If One of Us Had Been a Frog

Chapter Six: More

Disclaimer: Duh.

Summary: Maybe Dean was right. Maybe she would want more… or maybe she'd want him.

A/N: Love you guys! Thanks so much for all these great reviews. Keep 'um coming!

Oh and incase you haven't noticed, I'm not doing this in order. Where's the fun in that anyway?

Please review.

Luke watched Dean as he walked away. He tried to convince himself that he was wrong. Rory and Lorelai were different. Him and Dean were different. Him and Lorelai were different.

He tried convincing himself that Dean was just jealous, or mad, or upset, and just taking it out on him.

He tried so hard to make himself believe that Dean was wrong. Lorelai wanted to be with him. She wanted the house, she wanted the future, she wanted him. She didn't need more, she needed this. She needed him.

She wasn't Rory, and he wasn't Dean, and they were enough for each other. They were it for each other.

But, as hard as he tried to convince himself of those things, it wasn't working very well.

Maybe the house was a bad idea. Maybe she wouldn't want it. Maybe she'd want more. Maybe Dean was right. Maybe he was only setting himself up for disappointment. Maybe she didn't want the future with him. Maybe she wouldn't want the kids or the family. Maybe she'd get bored.

And hey, maybe Dean wasn't that far off. Lorelai didn't like commitment. She ran from it, everyone knew that. What made him think he was any different?

He just hoped he was. But, maybe he wasn't.

Maybe he was exactly the same. Maybe she'd run from him, too.

Then, he glanced up at the house in front of him. With those columns, and that brick…

He loved that house. He wanted it for him, not them, right? It was for him and… whoever, right? It didn't have to be for Lorelai. It was for his family, whoever that would be. It didn't have to mean Lorelai.

But he wanted it to mean Lorelai.

He didn't want that huge house, if she wasn't going to be in it. He didn't want the family, if she wasn't a part of it. He didn't want the kids, if they weren't with her. He didn't want any of it without her.

And before he knew it, he found himself running all the way to Lorelai's house. He wasn't even sure what had come over him, but he just had to see her.

"Luke?" She asked. "What are you-"

He walked past her, and started pacing around her living room, while she shut the door.

"Are you OK?"

"Where's Rory?" He asked.

"She threw up a few times, and now she's passed out in her room, why?" She said.

He paced around the room for a few more seconds, trying to think of what to say. But there wasn't anything he could say.

He couldn't tell her he wanted to buy them a house. She'd freak out. No, he couldn't do that.

He looked up at her, and he knew something was wrong.

"You OK?" He asked, stepping closer to her.

"You first." She said, sticking a finger out at him. He sighed, and gathered her in his arms, and started stroking her hair. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her head on his chest.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing." He told her.

"Luke…" She said.

"I just wanted to make sure Rory is OK." He said.

"She'll be OK." Lorelai said, somewhat sadly.

"Are you OK?" He asked her.

She sighed, and held onto him a little bit tighter. "I don't know… I just… Rory was… She was just lying there… in the bathroom, crying and crying… over this boy, and how… how he doesn't like her and she's just crying, wondering what she did wrong… why he doesn't like her… It's just… It's not Rory." Lorelai said. "I just don't like it… Boys." She growled.

"She'll be OK." Luke told her.

"I don't know." Lorelai said.

"She's Rory… She'll be fine. This happens." Luke told her.

"Not to Rory."

Luke nodded, pulled her into a hug, and stroked her hair.

"Do you still think Rory deserves a prince?" Lorelai asked, pulling away a little bit.

"What?"

"The Pippi night… You said she deserved a prince."

"Right." Luke nodded.

"Do you still think so?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah." He told her, touching her cheek gently. She took his hand and led him to the couch. He had his arm wrapped around her, and she was snuggled against him.

"I just… I want her to be happy." Lorelai said.

"I know." Luke told her.

"I don't like seeing her like this… a mess on the bathroom floor… It's not Rory."

"I know." Luke repeated. He couldn't get Dean's words out of his head. He wanted to, but they stuck, and they get repeating through his mind. Rory deserved a prince. She deserved more than Dean. She deserved a man who would take her places, take care of her, call her back, and keep her off the bathroom floor. She deserved a prince. But so did Lorelai. Lorelai deserved a prince, too, and he wasn't a prince. He was far from a prince.

"You OK?" She asked, looking up at him.

"I'm fine… just thinking." He told her. "Can I ask you something?" He said.

"Sure." She told him.

"Do you ever… I don't know… want more?"

"What?"

"Do you want more… than this?" He asked.

"This? What do you mean?"

"This town, this life… you know… do you ever want more?"

"Luke… I ran away from more, remember?"

"Yeah, I know… I just-"

"What?"

"I don't know."

"Luke…"

"Well, Dean was just… I don't know… He was angry and…"

"Dean?"

"Yeah, he was helping at the Twickham house."

"Oh."

"He just said some stuff and-"

"What stuff?"

"I don't know… I just… You don't want more?" He asked.

"Luke… I love this town."

"I know."

"I'm pretty good with what I have right now." She told him.

"Well, what about the future?"

"The future?"

