AN: I'm going to fast-forward a little to get to the good stuff. So this takes place about 3 months after chapter 10. As you might have noticed I'm a little biased when it comes to the older Gilmores. I thought Emily was let off the hook too often. And I always liked Richard. I'm slowing down on my updates because it's taking longer than predicted to write chapt 13. But there's more coming, I swear.

WARNING: ADULT SITUATION IN THIS CHAPTER. But not a very graphic one.


Luke was nodding his head along to the radio while taking inventory in his father's shop. William seemed to be ordering less stock than he usually did. Luke assumed his father was just being cautious, No reason to worry now Danes. It was hard to worry about anything these days.

It had been three months and he and Lorelai were just getting better and better. Rory was still calling him 'Dada' much to the entire town's delight. Luke had grumbled in the beginning when everyone told him how "sweet" they were. But Rory smiled so proudly when people cooed over her and her 'Dada', so he eventually learned to grin and bear it.

Lorelai had gotten her very first promotion at the Inn, she was now the daytime receptionist. Though on occasion she still had to don the maid's uniform to help out. He'd given her flowers to mark the occasion. "And the flower stat goes up to two. Still not too hard to remember," she'd remarked with a sentimental blush belying the teasing words. When he gets the shy grin and blush from her he feels invincible.

Tonight he intends to take the girls out to celebrate their three-month anniversary. My girls, three months with my girls. As happy as Luke was he knew it was dangerous to get too serious too soon. He was crazy about Lorelai. You love her, dumbass. But Lorelai had already run from commitment and marriage once. He didn't want to push her into something she wasn't ready for. Once a week Lorelai and Rory came to his father's house for dinner. And the glint in William's eye told his son exactly what was on the older man's mind.

William Danes saw a family. Luke saw it too, but what was Lorelai seeing?


Lorelai was having a trying morning at the front desk. Two couples had showed up claiming that had reservations that weren't in the book, a particularly shrill guest's designer luggage had been ripped, and the phone rung incessantly. But Luke had called at 11:30 and her morning had gotten considerably nicer.

Lorelai had never felt like this before. She wonders if it's just a matter of being older and wiser. Not that anyone's ever wise in lo-…dating. It occurred to Lorelai, a few days after Rory's birth, that she'd never said that to someone. I Love you. Not even her parents. She made a point to say it to Rory often. She wanted her daughter to grow up hearing it and saying it. But Rory was different. Lorelai was Rory's whole world, loving her was easy and safe. But saying those words to Luke was… the thought of it make her stomach drop out.

Lorelai's inner ramblings were cut off by the ringing phone, "Independence Inn, Lorelai speaking."

"Lorelai this is your mother."

Lorelai sucked in a sharp breath and was about to point out that she'd recognized her mother's voice for 18 years and didn't need to be told, but that wouldn't make the conversation any quicker. "Hello, mom."

"Lorelai your father and I wish to see you and Rory, tonight."

"What? I don't kno-"

"It is not a request Lorelai. You will either come to us or we will come to you. "

Lorelai sighed, nothing good could come from this meeting but it would be much worse having her mother here in her personal space. "Rory and I will come to you. Six o'clock?"

"That would be fine. See you then. And please dress yourselves appropriately." Emily hung up.

"Damn it!"


Lorelai ran to the hardware store to spend her lunch break with Luke, they alternated days. Today was her day to come to him and she was, of course, late.

Lorelai flew into the office upstairs, panting and still tense from her conversation with Emily.

Luke chuckled at her appearance, "I'm aware of the 'Lorelai time delay' I wait until 10 past to take my break."

Lorelai glared up at him, "Yeah, thanks."

"So, listen, about tonight-"

"Ugh."

Luke was suddenly nervous. "Uh, what?"

"My mother called. The Gilmores have demanded the honor of my presence at dinner tonight."

Luke was somewhat relieved that he didn't inspire that disgusted expression, but the tension was still there. "Oh, um…I could go with you."

"What?"

"Yeah then we could go to the movies or something after."

"No."

"Why not?"

