I had an idea, I even think I had a great idea for this chapter. I little suprise for you. I was told it's as funny as I pictured it in my head and I really hope you concure.

Something lighter after all this drama ;)

Tell me if you like it!

And thanks to Kylie for betaing!

Chapter 30: Luuuke

Luke had made breakfast with the help of his family and they had actually spent a nice time together. Lorelai was always on edge and just waited for the outburst to happen at any second, but it never happened. Luke sat in his wheelchair and joked with the kids. He was like a new person and Lorelai could only stare at him in wonder. She asked herself what might have happened the night before with William and Luke. What had William said or done?

The kids, even Sara, were playing in William's room after breakfast while Lorelai washed the dishes and Luke dried them. The whole thing passed in silence, which was uncommon for them. The tension from the night before was somehow back and surrounded them.

"I think we should talk" Luke said when they were nearly finished.

"Yeah, sure" Lorelai shrugged, not really eager about this talk, because she knew it would end in another screaming match with Luke's mood at the moment.

"You have time now?" Luke asked.

"Not really. I have to go and check on the Inn. Maybe tonight?"

"Okay, tonight" Luke agreed and sounded a bit defeated. Lorelai heard it, but she just couldn't take another screaming match at that point and where else could she escape to than the Inn? She only had to convince the kids that spending the day at the Inn would be a nice idea. She wasn't really sure what they could do since it was too cold and too dangerous for them to play outside and Sara still couldn't really walk.

"When will you be back so I can have the dinner ready?" Luke asked and stood up from his wheelchair slowly and with the support of the kitchen table.

"We will leave when I have the kids and their stuff ready and I think we'll be back around five" Lorelai explained and put away the last pans.

"You're taking the kids with you?" Luke asked and stood now with the help of the crutches.

"Yeah, of course" Lorelai shrugged. Luke looked down and stared at the floor for a moment.

"Why "of course"? I can take care of my kids!" he said accusingly.

"Luke, please. You can not walk and you can not enter all the rooms with wheelchair cause sometimes the doorframes are too small, not to speak of upstairs. They could go everywhere and you wouldn't be able to see them." She explained and tried to keep her voice even.

"So you won't let me take care of m own kids?" he said and his voice shook.

"Of course hon', it's not about that. If you are able to walk again I am happy to let you look after them all day and night, but not right now."

"So if I won't be able to walk ever again you will never let me take care of them ever again?" he yelled now.

"Luke, please, don't talk like that." Lorelai said and sounded defeated and shocked.

"Like what? It's possible Lorelai. I don't know that and you don't know that either. I could stay a cripple for the rest of my life! And then what? What? You're keeping me locked in here and you'll do everything alone?"

"You will walk again. Everything will be okay again. I know that! So stop with this stupid speech and stop yelling at me" she yelled back, close to tears.

"You don't know that! And the kids will stay here! I can look after them" he still yelled and his knuckles turned white from gripping the crutches so tight.

"You know what? Do whatever you like. I can't stand this at the moment. We had such a nice morning and now you're ruining it. I'm out of here, don't know when I'll be back." She said and hurried out of the kitchen without caring if Luke could walk out or not. She stopped in the living room where her kids were now sprawled on the couch.

"Hey kids. I am going to the Inn for a while and your Daddy will stay here with you. Will, if you need me you know the speed dial number?"

"Two" he nodded.

"Good. Call me if you need me and I'll be back later this evening, okay? Behave yourselves" she told them.

"We will. Bye mommy!" William smiled and she hugged him for a second and placed a kiss on his forehead, before she kissed the twins goodbye and left.

It took Luke a while to walk from the kitchen to the living-room and he thought at one point that he couldn't make it when his legs started to shake and his arms got numb.

But he succeeded and plopped down in the armchair beside the couch.

"What are you watching?" he asked out of breath.

"Daddy is walking hurting you too?" Sara addressed him and ignored his question after she had studied him for a second.

"The crutches are hurting my hands, yes" he nodded and didn't want to admit that his muscles were cramped all the time and he had a major aching muscles.

"Is this our wedding video?" Luke asked when he took a longer look at the screen.

"Uhuh, mommy showed it to us while you were sleeping and we watched it together before going to bed. Now we wanna show Sara" William explained.

"Look, now there is mommy walking down the lane" Laila said excitedly when Lorelai appeared on the screen.

"Down the aisle, princess" Luke laughed and then watched Lorelai walking towards him on the screen. God, she had been beautiful that day. But then: When wasn't she?

He watched them exchange their vows, watched them kiss.

"Daddy, can I sit in your lap?" Laila suddenly brought him out of the daze the wedding video had put him in.

"Yeah sure" he said and pulled her in his lap.

"Am I hurting you?" she asked then.

"No you're not" he smiled and kissed her cheek, then focused back on the screen. He saw them smile and joke about the wedding cake. He saw them unwrap the gifts and the small jeans jacket and he saw them dance and wondered if he would ever be able to do that again.

William and Laila babbled the whole time through the video and always told Sara what would come next. They knew the whole video by heart.

The video was three hours long and when Luke had joined them only an hour had passed so he sat with them for two more hours through the video and they just wanted to rewind it and watch it again when the doorbell rang.

"Will, could you go and ask who is…" Luke couldn't get any further cause the next second a scream could be heard, Laila was taken away, he was pulled up and embraced very hard.

"Oh my big brother I am so happy you are okay!" Liz sobbed at his chest and all he could do was to pat her back. Then she pulled away as sudden as the embrace had been and he fell back down into the armchair when Liz pulled the kids into her arms and kissed them one after the other.

Luke meanwhile was faced by TJ.

