A/N: Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. The were just enough for me to finish this story up. :) There are still about 7 or 8 chapters yet, and I hope you enjoy where this story goes because I've really enjoyed writing it. This is the first fanfic I've actually WANTED to finish, haha. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

"Richard?" Emily called up the stairs as she opened the door. "Come down, we have a guest."

Richard appeared at the top of the stairs, fastening his tie in place. "Emily, you know I have to take a call in a few moments. I can't stay long, but I will certainly greet whoever is at the door."

"Richard," Emily said, staring at him as she opened the door.

"Mom," Lorelai said, smiling. Emily looked at her daughter. She looked different today. There was something about her that Emily just couldn't place, no matter how much she tried. She looked her over. Her hair was the same color, the same length. It was a little more curly than normal, but that wasn't what was different. Her eyes were the same bright blue they'd always been. She hadn't put any weight on her perfect body. She hadn't forgotten to shave. Emily couldn't for the life of her figure out what was so different about her only daughter.

"Why, Lorelai, what a pleasant surprise!" Richard exclaimed, hurrying down the stairs and offering a small hug to his daughter. "You look absolutely stunning," he said, and turned to Emily. "Doesn't she, Emily?"

Emily smiled at Richard, "Yes, she does dear." She turned to Lorelai. "You look beautiful. I can't place my finger on it… What's changed?"

Lorelai smiled and shrugged softly. "Oh well, come in, come in. I'll put on some tea and meet you and your father in the living room." Emily exited through the kitchen as Richard led his daughter into the living room and sat next to her. The phone rang just as Emily was pouring water into the kettle.

"Richard! Your call," Emily called to him. Lorelai looked at her father and smiled.

"Tell him I'll call him back," Richard said, patting Lorelai's hand. Lorelai looked at her father in amazement. He'd never given up one of his "very important calls" for her. Lorelai couldn't help but wonder how much their talk the month before had changed their relationship. Richard smiled at Lorelai. "So, to what do we owe this pleasant surprise?"

Lorelai smiled as her mother entered, holding her tea tray and handing Lorelai a cup of tea. "I hope tea is fine, we ran out of the good coffee. Your father has been hoarding it lately."

"Tea's just fine, thank you mom," Lorelai smiled, taking a sip of it, knowing full-well that her mother had already made her tea just the way she liked it prepared. Emily served Richard and then sat down across from Lorelai.

Lorelai smiled at them. "I just wanted to tell you something," she started. Emily raised her eyebrows and Richard reached for her hand instinctively. "It's good, I promise. Or at least I hope it'll keep being good because right now it's really good. I mean really, really good and I don't want it to end because I don't know if I could deal with it if things stopped being really good…" Lorelai trailed off as Emily stared at her, perplexed.

"What's 'really good', Lorelai?" she asked.

"Oh, sorry. I just started rambling and couldn't stop…" Emily laughed as Lorelai's mouth ran on. Lorelai looked up and blushed, "Sorry. His name is Luke."

"Luke." Emily repeated, eyeing Lorelai.

"Yes, well, actually it's Lucas "Butch" William Danes, but he goes by Luke. He owns a diner."

"A diner?" Richard asked.

"Yes, a diner, Dad. He makes the best coffee in the whole world. He keeps me fed. And he makes me eat my vegetables," Lorelai nodded, as if trying to prove her point to her parents.

Richard looked at her sternly. "I have two questions," he said.

Lorelai swallowed, "Yes?"

"Does he treat you right?" Richard asked.

"Like a princess," Lorelai replied, smiling. Her mind quickly shifted to how much of a gentleman he'd been over the years and how he had always taken care of her. She remembered the time she had to go to the Dragonfly, even as she was dreadfully ill, and how he'd snuck into her house, set up the couch for her with pillows and blankets, and set a pitcher full of water and a remote on the table, and a puke bucket next to her on the floor. He'd also moved the DVD player so that it was just within arms reach, and put a stack of romantic-comedies on top of it for her to watch as she was sick, most of them unopened. The cutest part, however, was the little note he'd left attached to the water pitcher. I'm speed dial 2 (hope you don't mind). I'll call every hour. Call if you need anything. Feel better.

"Lorelai?" Richard said, interrupting her thoughts.

"What?" she asked, unaware he'd already asked his second question.

"I asked you a question."

"I'm sorry, I was daydreaming," Lorelai replied slowly. "I'm listening now, go ahead."

"Do you love him?" Richard asked.

Lorelai looked at her father for a moment and smiled. "Yeah, I do." She replied, thinking of all of the reasons she loved Luke. She loved his gruff tone in the morning, how he always knew what she needed and wanted before she did. She loved how he got shy and twisted and nervous when he was around her. She loved how she could tell him anything, and how he trusted her so completely. She loved everything about Luke, from his heart to his brawn.

Richard smiled. "Then I guess I'll love him too." Lorelai smiled as Richard got up and kissed her forehead. "I've got to make a phone call. I'll be in my study." Lorelai smiled and watched her father leave, and then turned to her mother.

"Well?" She asked.

"Well, what? You're the one telling the story. Get on with it, missy!" Emily said, grinning and scooting closer to Lorelai in anticipation.

"Well, he's absolutely perfect, Mom…" she started. Emily smiled as she listened to her daughter tell all about how Luke and she had met, how they'd fallen in love, how he'd been so understanding about the baby. How Lorelai itched to spend every waking day with him. She found herself imagining Lorelai in a white wedding dress, flowers in her hair, walking down the aisle to the man she loved, and Emily couldn't help but smile at the image.

