Once again thanks for the support and feedback :) Here is the next chapter and I will try and update as soon as possible. Thanks!
The following morning, Lorelai woke up in bed still wrapped up with her husband. She took a deep breath and reached up to trace the lines on his face. She smiled and pushed herself up to kiss him gently.
He stirred slowly and then opened his eyes, "Good morning…"
She bit her lip and smiled down at him, "Good morning…"
Luke rubbed his eyes slowly and glanced over at the clock, "It's early…"
Lorelai nodded, "I know…" She rolled over on her back and then looked out the window at the lake, "Think the kids are awake?"
Luke sat up slowly and sighed, "Not sure...I wonder if they all slept in Jack's room all night." He glanced down at their still naked bodies, "As much as I love laying like this with you...we should probably get dressed in case someone comes in."
Lorelai smiled and pulled herself up off the bed, "You're probably right…"
Luke watched her for a moment as she sat stone still in bed staring down at her hands in her lap, "How are you feeling this morning?"
She turned back towards him and smiled softly, "Same as yesterday...you?"
He nodded and reached out to give her hand a squeeze, "Same here."
She took a deep breath, let go of his hand and crawled out of bed. He watched her as she rummaged through the drawers to find some comfortable clothes to wear. She smiled at him as she walked over to the nightstand and lifted the necklace he had given her last night. She held it out to him and he smiled as he turned her back to him and held her hair away from her neck. He placed the necklace around her neck and clasped it before giving her a gentle kiss on her back.
"Love you…" He whispered softly.
She placed her hand over the pendant and smiled, "Love you too…" She turned slowly and gave him a quick peck, "Get dressed handsome…"
He gave her a wink before getting out of bed to slip on his own clothes. THey walked out of the bedroom together and down to the kitchen where they found Jess, Rory, April and Elise already sitting at the table.
"Where's Jack?" Lorelai asked with a quick yet nervous whisper.
"He's still asleep…" Jess said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin, "He seemed exhausted. We figured we'd let him sleep in."
Lorelai felt her body relax as she reached down to give Elise a kiss, "That's probably a good idea…" She ran her hands through Elise's curly locks and smiled, "Did you guys sleep in Jack's room all night?"
"I did." Rory said as she took a sip of her coffee, "Jess brought Elise into her room later and he and April slept in our room. I didn't want to leave him…"
"Did he sleep through the night?" Luke asked as he poured himself a glass of juice.
Rory nodded, "Yeah. He slept better than I did…"
"How did you sleep?" April asked, "You guys must be totally drained…"
Lorelai smiled at her step-daughter, "Woke up a few times...but I still slept better than I have in the last week or so. Feels good to be home…"
"Grandma's already called twice." Rory said with a smile, "She just wanted to check in...she said they'll be here around lunch time."
Lorelai smiled, "Sounds good."
She opened her mouth to speak again but was cut off by a scream from upstairs, "Mommy! Mommy where are you!"
Lorelai stood up quickly and felt her feet flying across the kitchen floor. Luke was hot on her heels as they bolted up the stairs towards Jack's room.
"Mommy!" The little boy screamed again, louder this time, "Daddy!"
Lorelai burst through the door, "Jack!"
He was sitting up on the bed crying as he held Oscar close, "Mommy…"
She ran to the bed and quickly pulled Jack onto her lap and held him close, "It's okay baby...I'm right here. You're safe now...you're home…"
Jack was crying as he clung to his Mother and he reached out a hand to Luke who pulled them both close to him. "You're okay Jack…"
Jack sniffled against Lorelai's shoulder, "I had a bad dream...he was hurting you again Mommy. And Rory and Elise too…"
Lorelai squeezed him tighter, "Oh honey...it's okay. He can't hurt you or anyone else again."
"But he got out before." Jack said as he pulled away, "And he took me away from home and I didn't like it. And I don't want him to take Elise or you or Rory or-"
"Shhh…" Lorelai whispered as she brushed the tears away from his face, "Shh...that's not going to happen Jack."
