Author's Notes: Only 3 reviews? Aw, sad. But always better than none. I guess also, it's only been like 4 days since my last update. Oh well.

Kat321 - I'm so relieved you think Rory/Logan stuff would be a great addition. I stand by what I said when this is a Luke/Lorelai centric fic, but it's also about life moving forward and changing, so it only makes sense for there to be a few other things going on.

Jeremy Shane - Thanks, I finally got an opinion from you! I'm glad you've been reading the fic through and through, and such...but to actaully hear some opinions is great. Thanks, I think Richie is pretty cool too, I love writing him!

Chloe2007 - Probably my most faithful reviewer! That has earnt you a hug! hugs. Richie has a lot of his grandfathers in him more than anything. So him playing with the tools seemed really fitting :). And expect quicker updates now, cuz yeah :P

Chapter Eleven: Planning and Panicking

'Tomatoes!' Sookie ordered loudly and an assistant passed some to her quickly. Sookie reached for the knife, only to see Richie walking into the kitchen hand-in-hand with Lorelai.

'Oh hey' Sookie smiled, putting everything down to greet him.

'Hi' Richie smiled back, giving a little wave.

'Oh! I got the-'

'No Sookie, he just ate' Lorelai said since she knew Sookie's tendencies to spoil Richie with sugary treats. 'Coffee?'

'Over there' Sookie pointed and the moment Lorelai turned her back, she handed a wrapped cookie to Richie, whom tucked it into his pocket eagerly.

'Oh, heaven' Lorelai breathed in the soothing scent of the hot coffee before taking a big sip. She placed it on the counter and started to talk to Sookie about the wedding cake details.

Richie eyed the coffee cup and wondered what was so great about the coffee that his mother and big sister had to have it as much as possible. He reached out and grabbed the cup, careful not to drop it. Richie gave a glance towards Lorelai and Sookie before cautiously taking a sip.

'Wow' he gasped and the girls turned around.

'Uh oh' Sookie said, glancing at Lorelai. 'He likes it…a lot'

'Luke's gonna kill me' Lorelai sighed but did not take the coffee from her son since he was really enjoying it. 'Hey, isn't it weird that a boy his age can like coffee? I mean Rory didn't start drinking it until she was like…what? Eight…ten?'

'I think it was about nine' Sookie replied. 'And he's your son…maybe his taste buds naturally have this thing for coffee' she shrugged.

'More!' Richie jumped after Lorelai took the empty cup of him. 'More, more!'

'This is bad' Sookie winced. 'Very bad'

April glanced up from her book as the bell above the diner door rung and Lorelai approached the counter with Richie.

'Hey' April smiled before going back to her fascinating, mystery novel.

'April!' Richie said and gave her a hug before spotting his dad. 'Daddy! Guess what-'

'So the arrangements for the wedding are almost done' Lorelai butted in, not too sure how Luke was going to react to being the father of yet another caffeine-addicted child.

'Good, and it's only a week away' Luke replied, but raised an eyebrow at Richie's sudden silence and somewhat guilty expression. He grabbed a cup and filled it with coffee since Luke knew the look Lorelai was giving him meant that her caffeine intake was "dangerously" low.

Lorelai then jumped as her phone started to ring.

'Outside' Luke told her, pointing to the sign behind him.

'You can't say that when we're married' Lorelai told him, heading to the door.

'We'll see' Luke frowned but watched in horror as his son reached for his mother's coffee cup and eagerly took a sip.

'Richie, no! Urgh!' Luke placed a palm over his face in disbelief.

'Sorry!' Richie put the cup back down and looked very guilty, almost as if he was going to cry. 'Mummy said I could'

Lorelai came back inside with an accomplished grin upon her face but the moment she saw Luke's expression…her grin faded instantly and she knew she was busted.

'You let him have coffee?' Luke asked. 'And he likes it!'

'Sorry!' Richie said again.

'It's okay hon' Lorelai placed a hand on his back before answering Luke. 'I didn't give it to him, he took it when I was getting some at the inn' Lorelai told him quickly. 'I think we should go Richie' she grabbed the boy protectively as Luke looked like he was about to explode because this was the very thing he had dreaded since the moment Lorelai had told him that she was pregnant.