"Will you want more in the future?"

"What's with all the questions?"

"I don't know… never mind." Luke said.

"Luke…"

"What were we talking about before? Oh… Rory and her prince… Keep going." He told her.

"Uh… OK." Lorelai said. She nodded, and continued talking. "I just… I don't know… I want her to have someone… that you know, will take care of her, and listen to her… and I don't know, build her an ice rink when she's mad at snow… or make her cheesecake… and I don't know… make sure she's not working too hard, and support her in everything she does… And I want her to have someone who will bring her lunch if she breaks her leg… and watch a movie with her when she's lonely… and worry about her eating habits and coffee intake." Lorelai said, rested her head on the top of his shoulder, and looking up at him.

"What?" He asked, in almost a whisper.

"I just want her to have a prince." She said, reaching up and touching his stubble.

"I love you." He told her softly, before he even knew what he was doing.

She smiled at him, and continued to brush her fingers over his stubble. "I love you, too, Luke." She told him.

"Yeah?" He asked, not being able to hold in the grin.

"You thought I didn't?" She asked him, sitting up straighter.

"No… I just…" He began.

"I do." She told him, seriously.

"OK." He said with a smile, and leaned into kiss her. Maybe Dean was wrong. Maybe they were different. Maybe he was different. Maybe this was different.

Maybe she wasn't going to run. Maybe she would like the house. Maybe it was a good idea. Maybe she'd want to live there with him. Maybe this would work. Maybe she wanted him. Maybe she would want him forever. Maybe he wouldn't be disappointed. Maybe this was really it.

Their lips had barely touched when the door swung open, and Paris stumbled into the house.

"Paris?" Lorelai asked.

"Hi Lorelai." Paris slurred. "Want some trail mix?" She asked, holding out the bag.

"Don't get me started on trail mix, hun." She said, getting up and going to help her.

"Can I use your phone?" Paris asked.

"Maybe we should get you to bed." Lorelai said, and Luke stood up behind her.

"How can I help?" He asked.

"Get some blankets?" She asked, thankfully.

"Sure." He nodded and went to go his task.

"What time is it?" Paris asked. "Doyle probably called. I know he called. He called, and I wasn't there, so now he'll dump me."

"He won't dump you, Paris." Lorelai said. "Here, sit down." She said, sitting Paris on the couch. "Luke, can you get me some water… a big, big glass. The pink tinker bell one would be good." Lorelai called to him.

"Where's Rory?" Paris asked.

"She's sleeping, Paris."

"Sleeping? Ha! She's a party pooper… pooper, pooper, pooper." Paris mumbled.

"Here." Luke said, handing Lorelai the pink tinker bell cup. "I thought she might need some bread, too." Luke said, handing her a loaf of bread.

"We have bread?" Lorelai asked.

"I snuck it in here yesterday." He told her, and she smiled up at him.

"Is this the kind with the dots?" Paris asked, ruining their little moment. "I can't eat the kind with the dots."

"What's she talking about?" Luke asked.

"Who knows?" Lorelai said. "Hey, will you go outside and turn the outside lights on?" Lorelai asked.

"Why?"

"Kirk will probably be showing up any minute now." Lorelai said.

"Right…" Luke asked. "Do you want me to stay over tonight? I can help."

"You don't have to."

"Lorelai."

"You have early deliveries tomorrow Luke."

Just then Kirk came in the door. "Hey Luke. Hey Lorelai. What's wrong with her?"

"She had a little too much of Miss Pattie's punch."

"Can I watch TV?" He asked.

"Not now, Kirk."

"Please?"

"Not now." Lorelai replied.

"Fine." He whined, sitting down on the couch, crossing his arms, and frowning. "Hey, trail mix." He said, reaching for the bag on the table.

"If you touch that, I will take your hand and shove it up your… eye." Paris said.

Kirk slowly and quietly reached for the trail mix. "I see that, Kirk." Paris said.

"Drink some more water, Paris." Lorelai instructed her, and headed towards the kitchen. Luke followed her.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Luke asked.

"It'll be fine, Luke. They'll have killer hangovers in the morning, but nothing I can't handle."

"You're sure?" He asked.

"Luke, stop, I'm sure. Don't worry." She said, leaning in for a kiss. "I'll come see you tomorrow, I promise. Bright and early." She told him.

"OK." He said, hesitantly.

"Hey." She said.

"Yeah?"

"I'm really good with what I have right now." She told him, for the second time that night.

"OK." He smiled.

"And Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"You think you could throw another frying pan at Taylor tomorrow?" She asked, grinning.

"Definitely." He told her, and kissed her one last time.

"Yeah, I just saw Old Man Ketchum… He's not looking too good." Kirk told Paris, in the living room. "He's got a pretty bad cough… I think it's going to turn into something. I already had some foam fingers made."

"Kirk, shut up." Paris mumbled, biting into a piece of bread.

So, there we go. I know the whole I love you thing is weird, and everything. I just thought it fit. I don't know. Cuz Dean was making Luke all insecure, and everything, so I thought it'd be like the perfect time, you know?

17 minutes until the new episode. I hope it's great.

Please review.