Disclaimer: Chapter 1

Chapter 11

Previously:

"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.

Luke followed her up the stairs. "What do you mean you don't know how I can fix this? Come on, Lorelai. It's the same Luke from yesterday morning."

"No, it's not the same. You lied to me for months. We both said graduate from high school and then get jobs so we can get a place of our own. Sometime between my fourth and sixth month you forgot about the plan and sent applications out. Tell me should I be waiting for more acceptance letters?"

Luke shook his head. "It was just this one school. And it was just to prove to myself that I do know what I'm supposed to."

Lorelai took a deep breath and grabbed his hands. "Tell me what that means. Please, tell me why you had to prove yourself. I know it's not from people bullying you because you'd put them in their place real fast. And tell me why you acted that way earlier. Please, Luke. I'm begging you. Please." By the time Lorelai finished her plead, she had tears brimming her eyes.

Luke took his hands and held her face. "It means I had to prove to myself I know how to do what I'm supposed to. I had to prove to myself that if I can get into a school like that then I can do this dad thing after all. And I didn't know how to tell you last night without you going crazy."

"But why did you say no to watching her for a few hours. That's all I asked for. I was back in less than three hours."

"Because I was doing the responsible thing. Lorelai I had alcohol in me when you asked me. I didn't want anything to happen to Rory while I had her because I was half way to drunk."

"Why didn't you just tell me all of that? That would have saved me a hell of a lot of embarrassment in front of your family."

"I'm sorry. There are no more schools I applied to. We are sticking to our plan. And I promise you, one day we will get engaged then married. Okay?"

"Okay."

And just like that, they were fine again. They sealed the deal with a kiss filled with passion that had been missing days before Rory was born. "I think we should go out as a family today. Me, you and Rory," Lorelai said.

"Okay... so I see you and Liz got pretty friendly..."

"She's a cool kid. Much cooler than her brother, might I add. She even read a baby book when I was pregnant so she would know how to handle Rory. And look, our baby is still alive today."

Lorelai, Luke and Rory spent the afternoon walking around town. Since it was almost December, Lorelai made sure that Rory was as warm as possible. After their afternoon stroll, Luke decided he would take Lorelai out for lunch in Hartford. And that was how they found themselves sitting in a family friendly Italian restaurant.

"Lorelai, do you know how sorry I am about last night?"

"I know, Luke. I know. Next time, if something like this comes up...talk to me. Don't turn to alcohol. You know how much I hate it."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing. I know you're sorry. Let's just put it past us."

So that made a silent agreement between the couple as they continued their lunch. Conversation was flowing between the two until Lorelai stopped and stared ahead. "Switch places with me."

"What?"

"Switch places with me unless you want my mother and father coming over here."

Hearing Lorelai mention her mother was enough for Luke to comply. They were in the clear as the elder Gilmores were taken to a different section of the restuarant...or so they thought. Rory began to stir from her car seat and started what the family had declared her 'hungry' cry.

"I have a bottle...but in case she doesn't stop crying right away I'm going to take her in the bathroom, okay?"

"Sure. I'll order for you if you're not back."

"Thanks." With that said, Lorelai picked Rory up and grabbed the diaper bag. As she began the walk to the bathroom, she noticed a very familiar figure heading her way. She rolled her eyes and continued to the bathroom.

In the bathroom, there was a cushioned couch in front of the sinks. Thankful for the seating, Lorelai sat down and pulled the bottle out. "Alright let's get this started."

Expecting to find her daughter breastfeeding her baby, Emily Gilmore barged into the bathroom. "Honestly, Lorelai. Breastfeeding in public?!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lorelai let out a laugh at how Emily just embarrassed herself with her assumptions.

"So you feed her formula instead. I should have guessed. It's not like you and your...child's father have the brains on knowing proper child care."

"Actually, this is breastmilk, if it's so important for you to know. It's just pumped so I don't have to pull my boob out in public. And I don't know proper child care? Says the woman who never took care of me. I've read the books. Luke had read the books. And we have the help of his parents if we need it. So you can back off now."

"You can't talk to me that way."

"Whatever." Lorelai looked down and noticed that Rory was finished her bottle. Ignoring Emily's presence, Lorelai patted her daughter's back to burp her. Without so much as a goodbye to Emily, Lorelai walked out of the bathroom.

"My mother followed me in there."

"What did she do follow the sound of crying?"

"Who knows."

Later that night when the trio arrived back in Stars Hollow, Katelyn and William were waiting for their return. When they walked in, Katelyn followed Lorelai upstairs while William pulled Luke aside.

Katelyn stood in the doorway of Luke and Lorelai's room watching Lorelai prepare Rory for bed.

"Is everything alright between you and Luke now?"

"Yeah...he explained a lot to me today. And he's right...last night when he refused to take Rory he did the responsible thing."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, he didn't know how to tell me about the acceptance and he refused to take her because he was half way to drunk. He didn't want anything to happen to her just because he had alcohol in his system. I just hate that he resorted to alcohol because he knows how much I hate it."

"Well that explained why William's beer was gone. Did he even tell you why he applied in teh first place?"

Lorelai nodded. "He did. But I'm not sure if he would want me to tell anyone."

"I understand."

Meanwhile Downstairs

"I thought she said she had no idea how you could fix it..."

"I just had to explain a few things to her. We patched everything up. And I have Liz to thank for Lorelai still being here. Lorelai told me today that she would have left had Liz not come in the room."

"You talked everything out?"

"Everything."

"Good, good. Well now that that's out of the way...where the hell is all my beer?"

"I...uh...I drank it last night. That's why I wouldn't take Rory."

"You know Lorelai hates alcohol. Why would you take it to that level?"

"I didn't know how to tell her about it. I was hoping she never found out about it, but she found the letter when she was cleaning up down here."

"You should have just talked to her about it. Then all this mess you got yourself in wouldn't have happened. But you two are okay now?"

"We're okay."