A/N- Sorry in advance that this is a bit shorter! I decided to break up these two instances, so that they could each get the attention they deserved. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and where the glass door led Rory, and let me know if you guessed right. Please read, review, recommend to others if you feel like it. I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters or concepts but I wish I had one of these. Really. We all deserve one.

Oh, and for those who were wondering, the reference to Ayn Rand in that episode was made when Rory calls her mother the Howard Roark of Star's Hollow. There are no shows around that are as smart as this anymore.


Chapter 55

"Rory?"

"Hey Luke," Rory smiled softly, "Mom mentioned you stay here sometimes on Fridays because the inventory guy comes early in the morning. I don't want to keep you up. But do you mind if I come in for a minute?"

"Sure," Luke opened the door wider and gestured her in, staring as she walked through and headed toward the counter, "I'm sorry, I would've left donuts or something. I just…your mom didn't mention you were coming to town."

"I kind of surprised her," Rory explained, smiling as she watched Luke put on a pot of coffee, "And I'm only staying in town for the night. Things were kind of calm at Truncheon so I figured it was as good a time as any."

Luke nodded as he poured coffee into a mug for Rory. He knew intrinsically that something bigger was going on, and also knew her well enough to just let the silence speak until she was ready.

It felt very similar to when she had come to him after Jess had left, but he knew that this was different. Jess wouldn't leave now. Luke honestly believed that given the choice he would never leave Rory again, not even for one night. But something was weighing on Rory, and he could see it in her eyes as he had that early night. He knew that in these moments he was the father Rory never really had, more than he was at any other moment. And he would always be there for her. But given what he understood to be her circumstances, he would later be surprised that he hadn't guessed what she was there.

"Luke, why is Jess still…cruel…with Liz?" she softly asked, looking into the man's pale blue eyes. Immediately his brows furrowed and he sighed deeply. "Is it just that he can't forgive her?"

"That's a part of it. But he doesn't want to," Luke answered, looking at Rory sadly, "He doesn't believe that she's better."

"How…"

"She's the same person. By his logic, there's no reason to believe she's changed," Luke explained, "And even though I've tried to change his mind myself, I have to admit that considering his past with her, he has a good reason to think that way."

"He acts like a different person than the man he is now when he talks to her," Rory replied, "Like all the things that have changed about him since he was in high school…"

"Have reversed and gotten even worse?" Luke cut her off, grimacing. She nodded.

"Well, that's Liz. That's what she does to him," he sighed, "Though what he does to her isn't pretty either. It's hard to be in the middle of it."

"I'll bet," Rory said quietly, staring into her coffee.

"Rory," Luke quickly implored, his tone forcing Rory to meet his eyes, "He is a good man. He is the man you know him to be. Those changes are real. It's just her. He's not going back. I promise you."

Rory smiled sadly, a tear streaming down her cheek. "I just…I want it to work this time," she clarified softly. Luke nodded. Even though neither of them had told him anything he didn't need an explanation.

"I think it will," Luke answered, "Rory, he looks at you the same way he always has. But now he's ready to be there. Not just until he gets scared and bails. But really be there. He's not gonna go anywhere or change on you. You can count on him now."

"Thanks, Luke." Rory looked at him gratefully. "I mean, I felt like that was the truth. But you know him better than anyone, and I wanted to be sure."

"You can never be sure, Rory," Luke said quietly, "But Jess…you know how he feels. How he's always felt. He always will. And I know you. That's all you really need to make your choice."

She nodded, still holding Luke's gaze. It was moments like these that made her grateful that Chris had been a deadbeat. If he'd been halfway decent she might not have come to depend on Luke like she did. Even though the times she came to him were rare, they were important and he never disappointed her. He was always there. He was the kind of father every girl deserved to have but she was lucky enough to get, even when he didn't have to be that for her. She'd always understood why what he thought meant so much to Jess. It meant the world to her too.

"Thanks, Luke," she smiled, getting down from her stool and heading toward the door as Luke followed her to lock up. She turned around and hugged him tightly. Luke returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. How far they'd come since the awkward Harvard-Princeton-Yale-acceptance-hug-debacle.

"Anytime," he answered, opening the door for her. She walked out and headed for home, her heart full of content and appreciation. She had no idea what she'd do without the Danes-Mariano men to help her make sense of life.