'Bye' Richie waved as he allowed his mother to carry him out of the diner.

'Thank you for being my only normal child' Luke sighed to April.

'Sure, you're welcome' April smiled, without glancing up. She was also trying to hide her smirk. 'I prefer tea anyway'

'Bless you' Luke breathed in relief.

--

'Is daddy mad?' Richie wondered as he followed his mother down the street. 'Daddy looked mad' he stated sadly.

'Daddy isn't mad at you Richie' Lorelai told him, grabbing his hand as they crossed the street.

'Daddy mad at mummy?' Richie asked. He didn't like that idea either.

'Nah' Lorelai flashed a grin. 'Everything's fine' she picked him up for a hug once they reached their house.

'I can have coffee?' Richie then got excited. 'Rory have coffee'

'Rory is older' Lorelai sighed but knew that in the end she was going to be Richie's caffeine supply. 'Did Sookie give you a cookie?' she then asked, having felt the lump in his pocket.

Richie pulled out the cookie and unwrapped it, taking a bite.

'Sookie makes great cooking' he smiled. 'Why don't you cook mummy?'

'Mummy doesn't cook because daddy cooks' Lorelai replied as she removed his coat.

'But Sookie not a daddy, why Sookie cook?' Richie asked curiously.

'Ah…because Sookie is a chef, it's her job' Lorelai shrugged and wondered where Rory or April were when she needed them.

'Why don't you be a chef mummy?' Richie continued.

'Because I have a son that asks crazy questions' she frowned but sighed. 'And because daddy cooks' she stated, bringing them right back to the start, and successfully confusing Richie.

'Okay' Richie nodded and took another bite of his cookie. 'I wanna cook'

'Wow' Lorelai glanced at him in shock. 'That sounded so weird' she shook her head.

The next few days passed by fast for everyone...everyone, except Lorelai.

'Mum?' Rory asked as she heard a loud noise from upstairs and then silence. 'Stay here' she hissed to April, leaving her with Richie. 'Mum, you okay?' Rory entered the main bedroom and found her mother sitting on the bed, in her wedding dress and sobbing. There was also a small dent in the wall where she had thrown her shoes at it.

'This is stupid!' Lorelai snapped through sobs. 'I'm stupid, the wedding is stupid…stupid, stupid, stupid!' She went to throw a hanger but Rory took it from her just in time.

'It's just the nerves' Rory sighed, taking a seat beside her. 'Trust me, you're over-reacting. Just take a breath, come downstairs and eat junk food with us'

Lorelai calmed down and then acknowledged Rory's words. 'It's not nerves' she sighed but had spoken too softly and Rory hadn't made out what she'd said.

'What?'

'It's not nerves' Lorelai stated louder, with more frustration. 'It's fear'

Normally Rory would have told her that it meant the same as nerves when it was about a wedding, but the dark look on Lorelai's face gave her the feeling it was more than just pre-wedding nerves…

'What do you mean?' she asked, knowing exactly what tone to use and gesture to give.

'Max Medina' Lorelai sighed. 'Your dad' she shrugged and stared at the floor. 'I almost married Max' she sniffed, glancing at Rory's puzzled face. 'I was hardly engaged to Luke when I fell pregnant…it's just…we broke up Rory'

'Mum, that doesn't count. Richie was only one and Luke found out about April. You were feeling insecure about the wedding and Luke was busy with April…and it was only for five months…or was it eight?' Rory shrugged and then put an arm around her mother.

'I slept with your dad, I married him!' Lorelai said. 'I hurt Luke Rory, I hurt Richie in the end too…I hurt myself' she wiped some more tears away. 'I don't deserve to marry Luke'

'That was more than two years ago' Rory continued to comfort her mother. Of all the guys her mother had dated, Rory had liked most of them and had even considered Max as her step dad for some time…but not once had she ever really felt a fatherly connection to them, even with her own father …until her mother started dating Luke. Well Rory had actually looked up to Luke in a father-figure kind of way since she first met him…but now, she really wanted Luke to be her step-father and she knew how much her mother loved him. She could not let her mother's fears and the events of the past ruin this…she just couldn't.