"No just, no. You can't go to my parents."

Now he was just a little pissed, "Why the hell not?"

"Luke my mother hasn't seen me in months she's been saving up some pretty seriously hostility. Trust me you should NOT be there."

Luke was disappointed about his anniversary plans and her reluctance to let him in to her family and he was having a little trouble hiding it, "Fine. Whatever. You wanna eat or what?"

Lorelai could see the hurt in his eyes but couldn't figure out how to ease it.


At 5 o'clock Lorelai got Rory dressed in a pretty fall dress she'd made and packed up their things, got in Mia's car and took off. She was still thinking about Luke's expression at lunch. She hated that he was hurt. She could imagine what he was thinking. That she was pushing him away, that she was hiding. But it wasn't that at all. She was trying to KEEP him. She knew the kinds of things her mother would say at dinner, and she couldn't even dream up the awful things Emily Gilmore would say to Luke. This was for his own good, the good of their relationship.

Lorelai rang the bell a few minutes past six. The maid, new since she last stepped foot in the house, took their coats and led her to the sitting room. "You're late Lorelai."

She looked up to face her mother, holding Rory close, "Sorry mom. Rory was fussy."

"Fine Lorelai, blame your child rather than own up to your own poor planning."

Lorelai rolled her eyes, instantly flashing to the dozens of times she heard her mother blame her own tardiness on Lorelai's poor behavior.

"Well I guess we should head right to dinner the cook insists on having it ready early no matter how often I tell her we eat at 7."

Dinner was almost silent which, despite Lorelai's hatred for quiet, was welcomed.

After dinner they returned to the sitting room for coffee…and Hurricane Emily.

"Well Lorelai I think it's about time we talked about your plans," Emily said sitting with her hands perfectly folded over her lap.

"My plans?"

"Yes when are you going to start living up to your responsibility?"

"I am. I put a roof over Rory's head, I feed and clothe her and I go to work everyday and do my job. I'd say for an 18 year old I have 'responsibility' covered nicely."

"When are you going to live up to your responsibility as a Gilmore? I had assumed it would only take a few weeks for you to come back and do as we planned but you were always an appallingly stubborn girl."

"Emily-"

"Well?"

"I'm not coming home mom. I have a home, one I'm happy in."

"Yes well you can hardly expect Christopher Hayden to live in a hovel in Stars Hole."

"Stars Hollow, and what does Christopher have to do with anything?"

"Well how is he expected to marry you when you make such terrible decisions."

"Mother I'm not marrying Christopher."

"Of course you are that child needs a father."

"Dada!" Rory interrupted recognizing the word and looking frantically for her daddy.

"You see, you're depriving your child."

"She's not looking for Christopher mother, she doesn't even know who Christopher is."

"Of course she is, she's looking for her father."

"Yes mother but she's never even met Chris."

"Then who is she looking for, Lorelai?"

"I-"

"Loelai Victoria Gilmore! Are you…dating some man?"

"Moth-"

"No Lorelai. How could you be so irresponsible? When Christopher finds out you've been skirting around like some floozy he won't WANT to marry you anymore and then where will you be?"

Richard turned sharply to his wife, "Emily!"

"You have a child to think about you can't be out flirting like some tramp in a bar. You need to be responsible! And for god sakes what decent man would want a girl like you anyway! At least Christopher will forgive your past foolishness since he's Rory's father. But Jesus Lorelai can't you just for once not ruin everyone's lives!"

"Emily enough!" Richard barked.

By this point Lorelai was in tears. Her face was red and her skin felt dirty. She picked up her daughter and bolted to the door. The maid met them just in time to return their coats as Lorelai threw a pitiful glance at her father and left the house.


Luke saw Mia's car heading through town toward the Inn so he hoped I his truck to meet her there. We need to have this out. He beat her there by a few moments; he was waiting in front of her door as she walked out of the Inn, without Rory.

"Lorelai I-"

He stopped the moment he saw her face. Tears were streaming from her eyes and her face was pale.

"Lorelai?"

