Disclaimer: Don't own anything! If I did, I would want to own Luke Danes. ;p Also, if I did own GG, there would be no such existence of the Nardini's, and LL would be happily married at the end of S6 while making Lorelai's dream in S3 become a reality in S7.
Author's Note: I know... I know... I. KNOWWW! I totally suck. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for this chapter to take this long to get done, but every time I kept going back over it, it just wasn't flowing right to me (still doesn't seem good to me, but I might come back later and edit again). Also, it's way longer than usual... (Ha dirty!), but only because I wanted the chapter to finish the whole day, instead of unnecessarily separating it into more than one chapter, so hopefully you all will accept this extensively awaited and long-ass update as an impromptu apology, so please forgive me for the lengthy wait. Hope you enjoy!
Also, to the awesome guest reviewers: sixteengrace1600 (seriously sis, you gotta make an account so I can keep you updated lol) and Nancy, you guys are awesome (as well as all the other amazing reviewers). I really wish you'd make accounts, so I could personally thank you for continuously reviewing each chapter and motivating me with your amazing and encouraging words. It really gets my gears goin', so thank you!
Vital Company
Chapter 15: Scurvy Saints
Following his unrequited late-night phone call to Lorelai, Luke had managed to hunt down his sorry sack of a brother-in-law. He swore he checked every bar within a 40-mile radius, knowing TJ couldn't possibly have gotten that far. It wasn't until he circled back and headed to KC's to check once more, that he spotted the man himself walking out of the restroom and retaking his spot on a stool at the bar.
Luke charged at him and had every intention of ripping him limb from limb, but once TJ had conveyed the events that had taken place between him and his wife, Luke quickly realized that his sister's problematic situation would be a much easier fix than he had originally thought.
He drove TJ back to his and Liz's home, where Luke was even able to talk his sister down from her self-inflicted petrifying ledge that she had teetered on. He couldn't help but reprimand himself for being able to easily fix everyone else's problems, but his own.
After successfully reconciling Liz and TJ, Luke decided to head back to Lorel– home. He was adamant about getting back in the habit of being there every night for the rest of his life, and when Lorelai returned, he'd gladly prove that to her.
When he finally made it home, he shoved the gearshift into park and killed the engine before he exited the truck, and made his way towards the house. He trudged his way up the front porch and paused briefly as the uncontrollable ache punctured his feeble heart at knowing that Lorelai wouldn't be on the other side of the threshold to greet him. He unlocked the door and let himself in, turning slightly to relock it once he was inside. He exhaled dolefully at the chill of emptiness that washed over him as he ambled further into the darkened house.
With the layout of the house being hard-wired into his brain, he blindly plodded his way up the stairs and into their bedroom. He flicked on the bedside lamp that sat on his nightstand, allowing the light to dimly shine throughout the room. He frantically attempted to dampen down the hollow-like feeling that now permanently took up residence within him as he allowed his eyes to take in the Lorelai-deficient sight of their room.
He made his way over to the dresser, emptying his pockets with one hand, while his other removed his trusty blue cap from its rightful spot upon his head, placing it next to his wallet and keys.
He picked up his cell phone and walked back over to carefully place it on his nightstand – next to the framed picture he had flipped back over earlier that morning – as he opened the little drawer and pulled out his charger that Lorelai had rolled up and tucked away neatly. He plugged the base into the wall, while he connected the other side to the phone – quickly checking the screen to see if he had somehow managed to miss a call from his fiancée, only for his shoulders to slump significantly with disappointment at seeing that he hadn't. He replaced the phone onto the surface of the table and strolled back over towards the dresser.
He retrieved his usual sleeping clothes from his drawers then hopped in the shower, desperate to rid the day's stressful happenings. He finished up quickly and brushed his teeth, exhaling another laden sigh as he once again felt the pang of need to see Lorelai's toothbrush next to his. After he finished up, he exited the bathroom and slowly made his way towards the bed.
Although he was physically and emotionally drained, he internally admitted that he was truly terrified to fall asleep. He was anxious about being subjected to another horrific nightmare, one that he wouldn't be able to control once in an unconscious state. He knew for a fact that he couldn't bear another dream where he wouldn't be able to rescue Lorelai. The images from his other nightmares constantly haunted him, even while he was awake, and he knew it would just about kill him if he had to suffer through another one.
"I need you in my life, Luke… I need you." Her pleading voice from her previous message rang in his mind, just above a broken whisper as she consented her infrequently seen vulnerability to take center stage.
Her words replayed over and over in his head, fueling him with increasing hope, like lighter fluid to a famished flame. She needed him, just as much as he needed her. No matter if it were a day, a month, a year, or even a lifetime from now, he knew that fact would never change.
There just was no Luke without Lorelai, and – although he knew it may be incredibly selfish of him to think – he hoped there was no Lorelai without him either. He liked to think of them as a two-piece puzzle, without one, it was impossible to complete.
"I love you, Luke. I love you so much…" She completely put all of her trust in him to revive her damaged heart that she allowed to spill over into his brawny hands as she desperately sought for his in return.
His thoughts were relentless inside of him – an internal war that whirled in his mind as his body continued in autopilot. The only thing he was more than certain of was that he so badly wanted Lorelai to come back to him. He knew nothing could be right in his world when the core of it was missing.
He stretched over to set the alarm clock that was perched on Lorelai's nightstand, before plopping himself down on the edge of his side of the bed as he fazed out on the picture of him and Lorelai. She hung the eleven by fourteen framed image on the wall above the dresser a little over a year ago. It was one of the first pictures she hung with the two of them after becoming a couple. She told him that even if he didn't like taking pictures, as the years would go on, she'd only add more of them to their walls.
The picture that he couldn't peel his eyes away from was taken on the night of the Magazine party that they went to for the Dragonfly, out in Manhattan. In the picture, Luke had an arm firmly wrapped around her shoulders, while his other arm was securely snaked around her waist – holding her close to the side of his body as he smiled – he seemed to be whispering something to her with his lips next to her ear, while Lorelai's arms were locked together around Luke's mid-section, her eyes sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight as she smiled brightly, obviously intrigued by his words.
The two of them looked so happy, and as if they were in their own little world, blatantly enraptured by each other.
His stomach churned with disgust at his foolishness. The guilt and anger boiled within him as he thought about the secret Lorelai had hesitantly revealed to him weeks after the magazine party, of how she thought she might've been pregnant, only to later find out that she, unfortunately, wasn't. With everything in him, he wished that she had been. Since then, he would continuously find himself thinking about what could've been, and what they would've had if she had been pregnant.
He hated the fact that she felt that she shouldn't go to him and tell him about it at the time, but what he hated, even more, was that what he would usually project about kids made her scared enough to feel like she couldn't.
One night during one of their ritual pillow talks, he gently explained to her that he had only ever thought about having kids with her, and he needed to say those things before - when they weren't yet together because he truly didn't think she would ever be an option for him. He assured her that he wanted nothing more than to have a family with her, and to have kids of their own together, hopefully in their near future. But he hadn't realized that their intimate moments and pillow talks they would have on an almost every night basis stopped completely when April came along. He knew it wasn't April's fault though. It was his, and his alone.
The bright, happy, and carefree woman that he had fallen in love with so long ago was gone, and in came a broken and miserable imposter that he didn't quite recognize, and to make matters worse, this new imposter woman was only there because of him.
He had worked so hard for years to break down her iron walls that she had built around her heart, only to self-sabotage his own succession once he was almost across the finish line.
Somehow, he couldn't help but think that if his dad were still alive, he'd be kicking his ass all over town for being such a damn fool.
Luke missed Lorelai more than he could explain, and he knew that no matter how long it took or how difficult it might be, he would fix them. He was so sure about that because he refused to accept a life without Lorelai. He'd prove his love to her again and again, for the rest of his life if that's what it came down to. He knew in his gut and in his heart – without a doubt – that she was it for him and he was going to marry her. She would be his wife very soon if things played out his way.
Luke heaved out another heavy sigh as he combed a hand through his slightly damp hair. His movements were languid as he inevitably laid himself down on the bed, relaxing his tired and aching body. He rolled onto his side and looked regretfully at Lorelai's vacant section of the bed, truly wishing that she would magically appear.
He reached over and claimed her pillow, hugging it tightly to his chest, while he allowed his eyes to slip shut as he deeply inhaled the distinct sweet-smelling aroma of her. He could vividly recall the many memories of Lorelai lying next to him with her thick wavy locks delicately fanned out over her pillow as her soft hand would reach out to caress his stubbly cheek, while her lips would be painted with an affectionate smile directed towards him.
He swallowed thickly, before inhaling another deep breath of her remaining essence. He held his eyes closed as he squeezed her pillow to his chest even tighter, severely grasping onto the memory of feeling her warm body tangled up with his.
It wasn't that he only missed her for their intimate time together – although he'd be lying through his teeth if he said he hadn't missed those amazing moments – he truly missed her presence. Ever since they got together they hadn't even been apart – well, not including that horrible time after her parent's vow renewal. He absolutely hated the fact that he'd been so wrapped up with April, that he hadn't comprehended the apparent absence of Lorelai in his life.
He once again drew in her alluring scent, his eyelids still seemingly glued together as he dove headfirst into the vision of inveigling blue pools that gazed intently back at him. He was powerless against the forceful wrenches of the cataleptic world as he was wholly ingested into the tempting obscurity.
The warm weather outside brought in the regulars who created the evenness hum of chatter that surrounded Luke as he hustled about around the diner. He delivered several plates to the table in the far corner – that sat Reverend Skinner, Taylor, Kirk, and Lulu as they discussed the upcoming Easter Sunday Town Event – just as Luke heard the bell above the door sound off.
He immediately knew who the new patron was, and not because everyone called out her name in greeting, but he knew just by the welcoming sensation of the flourishing current that ignited throughout his body. There was no doubt in his mind that it was definitely his wife that had just walked through the door. He grinned widely at the sheer thought of her as he turned around and quickly made his way over to her just as he watched her take up the empty seat in front of the register at the counter.
Luke came up and stood slightly to the side of her as he rested his right hand on her lower back, while his left hand mechanically went to caress the slight curve of her stomach, "Hey!" He whispered lowly, placing his mouth next to her ear before he twisted a bit to plant a kiss on her lips. He pulled back a little to bend down closer to her stomach as he greeted softly, "Babies."