"But how do you know?" Jack asked sadly, "How do you know for sure?"
Lorelai glanced back at her husband with a pained expression. Luke swallowed hard and tried to think of something to say that would help his son. "Jack...I know things are really confusing right now. But...Mommy and I are going to help you through this. Okay? It's okay to be scared...and you can tell us when you need some assurance. We're not going anywhere buddy…"
Jack pouted and rested his head against Lorelai's shoulder again, "Why did he have to be so mean? I don't like mean people…"
Lorelai sighed and rubbed his back, "I know buddy...but there are always going to be mean people in life. I wish I could tell you there wasn't...but sometimes people do bad things."
"Do you have to go to work today?" Jack whispered nervously, "I don't want you to go…"
Lorelai shook his head, "No honey...Daddy and I aren't going back to work anytime soon. We are going to be right here with you. I promise…"
Jack snuggled into her and she began to rock him back and forth, "Don't let him take me away again Mommy…"
She pressed a kiss to his head, "Never baby...never…"
Luke held them close as she tried to soothe her son into feeling better.
The following day, Lorelai and Luke brought Jack to a counselor suggested by the court. It took a few minutes, but Jack finally agreed to talk to the counselor as long as Luke and Lorelai could sit in the room with him. They were sitting on a couch behind Jack as he sat on the floor around a small table and colored a picture with the counselor.
"Okay Jack...my name is Caitlin. And I just want to talk to you about a few things...you don't have to answer anything you don't want too, okay?" She asked softly.
Jack nodded slowly, "Okay…" He looked back at his parents who gave him an encouraging smile.
"Okay...so I want to talk to you a little bit about what happened. About…" She started to speak but Jack cut her off.
"You want to know about him?" Jack asked as he continued to color on the paper in front of him.
Caitlin nodded, "Yes...is it okay if we talk about that? Maybe we can start with the day you met him at the park?"
Jack sighed, "I was there with Grandma and Grandpa...and he came over and I recognized him from the picture that Rory showed me. So...I thought it would be okay to talk to him. He seemed nice...and he said that we would go see Rory and surprise her."
"And you thought that going to see Rory would make her happy?" She asked, "You wanted her to see her Dad, right?"
Jack nodded, "Uh uh. So I went with him...he said he already asked my Mommy and Daddy and they said it was okay. He took me to his car...and when we started to drive away he seemed to be different…"
"Different how?" She asked as she watched him carefully.
Jack shrugged, "He was talking to himself a lot...saying weird things. We parked at different places and he was always looking around like he thought someone was going to show up. But no one did...we stopped and got some food. And then after a few days driving around be brought me to that house…"
"And when you got to the house...how did he seem?" Caitlin asked.
"He seemed nervous. But he tried to be nice...when I asked him where Rory was he just said she'd be there soon. He would get mad when I talked about going home...or especially when I brought up my Dad." Jack said as he picked a new crayon.
Caitlin lanced back at Luke and Lorelai who were sitting close on the couch. Lorelai grabbed Luke's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as they listened to their son talk about his time away from them.
"What did he do when he was angry Jack? Did he hurt you?" She asked softly.
Jack shook his head, "He yelled a couple of times...and he broke a plate once. But he never hit me or anything…"
Even though Lorelai knew he hadn't hit him, she still breathed a sigh of relief at his words. "So...you had food there Jack. Did you go with him to the store?"
Jack stopped what he was doing and shook his head, "No...he made stay there alone. He locked me in that room when he left…I didn't like that. I was scared...one time he was gone for a long time and I was afraid he wasn't going to come back. I didn't like him...but I didn't know if anyone would ever find me if I was stuck in there. And that was scary…"
Lorelai whimpered softly and Luke put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to try and comfort her. They sat patiently behind their son and tried their best to not reach out for him to help soothe him. They knew it was important for him to talk as openly as possible right now.