"I…can't…it…I…Sorry."

By this point she was shaking and hyperventilating. Luke hurried to unlock the door and picked her up to sit her on the bed. "Lorelai please you're scaring me, you need to calm down. Take a deep breath for me."

Lorelai's breathing calmed but she was still trembling. "Lorelai are you sick? Hurt? Is Rory hurt? Where's Rory? Lorelai? Please."

"Rory's fine. I'm…fine. You should go."

"What? Why?"

"You shouldn't…you shouldn't be picking me up off the floor. Rory and I we're not g-good for you."

"What Lorelai? That's crazy. Why would you say that?"

Lorelai's face burned red. And her voice was barely a whisper, "I ruined everyone's lives."

Luke stared down at the top of Lorelai's head, " That's ridiculous. How can you say that?"

"I didn't," She muttered to the floor.

"Did your mother say that? Lorelai tell me what she said," Luke was fuming. How dare she. How dare someone make their child feel this way.

Lorelai gulped down a breath and stared at the wall. "She kept harping on Christopher. About Rory needing a dad. You know how Rory loves that word so she started cheering... for you." Lorelai was tearing up again.

Luke swallowed hard, overjoyed that Rory loved him but hating where this story was going.

"I told her Rory didn't know Christopher. And she asked who 'dada' was."

Oh no. This is my fault.

"And then she," Lorelai sobbed and covered her face, "she called me a…floozy and a…tramp. She said I ruined their lives; I'll ruin Rory's. You could do better, she said- a decent man wouldn't want-"

Luke was steaming. His hands were balled into fists and he hauled back to slam his hand in to the wall, but stopped himself at the increase in Lorelai's tears. He kneeled down before her turning her face to his.

"Lorelai, she's wrong! You are the mother to Rory Emily could only WISH to have been to you. You made Rory's entire life warm and happy! You make MY entire life warm and happy! You MADE my life! You're not a floo- you're not any of those vile things she said you were. You're the warmest, brightest, most remarkable person I've ever met."

Lorelai was staring at him with wide, bright eyes. "I love you."

Luke stared, stunned, into her beautiful eyes, "You do?"

Lorelai nodded, grinning for the first time all night.

"I love you, Lorelai."

He reached for her and drew her into a passionate kiss, so deep in his embrace he could feel her heart beat.

Lorelai looked up into his eyes and played with the buttons on his shirt, "Mia's keeping Rory tonight, wou-would you stay here…with me?"

Luke smiled gently and caressed Lorelai's face and neck, "Yes. Whatever you want Lorelai."

Lorelai blushed and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, darting her eyes up briefly to his. He moved a hand to her chin to keep her eyes on him as he slid his hand along the zipper at her side. She nodded shyly to his silent question. His fingers practically shook as he unzipped her dress.

He sat back to remove the shirt from his shoulders and looked up to see Lorelai sitting at the edge of the bed, in just her bra and panties, staring at him with such love in her eyes.

"You have a tattoo. That's…wow."

He glanced at his arm; "Yeah my dad has the same one I guess I got it for him."

Lorelai smirked, "All Rory and I have are stretch marks," she made an embarassed gesture to her stomach. Luke's hands rose tentatively to caress her stomach. He bent his head to kiss the silvery lines. "Then they're pretty wow, too."

Lorelai's eyes fluttered shut as his lips pressed to her abdomen. "Luke, come here, please." She held out her arms and he climbed up the bed to her. Raised above her on his hands and knees he watched as Lorelai reached out and unbuckled his belt and popped the button on his jeans. Lorelai had lost the teary look and gained a flirtatious grin, "You gonna help me?"

Luke blinked down at her stupidly for a moment before shucking his clothes and reaching down to carefully remove hers.

Luke's hands explored her body reverently. Worshipping her stomach, adoring her thighs, honoring her breasts, exalting her neck.

Her breathing was weak, her voice rasped with desire, "Luke, I need you."

He placed the tenderest kiss on her lips as he slid inside her.

She took a deep enthralled breath at being filled by him, "Love you."