A/N Thank you to all who have taken the time to read and review.

I own nothing

CH 22 Finally Home

The next morning they started to pack up everything to go home to Stars Hollow. Lorelai was wearing her light blue hoodie sweater and form fitting jeans and Luke smiled when he saw her. He went up to her, pulled the hood over her head and kissed her. "Never gets old." He smiled.

Lorelai smiled back, "Why do you think I brought this? This is my magic sweater. Because of this sweater I'm no longer sitting at home alone eating Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Instead I'm using up thousands of calories each week in extra exercise." She grinned wickedly.

"Well I think you should write to this company and let them know what a wonderful product they've made and what wondrous properties it possesses." Luke grinned back at her as he held onto her waist.

"Could we possibly get out of here before I need more breakfast because I'm about to lose the one Luke made earlier." Rory rolled her eyes.

"Wait until you and Dean are being mushy, I get carte blanche." Lorelai said as she stuck her tongue out.

Luke blushed up to his ears and he asked Lorelai and Rory if they want to go across the street and see the offices. "It's not that big a deal, just a bunch of offices and people, the real work is done at different sites across the world. What we do here is just push papers."

Lorelai can sense that Luke would like to share this part of his life with them so she says, "I'd love to see where you go when you leave here. Do you have a big office?"

"Well, it was Randall's so yeah, it's big, but the view is amazing. I love just looking at the skyline from there."

So the trio went across the street to the building that housed B-D Corporation and when they went in the security guard said, "Good morning Mr. Danes."

"Good morning George, this is my girlfriend and her daughter, I'm just taking them up to see the offices." George tipped his hat at them as they walked pass.

They got off the elevator at the thirty-third floor and walked through the doors that said 'Buech –Danes Corporation.' Lorelai turned to Luke and said, "Why's it called B-D when the full name is on the door?"

"Well, the full name is a tribute to my dad, but the initials are easier for people to remember," Luke said with a grin, "or so my marketing people tell me."

"I can't believe you have marketing people," Lorelai jokes and Luke just roles his eyes.

They walked pass a few people who were saying good-morning to Luke until they get to a very large door that says 'Private' on it. A woman is sitting in front of the area and Luke walks up to her, "Hey, Paige, this is my girlfriend Lorelai and her daughter Rory, thank you for all the help you gave us this trip, Lorelai, Rory, meet Paige."

Paige is a woman in her early forties who looks very urban; she is wearing a smart grey suit with black pumps and a crisp white blouse. Her hair is straight with bangs that are feathered to the right. It appears a natural auburn color and her make-up is also quite understated. Lorelai is feeling very awkward at the moment and she wonders if this woman is interested in Luke outside of the office. What saves Paige is her smile; it's warm and engaging as she welcomes Lorelai and Rory. "Well, it's wonderful to finally meet the women who have become such a mainstay in Mr. Danes' life. It was fun for me to make the reservations and get tickets for you, Mr. Danes tends to swoop into town and speed back out again so it was nice that you got him to experience a bit of the city life. Did you enjoy the plays?"

"Yes, they were wonderful and you did a great job in picking plays that we each liked. You're very good at that." Lorelai smiled at her.

"Well, after hearing Mr. Danes talk about both of you it was pretty easy to figure out what you might like, I saw Seussical the Musical with my husband last week and I loved it. I thought you might enjoy it as well." Paige smiled.

"Thank you, it's wonderful, I was so surprised that Cathy Rigby was the Cat and that brother of the Backstreet Boy was in the cast. It's a wonderful time and Rory and I enjoyed it." Lorelai was feeling more comfortable with this woman.

Paige turned to Luke, "Mr. Rhodes asked to have some papers sent to you that need to be signed, would it be possible for you to take a few minutes to look at them now?"

Luke said, "Sure, if there are no changes except the ones we requested the other day I should be able to get those done in fifteen minutes. Lorelai, would you like to get some coffee; there is a lounge down the hall and to your right?"

Lorelai's eyes lit up as she nodded her head. "Come on Rory, want to go with me?"

Rory looked at her and said, "I think I'm good right now, Luke had mentioned that Randall had a rare book collection that I'd like to see."

"You really have to have someone else's genes, the affection you have for books is freakish." Lorelai went down the hall to find her coffee. As she was about to walk into the door marked 'Lounge' a man about forty walked out and stopped when he saw her.

"Well, Merry Christmas you must be new here," he said with a bit of a leer, "I know I've met all the beautiful women so how did you fly under my radar? Maybe you're my Christmas bonus?"

"Oh, I don't work here, I'm just getting coffee." Lorelai felt very uncomfortable with this guy.

"Well, let me help you," the guy walked back into the lounge with her and picked up a coffee cup, "now how do you like your coffee? Extra sweet like you?"

Lorelai tried to keep from rolling her eyes remembering that this is one of Luke's employees and she said, "Just black no sugar please."

