A/N Next chapter is when the fireworks start. Thank you again for all who read and reviewed and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Again, I own nothing,

CH 9 What Horoscope?

They had fallen into a nice rhythm over the next few weeks. Luke would come over two to three nights a week and make dinner for Rory and Lorelai and then as Rory studied Luke and Lorelai would watch a movie or television. On Friday evening they would go to the Gilmore's and on Saturday Luke and Lorelai would go out or stay in for movie night.

One tradition happened by accident. On the Wednesday after they had gone to Mystic Lorelai had an early meeting at the inn so she didn't get to Luke's for breakfast until 9:30; it was the mid-morning lull where even Kirk had gone to one of his many jobs or had gone home.

She ordered coffee and a chocolate donut and ate it while Luke reviewed his receipts for the morning. Lorelai was carrying on a conversation by herself with Luke interjecting single syllables or nodding to show he was keeping up. Suddenly he noticed that Lorelai was silent and he looked at her in time to see her licking the chocolate off her fingers. This brought to mind the exploration she had done on his body and he couldn't help himself. He walked through the empty diner flipped the closed sign and locked the door.

Walking over to a surprised Lorelai he took hold of her hand and led her up to his apartment and directly to his bed.

Afterwards Lorelai lay in his arms and asked, "Luke? Not that I am complaining, but what happened?"

"Well," Luke replied, "I realized that Rory is in school and no one was in the diner except my beautiful girlfriend who I've not made love to in four days and what kind of idiot doesn't take advantage of that?"

Lorelai giggled, "I'm very glad I had a staff meeting early this morning or who knows when this would have happened again. So is this going to become our special time together?"

"Since it's very difficult to schedule time during the week; I'd be open to it. Take advantage of any time we can get, eh?" Luke chuckled, "I am really glad we waited until after I met your parents, I'm not sure I would have had the ability to withstand Emily's interrogation with the memories I have today.

"I still want to know what you and my mother said that caused her to have a personality transplant from the time you walked into the kitchen to the time you walked out."

"We both realized that we want what is best for you and Rory and I told her that I would do anything to make you happy. She understood and we agreed to put aside our differences for the sake of the family." Luke continued to stroke her back and was drifting off to sleep.

"I still am amazed; no one except my dad can get her to back down like that. Hey! Wake up buddy! I have to get back to the inn now and if you close the diner for too long the town will start speculating about why and suddenly you will find yourself in the middle of rumor central and we will never have an empty diner."

"Good point. OK, do you want to use the shower before you go back to work?"

"Yep, then I'll see you tonight for dinner?"

"I thought I'd try my mother's tomato sauce and pasta shells. OK?"

"Sounds wonderful, thanks again for this, I've missed you." Lorelai kissed him and then got out of bed to shower.

So a few days a week Lorelai visits the diner later in the morning and Luke's closes up until lunch. They also had a few times when Rory would spend the night at Lane's and on those rare occasions they were able to wake up together just like their first time.

This was one of those Sunday's and Luke had Caesar open for him so they could spend the morning together. He knew he should be happy with their relationship and how well it had been going, but he couldn't help it, he wanted more.

Luke sighed, not intending for Lorelai to hear it and he stilled, hopping that she was still asleep. Of course that would've been too easy. "Luke?" she asked, "Is everything all right?"

Shit! "Yeah, it's fine Lorelai."

"Are you upset about something? The way you sighed it sounded like you were upset."

"No, I just miss you in the morning and when we're able to wake up here together it makes me realize how much I miss doing that everyday. I know it's impossible right now but I still miss you."

"Luke, I miss you too, and I would love to be able to wake up at your place everyday, but I can't leave Rory alone overnight, you agreed with me. Right?"

"Yes, Lorelai, I know you can't leave Rory alone, and I wasn't suggesting that, it's just that these few weeks that we have been together have shown me how much I love you and want to be with you and I'd like it to be different but I know it isn't. I guess I'd like to maybe stay over here sometime, but that has to be your invitation and I know you and Rory have this no boys allowed rule, but it isn't like she and I don't already have a relationship of our own, I have loved Rory since she was twelve and I think she is pretty fond of me too. But this isn't my place to say, I'm just letting you know that I miss you when I can't wake up with you. Jeeze, I should just stop breathing; all this from a damn sigh." Luke had worked himself up into a rant and gotten out of bed, putting on clothes as he gained steam.

Lorelai was still somewhere a ways back on the 'I love you' part of the speech. She did hear that correctly didn't she? "Luke?"

"What."

"Somewhere in that rant did I hear you say that you love me?"

Shit, did he really let that out? "I'm assuming that it must have slipped out Lorelai, and I'm sorry if you aren't ready to hear it, I really didn't mean to tell you this early in the relationship, I guess I wasn't fully awake. I don't expect you to feel the same way right now, I hope someday you will, but I have loved you for many years and so for me it isn't a new concept. Please tell me that you can handle knowing this, I really don't need to change anything in our day to day activities, everything is fine as it is, just say something please?" Luke was sure he had blown it. He was concerned about Lorelai running.

Lorelai was processing on her own; did she love Luke? She was pretty sure, but until she was positive she wanted to wait to verbalize it. She did want to offer Luke an indication that she took their relationship seriously so she said, "Maybe it's time to talk to Rory about including one boy in our club." And she smiled.