Lorelai turned her head to glance up at him in acknowledgment just as he resituated his position beside her. Her mouth struggled to manifest a genuine smile as she replied gloomily, "Hi, babe…"
Luke furrowed his brows at hearing her disconsolate tone. He set his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him as he bent his knees again to be at eye-level with her, "What's wrong?" He questioned softly, not wanting the town's busybodies to overhear, but his tone was genuinely full of worry.
Lorelai sighed as she averted her eyes from his, "I don't wanna talk about it." She responded, her voice barely above a whisper as she pressed her lips together in a tight line.
Her wavering response and unusual demeanor caused Luke to frown deeper, clearly not accepting her answer, "Hang on." He told her, lightly squeezing her shoulders, before he walked over towards the entryway of the kitchen and called, "Ceaser?"
"Yeah, Boss?" The cook's jovial voice could be heard distantly.
"I'm heading up to my office." He informed his head cook, "Glenn and Dennis have things covered out here right now, but Zach should be here in about twenty minutes."
"Okay, Boss." Ceaser answered with a smile as he poked his head out of the kitchen, "Hi there, Lorelai!" He greeted cheerfully as he knowingly put together her presence being the reason for his boss to voluntarily leave his usual domain.
"Hey, Ceaser." She greeted him back with a feigned smile as she gave him a small wave before the cook disappeared.
"Luke, I'm fine, really." She said, returning her attention to her husband as he came back around the counter to stand in front of her, "It's not a big deal." She tried to backtrack, suddenly feeling guilty for worrying him and unintentionally pulling him away from his business.
Luke gave her an easy smile as he silently held his hand out towards her, gesturing with his head for her to place her hand in his waiting one. Lorelai puffed out a loud breath as she placed her left hand in his right one, allowing Luke to interlock their fingers as he led them upstairs to his office, while her free hand instinctively went to rest on her somewhat protruding stomach.
Luke removed Lorelai's hand from his and placed it in his opposite one as he protectively wrapped his right arm around her waist as they ascended the stairs, guiding them to the office entrance. Luke unlocked the door with one hand, while keeping Lorelai's hand in his other.
Once inside, he closed the door and flipped the lock back into place as he guided her over to his old bed that they had decided to leave there – for the just in case days when the impulsive moments ignited between them, and they couldn't wait another second to rip each other's clothes off.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently tugged on Lorelai's hand that he still held, to bring her to sit in his lap, but just before he could pull her down completely, she stopped him.
"No." She refused softly as she moved to sit beside him, purposely avoiding his questioning stare, "I'm too heavy."
Luke reared his head back as he turned his body to face her with his brows pinched tightly together, "What are you talking abou–" His voice was shocked, but he swiftly paused mid-sentence as it suddenly hit him, "Is that what's bothering you?" He asked lightly, his voice mixed with disbelief and concern as he took both of her hands into his, and automatically began brushing the pad of his thumb over her rings.
Her only response was barely a lift of her shoulder for a shrug as she continued to avoid his gaze.
"Lorelai?" He whispered, but when she still wouldn't meet his eyes, Luke lifted his left hand and placed it under her chin, gently forcing her to look at him, "Talk to me." He beseeched as he firmly held her gaze.
"You're gonna think that it's stupid." She supplied ruefully as she leaned into his comforting touch.
"I won't." He said surely as he squeezed her other hand that he still held.
"But it is stupid." She protested as she lightly pouted.
Luke shook his head, "It can't be stupid if it's got you this bothered, Lorelai." He spoke so amiably, only causing her to feel worse for making him leave his diner just to tend to her ridiculous behavior, "Please?" He added as he ran the back of his knuckles against her cheek, his platinum ring instantly cooling her flushed skin.
Lorelai glanced away as she huffed out a defeated sigh, deciding to elucidate to him the reason for her crappy mood. She pulled her hand free from his and took a hold of the bottom hem of her black fitted V-neck t-shirt, slowly lifting it upward to reveal a black spandex band that wrapped around her waist on top of her jeans as it covered a portion of her rounded belly.
Luke shifted his eyes towards her partially exposed stomach as he immediately raised his hands to gently caress it. Lorelai couldn't help the smile that etched its way onto her lips at her husband's loving gesture. She always knew that Luke would be an amazing husband, but ever since they found out she was pregnant, he had literally gone above and beyond for her and their unborn children even more so. He was absolutely perfect.
She nervously bit her bottom lip, "I had to start wearing the band today." She began, keeping her voice soft. Luke nodded as he attentively listened, "I got up and went to get ready this morning after you left; I grabbed these jeans," She motioned towards her pants, "and they went on easy, but when I went to button it…" She heaved out a sad whimper, and Luke had a good feeling he knew what was coming next, "I couldn't." She explained desolately.
"Hey, it's okay." He said as he quickly moved to kneel in front of her, between her legs as he kept his hands on her stomach, "We knew this was gonna happen eventually, right?" He tried to soothe as he reached a hand up to tuck a loose tendril behind her ear, "And seriously, Lorelai, from the back, you still can't even tell that you're pregnant."
"You're just saying that because I'm your wife, and I'm carrying your kids." She retorted as she looked at him with sad puppy-dog eyes, "And I'm the one in control of your chances of getting lucky… well, I mean I better be the only one." She pouted as she unintentionally allowed her newly acquired insecurities to be displayed.
He chuckled briefly, "You are my wife. You are carrying my kids." He paused as he reached up and cradled her face in his left hand again, "And you are the only one." He confirmed decisively, his voice no longer holding any mirth.
Lorelai couldn't fight the wide smile that spread its way onto her lips even if she wanted to as she looked at him, her eyes full of love.
"You're beautiful," He told her with his eyes locked on hers, "and besides, even Dr. Nichols said that you're on the smaller side for someone who's carrying twins. But if I'm being honest, I really love seeing you grow a little more each day." He admitted lowly as he leaned in to press a soft kiss to her stomach, "I love knowing that our kids are in here." He included sweetly as he tenderly rubbed her belly with his right hand.
"Yeah," She paused to flash him a genuine smile, thinking of their two little babies, "I love it when you get all sweet for us." She added as she leaned forward to give him a lingering kiss.
"Mmhm." He mumbled against her lips as he willingly participated.
An image suddenly flashed into Lorelai's mind, imposing her to remember her morning dilemma, which caused her to break their connection as she jutted out her bottom lip again, "I'm getting bigger, Luke," She whimpered, "and I'm gonna keep getting bigger until they come out."
"But that's a good thing, right?" He immediately consoled as he tilted his head in sympathy, knowing that these thoughts would come and he would gladly have to reassure her each time, "It just means that they're growing," He smiled as he lightly continued to stroke her belly, "and it also means that we're that much closer to meeting them." He finished as he leaned forward, steadily holding her gaze as he pressed another warm kiss to the exposed skin of her baby bump.
Lorelai twisted her lips as she once again fought back her smile at his cuteness, "I guess." She replied with a yielding shrug as she watched Luke lean back to come face to face with her, "You know," She began, raising her right hand to run her index finger over his chiseled, flannel-covered chest, "there's a couple of other things that have been growing too." She added, shooting a glance to her own chest with an impish grin as she pushed her shoulders closer together, openly drawing attention to her developing assets.
Luke smiled wolfishly as he smoothly slid his hands over her belly and up her ribcage, "I can assure you that I have definitely noticed." He answered mischievously, allowing his thumbs to teasingly brush the undersides of her voluptuous breasts.
Lorelai moaned softly, "Have you, now?" She smiled widely as she cocked a playful brow at him, her hands gliding their way up his muscular arms.
He shrugged as a small shiver rolled through his body when he felt her hands land on his shoulders, and her lissom fingers began tracing paths down his neck, "Just making sure I show my never-ending appreciation for my wife." He supplied gravelly as he leaned in further to shower her neck with warm, open-mouthed kisses.
He felt the warmth spread over her skin under his lips, her previous sullen mood instantly forgotten as she focused on his skillful mouth, "Oh really?" She asked breathily as she tilted her head to give him better access, while she snaked both arms around his neck.
Luke took a moment to rush out a reply, "Didn't seem like you had any complaints about my appreciation towards you this morning…" He found the sensitive spot in the middle of her neck and sucked hard on her creamy skin, driving her crazy as his tongue made a pleasant appearance as it laved and soothed her reddened flesh before he smiled slyly and added, "or last night."
She moaned primitively as he dove back in, tasting, nipping, and savoring the delectable flavor of his wife, "Babe, we don't go a day without being able to keep our hands off of each other, and I wouldn't dare complain about that." She answered breathlessly as she fisted the curls at the nape of his neck, under the bill of his hat, and guided his mouth to hers, her tongue delving into his open mouth, "After these kids are out, that fact better not change." She mumbled against his lips as she pulled back for necessary oxygen.
"Never." He murmured, his lips tickling hers as their heated breath mingled together. His roaming fingers began to slowly lift her t-shirt further upward, "Always need you." He said deeply.
"Mmmm." She moaned fervently as she knocked his hat off, threading her long fingers through his soft hair, while she cradled the back of his head to keep him close as he once again began assaulting her neck with fiery, wet kisses, "I thought it was the woman who got the raging hormones and sex cravings when they got pregnant?" She joked readily, clearly enjoying her husband's enthusiasm.
Luke guided her arms up and pulled her t-shirt over her head in a quick sweep as he growled dangerously at the sight of her luscious, pink lace-covered chest, causing Lorelai to giggle with glee. But her laughter died instantly as Luke trailed his blazing mouth and tongue down her now bare neck, across her lightly freckled chest, and over the tops of her succulent breasts.
"Luke…" She purred brazenly as she slithered her hands to nimbly unfasten the buttons of his flannel, while he filled his hands with her plump breasts, squeezing and caressing them over her bra.
"Want you." He groaned roughly as he nipped at the top of her left breast before he sucked eagerly on her delicious skin.
"You know, if you keep it up, I'll never be able to wear low-cut tops anymore. I'll have your marks all over me." She said as she puffed out a giggle.
"Good." His deep timbre sent molten vibrations throughout her body as she pushed the flannel off of his shoulders and down his arms, "Mine." He grunted primordially against her skin, while the pads of his thumbs boldly brushed against the lacey fabric that still masked her now hardened peaks.
