Inside Rory's room:
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lorelai asked obviously very frustrated. "You do not talk to Luke like that." She immediately scolded.
"He's invading my personal space." Rory defended, as she dried at her eyes. She quickly tried to pull herself back together. She hated crying in front of people.
"No, he's trying to protect you." Lorelai corrected. "And he's right, he's the closest thing you have to a father, and he loves you, Rory."
"I just don't see why you're making a big deal over this. It was a car ride… nothing more."
"It could have been more." Lorelai replied. "Besides, you're not old enough to car date."
"Car date?" Rory asked annoyed. "Mom, I never even mentioned car dating. Tristan was just being nice and brining me home."
"Well, as nice of a gesture as that may seem, I'd prefer if you rode the bus everyday from now on."
"Mom, I'm not a kid… please realize that."
"I do realize that. And that's exactly why I'm enforcing these rules. Apparently, it wasn't clear before, so now I'm going to leave no room for guessing. You're not to get in a car with a boy or a girl, for that matter, without my approval first. If something happens and you miss your bus, then call a cab and Luke and I will pay the bill when you get home. If for some reason you cant get a hold of a cab company, call me… I'll leave work and personally come to pick you up. Any questions?"
"Several." Rory retorted. "But I'll pass on asking them."
"You're going to apologize to Luke. And until I tell you otherwise, you're grounded."
"I suddenly feel like Jess." Rory replied under her breath.
"Well, it's what you get for acting like him. And speaking of whom, what was he talking about out on the lawn?"
"I have no idea." Rory lied.
"I think you do." Lorelai countered.
"Mom… I really, really, don't want to get into another Jess argument."
Lorelai sighed. "Fine, go apologize to Luke. He's in the living the room."
Rory did as she was told. Luke didn't say anything, he merely sat there and nodded his head a couple of times. He knew Lorelai had forced Rory to apologize, therefore, it didn't really reconcile the hurt she had caused a few minutes before. Lorelai sat down on the couch beside Luke. Her head was pounding.
"I can literally feel the gray hairs growing from my scalp." She moaned. "Luke, I'm sorry. Rory is usually one of the most well-mannered and soft spoken kids you'll ever meet. You know that."
Luke sighed. "She's not been soft spoken in months… not to mention the dry sarcastic remarks…"
Lorelai cast Luke an awkward stare. "What are you talking about?"
"Come on, you're just now noticing the attitude? The cockiness? The narcissism?"
"Excuse me? Are we talking about Rory or Jess?" She asked as she repositioned herself on the couch.
"Don't play that crap, Lorelai. I don't want hear it."
"Look, I get that she hurt your feelings, but…."
"No. See you don't get it." Luke interrupted. "How am I supposed to be a father figure when I have no say in what goes on in her life? I can't make rules… I can't make decisions… I can't distribute punishment. What purpose do I have? Let me tell you, standing still and looking pretty isn't really my thing."
"Hey, I don't tell you how to raise Jess." Lorelai replied.
"Ha, I'd love some help on how to parent him. Maybe, if I had a little help, things wouldn't be so damn screwed up around here."
Lorelai's eyes narrowed. "Are we seriously doing this?"
"Yeah… we are." Luke stood from the couch. "Things are going to have to change."
"So, I guess this is why you're hell bent on having your own child… so you can boss it around…"
"Not boss it around." Luke corrected. "Play a part in its life. Have a little bit control."
"What are you, power hungry?" Lorelai asked as she stood as well. "Cause I'm not a big fan of patriarchy… "
"God, would you stop twisting my words around?" Luke replied in frustration. "I wish you could see things from my point of view, just once."
"And I wish you would take your own advice."
Luke exhaled deeply. "I can't do this… I thought I could… but I can't…" he hung his head.
"Can't do what?" Lorelai asked immediately eager to know what he was backing out of.
"Make this family work." Luke said solemnly. "I thought if we just hung in there… and gave it time… and had a couple kids of our own, it'd all eventually pull together. Instead, we're farther apart than ever."
"Luke, nothing is worth having if it comes easy." Lorelai insightfully replied. "I admit we're not the Cleavers, but hey, we're not the Osbournes either so I think we're doing pretty well." She ended highly.
Luke couldn't help but let a tiny smile cross his face. He hated when she would use a clever analogy to ease a heavy situation, but at the same time he found it impossible to not admire it.
"Look, maybe we both need to try a little harder. If you want, I'll try to become more involved with Jess…"
Luke nearly laughed. "No… I don't think that would be a good idea. It'd never fly over too well."
"Oh, thank God." Lorelai replied relieved. "You have no idea how hard that was for me to say."
"I was just venting about the whole Jess thing… Jess is… He's nearly grown, you know… and he's been doing really great here lately. I don't… I don't know why I said that." Luke gazed down at the floor. "Man, I feel like a three year old."
"I really do want you involved more with Rory. Even if she does try to block you out… I'm really worried that… well…" She paused. "I don't want her to follow in my footsteps…"
Luke glanced back up at Lorelai. "I can't imagine what you thought when you saw her step out of the car with that boy."
"Oh, you have no idea." Lorelai replied. "I – I don't want to call attention to it though, because I'm afraid that may make her want to do it more. I want to teach her what is wrong and right without making it sound like I'm lecturing her."
"I understand." Luke smiled.
"My mom was pregnant at sixteen, then I turned around and did the same thing, but I want more for Rory… I want her to go to college and get a great education and be somebody. And she can be Luke. She's smart enough… she's motivated enough… she wants it just as badly as I do for her."
"Exactly." Luke pointed out. "So, I really don't think you have as much to worry about as you think."
"but it only takes one time…" Lorelai replied softly. "One time of letting her guard down… one time of trying something new… and then being smart or motivated or driven… it just doesn't matter anymore."
Realizing they were both in need of a warm hug, Luke walked over and embraced Lorelai. "If only they came with handbooks when they were born." He joked.
Lorelai giggled. "Maybe they do at the adoption agency."
"Maybe." Luke smiled.