her lips thin and terse.

"Is she here?"

"Is she expecting you?" she regarded him cautiously.

"No. I doubt it."

"Did Lorelai put you up to this?"

"What? No. I think you know as well as I do that Lorelai would have my head if she knew I was here." He wasn't about to beat around the bush with this woman, not in light of everything. "Is Rory home Emily? I'd really like to see her."

Emily turned to the maid and instructed her to escort Mr. Danes to the pool house.

"Thank you." He offered as he passed her by.

"Luke," Emily called after him. "Is she…" Her voice trailed off, unable to ask her question.

"No, she's not Emily. We're far from ok about this." He turned and followed Immaculata out to the patio.

(Pool House)

"Yeah?" Rory opened the door in a breeze, not really focusing on her guest.

"Hi Rory."

"Luke?" She was genuinely surprised and smiled briefly before reality set in once again. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you."

"I see." She looked flustered as she glanced at her feet then back up the man her mother loved. "Come in, come in…"

Luke stepped inside, taking in the surroundings as he made his way to the sofa. Books on shelves, coffee maker on the kitchen counter, a crocheted blanket on a large stuffed chair and a novel cracked open nearby.

"Can I get you something? I just made a fresh pot of coffee." Rory looked up and anticipated his response, "right, you don't drink coffee. I've got water, or I can get the maid to bring you something from the house."

"No thanks Rory. I don't want anything." He sized her up, noticing how nervous she seemed, how unsure her body language was. He wanted so much to close the gap between them and offer her a big, big hug but knew it would be shockingly out of character. "Why don't you sit?"

"Um. Ok." Rory took a seat on the comfy chair across from him.

"Did- did mom send you here?"

"No. Rory. You're mom's with Sookie this morning, she wasn't up to going into work, I think."

"Oh." She still couldn't bring herself to look at him directly. "So, you're just here to see… me?"

"I wanted to make sure you were alright." Luke leaned forward on the sofa, politely challenging her to face him. "Things are…"

"A mess." She finished for him.

"Well put. A mess, they are indeed. I wanted to see you, make sure you were safe and all. You're mom likely won't be by for a while and I thought, this way, I can make sure you're ok and let Lorelai know that too." Luke stood and paced the length of the coffee table for a moment. "Is there something I can do Rory? Anything?"

"I don't think so. I don't think there's anything anyone can do, I have to sort this out myself."

"I can see where you might think that Rory. You're young and right now you might be thinking you have a lot to deal with. Big decisions about Yale and career and the life ahead of you." The youngest Gilmore nodded her head, following him with her eyes. "If there was any way I could convince you to not quit school, I'd be on it. But I think you've made your bed on this. But Rory, I won't leave here until you understand that your mom," he coughed nervously, "and I, are worried and love you and think you might be in the wrong place to be making these choices for your future."

Tears were brewing in Rory's eyes. She didn't want to collapse in front of Luke, it was too intimate, too much. She stood up to focus her resolve.

"Luke, I really, really appreciate you coming here to tell me all of this. I do. But I can barely even think without wanting to cry and I'd rather not do this right now." She squared her jaw and held his regard. "I think… I think you need to go."

Luke stepped passed her and made for the door then reconsidered. "Rory. Please think about this. You know the kind of history your mom has with her parents, your judgment is cloudy right now and I just want you to consider that they might have ulterior motives for letting you stay here."

"Luke, I asked- no begged- my grandfather to let me come here. They had nothing to do with it." A solitary tear escaped down her cheek.

"I know, I know. I'm just saying that I can't quite believe that this is the life for you- maids, pool houses and stealing yachts. You're better than all this Rory. You're better that your rich boyfriend and his family, who, for the record, must be blind and stupid to not see you as the fine young woman you've become. I just don't want you to forget that you come first and you've worked really hard to get this far already.

Another tear escaped.

"You have the unusual burden of being great. Just like your mother." Luke stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If there is anything I can do, you know how to find me right?" Rory nodded her head, unable to speak. "Ok. Well, I'll let you get back to your book."

Luke paused and watched another tear slide down Rory's face before pulling her into a hug. He patted her back as she sniffled against his shirt. It wasn't quite as uncomfortable as he'd imagined and Luke gently kissed the top of her head before releasing her.

"See ya kiddo." The words were dry in his throat.

"Thanks Luke."

He smiled weakly as he walked away, leaving Rory to her thoughts again.

(Star's Hollow)

Luke shifted the truck into Park in a space outside Doose's market. He felt a little out of sorts without his flannel and ball cap standards but he entered the market with as much resolve as he could muster in a dress shirt. Taylor was in the produce section, talking on a cell phone about the strike down for the bike race. Luke waited at a polite distance until the older man was finished his call.

"Taylor. We need to talk."

"Luke, nice to see you. What can I do you for?" Taylor was uncharacteristically pleasant.

"I want the Twickham house back. You said I had three days to finalize my decision and my decision is final, I'm taking the house." He left no room for misunderstanding.

"But Luke, you told me yesterday to, what was it you said, oh- 'forget the house, forget the whole damn thing, I don't need it anymore.' That was you who said that right?"

"Look, Taylor, I know what I said. I know it may have seemed,"

"Seemed?"

"I know I came across a little harsh."

"Harsh?"