"I love it when you get all caveman over me." She giggled again, fueling the fire of her arousal as Luke set a flaming path of kisses that trailed further south, over her rounded belly – which he gave a little extra attention to – before he continued on his quest, but paused at the ending of exposed skin, due to her bellyband.
Lorelai stood up to help rid her clothing, causing Luke's mouth to lose connection with her skin. He growled in displeasure as he rose quickly to his feet only to immediately recapture her swollen lips in another searing kiss. Their tongues battled in a sensual dance of dominancy as their hands roamed freely over each other's bodies.
When the need for oxygen became essential, Lorelai drew back slightly, "Lose the pants, babe." She murmured against his lips as she languidly grazed her fingers up his denim-clad thighs -getting close to, but not contacting his jaw-dropping arousal, over his deliciously taut abdomen, and up to his strong broad chest, before she gently pushed at his shoulders, making him take a step back as she quickly got to ridding her heels, bellyband, and jeans.
Luke hastily followed along as he pulled his shirt over his head before he shucked off his boots and socks, and shoved his jeans down and off of his legs. Lorelai stood quietly, watching his every move with abundant desire as she slowly ran her tongue along her bottom lip, before taking it between her teeth at the spellbinding view of her husband's vivid outline of his strikingly rigid erection that begged for her attention, through his black cotton boxers that was doing a poor job of containing all of him.
Luke shot his gaze up at her once he was done, when he noticed her silence. He instantly caught her blue flaming hunger for him in her eyes, causing him to lean forward as he reattached his mouth to hers, and swallowed the moan that emitted loudly from her throat. Luke smiled wickedly into the kiss as he melded their bodies together and ground his hips into hers, allowing Lorelai to feel the undeniable steel effect she caused him to have.
She broke the kiss as she closed her eyes momentarily, tipping her head back as she let out another loud moan towards the ceiling as Luke leisurely continued to kiss his way along her jaw, running his hands down her back and over her perfectly shaped, lace-encased ass as he pressed her tightly up against his arousal - mindful of her stomach and their delicately brewing babies - and ground his hips into hers again, causing both of them to groan out in pure pleasure.
Lorelai's hands fisted tightly in his hair, her voice raw and bare as she pressed her mouth up against his ear, "Luke…" She breathed heavily, her lips tickling his ear as she moaned wantonly, "I need you."
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
Luke's eyes snapped open as he inhaled deeply – right away being hit with the pleasurable fragrance of Lorelai, only he wasn't smelling the skin of her luscious neck, but rather the remaining scent of her on the casing from her pillow that he apparently still seized, "No!" He groaned loudly.
He slammed his hand on the alarm clock with more than necessary force, instantly silencing it as he sat up, taking note that he wasn't in his apartment with Lorelai, he was in their house… without her. He looked down to his hands that still clutched her pillow tightly, sighing heavily as he slowly released his white-knuckled grip from it and returned it to her side of the bed.
He pulled the blanket back and swung his legs over the edge to place his feet on the floor, huffing out a frustrated growl as he was suddenly greeted by his blatantly, not-so-little member.
"Geez!" He grumbled as he abruptly stood up, deciding that without Lorelai there with him, a cold shower would be obligatory and at this point welcomed, "Pathetic." He muttered, dry washing a hand over his face as he carefully hobbled his way into their bathroom.
He quickly shed his clothes and flicked the cold nozzle on full blast, submerging himself into the icy water. He blew out quick, short breaths as the freezing stream swiftly washed away any instinctive Lorelai-related reaction to his dream.
He remembered the dream so clearly, which only bothered him even more, considering that's all it was… a dream. It was all so incredibly real, that it took him a minute to calm his pounding heartbeat from the unfinished, albeit breathtaking images.
He couldn't help but replay the conjured-up vision. He actually smiled as he thought more about it. He couldn't believe that they did it. He and Lorelai were married, and she was pregnant… with twins – just like her dream she told him about four years ago. They seemed really happy, and that made him really happy.
Once he was sure that he had managed to gain back control over his body, he rotated the hot lever to mediate the chill. He stood motionless under the relaxing sprays of the water as his mind immediately kicked back to the images of his dream.
Luke had always thought that Lorelai was stunningly beautiful, but seeing her pregnant – with his kids – he couldn't help but think that he had never seen her look more unbelievably captivating, and with every fiber in his bones, he wanted that dream to come true.
He breezed through soaping up and rinsing off before he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He reached for his lone toothbrush and brushed his teeth. His body went through all the motions, but his mind still hadn't caught up. It was being stretched in so many different directions.
He had Lorelai's absence, his meeting with Mr. McNally in two days for the custody case, he had April's well-being in there, and now he couldn't help but think about the amazing vision of a pregnant and wifed-up Lorelai.
Luke replaced his toothbrush as he opened the drawer below his sink and grabbed his comb to brush back his hair. He returned the comb and walked out of the bathroom, heading over to his dresser. He plucked out a gray boxers, a pair of faded jeans, and a maroon t-shirt. He quickly got dressed and padded over to the closet to fetch one of his customary flannels to complete his outfit.
He opened the door and flicked on the closet light. He walked further in, his hand landing on a dark-green, red and black flannel as he took it off of the hanger and pulled it on over his head, pushing his arms through the sleeves. Now fully dressed, Luke was about to exit the closet but stopped as a glaring shimmer from the back of the rack caught his eye.
He moved further into the closet, spotting the sparkling culprit that peeped out from a black garment bag that looked to have been purposely stuffed and buried in the back of the closet by all of Lorelai's other clothes. A part of him had a bad feeling that he knew what lay inside the masked bag, but the other – more curious – part of him needed to see it, so he pulled the hanger off of the rack and brought it out into the bedroom, gently laying it on their bed.
He inhaled a steeling breath as he slowly allowed his fingers to unzip the bag. The breath he just took in came out in a sharp exhale as if he had been punched in the gut. He pulled the flaps from the bag open to reveal Lorelai's wedding dress. The sunlight that streamed through their large bedroom windows immediately caused the shiny stones on her dress to sparkle unabashedly.
The muscles in Luke's jaw jumped as he gnashed his teeth together at the thought of Lorelai mournfully banishing her wedding dress to the pits of the closet all because he had made her think that getting married was no longer in their future anymore.
The image of Lorelai floating down the stairs to him in this dress came crashing into him. She looked so happy. So amazingly beautiful. So ready and eager to marry him, and be his wife.
Lorelai Gilmore, the dazzling woman he had pined long over a decade to have, willingly wanted him. He had finally gotten her – to the point where she so desperately wanted to be with him. Marry him. Have a family with him. Share a long life with him… only for him to stomp on her defenseless heart and slam the door shut in her face, all because of some ridiculous insecurities that Lorelai herself could've helped tame for him if he'd let her.
He briefly squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the tears that seared the backs of his eyes to retreat as he reached out his right hand to run his fingers over the ruffling flowers that were scattered on the bodice of the gown as he dejectedly whispered, "Lorelai…"
It had been an exceptionally busy day in the diner, to which Luke was sort of grateful for since it didn't allow for him to have too much free time to mourn the absence of his fiancée, but it took such a toll on him physically, that he was more than willing to call it a day once Ceaser and Dennis came in for their shifts before the lunch rush.
"Hey, Boss!" Ceaser greeted as he walked into the kitchen and began strapping his apron on.
"Ceaser." He greeted tiredly, "Hey, uh, would you mind closing up for me, tonight?"
Ceaser could clearly see that his boss was exhausted as he easily nodded, "Yeah, no problem. I got it covered, Luke."
Luke nodded in appreciation as he exhaled loudly, "Thanks, Ceaser. I'll make sure to catch you on the next check."
Ceaser shook his head, "Don't sweat it, Boss." He said waving him off, "I got it."
"Thanks." He said as he pointed upstairs to his old apartment, "I'm gonna run upstairs and drop this in the safe," He held up the money bag, "then I'm out."
"Okay, and uh, boss?" Ceaser started, waiting for Luke to turn back.
"Yeah?" He replied as he looked back over his shoulder without turning his body around.
"Are you, uh-… You doin' okay?" The cook asked, lightly treading his boundaries.
Luke sighed heavily as he half-heartedly nodded.
"Okay, well, try to get some rest, man." Ceaser kindly suggested.
Luke gave another short nod and continued to trudge his way behind the curtain and up to the apartment. As he made it to the landing, he quickly unlocked the door and stepped inside, before turning to lock it behind him. He made his way over to the safe and almost robotically began to turn the dial to unlock its hatch. He deposited the moneybag into the safe, before securing the door back into place, and resetting the dial to zero.
His knees creaked slightly as he stood back up. He turned around and allowed his eyes to slowly scan over his somewhat unchanged apartment. He rested his hands on his hips as that thought didn't sit well with him.
He had moved all of his clothes and pretty much all of his belongings to their house, and yet looking at the apartment, it seemed as if nothing was out of place.
…"I'm heading up to my office." He suddenly recalled himself notifying Ceaser when he was about to take Lorelai upstairs to the apartment in his recent dream.
He hadn't referred to it as the apartment, but rather his office. He had converted the apartment back into an office, just like his dad had done, and how the space was originally intended to be used. He continued scanning the room as his eyes tried to map out what exactly he could remember from his dream. He definitely recollected that his bed was still there, seeing as that's what they sat on while they conversed.
He desperately attempted to summon the images from his dream, but couldn't for the life of him remember anything but his beautiful, pregnant wife – Lorelai.
He blew out a frustrated breath as he began to think up a plan. He looked over to Jess' old corner of the apartment, his eyes landing on the twin-sized bed. If all went his way with the meeting with his attorney on Friday, he hoped to settle a legitimately planned out schedule to regularly have April, and if that happened, she would need a bed and a space of her own to have in their house.
He thought of the only other room in the house that was unoccupied by humans. They never technically called it a room, because it was on the smaller side, but the more Luke thought about it, the better the picture became. If he cleared the space out and put Lorelai's sewing things and some of their random boxes up in the attic, the twin-sized bed would fit perfectly, and it might even be able to fit a small dresser in there as well. It would be good enough for April for the time being, just until he could talk to Lorelai about maybe extending that room a little for April later.