"What did you do when you were in there alone?" Caitlin asked, "Did you have any toys?"
Jack shook his head, "No...there were books but for big people. So I couldn't read them...mostly I just sat on the bed and looked out the window to see if anyone would come get me."
"Did you ever try and run away?" Caitlin asked softly, "Or escape somehow?"
Jack shrugged, "One time I was really angry...he said he wouldn't take me home. And I ran towards the door to leave but he grabbed him and I kept kicking him and telling him to take me home but he didn't listen. He didn't like that I kicked him...he I must have learned it from my Mom and that I was stubborn like her." Jack bit his lip nervously and stopped drawing, "He…"
"He what Jack?" Caitlin asked encouragingly, "It's alright...you're in a safe place."
Jack shifted in his seat, "He asked me a lot of questions about Mommy and Daddy...he asked if they were happy. He wanted to know about our family...and that seemed to make him sad. He told me that he loved my Mommy...or that he did a long time ago. I asked why they weren't married if he loved her...but he didn't tell me why. He asked me if I knew what jail was…"
"What else did he say about it?" Caitlin asked.
Jack shrugged, "He said he did something bad...and so he had to go there and that's why he was never around. And I got scared...and he could tell I was scared. So he told me he wouldn't hurt me...but I asked him why he took me. He said he was sorry for it...and that he didn't mean to hurt me or Mommy again. So I asked again if he would take me home...but he just said I'd go home...but he wouldn't take me."
"Do you know what he meant by that?" She asked him.
Jack shook his head, "Not really...he said that he was like Lex Luther and Mommy and Daddy were Superman and Wonder Woman. He said they'd find me…" He paused, "But I asked if that meant he would go to jail again...and he said sometimes the bad guy gets away."
Lorelai glanced at Luke who only sighed and gave her hand a squeeze. They were both wondering if he planned on running away then or if he was referring to his plan to take his own life and leave Jack behind. Either way, they both knew he was a coward.
"That made me nervous…" Jack whispered, "I didn't understand what it meant...but I wanted to look brave like Daddy. So I told him that Daddy wouldn't let him get away...and he said I was probably right. And after that I went to my room because I didn't want to be near him. That was before he went to the store...and then Mommy and Daddy did find me."
Caitlin smiled, "You must have been really happy when you saw them…"
Jack nodded, "I was. But before I knew it was them...I got scared...cuz I had fallen asleep. And then i heard lots of noises and yelling...so I hid behind the bed. I knew I couldn't get out of the room...but then I heard Mommy's voice...and I knew I was safe."
Caitlin smiled again, "And so that's when Mommy and Daddy found you...and they brought you home. How do you feel now Jack? Are you scared?"
Jack stopped coloring and looked back at her, "Yes…"
"Can you tell me what you are most scared of?" She asked gently.
Jack shrugged, "I'm afraid he'll take me away again. Or that he'll hurt Mommy or someone else in my family...and I don't want that."
"I can understand that." She said softly, "But your Mommy and Daddy told you he was with the police now...right? He can't get to you anymore."
Jack nodded, "Yeah...but he got away before didn't he? And...he's not the only mean person in the world right? What if someone else tries to take me away again? I don't want to go away...I want to stay with my family…"
Caitlin looked down at the picture he had drawn, "Is that what your picture is of? You and your family?"
Jack nodded, "Uh huh…" He pointed to the first stick figure, "That's Daddy with his hat on...and Mommy with her curly hair. She has Elise in her hands….and that's ROry and April. And that's me…"
Caitlin smiled at him, "You love your family very much, don't you Jack?"
He nodded, "Yeah...doesn't everyone love their family?"
She smiled at him, "Jack...can you tell me what would make you really happy?"
Jack shrugged, "I'd be happy if he went away...and never hurt us again."
"When you say he...do you mean Christopher?" She asked slightly, "I noticed you don't like to say his name."
