Disclaimer: Chapter 1

Chapter 10

William lightly knocked on the door of Luke and Lorelai's bedroom having seen the light on.

"Come in," Liz softly spoke.

"What are you doing?" Will stood there observing Liz put Lorelai's and Rory's things away.

"Before I came in here Lorelai was packing all of this. She was going to leave with Rory. And I don't blame her. You should have heard him down there."

Will looked on at his daughter wanting her to continue. "Well, he refuses to tell me. Can I at least have your side of it?"

Liz shrugged her shoulders. If it was going to be harm to anyone, it would be Luke. "I was just in my room and heard them shouting. Actually I heard Lorelai first. She was saying how she watches Rory all day while Luke's at school and that all she wanted was a few hours out baby free. But he kept on refusing...he used the excuse of having a test to study for. Lorelai told him he has all weekend to study for it...which is true. The fight kept going on like that. But Luke told Lorelai to just ask you and Mom but Lorelai said neither of them were going to ask you because it's not your fault she got pregnant. Luke then told her it's not his fault either. Now that kind of threw me off. Because you know he's been actually learning in school ever since Lorelai...anyway Lorelai asked him if he heard himself, that it takes to two make a baby. Then she told him to not even say that she forced him to do it because it was a mutual decision. And I can personally agree with that because I was home when it happened. I think they thought I was out like you and Mom because all the lights were off...but I was here and Lorelai made them have a very thorough talk about it and then...well nine months later we got Rory from it."

"That's everything? Yeah I think so. Lorelai was really upset about it."

William scratched the back of his head. "Yeah...I saw her on my way home. She didn't even call Luke by his name. She called him 'your son'."

"And that's when you know it's serious...but that's all I can think of. And like I said Lorelai came in here crying so bad her hands were shaking and started to pack her stuff. I told her to just go out for a few hours and I'll watch Rory for her."

"I'm surprised she didn't wake up during the fight."

"Deep sleeper like Lorelai I guess."

"Wait," Sookie stopped Lorelai mid sentence. "All of this really happened?"

Lorelai nodded her head. "It was like he didn't even want to talk to me either. But what I said is fair isn't it?"

"Well, yeah. He gets to go out without a problem with his friends but he has a problem with you going out for a few hours. Studying for a test that he doesn't even have until Monday. No it's not right what he did to you."

"Well, Will is talking to him now. So I'll probably go home and get my head chewed off just because I did go out anyway and he'll think I'm the reason why Will is there."

"And Liz just volunteered to babysit?"

"Uh huh. She came in as I was in the middle of packing. She had this pleading look in her eyes. I really think she meant it when she said she likes having me there. And at first I was hesitant because of everything Luke told me about her but I didn't know if it was really true. And then the girl goes on to tell me don't worry about it I read a book while you were pregnant."

"Did Luke happen to say what class that test was in?" Sookie asked randomly.

"No...but he had his English books out."

"Oh." Sookie shared that class with Luke but she didn't want to upset Lorelai any further by telling her that there wasn't a test coming up anytime soon.

William walked downstairs and joined Luke at the table. "I talked to Liz. She told me her side. Now I'm giving you the chance to tell me your side."

"Okay! She wanted me to watch Rory for a few hours while she went out and I said no. I told her no because I have a test to study for. And she gave me grief about it. She told me asking you and Mom to watch Rory was out of the question. But she leaves my daughter with Liz?!"

"You're going off track, son."

"She was nagging me about not helping her with Rory. Lorelai thinks she's in this alone but she's the one forcing me to go to school. That's why I'm not here all day because I'm doing what she wants to!"

"Do you know why she's forcing you to? Because she doesn't want you to put your life on hold just because a bump in the road came up. And is she or is she not taking the time out of her day to help you study? Is she or is she not the one giving you different studying tips that help you more than what the teachers teach you?"

"Fine you win. What do you want me to do?"

"I'm not finished yet. This girl is the mother of your child and you're treating her like dirt. Do you think she appreciates that? Lorelai is the one that went through nine months of a pregnancy, eighteen hours of labor without the pain reducing medication, she is the person who got all of her school work up to January finished before she had Rory. The least you could do is take over for a few hours." Will walked to Luke's side and picked up the magazine in front of him. "And this is not studying for a test. If you want to do what's best...you better get on track with Lorelai again because while you were down here stewing, she was upstairs packing. Your sister stopped her. Your sister could very well be the reason why Lorelai is still living here. Make sure you thank Liz when you get the chance."

Luke sat there in the same spot not believing what just happened. He couldn't believe his father took Lorelai's and Liz's side rather than his own son's. Without a second thought, Luke walked to the fridge and pulled a bottle of beer out staring at it.

"Sookie...I have the same class as you and Luke...and a teacher always comes to the house when I have to take a test. I was never notified about that...there is no test is there?"

Sookie sighed. "There's no test. I didn't want to upset you more than you already were."

Lorelai shook her head willing her tears to stay at bay. "I...I wouldn't..."

"Yes you would. You are. And I don't think it's fair he's treating you like this."