This was good. This was really good, yet another plan to help the forward movement in his relationship and show Lorelai that he was still all in, as he immediately sprang into action.
He stalked over to the closet and grabbed a couple of blue moving blankets, sticking them under his arm as he quickly made his way downstairs. He opted to remain hidden, so he took the back way as he exited through the diner's back door that led to the alley where his truck was parked.
He tossed both of the blankets into the bed of the truck before he pulled the tailgate down and climbed up. He snatched one of the blankets and unfolded it, before neatly spreading it over the bottom of the truck bed. He moved the other blanket to the side as he hopped down from the truck and made his way back to the apartment.
He walked over to Jess' old bed and stripped the sheets and removed the pillows. He pulled the top mattress off of the box spring and lifted it from the side handles, making sure the mattress never touched the ground as he skillfully maneuvered the bed down the stairs and out into the truck.
Luke raised one edge of the mattress to the tailgate of the truck, but was caught off guard when he felt the mattress being lifted higher, and lessening the full weight from him. He looked over his shoulder to see Jackson grasping the other end of the mattress as he slowly helped secure it.
"Thanks." Luke said when they got the bed in as he turned his attention to Jackson.
Jackson flashed him his typical big goofy grin, "Don't worry about it." He waved off, "You throwin' this out?" He questioned lightly, knowing some details of Luke and Lorelai's predicament.
"Uh… no." Luke said as he glanced at the mattress before returning his gaze to Jackson, "I'm taking Jess' old bed over to the house, for April, so she'll have her own bed if- I mean, when she stays over with us."
Jackson tilted his head in puzzlement, "You mean to Lorelai's?"
Luke's face swiftly contorted into a look of fury but seeing the genuine confusion of Jackson's expression had it disappearing just as quick as it came, "No, I mean our house. Both Lorelai and I." He replied tightly, struggling to keep the anger from his voice.
"Wow!" Jackson's brows lifted in surprise as his goofy smile returned, "So you finally finished moving in then, huh? Good for you, man." He said as he clapped a congratulatory hand onto Luke's shoulder.
The muscles in Luke's jaw jumped as he grit his teeth together. Not only did their closest friends know that they still hadn't moved in together, but the whole town most likely thought the same thing. Luke inhaled a calming breath as he swore to make sure that those accusations would come to an end. He had finally moved into their house and he was certain that he wasn't going anywhere.
"Yeah." Luke answered shortly as he looked towards the diner's back entrance. He returned his gaze to Jackson as he hooked a thumb towards the door, "Hey, look, uh- thanks for the help, but I gotta-"
"You got more stuff to bring out?" Jackson asked, cutting him off.
"Yeah, but I got it." Luke tried to wave off.
"Naw, don't be silly." Jackson shook his head as he eagerly made his way towards the back entrance, "I can help. Besides, Sookie kind've kicked me outta the house for a while, so I've got time to kill." He finished as he looked back to Luke, noticing that he wasn't following.
"Umm…" Luke shrugged in acceptance, "Okay. I appreciate it." He replied as he made it up the stairs next to Jackson.
Jackson nodded jovially as he opened the door, "Lead the way."
Luke guided them upstairs and back into the apartment, "I'm gonna run to the bathroom for a second, but if you grab the frame, I can get the box spring." He pointed towards Jess' old corner of the room.
"Got it." Jackson said as he moved towards that area.
"Help yourself to some water or beer if you want." He added distractedly as he made his way into the kitchen while pulling out his cell phone from his pocket. He checked it for what seemed to be the hundredth time that morning.
The screen lit up, but unfortunately, there were no significant changes. He sighed heavily as he placed the phone on the kitchen table before he slowly made his way over towards the bathroom.
The rays from the setting sun streamed lightly through the sheer navy blue curtains, casting an angelic glow around Lorelai's exquisite figure. She faintly heard the sound of lively jabbering in the distance, which caused her to stir awake.
"Sail, ho?" She remotely pinned Rory's voice coming from outside of the house as she called out her findings.
Lorelai abruptly shot up in bed and quickly scanned her surroundings. Her smile was a mile wide at seeing that she was indeed perched on her big comfy bed in her huge master bedroom. She felt refreshed from her nap and practically sprang out of bed towards her large master bathroom to brush her teeth and wash up.
She sped through the process before she went over to the impressive walk-in closet and plucked a crimson-colored hoodie – with big white letters written across the chest, and the school's logo situated right beneath it – from its hanger, swiftly pulling it over her head and touched up her long waves as she nearly sprinted out of her room. She darted past the other bedrooms in the hallway as she descended the staircase and made her way out the front door.
"Avast ye, landlubbers!" She heard another female voice cry out, a little clearer now that she was out of the house, but she couldn't quite place whom the voice belonged to.
As she closed the door behind her, she heard the now-familiar children's laughter along with her daughter's voice, and another voice she could've sworn she heard before, but still couldn't quite distinguish. A delighted smile instantly lit up her face again as she followed the harmonious sounds.
She quickened her pace as she made her way down the front porch, keenly seeking out where her children and husband were. She saw the driveway littered with four vehicles; one being Luke's truck and the other being Rory's Prius. She couldn't get a good enough look to identify the other two, but before she could further question it, she heard another voice.
"Shiver me timbers!" She picked up the troubled voice of a young child coming from above, causing her to turn towards her left and look up at the giant tree in her yard, permitting her to see the shockingly enormous treehouse above her.
Her jaw dropped open while her eyes bulged out in shock as she attempted to absorb the wondrous sight of it. It was truly remarkable. There was what seemed to be the bow of a boat that donned out in front, with a wide, thick glass window going across, allowing sight out and making it appear to be a real sea vessel. Painted on the side of the boat in big, bold white letters, outlined in blue was the name of the ship, reading: THE DANES.
The smile on her face turned up about another thousand watts as she instantly recognized that the boat up in the tree was Luke's father's boat that he had allowed her to name about six years ago. Once reconciling after their breakup – caused by her mother and Christopher – Luke returned his boat into her garage, and she remembered she had convinced him that no matter even if it was finished or not, every boat needed a name, which Luke, in the end, agreed to.
She continued to examine the large fort and saw an extensive wooden deck, encased by a strong wrap-around wall that enclosed a version of a two-story house; with the second story being a bit smaller. There was a wide staircase that spiraled around the tree that led to the balcony. It was literally a huge, magnificent house-ship in a tree.
She marveled at her husband's handy work, internally wondering how in the world Luke managed to pull it off, but then again, she wasn't really surprised either. She knew he would do anything for her and their children.
"I declare mutiny upon this Man-O-War, and if any one of you scurvy dogs object, me'll have you walk the plank!" She once again heard her daughter's voice ring out with a pirate-like accent.
Lorelai quickly, but quietly climbed up the winding staircase that led up to the treehouse entrance. As she made it to the landing, she slowly walked around the side of the balcony towards the front of the deck where the bow of the boat rested, allowing her hand to graze the smooth wooden railings along the way.
She stopped, just out of sight, and silently watched the scene before her with a proud smile adorning her face as Rory and – now that she was up close, she was able to mark the unknown voice – April both held wooden swords aimed at the two little boys – who looked to be around the age of three or four – that were pretending to be held hostage against their chairs at the front of the boat.
Rory looked over at April and asked, "What do you think, Mary, shall we flog them with the cat o'nine tails or hang 'em from the yardarm?"
April smiled perilously at the two boys as she narrowed her eyes and replied, "Dead men tell no tales, Anne."
"Argh!" Lorelai easily pegged the troubled voice of the talkative boy as he spoke up. He was wearing a hunter-green knit beanie on his head with a matching hunter-green vest that rested over a gray hoodie, a pair of jeans, and little light-brown construction boots, "Ye carouser's, we'd rather be flogged by a murdering keelhaul than strike colors."
Lorelai's smile increased exponentially at hearing her son's impressive speaking ability for his young age, and his notable pirate knowledge.
"Aye, brother!" Came the low, short interjection from the quiet child. He was dressed just like his daddy. He wore a navy blue, white, and black flannel under a blue vest that matched his little backwards baseball hat on top of his head. He also wore dark blue jeans, and light-brown construction boots that matched his brother's, "We'll share a clap of thunder on the way down to Davy Jones' locker." He added roguishly as one corner of his lips lifted slightly in a dangerous smirk that mirrored his father's.
Oh my God, Lorelai loved these astonishingly brilliant boys. They obviously held an impressive amount of wisdom, and she couldn't help but assume that it was partially due to movies and her love for them. She let out a soft laugh, immediately gaining the attention of the quiet boy first.
The boy's head whipped towards his mother as he caught her gaze, "Mommy!" He called out with a big smile, instantly disregarding the game as he ran over to a crouched-down Lorelai, crashing into her waiting arms with a big bear hug.
"Hi, buddy!" She cooed as she hugged him and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Mommy!" The chatterbox kid shouted happily as he jumped down from the captain's chair near the front of the boat and sprinted towards her.
Lorelai made room for her other son as he tackled her in a hug, "Hey, dude!" She greeted as she hugged him back with one arm, "What are you guys playin'?" She asked them as she drew back a bit to look at them.
"We're playing pirates." The loquacious kid answered, "Rory and April are the bad pirates, and we're the good pirates." He leaned conspiratorially over to whisper to Lorelai, but it came out more like a stage whisper as he said, "They try to make the pirate voice just like you," He scrunched up his nose a bit before he continued, "but they're not doing it right. You need to teach them how."
The quiet boy nodded silently in agreement with his lips pressed solemnly together.
"Hey!" Both Rory and April exclaimed as Rory put both hands on her hips and April crossed her arms over her chest, their faces etched with mock indignation.
"Sorry, mateys, I taught them everything I know." Lorelai replied with feigning defeat, ignoring her daughters' protests as she shrugged apologetically towards her sons.
"Well, you might need to teach them again." The wordy kid retorted with wide eyes and raised brows, talking just below his normal level, causing Lorelai to laugh.
"Uh, we can still hear you." Rory interjected as she and April moved closer to the trio.
"Oh good," The boy swiped a hand across his little forehead as he feigned to be nervous, "I thought I wasn't projecting my voice enough." The boy wittily replied as he turned his head to flash a huge grin towards his sisters.