It took Luke a few seconds to realize that Lorelai was willing to make a major life change for him and he swept her up off the bed as she squealed. "I am going to go down and make you chocolate chip pancakes and coffee." Then he kissed her soundly.

Luke had to get to the diner for the lunch rush and Lorelai was sitting on the couch thinking when Rory came home from Lane's. "Hey, Mom, did Luke take off?"

"Yep, he had to get to the diner. Hey Rory, could we talk?"

"Aboouut?"

"The no boy's rule we have."

"You want Luke to move in?"

"No! I mean, not right now, I hadn't thought about that really, I guess it might happen one day, I can see us together forever but right now I just mean having him here on occasion when you wake up. How would you feel about that?"

"I'm not sure mom, I mean are we talking school days, or just weekends?"

"Does that matter?"

"Well, school days are pretty hectic around here and I have to fight you for the bathroom it might be irritating if I had to fight both of you. But on the weekends it is less hectic and I probably wouldn't mind finding coffee made in the morning"

"So, what you are saying is that you are more concerned over bathroom time then encountering Luke in the hallway?"

"Yeah, I think that covers it."

"So if he were to stay over on weekends, no problem, but if he were to stay over during the weekdays he would have to stay out of the bathroom from six to seven-thirty?"

Rory laughed, "That pretty much covers it; you really want him to stay over don't you? Aside from details, did something happen?"

"Luke told me he loved me." Lorelai lowered her voice and smiled.

"What! That is huge! Mom, tell me you didn't run; you didn't dismiss him. Did you say it back? Do you love Luke?

"I didn't run I just asked you if he could sleep over when you are here how's that running? I didn't dismiss him and I didn't say it back. I think I do love Luke but I don't want to tell him until I am sure. I do want him to know that I want to move forward with the relationship, which is why I asked you to open up our girls club to include one boy."

"Mom this is great! Do you think you guys will get married? Do you want to marry Luke?"

"Whoa Silver. I don't know if we will get married, Luke has sort of dropped hints, maybe, but he hasn't said anything officially. I think I could see myself married to Luke, I really miss him when he is gone and I love his coffee. He loves you for you which has gained him high points in my book, he takes care of me without smothering, he always sees the best in me and wants me to be my best. I don't know, I guess I could see us getting married, sometime."

"MOM! This is so exciting! You have never talked about getting married except in the negative. Wow!"

"Yeah, I know, how about you?"

"Mom, I am way too young to think about getting married!"

"No, not you getting married, if I got married things would change around here permanently. You would get a step-father full time, would you want Luke to be your step-father?"

"I guess I didn't really think about what it would mean if you got married, but you're right, Luke would become my family too. I don't know. I do like Luke a lot, he feeds us and he really does love you, I saw that from the start. I guess it's a good idea that I start thinking about this huh?"

"Yep, not that it'd happen this week or anything, but if Luke decides to surprise us someday, it would be good to have already gone through the pro – con lists, don't you think?"

Rory grinned at her mother, "Do not mock the system, it works." She said pointedly.

"All right, I'm going to get dressed then we'll go down to Luke's and let the man know that he's being issued a temporary pass for overnight stays to the Gilmore Girls Only clubhouse. Then we'll make him cook burgers for us. We'll tell him it is an initiation process."

"I'm with you madam president. Let's go." With that Rory got up, pulled Lorelai off the couch and pushed her towards the stairs.

On the way to Luke's Rory asked Lorelai what she meant when she said Luke had hinted at marriage. "Well you remember when I told you we stayed in the gate house that Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart honeymooned in?"

"Yeah."

"Well as we're leaving Luke tells me this bit of information and follows it up with, 'Something to consider down the road.' So I'd say coupled with his rant today, that there is a good possibility that he's thinking marriage."

"Wait, did he tell you he loved you while he was ranting?" Rory was incredulous. "I figured it was when he showed you the horoscope."

"What horoscope?" Lorelai asked.

Rory realized her blunder and thankfully they were at the diner. "Oh, look Mom, why don't you tell Luke about his membership?" and she pushed her mom towards Luke.

Lorelai glared at Rory and grabbed Luke by the arm and took him into the storeroom.

"What's up?" he asked as he looked at the perplexed expression on her face.

"Well, first of all I'd like to welcome you as the first male member of the Gilmore Girls Only club."

"Thank you and dirty." Luke said as he kissed her.

"Secondly Rory mentioned something about a horoscope. Do you know what she is talking about?"

Luke visibly blanched and caught himself. "How about I promise to tell you that story in the next few weeks, but considering how exposed I was this morning, can you cut me some slack and please drop it for now? Please?"

"OK, and my turn, dirty." Lorelai laughed. "But I'll remember and if I get to Thanksgiving without an explanation I will start with the pestering. Oh, there are two rules for the GGOC, one, if you are there on a weekday to not use the bathroom between six and seven –thirty, and two, coffee is expected in the morning."

"I'm more than willing to abide by these rules. I wouldn't even mind making breakfast on the days I don't have to open."

"You are definitely my favorite boyfriend. All the others dim compared to you. Now I have to get back out there or Rory will think we are doing something dirty."

Luke kissed her one more time and they went back into the diner.