'Mum, listen to me. I know you love Luke' Rory said, choosing her words carefully since Lorelai had gone quiet and was now listening to her every word. 'Luke loves you so much, he waited for you through all those guys, he pined for eight years! He was going to buy a house for you, have kids with you-'

'He did have kids with me…well, a kid' Lorelai added.

'Richie wasn't planned, but he still wanted kids with you at some point, remember?' Rory asked, but then continued. 'I…mum, I want Luke to be my dad'

'You already have a dad' Lorelai sighed, glancing at Rory and seeing the surprisingly keen expression on her face.

'No, I have a father…I want a dad. Someone that is always there…someone like Luke. He's been there for me whenever I needed him, whenever anyone needed him. You do want to marry him, don't you?'

'Yes' Lorelai sighed in defeat. 'You have no idea' she said, wiping her eyes. 'Okay fine…junk food' she got up and decided to change out of her dress.

'That's the spirit!' Rory grinned and headed back downstairs.

--

As Rory sat back down to watch the movie, Richie jumped up and ran upstairs as fast as his small legs could carry him.

'Mummy!' he yelled and ran into the room, seeing her reddened eyes. 'What's wrong?' he asked sadly.

'Nothing, happy tears' Lorelai said, blowing her nose.

'Oh' Richie nodded and came over, placing his black cap on backwards. 'You look pretty mummy' he smiled, seeing her in the wedding dress.

'Thanks' Lorelai smiled, giving him a kiss atop his head.

'Mummy, can Paul Anka have babies?' Richie wondered, which caught Lorelai's instant, concerned attention.

'Ah, no honey…why?' she asked, picking up the shoes she had thrown earlier.

'I wanna pet' Richie replied. 'My friend Benny has a parrot, Babette has a cat…we have a dog but he's boring and old' Richie crossed his arms and did a very Luke-like frown.

'Maybe, things are a bit busy right now…your dad and I are getting married tomorrow' She said and sat back on the bed.

'What that?' Richie wondered, climbing on beside her.

'Ah…it's when two people that love each other very much decide that they want to spend the rest of their lives together…' she shrugged, not knowing any better way to explain marriage to a four-year-old.

'Oh Kay…will there be cake?' he asked curiously.

'Yes, a very big one' Lorelai nodded. 'Now go back to your sisters, mummy has to get changed'

'Okay mummy' Richie jumped off the bed and walked towards the door. 'I love you mummy' he then smiled before making his way back downstairs.

Luke undid his tie and then re-tied it. He had been doing this for the last twenty minutes, convinced it just wasn't tied right. He wasn't going to dress in his proper clothing until tomorrow, but he had to get his damned tie right!

'Not a fan of ties?' Jess asked, making Luke jump.

'What are you doing here?' Luke asked, tossing the tie aside.

'Nice to see you too, Uncle Luke' Jess replied, coming over and giving him a slight smirk. 'Tomorrow the big day?'

'What are you doing here Jess?' Luke repeated his question.

'Do you want me to leave?' Jess wondered but shrugged. 'You're getting married, I wouldn't miss this for the world' Jess told him, but Luke knew him enough to say that Jess didn't mean that in an "I'm very happy for you" kind of way. It was more of an "I hope you trip and make a fool of yourself" kind of statement.

'You're going to be there?' Luke tried to clarify.

'It was implied' Jess told him.

'And you're okay with it?' Luke asked, the concern showing slightly on his face.

'Why? Do you need my permission or something?' Jess asked, not getting it.

'You and Rory will be cousins' Luke told him, which made Jess glance away.

'Step-cousins' Jess corrected but was clearly, slightly crept out by the idea that he'd dated his "cousin".

'Is that even…well, okay' Luke sighed and looked around for another distraction since the tie had been discarded.

'Wow, you're actually nervous' Jess noticed, trying not to laugh.

'It's what a person does before a wedding' Luke said like it was obvious, which it probably was.

'Yeah, but you've been with Lorelai for like…ever. It is Lorelai, right?' he asked, more as a tease since the topic of Rory plainly suggested Luke was marrying her mother.