Lorelai laughed loudly, before she smiled at the two boys, finally allowing herself a chance to study their features up close. Both boys looked a lot like their father. They had Luke's nose – only not as pointed. They also had his chin, his long covet-worthy eyelashes that accentuated their extraordinary eyes, and his strong jawline – which she internally thanked God for – they also had high cheekbones and full pouty lips just like both of their parents. They had thick, medium-length, brunette tresses that were streaked with natural, honey-toned highlights peeking out from each of their caps. But although they were identical, there was one very noticeable difference between the two boys.
Their eye color. The chatty boy had eyes that were both Luke and Lorelai's colors; his eyes were dominantly a mesmerizing shade of cobalt blue, with sky-blue streaks that jolted out from his dark pupil to the ring of his iris, while his brother's eyes were an enrapturing shade of emerald with matching streaks of sky-blue, and tiny slivers of gold that vividly enhanced the green of his iris. These were the most beautiful boys she had ever seen, and they were the result of Luke and her love for one another.
"Can we make s'mores out by the fire tonight, Mommy?" The chatterbox kid asked, casting his mother her own puppy dog eyes, breaking Lorelai out of her spellbinding fascination with her boys.
"Of course, baby." She nodded, flashing him a smile, "Where's Daddy at?"
"Workshop." The silent kid answered, pointing down toward the shed.
"By the way," April spoke up, looking at Lorelai with a smile, "I'm loving the spirit." She said, nodding towards Lorelai's sweater.
"Traitor..." Rory mumbled while flashing a teasing smile at her mother.
Lorelai briefly glanced down at her hoodie, smiling as she shrugged apologetically towards Rory, before she returned her gaze to her stepdaughter, "Well, I figured I'd give my Yale merch a little break since Rory's graduated. It's gonna take some time getting used to the color change, but I think it really brings out my eyes." She finished jokingly, "Now, all I need is some white and crimson-colored paint, a big M.I.T. foam finger, and one of those fog horn thingies to complete my outfit for the day we move you into your dorm."
April's smile instantly dropped as her face showed pure panic. She turned to Rory and asked, "She's kidding, right? Please tell me she's just kidding?"
Rory breathed out a small laugh at her stepsister's terror, "Sadly, she would do that…"
April's eyes bulged out even more as she said, "Oh, God, I'm gonna be the nerd of the nerds, aren't I?"
Rory let out another laugh, "She won't though… plus your dad wouldn't let her." She replied, quickly assuring April, "Right, Mom?" She added as she gave a pointed look at her mother.
Lorelai huffed out a simulated sigh as she answered, "No, I'll be good. I promise."
April turned back to Rory and said in a voice full of relief, "Thank you."
Rory smiled and nodded, before she turned her gaze back to her mother, "We got them." She said nodding towards her brothers, knowing her mother would want some time alone with her stepfather.
Lorelai was so grateful to have her daughter back home for the next two weeks. With Rory living and working out in New York, Lorelai, unfortunately, didn't get to spend as much time with her eldest child as she'd like, so she truly cherished their time together.
But Lorelai was also even more thankful that her daughter understood the need for some necessary, private breathing time with her husband, that she could allow her parents to have, while she spent some time with her siblings.
"Yeah," April started, "maybe we can finish feeding them to the fish." She added with a lighthearted smile.
"Thanks." She told the girls before she looked back at the boys, "I'll be back. I'm gonna go check on Daddy, okay." Lorelai informed them with a smile, but it suddenly fell when she saw two sets of brows raise upward simultaneously towards her, both boys' mouths pressed together in a firm line as they flashed their mother a knowing stare.
"What?" Lorelai asked in confusion as she looked back and forth between her sons.
"You can just say that you want to find Daddy, so you guys can kiss." The voluble boy told his mother holding onto his knowing look.
Lorelai, Rory, and April laughed openly as Lorelai questioned, "What?"
"You guys always kiss." The garrulous boy replied as he rolled his eyes – heavily resembling his father – while his brother nodded quietly, holding an exasperated expression that also resembled his father's.
"Fine." Lorelai smiled playfully and said, "I'm gonna go find Daddy, so we can kiss." She amended as she loudly made kissing noises with puckered lips.
The quiet boy visibly grimaced, while the other boy cringed with disgust as he said, "Yuck! Never mind, Mommy, just keep saying you're gonna check on him."
The three women laughed again as Lorelai held each boy tightly to her body, "How about I check on you guys first." She replied as she playfully attacked both boys with kisses all over their little faces.
They both squealed with laughter as Lorelai held them tight, allowing her fingers to tickle each boy's ribs. Their sister's watched the joyful scene with delight, before the talkative kid gasped out, "Okay, okay! We give up, Mommy!" Lorelai eased up, permitting the boy to talk, "You can go check on Daddy." He finished, with a childish giggle and a practiced exaggerated eye roll.
"Okay." She answered in mock defeat. She looked over towards her daughters and said, "Don't forget, the grandparents will be here in about ten minutes." She glanced at Rory, sharing a secretive look right before she and April both nodded their confirmation.
"Yay! Grandma and Grandpa are coming!" The lively child shouted in excitement, throwing a fist into the air as he ran off into the treehouse, followed by April.
The hushed boy lightly pulled on Lorelai's hand and quietly asked, "Mommy, can they stay to roast marshmallows with us?"
Lorelai nodded her consent as she smiled, "Sure, buddy, you can ask them when they get here." She answered, receiving a silent nod from her son.
She gently caressed his cheek, "I'll be back." She assured him as she turned to make her way down from the fort, while Rory took the hand of her brother and led him to join their siblings.
Lorelai quickly descended the stairs and ambled over to the workshop. The big double doors were wide open, allowing her to instantly spot Luke sitting on his workman's stool, fiddling with something at his workbench in front of one of the walls that were covered neatly with hanging tools.
"So," She started, causing Luke to snap his head towards her, his face immediately lighting up with a smile as his gaze landed on his wife, "Which one are you; a good pirate or a bad pirate?" She asked as she leaned up against the doorway.
"Hey!" He greeted as he stood up to make his way over towards her.
Lorelai met him halfway and he swiftly wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him as Lorelai weaved her arms around his neck and smiled.
"Hey back!" She replied, her fingers interlocking behind his neck, keeping him close.
Luke held her tight as he dipped his head to capture her lips in an invigorating kiss. After a heated moment, he pulled back.
Lorelai smiled wickedly, "Is that a sword in your pocket, Captain, or are you just happy to see me?" She joked as she brushed her lips teasingly over his.
Luke smirked, ignoring her comment as he shook his head, "I missed you." He said huskily as he gazed into her gleaming eyes.
Lorelai giggled as she blushed at his open admission, "I was only out for about an hour and a half, babe." She replied as she leaned in to brush another gentle kiss to his waiting lips.
He shrugged, "Still missed you." He said lowly as he leaned in and began nuzzling her neck, "You feeling better?" He asked as his lips gingerly grazed her cream-colored skin.
She moaned at the feeling of his stubble tickling her neck as his mouth and tongue danced over her scrumptious flesh, "Better, now." She purred, her smile widening as she turned her head to capture his mouth again, "You are so cute, you know that?" She mumbled against his lips.
Luke tried to mask his smirk as he lightly shook his head from side to side, before capturing her lips again and slipping one hand into her soft wavy curls, while his other arm held her tight around her waist, up against him. Luke permitted his tongue to smoothly glide along her bottom lip, keenly asking for permission to enter her mouth, to which Lorelai quickly granted. They allowed their tongues to battle in a blissful frenzy, easily forgetting where they were as their bodies immediately molded together.
Just as Luke's hand that was previously wrapped around Lorelai's waist began to slither its way down her back and over her perfectly shaped ass, they heard a door shut loudly, causing them to pull back a bit from their kiss, but not allowing their embrace to change.
Luke leaned his forehead against Lorelai's as they smiled at each other, sensing the tiny padding to Lorelai's left and Luke's right, draw nearer. They looked over to see the chatterbox kid just as he threw both of his tiny fists into the air as he turned back around to look up at the treehouse.
"Yes! Rory and April owe us a dollar!" He shouted at his brother, who was watching him from the front glass of the boat, next to his sisters who were leaning over the side railing of the treehouse as they all looked down at him, "We told you they'd be kissing again." He called, causing both Luke and Lorelai to laugh as they turned back to look at each other, while the boy returned to the treehouse with the rest of his siblings.
"You should've bet more." Luke called out to the boy's retreating back, before he leaned his head back slightly to flash his wife a smile, "He is definitely your son."
Lorelai giggled as she shook her head, "He cracks me up." She said as she allowed her hands to roam freely up and down her husband's sculpted back.
"He should," He chuckled as he pulled Lorelai's body closer, "he's a mini, boy version of you."
Lorelai beamed as she said, "The other one is a mini you."
Luke grinned proudly as he nodded silently, dipping his head to attack her lips once again. Their mouths were instantly drawn together by a powerful, magnetizing force that none of them ever wanted to cease.
Lorelai sucked hungrily on Luke's bottom lip, emanating a throaty groan to escape his lips. He kissed his way along her jaw, flicking his tongue to tease the shell of her ear before he stopped to nibble and suck ravenously on the pulse point of her neck.
"Luke…" She moaned thickly as she slipped her hands into the back pockets of his jeans and pressed him to her, bringing them even closer together as she rotated her hips into his, which caused him to growl as he roughly bit down on her neck, gaining another moan of approval from Lorelai, before he quickly laved the affected spot with his lips and tongue to soothe her reddened skin.
He knew she loved it when every once in a while, he'd get a bit rough with her, and she loved it even more when he'd mark her as his for all to see, and although he would put up a grumbling façade, she knew he loved it when she did the same with him.
The pleasurable haziness swiftly consumed Lorelai's mind, but she tenuously recalled a piece of information, before her brain could completely turn into a pile of goo.
"Babe," She breathed out softly, her gifted hands slipping out of his pockets and under his flannel as she pulled his t-shirt free from his jeans, "my parents should be here any minute." She murmured almost incoherently as she was too distracted by what Luke's talented mouth was doing to her as he swiftly scooped her right thigh up and placed it on his hip, bringing their cores flush together as he moved his mouth back up, seeking to recapture her pouty lips with his.
