Dear Readers,

Thank you so much for the love you have shown this fic. I never imagined it would receive such great feedback and be enjoyed by so many people. You guys push me to keep writing. I'm sorry it's been a while since I've updated. School, work, and music production has had me so busy these last couple of months but, since it is now winter break, I am going to write as much as I can with the free time I have. Thank you so much for your love and support. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Wishing you all Happy Holidays and a Joyous New Year! :)

xoxo, GilmoreBenson14

"Hello?" Lorelai answered her flip phone while walking out of Doose's, a bag of doritos in her hand.

"Lorelai, it's your mother."

"Hey mom, what's up?"

"I would like to invite you to dinner tomorrow," Emily answered.

"Tomorrow is Tuesday," Lorelai replied, confusedly.

"I know."

"Rory has a midterm on Wednesday that she needs to study for, I'm not sure she'll be available."

"I wasn't asking about Rory," she replied. "I was asking about you."

"Uh, yeah. I can swing that. What's the special occasion?" Lorelai questioned.

"We're having a barbecue with some of our friends. I just thought you might want to join us."

"I'd love to," she replied. "Thank you for the invitation."

"Great! We'll see you at seven?" Emily confirmed.

"Seven it is."

"Oh and can you bring Luke with you?" Emily added.

Whoomp there it is!

"Luke?" she questioned.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Aren't you seeing him now?" Emily asked knowingly.

"I am…," she trailed off, confused.

"Well your father and I would like to meet him. Formally."

"You've already met him, mom."

"Not in this capacity. I need to re-meet him. And so does your father."

I guess we're going to have to tell them we're engaged eventually.

"Alright," she said. "We will be there."

"You're not going to make sure he's available first?"

"I'm 99% sure my caveman has nothing to do."

"Well let me know if that changes," Emily replied.

"Will do. See you tomorrow, mom."

"Don't be late!" she heard her mother's voice fade away as she hung up the phone.

Releasing a drawn out sigh, she turned on her heels and headed home. Walking through the front door, she was greeted by the mouthwatering aroma of lasagna.

"Luke?" she called out.

"Kitchen," he replied.

She set down her purse and keys on the side table and walked into the kitchen. Sneaking up behind him as he stood at the stove, she laid her hands on his shoulders and pulled herself up onto her toes, placing a kiss on his left cheek.

"Hey," she said, cheerfully.

"Hey."

"Cooking me dinner?" she asked, inhaling dramatically.

"Nope. There's only enough for me and Rory. I'll make you a Pop-Tart if you'd like," he smirked.

"Very funny. But Rory is cat sitting for Babette and Morey tonight."

He spun around quickly, much to her amusement.

"Is she now?" he asked.

"Mhm," she winked.

"How convenient."

"One might say so."

He smiled as he turned back around to dish out two plates of lasagna, placing a slice of garlic bread on the edge of each plate. He gestured to the table and set their dinners down, pulling out her chair and letting her take a seat before claiming his own. Halfway into their meal, she cleared her throat and looked up at him.

"I have bad news," she announced.

His head popped up quickly. "What?" he asked, concerned.

"My parents want us to have dinner with them tomorrow."

"What's so bad about that?" his brow furrowed as he brought a fork full of lasagna to his mouth.

"My parents want to have dinner with us," she emphasized gesturing between the two of them.

"And?"

"And my parents want to have dinner with us," she repeated again.

"Okay. I'll have Caesar close up then."

"Why are you so okay with this?" she asked rhetorically.

After a few quiet seconds, he thought out loud. "We're getting married."

"So that's where this shiny rock came from," she mocked.

"We're getting married," he resumed, "and your parents should probably know that, and know me."

"Who says?"

"Me," he said firm.

"Okay," she said, raising her palms up in surrender. "Dinner starts at seven."

"I'll pick you up around six then."

She nodded and returned her attention to her plate. Luke did the same.

"Okay," she said as they finished their meals.

"Okay, what?"

"Rory's not home," she grinned deviously.

"I'll grab it," he answered knowingly.