"Yes Taylor, harsh. But I can assure you without a shadow of a doubt that I want that house. I am taking that house. It is my house." Luke stepped forward in a pointless attempt at intimidation. "I need that house." He finished at almost a whisper.

"Well, Luke. When you called off the sale of the Twickham house, I thought Kirk might want to buy it and thought I might speak to him about it."

"You told Kirk? Aw jeez…" Luke turned to walk away then reconsidered. He turned back to Taylor and grabbed the man by the sleeve. "C'Mere…" Luke ushered him outside.

"You told me" he wagged a finger in Taylor's face, "that I had three days, three days, it's the law- that's what you said! Now, you can just march right on over to Kirk over there," both men glanced across the town's park at Kirk chasing a dog in a zig-zag pattern, "and you can tell Kirk the deal's off. Whatever the deal is – it's off. The house is mine and Lorelai's."

"Now looky here Luke, you can't just go around ordering people about, shaking your finger and making demands,"

"I can do whatever I want Taylor, it's a free country, or did you have that amended in the Star's Hollow code book too?" Luke was seriously close to losing his last vestige of control.

"Answer me this, if you will. Why did you give up the house yesterday? Why did you come to me and insist I drop the matter?" Taylor rocked back on his heels, his arms crossed over his chest.

"It was… I thought that…" he stammered. "I wasn't sure it was what Lorelai wanted." He finally answered.

"And now you are sure." It was a statement, not a question.

"I am, without a doubt, sure, Taylor." Luke shot him a serious look to punctuate his claim.

"Well, Luke, you'll forgive me if your word is holding less and less water these days. I mean, you fight, tooth and nail, for the Twickham house and tell me it's for you and Lorelai and the family you are planning on, then you turn around and tell me to scrap it all. What am I left to think Luke? If it weren't for the bike race, I was seriously considering cracking out the pink and blue ribbons again."

"No! No ribbons Taylor! We are not breaking up. We are not having trouble. We are not waiting for the house Taylor. Now, I signed everything in the right place, you watched me do it, and you hand-delivered my copies yesterday evening."

"Well, if I'm to proceed with this matter, I need some assurance. Something that tells me, once and for all, that you won't turn around tomorrow and call the whole thing off."

Before Luke could register what was coming out of his mouth, the words had already leapt from his lips, "We're getting married." Crap, crap, crap…

"Why that is good news. My congratulations to you both Luke." Taylor offered his hand.

"I'm not shaking your hand Taylor. Not until you give me my house." Taylor withdrew his hand for a moment, seemingly weighing something in his mind.

"Oh all right…" Taylor conceded and Luke grabbed the older man's hand and pulled him into a brief, stiff hug.

"What do I have to sign?" Luke ran his hands through his hair.

"Nothing. I hadn't taken any action on your paperwork yet. Everything's still in order." Taylor smiled broadly.

"But… Kirk? I thought…" Luke considered his temper. "You made me go through all of that when I still, in actual fact, had the house?" Luke shoved his hands in his pockets to distract the urge to hit something. Or someone…

"It's important, Luke, to know what you are fighting for." Taylor gave a little nod and turned to go back to the market. "Oh and Luke? Congratulations again!" He waved and disappeared inside.

As Luke turned towards the diner, he heard the fast approaching sounds of running feet and suddenly he was in a vice grip hug with Sookie wrapped around his waist. She jumped up and down, forcing him to do the same.

"Luke! Luke! Luke!"

"Sookie?" He tried to pry her arms away. Man, she's strong.

"I'm just so happy… Aren't you soooo happy?"

Luke tried on a gruff face but couldn't resist finally giving in to a little glee. "I am." He agreed. "I'm really happy Sookie."

"Aw sweetie, you deserve it. You both do." Sookie stepped back and rubbed Luke's arm gently. Behind her, Jackson arrived with Davy in a stroller and the newborn, yet unnamed, in a sling around his torso. Luke nodded his hellos.

"So, I hear congratulations are in order my friend." Jackson extended a hand and Luke shook it vigorously. "That's some grip y'got there fella." Both men smiled.

"We just left Lorelai, she was on her way home." Sookie's ear to ear grin dulled for a moment. "Things are pretty messed huh?"

"Yeah. Don't quite yet know how we'll get out this one but we'll figure something out I guess." Luke scratched his head.

"It'll be alright. I just know it will. It has to." Sookie's smile returned. "I'm just so happy! You're getting married!" She slapped his arm and jumped one last time. "ok, we've gotta go… we're off to our first post-baby check up, wish me luck!"

"Good luck. And thanks you guys. Thanks for everything." Luke watched as the young family crossed the street, Sookie's hand in Jackson's and he smiled inwardly at the image of what he'd someday share with his Lorelai.

To be continued…

Notes: Ok. I have realized upon closer inspection, that there are a couple discrepancies in my first two chapters. I am going to attempt to edit them, but if I am unsuccessful, please know that Luke should have said that he both signed for and gave up the house on the same day, not a day later. And in the second chapter, I mentioned Lorelai canceling a meeting with Doug of the Durham group… that should have read 'Mike'. As for the above, I hope it is going in a direction you can get behind. I fully intend to keep writing so please, keep reviewing and sending me feedback- it is much appreciated and so needed!