Jack frowned, "Yeah...I mean Christopher. I don't like him...so I don't like to say his name. Do I have too?"
She shook her head, "No. Of course not."
Jack sighed and looked back at his parents before standing up and crawling up onto Luke's lap, "Do I have to see him again?"
"Not if you don't want too…" Caitlin said softly, "Jack do you know what a trial is?"
Jack shook his head, "No...not really."
"Well a trial is something that happens when someone has broken the law...and the police and lawyers come together to talk about what the person did...and how they should be punished for their behavior. Does that make sense?" She asked.
Jack frowned, "So...you mean he will have to go to a trial?"
She nodded slowly, "Yes Jack. Christopher will have to go to a trial and they will talk about what happened when he took you away."
"Do I have to go?" Jack asked as he looked back at his father.
Luke sighed, "Well...sometimes they ask people like you to go and talk about it...but you don't have too if you don't want too. Mommy and I will never make you do that."
Jack frowned again, "But...if I don't go will he not get in trouble for what he did?"
"No...he will still get in trouble." Caitlin said, "What he did was very wrong Jack...but if you don't' want to see him then you do not have to go."
Jack was quiet for a moment before he turned to his Mother, "Did he have a trial when he hurt you?"
Lorelai nodded slowly and took his small hand in hers, "Yes he did…"
"And did you go?" Jack asked curiously.
Lorelai smiled sadly, "I did buddy...but that doesn't mean you have to go."
Jack swung his legs back and forth from his spot on his Dad's lap, "Do I have to say yes or no right now?"
"No. You can think about it some more." Caitlin said, "But whatever you decide is okay Jack…"
Jack turned in Luke's arms and hugged him tightly, "I don't know…"
Luke rubbed his back gently, "It's okay bud...we can think about it, okay? No need to decide now. Everything is alright…"
Jack sighed and rested his head in the crook of Luke's neck, "Can we go home now?"
Luke looked back at Caitlin who gave him a slight nod, "Sure little man...why don't you go out front with Rory and Elise for a minute while Mommy and I talk to Caitlin?"
Jack frowned, "For long?"
Luke shook his head, "No. We won't be long." He ruffled his hair, "Hey...what do you say we stop at the Diner on the way home and I make you something special?"
Jack smiled, "Okay…" He hopped down from Luke's lap and walked over to the assistant who walked Jack out to Rory in the waiting room.
Luke sighed and turned towards Caitlin, "God I hate this…"
She smiled tenderly at him, "I know. It's going to be hard...and Jack will have a lot of questions. But he seems very strong...I was impressed he was able to tell me all of that the first time we met. It is totally normal for him to be afraid still...he's confused about what happened. And because he went willingly...he probably is questioning a lot of his choices at the moment. That will play a factor into whether or not he decides to testify during the trial."
Lorelai frowned, "He's so little...I don't like the idea of him going there. I was terrified when I had to do it and I'm an adult."
"We can talk about possibly doing an interview with him via recording which would be played during the trial. That way...the court can hear what Jack has to say but Jack doesn't actually have to be present." She said softly.
"That would probably be better." Luke whispered, "He can't even really say his name...I don't want to push him to hard."
"I know that right now you both want to make everything better for him. And all I can tell you is that you are doing a great job. It is obvious that you love and care for Jack and you would do anything to protect him. It won't be easy...and it will most likely be a day to day challenge. But it will get better with time…" She said.
Lorelai nodded slowly, "He was supposed to start school recently...and now I don't know what to do. He hasn't mentioned it...and quite honestly I don't know if I can bare to let him go off on his own as it is. But would keeping him back another year be to hard? He'd be so much older?"
"Well I'd be happy to meet with the counselors at Jack's school and the administrators. It is something we could discuss...or see if there was a way to have Jack do work at home for the time being." She said, "We don't need to make any big decisions right away…"
Lorelai sighed, "I know...I just wish everything could go back to normal for him."
