A/N thanks again to samvalasam for doing the beta and providing feedback and some changes to make the chapter better.

Luke's Lake

Chapter 15

"Its great having you cook for us," Lorelai said standing just outside the kitchen.

"What are you doing," Luke said turning to Lorelai.

"You told me to stay out of the kitchen when you're cooking," Lorelai said looking around the corner.

"Just that one time you wanted to use a knife and almost cut off a finger," Luke said tending to the pots on the stove.

"It was a tiny cut," Lorelai corrected him walking to the table.

"It was my finger," Luke added.

"All part of the restaurant game," Lorelai joked.

"Yes, in the diner where I have insurance. Cut a finger off here and you get nothing," Luke said turning down the stove, "Okay diner's ready, you want to get Rory?"

With that Lorelai called out, "Rory! Dinner's ready!"

"Classy," Luke said dryly.

--

The town was busy with preparations for the Festival of Living Art. Luke watched to crazy going-on's before a smile came across his face, something he had been doing a lot lately. They had agreed to keep their new relationship low-key when in public around town after the incident in the diner.

"No way am I building that table out for them, no way," Luke said with a serious look on his face.

"Anyone ask you to, Jose?" Lorelai joked.

"Nope, but they're going to," Luke added.

"They'll just get Tom to do it, Lorelai told Luke.

"The contractor? No, he's too busy with his own stuff," he replied to Lorelai with a slight smile on his face before turning to Sookie, "You having twins?" Luke asked.

Sookie was surprised give Luke's involvement with Lorelai giving a one-word answer, "No."

But Luke asked again, "You sure?"

"Uh, let me think about it for another millisecond - no!" she snapped back.

But Luke wasn't done, "It looks like you're having twins," he added.

"You're gonna make me fall in love with you, Luke," she said with a smile.

"Hands off, he's my boyfriend," Lorelai piped in.

"Well he's sure not acting like it," Sookie complained.

"We're keeping things on the down low when out here where the masses are watching," Lorelai said looking around, the townies not seeming to care as they went about their business.

"It would take me hours," Luke added as he turned back to Lorelai and the other topic.

"What would?" Lorelai asked confused.

"The table. It's gotta be built out in forced perspective. It's complicated," Luke told the ladies.

"Throw a stick and you can find someone to fix that table," Lorelai said getting a little tired of the topic.

"So grab a stick and throw it at Kirk because I'm not doing it," Luke said.

"Kirk?" Lorelai was confused again before catching up, "Because Jesus was carpenter, got it." Lorelai said with a giggle.

They smiled at each other for a moment enjoying the verbal sparring session before Sookie spoke up, "Okay you two stop it now or get a room!"

Luke cleared his throat as Lorelai turned to her friend, "Sorry Sook, we haven't been able to spend the last few nights together…"

"Aw Geez, Lorelai don't tell her that," Luke said turning thirteen shades of red.

"Okay Snuffy we better get going anyway," Lorelai said with a sassy smile.

"I'm hungry. Let's get something," Sookie added as the walked away.

--

Predictably Lorelai had persuaded Luke into re-building the table for The Last Supper display. And the event went off without a hitch for the most part. Luke was closing up the diner for the night when the doorbells rang.

"Better order quick. We're closing. . .soon," Luke said before pausing.

"Surprise," Nicole said standing just inside the diner.

"I'll say," Luke was lost for words.

"Lots of nuttiness going on out there," she commented.

"Yeah, it's the festival of nutty pictures, so…" Luke added trying to work out why she was here.

"You successfully avoid the nuttiness?" she asked.

"Yeah, for the most part, yeah," Luke added.

"We need to talk," Nicole said stepping closer.

"God you're not pregnant, are you?" Luke said as panic crossed his mind.

"No nothing like that," Nicole reassured Luke, "I needed to see you, I know things didn't exactly would out for us after the wedding, then divorce but I was hoping for another chance for us to work out…" Nicole said babbling away.

"I'm seeing someone else," Luke said cutting her off.

"Oh, I see," Nicole said becoming quite and looking down to the floor.

"We just started dating, well officially we haven't been on a date as such but we have done other things," Luke said, not one to talk about these things.

"I see," Nicole said pausing for a moment, "So is it serious?" she asked.

Luke nodded, "I love her," he said smiling as he told his ex-wife.

Nicole turned to the door and opening it before looking back, "Is it Lorelai?" she asked.

"Yes," Luke answered.

With that Nicole left closing the door behind her. Luke was relieved that was over, they hadn't talked for weeks and didn't really talk since they got back from the cruise. He was grateful for the closure he had just got, even though he had mocked the term in the past.

Luke put down the cloth he had balled up in his hands and left the diner, locking the door Luke walked the short distance across the square to join the rest of the nuts in his town.

A smile came across his face at the sight of Lorelai. She looked as beautiful as always in the pose, he just hoped she didn't flinch like he had heard about the last time she did it. Luke only had second hand reports from Miss Patty and others about the night as he had managed to avoid most town events in the past until he met Lorelai.

Luke smiled as he watched until he heard a noise. It was Lorelai's pager. He held his breath until the curtain started closing, admiring the fact she remained still the whole time. Rushing to the side of the stage as the curtain finished closing.