Luke glared at Jess in reply. He then rolled his eyes and went downstairs in search of another distraction.

Jess smirked humorously as he lay down on the spare bed across the room, pulling out a book to read.

Later that night, Lorelai had just tucked Richie in to bed. He had been slightly hypo tonight and the girls had gone to bed late. But Lorelai didn't mind since she was restless anyway. She lay in bed and just stared up at the ceiling. She felt the space beside her and missed Luke's warmth. But it was an agreement that they would not see each other until the big day tomorrow. They also had their bachelor and bachelorette party several days ago so that distraction wasn't within reach.

Lorelai sighed again and glanced to her alarm clock as it stated 10:30pm…

--

Luke glanced at his alarm clock and frowned. He rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes but the only thing that came to mind was how annoyed he was that the one night he needed a distraction…Jess didn't snore. He rolled back over and glanced to the spot next to him, seeing the empty space beside him. He missed Lorelai's scent and the way she frowned a little in her sleep. He had already seen the dress she was going to wear, many years ago. But Lorelai still insisted on a night apart before the big day tomorrow. Luke sat up and ran a hand through his hair in annoyance. He climbed out of bed and put some long pants on…

--

Lorelai carefully shut the front door behind her and wrapped her jacket tighter around her. She gave a glance back towards the house to ensure that she hadn't woken anyone up. But it was usually only Luke that was roused by her late-night wanders. Although it came no relief to her that he wasn't there to growl at her for it tonight. He was always so concerned, so caring towards her that it almost made her sad to know that while he had loved her secretly for eight years, Lorelai was slower on realization of her own feelings towards him.

Lorelai had her boots on, so she wondered out onto the yard a little and just glanced up at the star-filled night sky. It was beautiful…

--

Luke zipped up his jacket as he opened the diner door and wandered down the street until he reached a park, where it was darker and he could see the stars clearer. He knew that Richie liked to try and count the stars at night when he couldn't sleep so he hoped it would work for him. He had even caught Lorelai doing it once and she almost fell asleep standing up…another weird Gilmore thing.

Luke glanced upwards at the stars and even he had to admit that tonight looked exceptionally vivid and clear. He had never seen so many bright stars before…

--

'It's a sign' Lorelai whispered to herself, still staring upwards at the stars. 'Rory's right' she sighed to no one but the stars a million miles above her head. 'I didn't love Max, and I doubt I ever truly loved Christopher…but I love Luke. I really love him, and tomorrow…I'm going to marry him' she smiled.

--

Luke sighed and rolled his eyes. 'If Lorelai was here…she'd say this was some sort of a sign' he said, seeing how bright the stars were, and how there were no clouds to block his view of them. 'She'd say that this is destiny, that it's written in the stars' he nodded and gave a small smile at the thought.

--

Lorelai smiled and nodded, all doubt washed from her mind. 'It's written in the stars' she whispered with a grin of hope. A sense of warmth then fulfilled inside her…

--

It was written in the stars, as the couple stood in the same position, staring up at the same night sky…there was no more second-guessing, no nerves, and no panic left for them to waste energy on as they headed back to their empty beds.

Upon resting their heads upon their soft pillows, both were asleep in instant…

Author's notes: Okay! Now...the next chapter is the wedding :) As well as the afterparty, or whatever it's called. Now I don't know if anyone is comfused or not but I'm going to explain it anyway: A year after Richie was born, it was most certainly in the "season 7" timeline area. As much as I hate and disagree with the whole Lorelai/Luke hookup during that season, I had to admit it was relevent in some way. So, in terms of this story...Luke found out about April around when Richie was one, then he and Lorelai ended up breaking up (as per "partings") and then she sort of dated Christopher, but in the end the marriage to him did happen. They were only together about 40 days...maybe more. But then Richie got sick and that brought Luke and Lorelai back together. Oh, and just cuz she married Chrstopher, doesn't mean Luke and Richie never got to see each other. Just hope that cleared things up a bit.

Any questions or comments you have, I would really love to hear them! Every review is important to me, and it was kinda sad that I only got 3 last time. So if you've read this, please review! And, the same drill applies: The more reviews, the faster the update! :) Anyhow, please review!!

-Mel