"Well, I guess you'd be sweet enough as is. How about we go out and get some lunch?" he asked as he handed her the coffee.

"I'm sorry, I'm in a very serious relationship right now. In fact you might know him, his name is Luke Danes, the owner of the place you work?" Lorelai was getting fed up with this guy and was quickly losing her temper; surely even Luke would have had a problem with this guy,

"Now, now sweetheart, why'd you lie like that? Everyone knows that Mr. Danes isn't here. He was only here for two days this week and then he won't be around for another month or so. If you're dating him, I'd imagine you get very lonely." He started to move towards Lorelai who was getting a bit worried.

Suddenly Luke opened the door, "Lorelai, are you OK? I thought you might have gotten lost, Rory wants to show you some book she found, oh, I didn't know you were talking to someone. Do I know you?" Luke looked at the man and had a vague recollection that Tom had mentioned something about this guy earlier.

"I'm sorry Mr. Danes, I didn't realize that Lorelai was with you or I wouldn't have kept her so long. Excuse me I need to get back to work." The man left quickly.

"Who was that?" Luke asked Lorelai.

"I think he works for you, but I didn't get his name. He was hitting on me, but he never asked my name or gave me his." Lorelai answered.

"It's that sweater; I'm never going to let you out alone in it." Luke grinned and leaned in to kiss her. Luke made a mental note to find out the guy's name and ask Tom what was going on with him. "You want to see my office? The view is amazing."

"Is that like asking me up to see your etchings?" She asked with a wicked grin.

Luke rolled his eyes, "Your daughter and my staff are in that room; 'I'm going to go with No Alex, for two hundred.'"

"Very nice pop reference babe, maybe later at home we can look at your etchings?" she winked at him. Lorelai picked up her coffee and took Luke's hand as they walked back.

"Wow, what a big office you have Mr. Danes, although I've known that for a while." Lorelai smiled seductively at him.

"Lorelai!" Luke did not look pleased so Lorelai let it go.

When Rory saw that they had reached the office she rushed up to Lorelai to show her a signed first edition copy of Jack Kerouac's 'On The Road.' "Jess would flip over this book, it even has an inscription not just his name. A book like this is probably thousands of dollars! Why would Mr. Buech keep such expensive books just laying around in his office?" Rory was overwhelmed with the amount of rare books Randall had.

"I guess he really loved books," Luke said, "Jess had to get it from somewhere and it surely didn't come from his parents or my dad, my mom loved to read though. She would read stories to us like your mom read to you."

"How did you know I read to Rory?" Lorelai had been watching this interaction between Rory and Luke and she loved how they related to each other, like a real family.

"When you worked late a few years back Rory would come in almost every night and it was slow so we would talk. I learned a lot about you from your daughter, mostly about what a great mom you were." Luke was holding Lorelai's hand and was rubbing his thumb across hers while he spoke.

At that moment Paige reentered the office and addressed Luke, "Mr. Danes I just got a fax that Chilton sent last night saying that they would be able to accommodate Jess for the Winter Semester. They are looking forward to having Mr. Buech's great-grandson in the graduating class of 2003." Paige had an amused look on her face.

"Yeah, isn't it amazing that it isn't his 4.0 that they are happy about, or that he's in the top two percent of the nation in standardized testing. No, his Great grandfather happens to have been a son of a b…gun," Luke glanced at Rory who had the decency to keep her head down while a smile crept across her face. "That's why I can fast track him in four weeks."

"Luke, you know Jess will stand on his own merit once he's in there. Is this going to cause you any problems since Headmaster Charleston is going to know you are Randall's grandson?" Lorelai was thinking about her mom's relationship with Biddy Charleston.

"I've made the prerequisite that no one knows that about Jess' or my linage. I told Charleston that I would pull Jess if it got out, since he doesn't know. OK, didn't know but Charleston doesn't need to know." Luke grinned.

"So have you talked to Jess and Liz about this?" Lorelai was amazed that Luke had been able to get this done so quickly. She took a sip of her coffee and looked at Luke shocked, "This is YOUR coffee, how did they get it so close to your standards!?"

Luke laughed, "I send a few pounds down a month and Paige knows how to make it, that's why I suggested you get some. About Liz and Jess, no, Jess knows that I'm getting him into another school, but I wanted to hear from Chilton before I approached them. I don't think there'll be any problem."

"Well, I'm very jealous that Paige gets to know your recipe and I don't!" Lorelai pouted and Luke laughed.

"Maybe someday if you're very good."

"I'm always very good," Lorelai purred suggestively and Luke blushed.

"All right, on that note we're leaving. Merry Christmas Paige," Luke handed her an envelope.

"Mr. Danes, I already got a Christmas bonus, a very generous one."

