Notes: I'm glad you guys are sticking with me here. I want Luke and Lorelai together too, but I wanted to do this realistically. So I'm glad you're sticking with me through the Christopher stuff.

Now I've gotten up to the beginning of season 3 so the chapters will follow along with some of what happened in season 3 (mostly the Rory stuff with Jess and Dean will be the same). Some scenes will be rewritten to go along with the story.

Also, just a plug of my own, if you want to read another LL fic check out my new oneshot Against All Odds. Now back to the story...

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Lorelai's House

Lorelai is having her dream about Luke cooking in the kitchen and kissing her and talking to her stomach. She wakes up suddenly, falling out of bed. "Whaa...?" she mutters, rubbing her head. Sighing she reaches up to the table above her for the phone, dialing quickly.

"I'm disowning you," says the tired voice on the other end of the phone.

"You can't disown me, I'm the elder Lorelai Gilmore," Lorelai whines, still rubbing her head.

"Mom, it's three in the morning, what could you possibly want?" Rory whines, not much different from Lorelai's whine.

"Rory, I had another dream."

"About Dad?"

"No, when's the last time I dreamed about him? I don't dream about people I'm supposed to dream about, people I'm actually dating. That would be too easy. My life is never easy," Lorelai rants sleepily.

"Sorry."

"Rory!" Rory sits up, yawning and actually glancing at the time on the clock, which, in fact, reads 4:30.

"Okay, I'm up. You're worse than Max Connors," Rory mumbles.

"But she owned up to all her crimes so that Page could marry the bartender!"

"Yes, but she did try to destroy Page's life before that," Rory says. Lorelai nods, thinking about it. "So, tell me about the dream." Rory gets comfortable in bed, ready to really get into the dream.

"Well it was just – it was crazy – I mean alarm clocks everywhere, going off, and then, then I went downstairs and Luke was there – Luke – cooking"

"Naked?"

"No, Rory, flannelled. But he was there and then he kissed me and he talked to my stomach!"

"Really? That's odd."

"I was pregnant with twins."

"So, not so odd."

"Rory! I was kissing Luke! And having his twins! And married to Luke! And wearing a fabulous nightgown!" Lorelai rants. Rory smiles.

"Maybe you're secretly in love with Luke and you want to have his twins," Rory suggests.

"Veto."

"What?"

"I vetoed your analysis." Rory glances around

"Wait a second, I'm the one in DC." Lorelai sighs. "Okay, maybe you are thinking about Dad and the fact that you two could finally have it all, a family, and you're putting Luke in Dad's place because he just found out he has a family he never knew about." Lorelai frowns, thinking about it. "Mom, it's going to work out. He promised both of us."

"I know…." Lorelai rubs her eyes. "Is Paris being quiet for once?" Rory glances up at her roommate.

"For once. I can finally get some sleep now. Except my evil mother woke me up." Lorelai smiles.

"Okay, okay, I can take a hint. Go back to sleep. I'll see you on Friday."

"I love you, Mom."

"Love ya too, kid." Lorelai hangs up the phone and sits there for a moment. Sighing, she sleepily climbs back into bed and goes to sleep.

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Friday in the town square

Lorelai and Rory are walking through the center of town, trying to ignore the constant sounds of the acapella singers. "Seriously, I never thought I hated this song that much," Lorelai comments, when the singers restart the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer for the umpteenth time.

"It's actually growing on me," Rory says. Lorelai smirks.

"Like a fungus?" Rory shrugs. "So, I got you out of Friday Night Dinner, I thought that you and Dean could spend some time together, snogging, doing all those things that can make a single girl nauseous."

"But you're not single," Rory notes. Lorelai shrugs.

"True, but I've seen my guy every weekend for months, I don't need to spend the night whispering sweet nothings," Lorelai responds. Rory rolls her eyes.

"Don't be gross."

"Hey Gilmores!" Christopher calls, walking over.

"Hey there!" Lorelai says. He drapes an arm around her waist and leans in for a kiss. Rory can't help but smile. "Hey, not in front of the kid," she flirts. Chris looks over at Rory and smiles.

"Hey Kiddo!" Chris and Rory hug. "Glad to be back in this part of the country?"

"Am I ever? DC was fun, but being with Paris every moment of every day for 10 weeks are enough to make you feel like you're in hell."

"Aw, she just missed Mommy," Lorelai teases. "So when does Dean get in?"

"You two are still together?" Chris asks. Rory nods. "Yeah, but you were able to stay in contact during the summer?" As Chris and Rory turn to continue their conversation, Lorelai glances over at Luke's Diner, wriggling out of Chris's embrace.

Luke glances out the window of the diner as he pours coffee for someone in the front table. He catches Lorelai's gaze and smiles. She hesitates to wave and, instead, nods, smiling. Luke walks away from the window, but Lorelai is still watching.

"Anyways, he promised to meet me here so I'm excited," Rory finishes.

"Our little girl's all grown up," Chris says. Lorelai glances up at Chris and then suddenly smiles, realizing he's talking to her.

"Uh, yeah, yeah she is. But she's still 8 to me," Lorelai stammers. She reaches out and pinches Rory's cheek

"Makes me feel old," Chris says, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You are old. But you're my old man," Lorelai teases, taking his hand in hers.

"Hey!" Chris nods his head at Rory, who isn't looking at them. "Well…" He quickly kisses Lorelai, but she's watching Rory and following Rory's gaze over to Jess, who is kissing Shane.

"Rory?" Lorelai reaches out and rubs Rory's arm. "You okay?"

"What? Me? I'm fine. No, I'm fine," Rory stammers. Lorelai nods, obviously not believing her. Chris watches the two, unaware of what's going on.

"Fine? Riiiiight," Lorelai says. Rory purses her lips. "Did something happen?" Rory glances over at Chris. Lorelai smiles at him. "Hey, Hun, can you go over to Luke's and get us some coffee?"

"Luke's? You want me to go to Luke's? You never let me go to Luke's!" Lorelai looks shocked.

"I never told you that! You do what you want to do!" she retorts. Chris raises an eyebrow. He kisses her.

"I'm not sure what that was about, but I will go and get the coffee." Chris watches away. Lorelai has a strange expression on her face. She glances back at Rory.

"I have no idea what he's talking about," Lorelai insists. Rory nods, hands on hips. She casts a sidelong glance over at Jess and Shane. "So, why don't you explain to me what's going on here? I thought you didn't even know he was back."

"I saw him. At Sookie's wedding."

"Sookie's wedding? Whaa… okay…" Lorelai's shaking her head like she's disappointed.

"He came. He came to see me. And I – we – kissed."

"You kissed?" Rory nods. "You kissed him or he kissed you?"

"I kissed him." Lorelai is really giving Rory a disappointed look now.

"But, you're still with Dean? I mean, I'm not crazy, you are still with Dean aren't you?" Rory crosses her arms, upset. "Rory?"

"Yes! Yes! I'm still with Dean!" Lorelai scratches her head. "I – I don't know, Mom – I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? For me? What? I…" Lorelai shakes her head again. Chris walks back over with the coffees. "Rory, I love you. I just don't want you to ruin what a great thing you've got going with Dean. This is your last year in high school and I want you to be happy. So – it's up to you. You do what you want, as long as you're happy." She takes one of the coffees from Chris. "Okay, Rory?" Rory nods. Lorelai rubs Rory's arm. "I just want you to be happy." Rory nods and smiles up at Lorelai.