"And in time it will…" Caitlin said with a smile.
"I can't reconcile the fact that Christopher was willing to take his own life and leave Jack there...that's been haunting me since last night. What if Jack had seen him? Or heard something? Is that something we tell him?" Luke asked softly.
Caitlin shook her head, "No. I don't think it's something that Jack needs to know...and unfortunately wondering about all the what if's will only drive you crazier than you already are feeling. It won't do you any good…"
Luke groaned, "I can't seem to get those thoughts to leave my head…"
"One important thing to remember is...that Jack isn't the only one hurting right now. I am sure your other children have concerns as well as the two of you. I read the file on the case...and I know you had someone to talk to during the first incident with Christopher. It is probably not a bad idea for you to talk to someone again as well...you won't do Jack any good if you can't handle your own emotions about all of this." Caitlin whispered.
Lorelai nodded slowly and looked back at Luke, "I know…"
"We'll go together." Luke said giving her a smile, "We can do this…"
She grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Okay…" She turned back to Caitlin, 'Thank you for everything...we'll see you again on Friday, right?"
Caitlin smiled, "Yes. But if anything comes up before then, don't hesitate to call."
"Thank you." Luke said, "You've been a great help." He put a hand on Lorelai's back and went to lead her towards the door.
They walked out to the waiting room together and smiled when they saw Jack and Elise sitting on Rory's lap as she read to them. Rory smiled up at her parents as they walked in the room and gave them both a hopeful look. Luke scooped up Jack and Lorelai held Elise in one arm and Rory's hand in her free hand.
They walked out to the cars and headed back towards town and the Diner. Rory called Jess and he and April were waiting for them outside the Diner as they pulled up.
All together they walked in and everyone gave them all a wave and a smile, respecting their much needed space. Luke walked behind the counter, talked to Caesar for a moment as Jack climbed up on Lorelai's lap.
Luke smiled at his son, "So what do you want buddy?"
Jack smiled softly, "Can I have an ice cream sundae?"
Luke looked at the clock and saw that it was just barely noon and Jack hadn't had lunch yet. But...in the grand scheme of things it didn't really matter. He had almost lost his son forever. And quite honestly...he would do just about anything to make him happy at this moment.
He leaned against the counter and moved his face until it was just inches from Jack's, "How many scoops you want?"
Lorelai smiled at him as Jack's face lit up, "Three!"
Luke nodded, "Three it is." He turned over to Elise who was practically bouncing in Rory's lap, "And you little lady?"
"Ows cream! Ows cream!" Elise said as she clapped her hands excitedly.
Luke chuckled and leaned forward to give her rosy cheeks a kiss, "Ice cream for everyone then!"
"Yay!" They all yelled together.
Luke smiled and looked over at Jess, "Wanna give me a hand?"
Jess nodded, "Sure." He gave April's shoulder a squeeze and then walked around the counter to help his Uncle.
From the end of the counter, Miss Patty walked up slowly and gave Jack a tentative smile, "Well hello Danes Family."
Jack turned and smiled at Miss Patty, he had always liked talking to her, "Hi Miss Patty!"
"What's your Dad making you for lunch?" She asked softly.
Jack smiled at her, "Daddy's letting us have ice cream for lunch!"
"Wow!" Miss Patty said excitedly, "I never thought I'd see the day that your Daddy let someone have ice cream for lunch!"
"I know! I can't believe it either!" Jack said excitedly, he turned to his Mom, "Can I go help Daddy and Jess?"
"Sure baby." She said putting him down on the ground, "Be careful."
Miss Patty waited until the boy was back in the kitchen before she turned to Lorelai, "I haven't wanted to intrude at the house...but how are you doing?"
