Title: Sweet Home

Rating: PG

Genre: LLR

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

Summary: following the events in Home…

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 Five

Sweet Home

by xenoprobe

(Outside the Twickham House)

"You ready?" Luke glanced at Lorelai and took her hand in his as they stepped onto the old porch between the large white columns. "Now, before we go inside, please remember that it needs a lot of work."

"Got it. A lot of work." Lorelai smiled and tugged his arm to get a move on things. "So this will be home…" she stated, taking in a large breath and holding it as Luke turned the key in the lock.

The front door swung open wide, revealing a barren foyer with hardwood floors and wallpapered walls. Lorelai stepped forward but Luke caught her at the waist before her foot landed over the threshold.

"Let's do this right." He grunted, hoisting her into his arms and they both laughed, recognizing the moment as momentous and unique. "Home sweet home…" he uttered, stepping inside. With Lorelai's hands clasped behind his neck, Luke leaned in for an awkward kiss. It wasn't as easy as he'd hoped and he released his hold on her and let her down softly; her body pressed against his. They took their time kissing, in no hurry to look around until they'd satisfied the moment's passion.

"So, this part I've seen." Lorelai glanced around the foyer.

"Well, let me be your tour guide then. I got to be more than familiar with this place." He smiled.

"When you were Taylor's 'special errand boy'?" she poked him in the stomach.

"Do not call me that." Luke tried on his best, gruff Diner-Man face, it failed him and they both laughed.

Hand in hand, they made their way from room to room, noting what needed attention or preservation. Luke pointed out the kitchen window he and Frankie Dell broke while hosting the Star's Hollow world series baseball game in the Dell's backyard as children. Lorelai fell in love with a blue cornflower design in the downstairs bedroom and felt the tug of sadness when she recognized it would have been something Rory would love. They passed by the hole in the floor upstairs, where the cannon ball had fallen through before the museum opening and finally they found what would someday become their master bedroom.

On the floor lay a large blanket with a basket of food and a thermos of coffee. Lorelai turned to Luke, grinning ear to ear.

"You did this." She kissed him sweetly. "I have got to get with the program or you're seriously going to outrank me as the romantic in this relationship!"

"Going to?" he teased. He sat down first and pulled Lorelai into his lap, lavishing her with kisses as they eased back onto the floor. "Welcome home…" he whispered into her hair.

"You're a man of many moods Luke Danes."

Luke produced a camping lantern from the basket and lit it as the sun began to set and the two ate and talked about the house for a while.

"We could knock out the wall between the kitchen and sun room, make it one big kitchen," Lorelai speculated excitedly.

"With a stove that would make Sookie jealous," Luke grinned, popping a cherry tomato in his mouth.

"Oh, and we could have a play room upstairs, in the room at the other end of the hall…"

"For kids or for us?" he waggled his eyebrows at her, suggestively.

"For kids, I mean, I am assuming that's what you want right? Kids?"

"M-hm" his mouth was full again.

"Jam hands and all?"

"Bring on the jam hands I say."

"You're crazy."

"You're perfect."

"Am not…" Lorelai attempted to swat at him but he caught her wrist and brought her fingers to his lips, kissing each one before he released her.

"You are to me." His face was stone-serious.

Lorelai shifted from butt-cheek to butt-cheek, getting comfortable on the floor. She poured herself a cup of coffee and smiled, "That room, downstairs, with the blue cornflower wallpaper… Could that be for Rory?"

"Of course. Absolutely." He repositioned himself against a wall and helped Lorelai to sit between his knees, facing away from him. "You know, it may not seem like it right now, but Rory is part of this house. She's your life and, in a way, she's mine too." Luke kissed the top of her head as she snuggled her back to his chest. "I'll never be her father, I know, but I feel lucky to have been around for so much of her life already."

Lorelai laced her fingers with his and sighed.

"You've always been there for us." The statement was nothing but absolute fact. "I want her to feel like this is home… It'll be hard."

"I know."

"No. I mean, it'll be hard making this home, when my place has been it for so long."

"Lorelai?" He reached one arm around her waist. "I'm not pressuring you am I?"

"What? No. No Luke… It's just time. Time to make these choices for ourselves and taking this house and making it ours is part of us evolving."

"Together."

"Like you said… when you find the right person…" She turned slightly and kissed him and for the millionth time she was struck by how easy this part of her life had become; How natural they were and how the simplest of kisses conveyed so much devotion.