He got up and walked to the closet, returning with the Scrabble box. They'd played three times before with Rory and she'd destroyed them each time with her extensive vocabulary. He laid the gameboard on the table as Lorelai loaded their plates and silverware into the dishwasher. When she returned to her the table, she looked down to see "G-E-T R-E-A-D-Y T-O L-O-S-E" spelled out.

"Oh, it's on," she said as she rolled up her sleeves and pulled out her chair.

L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L&L

The next evening, they arrived at the Gilmore house at 6:45 PM. Emily was shocked by their timing. Not only were they on time, but they were early.

Luke's doing, she assumed.

"Welcome!" she said, opening the door to allow them in.

"Good evening, Mrs. Gilmore," Luke said, handing her a bottle of wine.

"How thoughtful of you. Thank you, Luke. And, please, call me Emily." He nodded in understanding.

"Richard, they're here!" she called out in the direction of his study and the three of them heard a distant voice respond "coming!"

Emily led the couple into the living room after taking their jackets and handing them off to the maid. They took their seats next to each other on the couch and Luke's body seemed to relax. Lorelai, however, was still incredibly tense and sighed in relief when he reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"Good evening, everyone," Richard said, announcing his presence.

"Hey dad."

"Mr. Gilmore," Luke acknowledged, standing up and holding out his hand to shake.

"Luke, nice to see you. Please, call me Richard."

"As you wish," Luke replied, reclaiming his seat next to Lorelai, whose left hand was hidden by the pulled-up sleeve of her sweater as she tried to conceal her ring.

"So, what would the two of you like to drink?" Emily asked.

"Gin martini, please," Lorelai responded.

Emily nodded.. "And for you, Luke?" she asked, turning her attention to him. "I've got everything."

"Scotch on the rocks would be great, thank you."

She returned to the seating area with a tray of four drinks and distributed them to each person, herself included.

Lorelai had to free her right hand from Luke's grasp in order to grab the drink so that she wouldn't expose her engagement ring before telling her parents. After each of them had sipped and relaxed, she set her martini on the table in front of her and grabbed Luke's hand.

"So, mom and dad, I know it was you who invited us to dinner tonight but we wanted to take the opportunity to share some news with you."

"Of course," Richard said.

"Go on," Emily followed.

"Okay," she exhaled. "So Luke and I have been seeing each other for a few months now and have been friends for several years. It seems so fast in the context of the official relationship but I think this has been a long time coming and it just feels right." She turned her attention to him and he realized he was being put on the spot. He sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat.

"Uh yeah," he agreed, searching for the right words. "It took us a while to get to where we are but now that we're here and together, everything seems to click between us. The saying 'better late than never' couldn't describe it any more perfectly," he explained, turning to see her smiling at him.

"So," Lorelai resumed, "after a great deal of discussion about the future and where we want this relationship to go, Luke and I have decided to get married. We're engaged," she finished, exhaling as she held out her left hand.

"That is wonderful!" Emily said as she perked up in her chair, smiling. "Congratulations!"

"Yes," Richard smiled, "congratulations to you both."

The elder Gilmore's stood from their seats in unison and approached Luke and Lorelai. The couple rose to accept hugs, handshakes, and words of best wishes from her parents.

"I guess this calls for dessert before dinner," Emily said as the four sat back down.

"Are you alright, mom?" Lorelai asked, bewildered by her mother's unusual suggestion.

"Just this once. For this special occasion," she smiled. "Annie," she called out to the maid, "would you please bring the dessert into the living room?"

Not a minute later did Annie arrive with forks, napkins, cake plates, and one big plate that held the dessert. She set it down on the table in the middle of them and Lorelai choked up when she saw it for the first time. The cake was white on white, with silver and light blue icing that spelled out "Congratulations, Luke and Lorelai!"

"How did you-?" she turned swiftly toward her mother, speechless.

"Rory wasn't the only one Luke asked permission to marry you, Lorelai," Richard spoke up.

Tears formed in her eyes as she turned to look at Luke who sat there, silently.

"You-?" she began, knowing she didn't have to say much.

"Yeah. I asked your parents too."

Adoration overcame her face as she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly as she trembled in amazement of him. She turned her head so that her lips were close to his ear.

"I love you," she whispered softly to him as he exchanged smiles with her parents over her shoulder.