Lorelai smiled softly, "We're...surviving." She said honestly, "Taking it one day at a time...now that he's home I can rest a little easier. But it's still hard…"
"When we heard he was back…" Patty put a hand over her heart, "Lord knows we all said a thankful prayer together. That poor boy...and you." She reached out to squeeze her hand, "I am so sorry Lorelai…"
Lorelai's eyes welled up with tears "Thank you Patty...I am so beyond grateful for everything everyone in town did. Helping us search...and now giving us the space we need. We appreciate it more than you know."
"Well you know we are all here for you. And if there is anything at all you need...you just say the words." Patty said softly, "Day or night...we're here…"
"Thank you." Lorelai said leaning in to give her a hug, "And tell everyone else we said thank you too…"
"I will dear. You take care of yourself too…" She whispered, "Jack needs you…"
Lorelai smiled as she pulled away and then turned to April and Rory who were smiling at her. "How did it go with the counselor?" April asked.
Lorelai shrugged, "Okay...Jack was strong. But...he is still confused about a lot of things. It's going to take awhile for him to be able to feel as safe as he used too."
"I think it's going to take a awhile for all of us to feel safe…" Rory said with a pout, "But I can't imagine what he must be thinking. I can't wrap my head around it all and I'm an adult...he's just a kid."
Lorelai nodded, "I know...we're trying to help him sort through it all. But I also don't want to push him...he needs to talk about it when he feels like it."
"Do you think he will testify in the trial?" April asked curiously. "Will he even understand what that is?"
Lorelai shook her head, "We talked a little bit about it at his appointment...and Jack seemed very nervous. I would never make him do it if he didn't want too. His counselor suggested asking if we could take his testimony instead which might work better…"
"I don't really want him to be in the same room as Dad…" Rory said softly, "I barely want to be in the same room as him…"
Lorelai sighed, "I know...I keep thinking about going to see him. But I don't know if I should…"
"I don't know if Luke would even allow it at this point…" Rory said with raised eyebrows, "He'd probably have a heart attack…"
"And Dad obviously can't go with you…" April said softly, "I saw his hands...I know what happened."
Lorelai bit her lips nervously, "Don't be mad at him…"
"I'm not…" April said with a sad smile, "I just worry...he tries to be so strong for everyone else. I'm worried he'll ignore his own emotions...his own feelings. That's not healthy either…"
"We're going to talk to my counselor together. I think it will be good for the both of us…" Lorelai said as she glanced back at the kitchen and smiled when she saw the three boys scooping out ice cream together.
Rory smiled, "Hey...nice necklace, where did you get it?"
Lorelai smiled and reached up to hold the tree pendant hanging from her neck, "Luke gave it to me last night...it was my anniversary present."
"Are those birthstones?" April asked as she leaned in closer.
Lorelai nodded, "Yup. The four birthstones of our four amazing children…"
April blushed, "Even me?"
Lorelai smiled and reached over Rory and Elise to grab April's hand, "You know I love you just as much as the rest of my children. Right?"
April felt tears prickle in her eyes, "I know…"
Lorelai gave her hand a squeeze and smiled, "Good."
As Lorelai pulled her hand away, Luke, Jess and Jack walked up to the counter with ice cream for everyone. Lorelai smiled as they handed them out and she took a scoop of her ice cream and offered it to Luke. He gave her a look for a moment but she only pushed it closer to him. With a quick eye roll, he opened his mouth to accept the sugary treat. Lorelai smiled and leaned forward, he took the hint and leaned in halfway to give her a gentle kiss.
That night, Lorelai was lying on Jack's bed with him as Luke sat on the edge of the bed and read one of Jack's favorite books. Jack was pressed up against Lorelai's side as she played with the soft curls in his hair. When Luke finished the book, he closed it and turned back to his wife and son.
"Sleepy bud?" Luke asked as he leaned down to kiss Jack's head.
Jack had a far away look on his face, "Where is he now?"
Luke glanced back at Lorelai before turning back to his son, "Who? Christopher?"
Jack nodded slowly and glanced up at his Dad, "Yeah...where is he now?"