"Things will get better with Rory." He was so confident.

"I know. I just wish it was sooner than later." She settled back against him and looked around the dimly lit room.

"At some point she'll recognize herself again. She'll find out what it is she needs to get back on track and somewhere in there, she'll come to you and you'll be there for her and everything will balance out again."

"You're right, I know it. I just really miss her and it's only been a few days." She felt like she could cry again but resisted the urge. "That's what hard about having a daughter who's also your best friend."

"What about Sookie? Could she be a stand in?"

"Sookie's waaaay more than a stand in,"

"Sorry, I know. I didn't mean to make light"

"S'alright. It's just that Sookie has Jackson and Davy and now Katy too."

"They named her Katy?"

"I named her Katy at lunch today." He could hear the proud smile in her voice.

"Well, maybe I can be your confidante until things with Rory level out."

Lorelai sat forward, turned herself around and wrapped her legs around her lover. "You are my confidante Luke. It's just different, not good or bad, just different."

He nodded in agreement. "Lorelai?" he spoke softly, deliberately.

"Yeah?"

"I want to promise you something." He looked at her earnestly. "This house… it's the last thing I'll ever do without talking to you about it. I don't want to keep things from you." She tilted her head in appreciation.

"Well, let me say back atchya then… no more big, life altering surprises without consulting each other first. Wanna shake on that sailor?" She shot out her hand and he shook it vigorously as if closing a business deal. Then he pulled her forward and kissed her to seal it.

They sat, staring at each other in the low light for a while until Luke lost the feeling in his ass.

"I need to get up. Move around a bit. You?"

"Yeah, I think my leg's asleep." She stood and wobbled a little. Luke rose and steadied her at the waist and she playfully pinched his butt. Something about the Twickham house and butt-pinching…

"Your place or mine?" he leaned in suggestively.

"Yours, big boy" she winked.

With arms full of blanket, basket and lantern, they made their way back to the diner, content in their silence.

(Lorelai's House)

Rory let herself in the front door and called out to no one. The house was unlit and she only switched on her bedside lamp, familiar with navigating in the dark.

All around her was evidence of her past. Her bed, pillows, even her dresser were frozen in a snapshot of a time gone by. Rory ran her fingers over the surface of her desk and came up very dusty.

"Mom was right, no dusting since I was last home," she mused to herself.

Despite the recent upset, Rory had already and long since given up this space as her home base. Two years at Yale and summer in Europe with her grandmother had distanced her enough to call this her mother's house instead of their own. But Rory still yearned for it sometimes; when she was sad, or stressed, or really happy even, there was something simple and comforting about crashing into her childhood bed and feeling secure there.

She sat down at the desk and scanned the books and papers. Nothing there needed her attention but she straightened up regardless. Then she pulled out a pen and paper and started to write:

Mom,

I came by the house tonight. You're probably at Luke's. I just wanted to get something from my room and it occurred to me that it wasn't technically my room anymore. Sorry if this as intrusion.

I also wanted to tell you that I'm sorry I didn't sound more excited on the phone earlier, about you and Luke getting married. I am really, really happy about it but have little energy for glee lately. He's a wonderful man and, more than dad, more than Max, I have always wanted this for you. I'm just sad that I'm not there to celebrate with both of you.

He came to see me yesterday, Luke did. He was so sweet and so concerned for both of us. I think I may have come off a little sour, please tell him I didn't mean to.

I know you think that quitting Yale is a mistake and that living with grandma and grandpa is wrong, but I don't really know what else to do right now. I need to be somewhere where I can think. Someplace quiet and removed from the mess I've made of things.

I don't expect you to understand me when I hardly understand myself but I promise I won't fail again mom. Someday I'll make it all up. But for now, I'll just take the book I came for and wait until you're ready to call, whenever that may be.

Give Luke a big hug and a kiss from me and remind him that he's getting the best deal ever.

I'm so sorry mom, for everything, but I have to do this on my terms.

Your Rory.

Rory grabbed her well-worn copy of Pride and Prejudice from the hutch and turned off the lamp. She placed the note by the phone and locked the door behind her and left the house as peaceful as she'd found it.

She sighed heavily as she started her car. She was tired and couldn't wait to get home.

To be continued…

Notes: More to come, stay tuned…