A/N Quick turnaround for this one. Thanks to those who are reviewing and all who are reading. The next chapter will be the actual wedding. Whoo hoo!

I own nothing

Ch 43 Quiet reflections

That morning Luke woke to a gray overcast day. The bare trees were in stark contrast to the pink gray of the hazy sky. He took in the beauty of the quiet street as he got into his old green truck. They had left the Cherokee at the house but he wanted to use his old truck to get the final things for his wedding that night. He grinned at the thought of marrying Lorelai. Last year at this time he was preparing for summer and watching Lorelai from a distance date multiple losers. Now only eight months after they started going out he was going to marry her. As he drove through the deserted street towards Hartford he thanked God for this chance and he wasn't going to blow it. Once they were married he was going to do everything he could to keep her happy and show her how much he loved her.

At eight o'clock Luke pulled into the parking lot of Washington Jewelers. He saw Jeff's car in the lot and went over to the door to ring the private entrance bell. Jeff opened up the door and welcomed Luke in. "Mr. Danes, good to see you. So today is the big day huh?"

Luke grinned, "Yep Jeff, this evening when you're eating your dinner I'll have changed my life forever. So show me how it turned out?"

Jeff went to the back and brought out a slim case for Luke. He opened it and showed him the gold locket. It was an elongated oval that opened to contain four areas for pictures. On the back Luke had had inscribed, "My very breath is yours, love Luke."

"Perfect. Thanks Jeff, it's excellent work and I know she's going to love it. Were you able to put the picture inside?"

Jeff opened the first area and there was a current photo of Rory. Jeff had used a laser to cut it to fit perfectly. Luke grinned and thanked Jeff. "It's perfect. I'll take this and the rings and be on my way."

Jeff brought out the wedding bands and showed Luke. His was a simple platinum band with no engraving on the outside. He told Lorelai he never wanted to take it off and this way it wouldn't get caught on anything and the polished finish would keep grease from collecting in the crevices. Her ring was also a plain platinum band although he'd tried to get her to go with something more stylish. She said she wanted to match his. Luke smiled at the thought that she forgoes a more expensive ornate ring just so they would match.

He'd had hers engraved with the phrase, 'This third moment lasts forever' referring to the previous two moments they shared by the lake, their first kiss and his proposal. As he looked at the ring he realized his eyes were showing sings of age and he was going to have to look into reading glasses soon.

"Jeff make me feel better and tell me that you had to write really small to get the whole phrase on and I really don't just need glasses." Luke smiled at him.

Jeff chuckled and said, "Well Mr. Danes, it is very early so maybe your eyes aren't early risers. Oh, Miss Gilmore said not to let you see the engraving on your ring so you have to promise me that you won't look. OK?"

Luke rolled his eyes and laughed. "Lorelai knows me too well. Yes I promise I won't look at the message until we're married. Ok, on my way. Thanks again!"

He jogged out to his truck and headed back to Stars Hollow. Man he felt good, crisp clear air and no one around. He was getting married today! He drove over to the inn; he was having breakfast with Liz and Jess at nine-thirty. Sookie told him she was going over to Lorelai's at ten to make her breakfast. He was going to giver her his ring to give to Lorelai. When he arrived at the inn he was early. He got out to walk around a bit.

He walked past the old potting shed where Rory and Lorelai spent their first ten years in Stars Hollow. He couldn't imagine that they lived in the same town and never met. It still amazed him. Of course, that was also when his dad was getting sick and Liz had run away, at that time life sucked a lot. He walked down the path to the lake.

The water on the lake still held the morning mist and the ducks they had counted so long ago were swimming near the middle. He stood by the lake with his hands in his back jeans pocket reliving that first kiss, how soft and almost not there it was. If she'd wanted to ignore it he was sure she could've. Hell he couldn't, he thought his heart was going to stop. He smiled to himself, he knew it could have gone so wrong that day, if she hadn't leaned in for that second kiss he didn't know if he would've had the courage to do it again.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Jess. "Hey."