Luke pushed further down on the bed, "Well...he's in jail right now buddy."
"And he can't escape? Sometimes the bad guys escape in the comic book stories…" Jack said with a nervous frown.
Luke shook his head, "No Jack….he can't escape."
Jack was quiet for another moment and then Lorelai noticed tears welling up in his eyes, "Jack?" She asked softly, "What is it honey?"
Jack sniffled, "What if...what if you hadn't found me? What if I was still stuck there?"
Lorelai pulled him closer, "Oh Jack...Daddy and I would have searched forever if we had too."
"But what if I was lost forever? What if I never saw you again?" Jack asked in a scared voice.
Luke felt tears burning in his own eyes, but he wanted to be strong for his son, "But you aren't lost anymore Jack...you can't worry about that now. You're home with us...and that's where you'll stay."
Jack looked at his Dad, "We're you scared too? When I was away?"
Luke nodded slowly, "Terrified buddy...Mommy and I have never been so scared. You and your sisters mean the world to us…"
Jack was quiet for a moment, "He said he was scared…" He paused again, "What was he scared of?"
Lorelai sighed, "Jack...he knows what he did was wrong. And he was afraid of what would happened to him when we did find you."
Jack nodded, "Oh…" He pulled Oscar closer to him and rubbed his ears which he often did when he was tired, "It's sad that he is so unhappy…"
Lorelai looked over Jack's head at Luke who only stared at his son in surprise, "What?"
Jack shrugged, "I feel bad for him...I feel bad that he's so sad. That he makes such bad choices...he's not lucky like me."
"What do you mean?" Luke asked as he leaned up to run a hand through Jack's hair.
"Well sometimes I make bad choices…" Jack said as he continued to play with his bunny, "Like when I hide your keys...or when I don't share with Elise. Or even when I feed Paul Anka all my carrots so I don't have to eat them." He paused for a moment and then looked at his Mom, "But...even when I do those things...you still love me, right?"
Lorelai leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his small nose, "Of course Jack. We will always love you. No matter what…"
Jack nodded and pulled away, "Well...maybe no one really loved him. Maybe he just needed someone to love him and then he'd be nicer…" He frowned, "I don't like him...but I forgive him."
Lorelai whimpered softly, his words softened her slightly "Jack…"
"I think sometimes…" Jack continued, "Sometimes people do bad things because they are scared. And because they just want someone to notice them...like when my friends do something bad...sometimes it's because they want attention from their Mommy's and Daddy's. Their parents aren't like you...they aren't always there. And maybe Christopher needed his parents to love him more...maybe he needed someone to pay attention to him. So he made bad choices...and he feels bad about it. It's sad…"
Lorelai sat up slowly and pulled her son into her arms, "You are the most amazing kid in the world. Did you know that Jack Danes?" Her eyes locked with Luke's and she saw the same amount of awe and surprise that she felt.
Jack hugged her close, "Why?"
Lorelai pulled away and held his small face in her hands, "Because you have such a big heart. And I am so incredibly proud of you for being so brave and strong...you're amazing."
Jack smiled, "I'm brave and strong like you and Daddy…"
Luke laughed as he sat up, "Buddy...you are much stronger than us. You just proved that…"
Jack turned to look at his Dad, "I think we will have to disagree on that…"
Luke laughed again, "I guess we will…"
Jack was quiet for a moment, "Can I sleep in your room tonight? Or does that not make me brave or strong anymore?"
Luke shook his head, "Of course you can. In fact I think Mom and I would feel a lot braver and stronger if you were with us, right Lorelai?"
Lorelai smiled and kissed the side of Jack's face, "Right. Come on buddy."
Luke helped them both out of the bed and they walked all together towards their bedroom. Lorelai pulled the covers back so that Jack could crawl into the middle of the large bed. Luke flipped off the lights and put on a small night light they kept for nights when the kids slept in their room. He crawled into bed and pulled the covers up over Lorelai and Jack.