"Do you know what hurts the most out of this? The fact that I know there is something bigger he's hiding from me. I just don't want to think of the possibilities. I mean I know one definite possibility is the fact that he cheated on me because hello! I still have baby fat. Or is he hiding the fact that he failed out of one of his classes? I don't know. I thought we were a team, but."

"If it helps any I don't see him talking to any other girls at school."

"Helps a little. I should be getting back...we'll get together another day, problem free, okay?"

"Alright. Whenever you need to vent, I'm here."

Lorelai very slowly made her way back in the house, dreading what awaits her on the other side of the door. Before she left Sookie's, she took note that it was nine thirty-two. It wasn't even a whole three hours she was gone. No matter how mad she was at Luke, she had to pick up her pace because she had Rory waiting for her.

As she walked in the house, she took note of Luke's school books scattered around the table. Shaking her head, Lorelai began to put them all away. "Like taking care of a child," Lorelai mumbled. As she got to the notebook that sat in front of Luke hours before, her heart dropped. Putting the letter that sat on the notebook to the side, Lorelai finished cleaning up. She began to walk up the stairs and noticed everything that was lying around the house. She knew she was just buying time, but she could always help Katelyn out, couldn't she? It wasn't too long before everything was put away and Lorelai made her way to the bedroom. She noticed that Rory wasn't in there, but Luke sat on the bed. Turning on her heel, Lorelai went to Liz's room.

"She okay?"

"Perfect."

"Okay...um. Can you maybe watch her a while longer. I have something I need to speak to Luke about."

"Of course." Liz shook her head as Lorelai left the room. She knew nothing good was going to come out of the conversation she was guaranteed to hear as well as her parents.

Lorelai walked into the bedroom and stood in the doorway leaning against the wall. She held a piece of paper up. "What this?"

"You weren't supposed to find it..."

"That didn't answer my question, Luke. I asked what is it?"

"It's a letter."

"Obviously. Care to tell me why it's for college out in California?"

"Because that's where it was built."

"Stop being a smartass and take this seriously. Why would you apply for college in California. When we met you hadn't sent any applications out so I know you had to have sent it out when you knew I was pregnant. Tell me what the hell I'm doing holding an early admissions letter for a school out in California."

"Because I applied there, okay?! I applied there when we found out we were having a girl."

"Well that's just freaking lovely Luke. I should have continued packing my bags earlier."

"Don't be like that," Luke managed to get out.

Lorelai did a double take of Luke's figure on the bed. The lighting was low so she switched on another lamp. "Are you serious, Luke. A problem arises so you get drunk?! Do you even want to be in Rory's life? I gave you the chance for an out. You wanted in. What happened to all that talking we did about our future? Does that mean nothing to you?"

"Of course it does!"

"Obviously it doesn't. I guess all I can say is congratulations see you during the holidays."

Not wanting to be in the same room as him, Lorelai walked across the hall to Liz's room.

"I wouldn't mind company tonight," Liz offered.

"Thanks."

It was quiet for the rest of the night. Lorelai ended up sitting against the wall holding Rory close to her. She couldn't believe that she actually let herself fall for a guy. Lorelai always had a rule of not trusting teenage boys. And she couldn't believe that she broke it. That night, she felt it all flying away. The hopes, the dreams. Their plans. College was never in their plan. The plan was to graduate and get jobs so they could save up for their own place. But now that wasn't going to happen because Luke got early admissions to a school all the way across the country. Lorelai looked down at her daughter.

"I'm sorry, baby."

The table was quiet at breakfast. Although Lorelai felt the strong urge to be as loud as possible because of Luke's hangover. After Lorelai and Liz had stayed up the night before and talked about everything that had happened, Liz came to the agreement that her brother was an idiot. William and Katelyn heard the argument unfold last night and Will knew Luke had a nice big hole to dig himself out of. A hole that no one could help him with. Everyone could see it on Lorelai's face. The hurt, the anger, the embarrassment.

It was a shock to everyone that Luke applied for any colleges. The whole family knew Luke and Lorelai's plan that had now come to an end. And they didn't feel the least bit sad for Luke; it was Lorelai their sorrow went to.

The silence was beginning to aggravate Luke and he wanted it to end. "Lorelai, may I speak to you. Alone."

"Why?"

"It's a personal matter."

"Like applying to college was a personal matter. It'll all come out sooner or later, Luke so just say it here. Save everyone the embarrassment of not knowing what you're up to."

Liz sat there internally smiling at Lorelai's attitude while William and Katelyn looked on, not sure what to do.

"Fine. I wasn't going to go. It was just to see if I would get in."

Before anyone could say anything, Lorelai spoke up. "Did you decide this before or after last night?"

"...before."

Lorelai shook her head. She could always tell when Luke was lying to her. "I don't believe that."

"Why the hell not?!"

"Because I can tell when you're lying! Your forehead bunches up, your eyebrows start to move. Your lips start to twitch. I'm not stupid, Luke. And after last night, I don't even know how you can fix this." With that, Lorelai excused herself from the table.