"Mhmm." He mumbled distractedly as he ground his hips into hers, causing both of them to swallow each other's moans.
She slid her hands under his shirt and up his perfectly carved back, reveling in the way his muscles bunched in eagerness at her touch, "We need to ease up a bit, hon." She added as she pulled away to gasp for air, allowing Luke to move up across her cheek to take her lobe between his lips, gently nibbling on it.
"You first." He coaxed gruffly as he kissed a burning trail of kisses along her jaw, towards her mouth again, one hand still tangled in her long, wavy tresses, while his other hand possessively clutched at her thigh that he held firmly on his hip as he shamelessly ground his obvious arousal into her heated core once again.
"Luke…" She groaned, the wave of warmth rushing southward as she turned her head to attack his alluringly soft lips again.
The sharp crunch of gravel beneath the weight of numerous tires, along with the riotous sound of an almost rhythmic car horn beeping pierced through Luke and Lorelai's temporary heated isolation, causing them to break their intoxicating kiss as they leaned their foreheads against each other as they panted heavily.
"They're here." Lorelai whimpered as Luke groaned in displeasure. She let out a breathy giggle, before pressing a peck to his lips as she pulled back a bit, but still didn't dare break their heated embrace.
"How about we let your parents hang here with the kids, while we go back to the office at the diner?" Luke's voice rumbled lowly as he dipped his head to press tiny kisses along her neck, while he rolled his hips purposefully into hers once more.
Lorelai moaned at the heated sensation that he caused to instantly pool between her legs, "My mother would kill the both of us if we even attempted to leave, Hon." She whined, the regret and ache for him obvious in her voice.
Luke moved his mouth up to her ear as he delicately brushed his tongue to her lobe, before he captured it between his teeth, "Lorelai…" He growled, allowing his blazing desire for his wife to seep through his voice.
They both loved the fact that even after all these years of being together; they still couldn't get enough of each other. Their gluttonous desire to have one another was never-ending and they wouldn't have it any other way.
"I know, babe." She laughed breathily, her own desire for her husband being displayed in her blue flaming eyes as she gazed into his that mirrored her own, "I promise, I'll make it up to you later tonight." She cajoled as she leaned forward to kiss his lips and seal the deal, "The kids go down, and it's just you and me." She guaranteed, but her face scrunched up in preparation for what she was about to tell her husband as she remembered her promise to her sons, "Oh, um also, the boys wanted to make s'mores tonight," She began, gaining an easy nod from Luke, before she continued, "…and they kind've asked if they could invite my parents to stay and join in after dinner…" She finished as she scrunched up her face in preparation, knowing that her husband wouldn't want to prolong their time together.
Luke groaned in frustration at having to delay their private time together even further, "You're kiddin'?" He grumbled, pulling her body so tight up against his, that she thought they would become one.
Lorelai let her bottom lip fall forward as she nodded her head sagely, "I know, I'm really sorry, babe." She apologized, as she began to place warm, tiny conciliating kisses all over his face, desperately trying to emphasize her pledge, "I promise if you can stay awake long enough after my parents leave and the kids crash out, I will make you my personal toy and blow…" She paused as she slowly trailed a rogue finger up his solid thigh, purposely avoiding his obvious arousal as she landed on the buckle of his belt, "your…" She softly brushed her lips against his before lightly taking his bottom lip between her teeth as she gave it a soft tug, before she finished, "mind." She smiled predatorily as one of her brows arched tauntingly.
Luke growled voraciously as he squeezed her hips and greedily attacked her mouth.
"Grandma!" They faintly heard the excited voice of the chatterbox kid shout out loud as the sound of his scampering footsteps descended the winding stairs.
"Grandpa!" The quiet kid's voice followed as a stampede of treading chased after their brother.
"Mom! Luke!" They both heard Rory call for them, causing them to reluctantly break their kiss and embrace, "They're here!"
Lorelai turned her head to reply, "We're coming, babe!"
"Not yet." Luke grumbled softly against Lorelai's ear as he tightened his hold on her.
Lorelai snorted a laugh as she lightly slapped his bicep, "Be good." She chastised gently before one corner of her mouth lifted naughtily as she added, "We'll be bad later tonight." She promised as she lowered her leg and slowly began to extract herself from his grasp.
She gave him one final peck, before she made her way to exit the workshop, but stopped when she noticed Luke wasn't following, "Come on, babe." She smiled as she held her hand out to him, palm upward.
Luke stared at her through his long lashes as he gravely replied, "Give me a minute."
She glanced down at his affected member and licked her lips hungrily, her eyes instantly turning a shade even darker than before as she returned her pleased gaze to his and she hummed her approval, "We'll eat fast." She assured with a wink as she deftly flipped her long, wavy locks over her shoulder, before she turned to exit the workshop, deliberately highlighting the sway of her hips.
"Tease!" She heard Luke call towards her, causing her to laugh right before she caught sight of her children impatiently waiting for their grandparents to exit their vehicles.
Emily expertly departed the forest-green Jaguar, while Richard looked like an out-of-place giant as he exited the little silver Toyota Prius, which looked similar to Rory's just with a few updates.
"Grandpa!" The quiet boy exclaimed as he sprinted into his grandfather's waiting arms.
"Grandma!" The talkative boy shouted with joy as he went to greet his grandmother with a big hug.
Richard gave out a hearty laugh as he bent a bit to embrace the silent boy with a hug, "How are you, my boy?" He asked as he beamed at his grandson.
The boy gave his grandfather a wide grin as he answered, "I'm okay, Grandpa, but I think I'd be even better if you and Grandma stayed to roast marshmallows by the fire after dinner with us…" He skillfully led, his unsure expression mirroring his father's, but his persuasive tone matched his mother's.
"Yeah, could you guys stay and join us, pleeease?" The chatterbox kid added to his brother's plea as he looked up at his grandmother with hopeful eyes, "We're gonna make s'mores." He added, trying to sweeten the deal.
"Mmmm, I love s'mores!" Richard exclaimed with a wide grin as he turned and held both hands behind his back, towards his grandsons, immediately receiving low-fives from both boys.
"Well now, I don't see how we couldn't." Emily replied, smiling happily at them.
"Yay!" Both boys shouted with glee as they clung to each grandparent.
"Hello, ladies!" Richard addressed with a nod and a smile as they drew nearer to the girls, who stood patiently on the path that led to the house.
"Hi, Grandpa! Hi, Grandma!" Rory welcomed warmly with a smile.
"Mom. Dad." Lorelai smiled, truly appreciating how far along her parents had come, and enjoyed the way her boys took to them.
"Hi, Grandma and Grandpa!" April greeted as she smiled at them.
Lorelai always felt her heart fill with warmth at the sound of her stepdaughter easily calling her parents 'Grandma' and 'Grandpa'. Richard and Emily had vastly welcomed April into their family with open arms, even before Luke and Lorelai tied the knot, which only made Lorelai's appreciation for her parents grow immensely.
They had divested themselves into getting to know their new step-granddaughter from the day Lorelai had revealed to them that she and Luke had fixed everything between each other and they were moving forward together. Emily and Richard were truly thrilled that their daughter was finally happy and moving in the right direction with the man they knew she so dearly loved.
"Where's, Luke?" Richard asked Lorelai as he instantly took notice of his son-in-law's absence.
"I'm here." Luke answered as he walked up and took his place beside Lorelai, resting his left hand comfortably on her lower back as he reached his right hand out to shake his father-in-law's hand.
"Luke, my boy, there you are!" Richard cast him a smile as he shook Luke's hand and clapped a hand to his shoulder.
"How are you, sir?" He greeted politely, then gave a small wave to Emily as he added, "Nice to see you, Emily."
"Hello, Luke." She returned a small smile of her own, and the tone of her voice was kind.
"Grandma, you can sit by me tonight. I'll show you how to make the double-decker s'more." He told her as he looked up at his grandmother with excitement, "Mommy taught us how to fit twice the amount of yummy-ness into one s'more."
Emily shot an unimpressed glance towards her daughter as she said, "I see your Mommy is really preparing you to take on the world."
"You know me, Mom." Luke tried to hide his smirk as he averted his eyes to the ground, knowing his wife would have some sort of witty comeback. Lorelai smiled brightly at her mother and shrugged, "Next week we're diving into How to Properly Perfect the Pout and Sad Puppy Eyes 101. I'm nothing if not but a river of crucial knowledge."
"Come on, Grandpa, you can sit by me." The quiet boy interjected, not wanting to witness his grandmother attempt to subtly bash his mother as he placed his tiny hand in his grandfather's larger one.
"Okay, but hold on a second there, son." Richard replied as he shot a questioning glance between Luke and Lorelai.
They both gave a small smile as they nodded their approval for him to proceed, while they covertly gestured for their sons to come stand with them towards the back.
"Okay… is it just me or am I missing something?" Every adult had big smiles on their faces, to which April immediately noticed, "I'm starting to feel like the out-of-place child that got stuck at the adult dinner table."
Richard looked towards April as Emily came to stand beside him, "April, my dear, would you come here for a second."
"Um… sure, Grandpa." She answered in confusion as she walked closer to her grandparents.
"April, what do you think of the car your grandfather drove here in?" Emily asked seriously, no longer holding her smile.
April shrugged, still a bit unsure of why her grandparents wanted her opinion, "Honestly?" April asked as she scrunched up her face a bit. Both Richard and Emily nodded, "Well, I don't think this car is particularly suitable for a man that is of Grandpa's size and stature. He's rather tall, and the car is not necessarily accommodating for his build. Also… it's a bit more on the feminine side. Sorry." She cringed apologetically.
"I see." Richard smiled on as Emily pushed forward, "Now tell me what you think of the car?"
April furrowed her brows as she looked questioningly between her grandparents, "I thought I just did?"
"You did indeed." Emily agreed, "However, you told us what you thought of the car when paired with your grandfather, but what we want to know is what you think of the car in general?" Emily explained, patiently.
"My dad would probably be better at giving you advice on cars." She replied kindly, quickly glancing over at Luke.
"That may be true," Emily interjected causing April to return her gaze onto her, "but we would really like to hear your opinion."
