It had been two weeks since the ball, Luke and Lorelai had been almost inseparable, Rory had never seen her Mom so happy and it made her more content than she ever remembered feeling. This was the first time that a man could join the Gilmore Girl clubhouse and it felt perfectly natural to all three of them. The only thing that shocked Lorelai was how polite and welcoming her parents were at the Friday night dinner Luke attended. They seemed impressed that he owned the building and all the ways he had helped out raising Rory all these years. And it didn't hurt that it was obvious how happy both Lorelai and Rory were when Luke was around.

Rory walked in the front door to the smell of cooking, something that she certainly wasn't used to.

"Hello?" She called as she took off her coat.

"Hey!" Luke answered, "Your Mom has a meeting at the Inn about an upcoming wedding, she said she might be late, so I'm making dinner and you can pick the movie."

"Well that is a much better idea than me making dinner and you picking the movie," Rory answered as she entered the kitchen.

"How do you know? You guys never let me pick the movie."

"Fine, let me go change out of my uniform and I'll pick a few movies, then you can choose from that pile. Are we eating in the kitchen or TV room?"

"I made lasagna, I think we should eat in the kitchen."

"Okay"

Rory and Luke ate dinner together, talking about their days and laughing. When they were done Rory gave Luke a few movie options (most included a baseball theme) he chose 'A League of Their Own' thinking it would be something for both of them. They had gotten only ten minutes into the movie when there was a knock on the door.

Rory went to get it and was shocked at who was on the other side, "Dad! What are you doing here?"

"Really?" Christopher asked, "That's how you greet the guy who brought you this?" He then dangled a set of keys in her face and was grinning like an idiot.

"What are those for?" Rory asked partly disgusted and partly oblivious.

"Look, I'm sorry that I missed the party the other week. So I got you a present to make up for it." Chris then motioned to the driveway.

Rory saw a brand new car, it was dark out so she saw that it was red and looked sporty but was too shocked to notice much more, "You got me a car?"

"Yup!"

"All I wanted was for you to be there for me! I needed my Dad to be there for me. But this is what I should have expected, you never do what I ask or are there for me when I need you and then you think you can buy my forgiveness or my love or whatever! I don't want your car!"

Chris was shocked, "I'm sorry I told you I had to work and I did. I was out of town and I just couldn't get back in time."

"It's always the same story!"
"Rory, what's going on?" Luke asked, full of concern as he came to the door.

"Who the hell is this?" Chris almost yelled while looking at Rory and pointing at Luke.

"This is Luke," Rory said as she stepped closer to Luke, "He's Mom's boyfriend, HE was there for me at the ball, he's ALWAYS here when Mom & I need him."

Luke put his arm around Rory, "Luke Danes," he said, offering his hand to shake Chris'.

"Don't you own the Diner? You're the coffee guy, right?" Chris had venom in his voice.

"Yeah, that's me." Luke tried to keep things light.

Chris began to laugh, "Of course they like you, you give them free coffee."

"Well, my girls do like my coffee," Luke smiled.

"Your girls? YOUR girls? Look Buddy, Lorelai and I have history, we share a daughter. I'M Rory's Father!"

"Really? Cause you weren't there for me the other week when I needed you but Luke was. You weren't there when I got chicken pox and would only eat mashed potatoes for a week. Did you even know I had chicken pox? Luke was here. He was the one making the mashed potatoes! Were you there for Mom and me when Grandpa was taken to the hospital last Christmas? No! It was Luke that was there for us. Besides Mom, Luke is the only person I can count on to be there for me no matter what. The only thing that is consistent with you is that you bail on me or let me down!"

"Rory, you don't mean that," Chris said, sounding hurt. "Please, let's go for a drive and talk."

Rory turned to Luke with tears streaming down her face, "I'm going to bed. Can we finish the movie tomorrow?"

Luke stepped between Rory and Chris, clearing her path to her room, "Go ahead, I'll clean up and let your Mom know what's going on."

"Thanks," she half smiled at Luke. She then turned to Chris and snapped, "Bye!"

"Rory, wait!" Chris called and tried to follow her but Luke put his hand out to stop him.

"Look man, I think you need to give her some time."

Chris shoved Luke's arm away and yelled, "Don't touch me!"

Luke took a step back but made sure to still be in Chris' path. Chris was not having it and shoved Luke out of his way.

"Rory! Rory! Get back here! We're not done talking!" Chris was making his way to Rory's room but before he reached the door Luke grabbed his arm, "She made herself clear. It's time for you to go!"

"Don't get so comfortable here man, you're just the flavour of the week. Lorelai can have any man she wants and you think that she's going to end up with YOU?!"

"She could do worse," Luke said coolly. Then he looked Chris up and down and smirked, "In fact she has done worse. But yeah, I think she is going to end up with me. Because I love and respect her. Also, I would do anything for Rory, I've never loved a kid the way I love her. And in the end, no matter what happens between Lorelai and me, I will love her and Rory till the day I die."