It wasn't long before Jack was sound asleep between them. But neither Lorelai or Luke seemed to be able to take their eyes off of their son.
"Did he really say all those things?" Lorelai whispered softly, "Did he really forgive him like that?"
Luke reached up over his son's head and wrapped a hand in Lorelai's curls, "He did…"
She tilted her head to stare at her husband, "He is stronger than us…"
Luke nodded slowly, "Yes he is…"
"How can someone so small be so wise? He's just a kid...how does he have the capacity to understand the world that way?" Lorelai asked as she looked back down at her sleeping son.
"I don't know...maybe he hasn't been jaded like we have." Luke said with a frown, "But you'd think after what he just went through...he'd be a little more cynical. Especially since he's my son…" He said with a laugh.
Lorelai was quiet for a moment, "Christopher did always need someone to love him...he needed acceptance. And he didn't have that in the last few years…"
Luke shifted to stared at her, "No...but it doesn't make what he did right."
Lorelai nodded, "I know…"
"You had a difficult relationship with your parents too Lorelai...but you didn't turn into a bad person." He said softly.
Lorelai smiled sadly, "No I didn't...but I'm not perfect either."
"Are you saying you want to forgive Christopher?" Luke asked curiously.
Lorelai shook her head, "No. I could never forgive him for this...especially now that I have read that letter. Knowing he would have left him there…" She shivered, "I'll never forgive him...but somewhere deep in my soul...I feel bad for him. I pity him really…"
"Why?" Luke asked softly.
"Because...Christopher could have had anything he wanted in life. He had opportunities handed to him on a silver platter. But...the one thing he ever really wanted was love. Real love…" She paused and looked up at her husband, "The kind of love that we have...the family that we have. He wanted that so desperately but didn't understand how to get it...how to make it last. He thought he could buy love…" She looked down at her son again, "But love is the one thing in the world you can't buy...it's the one thing you have to earn. To let yourself feel...the one thing that makes life worth living. And he will never have that…and that's sad."
Luke let her words sink in for a moment, "I never really thought of it that way…"
She shifted slightly and reached across Jack to take Luke's hand, "I hate him for what he did. I hate him for many of the things he has done to me...to Rory...to you." She licked her lips, "But despite all that pain he caused...he's made me appreciate my life so much more. Does that make sense?"
"I think so…" Luke whispered as he ran a finger over her knuckles gently, "But...I still hate him."
Lorelai couldn't help but laugh, "I know. And I do too...but I pity him at the same time."
They sat in silence for a moment before Luke whispered, "Hey Lorelai?"
"Yeah?" She asked as she leaned further into the pillow.
"Thank you…" He whispered so softly she wasn't sure if she had heard him right.
She opened her eyes and lifted her head to stare at him, "For what?"
He sighed and turned his head towards her, "For being such a good person…" He whispered, "For making me a better person…"
She frowned at him, "Luke...you've always been a good person."
He shook his head, "Maybe...but I didn't want people to see that side of me. But you make me show it...you make me open up. And I am grateful for that…" He looked down at his son, "And I'm grateful for the life we have...now more than ever. So damn grateful…"
She smiled at him and gave his hand a squeeze, "I love you…"
He lifted his eyes to hers and gave her a wink, "I love you more…"
She smirked and repeated her son's words from earlier, "I think we will have to disagree on that…"
Luke chuckled softly, "I guess we will…"
He smiled as Lorelai closed her eyes and snuggled closer to their son. Luke wrapped an arm around both of them and found himself falling in love even more. He could hate Christopher Hayden with every fiber of his being...and he did. But he pitied him too. Christopher had lost the love of Lorelai Gilmore...and that was something Luke never wanted to feel again. No matter what it took, he would make sure to love and cherish the woman beside him and their four amazing children because they were all that mattered in this world.
More to come soon :)