"Well, that was from the company and this one is an extra special thank you for all your help this week, we had a marvelous time."

"Yes," Lorelai echoed, "thank you for all you did for us, it was wonderful."

"Well, you're very welcome. I hope we get to see you more often, Merry Christmas."

When the trio returned home to Stars Hollow they split up, Luke had to check on the diner, Lorelai went to the Inn and Rory needed to see Dean. Later that night Lorelai was at home when Rory came into the house.

"Mom, how do you know when something is over?" she sighed and sat at the kitchen table with her chin in her hands.

"Oh, sweets, not the same with Dean eh?"

"No. I hoped that being away from him for a week would help, but he hasn't changed. I was talking about what colleges I want to apply to and he just listened. I asked him if he thought about what ones he was going to apply to and he said that he didn't think he was going to go to college. How can someone not even think about going to college? There is so much to learn."

"Rory, neither Luke nor I went to college out of high school and even though I'm going to business college Luke hasn't had the time to go."

"Yes, but there were circumstances that kept you out, not that you didn't think about it. Luke even had a scholarship to Yale."

"What!?! Luke was going to go to Yale? Why didn't he ever tell me about this?" Lorelai was floored that he never mentioned it to her.

"Well, I was talking to him when you were asleep last week and I told him that Chilton wants us to apply to at least six schools and I know how you feel about Yale because Grandma and Grandpa went there, but he said it wasn't bad to have a back-up, that he had been accepted there and when his dad got sick he had to turn the scholarship down, because someone else needed to use it."

"He said Jess wants to go to Yale or Columbia in New York. He said Jess can do anything he puts his mind to, I know he's right. Jess even challenged me when we were talking in New York. He's very smart." Rory had gotten that dreamy look on her face that Lorelai knew too well because she had seen it in the mirror herself when she thought about Luke.

"Well, it looks like Jess will be competition for you next semester, but remember Rory if you two start something Luke will send Jess to a boarding school for the next two years. Keep it friendly and no one gets hurt, cross the line and I may even send you to an all girls' school. Got it missy?" Lorelai ended half serious, but Rory got the message.

Just then Lorelai's cell phone rang and she jumped up to answer it, "Hey doll, miss me already?"

Luke laughed, "Gotta love that caller ID. I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to have to stay here tonight, lots of things to take care of since I was gone for so long. I'm planning on being at your house around three on Sunday, right? I'll bring food for dinner and then Christmas breakfast."

Lorelai was a bit surprised that Luke wasn't planning on staying over until Christmas Eve, even though it was only two days away, "Yes, on dinner and breakfast if that's OK. But I'm going to miss you. You sure you can't steal away even in the late evening to have a sleepover?"

Luke sighed, "I really want to, but I'm swamped with things I put off while we were in New York. I'll see you in the morning for coffee right?"

"Weeeelll, coffee yes, Rory and I'll be in for breakfast tomorrow, but since it's Saturday you're probably going to be busy all day, right?" Lorelai was suddenly aware that Rory was going to be home for the next two weeks and so there would be no mid-morning lull to fill.

Luke realized what she was implying too, "Huh, that's right and it looks like Jess is coming to Stars Hollow for the week after Christmas, I'm going down on Tuesday to pick him up and Liz and I'll visit with the lawyer to get the guardianship papers in order."

Lorelai was getting antsy already and the week wasn't even here yet. "I forgot to tell you, if we've plans for New Years Eve I have to work the huge party that Michel booked because his mother is ill and he's to fly to France."

Luke was suddenly upset, "You have to work!?! I thought you said Michel was taking that party!"

Lorelai was taken aback, "Luke, didn't you hear me tell you that his mom's sick in another country and that's why I have to work? We can still spend the evening together, I just have to be available at the party until midnight and then we can have the rest of the time alone." Lorelai was really surprised that Luke got so angry; it wasn't like him at all.

"All right, that's fine, as long as we can be together later. I know his mother's more important then our date. And I know that you're responsible for the party, I'll just need to make a few cancellations. What time will things be winding down so I don't get in your way?"

"I should have everything under control by ten o'clock, so we could have a late supper and there's a live band that we might be able to get a dance or two in." Lorelai was trying to put a positive spin on the night.

Luke sighed, "Sounds great, we can talk more about it later, OK?"

"OK, I'll see you in the morning, Sweet dreams babe, I love you."

"Yeah, you too, tell Rory good night." Luke hung up still sounding distracted, at least that is what Lorelai told herself since he didn't say 'I love you' back.

"Mom, everything OK with Luke?" Rory was a bit concerned with the way the conversation ended.

"Sure sweets, just a lot of stuff to take care of before Christmas I guess. Jess is coming to visit next week so maybe you and Lane could show him around? I might keep him from Dean until you can talk about Jess without that far away look in your eye." Lorelai tried to cover up her concern as well.

"Mom!"