April appraised the car again as she warily began her report, "Well, it's a hybrid, so that means it's great for the earth since it's capable of mostly running off of electricity. It's a small sedan, so easy to fit in pretty much any size parking stalls, but also able to fit four extra passengers. The color is absolutely fabulous, it sort of looks like a mixture of pearl white and titanium. I can't tell you anything about the engine or any of its capabilities, but overall from what I know of Rory's Prius, the car is really great." She finished with a definitive nod and a small smile.
"Well, that's wonderful to hear." Emily finally smiled happily as she clasped her hands together and looked up at her husband, "Isn't that wonderful, Richard?"
"Indeed!" He consented with a grin of his own as he rested a hand on his wife's shoulder, before they both looked back at April, "Happy graduation, April!"
April looked befuddled as she sputtered, "Wait… what?"
"This is your graduation present. We didn't want to buy it out in New Mexico, seeing that you'll be in Cambridge for most of the year, so we waited for your return to give it to you." Emily clarified.
"But, you already gave me a graduation present." She replied, still at a loss for words as she recalled Richard and Emily giving her a nice check in a crisp white envelope after her graduation commencement.
"You see, April," Richard interjected, taking a stab at justifying their grand gesture, "when Rory graduated from high school, we bought her a car as a gift for her graduation present, and your grandmother and I came to the conclusion that it was only fitting that we do the same for our other granddaughter when she completed her high school milestone." He explained easily, watching April's face intently.
April was still having trouble grasping the fact that she was being gifted a car, "You- you guys bought me a car?"
Richard and Emily both nodded joyfully, allowing April to digest everything.
"We already talked to your mom, so she knows about it too." Lorelai exclaimed as Luke nodded in agreement.
"I get a car?" She said still slightly in disbelief. Richard held out the keys to her as if to confirm her question, "I get a car!" April squealed excitedly as she rushed over to her grandparents and enveloped them both in a tight embrace, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She expressed gleefully as she took hold of the keys and bounced animatedly over to her new car.
Richard and Emily both laughed as they made their way over to the rest of their family.
"I'm gonna go check it out." Rory told her parents, before looking down at her brothers and asked, "You guys wanna come check out April's new car with me?"
Both boys looked up at their parents with big hopeful eyes as the talkative boy asked, "Can we?"
Luke slightly lifted his chin towards the car in a gesture saying 'go ahead' as Lorelai smiled and answered, "Yeah, go for it!"
"Ah!" Richard clapped his hands together happily, "It seems our gift was a success, yet again." Richard congratulated his wife as he smiled proudly at her.
"Yes, it seems so, doesn't it?" She answered, wearing a satisfied smile of her own.
"It's a very great gift." Lorelai consented her agreement, "And we appreciate it, especially since it'll make it easier for April to come home to visit more often." She genuinely thanked her parents as she looked up at her husband with a wide smile.
"We do really appreciate it." Luke nodded down towards Lorelai, his arm that was wrapped around her waist slightly tightening in accord as he looked back towards his in-laws and spoke gratefully, "Thank you both, again."
"Nonsense." Emily waved off as she furrowed her brows towards them, "As we've said before, despite the minuscule fact of April not carrying our blood in her veins, she is still our grandchild just as much as the other three, and she will always be treated as such." She informed them, making sure to make herself perfectly clear on the situation, while Richard rested a hand on Emily's shoulder and nodded with unquestionable affirmation.
Lorelai smiled, truly touched by both of her parents' love and acceptance of her stepdaughter as Luke gave a smile as well and replied with complete sincerity, "Thank you."
Both elder Gilmore's smiled in return.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
The attention of all four adults was stolen when they heard the incessant honking of the horn coming from the Prius. They all looked over and saw the chatterbox child leaning over April from the back seat as he eagerly pressed down repeatedly on the middle of the steering wheel.
Beep!
Lorelai laughed at her son's excitement as Luke shook his head, before leaning down to bring his mouth closer to his wife's ear as he whispered, "Why am I not surprised that he was the one to do that?"
She giggled softly as she felt Luke squeeze her tighter into his side, placing a gentle kiss on the side of her forehead.
Beep!
Her brows pinched together as she noticed the beeping kept sounding off, but she watched her son wave towards them, neither of his hands touching the horn at all.
"Lorelai?" She heard her husband mumble softly against her temple.
Beep!
"Mmm?" She hummed, as she continued to look ahead, trying to place the cause of the now mysterious beeping sound.
"Lorelai?" She heard her name being called once again, but this time the voice seemed distant, and it definitely didn't sound like her husband's voice.
Beep!
Lorelai felt her body twitch awake as she blearily roused from her deep slumber. She slowly rolled her head and was immediately met with the beeping culprit as she followed the cord that was attached to the finger probe on her right index finger, which led up to the heart monitor at the side of her hospital bed.
"Lorelai?" She heard the unfamiliar manly voice call again as she blinked back her blurred vision.
Her eyelids fluttered a few more times before she saw a somewhat familiar, good-looking man standing at the foot of her bed. He couldn't have been over the age of forty-five. His dark hair was lightly streaked at the sides with gray highlights, making it appear as if it were professionally placed there. He had a clean-shaven face that easily displayed his strong square jaw, and even with the white doctor's coat, it was clear that he was physically fit beneath it. He held a clipboard at his side as his concern-filled brown eyes watched her closely.
"Welcome back." He greeted gently as he peered down at her, "How are you feeling, Lorelai?" The man, who she now placed as her doctor asked kindly.
She opened her mouth in an attempt to reply, but as she tried to speak, the instant jolt of a stinging sensation shot through her throat from her lack of hydration.
The doctor immediately recognized what was happening and sprang into action as he quickly grabbed the pink pint-sized jug with a white plastic bendy straw sticking out of its lid, and held it in front of Lorelai's mouth as he said, "Here, drink some."
Lorelai tried to lift her hands to retrieve the jug but found that one of her arms felt like led. She looked down at her arms and winced as she attempted to gasp at what she saw.
"Drink." He urged again, seeing her pained face as he continued to hold the water jug up to her lips for her.
Lorelai gratefully gulped down the water, feeling relief soothe her throat right away. She sat back and nodded towards the doctor as she croaked out, "Thanks."
He gave her a slight grin as he replaced the jug on the bedside table that was to the right of her, "How are you feeling?" He questioned once again.
Lorelai's brows drew together slightly as she thought about her answer. She felt fine, except for being just a bit groggy, but she figured that was probably expected, seeing as she had just been awakened from an apparently deep sleep, "A little drowsy, but other than that I feel okay."
"Good. That's good to hear." The doctor nodded, but seeing Lorelai's confused expression, he furrowed his brows at his slip, "I'm sorry, you were a bit out of it when we first met, but allow me to introduce myself, I'm Dr. Tyler Nichols." He held out his left hand to shake her right one, "I patched you up there." He said as he eased her hand down and pointed to her bandaged right forearm, "I don't usually do injuries, but we're a bit short-staffed this week, and you came in on my way out, so I offered to help when I saw the state you were in." He explained slowly, making sure to allow her time to absorb the information he spilled.
"I'm actually an OB," He told her, gaining raised brows from Lorelai, "but luckily my last patient for the day gave birth a bit earlier than expected, and there were no incoming mothers yesterday, so I was able to step in and help Dr. Sanders, while he cast you up." He informed her as he gestured to her black-wrapped cast that covered her left hand, up to the middle of her forearm.
She was glad to see that her fingers were still able to move about, but Lorelai's brows pinched further together as she tried to intake the information Dr. Nichols was giving her.
"Sorry, but you were out of it when you were being casted up, so Dr. Sanders chose black, since black usually goes with everything." He apologized lightly before continuing, "It seems that you fell pretty hard and fractured your left wrist, while you also got cut pretty bad on the underside of your right forearm, but thankfully the incision didn't tear far enough through your muscle tissue, so I was able to use medical glue to mend the wound instead of stitches. You also suffered from a minor concussion, which is most likely what knocked you out. How you managed to drive yourself here is beyond me, but I'm pretty sure the nerves combined with the adrenaline allowed you to stay awake and alert."
"Unfortunately because we're understaffed, Dr. Sanders isn't able to be here to inform you of the damage to your wrist, since he was just paged for an emergency, but I have your chart and his notes here." He said as he lifted the clipboard to read, "It seems that you have a distal radius fracture. It's where the break is near the wrist end of the long radius bone in the forearm, which is usually caused by a fall on outstretched hands. The cast will have to stay on for a minimum of six weeks, to allow the bones to heal. The same amount of time with the glue." He explained to Lorelai as the image of her slipping on the slick moss patch flashed into her mind.
"Wait a minute," Lorelai's head snapped back up at him, clearly confused as a piece of information came rushing to the forefront of her mind, "did you just say that I came in here, yesterday?"
"Yes." Dr. Nichols confirmed, "That's when you were admitted, but don't worry, you were coherent enough to give us your name before you went under, and one of the nurses was able to look you up in our database and found your file. She reached out to your emergency contact, but–" He was cut off as Lorelai swiftly interrupted him.
"Oh no, no, no!" She gasped in disbelief, instantly registering that she had changed Luke to her primary emergency contact after the big fallout with her daughter, and moved Rory to be her secondary, figuring that Luke should be first on the list since they were getting married, also he would get to her faster in case of an emergency and could just call Rory if need be. Her eyes darted around the room as she frantically tried to place where her clothes were, "I need to get out of here." She told him as she tried to whip off the sheet with one hand.
"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! Easy there, Lorelai." Dr. Nichols tried to calm her as he put a hand on her shoulder to prevent her from getting up, "Now that you're awake, we still need to monitor you for at least an hour before we can even think about releasing you. Also, getting the discharge papers will take at least that long, so you really need to try to relax for a bit."
"No, but you don't understand!" Lorelai shook her head frantically, "My primary contact that the nurse called, is my fiancée. Without getting into the long explanation, he and I aren't supposed to see or talk to one another for a week – we're doing it to strengthen and work on fixing our relationship – and today is only day three, so as you can see, if he shows up here, we'll be breaking the no contact rule by four days. Also, my dog's at home alone and I don't have my phone."
"Okay, there's a phone here," He said as he pointed to the phone that sat on the desk on the left side of the bed, "so you can call whomever you need to, to make arrangements for your dog."