"Are you going to marry this boy?" Emily asked, trying to simply sound like an innocent listener without her own agenda or thoughts on the matter.

Lorelai thought very carefully before opening her mouth to speak. "Mom, do you remember the movie When Harry Met Sally?"

"Yes," Emily replied, puzzled.

"There's this one line in the movie that sums up all of my existence right now. Harry and Sally are talking at New Years, and Harry tells Sally, "When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." I don't know, I guess that's how I feel. So yeah, Mom, I want to marry Luke." Lorelai smiled at her, and then looked down at her hand, gazing at her fingers and wishing for the ring to adorn one of them, someday.

Emily watched her daughter with amazement. She'd finally figured out what was different about Lorelai. She was happy.

Richard twiddled his thumbs against the mahogany of his desk. His baby, all grown up and in love. A strange feeling overcame him. Regret? Nostalgia? Happiness? He couldn't put his finger on it. There was something disheartening, and at the same time thrilling, about watching his daughter falling in love. There was fear. A fear that she would grow up, move away, and forget all about her father. A fear that he wouldn't be able to deal with her leaving. But mostly, a fear that her heart may get broken. A fear that this man, this Luke, would break his daughter, just as she'd begun to be fixed. There was a fear that his daughter would be so hurt by this man that she might let go of all men in her life, perhaps permanently. It was a fear that paralyzed him to the core.

He jumped as the phone rang in his study. "I got it," he called out to Lorelai and Emily, even though he knew that they both knew he would answer it quickly. "Richard Gilmore speaking," he spoke into the receiver.

"Richard, Luke Danes… I'm dating your daughter."

"Oh, hello Lucas. How may I help you?" Richard asked, wondering what could merit a phone call from his daughter's latest love interest.

"I was wondering if I might be allowed to take you out for a drink. I'd like to talk to you about something," Luke replied, shaking a bit in his voice. Whereas it would have seemed to be a sign of weakness in any other phone call, knowing that Lorelai was smitten with the man on the other line made Richard critique him less strongly.

"Well, sure, son. I'll meet you at Ronaldo's in thirty minutes, is that adequate time?"

"Oh, sure," Luke replied, seeming a bit flabbergasted. "I'll be there. Thank you, sir." Richard hung up the phone and stared ahead of him for a moment, before jumping out of his chair and grabbing his sports coat. He entered the living room and waited patiently as Lorelai and Emily came to a resting point in their conversation.

"Emily, Lorelai, I'm going out. I'll be home in an hour or two," he said, turning to Lorelai. "Will you be staying for dinner?"

"Is that an invitation?" Lorelai asked, teasing him.

"There's always an invitation for you. But yes, as a matter of fact, it was."

"Well, I did learn from Emily Post that you should send your regards at least two days before a dinner date, so I guess in the spirit of following etiquette I'll just have to accept," Lorelai winked. Richard smiled back at her and hurried out the door, eager to find out what Luke wanted to talk with him about.

Lorelai looked at her mother and laughed. "Business must be good."

Emily raised her eyebrows as she followed Richard with her eyes, "Tell me more about Luke."

Richard sipped on his wine, eyeing Luke carefully. "What makes you think I should let you marry my daughter?" He asked.

"Sir?" Luke replied, his palms sweating.

"Well, you just asked for permission to marry her. Other than what she's said about you to me, I know nothing about you or your intentions. Why would I give away my only daughter so easily."

Luke laughed at himself slightly. "Sorry. I practiced over and over again what I was going to say to you, and then I just went and forgot the most important part."

"Well, why don't you start over?" Richard asked, nodding at Luke.

"Sir, I love your daughter," Luke started, trying to pick his words carefully, and at the same time focus on the man in front of him. Richard seemed to be the person that would decide his entire fate. For one moment, the rest of the world, his entire life's happiness, rested on what he said to Richard, and how Richard replied. Oh, God, give me the right words to say to him. "I don't even know how to explain it. She's come into my diner every day for the past four years, and every day I look at her and fall in love with her all over again. She's… I don't know... I love her. I know her… I know what she needs and wants. I know her better than she knows herself. I know that I'll make her happy… I just want to be with her, forever."

Luke looked up at Richard. He was simply staring at him, no sound came from his mouth. No sign of familiarity, of yes or of no written across his face. Just a blank stare. Luke opened his mouth and began to speak quickly, nervously. He'd learned it from Lorelai. "Sir, I love her. I don't want to hurt her. I just want to be there for her, every day. I want to make her happy. I want to be there during anything and everything she goes through. You know? I mean, I know her past… I'm in her present. I want to be in her future, too."

Richard's head shot up. "You know her past?" He studied Luke carefully.

"Yeah… She told me a few weeks ago. We've been talking about it recently. I'm trying to help her get through it. I know she's still really hurt. But she's making progress. Talking to you definitely helped her…" Luke trailed off, unsure of how much to say in front of Richard.

"She told you about the baby?"

Luke nodded slightly.

"Well." Richard stated, taking another sip of his wine. "Treat her right."

Luke stared at him for a moment, "Wait. Does that mean…?"

"Make my daughter happy, Luke," Richard said, patting Luke's hand. "She's been punishing herself long enough."

Luke smiled and nodded, already beginning to plan the perfect proposal in his mind.