"Luuuke, can ya understand me?" he asked and talked very slowly

"Yes, TJ" Luke only sighed

"Luuuke, do ya know who I am?" he wanted to know next.

"TJ, how could I ever forget you" Luke remarked sarcastically.

"Oh, Luke" TJ sniffed and suddenly started to cry and hugged him even harder than Liz had before.

"I am so glad you're okay. You're my favourite brother in law and I don't wanna lose ya" he sobbed and Luke looked helplessly down at him.

"Liz" he said finally and pointed to TJ.

"Ah, hon' give him some air to breathe!" she told TJ and he let go of Luke, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

"You know when we came back from the faire and found the messages on our answering machine saying you were in an accident and all, boy was I scared. But Lorelai said then that you are awake and okay, but I thought "Let's go and visit him" and here we are! Tada!" she smiled and hugged Luke again briefly.

"Ah, TJ, where is Gary junior?" She asked then and looked around.

"I think he's still outside sitting on the car" TJ shrugged.

"You mean in the car?" Luke asked with raised eyebrows.

"No, you know, our little guy likes to sit on the hood when it is still warm." Liz explained with a hand wave.

"I don't even want to ask why" Luke muttered and he and William exchanged a look that spoke volumes. Gary was a few months older than William, but he was more like his father than was probably good for him and even William had understood that when he had been two.

"You know he likes when his butt is warm and all, I mean, who doesn't like it?" TJ said and the girls started to giggle.

"So, uhm, now that you are here… you wanna drink or something?" Luke offered

"Yeah, sure I'll have a beer!" TJ said and sat down on the couch.

"TJ" Liz said in a threatening voice and immediately he stood up again.

"You want a beer?" he asked Luke then.

"How nice of you to offer me one of my own beer" Luke said with a snort.

"Hey, I just wanna help, man" TJ held up his hands in defeat.

"Nah, it's okay, just get me a glass of water" Luke sighed and gave up.

"I can get you one, daddy" William jumped in.

"Nah, Will, just stay here I go and get the drinks" Liz said and pinched his cheek.

"Ah geez" he muttered and rubbed his cheek when she went into the kitchen, what caused the girls to giggle again.

"Would you excuse me for a second?" Luke said then, stood up and walked towards the bathroom with his crutches.

"Hey Luuuke?" TJ's voice started him that much that Luke nearly lost his balance.

"Geez TJ, don't creep around like that!" Luke said annoyed.

"I just thought you might need a little help, buddy" TJ said and patted his shoulder.

"With what should I need help, buddy" Luke emphasized the last word.

"You know maybe holding these two things" TJ pointed to the crutches, "and the other… thing might be a little difficult all at once" TJ explained and winked at him.

Luke needed a second to get what he meant then his face wrinkled in disgust.

"God, TJ! Just… go into the living room!" Luke said then with force and pointed to the living room with his right crutch.

"Okay, okay, buddy. Stay cool!" TJ said and marched off.

"Gah!" Luke yelled before he went into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

When he came back out Sara was sitting crying on the couch, while William and Laila both hit TJ and Liz tried to pull them away.

"Hey, stop that!" Luke said and sat back down in the armchair and pulled Sara over to him.

"He took her lollipop away!" William yelled and pointed his index finger right at TJ's nose.

"She wouldn't let me lick and I love the strawberry one's" TJ pouted and held the rest of the lollipop out for Luke to take it. Luke just raised his eyes brows and kissed Sara's cheek a few times to calm her.

"Here, honey you have a new one" Liz smiled and handed the girl another one. Sara smiled thankfully at her aunt and Luke let it go this one time, because in general he hated lollipops.

"Why can she have one and I can't? That isn't fair!" TJ whined.

"They are for the kids" Liz said and looked around the room.

"Gary's still out there?" she asked.

"Yup" TJ just made, still pouting.

"Oh, hon, come on, go and get him" Liz said and stroked over TJ's head.

"Okay, okay, but only cause the hood will sure be cold by now" he muttered, stood up and went outside.

"God, how can you stand this guy?" Luke shook his head.

"What can I say? I love him, big bro'" Liz shrugged and crouched down in front of him.

"You're really okay?" she asked quieter and more serious.

"No, but I will be eventually" he said and gave her a small smile.

"Mommy, my butt is warm, see!" Gary junior yelled when he ran inside the house and leaned over so that his mother could touch his butt.

"It's really warm" she said after she felt, what caused William, Laila and Sara to erupt in laughter again.

"Where is your father?" Liz asked her son.

"He started the car and is sitting on the hood now. I'm going back out" Gary informed them and ran back out.

"Liz, they really shouldn't sit out there in the cold" Luke said.

"Ah, they do that all the time" Liz said.

"Where is Lorelai?" Liz asked then and sat down on the couch and put Laila in her lap.

"At the Inn, she has to check on some things" Luke explained and from his tone Liz knew that something was wrong.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, well… more or less. The usual" Luke tried to avoid a real answer and Liz knew it.

"Okay, we'll talk later. I mean, we have lots and lots of time!" Liz smiled happily.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked and raised his eyebrows. He knew nothing good could come out of his sister being that happy.

"We decided to stay for a week or two until Gary has to go back to school. It's great isn't it?" she grinned.

"What? But you can not stay here. We have no room" Luke exclaimed.

"Oh don't worry big bro', we already brought our stuff to the apartment above the diner." Liz said and gave Laila a kiss on the cheek before she started to tickle her.

"Luuuke, look, my butt is burning up!" TJ yelled the next second and held his butt in front of Luke.

"William call your mother right now!" was all Luke said, but William was rolling on the couch laughing, so it would take a while.

TBC

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