Lorelai shook her head as she looked up helplessly to him, knowing she didn't have Billy's phone number or have the new house number memorized yet, "I don't know any of the numbers offhand." She replied, "Wait… I just told you that my fiancée and I have a one-week no contact rule, and you didn't even bat an eye." She told him, truly perplexed by his easiness of acceptance.
"I'm actually quite familiar with the no contact rule." Dr. Nichols smirked as he responded, "Although, a one-week time frame sounds much more appealing and reasonable, rather than a long and agonizing thirty days."
"Thirty days?!" Lorelai exclaimed in astonishment, "That's insane!" She nearly shouted as she sat up straighter in her bed, "That's- that's torture!" She added, still unable to wrap her mind around the thought of thirty days with no contact whatsoever from her fiancée. She knew she would never be able to make it out alive.
Dr. Nichols barked out a hearty chuckle as he nodded in agreement, "Trust me, I know."
"So, I'm assuming you did the no contact for thirty days?" She asked, gaining a silent nod of confirmation from Dr. Nichols, "Man..." She whispered, "How- How did you guys get that amount of time? I mean, why so long?"
He shrugged a shoulder, not usually unhinged with his private life, but for some odd reason he felt it was necessary to open up and help Lorelai as he softly began to explain, "We were having a lot of rocky times, and we both didn't like it, but we just kind of kept sweeping them under the rug, ya know?" He started slowly, "We continuously ignored all our problems because we were too scared to confront the other in fear of possibly losing them." Lorelai nodded, knowing exactly what fear he was talking about as she saw him intake a deep breath before he continued, "Until one day, we looked down and saw that the rug was torn to shreds from trying to contain the giant mountain of our brushed off problems."
Lorelai gazed at him for a long moment as her eyes filled with fear of her own situation, "So what happened?" She asked softly.
He looked up at Lorelai and continued somberly, "Her best friend that knew what was going on between us, had suggested the thirty days with no contact thing at the time. My girlfriend came home and told me, and we both knew that we didn't want to be with anyone else, but we also knew that things needed to change between us in order for our relationship to make it, so even though we didn't like it, we agreed that we needed to at least try it."
Lorelai felt her heart quicken as she thought of her own predicament with her fiancée, "And… did it work? With you and your girlfriend?" She asked shakily, her voice filled with a deathly mixture of hope and trepidation.
Dr. Nichols inhaled another deep breath as he slowly averted his eyes to the speckled linoleum floor, "She's not my girlfriend anymore." He revealed quietly.
Lorelai instantly felt her heart tighten with dread as she couldn't help but panic from the thought of her and Luke not being able to fix things either.
She heard Dr. Nichols exhale loudly, causing her to return her attention to him just in time to witness the corners of his lips lift as he reverted his gaze onto Lorelai. His face lit up brighter than Whoville's Christmas tree on Christmas day as he retracted his left hand from his coat pocket, lifting it into her view as he proudly added, "She's my wife."
Lorelai's mouth dropped in shock as she stared at his gold wedding band that enveloped his left ring finger, "Wait, it worked?" She asked as she flashed him a smile that mirrored his own.
He chuckled briefly as he confirmed, "It did."
Lorelai gasped in feign anger as she narrowed her eyes towards Dr. Nichols, "That was mean."
"Sorry." He apologized lightly, "I just figured it needed a bit of a build-up."
"Well, I'm really glad that it worked out for you guys." She told him, but her smile inadvertently faltered, while she averted her eyes to the side as her mind ran wild with thoughts of her own strained relationship.
Dr. Nichols picked up on her change in demeanor, and knew exactly what she was thinking about, "It'll work out for you and Luke too." He said with steady affirmation.
Lorelai distantly nodded her head, only half accepting his reassuring words, but whipped her head back at him as she asked, "Wait… how do you know my fiancée's name?" She looked at him bewilderingly, "Do you know him?"
"No." He answered, holding his gaze as he shook his head, "You were unconscious the majority of the time you were in here." He began as he gestured towards the room, "Every time I came in to check your vitals, or to just see if you were awake yet, you would softly mumble; 'Luke'." He gently explained, noting the look of surprise on her face, "The first time you did it, I didn't really pay attention to it, but then the second time I came in, you called out for him again. Then, this last time I was checking your vitals, your heart rate picked up significantly right before you whispered his name again. I saw the ring on your finger," He said as he pointed towards her engagement ring that lay nestled on her left ring finger, "and assumed that 'Luke' was the name of your guy."
Lorelai nodded, "It is." She verified with a smile, but just as fast as it appeared, it dropped as she said, "Wait a minute. Luke is my primary emergency contact." She said shakily, "You said before that they reached out to him. That means the no contact rule will be broken, which means that'll ruin any improvements that we've made."
"Oh, that's right! I didn't get a chance to finish before." He flashed her a smirk as he spoke, "I guess, fortunately for you, with the whole no contact thing, your fiancée didn't answer, so the nurse left an informative message for him." He told her, chuckling a bit as he watched her breathe out a sigh of relief, "She then proceeded to call your secondary contact, who also did not answer, so she left a message for her as well. So, as much as it would usually be considered to be a frightening tidbit of both your emergency contacts being unable to be reached, I guess in your situation, it's actually fortunate, right?"
"Yeah... Fortunate." Lorelai answered distractedly as she nervously thought about the message Luke would receive, and most likely throw him into a panic.
She didn't want to worry him even more, but she also really didn't want to break their no contact rule, especially since she felt that they had been making such great progress already.
"Okay." Dr. Nichols nodded as he thought of a way to help her, "How about this; I'll go work on your discharge papers right now if you try to take it easy until I'm done. Also, you really need to hydrate some more, and I promise I'll do my best to get you out of here as fast as I can. Deal?" He wagered with a consoling smile.
"Deal." Lorelai flashed him a grateful smile in return as she replied, "But please hurry, if Luke gets that message soon, I have no doubt that he'll be here in a heartbeat."
"I'll see what I can do." He promised her as he began to exit the room, "Drink!" He added over his shoulder.
After an impressive sixty-three minutes of being monitored, Dr. Nichols walked back into Lorelai's room, "I must have some sort of clout around here because I was able to pull some strings." He told her as he held up her discharge paperwork.
"I'm free to bust outta this joint?" Lorelai asked hopefully.
She already had the chance to change back into her clothes from the previous day. She looked as if she had been a part of a brutal brawl. Her white t-shirt was decorated with splattered blood and dirt all over, and her jacket that she had been examining before Dr. Nichols returned had a big pool of dry blood on the right sleeve, with about a four-inch tear on the underside of the forearm area.
Dr. Nichols smiled as he nodded, "You're free to go."
Lorelai practically jumped up from the bed, "Thank you so much for everything, Doctor, I really appreciate it." She said as she gave him a genuine smile.
Dr. Nichols handed over her paperwork as he spoke, "I scheduled an appointment in six weeks, so you can get that checked on, and hopefully removed." He pointed towards her cast on her left hand, "All the information is in there," He nodded towards the papers in her hand, "and if you have any questions or concerns, just give us a call, or come back in."
She looked at him gratefully, "Thank you again, so much."
"Just doin' my job." He waved off humbly.
"Well, thanks for that." She said smiling, knowing that he surely went above the call of duty for her, "I better get going, just in case my guy does show up."
He nodded, "Good luck with that." He told her sincerely, "Just, uh… trust the process." He urged, "If you two are as in love with each other as I think you are, then it'll all work out."
Lorelai sighed loudly as she lightly pouted, "I really hope so."
"It will." He smiled as he added, "You'll see."
Before Lorelai could respond, a nurse presented herself in the doorway in the back of a wheelchair.
"Ms. Gilmore, when you're ready, I'll be happy to take you to your car."
Lorelai looked back at Dr. Nichols and immediately started shaking her head, "Uhh, no!" She said as she pointed to the wheelchair, "Last I remember, it was my wrist that was broken, not my legs. I'm walking."
Dr. Nichols broke out into a laugh as he waved off the nurse, "It's okay, Kate. You can escort, Ms. Gilmore to her car, but she can walk."
"Okay." Kate nodded as she held her polite smile, "You ready?"
Lorelai nodded at Kate, then turned to look back at Dr. Nichols, "Thanks again." She said, shooting him a small smile before she made her way towards the door, but stopped to turn back a bit as she lifted her hand slightly to wave, "See ya, Doc."
Dr. Nichols nodded upward as he said, "Take care, Lorelai."
Kate guided her to her jeep that she was informed had been parked safely in the hospital garage by one of the security guards that had been on duty yesterday. Once they made it to her jeep, Lorelai thanked Kate and quickly hopped in her car. She quickly confirmed her dexterities as she made it out of the parking garage, thanking the tollbooth guard for waving her fee before she expertly drove herself back to the house.
About twenty-five minutes later, the jeep's weight caused the rocks under it to gnash together loudly as she rolled to a stop in the long graveled driveway. Before she could even fully make it out of her car, she heard the front door to the house swing open.
"Lorelai!" She heard panic clearly in the deep, bellowing voice that called out to her.
Her head whipped up towards the familiar voice, and at confirming who she thought it was, her brows lifted in a mixture of surprise and relief as her jaw dropped slightly with a hint of a smile, "Billy!" She breathed.
Author's Note: Okay, I really wanted to finish the whole day in one chapter, but this was getting ridiculously long, and I wanted to post something already, since I know I've already made you guys wait for longer than I planned. But look on the bright side, this is like three of my usual chapters in one. I'm hoping this will hold ya'll over for a while. My daughter's birthday is on the seventh, and then I leave for Vegas on Monday for a week. I'll try to do my best to get the next chapter up sooner. Sorry… again. Thank you to all of you who continue to stick with me on this long-ass journey. I appreciate each and every one of you, especially the people who take the time to leave me a review. It seriously is motivating to read. The good, the bad, and the in-between comments are always welcomed.
Oh, also, if any of you were wondering why Rory and April called each other Anne and Mary, it's because Anne Bonny was the first known woman pirate, and Mary Read fought alongside her. It is said that they fought with more skill than any man on board Calico Jack's crew in the Golden Age. Anyway, I just wanted to clear that up. If there are any parts where you feel doesn't make sense, either leave it in a review or PM me, and I'll gladly try to clear it up. Thank you all so much, again. Ya'll rock!