"Hey," Luke answered wearing a stupid grin on his face. "Ready to see your mom?" he asked.

"Shaking with anticipation." Jess replied deadpan.

Luke and Jess walked into the inn where Michel has already started to freak out. Luke leaned over to Jess, "Lorelai would kill to see this. On second thought she'd probably just kill Michel." Jess chuckled.

Sookie saw them in the lobby and raced out to greet them. She hugged Luke around his neck and jumped up and down, "I'm so happy for you and for Lorelai and I can't tell you how great this is. Isn't this just great!?! I think it's just great!"

Jess rolled his eyes, "Yep great."

Luke had a silly grin on his face as he looked at the floor, "Thanks Sookie. I think it's pretty great too. Oh, here is the ring Lorelai wanted me to pick up today. You have to give it to her before you make breakfast, OK?"

"OK, I got it!" Sookie took the ring and started out the door and she turned around to come back. "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah Sookie?" Luke looked at her expectantly.

"This is really good."

Luke smiled. "Thanks Sookie."

Luke and Jess sat down and ordered tea for Luke and coffee for Jess while they waited for Liz. Finally at ten til ten Liz came downstairs.

"Oh, wow, there's my big bro! And my little man! I got my whole family here. At least until tonight when I get a niece and a sister-in-law together in one package! I am so blessed! You know that Luke? Blessed!" Liz nodded solemnly.

Luke was drinking his tea and just shook his head and said, "Yeah, Liz. Good day for you." He smiled at Jess who also shook his head. They sat at the table and had breakfast talking about the times they had at the inn when they were growing up.

Mia had called and her daughter was due to give birth any day so she wasn't going to be at the wedding.

Then Liz got quiet and looked at Luke, "They're here you know?"

Luke felt his throat closing and said, "I don't know what you're talking about Liz."

"Mom and dad Luke, they wouldn't miss their son's wedding. Can't you feel them here? I can. I felt mom with me when I had Jess. They're still here Luke and they're not going to miss this for the world."

Luke ducked his head and grunted. Truth was he missed them everyday and especially today. As much as he loved Richard, he would never replace his dad and Emily had so far to go until she even reminded him of his mom. Lorelai reminded him more of her than anyone he'd met.

"What do you think dad would say about you and Lorelai Luke?" Liz was grinning at him.

Luke snorted and said, "He'd say I was a damn fool for waiting so long. I remember one time when I was eight, I wanted to dive off that high board at the pool? Dad went with me every day for a week, first I got to the ladder, the next day I made it part way up the ladder, then a little higher and finally on the fourth day I made it to the top of the ladder. Three more days and I dove off. When I got out I was exhilarated and went right back up and dove off again; must've done it ten times in a row when dad pulled me out to go home."

"On the way home he said, 'Luke, if you had faced your fears the first or second day think of how much fun you would've had this week. Instead you let fear get the best of you and now you only had one day instead of five or six.' I think of how many years I wasted because I was afraid that Lorelai wouldn't want a guy like me. Yep, he'd call me a damn fool." Luke really was missing his dad, but it was nice to talk to Liz about him. It helped to bring him into the day.

"I know mom would've loved Lorelai. They have so much in common. Remember how mom loved holidays? She'd get so excited about them months in advance and we'd talk about what presents we'd get you and dad. Or she'd go to all those crazy town festivals? I never noticed until last night that Lorelai also has eyes that look like mom's. Did you ever notice that Luke?"

Luke almost choked on his tea. "No Liz, I haven't. How do you remember what mom's eyes looked like? What is it the shape, the color?"

"I really don't remember the shape or color, what I remember is the love. Lorelai has the same love coming out of her eyes as mom did."

Liz was looking off into space as she said this and Luke heard Jess say, "She does have love in her eyes."

Luke smiled and said, "Yep, I remember the love mom had too. Lorelai loves Rory with that same fierce love. She's a great mom."

