Hey everyone! Chapter 8 is ready to go! Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter, the reviews were great! Please don't forget to review after this! I'm shooting for 10 reviews, which is more then I've ever gotten for this story.

Chapter 8- The Proper Thing to Do

Richard looked at the pair for a moment, confused, before greeting them.

"Lorelai, Luke, hello. Please, come in," Richard said, recovering from his confusion. Lorelai scooted through the door past her father, with Luke in tow.

"So, dad, where's the maid?" Lorelai asked casually on her way to the sitting room. She was trying to stay off topic for as long as possible.

"Oh, your mother fired her this morning," Richard replied, as if it should be obvious.

"Why do I ever bother asking anymore?" Lorelai muttered to Luke with an eye roll. Luke just grinned slightly as they both sat down. "He's going to say no," Lorelai whispered, as her father had yet to enter the room.

"He's not going to say no. If he says no, I'll march over there and beat him up,"

"Are you mocking me?" Lorelai asked in fake shock.

"Maybe," Luke replied with a grin.

"Mean! Very, very mean," Lorelai joked as her father entered the room. Richard took a seat across from the couple and looked at Lorelai, waiting for her to say something.

"So, uh, where's mom?" Lorelai, queen of subject-avoidance asked, while Luke nudged her with his elbow.

"She's at a DAR function of some sort."

Well that's good. Hopefully this will be easier with only one parent present, Lorelai thought.

"Oh," Lorelai replied. Luke nudged her again, urging her to get to the point. He didn't want to stay at the Gilmore's any longer then necessary. Lorelai was tapping her fingers nervously on her knees. Luke reached over and took her hand, resting both of their hands on Lorelai's knee. He flashed Lorelai a reassuring smile. Lorelai grinned back at him softly, then took a deep breath and turned to look at her father.

"Well, dad, Luke and I are getting married," Lorelai began.

"I am aware of that, Lorelai," Richard replied, annoyed.

"I know, dad. Anyway, at the wedding, I need someone to escort me down the aisle. And I thought that maybe you could do it. Now, I know you probably don't want to-,"

"Lorelai-," Richard began.

"-and I know that you guys don't approve of Luke and me; and our wedding-,"

"Lorelai-," Richard tried again.

"-but this is my wedding and-,"

"Lorelai!" Luke cut in sharply

"What?"

"I think your father would like to say something," Luke told her.

"Oh. Go ahead, dad," Lorelai said, turning back to her father.

"Of course I'll escort you down the aisle, Lorelai," Richard began, and Lorelai began to smile. "I am your father, after all, and it's the proper thing to do." The smile vanished off Lorelai's face when Richard completed his statement. She sighed, and Luke squeezed her hand.

"No, dad, you don't understand. I don't want you to do it because it's 'the proper thing to do.' I want you to do it because you're my father and you want to do it."

"Lorelai, I want to do it. Trust me. You're my only daughter and I would be honored to take part in your wedding.

"But I thought you and mom were against this whole thing?"

"Yes, well, your mother and I may have overreacted slightly the other evening. It is obvious that you are in love with this man, and nothing your mother and I do or say will prove otherwise. Perhaps it is possible that, despite what we once thought, we don't always know what is best for you."

Lorelai's jaw dropped. That was almost an apology! Lorelai couldn't remember a time when Richard or Emily Gilmore had ever apologized of their own free will. Much to Lorelai's surprise, her father then turned to Luke, acknowledging him for pretty much the first time since he had some into the room.

"And Luke, I believe I owe you an apology," Richard began as Lorelai's jaw dropped even further. "Emily and I never should have reacted the way we did; not while we had a guest. No matter what our opinion was, our reaction was uncalled for."

"Oh, well, uh, that's okay Mr. Gilmore," Luke replied uncomfortably. He, too, was taken off guard by this sudden change of heart. Richard turned back to Lorelai.

"If there's nothing else, I have some work I should be doing."

Lorelai peeled her jaw off the floor and stood up.

"Right. Well, thanks for your time, dad," Lorelai said as she and Luke headed for the door, Richard behind them. Lorelai suddenly swung around to face Richard, almost causing him to walk into her.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, Lorelai, I'm sure." Richard replied with a small smile. Lorelai, caught up in all of the father-daughterness, reached up and hugged her father-awkwardly. Very awkwardly. Luke stifled a laugh as he said goodbye to Richard and followed Lorelai out the door.

Lorelai sat in the car, dumbstruck and speechless, as they pulled away.

"I can't believe it," she said.

"What?" Luke asked, confused. "He agreed; he apologized. What's the problem?"

"That's just it. He apologized. I think you are the first person in history to get an out-and-out, honest apology from Richard Gilmore," Lorelai old Luke, who laughed.

"Well I'm just glad it all worked out," Luke said, putting a hand on Lorelai's knee. "You know, we may have to go to your parents' house more often."

"And why is that, exactly? Do you enjoy near-death experiences? Have a death wish, maybe?"

"No. It's the only way to get you to be quiet. Every time we leave there, you're speechless for a good fifteen minutes," Luke joked. Lorelai playfully hit his arm.

"You are a mean, mean, man, Luke Danes," Lorelai said with a grin before leaning against Luke with a smile.

TBC

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