"Is that?" he asked Rory as she came up to him.

"Yes," Rory said.

Moments later Lorelai appeared, not stopping they ran of towards Sookie's house.

As they got to the house Beau stood outside, "I'm not going back in there," he pointed as he paced the yard.

"But everything's okay?" Lorelai asked.

"Bruce kicked me out for having an anti-midwife energy, this after I stay here a week longer than I was told," Beau said finally sitting on the near by bench.

"Okay you stay here," Lorelai said taking Luke's hand but finding resistance, "Luke?"

"Sorry, but she scares me! 'Bruce' came into the dinner the other day and I may have said something so it might be best I wait out here," he said

The pager went off again, Lorelai looking at it before looking up to Luke and Beau, "Alright you two boys can wait out her while we…" she stopped speaking when Rory shook her head, "You too?"

"Good luck Mom," Rory said going over to join the boys.

"But I don't want to go in there, there are buckets and plastic sheet," Lorelai complained as the door opened.

"Lorelai you're here, its time. The trains in the station and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel," Jackson said not making sense.

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"The baby's at nine centimetres and about to crown, we need you in here!" Jackson yelled as he pulled Lorelai inside.

Rory, Luke and Beau looked at each other, "We might as well sit in there," Rory said pointing to the relative warmth of the patio, agreeing they went in, the three of them squeezing onto the swinging couch, Luke in the middle.

A silence fell as they waited the only interruption was Sookie crying out in pain.

"So, did you like being that Portrait tonight?" Luke asked trying to find something to talk about.

"Portrait of a Young Girl Named Anthea, yes it was different than the last time. But I was only eleven then… hey that was before we met, did you know Mom? There was a vicious rumour that she flinched. Let me tell you it was not as bad as they are saying and this time she didn't move at all, did you see her?"

Luke nodding as he smiled, glade to be a bigger part of the girls life now, "She was great, poised, composed, patient, everything your mother is not," Luke joked.

"How much longer," Beau chimed, growing impatient.

Rory leaned forward to look across at Beau, "Well at nine centimetres it can still take several hours before the baby is born," Rory informed the two men.

They could hear more screams from Sookie as she started blaming Jackson for all the troubles in the world. Then Lorelai came to the door, "She's almost there," she said in a flying visit before returning a few minutes later, "Still coming but it might be a little longer than we thought."

Silence fell again out side as the three waited.

After a while Luke got up, "Coffee, you want coffee," he said to both of them.

"Thanks Luke," Rory said glade for the distraction, "Should we come?" Rory said standing.

"No wait here in case it's over quickly, I'll be back soon," he said.

"Don't forget to also bring some back for Mom," Rory reminded Luke.

"Don't I always," Luke said with a smile closing the screen door behind him.

Luke quickly returned with the hot drinks, he could hear a baby crying, Rory and Lorelai were hugging and Beau was congratulating Jackson.

Lorelai looked up to see Luke approaching, "It's a boy," she said hugging Luke, holding the coffee off to his side.

Their impromptu public display finished what Lorelai spotted the coffee, taking the cardboard tray Lorelai pasted them out.

Luke shook his head before turning to Jackson, "Congratulations man," he said shaking his hand.

"Thanks, it's a boy, I have a boy," Jackson said overjoyed by the experience.

"You better get back in there," Lorelai suggested.

"You're right; Davey should be cleaned up by now. I'll call when you can visit," Jackson said as he disappeared back in to the house.

"I'm going to find Lane," Rory said touching Lorelai on the arm.

"We'll be here," Lorelai said with a huge smile as their hands parted.

"How was it?" Luke asked unsure what to say as this was all new to him.

"Well I had a much different view when I had Rory but it was nice, more personal having this happen at home," Lorelai said unable to stop smiling.

There were a few moments of silence as they both thought; Lorelai knew it was way to soon to be thinking babies and Luke at the same time or if Luke would even want kids. He did say if he found the right person there would be a talk but was she the right person. Luke was unsure as well, she had Rory and might be over having any more but this was not the time to talk about it.

"Luke, Lorelai, you can come in," Bruce called from the doorway catching the two them off-guard.

"I don't…" Luke started to say.

"Come on Luke," Lorelai insisted pulling Luke along, he didn't put up much of a fight.

Inside the house Lorelai lead Luke to the bedroom, Lorelai going to Sookie's side while Luke stood back.

"Oh… he looks so," Lorelai said gushing at the sight.

"He's perfect," Sookie added holding the little boy, "And he's got me," she added.

"Luke, come here," Lorelai said wanting him to have a closer look.

"I'm fine," Luke said standing by the door, feeling a little out of place.

"Don't mind the grumpy man in the flannel, uncle Luke will come around one day," Lorelai joked.

"Here," Sookie offered handing Davey to Lorelai, "Hold him."

Lorelai took the newborn, "I forgot how tiny they can be," she said as she held Davey.

"He didn't feel that small coming out of me," Sookie said with a cynical tone.

Lorelai giggled, "Tell me about it, thank God for the drugs!" she added.

Luke looked at Lorelai holding the baby, she was glowing, and the baby in her arms looked so right, maybe she would want another one or twins like in her dream. Luke decided he should talk to Lorelai about it soon, a short talk but a talk none the less.

TBC…

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