Jess looked at him and said, "She looks at you with that same love too Luke. She'd do anything for you and Rory."

Liz looked in the air, "Yep, blessed." They all nodded in agreement.

It was ten o'clock and Lorelai was waking up to an empty bed. 'The last time' she thought to herself. Tomorrow at this time she would wake up with her husband. She smiled to herself as she stretched lazily in bed. Suddenly the door burst open and Rory and Sookie came tumbling into the room with a tray of breakfast food. Sookie had made pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage along with a bowl of fruit and a big mug of Ghirardelli hot chocolate. Since Lorelai had been cutting down on coffee she had found hot chocolate to be a good substitute if she couldn't get Luke's coffee.

"So tell me my wedding entourage, what do I owe this wake up call to? I don't have to be anywhere until four this afternoon when I get ready to marry the love of my life." Lorelai was laughing.

"Are you nuts!?" Rory asked. "We have a very big event filled day planned starting with breakfast in bed. After you finish this we are heading to Hartford where your own mother has gotten you into a five star spa where we'll all be pampered and primped down to our toes which no one will see since it's supposed to be freezing this evening and all of us have close toed shoes."

"Ooooo, what's the weather like outside?" Lorelai scrambled up to look outside. It was still overcast and damp looking. "Not a very pretty day is it?" she pouted.

Sookie said, "That's why you're getting married at twilight. It'll be beautiful with all the twinkle lights and the stars in the sky. Oh, I almost forgot. Luke gave me his ring to give to you."

Lorelai snatched it from her. "Oh, goodie goodie! Let's see it!"

Rory and Sookie looked at the message engraved and Rory ooohed and Sookie said, "Lorelai that's beautiful!"

Lorelai looked at Rory, "It is your duty as maid of honor to make sure that this ring is right there when Rev. Hackett asks for it. Got it?"

Rory saluted and said, "Aye aye captain." Lorelai rolled her eyes.

They all got their things together and headed out to Hartford where they got massages, manicures, pedicures and their hair washed and styled. Lunch was served on the premises but it didn't count to Lorelai because it was mostly salad and she only picked out the chicken and left the rest. When they got back to her house at two Sookie made her another breakfast of pancakes and eggs to tide her over until after the wedding.

Luke and Jess had also gotten hair cuts and Luke had a professional shave since he wasn't going to have time before the wedding. The last errand for the day was to pick up Jess' tux. Luke had purchased one, since he and Lorelai would probably use it on occasion and Richard suggested he go ahead and buy one.

He assured himself it had nothing to do with the fact other men had worn the rental suits before him. He just thought that he would probably get use out of it sometime down the line.

As they were waiting to pick up Jess' tux Luke sat with his head in his hands. Jess looked at him and said, "Nervous?"

Luke smiled and truthfully said, "Nah, just antsy. I want to talk to Lorelai, I want to see her, I want to get this part done and start my life with her."

Jess nodded and they sat together in silence. "You realize that when Rory and Lorelai move in our quiet nights of no talking are out the window," Jess commented.

Luke smiled, "I got no problem with that, you?"

"Nope." Luke nodded.

Around three o'clock all the girls were getting their dresses together when the doorbell rang. Rory went down and there at the door was Henry. "Mom, Henry 's here. Why are you here Henry?"

Lorelai came running down the stairs as Henry gave Rory a note for Lorelai from Luke, it read, 'I know we're not to see each other or talk today, but I hope a note isn't included in this superstition. First, I miss you, I love you and I can't wait to see you. Second Henry came up with Tom and Annie and Paige and Don who are now here at the inn. So I thought you and the ladies would like to hitch a ride with him seeing as you have a lot of dresses to transport. Also give him you luggage for the trip since he will drive us to the airport. Can't wait to see you. Love, Luke.'

Lorelai squealed and they piled all their dresses and Lorelai's single suitcase with a garment bag into the limo. "OK ladies, next stop marriage!" Lorelai was bouncing in the limo as Henry just smiled as he looked in the mirror.