Chris turned to leave but then punched Luke in the face causing him to stumble backwards onto the kitchen table. The noise made Rory come to see what happened and was horrified.

"You hit him?!"

"Rory, it's okay," Luke tried to defuse the situation as Rory helped him get to his feet.

"He was pushing my buttons, he was begging me to hit him," Chris explained.

"What the hell is going on here?" Lorelai's voice surprised them all.

"Lor, Thank God you're here!" Chris sighed. "I just came by to apologize to Rory for missing the debutante thing, I even brought her an amazing gift. But she won't listen and this guy is trying to keep her from me."

"So you sucker punched him?" Lorelai asked sarcastically.

"Mom, Luke wasn't keeping us apart. I got upset and went to my room. I guess Dad followed me and Luke was trying to convince him to give me space. The last thing that Luke said was that he loved us and then Dad hit him."

"Chris, you should go," Lorelai commanded.

"Lor, just talk to me. Please."

"Christopher, I come home and you have upset my daughter and punched my boyfriend, do you really think I owe you anything?"

Rage flashed across Chris' face, "Yeah I'm just the asshole that felt bad that I missed her thing so I got her a car. She is on the bus for over an hour each day. I thought this was better than being there for one stupid night."

"It wasn't a stupid night to me!" Rory yelled.

Luke was shocked, he had never heard Rory so angry or loud.

"Kid, I didn't mean -"

"You just don't get it, you never got me or Mom. We don't want your money or gifts, that's not what's important to us. We value love, friendship and the people who are there for us! People like Luke!"

"You need to go now," Luke stood beside Rory. He made sure to stand tall, knowing that he is already taller than Chris, but wanting to look as menacing as possible.

"I think YOU should go, clearly you being around is affecting my relationship with my girls." Chris said, taking steps closer to Luke.

Luke stepped slightly in front of Rory in case Chris tried to get physical again; he wanted to make sure there was no way she caught any of the action.

"That's it, Chris! Get out or I will call the cops," Lorelai barked as she grabbed his arm and started ushering him towards the door.

"Lor, come on. I'm her Dad."

"Chris, you can say that all you want, and yes biologically you are Rory's father. But I don't think you have ever been a 'Dad'. You have even cancelled plans with her on Father's Day! But the worst of it is that you thought a car would smooth things over. It just shows how little you know her."

"If you make me leave now, I'm not coming back until you guys apologize and -"

"Just go!"

Chris looked at her with pain and anger, "You really want to spend your life as Mrs. Diner Guy?"

Lorela thought about marrying Luke, about him living in this house with her and Rory, how the two Gilmore Girls would both look at him and pout to get him to join them at town events, how Rory would always have a 'date' on Father's day, how adorable their babies would be, she was falling more and more in love with Luke as she imagined all that their life could be.

"Yes, I really do!" Lorelai smiled sweetly as she closed the door on Chris' face.

She turned around and sped to the kitchen to be with the people that she truly loved. She found Rory at the kitchen table with red puffy eyes and Luke filling the coffee pot.

"He's gone," Lorelai announced.

Rory rushed into her arms and began to cry, "I hate him so much!"

"Don't say that," Luke said softly. "I know he's a jerk who always lets you down. But take it from someone who has lost both of my parents, don't say you hate him. Liz fought with our Mom the day before Mom died and it still haunts her today."

"You have a sister?" Lorelai asked.

Luke laughed, "Sure do. But that's a story for another day. Maybe I should go and let you two be alone."

"Oh Hon, you don't have to go," Lorelai said and took his hand.

"It's okay, I have an early delivery tomorrow. You two have some mother daughter time, I've been here a lot lately."

Rory was sitting at the kitchen table zoned out.

"See you tomorrow Rory," Luke waved.

"No, Luke. You don't have to go," Rory said, getting up. "I'm going to go to sleep. After a day with Paris and now this, I'm ready to crash. Mom and I can talk tomorrow." She half waved, disappeared into her room and turned some music on.

Luke looked at Lorelai helplessly, "Shouldn't you talk to her?"

Lorelai wandered over to the counter and started picking at the lasagna that Luke had plated for her, "Trust me, this isn't the first time Rory had to deal with Chris' drama. She needs space right now. The last time I tried to push her to talk about it, she blew up at me asking if I was still in love with him."

"Luke wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, "So? Do you still love that guy?"

Lorelai looked up into his ocean blue eyes, her hands were on his chest playing with the buttons of his shirt. "Can I be honest with you?"

Luke suddenly stopped smiling, fear of losing Lorelai and Rory to Chris consumed him.

Lorelai stroked his cheek lovingly to calm his nerves, "Luke, I'm not sure I've ever really been in love until now. I've had feelings and thought I was in love a few times, especially with Chris. But these last few weeks with you, it's like nothing I've ever felt before."

"I wanna marry you," Luke blurted out.